Posts Tagged ‘Columbus Book Festival’

Well, I Got Myself Into Another Great Editing

Posted: July 8, 2025 in Living and Life, Progress Report, Writing
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Lots and lots of editing in my future. Again.

Some of you may remember that, for most of 2023, I was in what I called The Great Editing. It was a phase where, except for the occasional short story, I did nothing but editing. Mostly stuff related to Hannah and Other Stories‘s first time out, but a few other stories I was editing. When it was done, I hoped to do nothing but write original stories for a long, long while.

Well, man (or whatever entity I am) plans, and God (or whatever entity runs this universe) laughs.

Because I did write a few original short stories last year. And then I wrote The Shape of Evil, which took up half the year. And then I did another couple of stories. Then I did an edit of The Shape of Evil, followed by edits of the stories that were going into Symphony of Walpurgis. Followed by one original story, and then another edit of The Shape of Evil in time for StokerCon. Then I edited stories for Hannah‘s re-release. And then I edited a novella while also writing an essay (which I will likely have to edit soon before I can submit it).

So yeah. I’m in the Second Great Editing. I thought the first one was the editing to end all editings, but I guess a second one was just inevitable! I set myself up for that with the choices I made. And now I’m suffering through it. And it will likely set up the future of my career for decades to come.

Okay, enough with the World War II joke. Point is, I’m stuck in this Second Great Editing. And with two more novellas, that essay, and a short story to edit (plus another novella which needs serious rewrites), I’m likely going to be stuck in it for a while. Possibly till next year, if you can believe it! (Some of these stories will need to be edited again once I have beta readers look them over, after all.)

I’ll hopefully have news to share about this soon.

But you know, it’s not the worst thing. Yeah, except for that essay, I’m mostly putting original works on the back burner until I can get through editing all of these stories that I’ve let sit for so goddamn long. And I really have some new work I want to throw myself into!

But like I said in the WWII joke, I think all this editing is going to have an effect on my writing career. And unlike WWII, the effect will hopefully be positive:

I can’t really get into it right now, but I’m making progress with finding a home for The Shape of Evil. People are reading and enjoying Symphony, and people are getting excited for the return of Hannah and Other Stories. And I hope these four novellas will be published together as a collection. I think this essay, once edited, will make a great entry into a magazine or essay collection. And that short story is rough, but I think it’ll be quite spooky once it’s ready for readers’ eyes.

So, I think I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing: working on these stories so I can get them to you and, if I’m lucky, maybe write full time someday. I’m working hard to make those goals happen.

That being said, once I’m out of this Second Great Editing, I’m going to dive headfirst into some new stories. You can bet your ass on that!

(I’ll also finish my mummy novel Crawler and that witchy novella I was working on at the beginning of the year. I hate leaving things unfinished. Especially when I think they’ll be amazing once they’re done.)

One last thing, my Followers of Fear: this weekend is the Columbus Book Festival. This annual festival is full of amazing writers, vendors, and entertainers, and my fellow Ohio HWA members and I will have a booth there as well. So, if you’re in central Ohio this weekend, July 12 and 13, 2025, please head to the Main Library and Topiary Park in downtown Columbus. I would love to see you.

And if you can’t stop by but still want to support me, you can check out my work. From plant/human hybrids and strange gods to Mafia-hunting serial killers and carnivorous horses, there’s something for every horror fan, so why not grab a book and take a look? There’s even some free stuff. I’ll include a link to my books page below.

And if you like what you read, please leave a review. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps both me and other readers in the long run.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Rami Ungar’s Books

“Symphony for Walpurgis:” Two Months Since Release!!!

Posted: July 1, 2025 in Novelette, Progress Report, Scary Stuff, Writing
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These past two months have gone by so quickly, it’s hard to believe we’re already in July. Not surprising, given how busy I’ve been lately. I mean, I just got done with another con, and I’m preparing for another one the weekend after this!

And yet, two months have indeed passed, and that means that Symphony for Walpurgis is two months old now.

Now, if you don’t know (though at this point, you’re probably so familiar with Symphony, you’re sick of it), Symphony for Walpurgis is my newest collection. It is a collection of nine novelettes that include tales of cryptids, malevolent spirits, and even a Jewish exorcism, and has plenty of LGBT, Jewish, and disabled representation.

