Happy Goat Horror

Dark bleatings, my wonderful, bookish tribe! Today, I’ve got a special post from the leader of an adjacent tribe, Joe X Young. If you’re in the indie horror community and you somehow don’t know Joe, he’s an avid fan and supporter of horror and constantly highlights authors. I owe him a debt of gratitude because he, for reasons still unknown to me – likely just because he’s a very good egg – Joe spent months rallying support for my YouTube channel to increase my subscriber count. We’re now at over 1000 subscribers and we got there much faster than we would have without Joe’s constant enthusiasm and posts.

And now, Joe has a gift for us all. I had the honour of an early tour around his new author/reader resource website, and I can’t believe the sheer amount of time and work he’s put into it. I have already found the reviewers list extremely useful, but that’s just one thirst quenching drop in the entire ocean he’s created.

And now, it’s time for me to stop bleating on and let Joe have his say, but on behalf of the whole horror community, thanks for this tremendous site, Joe!

JOE X YOUNG

I received a message from Goat Leader regarding my recently launched website ‘joexyoung.com’; it contained the following questions:

“Do you think you have time this week or next week to send me a paragraph or so about why you’ve made the site and what you’re hoping people will get from it?”

As I’ll do pretty-much anything for Happy Goat Horror, here are the basics:

When I joined the horror community on Facebook, I spotted a gap that needed filling: a space where horror writers could truly connect, learn, and grow. So, I created Get Writing Horror, a group designed to tap into the wisdom of seasoned pros and share it with aspiring authors. With the invaluable help of its admins: Lyndsey Smith, Thomas K.S. Wake, and the ever-reliable Paul Flewitt, the group became a beacon for aspiring horror writers, sparking inspiration and fostering success for its members.

Very early on, the members requested a website version of Get Writing Horror. Their wish list was ambitious: chat forums, discussion groups, direct messaging, a place where writers, cover artists, podcasters, reviewers, and readers could converge, brimming with accessible research resources, links to certified professionals such as editors, agents, and publishers, plus marketing opportunities and a vibrant community space. My initial reaction was “That ain’t gonna happen!” as it would be a gargantuan task. However, I already had a redundant domain name registered (joexyoung.com), so, after a change of heart, I set about creating the site anyway.

At its core, joexyoung.com is about ‘help’, as it says on the home page ‘Serving the Community for Strength Through Unity’. I believe we’re at our best when we come together to help one another. I saw the struggles people faced and decided to do something to potentially streamline their processes. Why spend eight hours digging when you could find what you need in eight minutes because someone else did the legwork for you and put the information within reach? The site’s huge resources section is a treasure trove for writers, offering information and tools to slash research time and boost productivity. But it’s not purely about efficiency; it’s really
about connection. The site indexes horror books with multiple references, making it easier for readers to discover their next chilling read while linking directly to authors and their offsite purchase options. It’s a win-win: writers gain free visibility, and readers find exactly what they crave.

joexyoung.com goes beyond resources, I’ve created a growing community where writers and readers mingle. With hundreds of discussion forums covering every horror topic imaginable, from novels to slasher movies, true-life crime to horror collectibles, the site is an enormous hub of ideas and inspiration. It’s a place where writers can connect with cover artists, podcasters can share their latest episodes, and readers can fanperson out over their favourite tropes. joexyoung.com ensures everyone in the horror ecosystem, creators and fans alike, has a safe inclusive space they can call their own, far away from the nastier aspects of corporate social media
such as ‘horror language’ restrictions and A.I. interference, where the only
gatekeeping is me keeping trolls and troublemakers out.

joexyoung.com is more than a free to join resource and social website; it’s a way to empower the horror community, making it easier to create, connect, and celebrate the genre we all love, making joexyoung.com truly free. So, whether you’re a writer looking to sharpen your craft, a reader hunting for your next scare, or a creator seeking your tribe, you’re invited to join me at joexyoung.com.