{"id":11133,"date":"2023-07-07T07:23:32","date_gmt":"2023-07-07T14:23:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/?p=11133"},"modified":"2023-07-07T07:25:51","modified_gmt":"2023-07-07T14:25:51","slug":"35-magazines-and-anthologies-seeking-horror-fiction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/uncategorized\/35-magazines-and-anthologies-seeking-horror-fiction\/","title":{"rendered":"35 Magazines and Anthologies Paying for Horror Fiction"},"content":{"rendered":"

These are magazines, anthologies, and podcasts accepting horror fiction submissions. A few also accept other genres, like fantasy and science fiction, or poetry and non-fiction. Not all of them are open for submissions now, but many are. Some calls are themed. They are listed in no particular order. – S. Kalekar
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n


\n<\/strong>Infinite Horrors<\/strong>
\nInfinite Horrors<\/a> is a print publication, a spinoff of the science fiction magazine, Infinite Worlds. For Infinite Horror, they want horror stories of 1,500-5,000 words. They pay $0.08\/word. They also publish comics. Details here<\/a>.
\n
\nDiabolical Plots<\/strong>
\nThis award-winning magazine publishes science fiction, fantasy, and horror (everything must have a speculative element, even horror). They also accept translations. They accept work up to 3,500 words, and pay $0.10\/word. Their submission period is 17-31 July 2023. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

ergot.<\/strong>
\n\u201cergot. is a literary website interested in furthering the innovative and experimental tradition in horror.\u201d They want fiction and hybrid work up to 10,000 words (including excerpts and work in translation) \u201cthat push out the boundary of what literary horror is and what it might become.\u201d Pay is $25. Details here<\/a>.
\n
\n<\/strong>34 Orchard<\/strong>
\nThey accept fiction (1,000-5,000 words) and poetry; they are reading for their Autumn issue during the first half of July. \u201cAt 34 Orchard, we like dark, intense pieces that speak to a deeper truth. We\u2019re not genre-specific; we just like scary, disturbing, unsettling, and sad.\u201d Pay is $50. The deadline is 15 July 2023. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n


\n<\/strong>Spectrum: A Queer Neurodivergent Horror Anthology
\n<\/strong>They want horror prose related to neurodivergency of any sub-genre, genre chimera, or trope. Submissions are open for all writers, though they encourage #ownvoices stories from marginalized communities. \u201cDeep in the recesses of our minds are twisted realities that closely mirror our own. In these pages our nightmares are laid bare, made to manifest. There is no waking up, there is no going back once you fall into the tapestry of terrors that await.\u201d Pay is $0.10\/word for stories up to 4,000 words. The deadline is 25 August 2023. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Book Worms: Halloween<\/strong>
\nThis is a mail-order only horror zine. They want horror fiction and nonfiction on the Halloween theme. Pay is $0.08\/word for works up to 1,500 words. Please note, submissions have to be mailed. The deadline is 15 September 2023. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Apparition Lit: Reclamation<\/strong>
\nApparition Lit is a quarterly speculative fiction (1,000-5,000 words) and poetry magazine. \u201cSpeculative fiction is weird, almost unclassifiable. It\u2019s fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and literary.\u201d They will be reading submissions on the \u2018Reclamation\u2019 theme during the last two weeks in August 2023 (August 15-31st<\/sup>) by all writers; also see the note about their equity initiative in the guidelines here<\/a> (scroll down) \u2013 \u201cOur submission window will remain open for an additional week each quarter for writers who identify as BIPOC and self-identify in their cover letter.
\nWe will also accept simultaneous submissions from writers who identify as BIPOC or LGBTQIA+. Please just note how you identify in your cover letter, that it is a simultaneous submission.\u201d Pay is\u00a0 $0.05\/word for fiction, and $50\/poem. Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.
\n(They also publish flash fiction online on monthly prompts, during the first fortnight of every month.)<\/p>\n

