Call for Submissions: (s)crawl magazine

general guidelines

genres

› (s)crawl magazine publishes thought-provoking horror writing that lingers long after it is read. we seek stories and poems that are psychologically and/or emotionally complex and do not rely on extreme or gratuitous violence. (read more on this in our “what we’re looking for” and “what we don’t accept” sections)

› we seek work that explores social, cultural, and personal horror—think of narratives that unsettle on a deeply emotional or intellectual level.

› some examples of our favorite subgenres are psychological horror, supernatural horror, gothic horror, folk horror, existential horror, surreal horror, and body horror.

› non-fiction submissions must be related to horror literature, writing, or genre theory. 

word count:

› short stories: approx. 1,000-5,000 words

› poetry: up to three (3) poems per submission

› essays or articles: approx. 1,000-3,000 words 

exclusivity:

› we accept simultaneous submissions, but kindly inform us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.

› we do not accept previously published work (including self-published or blog posts). 

fees and payment:

› there is no fee to submit your work to (s)crawl

› authors will be paid $20 per accepted piece upon publication

what we're looking for

» (s)crawl’s mission is to amplify and uplift voices that are typically marginalized within the horror genre. therefore, we exclusively seek out and publish LGBTQIA+ voices, neurodiverse voices, female voices, BIPOC voices, disabled voices, and any other identities who don’t feel adequately represented within the horror genre.

» (s)crawl seeks nuanced and thought-provoking horror stories and poems that evoke a deep emotional response and linger with the reader long after they are read. our favorite kind of horror is psychologically and/or emotionally complex with engaging narratives that explore deep-seated fears through theme and metaphor.

what we don't accept

» while (s)crawl endeavors to embrace a wide range of horror genres and themes, we do not accept works that involve extreme violence or “hardcore horror” elements, including but not limited to sexual violence, torture porn (stories focused primarily on graphic depictions of gore or physical harm), and animal cruelty.

» we do not accept works that have been partially or fully generated by A.I. (artificial intelligence).

payment & rights

» writers will be compensated $20 per piece upon publication

» upon acknowledgment of acceptance, (s)crawl is granted first publication rights for the piece. after publication, all rights revert to the author. we ask that you credit (s)crawl magazine as the original publisher if your work is reprinted elsewhere.

deadline for fall 2025 submissions: may 29

Submit your work here.