- When did you first discover your talent for writing?
- How did you break into the horror genre?
- How many hours a day do you spend writing?
- Why do anthologies?
- On average, how many submissions do you receive per anthology?
- What is it that attracts you to young, untested writers?
- How long do you spend editing anthology submissions?
- Can you explain how editing, proofreading, and reformatting differ?
- What inspires you to take a photograph of something you see?
- Once your memoir is out of the way, what do you envision as your next project?
Ten Questions for Mr. Pacione
August 30, 2007 by Rusty
Just long this isn’t a trap interview that you will use later on to fuck my career over. I will answer your questions.
I was fourteen years old and it was from a teacher that said I should look into being a writer, but never took it seriously until I got older. Nineteen years old when I took it more seriously but I’ve been writing off and on for 17 years. You want your answers your getting them.
I was always involved with the horror genre as a reviewer then writing fiction just came naturally for me — I guess you’re going to twist this and make me look like a criminal.
Writing as much time constraits it varies on the project — the stories that I got published in print I’ve spent as much as two weeks to four weeks on one story. Spectral Exile took four weeks to write so that is why I get most hostile to people who hate that story the worst.
Anthologies. It is fun, simple enough. I don’t have the patience to do a novel so I edit anthologies. The tools I had when I started was just Altantis Ocean Mind then I picked up Open Office.
It isn’t just the younger writers who get tested. I got a larger influx of writers my own age and that is the main body of the anthologies are the ones my age or slightly older. It was more a challenge to bring in both FictionPress.com and Authorsden.com.
On average I get about 60-80 submissions for an anthology, it is because people like you like to get off on scarying people away from a project so I get a rotating line up. If you bastards left the writers alone on my projects the anthologies will see more success. Anthologies give me more a vehicle to get the published project to other publishers and if they like a particular author they will get connected with them.
I do everything to the best of my ability with the tools I have unlike other editors, I don’t have Word so I use a poor man’s word and Open Office so I do as much as I can by hand. It takes me about 6 hours to edit one story sometimes but others are publish ready so they are good to go.
The photography thing varies. I think what I am drawn more to are the skyscrapers in Chicago, and the science fiction atmosphere they get.
One An Eye In Shadows is finished it will be going on to more novellas and maybe even the first full length solo novel.
Is that what you were looking for dickstain?
Will you leave me alone now?
If you leave Aaron, Karen, Bob, Angeline, Mary, Janrae, both Brians, and the rest of them alone, yes, I will.
If they draw blood on me — then all bets are off. Take all my feeds off your journal, and you will stop with trying to ruin my career and stop stalking my community. If Bennet pirates the fourth Tabloid Purposes I will be on him like flies on shit. No pirating my anthologies or harassing forums that I frequent.
Stop stealing my work on your blog. And all shit that is posted on me must be gone. This book will still see publication, and nothing will stop that. The Other Dark Place must all leave me alone and let me enjoy being a published author. That includes Peter Barnes too. If one of them goes and steals one of my books or tries to harass authors on the line up — everything I will say here will go null and void. Keene has to stop with accusing me of stealing stories from other wriers. Let me do my book signings in peace. Otherwise I will go to the press with this blog and other blogs that are devoted to ruining my name. Is that understood.
One attempt at posting my address or my phone number heads will roll.
The fandom wank community’s blood is mine — I will leave those writers alone but the fandom wanks are mine to fuck with. as I please.
Luckily my name wasn’t mentioned. So I’ll just remind you, Nick, of past attempts to call truce. Hungry for attention, you started digging up feuds from a year ago, and making a shitload of exceptions to the truce. Just as you are now. Despite being in a losing position, you were determined to set all the terms and change them again and again.
Just like you are now, actually.
I think you don’t quite understand the pitcher/catcher relationship here. Bend over.
Nickolaus, I have nothing whatsoever to do with Journalfen, or Encyclopedia Dramatica. You have no reason to go after them, simply because you are pissed at me.
Nicky, do you seriously believe that there is some kind of Evil Overlord controlling all the people who dislike you?