And I’m very happy to say that it’s slowly growing a readership. Just the other day, I received fan art from my fellow horror writer and Follower of Fear, Louise C, for one of the stories, “Disillusionment and Trauma Sometimes Go Hand-in-Hand.” It’s of the Akolouthos, the main villain of the story (or one of them). Isn’t it awesome?! I mean, look at it!

And at Big Ohio Book Con this past weekend (which went better than any event I’ve done before, which is even more amazing when you consider that this was the first year this event happened and nobody knew how it would go, but I digress), I sold so many copies, I even sold out on the first day! The same day, someone bought a copy online, which means they were interested enough to get it for their Kindle.

Given all that, plus some glowing reviews and some authors I admire with copies of the book, I’d say that’s been a good first two months. And it makes me hopeful for month number three (especially with the Columbus Book Fest just around the corner). I mean, who knows? Maybe I’ll get to that goal of five-hundred sales and fifty reviews by May 1st, 2026, the one year release anniversary.

And if you enjoy or are curious about scary stories involving cryptids and giant bats, spirits plaguing families with parasites, mermaids, untold masses of spiders, mutating viruses, and, again, a Jewish exorcism, then you should check out Symphony for Walpurgis. It’s nine amazing and terrifying novelettes, and I’m working hard to make sure as many people discover it and enjoy it as possible. And I would love it if you were among those people who discovered and maybe even loved it.

I’ll include links for the book below. And if you end up getting a copy and read it, I hope you’ll let me know what you think. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me out in the long run.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ve got a busy couple of days ahead of me, but I hope I can have a few more blog posts (including a few I’ve wanted to write for a while now) out soon. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and I hope you have a great month of July. It’s what I’m planning on.

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Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Goodreads
Kobo

“Symphony for Walpurgis:” One Month Since Release!!!

Posted: June 1, 2025 in Novelette, Scary Stuff, Writing
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I can’t tell if last month went by super fast or very long, but passed by, May has. And with it, that means we have reached the one-month anniversary of the release of Symphony of Walpurgis!

Now, if you’re unaware, Symphony for Walpurgis is my latest book, a collection of nine novelettes. It was released on May 1st, which happens to be Walpurgis Night, the night when witches are believed to come together for parties and are supposed to be most powerful (see my explanation of that night here). I put this collection together because most of my shorter works tend to be novelette length (around 7,500-17,500 words), but it’s hard to find homes for stories of that length, so I thought I might as well publish a book full of them.

Here’s the back cover blurb:

What’s the difference between humans and monsters? Is there a fine line, or is it more gray and blurred? Rami Ungar, author of Rose and Hannah and Other Stories, explores this question in his latest collection, Symphony for Walpurgis. From legendary cryptids to malevolent spirits and from Ohio in the 1950s to modern-day California, readers will be treated to nine terrifying stories of the weird and macabre. So settle down and be prepared. For you have bought your ticket to Symphony for Walpurgis.

As I said, I released Symphony just a month ago, and so far, it’s been doing well. Not only have people been grabbing up and reading copies, but the reviews I’ve gotten so far have all been extremely positive. Many of the reviews have gone into detail about what they thought of each story (which is why I haven’t added any of these reviews into this post), and how much they loved the book or how scary they think it is.

Which, obviously, makes me happy. I am the author, after all.

And this is just the first month! I can only imagine what might happen in the next eleven months! After all, I’m aiming to get up to five hundred copies sold in the first year, and fifty reviews on both Amazon and Goodreads. And I’m proud to say, I am making progress towards those goals.

Speaking of which, what’s next for me and for Symphony? Well, in the immediate future, there are a couple of events I’ll be attending over the next few months, including StokerCon and the Columbus Book Festival. HWA Ohio, my local chapter of the Horror Writers Association, have tables at both events, and I know at the latter, I tend to do very well, so I’m hopeful plenty of people will want to check out Symphony during both events.

And, outside of events, I’ll do my best to get more and more people interested. Social media isn’t a great place to advertise, but I’ll keep trying there, of course. And I’ll take advantage of word-of-mouth and other events where I can. And…well, I’ll just see if some things I’m trying will work out before I talk about them.

