HWA’s Next Anthology Call for Submissions

Other Fears – An Anthology of Diverse Terrors

Submissions open on October 1, 2020.

HWA is proud to announce our next anthology:

Other Fears will be an anthology of original stories revolving around a recurring theme that often comes up in both critical analysis of the horror genre and discussions about the prejudices and biases people have against minority groups that manifest in myriad phobias: the idea of “otherness.”

A fairly universal truth across oppressed, victimized, or historically underrepresented groups is that they have come to signify “otherness.” Be they of a different culture, a different background, a different belief system, a different skin color, or a different sexual orientation, gender, or ability, some people who fall outside the familiar majority scare us. We’re conditioned to instinctively fear what’s different—as foolish as that may be—and because of that there are a multitude of individuals who have spent far too long on the outside looking in.

And the thing about the outside is—it’s much larger than you think.

The anthology will be edited by Vince A. Liaguno and Rena Mason, with production overseen by Lisa Morton, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2022.

In addition to creating an anthology that emphasizes great horror from underrepresented voices, HWA has also partnered with innovative Hollywood management and production company Circle of Confusion (whose credits include The Walking Dead) on this project.

HWA and Circle of Confusion will team up to consider open submissions EXCLUSIVELY from the HWA membership; the top five stories that best explore the theme will receive placement in the anthology amongst those of our invited contributors. Circle of Confusion will also read all the stories chosen for the anthology for possible film and/or television option deals, in addition to helping promote the book.

Fear of “the other” is far more emotional than rational. And that’s what makes it so powerful. We unconsciously distrust what we perceive as different. Our brains are hard-wired to fear the unknown, and we become more vigilant of these threats, focusing on them—sometimes obsessively—until terror overtakes rational thought. For our Other Fears anthology, we’re looking for short fiction that incorporates this idea of “otherness.” Beyond that, we’re not particular about tone or length, so long as it’s dark.

Please follow standard manuscript guidelines:
• Short fiction only
• Word length: 1,000 up to 5,000 words (Firm)
• Payment: 10 cents a word
• No simultaneous submissions
• Only one submission permitted per HWA member
• No reprints.

PLEASE NOTE: We will open to HWA members’ submissions on October 1st and close at 11:59 p.m. on December 1st. The submission link will be emailed to members on October 1st. Submissions will be blind, so please follow instructions carefully when submitting, and good luck!

If you’re a member and would like to submit, but don’t have the link, please contact vp@horror.org.

Please do not query about the status of your submission. All submissions will receive responses after the submission window closes. Thank you.