Submission Guidelines for DEAD MAN'S LAND

DEAD MAN'S LAND

Anthology of War/Military Horror Stories

Wicked Shadow Press invites horror fiction submissions for publication in its anthology "DEAD MAN'S LAND" (Expected release: July/August 2025). The submission deadline is May 31, 2025.

No Man’s Land is that harrowing stretch of earth between warring trenches. In Wicked Shadow Press' Dead Man’s Land, we nudge you to go a few steps further—into ghost-ridden battlegrounds, haunted outposts and the fragile minds of those who carry war inside them. This is where the dead don’t rest, and something else may be watching from behind the haze of battle.

We’re looking for stories that explore the horror of war—not just with bullets and blood, but with silence, memory, madness, and myth. Whether set in the mud of World War I, a more recent battlefield or an intergalactic conflict only the soul can feel, your story is welcome here.

Feel free to come up with your own storyline or get started with one of our WRITING PROMPTS:

1) Soldiers receive letters from home containing information only their deceased loved ones would know. The letters urge them to commit acts that defy their orders.

2) A field radio picks up distress calls from units long since destroyed. Responding to these calls leads soldiers into ambushes that mirror past battles.

3) A newly dug trench on the front line seems to shift positions overnight, as soldiers assigned to it begin vanishing without a trace. Those who return speak of walls that breathe and soil that whispers.

4) A secret military experiment revives fallen soldiers to bolster dwindling ranks. But the resurrected troops begin exhibiting behaviour that suggests they remember their deaths—and who caused them.

5) A watchtower remains untouched despite numerous attacks, but every soldier assigned there disappears. Their replacements report seeing figures in the surrounding woods, always watching.

6) During a temporary ceasefire, both sides report dreams of a third army rising from the earth, composed of the war's casualties. The dreams end with a date that is fast approaching.

All Horror Subgenres Welcome.

THEME: The story MUST feature a warzone and/or military personnel in a major/prominent manner.

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WE ARE ACCEPTING 

Short Stories: (between 1500-8000 words) Please send no more than ONE fiction

Flash Fiction: (between 50-1500 words) Please send no more than TWO flash fictions

We are considering TRANSLATED WORKS as well. Submission of translated works must be accompanied by a statement declaring that the translator has obtained the author’s permission and their publisher’s, if required.

Simultaneous Submissions are welcome but the author must inform us by e-mail as soon as the submitted piece is accepted elsewhere. Pieces cannot be withdrawn once Wicked Shadow Press informs the author of its acceptance for publication.

We consider reprints but generally do not publish them unless they are exceptional. Please mention in the mail body in case your submission is a reprint.

At present, we are unable to pay our contributors. Each contributor shall receive a COMPLIMENTARY DIGITAL COPY of the anthology as soon as it publishes.

Manuscripts should directly be sent to WickedShadowPress@gmail.com

Please write Submission for DEAD MAN'S LAND in the subject line of your submission email.

Please submit your files in the following formats: .doc /.docx /.txt. DO NOT submit PDFs. 

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Wicked Shadow Press uses non exclusive rights to publish in its anthologies. Authors are free to republish their work anywhere else once it has been published.

Please submit only original pieces. Wicked Shadow Press or the editor/s of the anthology shall not be responsible for any disputes arising due to plagiarism or copyright infringement.

Each piece MUST be attached with a short bio of the author, preferably within 100 words, and if possible, a photograph of the author to go along with publication. 

NOTE: We typically reply within a month after receiving submissions. However, replies can be delayed under unforeseen circumstances.