The Dark<\/strong>
\nThis magazine publishes horror and dark fantasy stories. \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid to experiment or to deviate from the ordinary; be different\u2014try us with fiction that may fall out of \u201cregular\u201d categories. However, it is also important to understand that despite the name, The Dark is not a market for graphic, violent horror.\u201d Pay is $0.05\/word for stories of 2,000-5,000 words. They also accept reprints. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Aphotic Realm Press: Sonoran Horror
\n<\/strong>They want dark, sinister, or eerie stories for this anthology, presumably named after the Sonoran Desert. The editor says, \u201cTerrors that dwell in the spooky, haunted forest is a well-known horror trope and for good reasons\u2014many of the most memorable stories take place in that setting. Although I do enjoy those stories, I\u2019ve never related to them. Born, raised, and still residing in Phoenix, Arizona, I don\u2019t make it out to the woods very often. I\u2019m not looking for westerns\u2014historical, spatter, or the like. I want horror that showcases the sunbeaten land and the creatures and mysteries that dwell there. That doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t submit something historical but try to stay clear of the Western tropes. Think Gila monsters, scorpions, snakes, coyotes, and javelina. The abandoned copper mines. Indigenous folklore. The unbearable heat and the beautiful yet dangerous flora. The unsettling extraterrestrial activity and vicious monsoons\u2026\u201d. They pay is $0.01\/word for stories of 1,000-5,000 words, and the deadline is 15 July 2023. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The NoSleep Podcast<\/strong>
\nThis is a horror fiction podcast. They have detailed guidelines, including, \u201cHorror is a diverse genre, and this is open to interpretation, but the main focus of a story should be to scare or unsettle. Stories should be written in the first-person perspective. While there are occasional exceptions to this rule, first-person tends to work by far the best for the show. \u2026 Provide good audio cues. \u2026 Make good use of dialogue. Stories with only one narrator can work but we prefer 2+ characters interacting.\u201d For stories between 1200 and 2499 words, they pay $100. For stories of 2,500 words or over, they pay $125. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Seize the Press Magazine<\/strong>
\nThey accept fiction submissions and non-fiction pitches. \u201cSeize The Press Magazine is an anticapitalist publication looking to publish dark speculative fiction. Bleak sci-fi, dark fantasy, horror and all kinds of weird, messy, genre-defying stories that defy labels. We\u2019re looking for stories that aren\u2019t didactic or moralistic. We want stories where everything isn\u2019t wrapped up neatly at the end. We want to promote a diverse range of voices from authors who write messy characters, so give us your problematic queers and your angry women\u2014we want your difficult and morally questionable characters in unpleasant situations who don\u2019t slide neatly into a narrow definition of positive representation and don\u2019t fit the model minority mould.\u201d They pay 3 pence (GBP) per word for stories up to 5,000 words. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Flash Frog<\/strong>
\nThey want flash fiction of up to 1,000 words that is \u201cSmall. Brightly Colored. Deadly to the Touch.\u201d They accept general submissions year-round, with some exceptions; they accept ghost story submissions during July. \u201cFlash Frog is currently only open for Flash Frogtober submissions until July 31st. This means we want your ghost stories! Send us your traditional ghost stories, the ones that haunt and scare. Send us your unconventional ghost stories, the ones that make us rethink what a ghost story can be. We are open to your interpretation, so surprise us!\u201d The deadline is 31 July 2023 for ghost story submissions, and they pay $25. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Spindle House: The Deeps<\/strong>
\nThis is a new print and digital magazine and they\u2019re reading work for their second issue. Their tagline is, \u2018dark tales for dark nights\u2019. You can read more about them and their preferences\/influences here<\/a> and here<\/a>. \u201cIn the stories we publish, The Deeps may refer to remote forests, dark cellars, cursed wells, frozen wastelands, uncharted caverns, foreign dimensions, or even the vacuum of space itself\u2014and yes, also the depths of the sea.\u201d They want \u201cfiction (500-6,000 words) and narrative poetry (up to 240 lines) that are horror and horror-adjacent, and particularly well-suited for traditional storytelling. (Imagine these stories\/poems being read aloud on a dark night or around a fire.) We have a special interest in submissions that fit into the following subgenres: gothic horror, folk horror, cosmic horror, psychological horror, and urban legend.\u201d Pay is $0.01\/word, and the deadline is 15 July 2023. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Off-Season: An Anthology of Coastal New Weird
\n<\/strong>They will open for submissions at the end of this month, and the first week of submission is only for marginalized voices. They want \u201cdisquieting and disturbing New Weird horror set in landscapes and communities on the edge of the sea. These coastal stories defamiliarize the ordinary, evoke dread even in the daylight, and haunt like half-remembered nightmares. Think ocean-loving cults, crumbling seaside mansions, empty resort towns, strange fisherwomen, beachside arcades, eerie lighthouses, literal tourist traps, jellyfish swarms, red tides, oil spills, intertidal zones, salt marshes, gaudy luxury hotels reclaimed by sea,\u201d and more. Also, \u201cNew Weird is a subgenre of horror-fantasy that slides along the margins of other speculative fiction genres, subverts old tropes and conventions, and\/or plays with form, style, and ideas.\u201d Pay is\u00a0 $0.05\/word for stories of 2,000-4,000 words. The submission period is July 31-August 6 for marginalized voices only (see guidelines); and August 7-August 28, 2023 for all submitters. Work sent outside the submission period will be deleted unread. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Exploding Head Fiction: The Nightmare Never Ends \u2013 A Something Bad Happened Anthology<\/strong>
\nThey want fiction containing elements of horror centered on nightmares and\/or dreams. \u201cStuck inside a dreamworld, stuck inside your head, terrors unfold. We are looking for stories that blend dreamscapes into reality, stories where nightmares come alive, where fears take shape, and we can no longer tell what\u2019s real and what\u2019s not.\u201d Pay is $25 for stories of 2,000-5,000 words, and the deadline is 15 July 2023. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n


