February 19, 2018
Dark Regions Press is excited to announce that starting on March 1st 2018 we will be launching the new Dark Regions Press Author Spotlight program. This program will be used to promote one or more authors published by Dark Regions Press per month in the following ways:
The new Author Spotlight program from Dark Regions Press is starting March 1st 2018, and all DRP authors will be contacted before then regarding the details.
Thank you and watch for more news coming soon!
February 15, 2018
Dark Regions Press is excited to announce that starting on March 1st 2018 we will have new base pay rates for all of our authors moving forward: 10 cents per word or $1,000 advance against royalty payments. If you get a story accepted/published by Dark Regions Press after March 1st 2018 that is not part of one of our writing contests, you will be paid one of these rates.
We are also currently working on plans for author promotions who have been published with DRP. Stay tuned for more exciting news in the near future!
February 15, 2018
We are very excited to announce a new Dark Regions Press writing contest! Send us your best horror flash fiction story ranging from 10 to 1,000 words based on a sole survivor stranded on a deserted island and you could win from $1,000 in prizes and have the story published in digital anthologies used to promote the stories, authors and press! Five stories will be selected as winners and each author who is selected will have Dark Regions Press featuring them in ads, newsletters and on the website!
WORD COUNT: 10 to 1,000 words
THEME: Horror story of a lone survivor on a deserted island
PAY: Contest with $1,000 Prize Pool - 1st place: $500 2nd place: $200 3rd place: $100 4th place: $100 5th place: $100
ADDITIONAL: the 5 winning stories will be published in digital anthologies from Dark Regions Press where the authors will be credited. DRP will also feature the authors in our newsletters, ads and websites!
ENTRY FEE: None but you must be a subscriber to the Dark Regions Press e-mail newsletter to qualify which is free to join at darkregions.com/newsletter
SUBMISSION RULES: No reprints or stories published anywhere else before including author websites. No multiple or simultaneous submissions. Only one submission per author for the duration of the contest. Story must be a horror flash fiction story no more than 1,000 words focusing on a sole survivor on a deserted island.
TURNAROUND TIME/TIMELINE: all stories must be sent to Dark Regions Press by March 31st 2018. Our team will then read all of the stories and will select the 5 winners and issue prize money by Summer 2018. The winners will be announced exclusively in our e-mail newsletter after being contacted personally. The digital anthologies including the stories will be published throughout the 2nd half of 2018, 2019 and beyond.
RIGHTS: By entering this contest you agree that if you are selected as one of the 5 winners Dark Regions Press has the right to publish your winning story in digital anthologies and can offer these anthologies and/or the story for sale digitally. Two year exclusive digital rights. Your story is free to be published in any physical edition. It can also be published in Best Of anthologies within our 2 year exclusive digital rights period. After the two year digital exclusivity period the author is free to publish the story digitally anywhere else in any capacity.
HOW TO SEND US YOUR MANUSCRIPT (READ CAREFULLY): please send us an e-mail with a subject line reading: "MY STORY TITLE - Dark Regions Press Writing Contest Deserted Island" then in the e-mail body please include a list of the following information:
Please refrain from including any credentials or other information, we wish to judge the stories purely based on the stories themselves! If you are selected as one of the winners we will ask for an author bio and photo (if available).
MANUSCRIPT MUST BE ATTACHED TO EMAIL AS A WORD DOCUMENT! .doc, .docx or .rtf are acceptable file types.
Please make sure you have read the above instructions carefully.
Send your Word Doc manuscript of no more than 1,000 words to our writing contest e-mail at: darkregionswritingcontest@gmail.com
Please only use that e-mail for story submissions for our currently active writing contests! Any other submissions/e-mails to that address will be marked as spam.
Thank you and we can't wait to read everyone's lone survivor deserted island horror stories!
February 09, 2018
Ebook readers we have a special treat for you: all ebooks available for direct download or preorder on DarkRegions.com are 33% off using coupon code EREAD33 - but this coupon code expires in a few days!
February 04, 2018
We are very excited to announce that Dark Regions Press will be publishing its first-ever graphic novel in 2018 and it is by Joe R. Lansdale and Keith Lansdale!
This new graphic novel is based in the same universe as Prisoner 489 and will be available for preorder first to Dark Regions Press Collectors Book Club members. It will be offered in a deluxe signed slipcased hardcover format as well as trade and digital editions.
