Fiction Submission Guidelines

Submissions: Open

Fiction Submission Guidelines

Macabre Magazine publishes horror fiction that honors the genre’s rich history while advancing it into new territory. We seek stories that unsettle, disturb, and resonate—narratives grounded in human experience, moral consequence, and authentic emotion. Whether quiet or grotesque, psychological or supernatural, gothic or pulpy, if it is horror, it belongs here.

Ask yourself: Is this the best possible version of this story? Does it haunt, disturb, or remain with a reader after the final line? If so, it belongs with us.

What We Publish

• Flash Fiction: 500–2,000 words
• Short Fiction: 2,000–10,000 words

We welcome all subgenres of horror, provided the work demonstrates control of craft, narrative cohesion, and an authentic voice.

Formatting

Professional presentation matters. A well-formatted manuscript signals to our editors that you take your craft seriously. We strongly encourage industry-standard submission practices, such as the Shunn Manuscript Format (omit identifying information; see Blind Review below).

Checklist for formatting:
• Emphasis: Italics, not underlining
• Font: Times New Roman, 12 pt, black
• Indentation: 0.5 inch
• Justification: Left margin only (ragged right)
• Spacing: Double-spaced (do not insert additional spaces after sentences or paragraphs)
• Margins: 1 inch on all sides
• Headers: Keyword from title + page number, upper right (not on first page)
• Smart quotes: On, but proofread carefully
• Title: Centered, halfway down the first page
• Word count: Upper right of first page, rounded to the nearest hundred
• File type: .docx only (no PDF or plain text files)

These formatting guidelines are not optional. Submissions that do not conform may be returned for correction. If a corrected file is not received within one (1) week, the submission will be rejected without consideration.

If you need assistance, refer to the Shunn Manuscript Format guidelines (ignore the identifying information section) or use Reedsy’s manuscript preparation video as a reference.

All fiction submissions are reviewed under a strict blind evaluation policy. No member of the editorial or review staff has access to contributor identities prior to a final decision of acceptance or declination.

Important: To preserve the integrity of our blind review process, all identifying information—including your name, email address, and any personal details—must be removed from both the manuscript and file name before submission. Failure to comply will result in immediate disqualification of the piece.

Our reading team includes professionals and scholars with advanced degrees in English, psychology, sociology, and related disciplines, as well as experienced writers and editors within the horror community. This structure ensures every submission is evaluated on the basis of craft, originality, and emotional impact alone.

We believe this approach represents the truest form of diversity, equity, and inclusion—one that eliminates bias by considering only the quality of the work itself.

Multiple & Simultaneous Submissions

• Multiple Submissions: Up to two (2) manuscripts per submission are allowed. Review times may increase accordingly.
• Simultaneous Submissions: Permitted. Please notify us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.

Reprints Policy

We do not accept reprints. This includes any work previously published in print, online, or self-published platforms such as blogs, newsletters, Medium, Substack, or Patreon.

Generative AI Policy

Macabre Magazine publishes only original, human-authored work. Any form of generative AI use is prohibited.

This includes the use of AI tools for:
• Ideation or prompt generation
• Outlining or story structuring
• Drafting or dialogue generation
• Revision or rewording
• AI-assisted editing or grammar/style optimization beyond standard word processors

Any submission found to contain or derive from AI-generated content will be immediately rejected and permanently barred from future consideration.

Horror must come from the human imagination—imperfect, inspired, and alive.

Review Timeline

We aim to respond within six (6) weeks. If you have not received a decision (acceptance, rejection, or request for revision) after this period, you may inquire through our contact form.

Payment and Contributor Benefits

At present, Macabre Magazine does not offer monetary payment. As the publication grows, it is our long-term commitment to provide fair compensation to contributors.

Contributors whose work appears in the digital or print edition may receive a complimentary digital copy of the issue in which their work appears.

All accepted contributors are also eligible for a one-year complimentary membership to the American Horror Society, granting access to professional resources, networking, and member-only events.

Rights

By submitting your work to Macabre Magazine, you agree to grant the following rights upon acceptance:

• Exclusive First Serial Rights: Six (6) months, in English, following publication. During this time, the contributor agrees not to publish the work elsewhere.

• Perpetual Archival Rights: Non-exclusive rights permitting Macabre Magazine to retain, display, and preserve the work in its digital archives, anthologies, or affiliated platforms.

• Promotional Rights: Perpetual right to reproduce excerpts, images, or media from the work for marketing, publicity, or review purposes that promote the contributor and their work.

• Anthology Inclusion Rights: Right to republish accepted works in future anthologies, special editions, or collected volumes, with full contributor credit.

• Audio Rights: Right to produce, publish, and distribute audio adaptations or narrations of accepted works on our official media platforms.

• Audio-Visual Rights: Right to adapt, feature, or incorporate accepted works within multimedia formats exclusively for promotional, editorial, or archive purposes (such as videos or visual showcases). For clarity, the contributor retains all film, television, dramatic, and theatrical rights to the work.

• Award and Nomination Rights: Right to nominate accepted works for consideration in literary and artistic awards, prizes, or external anthologies (including, but not limited to, the Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, or the Bram Stoker Awards).

After the six-month exclusivity period, all other rights revert to the author. Copyright remains with the creator at all times.

Final Notes

Submission of fiction to Macabre Magazine constitutes acknowledgment and acceptance of these guidelines in full. The editorial board reserves the right to amend these policies as necessary without prior notice; however, no such revision shall retroactively alter the rights of works already accepted for publication.