Anyway, if you’re at all interested in checking out Symphony for Walpurgis, I’ll leave links below. And if you do end up reading it, please leave a review and let me know what you think. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me out in the long run. Plus, readers get a better idea if they’ll like a book if you leave a review of it online, which is a nice bit of service.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m off to work on other projects which I hope to be able to talk about very soon. Until then, good night, happy reading, and pleasant nightmares.

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Goodreads
Kobo

Events in 2025

Posted: April 23, 2025 in Living and Life, Writing
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It’s that time again. No, not the time to promote my work or to make bizarre faces. One of those will come later. No, it’s time to talk about the events I’ll be doing in the near future! As you know, I try to go to as many events as possible. It’s a great way to meet new readers, and once or twice, I even get a few readers who come with the hope of meeting me in-person. So, I occasionally post updates on which events I’ll be at, in case any of my Followers of Fear want to stop by and see me.

So, without further ado, let’s get talking about the events I’ll be attending over the next few months.

First, I’ll be at the Halfway to Halloween Expo at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds in Ann Arbor, MI on Saturday, May 10, 2025. This is a huge gathering of horror fans, with food trucks, a hearse show, plenty of vendors, and even a haunted house attraction you can go through! I’ll be there selling books (including my new book, Symphony for Walpurgis) and doing Tarot readings, and you can buy tickets on the day of, so if you can stop by, please do. I would love to see you.

You can learn more by checking out the expo’s website here.

Fast forward to June, and I’ll be heading to Stamford, CT for StokerCon from June 12-15! If you’re unfamiliar, StokerCon is the premier convention for horror writers, hosted by the Horror Writers Association, and I’m going there this year to see all my horror-writing and horror-loving friends. And if all goes well, I’ll also be sitting on some panels and maybe even pitching The Shape of Evil to editors and agents. And if you want to come and hang out, I would love to see you.

You can learn more about StokerCon by checking out its website.

A couple of weekends later, I’ll be at the Big Ohio Book Con in Medina, OH on June 28-29. It’s a relatively new con sponsored by Black Cat Books & Oddities, but from what I hear, they had a big turnout their first year, and it looks to grow, so I’m looking forward to selling books and doing Tarot readings there. If you’re interested, please stop by. Obviously, I would love to see you.

You can learn more about the Big Ohio Book Con by checking out its website.

And last, but definitely not least, HWA Ohio will be having a booth at the Columbus Book Festival in downtown Columbus, OH on July 12-13! This is a humongous book festival, with over 40,000 guests streaming through the downtown library and Topiary Park last year. And with hundreds of authors, booths for nearly every imaginable interest, performances, food trucks, and so much more, you wouldn’t want to miss out on it this year. Plus, me and my fellow Ohio horror writers are holding a booth together, so you’re bound to find something there if you visit. So, why not stop by? All of us would love to see you.

You can find out more by visiting the festival’s website here.

And that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. If there are any more events I’ll be at, I’ll be sure to let you know. And, of course, I’ll be sure to remind you prior to the events themselves. Any more than that, however, and I worry I’ll get annoying about it.

But if you’re unable to stop by any of them but you still want to support me, or you’re just looking for a good horror story, I’ll leave a link to my book page below. From plant/human hybrids and strange gods to Mafia-hunting serial killers and Jewish exorcisms, I have something for every horror fan, so be sure to check them out. And if you like what you read, please leave a review somewhere so I (and other readers) know what you think.

That’s all for now my Followers of Fear, but I’ll be back soon (you can probably guess why). Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!

Rami Ungar’s Books

Being a Carnival Barker: Getting People to Buy Your Books at Events

Posted: July 21, 2024 in Reflections, Writing
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Okay, this isn’t the kind of barker I meant, but can you blame me for using it? The pup’s so cute!

As many of you know, my fellow HWA Ohio members and I had a booth at the Columbus Book Festival last weekend. A few days later, when I met online with my critique group, one of the authors who was at the festival with me mentioned that I was like “one of those guys at a fair. What do you call them? Oh yeah, a carnival barker!”

I did not disagree. After all, that’s what I was going for. Throughout the weekend, I was calling out to people who were passing our tent, trying to get them in and to check out our books. I must’ve introduced myself with “Welcome to the Ohio Horror Writers Association! My name is Rami Ungar, how are you today?” and called out “Come in, come in! We don’t bite…not unless asked” a thousand times. And you know what? That worked. People came in, they checked out our wares, and they bought stuff. By the end of the weekend, I’d managed to sell out.

