Fear of Clowns Anthology Announcement!

I’ve been sitting on this for a few days but with the Kangas Kahn Publishing announcement today on Twitter, I can finally tell you all that my story, Giggles in the Glitch, has been accepted into their Fear of Clowns Anthology!

Fear of Clowns anthology is like it sounds – a collection of unique stories about clown horror.
Kangas Kahn asked specifically that those submitting stories veer away from the usual tropes of abandoned carnival, creepy dolls, and the like. They wanted stories that took clowns in whole new directions which excited me as a reader. It also gave me an idea as a writer.

My story, Giggles in the Glitch, without spoiling it, is inspired by analog horror and my love for VHS and public access television.

First Time

My background as a creative in horror is as a TTRPG creator. While I’ve piddled around with 2 horror novels (that are nowhere near where I want them before someone else reads them) and some prompted creative writing like my TTRPG play throughs, I haven’t done any horror writing to publish before this year.
Giggles in the Glitch is not only my first horror short story ever to be published, its the first one I ever submitted.
I’ve since been informed this is a big deal to not only have a 1:1 ratio of submission to published but to be publishing in this anthology in particular is quite the coup.

Fear of Clowns is an 80% invite, 20% submission anthology. By that I mean that most of the stories in the anthology were requested by Kangas Kahn from well known authors like Adam Cesar, Hailey Piper, Timothy Waggoner, Gwendolyn Kiste, and Rachel Harrison among others. These are names I look up to as a writer and love reading.

Now, that might have sounded like a brag but honestly, I am nervous af. I recently did an interview with Hailey Piper where I was a total fanby about her books and writing. After recording, I told her I got into the anthology and she was so sweet congratulating me and said she looked forward to reading my story. My stomach dropped. Hailey Piper, who’s writing I view as some of the best if not the best in horror, will be reading something I wrote. Well…lets just say my chronic anxiety has been running amok the last few days. Heh.

A History of Clowns

I do think its super fun and interesting that my first short story is for Fear of Clowns because the first horror movie I ever remember seeing (at waaaaaay too young of an age) is IT (1990).

My horror life coming full circle around the magic of scary clowns is something that gave me a smile. I admit, I’m a big believer in signs and synchronicities.
In the days to follow the acceptance email, I’ve seen clowns everywhere. A kid at a BBQ I went to asked me my birth month to check a meme she was looking at on her phone and showed me my “dream bedroom” on Instagram and it was clown themed. I visit to the thrift store to check VHS tapes brought me by a clown statue in the wrong place (among the electronics). Little things like that.

It could be creepy but it also could be the universe giving me a little wink to tell me I’m doing ok. I choose both.

Anyways, stick around, follow me on socials (I’m @SmallTownCreepy on all of them) and I’ll keep you up to date on the Fear of Clowns anthology and other things in the works.