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Printed from https://writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/6891
Horror/Scary: March 25, 2015 Issue [#6891]

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Horror/Scary


 This week: Men vs Women
  Edited by: LJPC - the tortoise Author IconMail Icon
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Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

Sage Quotes:

“Most writers regard the truth as their most valuable possession, and therefore are most economical in its use.”
~ Mark Twain

“And as imagination bodies forth
The forms of things unknown, the poet’s pen
Turns them to shapes and gives to airy nothing
A local habitation and a name.”
~ William Shakespeare (from A Midsummer Night’s Dream)

“There’s no such thing as writer’s block. That was invented by people in California who couldn’t write.”
~ Terry Pratchett



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Letter from the editor

Men vs Women

Sexism in Speculative Fiction Publishing – Is it Real?


I’ve always published my Horror short stories under a man’s name. I’ve felt that men in the industry are taken more seriously than women.

Is sexism in publishing a real thing?

Here are some surprising facts and figures.


Top Selling Authors of All Time
84 authors – (64 men, 20 women)

Author Name                     Appr. Total Book Sales                    Genre

William Shakespeare             2 billion - 4 billion                      Plays and poetry
Agatha Christie               2 billion - 4 billion                               Mysteries
Barbara Cartland               500 million - 1 billion                     Romance
Danielle Steel                 500 million - 800 million                     Romance
Harold Robbins                750 million - 750 million                     Melodrama
Georges Simenon                500 million - 700 million                     Mysteries
Sidney Sheldon                 370 million - 600 million                     Melodrama
Enid Blyton                          300 million - 600 million                     Children's literature
Dr. Seuss                           100 million - 500 million                     Children's literature
Gilbert Patten                      125 million - 500 million                     YA Adventures
J. K. Rowling                       350 million - 450 million                     Fantasy
Leo Tolstoy                         413 million                                    Melodrama/Philosophy
Corin Tellado                        400 million                                   Romance
Jackie Collins                         250 million - 400 million               Romance
Horatio Alger, Jr.                     200 million - 400 million              Adventure
R. L. Stine                            100 million - 400 million            Horror/Comedy
Dean Koontz                        325 million - 400 million                 Horror
Nora Roberts                      145 million - 400 million                     Romantic/suspense
Alexander Pushkin                     357 million                               Plays, poetry
Stephen King                         300 million - 350 million                 Horror
Louis L'Amour                     230 million - 330 million                     Western
Erle Stanley Gardner            100 million - 325 million                Mystery
Jin Yong                               100 million - 300 million                     Chinese Wuxia
Jiro Akagawa                     300 million                                         Mysteries
Janet Dailey                         300 million - 300 million                     Romance
Edgar Wallace                     300 million                                         Mysteries
Robert Ludlum                     110 million - 290 million                     Thriller
James Patterson                     150 million - 275 million                     Thriller
Frédéric Dard                     200 million - 270 million                     Mysteries
Jeffrey Archer                     120 million - 270 million                     Mysteries
Stan and Jan Berenstain          200 million - 260 million                     Children's literature
John Grisham                     100 million - 250 million                     Thriller
Zane Grey                               250 million                                         Western
Irving Wallace                     250 million                                         Thriller
J. R. R. Tolkien                    200 million - 250 million                     Fantasy
Karl May                               100 million - 200 million                     Western
Mickey Spillane                     100 million - 200 million                     Mysteries
C. S. Lewis                         100 million - 200 million                     Fantasy
Kyotaro Nishimura                     200 million                               Mysteries
Dan Brown                         200 million - 200 million                     Thriller
Ann M. Martin                     172 million - 180 million                     Children's literature
Ryotaro Shiba                     180 million                                         Historical
Arthur Hailey                         150 million - 170 million                     Thriller
Gérard de Villiers                    150 million                                         Mysteries
Beatrix Potter                         100 million - 150 million                     Children's literature
Michael Crichton                     150 million                                  Thriller
Richard Scarry                     100 million - 150 million                     Children's literature
Clive Cussler                         40 million - 150 million                     Adventure
Alistair MacLean                              150 million                               Thriller
Ken Follett                               90 million - 150 million                     Thriller
Astrid Lindgren                     100 million - 145 million                     Children's literature
Debbie Macomber                     60 million - 140 million                     Romance
Paulo Coelho                               92 million - 140 million                     Literary
Eiji Yoshikawa                               120 million                               Musashi Japanese
Catherine Cookson                    100 million - 120 million                     Romance
Stephenie Meyer                     100 million - 116 million                     Paranormal/Romance
Norman Bridwell                     100 million - 110 million                     Children's literature
David Baldacci                              110 million                                   Thriller
Roald Dahl                               100 million                                    Children's literature
Evan Hunter                               100 million                                   Mysteries
Andrew Neiderman                    100 million                                Horror (ghost writer for V.C. Andrews since 1986)
Roger Hargreaves                    100 million                                     Children's literature
Anne Rice                               75 million - 100 million                Horror
Robin Cook                               100 million                                     Thriller
Wilbur Smith                               80 million - 100 million                Adventure
Erskine Caldwell                     80 million - 100 million                     Literature
Eleanor Hibbert                     100 million                                         Romantice/suspense
Lewis Carroll                               100 million                                 Children's literature
Denise Robins                              100 million                                 Romance
Cao Xueqin                               100 million                                    Chinese literature
Ian Fleming                               100 million                                   Thriller
Hermann Hesse                         100 million                                    Literature
Rex Stout                                   100 million                                   Mystery
Anne Golon                               100 million                                   Adventure/Melodrama
Frank G. Slaughter                     100 million                                    Historical/Adventure
Edgar Rice Burroughs                    100 million                                  Adventure
John Creasey                              100 million                                    Thriller
James Michener                        100 million                                   Historical
Yasuo Uchida                              100 million                                    Mysteries Japanese
Seiichi Morimura                     100 million                                    Mysteries Japanese
Mary Higgins Clark                     100 million                                    Thriller
Patricia Cornwell                     100 million                                    Thriller
Tom Clancy                               100 million                                    Thriller
Penny Jordan                               90 million                                   Romance

