The Season

Leave a comment October 8, 2025 Steve A. Wiggins

I learned about the Horror Writers Association years ago, shortly after I started publishing horror stories in 2009. I couldn’t join because you had to have earned at least $30 from a publication. I took this to mean a fictional one and I never made it beyond that benchmark until this year. (It’s possible I misunderstood and could’ve joined for Holy Horror and beyond. I think the point is they want to know you’re serious.) In any case, these folks may be my tribe. During the month of October the website has a set of free blog posts available to the public. Mine—located here—dropped yesterday. It deals with nonfiction, of course, since I’m still not finding much traction in getting novels published. One of the weird things about book publishing is that you don’t know, unless you’re already successful, how well your sales are going until after about six months or so. Sleepy Hollow as American Myth may be flopping for all I know.

I’ve tried to promote this one as much as I can. I contacted bookstores and libraries in Sleepy Hollow itself. I had bookmarks printed and put them in local libraries and bookstores. I arranged a discussion at the upcoming Easton Book Festival. I told my local writers’ group about it. Posted on a Halloween Facebook group. All of this is tricky rather than treaty when a book is priced near $40. That’s quite a trick, I know. As Halloween approaches I keep seeing memes and posts about the Headless Horseman. But I’m not sure if anyone’s finding my book or not. It’s an anxious period when you write.

Working in publishing for nearly two decades now, I’m starting to realize that there are two ways to relevancy. One is to be hired by an institution with name recognition—that automatically makes you an expert and everyone want to know what you think. They’ll even pay you for it. The second way is to write a book that sells well. That one’s a bit of a catch-22, however. To get published these days you need to already have a following. I suppose that’s what the internet is for. The best forums at the moment seem to be YouTube and TikTok, but there’s more much traffic there than on a Los Angeles freeway during rush hour. I’m not sure if many people read the Horror Writers Association Halloween Haunts blog posts. These folks, however, seem to look at this from a similar perspective. Maybe a few of them will buy Sleepy Hollow as American Myth. ’Tis the season.

Talking Sleepy Hollow

Leave a comment August 10, 2025 Steve A. Wiggins

After writing a book comes talking about it. I very aware that this blog has quite a limited reach, which is why I’m very grateful for friends who are willing to chat about my books. John Morehead’s TheoFantastique is a blog I’ve known about, and appreciated, since I began this blog sixteen years ago. John has always been very gracious and generous with his time and has interviewed me about each book since Holy Horror on. Yesterday we had a chance to talk about Sleepy Hollow as American Myth. The blog post with the recording is located here. Please give it a watch if you have any interest. To those of us not inclined to inflate opinions of ourselves, doing self-promotion feels awkward, and so it’s always good to have a friend willing to help us over the hurdle. John has written and edited many books himself, and we’ve both published with McFarland. You might enjoy some time on his blog.

Writing a book on a subject may not automatically make you and expert, but it does give you a voice in the conversation. Talking about a book helps you to think of aspects you might’ve missed or things that you really need other eyes to see. Those fortunate enough to have academic posts sometimes have colleagues willing to read their nascent books and discuss them. I never had colleagues who wanted to read what I was working on, but then, I was never really in a position where people paid much attention. As a result, I work on my books alone. This one had a peer reviewer when an agent took a temporary interest in it, and I received some feedback then, but otherwise it was me wondering what others might think of it once it was available. The strange thing is, after writing a book you often feel like you could write another on the same subject, looking at different angles.

Since I’m trying to break into that rare sphere of getting a supplemental income from my books (free advice: academic writing really isn’t the way to do this), getting even a little buzz is immensely helpful. I have contacted bookstore owners and museum shop holders in the Hudson Valley to tell them about my book. I’m trying to arrange for a local book festival slot to talk about it. But, of course, I have a 9-2-5 that doesn’t really make an allowance for time off to support your sideline job. So I’m very grateful for John Morehead’s willingness to talk about my work. If you’ve got some time, and interest, you can hear a bit more here.

