Many of my friends who've read my works or discussed story ideas tell me I should write horror. I like the idea and I enjoy reading horror. A good horror movie is great. A really bad horror movie is hilarious. As I've looked into it more, I've found there is one thing that really keeps me from making progress as a horror writer.
At the local bookstore, I perused the magazine selection. The only horror-related items were for gory movies and special effects, and not many of those. I realized that I don't really know what the horror market is doing, because I don't see the horror market in my area. It's not blatantly in my face.
Recently, I've been reading The Best Horror of the Year, Volume Ten (ISBN: 9781510716674). In the front, it discusses the wide assortment of sources for the included stories. One or two seemed familiar. How can I make it as a professional horror writer if I don't know who is publishing horror?
In the distant past, i.e.: my teens and twenties, horror magazines were everywhere. I tended to read only a few. I also avoided many of the people who were, shall we say, enthusiasts; many were a little less stable and usually wanting to borrow money, bum a ride, and so forth. It didn't help that I was always at work and had little time for genre-related activities.
Now, I'm older and better suited to horror show host on a small cable channel. Much of my knowledge is out of date. My horror ideas tend toward the basics of the human animal. Even my supernatural horror is more influenced by fairy tales than anything else.
It looks like a decision has to be made. If I want to continue to dabble, I can keep doing what I do now. If I really want to sell my work, I'll have to make a greater effort to go find the horror market hidden out there in some strange bazaar. What will my inherent laziness let me do?