(from Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_fiction_authors)


“Best” Modern Horror Authors
29 authors -- (25 men, 4 women)

1 Clive Barker
2 Ramsay Campbell
3 Richard Matheson
4 Stephen King
5 James Herbert
6 Richard Laymon
7 Dean Koontz
8 Robert McCammon
9 Peter Straub
10 Dan Simmons
11 Robert Block
12 Shirley Jackson
13 Graham Masterton
14 Joe Hill
15 Jack Ketchum
16 Bentley Little
17 Brian Keene
18 F. Paul Wilson
19 Joe Lansdale
20 Bryan Smith
21 Ray Garton
22 John Saul
23 Mark Z. Danielewski
24 Billie Sue Mosiman
25 Graham Joyce
26 Poppy Z. Brite
27 Bryan Carroll
28 Christopher Golden
29 Anne Rice
(from Ranker.com)


There’s a belief in the writing community that women “can’t” write Horror (or Science Fiction) or that the male readers (who buy most of the books) don’t want to read speculative fiction written by women. While it’s true that some female writers have encountered the “Boy’s Club” attitude and misogyny at conferences and speakers panels, it seems that another reason is that fewer women write speculative fiction than men to begin with.


Julie Crisp, Editor at TOR Publishing, “Sexism In Genre”
“… every genre publisher in the UK has female commissioning editors and 90% of the genre imprints here are actually run by women. ... The sad fact is, we can't publish what we're not submitted.”


TOR Inbox Submissions from     Women     Men

Historical/epic/high-fantasy                33%       67%

Urban fantasy/paranormal romance     57%       43%

Horror                                                17%      83%

Science-fiction                                    22%      78%

YA                                                      68%      32%

Other (difficult to categorise)               27%       73%

Total                                                   32%      68%

(from http://www.torbooks.co.uk/blog/2013/07/10/sexism-in-genre-publishing-a-publisher...)


So if TOR (and probably most publishers) receive only 17% of Horror submissions from women, no wonder there are few women Horror writers being published.


*Questionr* Do you buy and read Horror written by women – or do you stick to books by the famous male authors? Do you think men are better Horror writers than women? *Questionr*



Until next time: Let the horror bleed onto the pages with every word!


