Submission Guidelines for UNHOLIER THAN THOU

UNHOLIER THAN THOU

Anthology of Sacrilegious Horror Stories

Wicked Shadow Press invites horror fiction submissions for publication in its anthology "UNHOLIER THAN THOU" (Expected release: November 2025). The submission deadline is September 20, 2025.

Unholier Than Thou seeks tales that explore the dark side of faith, belief and the devilish unknown. Religion, born of fear, is a wellspring of horror rituals. Miracles, martyrs, relics, runes, and revelations can all harbor something terrifying for even modern minds, which are far from fearless . We want stories that wrestle with the holy and the horrific, the divine and the damned; stories rooted in faith, ritual or devotion gone wrong. Think cursed relics, fallen angels, corrupt prophets, sinister cults, miracles with a price, holy places that hide unholy truths.

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

1) Mr. Roy is a lifelong skeptic, but when his terminally ill son is miraculously saved by holy water from the shrine of an ancient Goddess, he begins to wonder if there's something more to placebos.

2) The mysterious tribal chant was supposed to bring peace, solace, enlightenment. Instead, it sends Matthew down a rabbit hole of dark realisations.

3) The Pir Sahab believes Ahmed is under the influence of a djinn, while the young village doctor insists that he suffering from some kind of mental illness.

4) A nun fleeing religious persecution takes shelter in an abandoned hut with an altar for some strange God. When the lustful liberators find the woman, she has already transformed into something unholy.

5) A spate of possession cases in the same district sends the investigating bishop down a wicked path of epiphany as he begins to realise God's plan and the Devil's are one and the same.

6) A Hindu village priest is labeled inauspicious and is rendered jobless after marriages performed by him inevitably end with the unnatural death of a spouse within a matter of weeks.

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WE ARE ACCEPTING 

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

Flash Fiction: (between 100-1500 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 WickedShadowAnthology@gmail.com

Please write Submission for UNHOLIER THAN THOU 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.