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Seeking: Original, thoughtful horror-centric short stories
Publication Title (anthology): +Horror Library+ Volume 10
Edited by: Eric J. Guignard
Publisher: Dark Moon Books (Los Angeles, CA)
Submissions Accepted: February 23, 2026 through March 9, 2026
Projected Release Date: early 2027
Word Count: Short stories between approximately 1,500–5,000 words (soft range, with a preference toward lower word count)
Payment: Two (2) cents per word and one contributor copy in each of all published formats (paperback and ebook)
Reprints: No
Multiple and/or Simultaneous Submissions: Yes (within reason, please)
Generative AI Use?: Absolutely No
Audience Age Appropriateness: 16 years old and up. Profanity and sexually-related material is acceptable, provided it is not gratuitous nor excessive. What is not acceptable is anything culturally derogative (propagating racial hatred or malicious stereotypes); anything relating to torture or sexual abuse of children/animals; or anything involving graphic sex/erotica.
Genre Suitability: Prose with a supernatural and dark element, such as Horror, Dark Fiction/ Dark Fantasy, Folk Horror, Weird Fiction, etc. No poetry. No science fiction. No high fantasy. No reliance on humor.
Tone: Imaginative and/or harrowing adventure; beauty of darkness; horror (edgy or quiet); exploration through fears or discovery; original monsters and/or strange lands; life events turned slightly askew, etc.
Response Time: April 9, 2026 (or earlier)
Send submissions and queries to: Horror.Library.Submit@gmail.com
Since 2006, the +Horror Library+ series of anthologies has been internationally praised as a groundbreaking source of contemporary horror short fiction stories—relevant to the moment and stunning in impact—from leading authors of the macabre and darkly imaginative.
Filled with Fears and Fantasy. Death and Dark Dreams. Monsters and Mayhem. Literary Vision and Wonder. Each volume of the +Horror Library+ series is packed with heart-pounding thrills and creepy contemplations as to what truly lurks among the shadows of the world(s) we live in.
These anthology books have been a home for non-themed short works of horror & dark fiction for both new and established authors. Past contributors have included such notables as: Bentley Little (a regular contributor), Poppy Z. Brite, Jeffrey Ford, Steve Rasnic Tem, Ai Jiang, Octavia Cade, Terry Dowling, Lisa Morton, et al.
And now we are reading submissions for Volume 10!
Under publisher Dark Moon Books, editor Eric J. Guignard continues the tradition of imaginative horror anthology series in line with contemporaries such as Whispers (ed. Stuart David Schiff); Shadows (ed. Charles Grant); Borderlands (ed. Thomas Monteleone); Masques (ed. J.N. Williamson); Shivers (ed. Richard Chizmar), etc., not to mention the general tone and thoughtful, literary styles found in current and ongoing annual editions of “BEST OF HORROR” series by editors such as Ellen Datlow and Paula Guran (and formerly of Stephen Jones, Karl Edward Wagner, et al.).
Although we are looking for non-themed horror, we’re not interested in anything relying on common tropes such as zombies, vampires, or serial killers-run-amuck. Also no unnecessary gore or explicit scenes or anything else that would require a trigger warning. Ideal qualities for the stories that will be accepted include emotional resonance, story action (movement), unique/ thoughtful ideas, literary courage to push boundaries, etc. (Additionally, consider stories that would fit in with anthology horror TV series such as The Twilight Zone, Tales from the Darkside, or Black Mirror).
If you’re still unsure what we’re looking for, simply review former volumes of +Horror Library+ for additional insight. Beyond that, just send it!
Formatting of submissions isn’t important (although good form is to follow Shunn guidelines at: https://www.shunn.net/format/story.html).
Please attach all submissions to email as a Microsoft Word file (any doc type). No .pdfs.
No OpenOffice. Please query if you need an exception to this.
Send submissions, queries, and all else via e-mail to: Horror.Library.Submit@gmail.com.
Good luck and have fun writing!
Eric
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