The new imprints will develop nightmare fuel in those areas. Hedone and Truborn will publish edgy “works that aren’t afraid to go outside what the Big Five are publishing” in horror, Robert said, including supernatural, LGBTQ, and psychological content. “A lot of our authors expand outside of the genre, and our readers are hungry for it.”
Increased attention to the horror genre spurred Robert’s interest in creating new imprints and fortifying industry connections. Robert sees a growing demand for bizarre and romance-driven content in horror, as well as for racial and gender diversity among horror authors and characters. “I spend a lot of time reviewing books and being engaged with readers, and I know for certain my readers love horror-romance and even erotica,” he said. “I’m very open to hearing from anybody, and we are looking for marginalized voices. We want different perspectives, and I think that’s what readers want as well.”