\nMysterion <\/strong>
\nThey want science fiction, fantasy and horror stories (up to 9,000 words) that engage meaningfully with Christian themes, characters or cosmology. The stories need not teach a moral, or be close to an approved theological position, or be pro-Christian. They are especially interested in stories that show Christians from cultures beyond those of the United States, Canada, and Western Europe. They also accept translations and reprints. They have two annual reading periods for fiction, January and July. Art is accepted through the year. They pay $0.08\/word. The deadline is 1 August 2023. Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Cosmic Horror Monthly<\/strong>
\nThey have two reading periods, 1-7 January and 1-7 July. They publish cosmic horror, Lovecraftian, and weird fiction, as well as associated nonfiction. Pay is $0.03\/word up to 5,000 words. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Written Backwards: Qualia Nous, Vol. 2 Anthology<\/strong>
\nThey want dark science fiction and all blended sub-genres of science fiction (horror, fantasy, etc.) stories and poems. \u201cWhat does the title mean? It\u2019s up to interpretation. Qualia: instances of subjective, conscious experience; the internal and subjective component of sense perceptions arising from stimulation of the senses by phenomena; the way it feels to have mental states. Nous: intellections; awareness; perception; understanding; reason; thought; intuition; the faculty of the human mind; having the ability to understand what is true or real; practical intelligence.
\nWhile not many like the term \u201cliterary,\u201d that is what this anthology is looking for: groundbreaking work that break normal conventions and will stand the test of time, propelling emerging and undiscovered writers into the mainstream.\u201d They want stories of up to 10,000 words. They pay $0.10\/word capped at 3,000 words for short fiction ($300), 5,000 words for long fiction ($500 for novelettes between 7,500 \u2013 10,000 words); $50 for short poems, or $100 for long poems. The deadline is 31 July 2023. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Creepy Podcast<\/strong>
\nThis is a podcast \u201cdedicated to creepypastas and scary stories from around the internet.\u201d They\u2019re currently looking for stories that female and gender-neutral narrators can read, and are also looking for stories read by male narrators, of 1,000-5,000 words. They also want single-narrator stories of up to 3,000 words. They have detailed guidelines, including, \u201cIf you\u2019re submitting a story for a special event or holiday like Christmas, Easter, etc. Or for our 31 Days of Horror, (or a story for one of their special calls) please let us know in the subject line of the email.\u201d Pay is $0.02\/word up to $70 for stories of 1,000-3,000 words, and $100 for Sunday Narration stories of 3,500-7,500 words. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Hungry Shadow Press: It Was All A Dream – An Anthology of Bad Horror Tropes Done Right
\n<\/strong>They are looking for short horror, weird, dark fiction; they want writers to \u201ctake your least favorite horror trope and make it work.\u201d Their guidelines say, \u201cTake a trope that\u2019s well-worn, overused, predictable, tough to swallow, and scare the hell out of us with it. Turn it on its head, or make it bizarre enough to still surprise. Really take some time to understand why your chosen trope often fails and how you can make it into a successful (read: scary, surprising, weird, shocking, heartwrenching, maybe even funny) horror story.\u201d They are open to all writers till 15th<\/sup> July, and have an extended submission window exclusively for LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and marginalized writers July 16 – July 22, 2023. They want stories of 1,500-3,000 words, and pay $0.05\/word. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Dread Imaginings<\/strong>
\nThis is a fiction magazine. \u201cWe want quiet horror at Dread Imaginings. No slashers, no zombies, no vampires, no werewolves (though transformation tales interest us). Also, no ghost stories.\u201d Pay is $0.01\/word for stories of 1,500-4,000 words. They will open for submissions sometime in 2023. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Imaginary Comma: Thirteen Podcast
\n<\/strong>\u201cWe are an audio-drama\/audio fiction podcast specializing in feature length (~ one hour) productions that are characterized by slow-burn, atmospheric stories, horror and ghost stories.\u201d And, \u201cOur audience comes to us for slow burn, atmospheric, character driven stories. They want to know the characters and see them grow and change just as much as they want a good scare. Stories that aren’t character driven won’t be a good fit. Submissions of 5,000 words or more are most likely to be selected for wide release. Shorter submissions may be selected for special double feature episodes or episodes exclusive to Patreon supporters and other financial supporters of Imaginary Comma. \u2026 Stories with a first person central narrator and supporting characters work best for our format.\u201d Pay is $50. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Weird Horror Magazine<\/strong>
\nThey will open for submissions during September. \u201cWe are seeking horror and weird fiction\u2026\u00a0 We are a home for the strange, the macabre, the eerie, the esoteric, the fabulist, and the gothic. The darkly numinous. The odd.\u00a0 We are not interested in extreme horror. Do not send science fiction or fantasy.\u201d Pay is 1.5c\/word for stories of 500-6,000 words. Their submission period is 2-16 September 2023. Their submission portal will open during the reading period. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

