Meet The Editorial Department’s horror specialist, R.J. Cavender

Greetings, horror authors! My name’s R.J. and I joined The Editorial Department last year after meeting owner Ross Browne and discovering that we shared a strong appreciation for the genre of horror, as well as the sense that horror writers are under-served when it comes to publication opportunities and quality resources to help prepare manuscripts for the marketplace.

As editor of the +Horror Library+ anthology series from Cutting Block Press, I’ve had the opportunity to work with hundreds of talented authors representing the full spectrum of horror fiction.  Together, we’ve been fortunate enough to garner a good deal of critical and reader acclaim, most recently a Reader's Choice award in Dark Scribe Magazine's annual contest and a Bram Stoker Award nomination for Superior Achievement in an Anthology.

My work with Cutting Block Press has taught me a lot about horror writing and the key elements of craft that make this genre so unique and compelling. So when Ross gave me the opportunity to join his team of editors and publishing consultants and open our doors to the horror community, I jumped at the chance. I’m here to make a home for horror at The Editorial Department – to help writers of my favorite genre get candid feedback to help take their stories to the highest level possible in concept and execution and improve the odds of successful publication, whether via a traditional or independent publishing model.

Editorial critiques start at just $35 and we offer a wide array of services for writers at any stage of experience,  ranging from story consultation through line and copy editing and help finding literary agents. If you’re serious about your writing aspirations and interested in a craft-focused approach to giving your work the best chance of success in the marketplace, we may very well be able to help. Our clients range from new writers seeking publication for the first time to veteran authors looking to take their careers to the next level. Our unique approach to helping writers realize their creative vision and be successful has earned us feature coverage from The New York Times, Publishers Weekly, Writers Digest, and also "recommended" status by the Internet's top watchdog group for writers, Preditors & Editors.

A Special Offer, Just for Horror Writers:  + The First 50 Pages +

I’m offering discounted pricing on a special manuscript annotation package for the opening chapters of any horror manuscript, up to 2,500 words and including a half-hour follow-up session of phone consultation for a fee of $150.  Manuscript annotation is a hybrid service combining a written critique (addressing what works, what can work better, and how to give a manuscript the best shot at successful publication) with copious close notes in the text of the manuscript itself, providing further feedback , comments, and suggestions to help push the work to the highest level possible.

Getting Started

To take advantage of this offer or get a no-obligation quote or more information about any of our services, you can contact Ross Browne at rsb@editorialdepartment.com or at  (520) 546-9992. Please make note of the 2011 Horror Writers Special in any correspondence.

Recommended Reading

• Pitch to Impress: How to Stand Out from the Convention Crowd
• Horror is Dead! (Again?)
• What's Your Book About?
• What Editors (Really) Do