- Joined
- Aug 24, 2007
- Messages
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- Reaction score
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Top Paying Short Story Horror Markets
Please click here to contribute any comments, updates, questions, and/or suggestions regarding any information found on this list.
ALFRED HITCHOCK MYSTERY MAGAZINE -- www.themysteryplace.com
NOTE: From Submission Guidelines -- "Because this is a mystery magazine, the stories we buy must fall into that genre in some sense or another... We sometimes accept ghost stories or supernatural tales, but those also should involve a crime."
8 cents per word (USD)
12,000 word limit
ABERRANT DREAMS -- www.aberrantdreams.com
NOTE: On indefinite hiatus -- Email accounts inaccessible per latest update (July 11, 2012) Possibly a "dead" market.
BUZZY MAG -- www.buzzymag.com
5 cents per word
10,000 word limit
CEMETERY DANCE -- www.cemeterydance.com
NOTE: Currently closed to submissions. Most recent note from website -- "The plan right now is to reopen during summer 2012."
CHIZINE -- www.chizine.com
NOTE: Currently closed to submissions. Most recent note from website -- "...we will be closed until mid-2012 or thereabouts. Please check back here for an update as to when we'll re-open."
CLARKESWORLD MAGAZINE -- www.clarkesworldmagazine.com
10 cents per word up to 4000 words; 5¢ per word after
1,000 - 8,000 word limit (preferred range: 4,000 words)
CROWDED MAGAZINE (new) -- www.crowdedmagazine.com
5 cents per word (AUS)
5,000 - 20,000 word limit
DAILY SCIENCE FICTION -- www.dailysciencefiction.com
NOTE: Per their submission guidelines-- "We may purchase dark fantasy, but will not publish pure horror." "Pure horror" is obviously a subjective term. Your definition of "pure horror" may not match their definition of it. Looking at the actual published work on their site, they have a "Monsters" sub-category that contains 37 published stories (more than any other sub-category on the site) and at the top of the "Monsters" page they state the following: "All sorts of monsters live here, from Vampires and Werewolves to Selkie and the ever popular Zombies." Sounds like horror to me. A quick read of some stories in the category reveals that they've published at least a few stories that I'd say qualify as horror. Some people are just a bit wary of using the "h-word" and that may be the case here. When in doubt, read some sample stories (always a good idea, and their stories are free to read at their website) and decide from there if this is the right market for your story. -- JComp.
8 cents per word
100 - 10,000 word limit (priority given to flash fic under 1,000 words)
DARK DISCOVERIES -- www.darkdiscoveries.com
NOTE: Temporarily closed to submissions
5 cents per word
500 - 6500 word limit
FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION -- www.sfsite.com/fsf/
.06 to .09 cents/word
25,000 word limit
(duotrope had them listed as accepting horror the last time I checked)
FLASH FICTION ONLINE -- www.flashfictiononline.com
$50 per story (qualifies for SFWA Membership and HWA Affiliate Membership)
500 - 1000 word limit
GLIMMER TRAIN -- www.glimmertrain.com
NOTE: Per www.ralan.com, they have stated they will consider "LITERARY genre work." Probably a tough nut to crack, but they're very highly regarded, so if you have an outstanding, literary horror story that you think will make the grade, go for it.
Word counts, payments and general guidelinse vary from month to month. Please read guidelines for details.
GUD MAGAZINE -- www.gudmagazine.com
NOTE:Currently closed to submissions. Most recent note from website: "We are still closed to submissions for the forseeable future, as we get Issues 7 and 8 out the door. We intend to have news regarding Issue 7 early September 2012."
.03 cents/word +Royalties
15,000 word limit
ON SPEC MAGAZINE -- www.onspec.ca/
NOTE: Currently closed to submissions. From the website: "Thanks for your interest. We are currently closed to new submissions, while we read submissions from the previous period. Please continue to visit our website for updates, follow us on Twitter (@onspecmagazine) and/or join our Facebook group ("I Read On Spec")."
.03 cents/word and up (rates in Canadian currency)
6,000 word limit
ORSON SCOTT CARD's INTERGALACTIC MEDICINE SHOW -- www.intergalacticmedicineshow.com
NOTE: From the website "...'horror' in the sense of supernatural suspense (not gory bloodfests, thanks)."
6 cents per word up to 7500 words; 5 cents a word thereafter
No word limit
THE PEDESTAL MAGAZINE -- www.thepedestalmagazine.com
NOTE: From the website "FROM AUGUST 28-OCTOBER 13, AND AGAIN FROM OCTOBER 28-DECEMBER 13, WE WILL ONLY BE RECEIVING POETRY SUBMISSIONS"
5 cents per word
Word limit unknown
PENUMBRA -- musapublishing.blogspot.com
5 cents per word
100 - 3,500 words
SHIMMER -- www.shimmerzine.com
5 cents per word, minimum $10
10,000 word limit
WEIRD TALES -- www.weirdtalesmagazine.com
NOTE: Currently closed to fiction submissions
.03 to .04 cents/word
10,000 word limit (query for longer works)
ALWAYS CHECK WEBSITES FOR SPECIFIC GUIDELINES
DISCLAIMER: While I'm hoping one of these mags will help me on the way to HWA membership someday, they may or may not qualify for affiliate/active membership. Ultimately, I think, it is up to the membership comittee at the HWA to determine which sales do or do not qualify you for membership. Still, I hope the list can help someone.
I may try and do a similar list for the Sci-fi forum later this summer for SFWA membership, unless someone beats me to it.
Good luck everyone. And if you beat me to HWA membership using this list, I'll put a voodoo curse on you worse than any Thinner the King could dream up. Just kidding...or am I?
