Deadline: July 15th, 2024
Payment: $20, and a hardcover copy of the anthology
Theme: horror stories of all subgenres about souls wandering the earth after being separated from their bodies

Word Count: 2,000-5,000
Call Open: June 1-July 15, 2024
Publication: One story included in each edition of our bi-weekly newsletter, July thru December 2024. In January, all stories will be published in a special hardcover anthology.
Call: We’re looking for horror stories of all subgenres about souls wandering the earth after being separated from their bodies, but before arriving at their final destinations (though part of the story may take place pre-death or post-arrival).

Undertaker Books is a royalty-paying, full-service publisher. This means we do not charge fees to the author at any time. We pay a royalty rate of 50% of distribution payouts. This can mean you will earn different rates for books sold through different outlets. Our contracts are for digital and print worldwide English rights. At this stage, we do not provide advance payments unless specified for anthology calls.

SUBMISSIONS ARE TO BE SENT TO: [email protected]

• Modern Shunn Format is preferred. Please review this website if you are unsure how to proceed.
• Submit the first 20 pages of your manuscript as a single .doc(x) file attachment.
• If submitting for general consideration, please include a one page synopsis of the plot (including the ending) with working title, category or subgenre, and word count.
• In the body of your email, please include a cover letter containing: a short author bio,your legal name, pen name (if applicable), social media links, and website.

WHAT WE WILL NOT ACCEPT

• No AI-generated content. If an author’s work is discovered to be generated by AI, the work will be rejected (or unpublished). View our AI Use Policy.
• No depictions of sexual assault against children.
• No animal abuse.
• No reprints or previously published works.
• No unfinished stories or rough drafts.

At Undertaker Books, we tend to make decisions based on what we would like as writers. One of the things that drives D.L. crazy is when an anthology opens a call and only gives him a month to get a story together. Can he do it? Of course. But it usually means dropping everything to grind out the story (with little time for revision and edits). And that isn’t always possible.

With that in mind, we’ve decided to post the details for our remaining anthologies for which we will hold open calls in 2024. This will let you know what we’re looking for in terms of subject and length, and when we will be accepting submissions for those calls.

D.L. Winchester is the editor of all remaining 2024 anthologies. Please remember that he does not accept:

-Depictions of child molestation

-Depictions of animal abuse

-Stories that include copyrighted characters (fan fiction)

Payment will vary depending on the anthology, and be included in the official call, which will be published prior to the call opening.

 

IMPORTANT: PLEASE WAIT UNTIL THE SUBMISSION WINDOW IS OPEN TO SUBMIT YOUR STORY. Stories received outside of the submission window are subject to being deleted unread. We’re trying to help you by giving you time to prepare; help us by waiting until we’re ready to send us your story.

Via: Undertaker Books.