I’m not trying to brag or anything. I’m just relating one of the hard lessons I’ve learned over the years of writing and doing events: people won’t just discover you and they won’t just gravitate towards you without good reason. My first few events, not wanting to make a fool of myself, I was mostly quiet and did not go out of my way to get people to buy my work. At most, I would wait for someone to get close or to make contact and just say, “Hi.”

The result? Not a lot of sales. Not a lot of new readers. I learned then that, unless you’re a big name like Stephen King (or if you’re at a paranormal convention, a well-known name in the community), you can’t just hope people will find you and show interest. You need to put yourself out there. You need to be a bit of a carnival barker.

This isn’t just my opinion. A lot of authors and a lot of articles have suggested that, at events, readers are more likely to get an author’s book if, unless they already know the author or their work, they are drawn to the author. In other words, if the author themselves makes a good first impression. If that happens, the reader is more likely to check out the author’s work, either by buying at the event or getting it online later.

I guess it’s a good thing I’m already a talker and I like to be the center of attention.

A picture of a barker from Wikipedia. I try to be more animated than this photo suggests.

Now, if you’re not the type who likes to put themselves out there like that, I have some good news. You don’t have to do this at events. Some events are better for networking than for selling books, so if you would prefer to interact with other authors and just talk to the occasional reader that comes your way, please do. And hell, you don’t even have to do events! If you prefer not to go out there, don’t. Stick to podcasts, or blogging, or YouTube, or just writing. Every writer is different, and every writer’s goals are different. If yours don’t involve putting yourself out there to sell books, don’t feel pressured to do so.

However, if you do go to the events with the intention of selling books, and if you put money down on the table to do so, I would put in a bit of work to ensure you get your investment back, plus returns. After all, that’s what worked for me.

Well, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I wanted to also go into some other things I’ve noticed help with book sales, but I think I’ll leave that for another post devoted entirely to that subject. In the meantime, I just want to let you know that I’ll be using this method of reaching people at events this coming weekend, July 26-28, at Motor City Nightmares in Novi, Michigan. If you’re available to come, I’ll be selling books and doing Tarot readings and would love to see you there. You can find out more from the website here.

And if you can’t stop by but still want to support me, or you’re still looking for your next scary read, check out my books using the button below. You’ll find most of my works there, including some free stuff. And if you like what you read,, please leave a review online so I know what you thought. Believe me, it helps me and it helps the readers that come after you.

That’s all for now, my Followers. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!

Book Links and Excerpts

“White Leaves” is Getting Published!!!

Posted: July 12, 2024 in Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Well, WordPress is acting weird for me. For some reason I can’t access stats or most other things, and I can’t even contact WP support! Anybody else experiencing this problem? I had to go through some serious hoops just to get this blog post written, let alone published.

Anyway, enough complaining, because I have amazing news! Late last year, after The Great Editing, I wrote the first new story in what felt like forever. “White Leaves” was about the events that occurred in an apartment complex one misty Halloween morning. It was an unusual story, even for me, because it was under three-thousand words for the first draft and was written in the second person. But I was excited about it and was eager to share it with my critique group for feedback.

Well, I submitted the story to the group. And edited the story with their feedback. And, after quite a few submissions and rejections, I’m pleased to announce that “White Leaves” is being published and narrated on the Tales to Terrify podcast!

If this particular publisher sounds familiar to you, it should: Tales to Terrify published and narrated my novelette “The Dedication of the High Priestess” back in 2022. (Click here to listen to that particular episode.) I loved what they did with that story, which I feel is among my best work, and I was eager to have them do it again. And, as luck would have it, “White Leaves” made them “wickedly happy,” as their acceptance email said. So, we’re collaborating again!

Now, it’s not decided when the story will appear on the podcast. They get a lot of good stories and only are able to fit one to two each episode. It could be quite the wait. However, I know that when it’s time, it’ll be great! And I’ll be sure to update you all when it happens.

Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ve got the Columbus Book Festival tomorrow, so I’m going to try to go to bed early tonight and be at full energy tomorrow. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and I hope you’re having as wonderful a time as I am!

Pride? I’m Just Trying to Navigate!

Posted: July 7, 2024 in Living and Life, Reflections
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The Disability Pride flag. It’s lovely, but I’m not sure if it’s something I can display for myself just yet.