No, this is how it works. You stop posting lies about me on your blog(s) and I leave you alone. In fact, you stop posting about me completely. Because every time you post about me, I get emails and private messages from friends, fans and readers (of which I have many) consoling me and wanting to go after YOU for attacking me unprovoked. Then I have to take time out from an extremely busy schedule of writing and honest-to-god-work (because I work, unlike you) and I have to calm everyone else down who wants to go after YOU. You stop posting your lies about me on your blog(s) and I’ll consider it a truce and I will stop telling whomever asks me about you and showing them the abusive emails and PMs you send me. You continue to post lies about me, and attack me on various forums and I continue to show off your emails and PMs. It’s really that simple. Truce or no truce, it makes no difference to me. However, establishing a truce with me would be to your best benefit.
I thank you for your interview answers. They will not be presented in any other form than you answered them. Your replies will appear unedited.
The last time there was a major attempt at negotiating a truce, it was brokered by Macey Wuestoff. A nice lady.
I outlasted everyone else as Nicky piled person after person back into the category of fair game, often for things he had suddenly remembered from years before.
I kept the truce until he went after my daughter unprovoked.
If he agrees to the truce and holds to the truce, I hold to my end indefinitely. If he agrees to the truce and then later breaks said truce, I break the truce. That’s the deal (in case it wasn’t clear above). It really is in his court. He gets one chance to back down. Take it or leave it, it makes no difference to me. The women in my family live a VERY long time and I can keep this up forever.
Karen the only way I will honor it is if you don’t ruin a sale of Tabloid Purposes. Fair enough. It will be in your best benifit to let me get my sales of my books and not fuck up my anthologies. I am not lying in my blogs when I say what I say — just stating a venomous opinion. It’s on my terms or no terms at all with you.
Don’t ruin my career I won’t fuck over yours and this book still goes to print and gets sales. If the book is out there shut the hell up and let it make its money. Any sale you ruin of that book it will be a sale of your book gets ruined — one ruined sale of a book for one ruined sale of a book. No threats about burning my books either.
If I find out you’re after any Tabloid Purposes Karen — your career is burned at the stake. Much as what you’re trying to do with mine right now. I don’t like you and you don’t like me — leave it at that and stay out of each other’s way.
You fuck with Tabloid Purposes — that book I am writing will be sent to your publisher.
Don’t worry Angeline isn’t even mentioned in the book.
You let me make my money — I will you let you make yours. Fair enough? Any books you sabotage of mine Karen that’s blood money, and then that is when I will sabotage your career even worst. Every newspaper will get involved then, you will lose Chicago as a readership as a whole.
,There are two main problems with this response. Firstly, you assume (wrongly) that you have even the faintest degree of influence over anything outside of your own stunted and malodorous mind.
Second, and more importantly, you have a phony sense of entitlement to sales, money, fame, whatever. Any failure of these things to materialise, in your increasingly fucked-up world view, is due solely to the malicious actions of whoever your current target happens to be. And thus, if sales don’t occur, what further proof do you need? And when your books fail to sell, and fail they will, because your grasp of marketing is at least as shaky as your grasp of writing, editing, ethics, reality and, frankly your grasp on anything other than your own cock. If anyone ruins your sales, Nick, it’s you.
Karen, I’m sorry you got mixed up in this, although you probably were before I “met” you. PACIONE. CURB. KICK.
“I am not lying in my blogs when I say what I say — just stating a venomous opinion.”
No, you claimed I was using sex to get ahead in publishing – a lie. You claimed I had hexed you, again, a lie – I told you I had not. You claim I am ruining sales when I have never seen or touched, nor went anywhere near your anthologies. I have neither bought nor pirated your work. I am not in possession of ANY of your work. These are not mere opinions of yours, they are outright lies you told about me, which I have had to correct to keep my fans from going after YOU.
