Tartarus Press Goes Digital With New Sarban E-books

Tartarus Press is the latest weird fiction publisher to break into the digital market, following a small minority, most notably spearheaded by Chomu Press. They have decided to release several books by Sarban as electronic e-books for the Kindle. Tartarus' foray into e-publishing is a wise experiment that also introduces one of modern supernatural literature's more obscure figures to a broad new market.

Sarban's three best known works are hitting the Kindle circuits right now. The Sound of His Horn, an alternate history novel, is the most affordable and offers the widest appeal outside the weird. His two fantasy collections, Ringstones and The Doll Maker join the novel, completing a multi-tiered blast of Sarban works unseen since...probably ever.

All three e-books don't stretch the wallet, as each title is significantly cheaper than a good paperback. It also presents the previously unthinkable opportunity to own all of Sarban's work on a dime. This development may well increase Sarban's following, bringing the fantasist in from the cold and into wider appeal. Sometimes, boosting accessibility is all it takes, and churning out electronic volumes of his work is a definite path to wider notoriety.

Tartarus' move is an interesting one that will be closely monitored in the weird fiction niche. Seeing classic names in supernatural literature available for a few dollars could permanently change literary horror forever. As any reader and entrepreneur might guess, this poses obvious perils as well as opportunities. Moreover, e-books stand to help reduce the lengthy waiting times that have characterized some publication cycles in recent years. Unlike traditional books, an e-book's publication is virtually instantaneous, posing another interesting change in the industry.

-Grim Blogger

Tartarus Press Goes Digital With New Sarban E-books

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New Lovecraft eZine Launches

A new eZine hoping to carry on Lovecraftian fiction's fine history has launched. The Lovecraft eZine is a paying market that will reportedly be free to readers. It's run by Mike Davis, a longtime fan of HPL's work.

eZines are rising players in the world of electronic publishing. They hold the potential to give niche writers more exposure than they would otherwise get (short of a full short story collection), and can also pay their writers more easily than many print magazines, by keeping their operating costs low while generating funds through donations or advertising. However, eZines that attempt to carry on the weird horror tradition have, thus far, not gained the notoriety or success of print publications. Perhaps it's because a large number of weird fiction readers are bibliophiles as well, or because all too many eZines are painfully short lived.

Time will reveal the fate of the Lovecraft eZine. Like most ventures in e-publishing that link newer technology with established genres, it will face many perils and promises. Best of luck.

-Grim Blogger

New Lovecraft eZine Launches

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Tartarus Press Launches Promotional Videos

Tartarus Press appears to be exploring a new venue for promoting its books, one rarely seen with other weird horror publishers: Youtube. Short promos have appeared for the recent Robert Aickman reprint, Sub Rosa, as well as Angela Slatter's Sourdough and Other Stories, created by the author. Marketing by online videos has proven successful for many other products, but can it work for supernatural literature?



This is a tricky question that hides many others, much like one of those Russian nestling dolls. In the pro-Youtube column are facts about its ability to rank well in searches and the complete lack of content for many writers. The Sub Rosa video, in fact, is probably the most relevant Aickman item ever uploaded there. The site's ability to throw up "relevant" videos to viewers may also help lead a small, but significant percentage of mainstream horror fans to discover weird fiction for the first time.

On the other hand, Youtube can be particularly fickle. Giving a video the wrong tag or category may place it in a no man's land with few viewers, or worse, one with a high bounce rate (where viewers searching for the same term that has nothing to do with the video content end up clicking the back button once they realize their mistake). Youtube has cracked down in recent years on direct links due to spam-bots too. This makes it more difficult, but not impossible, to direct users to a website or online store where they can actually see more details about a book.

Though the list of pros and cons is long, Youtube and similar video websites have a chance to prove their worth to promoters of weird fiction. Right now, room for experimentation is enormous, and only more strange artists and publishers testing the black seas of digital media will learn whether or not they can be harnessed to their advantage.

-Grim Blogger

Tartarus Press Launches Promotional Videos

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