Late fall market deadlines for writers of the dark and disturbing
- tkswriter
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
AN IRREGULAR MARKETS SERIES
Here are 15 writing markets and publishing/production opportunities for our Seattle chapter horror folks, in case you're looking for new homes for your work. These listings are for shortform work only (poetry, stories, essays, articles, reviews, comics/graphic narratives, animations).
It's essential that you tailor your submission to each publication by reading and following their guidelines. Always check to make sure they are still open for submissions, as deadlines may close early if they receive more work than they need.
KEY:
Markets listed below are in deadline order and may have previously appeared in our Discord or were sourced and/or shared by our members.
Note: Not all markets are paid markets, but it can be useful for writers at every level to amass several publication credits (paid or not) in order to break into paying—or higher paying—markets.
Only non-fee markets and contests are listed.
This irregular posting of potential markets is in no way considered exhaustive. You can also find places to send your work using Chill Subs, Duotrope, HorrorTree, New Pages, Submission Grinder, Submittable, and other places.
If you find calls for submissions elsewhere while doing your own research that you think would appeal to our members, feel free to post in the Discord or share at hwaseattle@gmail.com.
Market listing includes indication of paying market (💲), publication name, THEME (if available), deadline, type of work sought, payment offered (USD unless otherwise indicated), special notices, and link.
💲Hellbound Books. Cauldron of Blood Anthology. Theme: "Witches, Bitches & Mayhem." Deadline: Until full. Looking for short fiction, Necronomicon-ic rituals, bizarre incantations. Pays $5. Any type of horror... just needs to be "witchy." https://hellboundbookspublishing.com/subs-anthologies.html
💲Rat Bag Lit. Theme: "Scary Santa" microfiction. Deadline: Opens Oct 31; closes Nov 2. Up to 300 words. Pays .01/word up to $3/microfiction. ⭐ALSO: General submissions open for creative nonfiction flash, poetry, flash fiction, and stories up to 3500 words. Deadline: Opens Nov 15; closes Nov 30. https://ratbaglit.com/submission-guidelines/
💲Campfire Publishing. "Let the Right One Simmer" Anthology. Theme: "Horror-themed cookbook pairing stories with recipes." Deadline: Nov. 3 Looking for short stories accompanied by original recipes. Pays $10/story + copies + future earnings opportunities (cookbook). Recipes can be used in the story or it can utilize a food, drink, or spice within the story. Recipes must be viable (i.e. no human body parts as ingredients). Rights retained by the publisher by default but you can request rights release if needed. https://aaronkcrocker.com/submission-information/
💲Anomaly. Theme: NA. Deadline: Nov 7, 2025. Looking for speculative flash. Pays .08 a word plus an electronic copy. Submissions open Oct 1. Prefers dark and disruptive stories, as well as twisted technology. https://www.patreon.com/posts/submission-124086163
Belladonna's Garden. Through the Frosted Glass Anthology. Theme: "Winter Horror." Deadline: Nov 15, 2025. Cozy horror. No gore. No payment but they promote your work in social media. Submission period may close early if their story cap is reached; early submissions recommended. https://www.belladonnasgardenlit.com/submissions
Emerald City Ghosts. Theme: "Oceans." Deadline: Opens Nov 1; closes Nov 20. Looking for short fiction, flash fiction, poetry, nonfiction. Accepts reprints. No payment but they promote your work in social media. Work must be set in the Pacific Northwest. Writers must subscribe free to their Substack to participate. https://emeraldcityghosts.substack.com/p/submissions
Folklore Review. Theme: "Winter Solstice/Dead of Winter." Deadline: Nov 28, 2025. Looking for short stories, flash fiction, poetry, nonfiction. No payment but they promote your work in social media. Work must be inspired by folklore. https://folklorereview.submittable.com/submit
The Argyle Literary Magazine. Theme: "Ghosts." Deadline: Nov 30, 2025. Looking for short stories, poetry, nonfiction. No payment but they promote your work in social media. Submissions should incorporate the recent holidays (Halloween, Samhain, Dia de los Muertos) or any other celebration of the dead or the ancestors as well as a literal ghost. https://www.theargylelitmag.com/submissions-1
💲Inkd Publishing. Noncorporeal IV: Phantom Dusk Anthology. Theme: "Ghosts, haunts, and spirits." Deadline: Nov 30, 2025. Looking for short stories. Pays $10 + D2D royalty share. Encourages less traditional horror and more spooky, suspense, thriller, or speculative vibes. https://inkdpub.com/submissions/
💲Zoetic Press. NonBinary Review. Theme: "Carnival." Deadline: Nov 30. Looking for short fiction, poetry. Pays .01/word for prose, $10 per poem. Accepts reprints. https://www.zoeticpress.com/submit
💲Eternal Haunted Summer. The Good Neighbors Anthology. Theme: "The Fae," as seen from pagan/polytheistic/witchy/mythological point of view. Deadline: Opens Nov 1; closes Dec 1. Looking for short fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Pays $5 per piece. Dedicated to deities and pagan themes; accepts any genre provided the Deities/heroes within are treated respectfully. https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/about/
💲Eldritch Cat Press. Theme: "The Lantern Keepers." Deadline: Dec 1, 2025. Looking for short fiction. Pays $10 per story. Submissions must feature a light, a path, and a guide of some kind. https://eldritchcatpress.com/current-submissions/
💲Trembling With Fear. Theme: "Christmas." Deadline: Opens Nov 1; closes Dec 7. Looking for short fiction, drabbles. Pays $5 per story. Drabbles are considered "donations" to the site. https://horrortree.com/submissions/#themed-calls
Wild Willow Magazine. Theme: "The Poison Issue." Deadline: Dec 15, 2025. Looking for short fiction, flash fiction, poetry, nonfiction. No payment but they promote your work in social media. Leans literary. https://wildwillowmagazine.com/wwmsubmissions/
💲Polymorphic. Theme: NA. Deadline: Rolling. Looking for short fiction. Pays $30CAD per story. Accepted works are paired with artists for illustrations. https://polymorphicmagazine.com/submissions/
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