Watch for more news and an official press release on this exciting project between Joe R. Lansdale, Keith Lansdale and Dark Regions Press soon!
Joe R. Lansdale is the author of over thirty novels and numerous short stories. His work has appeared in national anthologies, magazines, and collections, as well as numerous foreign publications. He has written for comics, television, film, newspapers, and Internet sites. His work has been collected in eighteen short-story collections, and he has edited or co-edited over a dozen anthologies.
Lansdale has received the Edgar Award, eight Bram Stoker Awards, the Horror Writers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the British Fantasy Award, the Grinzani Cavour Prize for Literature, the Herodotus Historical Fiction Award, the Inkpot Award for Contributions to Science Fiction and Fantasy, and many others.
A major motion picture based on Lansdale's crime thriller Cold in July was released in May 2014, starring Michael C. Hall (Dexter), Sam Shepard (Black Hawk Down), and Don Johnson (Miami Vice). His novella Bubba Hotep was adapted to film by Don Coscarelli, starring Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis. His story "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road" was adapted to film for Showtime's "Masters of Horror." He is currently co-producing a TV series, "Hap and Leonard" for the Sundance Channel and films including The Bottoms, based on his Edgar Award-winning novel, with Bill Paxton and Brad Wyman, and The Drive-In, with Greg Nicotero.
Lansdale is the founder of the martial arts system Shen Chuan: Martial Science and its affiliate, Shen Chuan Family System. He is a member of both the United States and International Martial Arts Halls of Fame. He lives in Nacogdoches, Texas with his wife, dog, and two cats.
February 01, 2018
We are very excited to announce that Dark Regions Press has signed a contract with renowned author Caitlín R. Kiernan for a new novella which will be published in 2018/2019. The nature of the project, title and more will be revealed in the coming months! Stay tuned for more news on this exciting new project between Dark Regions Press and author of The Drowning Girl, Caitlín R. Kiernan.
Caitlin R. Kiernan was born near Dublin, Ireland, but has spent most of her life in the southeastern United States. In college, she studied zoology, geology, and palaeontology, and has been employed as a vertebrate palaeontologist and college-level biology instructor. The results of her scientific research have been published in the JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALAEONTOLOGY, THE JOURNAL OF PALAEONTOLOGY and elsewhere. In 1992, she began writing her first novel, THE FIVE OF CUPS (it remained unpublished until 2003). Her first published novel, SILK (1998), earned her two awards and praise from critics and such luminaries as Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, Peter Straub, and Poppy Z. Brite. Her next novel, THRESHOLD (2001), was also an award-winner, and since then she has written LOW RED MOON (2003), MURDER OF ANGELS (2004), DAUGHTER OF HOUNDS (2007), and, forthcoming, THE RED TREE. She is a prolific short fiction author, and her award-winning short stories have been collected in TALES OF PAIN AND WONDER (2000), WRONG THINGS (with Poppy Z. Brite; 2001), FROM WEIRD AND DISTANT SHORES (2002), and TO CHARLES FORT, WITH LOVE (2005), ALABASTER (2006), FROG TOES AND TENTACLES (2005), TALES FROM THE WOEFUL PLATYPUS (2007), and, most recently, the sf collection, A IS FOR ALIEN (2009). She has also scripted comics for DC/Vertigo, including THE DREAMING ('97-'01), THE GIRL WHO WOULD BE DEATH ('98), and BAST: ETERNITY GAME ('03). Her short sf novel THE DRY SALVAGES was published in 2004, and has published numerous chapbooks since 2000. Caitlin also fronted the goth-rock band Death's Little Sister in 1996-1997, once skinned a lion, and likes sushi. She lives in Providence, RI with her partner, Kathryn, and her two cats, Hubero and Smeagol. Caitlin is represented by Writer's House (NYC) and United Talent Agency (LA).
January 30, 2018
Working in horror and humor with equal skill and wild abandon, Jeff Strand has been nominated four times for the Bram Stoker Award, and it’s nothing short of a crime he has yet to bring the statue home. He is one of the great authors to be included in Dark Regions Press’ new anthology of yuletide terror, Christmas Horror Vol. 2. So I tracked him down and asked him some questions about writing, reading, his story in the aforementioned anthology, and more. Luckily for us, he was kind enough to answer.
Thanks for taking the time to talk with me, Jeff. Now before authors started to write they were readers. Who were some of the authors that inspired you, that made you want to keep reading and eventually start writing your own tales?
