The Macabre Award

Submissions: Closed

The Macabre Award

A professional endowment for horror fiction.

The Standard

The Macabre Award exists for one reason: to identify and recognize the finest short horror fiction being written today, and to compensate the authors behind it at a rate that reflects the work’s value.

This is a competitive endowment for writers who are serious about their craft. Selection carries weight. Publication here is a credential.

The Awards

Grand Prize — $2,000

One story is selected as the winner of the award cycle. That story receives a $2,000 cash prize and a dedicated featured publication, supported by the full promotional weight of Macabre Magazine.

Eleven Finalists — $80 Each

Eleven additional works are selected for recognition as finalists. Each finalist receives an $80 payment and a featured publication slot — one per month, across the following year — with dedicated promotion for each release. Every selected work receives its own moment.

The Fund

A portion of award proceeds is set aside to establish ongoing contributor payments, allowing Macabre Magazine to compensate monthly contributors at $25 per story throughout the award year. Every entry fee advances that fund.

The Cause

One thousand dollars from each award cycle is donated directly to Children of the Night, an organization committed to rescuing children from sex trafficking. Horror has always engaged with the darkness of the human condition. This award puts that engagement to work in the real world.

Submission Requirements

  • Word Count: 500 – 7,500 words
  • Genre: Horror — psychological, supernatural, creature features, or slasher
  • Format: Standard Manuscript Format (SMF)
  • Multiple Submissions: Up to three stories per author
  • Simultaneous Submissions: Stories under consideration elsewhere are ineligible
  • Reprints: Original work only
  • Entry Fee: $25 per story

Publication Schedule

The Grand Prize winner and all eleven finalists are announced simultaneously. The winner is featured first. Finalist stories follow monthly, each given its own dedicated release and promotional cycle over the course of the year.

Contact

All inquiries may be sent to award [at] macabremagazine [dot] com