Again, you agree to stop posting about me – no more mention of me ANYWHERE online – and I stop telling those who talk to me about what lies you spread and how unprofessionally you conduct yourself. These are the conditions of the truce. I do not care if you like me or not. You agree to leave me alone COMPLETELY, I leave you along COMPLETELY. Simple. And if you don’t agree, then you can keep posting about me, bothering MY fans, and you slowly sink into a hole.
(quick edit)
And when your books fail to sell, and fail they will, because your grasp of marketing is at least as shaky as your grasp of writing, editing, ethics, reality and, frankly your grasp on anything other than your own cock; you’ll blame it on Karen, Janrae, Nail, Brian Keene, Poppy Z Brite, James Grant, me, your mother, or whoever else springs to mind. If anyone ruins your sales, Nick, it’s you.
Half that sentence vanished last time. Bleh.
All you’re going to do Koehler is fuel a feud that is going to last longer than the feud with Purfield. If you try to ruin me anywhere koehler you will be destroyed in print, and I will try to make a few bux off of it. That was not a lie — I was just talking shit. The way you responded I was trying to bait you into a one on one confrontation instead of a mob rule.
I don’t like being ganged up on. I will leave you alone on the blogs and all the posts stay. I am proving how shitty you can be to people also especially to another in the community who writes, and not the same as what you do. So don’t put me in with your work.
You leave my long time friends alone too. I know the reasons you added them to get the dirt about me — that’s unprofessional on your part Karen. You want to be professional with me — start today. Otherwise I will play a dirtier journalism game. The only way that can burn your ass with with dirty journalism.
Keene lies about me on a regular fucking basis and you believe his shit as it was truth. Don’t play Keene’s game, and you’re doing just that — and that makes you worst than Keene is. You play Keene’s game, I don’t like Keene and I don’t like Sangiovanni. So yeah I came up with the joke about her that really burns her ass about it. It’s because she did try to railroad every publication I did from the beginning and that is the reason why I am faster to trash her and Keene.
I am not apologizing for it, just giving you assholes a taste of your own medicine. Believe me you don’t like it when I play your game because I will play it dirtier.
Karen, I want you to say on your blog that you will not ruin Pacione’s career. All of your blogs. I want you to say that you will not ruin sales of books that sold to a publisher. Fair enough?
Nickolaus, why couldn’t you stop and answer the questions?
Nick, you operate under the delusion that your veiled threats, amateurish intimidation tactics and half-arsed attempts at manipulating us are likely to succeed.
You are mistaken.
Go on. Do your worst. And much good may it do you.
I am not answering you nail.
“If you try to ruin me anywhere koehler you will be destroyed in print,”
I have not tried to ruin you anywhere; I never told anybody anything that was not absolute truth as you spewed your venom at me. THEY determined the truth based on what you have said about me. You have ruined yourself.
“That was not a lie — I was just talking shit.”
No, it was all lies. And you WERE talking shit. Congrats on recognizing that.
“I will leave you alone on the blogs and all the posts stay.”
Thank you. You continue to leave me alone, I forget all about you and you carry on.
“So don’t put me in with your work.”
I have never written about you in my work. Ever. And I never will. As for games, I play NO ONE’S games, including yours. I form my own opinions based on what I understand to be truth and what I observe. You play fair, and I will play fair.
You are welcomed to write “dirty journalism” on me, if you want. But if you do, remember what you are writing is all fiction. You know NOTHING about me, and you should be happy about that.
Now, you stay in your corner and I’ll stay in mine. And keep in mind that I have fans everywhere online and off and in every walk of life, both in the mainstream and the underground. If you break the truce, I will know about it.
“Karen, I want you to say on your blog that you will not ruin Pacione’s career. All of your blogs. I want you to say that you will not ruin sales of books that sold to a publisher. Fair enough?”
No. I have told you here that I never ruined sales. You ruined sales. You will not tell me what to do. You will agree to leave me alone and I will leave you alone. That is the truce and nothing else. Do you agree or don’t you? Answer yes or no.
Here’s the cool part: I’m beyond reproach. He’s not answering me.
I feel like I’m watching a re-run of a very old show.
Feh.
Guy’s a putz.