I literally can't remember a time when I didn't want to be a writer. So there really wasn't ever an author who made me go "Oooooh, THAT'S what I want to do!" But there's no question that Douglas Adams inspired me (I didn't realize you were "allowed" to be that silly in a published book), along with Dave Barry and Richard Laymon.
When was your first sale and what market published it?
In 1996 I sold a humorous story called "The Private Diary of Leonard Parr" to the first (and only) issue of Twisted Magazine. That year, I attended Necon for the first time, and the magazine was included in the freebie bags, so I got to sign a lot of copies and feel like a celebrity. After the weekend was over, I quickly returned to my life of obscurity.
You’ve worked in many genres with many different flavors. There is of course horror, which you’ve done the most in, but there are also comedy, thrillers, even fairy tales. Other than horror, what is the genre that speaks to you the most?
Humor. My novel Kumquat is a comedy with no horror elements, as are most of my YA novels. I'd write more adult humor novels if they sold better.
Is there a genre/style you have yet to write in that you really want to?
I'd love to tackle a great big epic fantasy novel. Or put my quirky spin on a historical saga.
You’ve done a lot of short stories and full-length novels, which format do you prefer writing? Are there specific challenges to one that’s not there when doing the other?
I love 'em both, but ultimately I prefer novels. My challenge with short stories is that I'm really not a big "idea guy." I'm better at executing a premise than I am at coming up with the premise in the first place. But short stories are fun because I can be more experimental. I can try out weird new narrative voices and write from the perspective of unsavory characters who are great fun to read about for 10 pages but not 300. Novels are more satisfying to me, but I'm glad I don't have to choose between the two formats.
If I asked you for three stories or books that would give a reader who is unfamiliar with your work the best representation of you as an author, what would those three be?
When people ask, "Where should I start?" I almost always point them to Wolf Hunt or Blister, since those are probably the two where the humor and horror are the most balanced. After that, if I'm specifically going with "best representation" rather than "favorite," I'd point them to one of the short story collections, like Dead Clown Barbecue.
Do you have any advice to a new author just starting out?
Don't be in a hurry to get published. In today's world, you can finish your first novel and have it up on Amazon 12 hours after you type "The End." Don't do that. It's perfectly okay to write "practice" novels while you hone your craft. Before the Kindle, almost all authors had what were called "trunk novels," books that helped them learn to become a writer but weren't good enough to publish and were thus destined to be locked away in a trunk. There's no shame in a trunk novel.
Last I heard a book of yours, Stalking You Now, was getting the movie treatment. As someone that has a story stuck in option limbo for years, can you tell me how long this has been in the works? Has production started on it yet, or is there a scheduled date to start?
Mindy Has To Die (which is what they were calling the movie version of Stalking You Now) got halfway through production in Belfast, Ireland, and then shut down. I honestly don't know if they're going to finish it up, or if that's the end of it. I've had various other books considered for film treatment, and I can relate very easily to the whole "stuck in limbo" thing.
Are you involved with transitioning the story from the page to the screen? Is there anything you can share about that process?
I had no involvement with Stalking You Now; the script was written by director George Clarke. When a movie based on my novel Pressure was in development, I did several drafts of a screenplay after the "hot young new writers" they hired didn't deliver something that worked, but that one never moved forward. The only film adaptation of my work to actually get made was my short story "Gave Up The Ghost," which was directed by Gregory Lamberson as a segment of the horror anthology Creepers. For that one, I wrote the script, and I was on the set helping out with menial tasks and staying out of the way of the people who knew what they were doing.
What do you like most about being an author? What keeps you writing?
Fan mail! That's where my YA work has been so satisfying, because the goofy comedy of my books means that I get a lot of "I never enjoyed reading until I discovered your work" e-mails from kids. Because writing is my sole source of income, what keeps me writing is "money," but I kept writing for many, many years when I had a full-time day job and was getting teeny tiny wee adorable little royalty checks, so I suppose I also keep writing because I love it!
If you could change one thing about the writing and/or the publishing business, what would that be?
I would change the status of a couple of select editors from "employed" to "unemployed."
On to the new anthology from Dark Regions Press that you’re part of, Christmas Horror Vol. 2. What first attracted you to the book and to do something for it?
