Future of Newt's Nightmares

Newt's Nightmares is growing, adapting and mutating into its new form.

Greetings, my wicked darlings,

You might have heard the rumours around the authorsphere that times are tough. They are for everyone. The cost-of-living crisis is proving to be a ghastly drain on our resources. I have been somewhat insulated because I am single and child-free, unless three aquariums, a tortoise and a remarkably cheeky dog count, but now I find myself looking at my bank statements and realising that my funds are dwindling.

Being an author is a profession, and like all professions, I have to balance the books. The release of Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 4 was a huge success and I am very proud of the results. Sales and pre-orders were nearly a third higher than Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 3, but the Tales of the Macabre series, while my primary source of income, is not enough to cover the bills.

So, it is time to pivot.

Pivot?!?

Yes, however, it is an evolution and not a complete redesign. But don’t panic. I’m not switching to writing cosy romance any time soon. The closest I got to that was in The Morrígan.

Spoiler Alert:

It didn’t have a happy ending.

First up, I have started writing another novel. I have actually written five novels, but only one of them was up to publishable standards, Nestor Lynch. Different mediums of writing need practice to improve, so I am upping my game in that arena.

I have written over a hundred short stories, which I have given to all my wicked darlings for free. I love writing them. I write them compulsively. In fact, since pivoting to writing longer form fiction, I have accidentally written two more shorts, which I will share with you all shortly.

Secondly, I have been in discussions with Amazon ACX about recording audiobooks for Tales of the Macabre 1 to 4. I vetted about twenty narrators, but they were either too expensive or did not have the tone that I was looking for. So, I’ve decided to self produce the audiobooks. Keen eared readers will remember that I did an early narration of Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1 and other selected shorts on my podcast. I will be completely rerecording Vol. 1 and doing the other three books.

Thirdly, I am creating a paid tier of my newsletter at $5 per month. This means that some of my content will be paywalled in the future. It is not a decision that I am taking lightly.

For free subscribers:

• Newt’s Nightmares, now up to 115 issues, will continue to be free and will be released monthly.

• It will provide the usual updates, recommended books and movies and the curated free horror story compilations that have proven so popular over the years.

• Each issue will include five free horror stories from my back catalogue.

For paid subscribers at 5 dollars a month:

• A credit at the back of each of my published books.

• New horror stories, novellas and novels will be delivered first to paid subscribers as soon as they are finished.

• Audiobooks and early access recordings will be exclusive to paid subscribers.

• Regular updates on my progress.

Anyway, let me know what you think in the comments, and I hope these changes cause a minimum of disruption.

Horror Story Compilations

The Fiction Giveaway Extravaganza!: 68 FREE horror stories, including ‘The Doll House Killer’, ‘The Enigmatic Skeleton’.

FREE Horror: 33 FREE horror stories, including: ‘The Doll House Killer’, ‘The Enigmatic Skeleton’, ‘The Spinster’, ‘12 Minutes’, and ‘Gomorrah’, and ‘Ain’t Nothin’ But The Blues’.

Terrifying Deals: 44 horror stories, including ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 2’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 3,’ ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 4.’

Sweet screams, my dears!

Newt xx