The Birth of an Idea

One dreary morning in February of 2009, I slowly shuffled over to the computer. Still groggy, I signed into my twitter account online and typed the following statement:

"Coffee...*stumble*...coooffee...*stumble*...braiiins...hm? *shakes head* COFFEE…"

I found myself starting the day addressing the same question: Brains or Coffee? What's a ghoul to do? Can coffee really help me resist the urge for brains as I wake in a zombified state?

I began posting the pros and cons of each side, examining subjects such as ease of use, storage, and disposal. At first, it was simply for my own entertainment. Slowly, others showed interest in the subject, providing feedback and even their own points for each side.

Before I knew it, I'd written 100 entries. What better way to celebrate than to publish them in a book?

Creating the Book

I scoured the Internet, reading self-publishing websites, trying to understand the world of publishing on demand. Once I'd weighed my options, it made the most sense to do it myself. Well, it made the most financial sense.

I quickly realized I didn't have the faintest idea what I was doing. What's a trim, or a bleed? How on earth do you figure out the size of the spine? What's the difference between the types of bindings? What the heck is dpi? Undeterred, I started learning. And fast.

I need to give credit to all the self-published authors that came before me. I thought writing a book for the first time was a challenge. Designing the cover and interior graphics, and plotting the layout for each page is far more difficult and stressful (at least for a novice). You can write a beautiful sentiment, but if it isn't displayed and packaged properly, who will read it?

The pressure was on. I wanted to make sure the book was ready for my first appearance at Rue Morgue's Festival of Fear, the horror convention component of the 2009 FanExpo that takes place in Toronto. I needed to stop worrying and obsessing, and hand over the book.

After several weeks of consuming copious amounts of brains...er...coffee, countless hours of hair pulling and one small breakdown, I submitted my book to the printers with a small run of 50 for the first edition.

To my delight (and surprise), I sold all 50 copies within 3 weeks of receiving them.

If things go well, there will be a second edition printed. Perhaps there will be changes and improvements. More illustrations. But I will always have a soft spot for this first edition.

The Ghoul Behind the Book

My name is Ghoul Friday. Growing up creepy in Canada, I could never find enough resources for horror or Halloween. It was also next to impossible to find content that was written by Canadians. I continued my search but decided in the meantime I would create my own website called My Ghoul Friday.

The site celebrates Halloween artists and enthusiasts. There are prop how-to instructions, pictures of my art, party ideas and my blog (mutterings of a mad woman) that highlights deliciously dark discoveries.

Over the years, many more ghoulish Canadians have let their presence be known online. The scene is forever growing, and I'm grateful for the community of haunters and Halloweeners who share in my appreciation of the macabre.

For more ramblings, follow me on Twitter.

Thanks

Thanks to everyone who supported the idea of putting this book together.

Thanks to Josh Austin and Karl Mooney for use of their coffee and brain stock images on the front cover. I hope my incarnations of the original versions don't make you want to hide from taking credit.

Thanks to Chad Savage for making his signature fonts available for all to use.

Thanks to all those I've met - in person and online - who have the same sort of twisted humour as I have.