MY LIFE IN HORROR VOLUME II

Today, Gingernuts Of Horror contributor Kit Power launches the crowdfunder for My Life In Horror Volume II. Here’s Kit with the details.

As most of you probably know, for the last, bloody hell, eight years, I've written the My Life In Horror essay series as part of Gingernuts Of Horror. During that time, I’ve stoked controversy, challenged orthodoxy, championed brilliance and, once or twice, even gone viral.


That blog series comes to an end this October.


And I won’t lie, it’s going to be a wrench. There have been months over the last eight years, especially when the wider climate has been bad, or my fiction projects have been kicking my arse and refusing to play, when bashing out a couple of thousand words about Indiana Jones or The Wild One have been a highlight, even a bridge back to confidence in my abilities - hey, man, you can still do this.


That said, it’s time to bring the curtain down, or, honestly, probably slightly past it. For one thing, there’s simply too many other projects demanding my attention these days; for another, I think there can only be a finite number of times you can describe a piece of work as a defining experience before people start to grow suspicious.


Two years ago, I collected the first 29 essays; revised, expanded, and resequenced them, creating an autobiography via the medium of pop culture criticism and remembrances entitled My Life In Horror Volume I. And enough of you wonderful, lovely people pledged to support it that, following a successful IndieGoGo campaign, I was able to put the book out in ebook, paperback, and hardback.


And now I want to do it again.


And I’m going to need your help again.


My Life In Horror, Volume II


Bigger. Bolder. More Personal. My Life In Horror Volume II contains a whopping 35 essays; each one revisited and revised for this edition. This time out, the subject matter is even more eclectic, as totemic horror works sit side by side with other pop culture items and deeply personal experiences.  As the blog series progressed, I dug deeper, really trying to get under the skin of the art that moved me as a child and young man... and to answer that seemingly eternal question, Why Horror?


This volume two collection includes essays on:


The Nightmare On Elm Street franchise
Candyman
George Ramero's Martin
Bodycount's debut album
Natural Born Killers
Superman III
The Columbine massacre


And many, many more.


As with Volume I, every single essay has been fully revised and will be professionally edited for this edition, and the essays themselves have been rearranged to be presented in the order in which I first experienced the subjects. This volume will represent the definitive edition of this work, creating a book that serves as both a passionate appreciation of the works of horror that have shaped my life, and as a memoir of my development as a writer.


I am incredibly proud of this book and want to ensure that, as with volume I, it's published to a professional standard, with thorough editing, clean formatting, and a good-looking cover.


And I can only do it with your help.


What I Need & What You Get


Professional editing costs money. Professional formatting costs money. Professional cover design? Money. I need this book to be as good as it can be, and I'm not currently in a position to invest that money ahead of time. This campaign allows me to fund that important work by pre-selling copies of the book, and then use the funds raised to ensure the book is presented to a standard I feel proud of.


For that reason, I have made this an all-or-nothing campaign. That means the project will only go ahead if I raise enough money to ensure that the editing, book production and shipping can be completed (including calculating in-site and transaction fees).


So, that's why I'm making this project a crowdfunded one. What do you get in return for your support? Well, most obviously, you'll get a copy of the book, in advance of mass-market publication - and in the case of the physical editions, signed limited edition books with exclusive-to-the-campaign cover art.  The campaign paperback and hardback editions will both be signed, limited to 100 copies, and feature campaign-exclusive cover art. There will also be a Deluxe Hardback Edition (limited to 26 copies, lettered and signed) that will contain an exclusive bonus essay that will only ever be published as part of this edition of this book.


There are also exclusive-to-this-campaign perks where you can request me to record a reading of your favorite My Life In Horror essay. See the campaign FAQs for more.


This will also be your last chance to get your hands on the Limited and Deluxe editions of My Life In Horror Volume I. Backers of the Volume I campaign have kindly given me permission to put out the remaining unsold limited editions of Volume I, exclusively via this campaign. These editions will never go on general sale, so if you missed out on them last time, this is your final chance to get one of these numbered or lettered copies of Volume I (including the essay printed in the Deluxe edition which, again, will only ever be published in that book).


So, you'll get My Life In Volume II, signed and/or in a format unique to this campaign. You'll get a chance to pick up the last copies of the Very Limited Edition Volume I hardbacks. Most importantly, you'll get a warm glow from knowing you helped me get this book out into the world in the best shape I could.


I know I’m shooting for the moon here. Regardless of whether or not this campaign pans out, I’m grateful to each and every one of you that’s read, shared, and chatted with me about these essays over the years. And I know it’s a tough and deeply weird time, financially, and not everyone can afford to support a campaign like this. The good news is, there are plenty of other ways you can support this project and help make it happen:


Tell people about the project - Tweet or post a link to Facebook. Tell people why you dig My Life in Horror, and why you think this'll be worth their while.


If you have a blog, plug it there (and if you want me to provide some text, drop me a message).


If you have a podcast/YouTube channel, mention it there - again, every avenue that helps get the word out helps the project (and if you do this, drop me a link so I can signal boost).


If you're a part of any Facebook or Goodreads group that might enjoy the book, share the link and let them know.


Thanks for your support and enthusiasm for this project. However the crowdfunder goes, the essays will remain on this site, free to read, for as long as there’s a Gingernuts Of Horror.


And I’ll forever be proud of my small contributions to this amazing site and community.

Back Kit's amazing book here 

THE HEART AND SOUL OF HORROR MOVIE REVIEW WEBSITES ​