{"id":11466,"date":"2023-12-08T07:34:04","date_gmt":"2023-12-08T15:34:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/?p=11466"},"modified":"2023-12-08T07:34:20","modified_gmt":"2023-12-08T15:34:20","slug":"30-horror-magazines-and-anthologies-seeking-submissions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/uncategorized\/30-horror-magazines-and-anthologies-seeking-submissions\/","title":{"rendered":"30 Horror Magazines and Anthologies Paying for Short Stories"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

These magazines and anthologies are paying for horror fiction, from token to pro rates. Some also accept other genres. Some of the calls are themed. They are open now, or have said when they will open next for submissions. They are not listed in any particular order. – S. Kalekar<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nightmare Magazine
<\/strong>This is an award-winning magazine of horror and dark fantasy; you can read more about them here<\/a>. They publish fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. \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 Their website says, \u201cWe will be opening to all submission types in from January 14-20, 2024, with an extended submissions window for BIPOC-identifying writers running from January 21-27.\u201d They pay $0.08\/word for fiction\u00a0 up to 7,500 words. Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cosmic Horror Monthly<\/strong>
They publish horror and weird fiction, and related nonfiction. They pay $0.03\/word for stories up to 5,000 words, up to $150. They have two annual reading periods, 1st<\/sup> to 7th<\/sup> January, and 1st<\/sup> to 7th<\/sup> July. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moonstruck Books: Nightmare Diaries
<\/strong>Moonstruck Books is a publisher of \u201cspeculative fiction, science fiction, horror, fairy tales, gritty and gothic fiction, and experimental fiction.\u201d  They are also open for an anthology of dark fiction titled Nightmare Diaries. They want short stories, fairy tales, flash fiction, and novellas. Pay is $0.10 per word for stories of 500-10,000 words. The deadline is 27 December 2023. Details here<\/a> (scroll down).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dark<\/strong>
They publish horror and dark fantasy. They also accept reprints. Payment is $0.05\/word for original stories of 2,000-6,000 words. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Red Cape Publishing: A to Z of Horror<\/strong>
This is a themed anthology series; the theme open for December is W is for Witchcraft<\/strong>; they want stories of 4,000-8,000 words, pay is \u00a310 and the deadline is 31 December 2023, or until filled, details here<\/a> \u2013 scroll down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mysterion<\/strong>
They want science fiction, fantasy and horror stories 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 accept stories of up to 9,000 words, and pay $0.08\/word. They have two annual reading periods for fiction, January and July. Details here<\/a>.

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neon Hemlock Press: Baffling Magazine
<\/strong>This is a quarterly online magazine of flash fiction. \u201cWe are looking for speculative stories that explore science fiction, fantasy, and horror with a queer bent. We want queer stories and we want trans stories and we want aro\/ace stories. We want indefinable stories. We welcome weird, slipstream, and interstitial writing.\u201d They\u2019re reading unthemed, as well as Sex-themed submissions, until 15th<\/sup> December 2023. They pay $0.08\/word for stories up to 1,200 words. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eerie River Publishing<\/strong>
They want horror fiction themed around tarot cards; for the current reading period, they want submissions on the Wands theme. \u201cDoes the story have to be about Tarot Cards… NO. \u2026 We are looking for the theme to be the element, not necessarily the card itself, although we would love to read that as well.\u201d The deadline is 31 December 2023 (for non-members). Pay is CAD0.01\/word for stories of 1,500-7,000 words. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Infinite Horrors<\/strong>
Infinite Horrors<\/a> is a print publication, affiliated with 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>.

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apex Book Company: The Map of Lost Places<\/strong>
This is a horror fiction anthology. They want \u201cstories about places where weird things happen. Places that have strange histories, their own traditions and customs, their own dangers. These can be based off real folk tales or old wives tales – think the Mothman in Point Pleasant, WV – or ones that you come up with all on your own. But your story should tell of someone going to one of these places – either intentionally or they just stumble across it – and what happens when they encounter the frightening\/strange thing that is in or occurs in that location.\u201d Also, please note, \u201cIn order to avoid duplicates in the open submission call, locations already chosen by the featured authors are listed below. This list will be updated as the authors make their decisions, so be sure to check back!\u201d The Kickstarter for this project has been funded. Pay is $0.08\/word for stories up to 5,000 words. The deadline is 31 December 2023. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


<\/strong>Bards and Sages Quarterly<\/strong>
Their website says, \u201cThis is a quarterly journal of speculative fiction. We are interested in all of the speculative genres (horror, fantasy, science fiction, slipstream, steampunk, magical realism, etc) up to 20,000 words in length.\u201d They also accept reprints. Pay is $30-50 for original fiction. Details here<\/a>.