Being Perceived

2 Comments July 19, 2025 Steve A. Wiggins

The philosopher George Berkeley argued that to be is to be perceived. This perspective goes by the name of immaterialism and I have to admit to being sometimes seduced by it. The real question comes down to who counts as a perceiver. In any case, as a book author there’s always a worry that the book sent to the publisher isn’t real until it appears in print. I’m Berkeleyian enough to think that ebooks aren’t really perceived, and so I mean in print. Until I see a copy of the book, I don’t really believe it exists. This entire week I’ve been waiting. Sleepy Hollow as American Myth was released on either Monday or Wednesday, depending on who you believe about such things, and my author copies have been on their way. At last, the book exists!

In the publishing industry there are those who consider a book like a box of puzzle pieces. They often refer to books as “content,” or “product.” Something that can be divided up and sold piecemeal in electronic form. A chapter at a time. Never mind what the author was trying to do when s/he wrote the book. Such people, it seems to me, should be forced to spend several years working on an integrated project only to see the producer of said product take it apart and sell insubstantial pieces of the whole. It feels like being eviscerated. Books are objects and those who love them form cultures. I know there are people who read ebooks, and I don’t judge them for it—readers are readers and we need more of them! But for me, book culture involves, well, books.

One of the greatest thrills a writer can know is opening that first box of their author copies of a book. Many academic publishers are cutting down the numbers, to save money, of course. McFarland, I’m happy to report, still provides ten, which used to be standard. So before I start doling them out, I have, for the moment, ten copies of my sixth book. I have only one copy of the second edition of A Reassessment of Asherah and two copies of Nightmares with the Bible. They’re both too expensive for me to buy more. (Income from writing books may bring images of Stephen King or J. K. Rowling to mind, but they’re household names because their situation is so exceptional.) Right now, however, I’m bathing in the glow of knowing, at least at the moment, my latest book is being perceived.

A Glimmer

Leave a comment July 18, 2025 Steve A. Wiggins

You just never know. A few months back I emailed Liverpool University Press because my book, The Wicker Man, has apparently not sold any copies. I had never received (have still never received) a royalty statement or any payment. Now, I’m willing to accept that no copies have sold. I’m not a recognized name and a bigger book came out in 2023, the fiftieth anniversary of the film. I moved on. Then, the day before my Sleepy Hollow as American Myth copies were scheduled to arrive, a friend sent me a text that made my day. He’d seen on the MIT bookstore staff picks shelf, a copy of my humble little book. I was floored. Someone had read it and liked it. And MIT! I mean, that’s worth celebrating. It also made me curious.

I checked a website that tracks classroom adoptions. The Wicker Man had been adopted for a class at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. Ironically, just the day before my friend’s text arrived, a colleague at a nearby seminary asked if I’d come and give a talk about Weathering the Psalms. This is all very dizzying to me. I am an obscure private intellectual because no schools will open resident scholar or any other such non-tenure positions to me. I can’t even verify myself on Google Scholar. But a few people, it seems, have found my books. In case you might think otherwise, I’m very well aware that the scholarly world is small (and the current administration would like to make it smaller by the day). But I tend to think of myself as lost in that small world.

The Wicker Man was a departure for me, as is Sleepy Hollow as American Myth. In these two books I moved away from my identity as a scholar of religion. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve used my background and experience, and even latent knowledge of religious studies in both books, but they aren’t fronting religion. It remains to be seen if the just curious will pick them up. I know many people don’t default to, “I find this interesting, I’ll buy a book on it,” as I do. And I’m more than willing to suppose that others aren’t interested in what I have to say. Still, just when I’m starting to feel down on all my efforts, a little ray of hope shines through. Someone in a bookstore somewhere has recommended one of my books. And it feels good.

