Some literary journals look for dark fantasy. Others look for dark and creepy fiction. Today, I thought I would create a post about literary journals that look for dark fiction. Whether this be straight horror fiction, dark fantasy, or just overall creepy stories, these literary journals are perfect to submit to.
Sinister Minutes
This journal also doubles as a podcast! It also looks for dark fiction and overall “sinister” work. Their website says, “Think you’ve got what it takes to scare our listeners enough that they need to keep a nightlight on? Or perhaps disturb them enough to question all of their life choices?” If this fits your work, send it in! They look for fiction between 1,500 and 3,500 words, and they also look for a log line when you submit.
Find their submission form and guidelines here.
Creepy Podcast
Next, we have The Creepy Podcast. This journal has a nearly 28% acceptance rate, which might be on the lower side in comparison, but it’s subject to change when it comes to the Submission Grinder.
This journal/podcast looks for creepy stories that can be read in under 25 minutes. Typically, stories for their spotlight narration run between 4,000 and 7,000 words, but their typical episodes usually look for stories around 3,500 words. They also pay $0.02 per word! They also have a quick response time of two to three weeks!
Find their guidelines for what they want and what they don’t want here.
Nightmare Magazine
This magazine looks for both dark fantasy and horror. According to their site, “We feature works spanning the broad spectrum of dark fiction, with an emphasis on fascinating characters and delicious prose.” This includes fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and flash fiction. When submitting fiction, they look for stories between 1,500 and 7,500 words, though they prefer works under 5,000 words. They also pay $0.08 per word, which makes them pro-rate for fiction! They also pay $75 per essay for nonfiction.
Find their full guidelines, including simultaneous submissions, cover letters, and more, through this link.
The Deadlands
This journal looks for dark fiction in that they look for stories about death. According to their site, “We are looking for speculative fiction that concerns itself with death–but also everything death may involve. A ghost in a shadowed wood. An afterlife discovered through a rusted door. An abandoned house in the middle of a haunted field. A skeletal figure moving with intent toward something unseen. Death personified.”
For fiction, they look for stories up to 5,000 words, though they prefer stories between 3,000 and 4,000 words. They only accept one submission per author, and they pay $0.10 per word.
Find their full guidelines through this link.
The Dark
They look for both horror and dark fantasy between 2,000 and 6,000 words. They publish monthly and pay $0.05 per word for original fiction. This journal also accepts reprints, for which they pay $0.01 per word.
You can find their full guidelines here.
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