Markets for Horror Writers & Poets
We receive a lot of e-mail messages from writers asking if we recommend certain markets for horror fiction. As a rule, we as an organization do not endorse specific markets, but we do advise everyone — not just our members — to submit work to markets that pay a professional rate of 5 cents per word or more. That being said, we also understand that such markets are few, and the competition there is fierce. No one said this was easy, after all
For some sound advice on submitting your fiction in today’s marketplace, please click here.
A few popular online market list sites are linked below:
In addition to the sites listed above, here’s a list of markets that typically accept horror. These are recurring markets, such as magazines or regularly published anthologies, and do not include one off anthologies. Again, we recommend checking the aggregated sites listed above.
Fiction | Poetry | Nonfiction
There are varying classifications below. The markets are divided into Fiction, Poetry, and Non-Fiction. We hope to add resources for screenwriting, graphic novels, and the like soon. If you have a market tip (especially for other mediums), feel free to send it along to admin@horror.org.
Each category is also divided into Professionally Paying Markets (5 cents per word or more), Semi-Professionally Paying Markets (2 to 5 cents per word), and Token Paying Markets (less than 2 cents per word). As stated above, the HWA advises everyone to submit to professionally paying markets. Additionally, we have not included any markets that don’t at least offer some payment as we feel strongly that writers should always be paid for their work.
HWA does not endorse these markets, nor ensure the accuracy of the listings. We simply provide this information for ease of searching and recommend that you research a market thoroughly before submitting. If you have questions about a specific market, other members can usually provide insight via our Forum or on our Facebook page. Again, the placement of a market here does not suggest an official endorsement. The HWA does not have qualifying or endorsed markets.
If you are looking for a vetted list of markets, our friends at the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America have compiled such a list of qualifying markets (though there is no guarantee that their markets will accept horror or dark fiction). That list can be found here: http://www.sfwa.org/about/join-us/sfwa-membership-requirements/
For the most current information, including reading periods and temporary closures, please visit the market website.
Fiction
Professionally Paying Markets for Fiction
- Apex Magazine
Ares Magazine
Cast of Wonders
Clarkesworld Magazine
Clockwork Phoenix
Dirge Magazine
Grievous Angel
Halloween Forevermore
Mothership Zeta
Nightmare Magazine
Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show
Phobos Magazine
Pseudopod
Recompose
Shimmer
sub-Q Magazine
Semi-Professionally Paying Markets for Fiction
- Aegis Publishing House
Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine
Apex Publications
Aurealis
Bad Dream Entertainment Online
Black Denim Lit
Black Static
Blood Bound Books
Crimson Streets
Dark Discoveries
Dark Moon Digest
Digital Horror Fiction
Drabblecast
Dreams & Nightmares
Fantasy Scroll Mag
Fiction Vortex
freeze frame fiction
Gallery of Curiosities
GlitterShip
Havok
Hypnos Magazine
Kaleidotrope
LampLight
Lightning Cake
Month9Books
Mythic Delirium Magazine
Nameless Digest
NewMyths.com
On Spec
Pantheon Magazine
Permuted Press
Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing
Quickfic
Read Short Fiction
See the Elephant
Shroud Quarterly
Single Slices
Space and Time
Speculate!
Gene Davis’s Speculative Blog
The Dark Magazine
The Fiction Desk
The Overcast
Three-Lobed Burning Eye
Triangulation Anthology Series
Turn to Ash
Typhon: A Monster Anthology Series
Untied Shoelaces of the Mind
Vestal Review
Wee Tales
Token Paying Markets for Fiction
- Abstract Jam
Albedo One
Allegory
Alt Hist
Best New England Crime Stories
Bete Noire
Betwixt
Black Girl Magic Lit Mag
Black Treacle
Bloodbond
Body Parts Magazine
Cheapjack Pulp
Creepy Campfire Quarterly
Cyclopean
Dark Warrior Publishing
DarkFuse Magazine
Devilfish Review
Devolution Z
Dimension6
Disturbed Digest
Division by Zero
Dynatox Ministries
Electric Spec
Encounters Magazine
Expanded Horizons
Five on the Fifth
FreedomFiction.com
Grand Mal Press
Helen: A Literary Magazine
Imajin Books
Ink Stains Anthology Series
Jitter Press
JukePop Serials
Kzine
Liquid Imagination
Lovecraft eZine
Mad Scientist Journal
Manor House
Milkfist
Montag Press
Night to Dawn
Nightscript
Not One of Us
Odd Tree Press Quarterly
Outposts of Beyond
Polychrome Ink
Post Mortem Press
Psychedelic Horror Press
Robbed of Sleep Anthology Series
Sanitarium Magazine
Space Squid
Spaceports & Spidersilk
Spinetingler
SQ Mag
Sub-saharan Magazine
Story Emporium
The Breakroom Stories
The Future Fire
The Indianola Review
The Literary Hatchet
The Nine Tales Series
The WiFiles
Theme of Absence
Twelfth Planet Press Novella Series
Unsung Stories Short Fiction
Vine Leaves Literary Journal
Weirdbook
Poetry
Semi-Professionally Paying Markets for Poetry
- Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine
Apex Magazine
Bete Noire
Devilfish Review
Devolution Z
Dreams & Nightmares
Expanded Horizons
Grievous Angel
Kaleidotrope
Liminality
Liquid Imagination
Lovecraft eZine
Milkfist
Mythic Delirium Magazine
NewMyths.com
Not One of Us
On Spec
Pantheon Magazine
Phobos Magazine
Polychrome Ink
Shroud Quarterly
Space and Time
Sub-saharan Magazine
The Literary Hatchet
The Pedestal Magazine
Wee Tales
Token Paying Markets for Poetry
- Bloodbond
Cyclopean
Disturbed Digest
Eye to the Telescope
Helen: A Literary Magazine
Illumen
Jitter Press
Nameless Digest
Night to Dawn
Outposts of Beyond
Recompose
Sanitarium Magazine
Scifaikuest
Spaceports & Spidersilk
Star*Line
The Indianola Review
Vine Leaves Literary Journal
Nonfiction
Professionally Paying Markets for Nonfiction
Semi-Professionally Paying Markets for Nonfiction
- Aurealis
Bad Dream Entertainment Online
Body Parts Magazine
Crimson Streets
Kaleidotrope
NewMyths.com
The Pedestal Magazine
Turn to Ash
Wee Tales
Token Paying Markets for Nonfiction
- Allegory
Alt Hist
Black Treacle
Bloodbond
Dark Discoveries
Disturbed Digest
Dynatox Ministries
Expanded Horizons
Fantasy Scroll Mag
Helen: A Literary Magazine
Milkfist
Outposts of Beyond
Polychrome Ink
Sanitarium Magazine
Spaceports & Spidersilk
The Future Fire
The Indianola Review
Vine Leaves Literary Journal