Letters From the Labyrinth 390

Disengagement

Gabino Iglesias tells me that there are folks on Threads complaining about the folks still on Twitter, and folks on BlueSky complaining about the folks on Threads and Twitter, and folks on Twitter complaining about the folks on Threads and BlueSky. Wesley Southard was in the store Friday night, complaining about how he has a 1,000 followers on Instagram, but when he posts something there or on twitter, he gets crickets, so he’s consigned to posting on Facebook to (in my opinion) a decidedly older audience than what his horror novels probably deserve. (If you’re a Millennial or Zoomer and you’re not reading Wes, you are doing yourself a disservice, so fix that here).

You may remember four years ago when I began telling you that social media was — if not dying — then mutating, and within five years it would be split into separate fiefdoms and conclaves with little communication between them.

I reckon it’s fair to say we’re hitting that era now.

Engagement is down across the board, across all platforms, and for everyone. I’ve talked to influencers, bookstagrammers, reviewers, critics, authors, artists, editors, comedians, politicians, and a few adult film stars, all of whom have told me privately that their engagement is down, and the engagement that does still exist might be bots because nobody can really tell anymore. And it’s really telling to me that engagement is down for the adult film stars, especially.

Engagement is down for me, as well. The only places I get any real traction are Patreon and Twitter and to a lesser extent, Instagram and BlueSky. But BlueSky’s audience is so small that the engagement is mostly a handful of likes, and it’s really impossible to actually engage with people on Instagram, since 99.8% of its users are simply scrolling down through their feeds, clicking Like on their individual thirst traps.

And look, there’s no shame in having thirst traps. It’s not necessarily an objectification thing. Comic books, fairy gardens, vintage records, goth fashion, kitten pictures, house plants, nature photography — these can all be thirst traps, too. As can some of your favorite authors. I suspect I am a thirst trap for one or two folks, and to be honest, I’m flattered by that, because I’m old enough and have enough scars that I’m genuinely surprised and flummoxed any time I still turn someone’s head or catch them checking me out.

But I digress.

As I was saying, engagement is down for me, as well. Even this newsletter is falling off. I used to have an open rate of around 75%. Then Substack began dicking around and it dropped to around 55%. These days it hovers between 43% to 49%.

Years ago, back when I was still with Leisure Books, I used to do a small, physical newsletter called OF KEENE INTEREST. It was digest sized, and had a mix of news, exclusives, fiction, and more. It was quite popular and the only reason we ended it was because Cassandra (who was the designer and editor) and I got divorced and I thought it would be unfair to her to ask her to still produce it for me.

Anyway, all of this stuff was rolling around inside my head on Friday evening as I drove home from Vortex. And when I arrived home, something very unexpected was waiting for me, in the form of a royalty check for PRESSURE. Here is why that was unexpected. I got a very good advance for that novel. Or, as Mary put it “You got an advance that made even your fellow straight white dudes start yelling about privilege!”

But here’s the thing about that advance — it should have never earned out. I should never have gotten a royalty check. Why? Because the publisher stopped promoting it after the first week, and because Books-A-Million refused to carry it, and because it was only released in trade hardcover and eBook. There was never a paperback. There was never an audiobook. There was never a movie or video game option.

All there was was me driving across the country by myself on the END OF THE ROAD Tour — a tour that served three purposes:

1) To promote PRESSURE and THE COMPLEX
2) To get enough material for a memoir that I could sell to offset the financial fact that I’d never earn out the advance for PRESSURE
3) To reconnect with my readers and try to come to terms with my grief over the passing of J.F. Gonzalez and Tom Piccirilli.

I accomplished all of those things. But then this impossible royalty check for PRESSURE arrives on Friday night. It’s not for much. A little over $300. But… that’s based on eBook sales alone. Remember, the hardcover is long out of print. If you buy a hardcover on Amazon or elsewhere, you are in fact buying a used book. The only thing still counting toward my sales (and whittling away at that advance) is the eBook. And that eBook, with absolutely zero promotion from me for several years now, has been selling steadily enough that the book defied all conventional industry wisdom and finally earned out.

That wasn’t supposed to happen, but it did. Why? Because you, my readers, are still out there, and still buying books. You’re not all dead yet. And neither am I. Engagement may be down, but we’re still here. Just separated.

As mentioned before, my primary means of engagement these days are Patreon and this newsletter. But Patreon you have to pay for (either $1 a month or $5 a month, both of which I think are reasonable), and as I said above, engagement for this newsletter — like social media — is sinking.

So, last night I decided to bring back OF KEENE INTEREST. It will be free. It will arrive in the mail a few times per year. It will not happen on social media. It will not be something you read on your phone. It is a physical item you can hold in your hands.

Engagement isn’t down. You’re still here and I’m still here. It just feels like it’s down because major companies are throttling our interactions with each other. This is my way around that throttle.

To subscriber, simply click this link and enter your name and mailing address. As I said, it’s free, so that’s all you have to do.

I look forward to engaging with you.