I'd published several books with Dark Regions, so my involvement was as simple as Chris Morey saying "Hey, would you write a story for this anthology?" I was in Volume 1 and thought the book turned out great, so I was excited about being part of the follow-up.
Your story in the book, “December Birthday”, spoke to me on a personal level as a December baby, so thanks for that. What can you tell me about your tale without giving too much away?
It's a greatly exaggerated look at how many of us feel when we receive gifts and are told "This is for your birthday AND Christmas!" It's never a double-value present. Maybe, just maybe, this could cause somebody to snap...
Do you see yourself revisiting any of the characters, locations, or themes of this story in later work?
Nah. I feel like this story is my final statement on the subject. Some literary works are rich tapestries that offer infinite storytelling possibilities in the world that the author has created, and some make their sick one-joke point and move on.
Can you give us any glimpse of what’s next from you or anything you’re working on right now?
Sick House is a very dark horror novel about a home invasion with ghosts. The publication date is "January 2018," which is when I'm answering this interview question, so it may or may not already be out by the time people read this. My next YA comedy, How You Ruined My Life, will be out in April. And there's plenty of other stuff on the way that I can't blab about yet.
What is the best way for people to learn more about you and your work?
Follow me on Twitter (@JeffStrand), friend me on Facebook (JeffStrandAuthor) or visit my website at www.JeffStrand.com.
Jeff Strand is a four-time nominee (and zero-time winner, but c'mon, he lost to Stephen King TWICE!) of the Bram Stoker Award.
His novels are usually classified as horror, but they're really all over the place, almost always with a great big dose of humor. He's written five young adult novels that all fall into the "really goofy comedy" category.
He lives in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife and one gigantic freaking cat.
January 24, 2018
We wanted to take a moment to thank Jack Ketchum for his contributions to the arts. His groundbreaking horror novel Off Season shocked the world, including Stephen King, with its visceral intensity. He went on to write thirty-one books, thirteen of them novels, five of which have been filmed to date - The Lost, The Girl Next Door, Red, Offspring and The Woman, the last of which won him and Lucky McKee the Best Screenplay award at the Sitges Film Festival in Spain. He is the five-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award, most recently for Lifetime Achievement. In 2011 he was elected Grand Master by the World Horror Convention. He is widely considered one of the greatest post-modern horror authors.
Dark Regions Press recently published Off Season 35th Anniversary Edition, a special version of Jack Ketchum's debut novel originally published in 1980. We are happy to report that Jack's author copies, including the deluxe traycased edition, reached him recently and he was very happy with the results.
Thank you, Dallas (aka Jack Ketchum) for your kindness and professionalism. You were a joy to interact with at the Stanley Hotel Writers Retreat and to work with on the special edition of Off Season. You are immortalized in your work which we will continue to promote, publish and enjoy. Rest in peace.
January 23, 2018
Show your love for horror, fantasy and science fiction by ordering a Dark Regions Press t-shirt!
Top quality American Apparel Crew poly-cotton black t-shirts that retain a high level of quality over time, these shirts are offered in sizes XS to 3XL sporting the new Dark Regions Press logo.
Order Your Dark Regions Press T-Shirt Here: https://teespring.com/dark-regions-press-shirts
January 23, 2018
Joshua Hoffine – Dark Regions Press Interview
By Brian M. Sammons
When you bring up the subject of horror photography, one name jumps easily to mind, or at least it should. That name is Joshua Hoffine, a man with an eye for photography terror like no other. If you have seen any of his work I am positive you remember those amazing images. If you haven’t, boy are you in for a treat, as Dark Regions Press just released a big, beautiful book full of Mr. Hoffine’s fantastic frightful photography. So ecasue of that I tracked the busy man down and we had an enlightening chat of photos, photographing, and capturing the perfect moment of horror.
I have a pretty good idea why authors start to write, but I am clueless when it comes to photographers. So why did you pick up a camera for the first time, what drew you to the art?
I had zero interest in photography growing up. I did not take so much as a snapshot. I could draw well, but didn't take it seriously. As an English major in college I dreamt of becoming a professional poet. But as I moved into my 20's I became more and more interested in film, and thought about going to film school as a post-graduate. When I finished college, I picked up a camera to familiarize myself with the basics, but immediately fell in love with the medium of photography. It clicked for me in a way nothing else had.
Who are some of your influences? Whose work moved you the most?
