Matthew R Taylor

Hello, my name is Matthew R. Taylor, and I am an author of horror fiction and dark poetry. When I’m not obsessing over what book I’m working on next, I am writing weekly newsletters for my Substack, Blood Soaked and Blind, where I also feature short stories, poems, and articles from time to time. When I am not doing all of that, I’m usually drinking lots of coffee and reading or listening to music. I have a genetic eye disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa, RP for short, and I am almost completely blind. Despite that, I never let it stop me from doing things. I write books, enjoy music and reading, go fishing, cook, bake, and enjoy my life.

I have been married to my amazing wife for 22 years. We have 4 children, 2 grandchildren, and a third one on the way this August. We live in the United States, Iowa to be specific, and are always enjoying the wonderful seasons here. Enjoying might have been a strong word to use there. When I’m not writing or reading, I’m enjoying time with my wife and kids, our grandchildren, and our 2 dogs. And of course coffee, lots and lots of coffee! And books, lots and lots of books!

What country do you live in?

The United States

What does your ideal writing set up look like?

Well, that would be my office. I have my own office on the second floor of our house. It’s a bedroom that our kids used to use, but upon them moving out, my wife and I converted it to my office. It has all of my favorite things in there. Over 100 books on the shelves, at last count I believe 55 or so different coffee cups, vinyl records, and other various things decorate the space. In fact, one wall has a Pennywise mask hanging on it, and another a mini pitchfork. Most of the decorations are geared towards horror or writing. There's also a very comfortable recliner in there, which is where I usually sit when I'm writing, and also a very comfortable loveseat, usually the spot I'm sitting in when I'm enjoying music or just lounging and reading. My office is my favorite space to be creative in. It’s actually my favorite space to sit and relax in as well. Sometimes sitting and listening to an audiobook, and other times just relaxing and listening to music. It has become my "sanctuary" so to speak. The space in the house where creativity lives, and is born.

Do you plot or wing-it when it comes to planning out your books?

Honestly, I just wing it. I’ll have an idea written down in a notes document, and I’ll think on it for a bit. Then, I’ll sit down with that idea and just start writing and see what happens next. I have little notes here and there of different things I want to include in a book, but generally I just start writing the first chapter and let the story go from there. Everything emerges out of that first chapter. My characters come to life, and they start whispering their secrets to me. I’ve tried outlining in the past, but it just doesn’t work well for me. I need the creativity to be where I just sit and let the characters tell me where the story is going next. Otherwise it just seems too mechanical and flat. There’s no life in it.

What is the hardest part of writing for you & how do you combat that?

Seeing other authors’ success and not letting it make me feel like a failure. I’ve worked hard over the years to try to combat that by not letting it get to me and just continuing to write. That’s easier said than done though. Sometimes it’s hard when you see an author you follow talking about thousands of book sales or signing a big contract, and not letting that bother you. I try to just focus on my own writing, doing the best job I can, and understanding that success to me is finishing a book. I’m currently writing my 10th book. Although some days it’s a struggle when you’re not getting sales or traffic, I keep going. I keep writing, I keep telling those stories, I keep doing the work.

Other than “Don’t give up/keep going”, what piece of advice would you tell yourself when you were first starting out?

Just write. Don’t let self-doubt get in the way. Just sit down and write. That’s what I love. The act of getting the words down on the page. Social media, book sales, marketing, and all of the other stuff aside, doing the actual work is what I love. So I would tell myself to stop procrastinating, stop hesitating, and stop doubting yourself, and just do the work. Get the words down on the page. Focus on just doing that. You’ll figure everything else out later.

Who is publishing your upcoming book(s) and how did you know they were the right fit for your story?

I am publishing my newest book on my own, like my last several. I went out on my own as an independent author in 2023. It’s a lot of work, but definitely worth it, I think. I publish my books on Amazon and work to market them myself.

How long did it take you to get your first publishing deal?

I signed my first book contract with a small press out of Ohio in 2019, and my first book came out in early 2020. I was writing a lot of poetry back then, and they were interested in doing a poetry collection with me. Actually, they found me on Twitter. I was with them for 3 years, then in early 2023 we decided to part ways and I took the rights back to my book. It was an OK experience, and I definitely learned a lot from it as well.

Why did you choose the self-publishing route & what has that looked like for you?

There were lots of problems with my first book I was under contract for. Editing issues, marketing issues, and various other things like that. I never felt like I was actually listened to as an author. With all of that in mind, and the dissolution of that contract in early 2023, I decided that I would go out on my own as an independent author and see how it went. It’s actually gone pretty well. My wife is the visual side of things, cover creation and book formatting and other things like that since I am blind, and I am the writer of everything from when you open the cover of the book, to the text on the back cover of the book. Together I think we make a pretty damn good team. It’s also nice to have control over the rights to the book, full royalties coming in from each sale, and the ability to write the kind of stuff I write and not be told no.

Recent / Upcoming release(s) & where we can get a copy:

My newest book, One Was Never Enough: The Truth About My Addiction, will be releasing on August 23rd, 2026, and will be available in paperback and e-book on Amazon. This book is completely different from anything I’ve written before. It’s actually non-fiction, and is a deep look into my 26-year battle with alcohol addiction. I share lots of stories from my past, thoughts on my sobriety, and everything in between in that book. It also has resources and tools for anybody who is battling with an alcohol addiction and wants help to get sober. It was a tough book to write, but one I am very proud of, and hope it will help someone out there with their own addiction.

Otherwise, you can grab yourself a copy of any one of my books: Dark, Paper Nightmare, Dead Echoes and Silent Screams, and One Tree in Hell; A Poetry Collection, all available on Amazon in e-book and paperback, and a couple available in hardcover.

What is your next big author goal moving forward?

To start writing my first horror trilogy, I’ve had this 3-book series sitting in my brain for a couple of years now, and I think it’s finally time to start it. Actually, I have the first couple of chapters of the first book in the series written; now I just need to sit down and get working on it. It’s a big undertaking, writing all 3 books connected in one world and following my main character through it all, but I definitely think it’s going to be a really awesome series, and something I will be super proud of when it’s finally done.

What other authors would you recommend?

I read a lot, but some authors I would definitely recommend everyone check out would be: Brian Keene, Clay McLeod Chapman, Stephen Graham Jones, C.J. Leede, Michael David Wilson, Paul Tremblay, Rachel Harrison, Liz Kerin, Grady Hendrix, Jonathan Janz, Ania Ahlborn, Josh Malerman, Stephen King, and Dean Koontz. There are many more I could name, but you would be here all day reading the list of them. Basically, read books you love. I’m always finding new authors to enjoy, but also enjoying great books from authors I love. At the end of the day, just enjoy what you read, and read a lot. And maybe read some horror fiction if you haven’t yet. You can never go wrong with some great horror fiction!