Dead, Not Sleeping

Leave a comment June 17, 2025 Steve A. Wiggins

A Nightmare in New Hope is a fairly intimate space. The owner told us that the collection will change and grow, given that he’s still collecting. Having a particular interest in Tim Burton’s Legend of Sleepy Hollow—having a book (ahem) on the subject coming out soon (cough)—I was particularly anxious to see what props they had. To make sense of this it helps to have seen the movie, but you’ll catch on, even if you only know the Disney version of the story. There were three main items from the movie that they have on display. One is the wax seal used for the Van Garrett will, used as the movie opens. The seal is quite large. Of course, movies substitute props from time to time, blended by celluloid magic. CGI doesn’t leave as many tracks.

The second artifact is one that wouldn’t have occurred to me to have even existed. This was the animatronic horse’s head for Daredevil, the Headless Horseman’s mount. There are a couple scenes in the film involving horse acting, and I’d just assumed that trained animals were used. Being up close and personal with this artificial head, a couple thoughts came to mind. One is that right next to it, it’s quite obvious that it’s artificial. The second thought was just how much thought and effort goes into a big-budget movie. For a few seconds of a close-up horse head, this model had to be constructed and used and then set aside. I asked the owner about how such things were acquired, and he noted that production companies don’t keep everything. He also noted that movie artifact prices have skyrocketed. Both because horror is now popular and because CGI, as noted, doesn’t leave tracks.

The third, and most proudly displayed Sleepy Hollow piece is the Headless Horseman’s sword. This appears in the movie far more often than either Daredevil’s head or the wax seal. One of the aspects of Washington Irving’s story I discuss in Sleepy Hollow as American Myth is that the Horseman’s weaponry changes over time. I won’t say more since, like museum owners, those who write books hope that they well sell a few copies. I’ll be revisiting A Nightmare in New Hope from time to time. For the items on display, I’d seen probably 90 percent of the movies, and a few of them I’d discussed in some detail in either Holy Horror or Nightmares with the Bible. Of course, the Sleepy Hollow book is forthcoming (ahem).

Release Date

Leave a comment March 25, 2025 Steve A. Wiggins

July 16. That’s the release date for Sleepy Hollow as American Myth. If you’re so inclined, preordering helps to earn a book attention. (I know it’s pricey, but thanks for considering it for a second.) This book has been, like most books, a long time in the making. As my wife will attest, reading the proofs nearly sent me into a spiral this time around. It wasn’t because they were bad (I only found 7 mistakes) but it was because of my own doubt about how well I’d done this one. I found myself between elation at some parts, and dread at others. I really like this book but I spent my proofreading journey anticipating what critics would say. I do take a few chances in this one and it has what I believe to be an important message.

Writing books is like walking into a library naked. There may not be many people there, but those who are can see more than you want them to. I love the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. I learned a lot about Washington Irving doing this research. I learned a lot about Halloween—that’s one of my favorite chapters. I also like the conceit I applied to the book itself as a labyrinth. And I’m already looking forward to reading more renditions of the myth once the dust settles a little. Reading the proofs took a good portion of the weekend, as well as after-work time the previous week. I could focus on little else. Books, you see, are parts of their authors. I feel a little bit crazy for even writing them in the first place.

That having been said, I’m chuffed with a July publication date. The best time for Halloween books to be available is the summer. My last two Halloween titles (Holy Horror and Nightmares with the Bible) both came out in November or December. Not that there were angry mobs at Barnes & Noble demanding them at the end of October. The other deadline I’d set myself was to have this published before Lindsey Beer’s reboot of Sleepy Hollow hit theaters. I seem to have managed that one by quite a margin; there’s still been no release date announced. For her, that is. I just received mine yesterday. I guess it’s time to start touching base with those good folks in the Hudson Valley who expressed an interest in the project when I first told them about it. I’m anticipating Halloween already.

Proofing Yourself

Leave a comment March 19, 2025 Steve A. Wiggins

Some publishers give you advance warning. Many do not. As a struggling writer, after I submit one manuscript I move on to the next project, knowing proofs will eventually come. The thing is, I’m obsessive. When I’m in the middle of a project I can think of little else, thoughts of it leaking into other activities throughout the day. I’m in the middle of one such project, as I have been for at least three months now. Then the proofs came. If you write books you know that proofs always come with deadlines. You need to drop everything and prioritize them. I read many academic books with tons of errors, and I think I know why. If proofs come at an inopportune time, you read them as other required activities (I’m looking at you, 9-2-5) permit. For me, it’s difficult to let go of my present project. My current fascination.