TTA Press: Black Static<\/strong>
\nBlack Static is a well-regarded British magazine of horror. Pay is unspecified. Watch for their next submission period. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Curious Blue Press:<\/strong> December Tales II<\/strong>
\nFor this anthology, \u201cStories need not take place in December, but all stories must be ghost stories\u2014no supernatural explained. (With apologies to Ann Radcliffe.) Fiction only.\u201d Pay is $25 for stories of 2,000-3,500 words and the deadline is 15 July 2023.\u00a0 Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Nightmare Magazine
\n<\/strong>This is an award-winning magazine of horror and dark fantasy; you can read more about them here<\/a>. \u201cWe feature works spanning the broad spectrum of dark fiction, with an emphasis on fascinating characters and delicious prose. Our motto? Horror is for everyone!\u201d Watch for their next submission period, which will be in 2024. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Cirsova<\/strong>
\nTheir tagline is, \u2018Magazine of Thrilling Adventure and Daring Suspense\u2019. They have detailed guidelines about the kind of stories they want; apart from Weird Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror, some of the sub-genres are Monstergirls, Raygun Romance, Radium Adventures, Sword & Planet, Space Cops, Lost World, Pre-Historic\/Antiquity, Occult Detective\/Mystery, Mad Science, and Picaresque Adventure. Send stories of 2,000-7,500 words (can take longer \u2013 see guidelines). Pay is $0.0125 (one and a quarter cents) per word. The submission period is 1st<\/sup> \u2013 7th<\/sup> August 2023. Please send your work only during the submission period. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Anterior Skies
\n<\/strong>This is an annual anthology of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. They will publish \u201ccosmic and weird stories, ranging from fantasy (preferably low fantasy, but high fantasy will be considered) to sci-fi to noir, as long as there\u2019s a dab of horror somewhere in there.\u201d Pay is $0.01\/word, up to $50. They are scheduled to reopen for submissions during 1st<\/sup> December 2023. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Dark Void Magazine<\/strong>
\nThey want horror fiction that takes place off planet earth. Pay is $0.01\/word for stories of 2,000-4,000 words. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ill-Adviced Records: The Dark Door<\/strong>
\n\u201cThe Dark Door takes inspiration from 70s and 80s pulp horror fiction zines, and breathes new life into the format.\u201d They publish fiction, illustrations, and dark music. For fiction, pay is $15 for under 500 words, $25 for 500 to 10,00 words, and $50 for 1,000+ words (pay rates on the submission form). They accept submissions on an ongoing basis. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Three-Lobed Burning Eye<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>This is a magazine of speculative fiction (up to 7,500 words) \u2013 horror, fantasy, and science fiction. \u201cWe’re looking for short stories from across the big classifications and those shadowy places between: magical realism, fantastique, slipstream, interstitial, Weird fiction.\u201d They like voices that are \u201cfull of feeling, from literary to pulpy, with styles unique and flowing, but not too experimental.\u201d They do not want extreme horror. They welcome translations. Their issues include audio readings.\u00a0\u00a0Pay is $30 for flash fiction, and $100 for short fiction. Details\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Andromeda Spaceways<\/strong>
\nThis is an Australian science fiction and fantasy magazine. They publish fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. They accept up to 10,000 words for fiction (20,000 word limit for Australia and New Zealand authors, and for subscribers). Pay is AUD0.01\/word, up to AUD100 for short fiction, and AUD10 for poetry, flash fiction, and non-fiction. They plan to reopen fiction submissions on 1st<\/sup> September 2023. Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Tales to Terrify<\/strong>
