They say to write what you know but, for any freelance writer, a lot of what we write about stems from what we love. For anyone who loves horror, there is no short supply of just how much of your horror-related work you can get out there – and earn a nice check from.

Horror may have a lot of controversy and stigma attached to it but it’s definitely a popular genre among readers. Horror movies, novels, poetry, and short stories are in constant demand. If you, too, feel you may be able to contribute to this genre, consider what options are available for the writer who loves to write about horror just as much as they love to watch and read it.

Articles

A lot of popular horror on the market consists of fiction and art but that doesn’t mean you can’t write articles about horror. After all, there are many budding horror writers out there hungry for knowledge about how to write good horror. Not only can you write how-to pieces on horror but you can also write articles about horror movies, reviews of all things horror, and articles about personal spooky paranormal experiences. Consider also conducting an interview with a horror writer.

Here are a few markets to check out that will buy  your horror articles:

Blood Knife
https://bloodknife.com/write-for-blood-knife/
Pays $60 for articles of 800 words.

Thinking Horror
https://thinkinghorrorjournal.wordpress.com/guidelines/
Pays $20 per article, minimum of 1,000 words.

The Arcanist
https://thearcanist.io/we-want-your-non-fiction-62f2107467b
Pays flat fee of $25 for essays on horror, from 1K-3K words.

Short Stories

Horror short fiction stories are a great way to get into a spooky mood for Halloween, and they offer fun and chills for a variety of readers. There are short horror tales out there for all ages. From flash fiction horror stories to novelettes, horror short stories can be a playing field for the writer new to horror writing. Horror short story collections are also high in demand. I write horror short stories but I also put together horror story collections. I have a YA short horror fiction collection, Bad Girls: Five Tales of Twisted Teens, and I’m currently writing one for kids as well. Your horror short stories can open doors to new markets and you’ll gain new readers for your fiction.

Here are a few markets for horror short stories:

Infinite Worlds
https://www.infiniteworldsmagazine.com/submissions-faqs
Payment is $0.08 per words for original stories of 1500-5000 words.

The Dark
https://www.thedarkmagazine.com/submission-guidelines
For original fiction up to 6K words, payment is $0.06 per word.

Poetry

Dark, paranormal, and horror poetry can be just as entertaining as fiction. If you have a knack for verse, and lean more towards writing horror, this could be a great way for you to get your work published. There are markets out there which accept horror poetry and you can put together a collection of horror poetry to submit for publication to publishers accepting such works as well.

Here are a few markets for horror poetry:

Eye to the Telescope
http://eyetothetelescope.com/submit.html
Their guidelines state that for each poem, they pay “US 4¢/word rounded up to nearest dollar; minimum US $4, maximum $25. Payment is on publication.”

Grimoire
http://www.wearegrimoire.com/submit
Pays $20, on publication.

Strange Horizons
http://strangehorizons.com/submit/poetry-submission-guidelines
Pays $50 for original poetry, regardless of length.

Art

Are you the kind of artist indulging in pictures of monsters and mayhem? If so, consider submitting some of your art! Horror art is a nice complement to most published works, and markets even buy horror art to use for their covers. Additionally, you can create horror book cover designs for writers who self-publish.

Here are a few markets for horror art:

Mysterion
https://www.mysteriononline.com/p/submission-guidelines.html
Payment is $125.

Three Crows
https://threecrowsmagazine.com/submissions
Payment is $50.

Bring those nightmares, worst fears, and monsters to life with your creations! Submit your work, and get paid for being spooky!

Dawn Colclasure is the author of the horror novel, Shadow of Samhain. She has also had articles, essays, short stories and poems published in regional and national publications, as well as online. Her horror short stories have been published in magazines and anthologies. Her short story collection, Bad Girls: Five Tales of Twisted Teens, features YA horror stories scheduled for publication in October. Her websites are https://dawnsbooks.com/ and https://www.dmcwriter.com/