The proofs for Sleepy Hollow as American Myth arrived yesterday. I’m excited for this book. I have hopes of reaching out to local magazines and pitching stories about the Legend this autumn. But I’m red hot into a new project. My mind is of an age where there’s no guarantee that I’ll remember precisely what I was thinking if I lay aside my present project for a week to read the proofs. Indeed, the last two weekends have been so busy with other things that I haven’t had time to watch any horror movies at all. Just yesterday I awoke at 4 a.m. feeling hopelessly behind already, a feeling that lasted all day. Then at 4 p.m. the proofs arrived. ( For context, 4 a.m. is late for me. I’ve been waking up later due to that pointless ritual of annual time changes which, like everything else, the government can’t seem to get right. In any case, proofs trump all.)

My time is extremely regimented. I had to drop all committee work at our local faith community because the meetings were all in the evening, scheduled for after when I’d normally be asleep. I wake early to write and read before the snowplow of the 9-2-5 throws me off the road for another day. Everyone who talks to me feels that they don’t have time for what’s important any more. The proofs are here and I’ll get them back by the deadline. I’ve never been late once told when they have to be in. My accountant tells me that anything that leads to royalties, no matter how small, counts as a second job. I hope this one sells well enough to make it feel like that. In the meantime, please don’t come knocking because I’ll pretend I’m not at home.

The Publishing Self

Leave a comment October 13, 2024 Steve A. Wiggins

One of the things I noticed while researching Sleepy Hollow as American Myth was that many resources on the legend were buried in self-published editions of the “book” itself. And other material about the legend was from self-published sources. This lack of serious attention was behind my writing of the book. Clearly the story is an integral part of American Halloween and Halloween is a big business. Why aren’t mainstream publishers interested? (I tried several agents but nobody seemed terribly drawn to the project.) In any case, my thoughts today are about self-publishing. Some of these self-published books aren’t even listed on Amazon, which is pretty amazing. I even found one that apparently lacks an ISBN! The author’s website (the only place it can be purchased) lists it as out of stock. Self-publishing must require vigilance in order to be a way to make a living.

The profits from self-publishing are likely better than publishing with an academic press. (Unless, of course, you’re given the rare trade treatment.) If you’ve ever tried to find a publisher, the urge to self-publish is understandable. The publishing world tends to be cliquish. The same names keep coming up time and again. If you’re friends with one of them, well, you can get in the door. And mainstream publishing, surprisingly, doesn’t really like new ideas. Most publishers prefer to keep on acquiring titles in the vein of one of their successes. “More like this,” you can imagine them saying in their sleep. New ideas are untested and may flop. Bestselling authors seldom flop and those who imitate them often get a seat at the table. The rest are left to self-publishing, or perhaps academic publishing.

I’ve read many self-published books and most of them have led to disappointment. You see, a book is better if someone reacts against it. The problem in mainstream publishing is the reaction against is generally a rejection and that means even if you improve you still have to publish yourself. I was sorely tempted to self-publish a book before Holy Horror. Having found a publisher for that book somewhat painlessly (the agents weren’t impressed with it either), led me to keep on going. Nightmares with the Bible and The Wicker Man were both series books, so again, fairly straightforward. Sleepy Hollow as American Myth followed the track of Holy Horror. Written not for a series, I tried to find an agent, failed, and again turned to McFarland. At least they’ll publish it in paperback. I’m still discovering self-published books on Sleepy Hollow that I missed in the writing of my book. For all its faults, academic publishing at least generally offers a good bibliography.

