Over the long weekend, I had two writing project pitches accepted for 2026. I will be working with Nascent Night Press, who liked my story “Heads are Gonna Roll” as a bridge to doing a full collection of metal-horror stories in the new year.

I will also be writing a novella, “Saved by Zero” for Whisper House Press, the same fine folks who brought you my “Bentalou Crush” story for the Dread Mondays anthology.

“Heads” had received a pass only a week before it was accepted by Nascent Night, while “Saved by Zero” was originally a failed novel I wrote years ago, which I am keeping the original’s opening chapter, title and the air of murder while now rebranding it as a full horror story. Try as I did with a literary agent friend (whom I would still love to work with) who mentored me back then, I never got it right and I shelved it for a long time. Until now.

The message I hope to pass here is, when it comes to your endeavors, have the guts to keep pushing to other avenues when you get a turndown. Good things can happen. If they don’t, put it aside for a bit, look for things you may have done wrong, shelve it for another day when, after you have it to your absolute best, someone who believes in you tips the branch your way.

–Ray Van Horn, Jr.