Halloween is almost here and it creates the perfect mood for you to start writing stories that inspire horror or dread. It’s always dark somewhere and there are markets SCREAMING out for your darkest tales!

Here are 6 lesser-known or new horror markets that pay writers $0.03-$0.10/word:

Dracula Beyond Stoker Press is looking for 1500-5000 word horror stories inspired by Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Each issue is themed, so check their website for current submission calls. They say, ‘We like stories that feel like they could be canon, but we also enjoy fun alternate takes and pastiche. Prequels, sequels, updates, divergent timelines – unleash your creative powers of darkness and show us something exciting.’ Dracula Beyond Stoker pays $0.05/word. See their guidelines at: https://www.dbspress.com/submissions

Monstrous Magazine pays $0.06/word for macabre and mysterious horror flash fiction stories of 1000-1500 words, and they have a different theme for each issue. For example, for issue 2, they wanted horror stories involving time travel. Check their website for their open calls and submission guidelines at: https://monstrousbooks.com/submissions

Ghoulish Tales pays $0.10/word for fun horror stories up to 5000 words. They want “short stories that fit our personal definition of the word GHOULISH, which is fun horror that aims to celebrate all things spooky. Note that we said fun, not funny. Comedic stories are definitely allowed, but it’s not all we’re looking to receive. We want stories that remind us why we love the horror genre. We want to have a perverted little smile across our face while reading. Make us slobber like idiots. Turn us into the Sickos.jpeg meme.” They have regular windows for submissions, so check their website for current and upcoming calls. See guidelines at: https://ghoulish.rip/reopened-for-short-story-submissions-ghoulish-tales

The Dark Magazine wants 2000-6000 word horror and dark fantasy stories, and pays $0.05/word. They say, “Don’t be afraid to experiment or to deviate from the ordinary; be different—try us with fiction that may fall out of “regular” categories. However, it is also important to understand that despite the name, The Dark is not a market for graphic, violent horror.” See their guidelines at: https://www.thedarkmagazine.com/submission-guidelines

Book Worms is looking for flash fiction horror stories under 1500 words, and pays $0.08/word, along with a contributor’s copy. They also want horror poems, and pay $25–$50 per poem (depending on length). Each issue is themed, so check their submissions page for current calls. Guidelines: https://rsaintclaire.com/2023/10/16/book-worms-call-for-submissions

Cosmic Horror Monthly wants weird and cosmic horror stories under 5000 words, and pays $0.03/word. Their submission windows are open twice a year, on January 1-7 and July 1-17. They “believe that the horror genre’s diversity is its greatest strength, and we wish that viewpoint to be reflected in our story content and our submission queues. Work written in an antiquated, Lovecraftian style is a hard sell.” Guidelines: https://cosmichorrormonthly.com/submissions

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Avery Springwood is a science fiction writer and artist living in the UK. When she’s not working, she can be found spending time with her family, walking in woodlands, growing vegetables, making clay creatures, or trying to find time to read speculative fiction stories.