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Critical Blast Publishing: The Devil You Know Best
<\/strong>This is the third volume in their \u2018The Devil You Know\u2019 anthology series. For The Devil You Know Best, they want \u201cstories that involve an encounter with the literary\/mythological\/theological Devil himself in situations that range from comedy to tragedy, via horror, comedy, fantasy, or science fiction. All genres welcome as long as the theme is met.\u201d Pay is $25 for stories of 2,000-10,000 words. The deadline is 31 January 2023. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I Want That Twink OBLITERATED! Anthology
<\/strong>They want \u201cpulp-inspired science fiction, fantasy and horror that explores or subverts classic genre tropes through queer protagonists and villains, particularly those who are non-traditionally masculine.\u201dThey have detailed guidelines, including, \u201cIWTTO! is seeking classic pulp adventures centring non-traditionally masculine queer heroes and villains. \u2026 Whether fantasy, science-fiction or horror, we want to prove that hetero himbos don\u2019t hold a monopoly on giant swords. We want out and proud thrill-rides starring queers who don\u2019t give a fuck what society says. Smash systems, kiss boys, be gay do crime. \u2026 Bring us your femboy starship captains, bring us to trans berserkers fuelled by queer rage, bring us your literal demon twinks. Most of all, bring us stories that make you shriek\u2026\u201d And, \u201cThe editors are particularly interested in submissions from trans, non-binary, or intersex writers; aro or ace writers; disabled writers; neurodiverse writers; black, south asian, or east asian writers; or other writers of colour.\u201d They want stories up to 6,000 words. Pay is $0.08\/word. The deadline is 17 December 2023. Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


34 Orchard<\/strong>
They 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. Their next reading period is 1st<\/sup> to 15th<\/sup> January 2024. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Castaigne Publishing: In the Eyes of the Hungry
<\/strong>This is a horror fiction anthology. \u201cOne of the great American authors wrote a werewolf novel and sadly, we will likely never see it. But wouldn’t it be great to speculate on what such a book might look like? We invite you to do exactly that.
We are asking for short horror stories \u2026 in the style of Steinbeck, in his settings, and\/or covering his themes. But we’re not going to limit you to werewolves. What fun would that be? We invite you to populate these stories with any of the classical monsters (think Universal), so if you can find a way to put the Creature from the Black Lagoon into a Steinbeck-style yarn, go for it!\u201d Pay is $50 for stories of 2,500-6,000 words. The deadline is 31 December 2023. Details here<\/a>.

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ergot.<\/strong>
\u201cergot. is a literary website interested in furthering the innovative and experimental tradition in horror.\u201d They want fiction and hybrid works up to 10,000 words (including excerpts and works in translation) \u201cthat push out the boundary of what literary horror is and what it might become.\u201d Pay is $25. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Underdog Press: Nightmares Before Bed<\/strong>
They are reading submissions for two fiction anthologies, and one of these is a horror anthology. Their general guidelines say, \u201cHow you incorporate the quarterly theme in your story is up to you.  We do ask that you make sure the theme idea is not an afterthought, but an integral part of the story.  We want truly want stories depicting underdogs rising to the occasion when it seems all hope is lost. \u2026 If your story is nobledark, noblebright, grimdark, or grimbright or something in the middle of all of those that’s okay.\u201d For Nightmares Before Bed<\/strong> they say, it \u201cis exactly what you think it is. This will be our first horror anthology and we want to be clear, no sexual violence, abuse of children, overly disturbing images and ideas, or gore will be published. We want horror, we want to be scared, but let’s do it in a way that is respectful. We’d love to see fantasy horror or sci-fi horror here.\u201d Pay is $0.03\/word for stories of 3,500-12,000 words, and the deadline is 31st<\/sup> January 2023. Details here<\/a>.
(Their other anthology is The Way of Worlds<\/strong>, \u201can anthology focused on space exploration and colonization\u201d, deadline 31 December 2023, details here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Spec<\/strong>
This is a Canadian magazine of the fantastic. \u201cOnly fantasy, science fiction, horror, or any of their subgenres are accepted. Horror must have a speculative element\u201d. Pay is CAD100 for poems and fiction up to 2,000 words, and $0.05\/word for longer fiction (up to 6,000 words). The deadline is 15 December 2023. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best of British Science Fiction 2023
<\/strong>This is a reprint anthology. \u201cWe are seeking science fiction stories (not fantasy or any other flavour of genre in this instance) that were first published during 2023. Authors must be British, Irish, British-based or ex-pats. \u2026 There are no limits on word length, though stories over 10,000 words may prove to be a harder sell. Successful authors will receive payment of 1p a word up to \u00a350.00 for the reprint rights.\u201d The deadline is 17th<\/sup> December 2023. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy<\/strong>
This is a reprint series of American science fiction and fantasy stories previously published in 2023, and part of The Best American series by Mariner Books, which is an imprint of HarperCollins (see all the upcoming anthologies of fiction and nonfiction, and link to their submission guidelines, here<\/a>). They have various criteria for eligibility, including, the story must have been published in a nationally published American or Canadian outlet in 2023; be written in English and written by a writer who is North American, or who has made North America their home; and story length must be 17,499 words or less; the story must be at least loosely categorized as science fiction or fantasy (horror is acceptable if it also has elements of science fiction or fantasy). Please note, there is no mention of payment on the website. The deadline is 31 December 2023. Details here<\/a>, here<\/a>, and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Polymath Press: Arithmophobia – An Anthology of Mathematical Horror
<\/strong>This is a fiction anthology about math horror. They have detailed guidelines, including, \u201cmake sure the mathematical ideas are clearly featured in the story.\u00a0 What kind of mathematical ideas do we want? That\u2019s for you to decide.\u00a0 Think outside the box and give us something interesting.\u00a0 Show us weird geometries, cursed numbers, mathematicians going crazy, you name it.\u00a0 Most importantly of all, remember that we want math AND horror, so make it as scary as you can.\u201d And, \u201cWe like all kinds of horror, from the quiet to the extreme.\u00a0 As long as your story meets our standards of quality and fits with our mathematical theme, it has a good chance.\u00a0 However, keep in mind that this is intended to be a more intellectual anthology, so while extreme content or gore is certainly acceptable, it should be used in service of the story and not presented merely for shock value.\u201d Pay is $0.01\/word for stories of 3,000-15,000 words (see guidelines). The deadline is 31 December 2023, or until filled. Details here<\/a>.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anterior Skies
<\/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 The anthology is divided into six sections, by theme. Pay is $0.01\/word, up to $50. They are open for submissions until 1st<\/sup> January 2024. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creepy Podcast<\/strong>
This 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\n\n\n