Must Be Autumn

Leave a comment September 27, 2024 Steve A. Wiggins

As it often goes, a friend pointed out to me a book on Sleepy Hollow that published just this week. I preordered a copy that arrived on Tuesday and buzzed through it. It’s what I describe to family as “one of those books”—you know, the local history, heavily illustrated quick reads from The History Press. (I would note that I submitted what was then The Myth of Sleepy Hollow to The History Press, but they never even responded to the submission.) In any case, Sam Baltrusis’ Ghosts of Sleepy Hollow: Haunts of the Headless Horseman is really quite different from what I do in my forthcoming Sleepy Hollow as American Myth. The History Press isn’t really regarded as such by historians. I like their books nonetheless. I was castigated by an academic journal editor early in my career for using one such book to illustrate local folklore. (That was, by far, the snootiest rejection letter I’ve ever received.)

Aloft noses aside, there is a legitimacy in listening to what the folk say. The tales in a book like this won’t convince skeptics, of course, but if you read them in the dark you’ll nevertheless find yourself glancing into the corner now and again, wondering if you saw something. The book does cover the “Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and Irving’s life in a few pages—Irving was a complex man and the first truly famous American writer—before moving on to local haunts. The thing that kept nagging at me was the easy shifting from fiction to fact. Folklore does have a way of becoming reality (and who can definitively even say what that is?) for people. No doubt, Sleepy Hollow has latched onto tourism in a big way. Even more so than on my last visit there. And folklore draws on that shifting borderland between fact and fict.

One of my motivations in writing Sleepy Hollow as American Myth was that the story is largely ignored by academics and “sophisticated” readers. It nevertheless remains important in popular culture. Academics tend to be slow in picking up what general readers find fascinating. I found a few academic articles on the subject, but my book was written for general readers as well. I hesitate to say too much, otherwise, why buy it? I have a handful of History Press (and similar) books on the region on my shelf. I learn from them. And I’m glad to see Sleepy Hollow getting more attention. My only real regret about my book is that I’ll have to wait a couple of years before the price comes down. In the meantime, those really curious about Sleepy Hollow will have this Haunted America version to read.

Under Construction

Leave a comment August 27, 2024 Steve A. Wiggins

It’s fascinating, watching a book taking shape. Just yesterday I noticed Sleepy Hollow as American Myth is now up on McFarland’s website. And yes, it’s on Amazon too. Go ahead and preorder! (It hasn’t made it to Bookshop.org yet, though.) I have to say the feed to Amazon was much quicker this time than it was with The Wicker Man. That book took several weeks to appear, probably because it was with a UK publisher. Yes, it does make a difference. Now the trick is to try to get people interested in the Legend of Sleepy Hollow again. I’m thinking I ought to join Historic Hudson Valley. They might be interested in such a book. It is, in a sense, right in their back yard.

The thing about writing a book is that you come to suppose other people are interested in your obsession. I know that Sleepy Hollow is deeply embedded in American culture. I also know that some of the fandom began to die down when Fox’s Sleepy Hollow went off the rails. Most analysts suggest, with good reason, that the show failed when it began foregrounding white characters and writing Americans of color into the background. A great part of the appeal was the melting-pot aspect of the cast, no doubt. In the book, however, I suggest a somewhat different reason for the decline. It’s one I’ve seen no one else suggest. I’m hoping that we can both be right. In any case, that was the fandom that got this book started.

You see, I had written my first popular culture article on the role of the Bible in Sleepy Hollow. That article, published in the Journal of Religion and Popular Culture, led to the book Holy Horror. I was already thinking about a project around Sleepy Hollow then, but I had a couple more books to finish first. I’m excited about this one because it marks a move away from publishing primarily about religion to publishing primarily about a story. There’s still religion there, of course. We have the Old Dutch Church to pay mind to, but there’s even more about the Headless Horseman, and Ichabod Crane. And so much more! Sleepy Hollow as American Myth was a lot of fun to write. I’m not sure when the book will be out, but I’m hoping next year. Maybe if I can generate a little excitement around this Halloween—it is closely connected with the story, as I explore—there’ll be some interest next time. Until then there are still plenty of steps to be taken.