Last week, I was informed that July is Disability Pride Month. It’s an opportunity for those with disabilities–blind, deaf, psychiatric, mobility, etc.–to show that while they may have different bodies and minds, it’s not the end of the world. Hell, in some cases, it’s not even a problem. Instead, it helps build the character of the disabled and in some cases, they feel it makes them stronger. The only one with a problem might be society, which is still very ableist in its makeup.

I am on the spectrum and have ADHD (among other things), and I like the idea of Disability Pride Month. You should never feel less or be put down by your fellow humans just because you were born different. And some disabilities have become, rather than a hindrance, become the basis for communities with strong membership and even organizing. The Deaf community is one prominent example.

However, at the moment, I’m still figuring out how I feel about my own disabilities, let alone if I have pride in them.

That’s not saying I have low self-esteem or feel lesser because I have disabilities. It’s just that I’m still figuring out how I feel about being on the spectrum and having ADHD. On the one hand, it’s cool being “neurospicy,” as some people call it, and my unusual brain probably played a huge role in becoming a writer. Not to mention that I was able to get some accommodations in college and even found a steady, paying job because I am a person with disabilities.

But on the flip side, I’ve become more aware as I’ve gotten older how difficult it can be to interact with other people. Unlike fictional characters, whose minds I can get into and who are simple to understand, real people are complex and hard to read. I’m constantly on guard with my behavior, even with people who know that I have some social difficulties, in case something I say or do causes offense. Sometimes irreparable offense.

It’s gotten to the point where I don’t know if I’m being my genuine self, or if I’m “masking,” as it’s known.

And last month, I listened to this lecture series on Audible about being neuroatypical, and it kind of blew my mind. Not only did a lot of the situations brought up in the series resemble things from my own life, but I learned how drastically autism and ADHD treatment has changed over the years and how much it still has to change. Did you know that for both conditions, therapy used to center around controlling and forcing people to act “normal,” however you want to define it? And there are still places that operate that way, occasionally using horrific practices like restraint or electroshock therapy to change behavior. It’s awful.

I received therapy for my behavior as a kid. I don’t remember what kind it was. I just went to it because my parents said that’s where I had to go on certain days at certain times and didn’t really think much of it one way or another. I don’t have any bad memories, but I am curious as to what approach they took with me. And if it contributed in any way to my own worries about interacting with people.

So yeah, I’m not sure how to feel about my disabilities. Is it true that there are benefits to being neurospicy, especially in the creative and out-of-the-box thinking departments? Absolutely. But when around people, it’s hard to figure out how much of myself to be and how much I need to mask. And is there even a difference between my true self and my masked self? At least when in company?

I might not get those answers for a very long time, if ever. Especially not when the world is still super hard to navigate.

Still, at least I have people around me and get me. Parents, siblings, dear friends, fellow horror writers and enthusiasts, Followers of Fear, and even coworkers. They let me be myself once in a while, and usually tell me if I cross a line and I didn’t realize it. They even forgive me when that happens. They make navigating that much easier.

Now if only things could become a lot easier! Maybe then I’d figure out if I’m proud of what makes me neurospicy.

Just a reminder, Followers of Fear: this coming weekend, July 13 and 14, is the Columbus Book Festival. It’s taking place at the Main Branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library and nearby Topiary Park in downtown Columbus, Ohio. Authors of all stripes, as well as artists and others, will be there to help match you to your next favorite read. I’ll be there with my fellow members of HWA Ohio, so please stop by if you can.

And if you can’t, but you’re interested in supporting me (or maybe just want to read something scary), check out my catalog. From plant/human hybrids and strange gods to Mafia-hunting serial killers and carnivorous horses, I got something for every horror fan, including free stories. And if you end up reading something of mine, please leave me a review so I know what you think. I’ll leave a link to the Books page below.

Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares. I’ll see you around real soon.

Book Links & Excerpts

Events in 2024

Posted: April 14, 2024 in Living and Life, Writing
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So, I have a few new events I’ll be attending this year, as well as one I had to cancel. Thus, an update post. If you’re able to come out and see me, please do so. I would love to see you, and even sign your books or give you a hug if you want.

