Seven Questions with Elford Alley

Question 1: What was the initial catalyst—whether that be a short story, a novel, a film, a video game, an event—that made you want to be a writer?

I’ve always been a huge reader. Hell, before I could read, I would obsessively look at may parents Far Side collections. I started with comic books, Calvin and Hobbes, RL Stine, and Bruce Colville. When I moved on to Stephen King in fifth grade, I decided then I wanted to write things like that, creepy stuff you can’t put down. I wanted to make others feel how these books made me feel.

Question 2: An aspiring author has written a 70,000- to 100,000-word debut horror novel and doesn’t know what to do next; what advice would you give them? Should querying literary agents be the first choice of action, or is self-publishing becoming a viable option?

First, find some beta readers. You want people who can give you honest feedback about what works and what doesn’t. When I say honest, I don’t mean cruel. Too many people confuse the two. I have friends who can give me a laundry list of what needs to be done to fix a story, and leaves me eager to rewrite. That’s how you should feel. Dying to get started on reworking your story.

Next? That’s up to you. You can query agents and indie presses, but do your research to make sure you’re a good fit! This can be a time-consuming process, but hey, that gives you time to write book two and three. You may be willing to bet on self-publishing, I’ve seen many people have a lot of success in that route. If you do the latter, hire an editor. You can format the book yourself with programs like Vellum, but hiring a good manuscript formatter can give you a damn nice looking book. Covers are VITAL. Do not skimp on them. We all judge books by their covers and we always will. Hire an artist. No AI.

Question 3: With massively successful video game franchises like Resident Evil and The Last of Us, horror films consistently performing well at the box office (not to mention carving out their places in mainstream culture), and the sheer cultural popularity of iconic horror figures such as Frankenstein’s monster, Dracula, and the works of Edgar Allan Poe and Stephen King—why do you think that horror literature, from local bookstores to big 5 publishers, isn’t taken as seriously as other genres? Horror, as mentioned above, thrives in other mediums, so why not in literature? And is there anything writers and readers can do to change this? If so, then what?

It’s frustrating, right? So many literary gems are horror. Cormac McCarthy has written three solid horror novels (Blood Meridian, Outer Dark, and Child of God). Toni Morrison’s Beloved is one of the greatest horror novels ever written. But when you give them a genre label, people assume you’re being derogatory. But horror is the core of storytelling, it always has been. Two million years ago around a fire, what kinds of stories do you think we were telling in the dark? I think the Big 5 (or 4, or 3 by tomorrow, who knows? It’s all gonna be Disney before me and you are dead) made a ton of cash of in the 80s and early 90s, then the horror boom ended and they’ve held the genre at arm’s length ever since. Money talks. The more horror sells, the mor seriously people will take it. I have faith we’re headed to the next horror boom.

Question 4: What are your general (or extensive) thoughts on AI in literature? 

It sucks and it is bad. I take it personally, my day job is copywriting and I get near daily emails from people offering to replace me and all the writers at my company with AI. But it sucks because there is no original thought, no creativity, just a program that steals and churns out lesser work. If you’re using it, you’re a thief and a fraud and nothing more.

Question 5: What are some novels or collections that deserve more exposure?

I think horror collections are a thing of beauty and with our short attention spans, they should really sell better than they do, hopefully they will soon! I have a list for you. First, any collection written by Red Lagoe or Sonora Traylor. Can’t go wrong there. Orphans of the Atercosm by you, of course. Pantheon of Thieves by Coy Hall. Those We Left Behind by Brandon Applegate, Nightmare Yearnings by Eric Raglin, Not a Good Fit at This Time by Adam Hulse, Oh Pain by Kyle Winkler, Scattered Little Pieces by Wayne Fenlon, In the Palm of the Left Hand Black by Damien Casey. Six Rooms by Gemma Amor! Oh, Everything Will Be All Right in the End by Paul Michael Anderson. Shit, this could be a list a mile long so I will stop here.

Question 6: What is one book that every aspiring horror writer should read?

Have you heard if this book called Apartment 239? Kidding, kidding. Geek Love by Katherine Dunn. Read it and be in awe.

Question 7: What’s next for you?

I’m working on a follow-up to me children’s book A Cemetery Stroll, and illustrating a short story collection. I have a few fingers crossed for a few pitches, too. Go ahead and cross your fingers too, readers. I got bills to pay.

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Elford Alley is a horror author living in Oklahoma with his wife and kids. He’s got a few books he’d love for you to buy, preferably in bulk, such as Apartment 239 and High Strangeness.