Poetry Submission Guidelines

Submissions: Open

What We Are Looking For

Macabre Magazine seeks poetry that pushes the boundaries of horror—language that unsettles, imagery that lingers, and voices that transform the familiar into the uncanny. We welcome lyric, narrative, experimental, and prose poems that demonstrate precision of craft and a resonance with the dark heart of the genre.

What We Publish

• Poetry: Up to five (5) poems per submission, not exceeding ten (10) total pages.

We accept all poetic forms and structures, provided the work displays mastery of craft and thematic alignment with the genre.

Formatting

Professional presentation matters. Submissions must be prepared in a clear, readable, industry-standard format.

Checklist for formatting:
• Font: 12-point Times New Roman (or equivalent), black
• Spacing: Single-spaced, with stanza breaks clearly marked
• Margins: 1 inch on all sides
• Justification: Left-aligned (ragged right)
• Title: Centered on the first page
• File type: Word (.docx) only — no PDFs or plain text files

Submissions that do not meet these requirements may be returned for correction. If a revised file is not received within one (1) week, the submission will be rejected without further consideration.

Identifying information should appear only within the Duosuma submission form. Manuscripts containing identifying details within the file will be rejected unread.

Important: All submissions are reviewed under a strict blind review policy. To preserve the integrity of this process, contributors must remove all identifying information—including name, email address, or personal details—from the manuscript file and file name prior to submission.

Our blind review process ensures that every poem is evaluated solely on the merits of craft, originality, and artistic resonance. The review team comprises scholars, editors, and poets with advanced literary training and professional expertise in horror, poetics, and cultural studies.

We uphold impartiality and equity by considering only the work itself—never the identity of its creator.

Multiple & Simultaneous Submissions

• Multiple Submissions: Up to two (2) poetry manuscripts may be submitted at a time. Review timelines may lengthen with multiple entries.
• Simultaneous Submissions: Permitted. If your work is accepted elsewhere, you must withdraw it immediately via Duosuma.

Reprints

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

Generative AI Policy

Macabre Magazine publishes only original, human-authored work. The use of generative AI is prohibited at all stages of creation—including but not limited to ideation, outlining, drafting, revising, or editing.

Any submission found to involve AI assistance will be rejected immediately and may result in a permanent ban from future consideration.

Horror—and the art it inspires—must come from the human imagination in all its depth, imperfection, and insight.

Response Time

We aim to respond within six (6) weeks. If you have not received a decision after that period, you may query through Duosuma.

Payment and Contributor Benefits

At present, Macabre Magazine does not offer monetary payment. 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, providing professional development resources, networking opportunities, 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 rights revert to the author. Copyright remains with the creator at all times.

Conclusion

Submission of poetry to Macabre Magazine constitutes acknowledgment and acceptance of these guidelines in full. The editorial board reserves the right to amend these terms as necessary without prior notice; however, such revisions shall not retroactively alter the rights of works already accepted for publication.

Our goal is to preserve horror’s literary and cultural vitality by publishing work that engages, disturbs, and endures. We look forward to reading your best.