\nThey want short horror, dark fantasy, and other disturbing fiction for their weekly podcast. \u201cWe encourage you to challenge the definition of horror. Standard tropes and monsters are welcome, but give us your own unique take. Avoid the cliche and expected, unless as devices used purposefully and cleverly to further your story.
\nDrag us deep into the unsettling atmosphere of a crumbling Gothic mansion. Show us the gritty, real-world horrors of evil people with dark intentions. Make our blood run cold and our breath catch in our throats as we\u2019re hunted by ravenous creatures. Unhinge our minds with reality-bending, psychological horrors. Make us feel the pain and sorrow of a long-suffering spirit.\u201d They pay $0.01\/word for short fiction (2,000-10,000 words), and have several open reading periods through the year for these; they do not pay for fiction under 2,000 words. They also accept reprints. Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Escape Artists: PseudoPod <\/strong>
\nPseudoPod publishes horror fiction of up to 6,000 words in audio and online formats. \u201cWe\u2019re looking for horror: dark, weird fiction. We run the spectrum from grim realism or crime drama, to magic-realism, to blatantly supernatural dark fantasy. We publish highly literary stories reminiscent of Poe or Lovecraft as well as vulgar shock-value pulp fiction. We don\u2019t split hairs about genre definitions, and we do not observe any taboos about what kind of content can appear in our stories. Originality demands that you\u2019re better off avoiding vampires, zombies, and other recognizable horror tropes unless you have put a very unique spin on them. What matters most is that the stories are dark and compelling.\u201d Until 31st<\/sup> July 2023, they are accepting reprints only, for their Anthologies and Collections<\/a> call \u2013 they want to purchase submissions of \u201creprints from anthologies and collections released at any point in 2023.\u201d (And during 11th<\/sup> to 21st<\/sup> August, they will be open for unthemed\/general original horror fiction submissions; see their schedule<\/a>. Do not send original fiction now.)They pay $20-100 for general reprints, and $0.08\/word for original stories. Details here<\/a> (guidelines for general submissions) and here<\/a> \u00a0(Submission portal and details of the reprint call).<\/p>\n

khoreo<\/strong>
\nThis award-winning magazine publishes work of immigrant and Diaspora writers and artists only, in the broadest sense of the term, and they will soon open for submissions. They want \u201cfantasy, sci-fi, horror, and any genre in between or around it, as long as there\u2019s a speculative element. We\u2019re especially interested in writing and art that explore some aspect of migration, whether explicitly (themes of immigration, colonialism, etc.), metaphorically, or with a sly nod and a wink.\u201d They also accept artwork. Pay is $0.08\/word for stories up to 5,000 words. They have changed their submission window, and will now be open during 15th<\/sup> July to 15th<\/sup> August 2023. Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

Bio:<\/strong>\u00a0S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

These are magazines, anthologies, and podcasts accepting horror fiction submissions. A few also accept other genres, like fantasy and science fiction, or poetry and non-fiction. Not all of them are open for submissions now, but many are. Some calls are themed. They are listed in no particular order. – S. Kalekar Infinite Horrors Infinite Horrors…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11133","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11133","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11133"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11133\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11137,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11133\/revisions\/11137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11133"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11133"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}