Hawk and Cleaver: The Other Stories Podcast <\/strong>
<\/strong>Hawk and Cleaver publishes horror, sci-fi, and thriller fiction on their podcast, The Other Stories. They want tales that terrify, scar and haunt. Their upcoming theme is \u2018The End\u2019; pay is  \u00a315 for stories up to 2,000 words. The deadline is 9 December 2023. Details here<\/a> (click on submission form for length and payment details).

The House of Gamut
<\/strong>Gamut publishes dark speculative fiction, non-fiction, poetry, as well as reprints of all these genres, and anthologies. They\u2019re open now for non-fiction and poetry; fiction is scheduled to reopen on 1st January 2024. \u201cFor stories, we are looking for fantasy, science fiction, horror, thrillers, neo-noir, new-weird, transgressive fiction, magical realism, and literary fiction that leans into genre. Our publishing arm will look for novels, collections, and anthologies that are similar in nature.\u201d \u201cWe will pay ten cents a word for original work, and three cents a word for reprints. Poetry is $50 per poem for new work and $25 per poem for reprints. Stories will typically be in the 1,000-5,000 word range, the same for non-fiction. Poetry is pretty open.\u201d They also will open later for a dark urban fantasy anthology. Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seize the Press Magazine<\/strong>
They 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\n\n\n


<\/strong>Grendel Press: Uncanny & Unearthly Tales (Vol 2) \u2013 The Midnight Labyrinth
<\/strong>This is a fiction anthology. The general submission guidelines for the press say they publish stories of dark fantasy, horror, and romance. For this anthology, \u201cEach story should feature a tale delivered from a character who stepped through a door and found themselves someplace unexpected. On their journey, they will notice a book called Midnight Labyrinth. No requirement to read or interact with it; it just needs to appear. Genre-bending is welcome! Sci-fi, steampunk, horror, fantasy, etc. \u2026 This anthology is an exploration of PLACE and FANTASY, so the MC in the story needs to actually find themselves in a new world\/city\/place that they\u2019ve either never been before or haven\u2019t been for a long time.\u201d Pay is $0.05\/word for stories of 2,500-7,000 words. The deadline is 31 December 2023. Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Escape Artists: PseudoPod<\/strong>
PseudoPod publishes horror fiction 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 They will open for their Anthologies and Collections reprint call on 15th<\/sup> March 2024; see their schedule<\/a>. They pay $0.08\/word for original horror stories up to 6,000 words. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SPOOKY Magazine<\/strong>
This is a new magazine; their website<\/a> says, \u201cSPOOKY is a new fiction magazine in the old style. We\u2019re horror with a gentler touch.\u201d They have detailed guidelines about the kind of stories they want, including \u201cCozy horror. Fun horror. Classy horror. Dare we say, wholesome horror?\u201d Pay is $0.01\/word for stories up to 5,000 words. The deadline is 31 December 2023. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flickers of Fear<\/strong>
They are reading horror fiction and poetry submissions for Issue 1 from 1st<\/sup> to 7th<\/sup> January 2024; the theme is Rites of Spring. Pay is $10 for stories of 300 words and poetry. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

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

These magazines and anthologies are paying for horror fiction, from token to pro rates. Some also accept other genres. Some of the calls are themed. They are open now, or have said when they will open next for submissions. They are not listed in any particular order. – S. Kalekar Nightmare MagazineThis is an award-winning…<\/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-11466","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11466","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=11466"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11466\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11469,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11466\/revisions\/11469"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11466"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11466"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}