"try not to get into an argument with someone because they said you suck."

First book signing experience for me was surreal because I didn't see it coming because it was actually at a friend's metal show. I brought a few books for my friend Gwen of the industrial band Grigori 3, and next thing I knew it became an impromptu book signing because when Gwen introduced the book on stage everyone wanted a copy of the book.

It was in a bar, The U.S. Beer Company. Being a small press and self-published author it is hard as hell to get a book signing because book stores will not look at you because your book was a print on demand. The best places to go with books like this are at events such as conventiosn, and take a few copies of your chapbook with you if you're starting out. I brought an author in when I did my second book signing.

I don't do many because I don't drive, and keep in mind I had to haul in everything myself. It was a slow day but it picked up later that night, September 17, 2005, was the first major book signing I did and this was at Gothicfest 2007. Sometimes you have to keep up with the energy of the bands playing in the background, and I was having a rock star moment because I was signing Gashley Darcane's back with a sharpie. During my signing I stood up on the table and started signing, with the bellow "RIDE THE STORM" because the anthology I was signing was QUAKES AND STORMS: A NATURAL DISASTER ANTHOLOGY.

I had fun with it because Gashley interviewed me for Redemption TV too, and also did an interview with SPIN MAGAZINE (sick to boot.) So my advice for those who are just doing their first signing in an atmosphere like The Odeum will be load up on Monster Energy drinks because you'd be too excited to sleep. Smile - yeah right if you write horror, and especially hardcore horror don't smile. Just give people dirty looks if they never seen a Gothic writer before.

Be yourself, and try not to get into an argument with someone because they said you suck. I had plenty of metalheads come up and be photographed with me at the event, and this was surreal because they actually knew who I was because of my website. Then they knew my now room mate because she was hosting the event. It helps to know the crowd you're playing into as a heavy metal band or an industrial act because as a horror writer, you're the literary equal to what heavy metal is. Horror writers are the backbone of the subculture.

If you sell a story to a couple of magazines prior to getting a book out there, it gives you more momentum going into it.