The first event on the horizon is actually this coming Saturday! HWA Ohio will be an official partner at the Ohioana Book Festival this Saturday, April 20th, 2024 at 10:30 AM – 5 PM at the Downtown Library in Columbus, Ohio. In addition to having several of our members there as featured authors, HWA Ohio will have a booth where we’ll be telling people about our chapter and what we provide for writers and readers. I’ll be volunteering at the HWA Ohio booth for most of the day, so please stop by if you can. Click here for details on the festival.

After that, guess what? I’m going to jail! ParaPsyCon will be occurring on May 17-19, 2024 at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio. I’ll be selling books and doing Tarot readers both days, so please stop by and check it out if you’re in the area. Entry fee is the same price as a self-guided tour of a prison (ten bucks, if I remember correctly), and it’s an amazing place, so why not stop by, see the prison and check out one of the biggest paranormal conventions in the Midwest? Further details can be found on the ParaPsyCon website.

June I’ll have the month off, but then July gets busy. First, HWA Ohio will be having a booth again at the Columbus Book Festival. The festival will be taking place on July 13-14, 2024 at the Downtown Library and at Topiary Park in downtown Columbus, Ohio (don’t worry, one’s right in front of the other, so it’s not a long walk). We’ll be having a larger booth this year and likely more authors and books, so definitely come out and check it out. Further details can be found on the festival’s website.

And after that, I’ll have another big festival on the way! Motor City Nightmares will be occurring at the Novi Sheraton in Novi, Michigan on July 26-28. This is a huge horror convention, and has had horror luminaries like Bruce Campbell (Ash in the Evil Dead movies) and Kane Hodder (played Jason Voorhees four times) as special guests! And the lineup for this year is also looking pretty awesome, so I’m very excited to join this convention. Further details can be found on their website and Facebook page.

Unfortunately, I will not be attending the Indie Author Book Expo in Terre Haute, Indiana in August. Something came up, and I won’t be able to travel out that week. Sucks, but sometimes that’s just life. Apologies for any fans of mine in Indiana who were looking forward to seeing me.

And finally, HWA Ohio will be hosting a Super Saturday event on October 26, 2024 at the Downtown Library in Columbus, Ohio. Super Saturdays are events the library holds once a month to bring in more adult audiences for the library’s events. What exactly we’ll be doing is still not finalized, but we have a date and the library is excited to collaborate with us. More details will be available as we get closer.

And that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll do another update post when I have some more news to share. In the meantime, if you would like to attend any of these events, please do! And if you can’t stop by, please consider supporting me by purchasing, reading and reviewing my books. I’ll leave a link below for my Books page so you can check them out, including some free stories.

Book Links and Excerpts

I especially hope you’ll check out Hannah and Other Stories, my new collection from BSC Publishing Group. Hannah has been out for six and a half months now, and I think there’s a good chance it’ll finally get a paperback edition, but it’ll need your help to accomplish that. So, if you like scary short stories–especially ones with ghosts, serial killers, or carnivorous horses–be sure to check this book out using the links below.

Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares!

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Bertrand
Booktopia
Goodreads
Kobo
Wook

“If You Build It, They Will Come.”

Posted: July 21, 2023 in Living and Life, Reflections, Writing
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Picture about ten years ago. You’ve released a book, but after an initial ten or so sales, no one is looking at your book or leaving reviews. Your blog has barely a hundred followers, and you maybe only get one or two views a day. Sometimes you get more, but those days are rare and they don’t usually get you more than ten. Also, you’re sending out short stories to plenty of publications–non-paying, because you think those publications are easier to get into and you’re working your way up to paid publications–but over and over, it’s just rejection after rejection.

Thoughts about what you’re doing wrong and how are you supposed to become a writer like this flit through your head.

This was me at times during my early writing career, specifically after the release of The Quiet Game. Variations of it, I’m sure, other writers have gone through at various points of their careers, including well into them. Some may even entertain giving up fiction writing, that they don’t have what it takes to become anything in this industry.

Repeated disappointment can be quite the demotivator.

That being said, if you keep trying and can get through the disappointment, perhaps something amazing can happen.

Despite the disappointment, I kept writing and blogging and submitting. I published some more books (two of which I later took out of circulation for reasons I won’t get into), and they got fans. A few even scared people. My blog kept growing and people started rooting for me in earnest. I started working with some other writers to give advice on writing and self-publishing, and it helped increase my influence. I got a lot of rejections on my short stories, but I did get some publications, and that helped me stay motivated.