Joel-Peter Witkin was my first hero. His photographs are disturbing, beautiful, and uncompromising. I was also preoccupied with Frederick Sommers. Later I discovered Robert Parke-Harrison and Gregory Crewdson. My work is laced with their influences.
What do you look for in a photograph? To you what makes a photo good?
A strong concept, coupled with a vivid execution. A good photograph will grab you immediately, and stay with you afterwards.
What made you start doing horror themed photographs?
I love the Horror genre. Always have, even as a boy. One day it occurred to me that while we have Horror movies, and novels, and comics, and video games, there was no such thing as Horror photography. So I set out to make a photograph that was deliberately designed to upset the viewer.
Why did you continue to follow that path?
I exhibited my first Horror photograph in an underground art show and people flipped out. It was the photograph PHOBIA, which features a large tarantula resting on a sleeping toddler. I enjoyed the reaction so much that I immediately began making more. There was no market for these images. No legitimate gallery would touch them. But I loved making them and I I loved watching people react to them. I became dedicated to the project.
Writers hate the dreaded “where do you get your ideas from” question. Do photographers? Because I do want to know where do your photo ideas come from. Do you see some ordinary thing and then, in your mind, put a horrific twist on it or think of something dark and then on how to capture it on film?
I began with common, universal fears. Later I expanded my interests to include stock characters from the Horror genre, like zombies or Jack the Ripper. A single photograph does not allow much room for explanation. Familiarity is a key ingredient. As is subtext. The English major in me relishes the metaphoric capacity of Horror photography, and the Horror genre in general.
Do you have a fully formed idea in mind of the picture you want and then take steps to recreate it, or is it more a general idea and you discover it along the way through lighting, angles, color, etc?
I come to each project with a full-formed mental picture of what I'm trying to create. All the details exist in my head. The task is in finding or creating them in the real world.
What you do seems more challenging than most photographers. Still life, scenic shots, portraits; the subjects are there for real, but your genre, for lack of a better word, horror can have supernatural elements. Have you ever had an idea that you discovered was too difficult to pull off?
All too often! I've had many great concepts that were simply too expensive to make. I write them down though, just in case I win the lottery someday.
What can you tell me about this art book of yours, JOSHUA HOFFINE HORROR PHOTOGRAPHY from Dark Regions Press? The photos you picked for the book, were there any choices you made?
Almost all of my work is in the book. I deemed only a handful of images as unworthy, usually because the SPFX weren't good enough. The images in the book are presented in the same chronological order they were made.
Do you have any advice or perhaps warnings for anyone looking to take up a life of photography?
The digital revolution democratized photography, but laid waste to the industry. When I started out in the 90's I knew millionaire photographers. They are all but extinct now. These days, everyone has a camera in their pocket. It's hard to make a decent living as a photographer in the present world. I do it for love, not money.
Can you share with us what you are working on now or might be doing in the future?
My next project is a full-length Horror movie. It will be an extension of my work as a photographer, shot in the same style. Equal parts scary, and beautiful.
Where can someone go to learn more about you and your art?
My website: www.joshuahoffine.com and/or follow me on Facebook. If anything new happens, I share it there.
Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me today, I can’t wait to get your new art book from DRP.
Thanks, Brian!
January 22, 2018
Customers can now give Dark Regions Press a tip during checkout on DarkRegions.com anywhere from $2 to 25% of their order total (or a custom amount)! All tips from customers will go directly toward Dark Regions Press production costs on upcoming projects, so we greatly appreciate all customers who show us the extra support. Of course, simply select "No Tip" if you wish to proceed with checkout normally.
Thanks as always to all of our customers for your continued support of independent specialty publishing. It's because of your support and enthusiasm that Dark Regions Press can continue operations into 2018 with some very exciting new projects coming from Richard Laymon, William F. Nolan, Clive Barker, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Joe R. Lansdale and many more!
January 20, 2018
DID YOU KNOW: Dark Regions Magazine, initially entitled just Dark Regions (for issue #1) was published in 1986 in a very limited format. Edited, printed, bound and distributed by founder Joe Morey, this first issue of Dark Regions marks the true genesis of creative productions for Dark Regions Press which officially started as a press in 1985. We are actively seeking a copy of Dark Regions #1 and other issues of Dark Regions, Dark Regions Magazine, Horror Magazine and Dark Regions & Horror Magazine. Have any issues? Please e-mail us on our Contact Page if you do!