NEXT!
Later!
–Coop
I already answered it Koehler. No need for a Mexican Stand Off about it.
Cooper fuck off.
“I don’t like being ganged up on.”
you sure nick? I thought I saw a picture of you surrounded by several men with large penises.
Now, I tried, many times, to reason with you. I defended you for a while when Macy was. You went after me. Since then I’ve pretty much started ignoring you and the lies you spread about me and other people you don’t like. So shut up and go away.
You are the weakest link, goodbye.
I saw on your blog. Thank you.
haha, NP why do you make it seem like anyone cares for this shit beyond the small sector? Really, you think you can drum up intrest with the Sun-Times or the Tribune?
also, Karen can hex me anytime she wants
Geoff, I understand why you call him a putz, but come on–explain why for everyone else.
Nick, do you think I should send these Chicago-based newspapers the racist emails you wrote? You see, you don’t have a leg to stand on. You can’t prove people have stolen your work and diminished your sale potential. We, however, can prove every single accusation we have hurled at you. People all over this fight have screenshots, emails, PM’s, etc. etc. all signed by you. So what will these newspapers think when they are inundated with letters and emails showing that the guy who just sent them a note talking about how mean the horror industry is to him is nothing more than an angry, racist homosexual discriminator? Can’t imagine them being too sympathetic. Once again, you have to start thinking things completely through before acting.
“No need for a Mexican Stand Off about it.”
Don’t you mean “Wetback Stand Off” Nick?
Shadowtron you’re hellbent aren’t you to fucking bury me. I will bury you when this book comes out. He didn’t mention you in that truce, fucking pussy. Show your real face bitch.
“also, Karen can hex me anytime she wants”
Unfortunately, FB, I’m a white witch. We aren’t allowed.
Or did you mean love potion? *grin*
I have my photo posted as my WordPress avatar. Open your eyes.
I practice a variation of Santeria. I suppose that makes me a black witch according to some definitions.
“I practice a variation of Santeria.”
No, there is white and black Santeria, just like there is both white and black craft. It all depends on the heart of the witch.
I was taught by my grandmother and great grandmother that hexes when used in self defense were acceptable.
Why does he have problems with Wiccans and people who have Hispanic-sounding last names? It’s insane.
I usually say ‘variation’ because they added in a dash of theosophy and obscure granny practices.
Never mind about the avatar. WordPress is giving me all kinds of fits on this machine. I am now usuing it over at TODP. Nick, feel free to stop into the page 62 of the Pacione discussion for a glimpse of the real Shadowtron.
“Unfortunately, FB, I’m a white witch. We aren’t allowed.
Or did you mean love potion? *grin*”
Ah, I was hoping you might be a real vampire so you could maybe turn me 🙂
http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:foKh2XBm5KtKlM:http://www.alibi.com/alibi_pix
My real photo is in the link above, Nick.
“I was taught by my grandmother and great grandmother that hexes when used in self defense were acceptable.”
No, never. At least, that’s how I learned, which is an Eastern variation of common Wicca. You never ever hex. Actually, the person wishing you ill-will is the one inadvertently hexed by their very intentions.
“Ah, I was hoping you might be a real vampire so you could maybe turn me :)”
The high priestess in my local area won’t have anything to do with me. She thinks I have a vampire in my genealogy. LOL
haha
cussedness is a dirty, kinky mare
there, said it
now let go of my arm!
Oh wait, got to be Brit apparently
Gor Blimey! Strike a light!
I see no ships.
Get in! Have it!
Alright my love.
Com an ave a go if yer fink yer ard enuff!
Think on.
Can I go now? Phew
Hey! You have a problem with Wiccans, Mr. Pacione? Why?
… well, there was this one time when his crops failed…
there’s an old medieval legend that witches steal men’s balls and keep them in a box where they crawl around and moan.
I want to know which witch collected Nicky’s balls.
shadowtron, now nick is gonna lust after you.