In 2017, I joined the Horror Writers Association, and not too long after, I joined the newly-formed Ohio chapter. Finally, I’d found my people. And somehow, I ended up becoming the chapter coordinator, which is still my position today (I was reelected by popular vote).

I honestly feel Rose was a turning point in my career, both as a validation of all my previous efforts and a sign of things to come.

In 2018, I got my novel Rose, which I wrote as a college thesis, accepted for publication. I was going to be traditionally published. Thus followed fifteen months of editing and rewriting, during which my anxiety disorder also manifested. Somehow, through all of it, I got the book published and people liked it. To this day, it’s still my most popular book.

Also, in 2019, I had a short story, “Car Chasers,” published in an anthology and was paid five-hundred dollars for it. To this day, it’s still the most I’ve ever made off a single story.

During 2020 and COVID, I kept writing. I met with my fellow writers virtually and we helped each other along. I attended my first event as a vendor in Iowa, and learned a lot. In 2021, I attended events and got more stories accepted and published, including The Pure World Comes and Hannah and Other Stories. In 2022, the former came out in paperback, ebook, and audio book, and I got more work accepted, including The Dedication of the High Priestess, which to this day I still think is some of my best work ever.

Also, after nearly two years of work, my friends and I created a small press and released That Which Cannot Be Undone, an anthology of Ohio horror.

This year, editing on Hannah reached the point we could set a release date. I went to Stoker Con, where not only did a lot of people know who I was, but many people, including my heroes in the horror genre, were eager to meet me. (And they were so nice!) A few even agreed to be eARC readers for Hannah.

Also, I’m working on a grimdark story for an anthology I’ve been invited to, and there’s a chance other stories may be released this year. This past week, The Quiet Game reached its ten-year release anniversary and more people are reading it than ever, especially this week. And I was at the Columbus Book Festival this past weekend and sold more books and made more than I’ve ever earned in four years of vending. I don’t expect the same results this weekend at Gem City Comic Con, but I’m hopeful for good things.

Me and my fellow Ohio horror writers at the Columbus Book Festival. I’m on the end.

And I’ve heard from plenty of people, including an old coworker and my tattoo artist, that they’re reading my work and enjoying it so far.

(Yes, I have a tattoo artist. Surprise!)

All this isn’t to brag. It’s to say that if you keep working hard and working to improve, things won’t stay the same. You can build a foundation for yourself, a catalog of work. And then readers and colleagues and more will be drawn to you. They may even eagerly await your work. You may not be able to write full-time, let alone live the Stephen King lifestyle, and it may take a shit ton of time, but you could become someone whose work people enjoy.

Or, to quote Field of Dreams, “If you build it, they will come.”

And isn’t that what we all want, in the end?

That being said, I do hope I’ll be writing full-time by 2028. I actually asked my Tarot cards if I could be writing full-time in five years, and they said there’s a strong possibility. That’s poured gasoline on the fire under my ass. I can’t wait to see what happens under this level of motivation. Wish me luck, Followers of Fear!

Thanks for reading, my Followers of Fear. I’ve been wanting to do a post like this for a while. I hope many of you found it helpful.

Also, I’ll be in Dayton, Ohio this weekend for Gem City Comic Con to sell books and do Tarot readings. If you can stop by, please do so. And if you can’t, click that button thing below. It’ll take you to my Books page. If you’re looking for new reading material, there’s plenty there to choose from. Just remember to leave me a review if you end up reading something of mine so I know what you thought.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Rami’s Books and Book Links

Updates on What I’m Doing

Posted: July 11, 2023 in Living and Life, Progress Report, Writing
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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It’s that time again. I have a lot going on, so I thought I would list it now right now. Besides, it’s a good excuse to slip in some reminders about things.

So, without further ado, here’s what’s going on in my crazy life. Enjoy!

Hannah and Other Stories
As you are no doubt aware, my new collection Hannah and Other Stories is on its way. It contains tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, among other things, and it’ll be out on September 23rd, while currently available for preorder.

Before we get there, however, there’s a bit more work to do. BSC Publishing Group will be sending me the notes for the last draft any day now, at which point I will quickly edit it. We will then send out the eARCs to the ARC readers, who will hopefully read it and provide some helpful blurbs and reviews that will make people want to read Hannah more.