Book Stages

Leave a comment August 16, 2024 Steve A. Wiggins

There are stages to it. Writing a book, I mean. One stage, for me, is realizing that you’re writing one. I started work on Sleepy Hollow as American Myth years ago, without realizing it. That was followed by the stage of comprehending that I had a book idea and intentionally writing it. I suspect that, in the throes of The Wicker Man, I thought “I should do a similar book on Sleepy Hollow.” Devils Advocates, which is an excellent series, however, feeling the strain on academic presses, was moving to hardcover-first releases (the kiss of death). I started writing the book anyway, hoping that maybe it might find trade interest. It is still possible that an agent is out there who would’ve moved it in that direction, but I wanted the book out before Lindsey Beer’s movie gets released. After the book is drafted, the next stage: find a publisher. (Unless you have an agent.)

Since this is my sixth book, I felt confident (a strange, foreign feeling for me) that I could locate a publisher. I’d done it five times before. McFarland did a nice job with Holy Horror, but what sold me is that they dropped the price on it. Many academic publishers continue to raise prices each year, so if you don’t buy a book right away you’ll end up paying a lot for this muffler. The next stage is waiting to see what the cover will look like. That wait is over. Here it is, the cover of Sleepy Hollow as American Myth:

(Feel free to share widely, get everyone all excited!) I’m currently in the waiting stage. Waiting for proofs. Of course, I’ve been working on my next couple of books as well. You can’t just sit around, otherwise these tomes will never get written. I haven’t decided which one will cross the finish line first. If I had an agent they’d be able to tell me which might be more marketable, but since I work alone I’m left to my own devices. I am bound and determined that the next book will go to a trade press. I’m trying hard to scrub any whiff of academia from it. In the meantime, however, I’m enjoying looking at the cover for my current book. There aren’t a ton of nonfiction books out there on “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” In fact, as nonfiction I know of only one other. This isn’t what we in the biz call “a crowded bookshelf.” I’m doing all the pre-publication promo that I can. I’d be grateful for any shares or likes at this stage.

Good Timing?

Leave a comment August 13, 2024 Steve A. Wiggins

Timing is important. I hope I have a sense of it, but it doesn’t always work out the way you hope. My last book, The Wicker Man, was released on the fiftieth anniversary of that cult film. A bigger publisher with better reach published their own Wicker Man book that year, and mine garnered no attention. I decided to turn to Sleepy Hollow instead. This is a story that has been quite well known since 1820. Although the Fox television series ran out of steam in 2017, I wrote the book when I did because Lindsey Beer has been tapped to direct a reboot of the Tim Burton film of 1999. Looking for books on the “Legend of Sleepy Hollow” I found very little. This is what is known of in the biz as “a gap.” I decided to try to fill it. Fandom helps in situations like this.

I’ve been trying to find the Sleepy Hollow fandom and engage with it before Sleepy Hollow as American Myth comes out. I am confident that there are fans out there. The tragic collapse of the Fox series didn’t lead to lack of love for the tale. Indeed, further renditions have continued to appear. Some have gained considerable attention. The online fan base, however, seems to be, ah, sleeping. I’m not sure when the Beer movie is slated for release. It was announced in several media outlets but now we’ve come to the lull where updates have ceased to surface. I’m certainly no Hollywood insider and I generally don’t even find out about movies until after they’ve left theaters (unless they’re very big). I hope the timing is right this time.

It takes a couple years, at least, for me to write a book. I’ve been working on this Sleepy Hollow project, in some way or other, since before Holy Horror came out in 2018. I sure hope I got the timing right on this one. The many trade publishers and agents I approached didn’t think so. Maybe it’s just that people aren’t curious enough to read a book about Washington Irving’s story. I try to make the case in my book that it has risen to the level of an American myth. The story’s known world-wide, but its largest fan base is here in the States. Had the Fox series been handled a bit better, keeping both people of color and the apocalypse in the foreground, it might’ve run a couple more seasons. The underlying story’s not quite dead in the grave yet, I hope. But then, timing hasn’t always been my strong suit.