Why do I call him a putz? Let’s count a few ways…
His largest talent is to serve as a bad example. He can’t write, can’t edit, can’t spell, and can’t sell. He claims to have had high-profile individuals railroad his “career” when he’s done so himself through his random frothings of vitriol. He constantly spews paranoia of “book burnings,” “E-piracy,” and “libel,” with no proof other than suspicion. For these alleged acts, he blames other authors, message boards as a whole, people’s blogs, minority groups, women, liberals, gays… ad nauseum. His selection of targets irks me: the age-old tradition of finding a scapegoat on which to blame your failings I find distasteful to the extreme.
His hysterical antics increase when he has a new project coming out, in a pathetic display of attention-grabbing –it appears as though he’s taken the maxim “There’s no such thing as bad press,” to heart. It’s become more than his MO–it’s his apparent raison d’etre. He tries SO goddamned hard to be the bad motherfucker of the horror genre–it’s laughable… especially to me.
I’d tell him: “Get a new marketing technique, kid–I invented the one you’re playing at, and this mick ain’t buying it for a nanosecond,” if I were to deign to acknowledge him other than in the periphery of my vision. Which I don’t, because I’ve scraped things out of ditches that’re worth more to my life.
From where I’m sitting, Pacione is nothing more than a minor distraction–an amusing little train-wreck with delusions of grandeur and an inflated sense of his stature in this business, his influence, and his work’s worth. He can continue to play whatever little charade he likes–but all the acknowledgment he gets from me is a single-syllable summation of his so-called career: “putz,” and a dismissal: NEXT.
Later!
–Coop
Answer question #8, Nickolaus. Explain the difference between editing, proofreading, and reformatting.
Nick, I’d suggest reading Geoff Cooper’s reply closely. It’ll do you good. When called upon to show his chops, he did so with no small amount of panache. More to the point, even though he replied at length his line of reasoning was quite clear and uncluttered, which is more than can be said for anything that’s ever issued from your sticky keyboard. You could learn a lot from him, assuming for the moment you’re capable of learning.
Mr. Cooper, you have hit the nail. I need an ice pack, and some aspirin.
I answered all the questions above Rusty nail — they’re not numbered but they are answered. Inquisition is done and your witch hunt is over.
Cooper — you’re nothing but a faggot.
nick, we all know you call people fag hoping that they really are. its your way of fidning out whose willing to fuck you in the ass.
The Goths dont want him, and the metalheads don’t want him. Where does he fit??
<sarcasm>
Wow, Nick. You’re sure holding your end up in this little contest. Egos being ripped to shreds left, right and centre, and no mistake. Dear God, please let me escape his notice. I doubt I could withstand the full force of his wit. I sincerely hope the odour of me cacking my pants in fear goes unnoticed. Let all writers who fancy that they have a way with words take heed: here is your equal and better, a veritable colossus among men.</sarcasm>
*laughing*
Inquisition? Witch hunt?
If memory serves me right … then he INVITED people to interview him.
He did, Sabledrake.
I bet that the so-called new “treaty” means that I’m still fair game to Nicky, just like the last time we tried making peace with him. In that case, he only lasted a few days before he started attacking people again.
Hey, I once offered to lay off of him for good if he disclosed the damaging information about me that he claims he got from a cousin who I allegedly went to school with. Nickolaus refused to accept my terms, which told me that he’s been lying about this for the past four years.
Coop’s a fag?
Hey, Geoff! Wanna go camping?
Rusty Nail aka Jane Beresford, it would be in your best interest not to continue this blog and cease from chasing me around from blog to blog and forum to forum. Because it’s making you look like a professional fucktard. So with that I am going back to writing that book and you fucking losers are wasting my time.
I hate to break it to you, Nick, but you’re wrong again.
nick, is it not not true that you have sex with hobos?
I thought one of the, ah, ‘models’ on http://www.hobosexual.com looked familiar.
Nick is hobophobic. Every time he sees reruns of the Red Skelton show, he runs screaming and locks himself in the water closet.
thanks phil, it suddenly all makes sense now. nick is just practicing for his gig as an uneducated hobo model.