In addition, I’m doing everything I can to make sure this book is successful. I’ve already been booked for a couple of podcasts and shows, some of which I will list below, and I’ll likely be scheduled for more once the eARC is ready. I’m also posting short videos on my YouTube channel about the inspiration behind some of the stories in Hannah, as well as a candlelit reading of an excerpt from one of the stories. I plan to post more videos and excerpts as time allows.

With any luck, these and more avenues I’m pursuing will allow Hannah and Other Stories to be successful once it’s released. It would be amazing if that were to happen.

Speaking of which, if you would like to preorder a copy of Hannah, you can do so here. And you can read an excerpt here. I hope you check them out, because it’s a fucking great collection. Not something horror fans will want to miss.

The Quiet Game: Five Tales to Chill Your Bones
As I’ve said before, The Quiet Game, my first collection and first published book, will pass its ten-year release anniversary next Monday, July 17th, 2023. Obviously, I plan to do a blog post and a YouTube video, as well as other social media posts, to mark the occasion. I’m even doing a giveaway: if you preorder a copy of Hannah and email me letting me know you did before Friday the 14th, you could win a signed copy of The Quiet Game.

My email is ramiungar@ramiungarthewriter.com. I’ll hopefully announce the winner on the 17th. I hope you all take a chance to enter.

Short Fiction
I’ve some good news on this front. I recently wrote a weird fiction short story that I think has potential. And very soon, I’ll be writing a grimdark story for an anthology. I was actually invited to submit a story to this anthology, so I’m very excited to start on the story. And once it’s done, I plan to have it edited and submitted as soon as possible. Same with the weird fiction story.

After that, I have a bunch of short stories, novelettes, and novellas to work on. I want to finish rewriting the ending of “They Sleep Within the Rock,” AKA the story where I put neo-Nazis through hell. I also have to edit “It Changes You,” AKA the Backrooms story before shopping it around, and rewrite/heavily edit “The Underground Kings” and “Forever Young,” two short stories I think have a bunch of potential.

All of them, I feel, have a chance of being published somewhere. And after they’re worked on…

Crawler
For those of you who are unaware, Crawler is a mummy novel I started writing last year. I got about seven or eight chapters in, but then stuff with Hannah started to heat up, and I had to put it on the back burner. And then I took it off the burner and onto a trivet. I’d like to get it back on the stove again by the end of the year. It may not be the biggest new thing in horror, but I would like to get it done.

Fingers crossed that happens.

Upcoming Events
Here are some of the things I’ve got going on in the near future that I think you may be interested in. Hell, maybe you’ll have an opportunity to stop by for some of them:

  • This coming weekend, Saturday, July 15 and Sunday, July 16, I’ll be joining HWA Ohio at the Columbus Book Festival in downtown Columbus. It’s an amazing festival to support local authors, organizations and groups. If any of you are in Columbus this weekend, please feel free to stop by. There’s entertainment for all ages, and I would love to see you.
  • The weekend afterwards, on July 22 and July 23, I’ll be at the Dayton Convention Center in Dayton, OH for the Gem City Comic Con. I’ll be selling books and reading Tarot cards there, so please stop by if you can. I believe if you go to their website, you should still be able to get tickets.
  • On August 10, I’ll be joining some members of the New York HWA chapter for their podcast, Galactic Terrors. It’ll be broadcast live on Facebook and YouTube before becoming available as a podcast. I’ll be reading from Hannah and maybe answering some questions from those listening in. Further details, such as links and who else will be on the show, will be provided as we get closer. I’ll be sure to post those details as soon as we get them, so hopefully you can attend.
  • On September 9 and 10, I’ll be with HWA Ohio at Mystics & Marvels at the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Hilliard, Ohio. At this event last year, HWA Ohio really cleaned up, and I almost sold out! I’m looking forward to returning this year, and I hope more people come by. Including you!

And there will be more events as time goes on, especially with Hannah releasing in September. I’ll be sure to let you know about them as soon as they’re confirmed!

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. If anything else comes up, or there’s something I really want to talk about, I’ll be sure to let you know on this or any of my other platforms (which now includes the Threads app as rami_ungar_writer). Until then, however, good night and pleasant nightmares!

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