Please click here to contribute any comments, updates, questions, and/or suggestions regarding any information found on this list.
ALFRED HITCHOCK MYSTERY MAGAZINE -- www.themysteryplace.com
NOTE: From Submission Guidelines -- "Because this is a mystery magazine, the stories we buy must fall into that genre in some sense or another... We sometimes accept ghost stories or supernatural tales, but those also should involve a crime."
8 cents per word (USD)
12,000 word limit
ABERRANT DREAMS -- www.aberrantdreams.com
NOTE: On indefinite hiatus -- Email accounts inaccessible per latest update (July 11, 2012) Possibly a "dead" market.
BUZZY MAG -- www.buzzymag.com
5 cents per word
10,000 word limit
CEMETERY DANCE -- www.cemeterydance.com
NOTE: Currently closed to submissions. Most recent note from website -- "The plan right now is to reopen during summer 2012."
CHIZINE -- www.chizine.com
NOTE: Currently closed to submissions. Most recent note from website -- "...we will be closed until mid-2012 or thereabouts. Please check back here for an update as to when we'll re-open."
CLARKESWORLD MAGAZINE -- www.clarkesworldmagazine.com
10 cents per word up to 4000 words; 5¢ per word after
1,000 - 8,000 word limit (preferred range: 4,000 words)
CROWDED MAGAZINE (new) -- www.crowdedmagazine.com
5 cents per word (AUS)
5,000 - 20,000 word limit
DAILY SCIENCE FICTION -- www.dailysciencefiction.com
NOTE: Per their submission guidelines-- "We may purchase dark fantasy, but will not publish pure horror." "Pure horror" is obviously a subjective term. Your definition of "pure horror" may not match their definition of it. Looking at the actual published work on their site, they have a "Monsters" sub-category that contains 37 published stories (more than any other sub-category on the site) and at the top of the "Monsters" page they state the following: "All sorts of monsters live here, from Vampires and Werewolves to Selkie and the ever popular Zombies." Sounds like horror to me. A quick read of some stories in the category reveals that they've published at least a few stories that I'd say qualify as horror. Some people are just a bit wary of using the "h-word" and that may be the case here. When in doubt, read some sample stories (always a good idea, and their stories are free to read at their website) and decide from there if this is the right market for your story. -- JComp.
8 cents per word
100 - 10,000 word limit (priority given to flash fic under 1,000 words)
DARK DISCOVERIES -- www.darkdiscoveries.com
NOTE: Temporarily closed to submissions
5 cents per word
500 - 6500 word limit
FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION -- www.sfsite.com/fsf/
.06 to .09 cents/word
25,000 word limit
(duotrope had them listed as accepting horror the last time I checked)
FLASH FICTION ONLINE -- www.flashfictiononline.com
$50 per story (qualifies for SFWA Membership and HWA Affiliate Membership)
500 - 1000 word limit
GLIMMER TRAIN -- www.glimmertrain.com
NOTE: Per www.ralan.com, they have stated they will consider "LITERARY genre work." Probably a tough nut to crack, but they're very highly regarded, so if you have an outstanding, literary horror story that you think will make the grade, go for it.
Word counts, payments and general guidelinse vary from month to month. Please read guidelines for details.
GUD MAGAZINE -- www.gudmagazine.com
NOTE:Currently closed to submissions. Most recent note from website: "We are still closed to submissions for the forseeable future, as we get Issues 7 and 8 out the door. We intend to have news regarding Issue 7 early September 2012."
.03 cents/word +Royalties
15,000 word limit
ON SPEC MAGAZINE -- www.onspec.ca/
NOTE: Currently closed to submissions. From the website: "Thanks for your interest. We are currently closed to new submissions, while we read submissions from the previous period. Please continue to visit our website for updates, follow us on Twitter (@onspecmagazine) and/or join our Facebook group ("I Read On Spec")."
.03 cents/word and up (rates in Canadian currency)
6,000 word limit
ORSON SCOTT CARD's INTERGALACTIC MEDICINE SHOW -- www.intergalacticmedicineshow.com
NOTE: From the website "...'horror' in the sense of supernatural suspense (not gory bloodfests, thanks)."
6 cents per word up to 7500 words; 5 cents a word thereafter
No word limit
THE PEDESTAL MAGAZINE -- www.thepedestalmagazine.com
NOTE: From the website "FROM AUGUST 28-OCTOBER 13, AND AGAIN FROM OCTOBER 28-DECEMBER 13, WE WILL ONLY BE RECEIVING POETRY SUBMISSIONS"
5 cents per word
Word limit unknown
PENUMBRA -- musapublishing.blogspot.com
5 cents per word
100 - 3,500 words
SHIMMER -- www.shimmerzine.com
5 cents per word, minimum $10
10,000 word limit
WEIRD TALES -- www.weirdtalesmagazine.com
NOTE: Currently closed to fiction submissions
.03 to .04 cents/word
10,000 word limit (query for longer works)
ALWAYS CHECK WEBSITES FOR SPECIFIC GUIDELINES
DISCLAIMER: While I'm hoping one of these mags will help me on the way to HWA membership someday, they may or may not qualify for affiliate/active membership. Ultimately, I think, it is up to the membership comittee at the HWA to determine which sales do or do not qualify you for membership. Still, I hope the list can help someone.
I may try and do a similar list for the Sci-fi forum later this summer for SFWA membership, unless someone beats me to it.
Good luck everyone. And if you beat me to HWA membership using this list, I'll put a voodoo curse on you worse than any Thinner the King could dream up. Just kidding...or am I?
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