Editor's Picks

Highlighting Women Horror Writers! *Bigsmile*

The Music Box Open in new Window. (18+)
Honorable Mention Winner in the 75th Writer's Digest Competition.
#1093302 by SantaBee Author IconMail Icon

The Faithful Servant Open in new Window. (18+)
Summoned by careless words, he loves them all until the very end.
#1442273 by Adriana Noir Author IconMail Icon

 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#1159777 by Not Available.

Witch Trials Open in new Window. (13+)
A short story about the Salem Witch Trials, written for a contest. Please R&R!!
#876320 by spidey Author IconMail Icon

This is the Best Trap, Yet! Open in new Window. (18+)
An amusing tale of terror.
#1335818 by Ẃeβ࿚ẂỉԎḈĥ 2025 Author IconMail Icon

 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#1141492 by Not Available.

Shadow Detective Open in new Window. (13+)
Mystery and suspense
#1156615 by ~WhoMe???~ Author IconMail Icon

 Dreamcatcher Open in new Window. (18+)
What happens when a dreamcatcher is full? 120 word flash
#1270576 by Arakun the twisted raccoon Author IconMail Icon

 Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary! Open in new Window. (13+)
If only she had a bell to ring like in olden days. The Writer's Cramp 08-03-2012 winner
#1883193 by J. A. Buxton Author IconMail Icon

 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#1473588 by Not Available.


 
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Ask & Answer

Your full time Horror Newsletter Editors:
billikus and LJPC - the tortoise Author Icon have published --


** Image ID #1969199 Unavailable **                     ** Image ID #1969200 Unavailable **                     ** Image ID #1969201 Unavailable **

Soul Cutter--Lexa Cain (Amazon)  Open in new Window.  The Watercourse--W.D.Wilcox (Amazon)  Open in new Window.  Possession--W.D.Wilcox (Amazon)  Open in new Window.



To my delight, some writers took the time to comment on my last newsletter: "Fear the Unseen" Open in new Window. Thank you! *Bigsmile*
Comments listed in the order they were received.


Vampyr14 Author Icon writes: Another great newsletter. The senses are so important to experiencing things and it's easy to forget one of them when writing… Usually smell.

Yes, I always try to make sure my writing smells. *Laugh*

*Witchhat*          *Ghost*          *Ax*          *Fire*          *Cat*


Quick-Quill Author Icon writes: In the movie SECONDHAND LIONS There is the time when the young boy discovers the lion. Then allows the lion to live in the corn field. When his relatives come to visit the children go into the cornfield. I know something is going to happen. There is that moment when you mind says A lion and an unsuspecting kid with no smarts. You mind will calculate the outcome faster than your eyes will read the words on the page or the movie will play out. That is crafting a scary scene. I wonder what the director thought when he read the screen play?

Great point about how our imaginations can run wild! Thanks for writing to the newsletter. *Delight*

*Witchhat*          *Ghost*          *Ax*          *Fire*          *Cat*


Osirantinous Capricornus Author Icon writes: As usual, a great newsletter that makes me think. I'm bad at prioritising showing over telling, and I usually forget the senses; but they're a great way of showing. Especially in horror/scary. And you're right, our imagination is the greatest 'frightener'. I had to stop reading a scary chapter on the train once because I was going home to a dark, empty house and I didn't want my imagination to turn me into a freaked out home-owner checking behind every door and under every bed!! And thanks for mentioning my story too *Bigsmile*

That’s funny! *Laugh* Thanks so much for writing to the newsletter.

*Witchhat*          *Ghost*          *Ax*          *Fire*          *Cat*


Phoenix Author Icon writes: You hit the nail on the hand in advocating the use of sensory information. Getting readers to see the images we're crafting with words almost requires using sights, smells, sounds and textures to make it possible to take the words from the page and translate them into something the reader can not only imagine but feel. Great newsletter!

Yes, every sense we emphasize lets the reader “feel” they’re actually in the place of the character. Thanks so much for replying to the newsletter. *Bigsmile*

*Witchhat*          *Ghost*          *Ax*          *Fire*          *Cat*


drifter46 writes: Senses inspire the imagination and we all know how dangerous that can be.

Yes – nothing’s more powerful than the imagination. Thanks for replying to the newsletter! *Bigsmile*

*Witchhat*          *Ghost*          *Ax*          *Fire*          *Cat*


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