* * *

And speaking of engaging, I’ve been tickled by the number of readers who have made the pilgrimage to Vortex to have me sign their books. But in case that’s not in your means, I do have three other public appearances before this year ends.

September 21st, from 10am to 1pm, I’ll be at the York Author Fair taking place at Martin Library 159 E Market St, York, PA 1740. Admission is free. Also in attendance and signing books are Richard Chizmar, Mary SanGiovanni, Robert Swartwood, Wesley Southard, and Somer Canon.

October 4th through 6th I’ll be in St. Louis for AuthorCon IV (a Scares That Care event).

And October 15 I’ll be signing at 7pm at One More Page 2200 N Westmoreland St, Arlington, VA 22213, along with Sonora Taylor and L. Marie Wood.

Oh, and hey — speaking of Scares That Care, I’m happy to tell you that next year’s AuthorCon V, taking place in Williamsburg, VA next March, will feature Spirited Giving on Thursday night! So you’re gonna want to book your hotel room for an extra night. Trust me on this.

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So, the Kindle edition of ISLAND OF THE DEAD accidentally came out this week. I say accidentally, because the publisher entered the wrong date while uploading it to Amazon and thus, his mistake is your benefit.

The paperback comes out October 15th. If you preorder it direct from the publisher, you get 30% off. (And yes, if you’re coming to the signing at One More Page, i should have copies there to sign).

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My new podcast — HOW TO SURVIVE 2025 — launched this past week. It’s free to listen to.

Regardless of their associations, Americans agree that something bad is on the horizon. In an era of increasing wildfires, hurricanes, drought, political violence, power outages, economic uncertainty, and more, what can average everyday citizens do to assure the safety of themselves and their loved ones? Renowned national preparedness expert Jim Cobb, 'Dystopian Mom' Dacia M. Arnold, and international bestselling author Brian Keene offer simple, no-nonsense tips and recommendations free from politics or fear-mongering on how to survive what might happen tomorrow.

Listen free via: Web Browser ~ Spotify ~ iHeartRadio ~ Apple ~ Amazon/Audible ~ YouTube ~ Player FM

Also, THE HORROR SHOW WITH BRIAN KEENE will make its return in January. No cohosts. No news. No rules. No quarter. No f*cks given.

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Had a great time at KillerCon last weekend, including participating in the Roast of Wrath James White and hosting the annual Splatterpunk Awards. The winners for this year, as selected by readers, the public, and this year’s jury are as follows:

BEST NOVEL: Maeve Fly by C. J. Leede (Tor Nightfire)

BEST NOVELLA: Snow Angels by Lucas Mangum (D&T Publishing)

BEST SHORT STORY: Tie between “My Octopus Master” by Stephen Kozeniewski (from Dead and Bloated, Evil Cookie Publishing) and “Blood Harmony” by Chet Williamson (from The Drive-In: Multiplex, Pandi Press/Thunderstorm Books)

BEST COLLECTION: Transcendental Mutilation by Ryan Harding (Death’s Head Press)

BEST ANTHOLOGY: We're Here: An Anthology of LGBTQ+ Horror edited by Angelique Jordonna and James G. Carlson (Gloom House Publishing)

J. F. GONZALEZ LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD*: Craig Spector, Ray Garton, and Wrath James White

HALL OF LEGENDS INDUCTEES**: Ray Garton and Weston Ochse

*Previous honorees are David J. Schow, David G. Barnett, John Skipp, Edward Lee, Clive Barker, Monica J. O’Rourke, and myself.

**Previous inductees are Richard Laymon, Jack Ketchum, Charlee Jacob, J.F. Gonzalez, John Pelan, Gak, David G. Barnett, and Jay Wilburn.

Next year’s Lifetime Achievement Award honorees will be Lucy Taylor and Joe R. Lansdale. We will also be adding a new award category. (More on that later…)

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Currently Watching: Mayor of Kingstown season 3 (Paramount+), Narcos: Mexico season 2 (Netflix), Band of Brothers (MAX). Those latter two are rewatches for me, but Mary had never seen them.

Currently Reading: A manuscript by Eric LaRocca (Eric if you are reading this, I am so sorry. Time has gotten away from me this year), a manuscript by Kasey Lansdale (ditto you, kiddo), two manuscripts by F. Paul Wilson, and Mr. Tilling’s Basement by Edward Lee.

Currently Listening: The Antidote To Fear and Cry Me A Rainbow (both albums by John Skipp) and Desert Oracle Radio (podcast)

Skipp’s albums are fantastic (and available on Bandcamp). And as a fan of his writing, it’s really neat to watch the progression into music (which has always been a part of his career, but this is now full-throated and unfettered by other distractions). Between them and Desert Oracle Radio, they are a fine snapshot of where I currently am physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

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That does it for this week. Thanks, as always, for reading. I’ll see you back here again next Sunday. And remember to sign up for OF KEENE INTEREST. You’re getting a free magazine in the mail every few months. It’s a pretty good deal, I think, and it will keep us in touch as social media continues to fragment at the seams.

— Brian Keene