Last week we published the fourth issue of Ghoulish Tales, so what better time to re-open submissions for issue five?
From September 17 to October 17, we will be considering new short fiction for our horror magazine Ghoulish Tales.
What we are after: 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.
Unsure what we might be talking about? Consider reading one of our back issues for inspiration.
STUFF WE DON’T LIKE: We aren’t really interested in cutesy stories (ugh) or pieces representing religious mythology (boring). Nothing with puns for titles, or stories that feel too silly. No cop protagonists. Absolutely no military fiction. Graphic animal violence is probably not going to get accepted. We do not want stories that are more science fiction than horror. We do not want stories that are more comedy than horror. If you send us anything that has utilized generative AI we will hunt you down for sport.
GUIDELINES
Deadline: October 17, 2025 (11:59 PM CST)
Word count: 5,000 max (short stories)
Payment: 10c per word
Simultaneous Submissions: Yes
Multiple Submissions: No (Please only submit one story per open call. If we reject you, do not resubmit until we reopen for the next issue.)
Reprints: No
AI Submissions: No. Please note if you are caught sending us an AI story, you will be blacklisted from ever publishing with us in the future. Don’t do it.
How to submit: Send all stories to ghoulishsubmissions @ gmail dot com with [TITLE] – [ LAST NAME] – [STORY/ESSAY] – [WORD COUNT] in the subject line. Please do not copy/paste the story in the body of the email. We prefer Word doc attachments if possible. All inquiries can also be directed to the same address.
In the meantime, please consider subscribing to our FREE newsletter, which is where we will first post any updates regarding our open call. And, if you happen to also enjoy reading horror magazines, here’s the link to subscribe to the magazine.
As you wait, feel free to come hang out in the GHOULISH discord with 1,000+ other likeminded ghouls.
Submissions will be read and considered by Max Booth (they/them), Mindy Rose (she/her), and Lori Michelle Booth (she/her).
Thank you and good luck!
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