top of page
Search
wickedshadowpress

Submission Guidelines for MERRY CREEPSMAS


MERRY CREEPSMAS

Anthology of Christmas-themed Horror Stories


Wicked Shadow Press invites Christmas-themed horror fiction submissions for publication in its anthology "Merry Creepsmas" (Expected release: December 2024). The final date of submission is November 22, 2024


Deck the halls with fear and foreboding! Wicked Shadow Press is thrilled to announce a call for submissions for Merry Creepsmas, a chilling anthology of Christmas-themed horror stories. So bring on your dark holiday imaginings, and your twisted yuletide nightmares. This anthology will bring together the most creative, heart-pounding holiday horrors in beautifully illustrated paperback and minimal ebook formats.


Feel free to come up with your own story or get started with one of our writing prompts below:


  1. Ten days before Christmas, a young woman begins receiving empty gift boxes wrapped in dark wrapping paper each day, that seems to hint at her worst memories and traumas, as if someone—or something—knows her every fear.

  2. A man escaping the holiday blues and staying in a mountain cabin, starts hearing eerie carols from the forest every night. The voices are familiar, echoing the voices of his family and loved ones, the very ones he has been trying to get away from.

  3. After the death of her father, a young woman finds his old list of "naughty" names in a dusty attic box. She realises that most of them have already passed away in horrible ways on Christmas eve, all after his father's untimely death on a 24th December years ago.

  4. An obsessed collector of Christmas-themed snowglobes purchases a collection during a yard-sale, each one capturing a scene of a cozy home. But soon enough, he realises each miniature depicts a violent crime scene—and they’re coming true in his own neighbourhood.

  5. An unnatural snowfall covers a village in a tropical country, on Christmas Eve. Those who touch the snow feel an inexplicable pull toward the stars. Soon, some villagers disappear, with no trace but a pathway of snow leading into the forest, where overnight, the trees seem to have attained impossible heights.

  6. Despite starring in the biggest summer blockbuster, the actor who played the famous Christmas slasher begins facing flak as a copycat killer emerges in real life. Things turn from bad to worse when the real killer decides to hunt the actor down on Christmas eve.


All Horror Sub-Genres welcome. The story must feature Christmas as the background/theme.


WE ARE ACCEPTING:


Flash Fictions: (between 50-1500 words) Please send no more than TWO flash fictions per submission.


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


We are accepting 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 absolutely 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 CREEPSMAS in the subject line of your submission email.


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


----------


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 to go along with publication. 


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

222 views0 comments

Comments


bottom of page