The Horror Tree Recent Markets, Articles, Interviews, and Fiction!

Events / Flash / Flat Amount / Magazine / Poetry / Pro

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Taking Submissions: Book Worms Horror Zine Issue #8

Deadline: May 31st, 2025
Payment: 8 cents per word and $25-$50 on poetry depending on length
Theme: Cryptids

Call for Submissions: Cryptid Horror – Summer Issue

This summer, we’re hunting monsters—and we want you to join the chase.

Our upcoming issue is diving deep into cryptid horror, where folklore meets fear and the shadows are never empty. From the fog-drenched hollows of Appalachia to the eerie stillness of primeval forests, we’re looking for stories that stir that ancient dread—the kind that makes you glance over your shoulder… just in case.

Whether it’s beasts from local legend or psychological horrors born from the depths of your own personal wilderness, we want your weirdest, wildest, and most chilling creations.

Think: backwoods folklore, eerie encounters, survival nightmares, and twisted myths.

Unleash your inner cryptozoologist and show us what’s hiding just out of sight.

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Anthology / Events / Royalties

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Taking Submissions: Yay! all queer: Free and Queer

Deadline: June 30th, 2025
Payment: Royalties
Theme: Stories where the main character falls in the LGBTQ+ community in any genre

Submission Period: April 1, 2025, to June 30, 2025

Theme: Yay! all queer II – An LGBTQ+ anthology. We’re searching for LGBTQ+ characters who have a central position within the story. This will be a diverse and inclusive anthology.

There are no restrictions on gender or sexuality. Feel free to create an engaging story with your favorite genre or setting. Mystery, romance, fantasy, or sci-fi are all welcome if the story and characters grab the reader’s interest.

Stories that contain infanticide, gratuitous gore, or rape, including dubious consent, will not be considered. Explicit romance will not be appropriate for this anthology, bring it down a notch, and we’ll certainly give it a look.

Submission Period: April 1, 2025, to June 30, 2025

Submissions: No AI, 1 per author; no reprints, no simultaneous submissions;

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Articles / Reviews

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Epeolatry Book Review: Omniviolence by Jones Worthington

Disclosure:

Our reviews may contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through the links in this article we may receive a small commission or referral fee. This happens without any additional cost to you.

Title: Omniviolence
Author: Jones Worthington
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Vesuvian Books
Publication date: 25th February, 2025

Synopsis: Jackson Cross kills strangers with nothing more than a drone and a computer in exchange for crypto—all from his mother’s basement.

When his accounts are scythed, and he’s pegged at the top of the most popular slaysite, Jackson is ejected from his virtual comfort zone and forced to go on the run.

Joseph “Bones” Carboni is an old-school mafia hitman with a lot of demons and one big problem: he’s developed a conscience. When tasked with slaying fifteen-year-old Jackson, Joe breaks rank. Now, he must decide if playing the hero is worth having a target on his own back.

Attacked from all sides and struggling to survive in a world where your elderly neighbor or an angry kid on social media can be your executioner, neither Joe nor Jackson realize they’ve become entangled in a global power struggle that could change what it means to be human.

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Events / Novella / Royalties

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Dancing Star Press Is Open to SciFi and Fantasy Novellas

Deadline: June 30th, 2025
Payment: Royalties
Theme: Queerer weirder softer ragier hopier anarchier lovelier transier resistier indigenousier earth-lovingier resiliencier justicier LESS WHITE stories that are science fiction or fantasy

What am I looking for? I want to publish queerer weirder softer ragier hopier anarchier lovelier transier resistier indigenousier earth-lovingier resiliencier justicier LESS WHITE stories. I love both fantasy and science fiction, but tend to be pretty picky about horror.

Please no:

  • Splatterpunk
  • Graphic depictions of rape or sexual assault
  • Needless brutalization of women and children
  • Depictions of brutalization or abuse of people with disabilities
  • Graphic abuse of animals

I am not currently interested in works that are a part of a series, but works that are a part of a shared universe are okay.

I am not looking for young adult, middle grade, or children’s works at this time.

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Events / Flash / Flat Amount / Online

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Taking Submissions: Something Old, Something New

Submission Window: June 1st – 30th, 2025
Payment: Stories under 5,000 words will receive $10. Stories up to 10,000 words will be serialized over 2 months and will receive $20
Theme: Speculative Fiction that fits the vibe of unreality, suggest reading previous work from the publisher before submitting
Note: Reprints are acceptable if the story is not freely available online

Our Ko-fi minizine for subscribers

Submissions for this call will be OPENING for the month of June 2025.

The Pink Hydra is starting a Ko-fi minizine!

This is a way to build a subscriber base and steady income without sacrificing our commitment to accessible fiction. Starting July, every ‘off’ month when we’re not publishing The Pink Hydra, we will post a new, exclusive short story on our Ko-fi, paired with a piece of classical artwork, and accompanied by short reviews of stories or books The Pink Hydra loves. For this eclectic mix of classic and new elements, the minizine will be known as Something Old, Something New.

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Articles

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Writing Prompt Wednesdays: What the Horses Keep Secret

Writing Prompt Wednesdays: What the Horses Keep Secret

Welcome to “Writing Prompt Wednesdays,” a haven where your imagination can roam free in the realms of speculative fiction. As we embark on this weekly journey, it’s thrilling to think about the untold stories waiting to be penned in the domains of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. Whether you’re a seasoned author or a budding wordsmith, these prompts are your gateway to unexplored worlds and untapped potentials.

Every Wednesday, we’ll serve up a fresh, thought-provoking prompt designed to ignite your creative spark and challenge your storytelling prowess. Think of these prompts as a key, unlocking the doors to uncharted territories where your creativity is the only limit. From eerie, shadow-laden corridors of Gothic horror to the farthest reaches of interstellar space, and the mystical depths of high fantasy, our prompts are a kaleidoscope of possibilities.

Remember, there’s no right or wrong way to approach these prompts. They are mere stepping stones, guiding you towards the vast landscapes of your imagination. Use them to break free from writer’s block, to experiment with new ideas, or simply as a fun exercise to keep your writing skills sharp.

This week’s writing prompt:

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Anthology / Contributor's Copy / Events / Flat Amount

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Taking Submissions: Lesser Cryptids of Appalachia

Deadline: September 15th, 2025
Payment: $50 and 2 contributors copies
Theme: Lesser known (lost or undiscovered) cryptids of Appalachia

Cicada Books / Brood XIV Books is planning a horror anthology about the lesser (lost or undiscovered) cryptids of Appalachia. We are seeking stories about lesser known creatures from regional authors: no Mothman or Bigfoot, please.

If you are a new or established fiction writer we invite you to submit your original short fiction (3-5k words) for inclusion in this anthology. We are seeking thrills, suspense, and horror! We would add weird, but it feels unnecessary for cryptid tales.

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Events / Flat Amount / Novel / Pro

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Boozhoo Books with Bindery Books Are Open For Horror Novels By Women

Deadline: June 1st, 2025
Payment: $10k advance and 50% of net royalties
Theme: Novel length horror written by women. (BIPOC especially encouraged to submit): haunted house, gothic, cults, social, grief, feral women, feminine rage, historical

Boozhoo Books with Bindery Books has expanded and has an open call for novel length horror written by women. (BIPOC especially encouraged to submit): haunted house, gothic, cults, social, grief, feral women, feminine rage, historical

Deadline: June 1.

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