For A Signed Copy . . .

My new haunted novel, American Ghost, is available in most of the usual online places—and even, perhaps, in your local bookstore. For a good description of the book combined with a professional, objective review, check out what Sam Reader at Barnes & Noble thought about American Ghost. And Keep scrolling through this post for my publisher’s “official” description as well as some comments from other writers.

A few Ghost Story readers have asked about signed copies (thank you!), so I’ve set up an easy way to order one. Step one is to click on the Paypal button below to pay for it. It’s a quick process with a credit card, and $20 covers the cost of the hardcover book, plus shipping to anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. (Sorry, overseas friends—postage for you folks is prohibitive. But Amazon will work for an unsigned copy. . . .)

Step two is to shoot me a quick e-mail at Editor@TheGhostStory.com and tell me how you’d like me to inscribe your book: Your name, or your friend’s, perhaps a brief message . . . If you just want my signature, however, then you can skip the e-mail part. I’ll just sign, and send.

As for the publisher’s description, which you’ll also find on the book jacket:

“An inventive metafictional novel, in which a drug-dealing biker must solve his own murder from beyond the grave. [Read more…] about THE EDITOR’S GHOST STORY

The Fall 2017 Ghost Story Supernatural Fiction Award Competition Is Currently Open For Submissions

As always, our fall contest for full-length short stories features cash awards of $1,000, $250, and $100, as well as publication on Halloween for the winner and two Honorable Mentions. In addition, all three stories will be custom-illustrated by British artist and Folk Horror Revival founder Andy Paciorek.

If you’re thinking of entering a story or two in the contest, you’ll want to read our complete guidelines. And of course you’ll also want to have a look at the previous winners to get an idea of what we’re looking for, and to get a gauge of the competition.

Have fun, and good luck!

New: Custom Illustrations For the Winning Stories!

We will begin accepting submissions to The Ghost Story Supernatural Fiction Award competition in just a few days, on August 7. You’ll find our complete contest guidelines and submission instructions on the contest page. You might also want to read our previous winners.

Once again, we’re offering a cash award of $1,000 to the author of the winning story, and additional cash awards of $250 and $100 for Honorable mention and Second Honorable Mention, respectively. We’ll also publish all three stories on Halloween, right here on The Ghost Story Website.

But that’s not all. While wonderful illustrations have accompanied the work of our previous winning and honorable mention writers, the art was always selected from artists’ portfolios, and not inspired specifically by the individual stories. However, starting with the fall 2017 competition, we’re making an exciting change. [Read more…] about OUR STORY CONTEST ILLUSTRATOR

An Interview With The Ghost Story

Duotrope, a website that lists literary publications and competitions that are open to submissions, just published an interview with TGS. If you’re thinking of entering our Ghost Story Supernatural Fiction Award competition, which opens on February 15, 2018 and offers the winner publication on Midsummer’s Eve and a cash award of $1,000, the interview will tell you a lot about what we look for, and how we make our decisions. Here’s a link.

Thoughtful, Poignant—And No Jump Scares

Sure, it’s scary—it’s a ghost story, after all. But if early reviews are accurate, A Ghost Story deals with the serious themes of mortality and the passage of time. A thinking person’s supernatural tale, in other words—and just the sort of thing we like to read or watch. Plus, it stars 2017 Academy Award winner for Actor in a Leading Role Casey Affleck. . .

This is one we’re planning to see in a theater rather than on the living room flat-screen. . . .

BTW, would you like to know why ghost typically are depicted as being dressed in sheets?

Submissions To The Ghost Story Supernatural Fiction Award Are Due By April 30

Submissions to our biannual fiction contest, with cash awards of $1,000, $250, and $100, continue to pour in from all over the world! The winners will be published here on the summer solstice. If you’re planning on entering, you need to submit your story via our online submission system by the end of April. You’ll find the submissions link, as well as full guidelines to our contest, on our Guidelines page.

Good luck!