Your guide to Trembling With Fear, Horror Tree’s free fiction zine

It’s been more than seven years since Horror Tree launched its own section dedicated to the dark and speculative stories—seven whole years! And interest has just kept growing and writhing and building into this massive beast we see today. There’s the annual anthology, of course, and the weekly publication of a short story and three drabbles, but there’s also our four special themed editions each year, the unholy trinities of connected drabbles, and the serialised stories of up to 15,000 words. That’s an awful lot of work for one person.

Thankfully, it hasn’t been one person for a while. Stuart brought in Stephanie Ellis to helm TWF, who then added Amanda Headlee to the team to help with things not-the-weekly-edition. When Steph retired from TWF Towers in 2022, Lauren McMenemy moved in. Amanda moved on, and Shalini Bethala moved into the same space. But now Shalini’s had to retire, too, which left us with a choice: stay the same, or take some growth hormones in the hope that a bigger Tower will mean less lateness and burnout for Lauren and Stuart.

And so it goes that TWF Towers added four new levels.

We thought it was about time we introduced you to not only the newbies, but also the two of us who talk to you every week from the Tower courtyard. So here we go, a chance to meet the expanded full TWF team—yep, even Stuart and Lauren—and hear more about what they’re looking for. This is important reading, dear children of the dark…

PS at the bottom of this page, you’ll find a wrap-up of what we’re looking for. Consider this your all-singing, all-dancing guide to Horror Tree’s free fiction. Bookmark this page; it might come in handy.

(Photo by Julia Kadel on Unsplash)

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The familiar crew is still here!

Stuart Conover, Publisher
Based in: Chicago, USA

Stuart Conover is a father, husband, published author, blogger, geek, entrepreneur, horror fanatic, and runs a few websites including Horror Tree. He says:

“First off, I’d love to share another warm welcome to our expanded Trembling With Fear editorial staff! I’ve had a few ideas on ways to expand where TWF is going and it sounds like some of that may finally be on the horizon. Everyone so far has seemed lovely for the few chats we’ve had and I can’t wait to get to know everyone better!”

What are you looking for in terms of submissions to your section?
Obviously, when starting Horror Tree, I did so with being a huge fan of horror. That being said, I’ve really been enjoying the darker science fiction and darker fantasy submissions from the past few years. They’ve mixed things up, and as I love all forms of speculative fiction, the blending of genres has been a huge win for both my personal reading and giving us newer outlooks of fiction on the site!

Any tips on submitting to you / working with you?
I love quirky characters, bold ideas, and fresh takes on existing ones. As mentioned above, I’ve become a massive fan of mixed-genre work. We’ve truly had some amazing stories sent into Horror Tree, and I thank each and every one of you for sharing your work with us!

Trigger/content warnings – what won’t get past you in a submission?
The main thing that turns me off is anything where we see pain coming to kids. I’m not a fan of it happening to animals either, but ever since I became a father, it has been an area of horror that I can’t stomach.

 

Lauren McMenemy, TWF Editor-in-Chief
Based in: London, UK

Lauren McMenemy wears many hats: Editor-in-Chief at Trembling With Fear for horrortree.com; PR and marketing for the British Fantasy Society; founder of the Society of Ink Slingers; curator of the Writing the Occult virtual events. With 25+ years as a professional writer across journalism, marketing, and communications, Lauren also works as a coach and mentor to writers looking to achieve goals, get accountability, or get support with their marketing efforts. She writes gothic and folk horror stories for her own amusement, and is currently working on a novel set in the world of the Victorian occult. You’ll find Lauren haunting south London, where she lives with her Doctor Who-obsessed husband, the ghost of their aged black house rabbit, and the entity that lives in the walls.

What are you looking for in terms of submissions to your section?
I’ve been told I’ve “really made” TWF my “own”, but I think that happens naturally as new editors come in and inevitably bring their personal style and biases to the table. I agree with the bossman: I’m loving the darker fantasy and dark scifi that’s been trickling in, and would love to see more of it, too. Last year we had a stack of mythology and fairytale-style pieces and I’m missing those as the stream has dried. Folk horror and occult stories will always get me, and supernatural beasts and paranormal themes tickle my fancy. But basically I’m looking to reflect the wide range of dark speculative fiction that’s out there right now, so if it’s dark and has something a little (or a lot!) unreal about it, if it’s a bit skewed from normal reality, then send it in! (I know humans are monsters; I don’t really care for human-on-human horror.)

Any tips on submitting to you / working with you?
Just be patient, please! This new and expanded team is fabulous, but it’ll take us a while to get into a good flow. In the meantime, it will still take us a while to get back to you when you submit because we are all volunteers with lives and day jobs and chronic illnesses and all sorts. We do this for the love of the genre and because we genuinely enjoy helping new writers get published, so just bear that in mind before you slide into my DMs to chase me. We do get back to every single person who submits; drabbles are obviously quicker to get through, and if you submit to one of our short story windows you will definitely hear before the next one opens, but probably towards the end of that period. Also, please make sure you read and stick to our submission guidelines!

Trigger/content warnings – what won’t get past you in a submission?
Beyond what you see in the submission guidelines as definite no-nos, I’m pretty open-minded. I will, though, be unlikely to take anything that reads as thinly-veiled misogyny (and, yes, misandry), and especially poorly-written women characters that live in their underwear. I’ve seen some doozies come through TWF Towers that made me want to throw something at the wall… Oh, and sexual violence is not a plot device, and your character exhibiting any of our no-nos as part of the “hey! they get their comeuppance!” also won’t get through. It’s still airing those themes regardless of noble intent.

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And meet the new residents of TWF Towers!

Lynn Huggins-Cooper, Assistant Editor: Seasonal issues
Based in: Cornwall, UK

I’m Lynn, the new editor of TWF’s seasonal issues. Speculative fiction, in all of its tentacled, time-travelling, terrifying glory is my passion and permeates my life. I grew up on horror comics and Ray Bradbury stories, and that love of the weird, strange and gothic never left me. For my ‘day job’, apart from writing all things creepy (from children’s and YA such as the Too Ghoul for School series to Adult Folk Horror and academic writing such as Fear and loathing: Mental illness and the othering of the zombie in Zombie Futures in Literature, Media and Culture) I lecture on the (BA Hons) Creative Writing at Falmouth University—and my favourite module to teach is Genres and Disruptive Fictions, because I get to introduce my students to many fantastic authors and the techniques they use to create their strange and uncanny worlds.

Why did you want to join the TWF team?
I love Horror Tree and the opportunities it brings to authors like us. When the chance came to join the TWF team I was keen to get involved in this creepiest of clubs because the Horror Community are my people. I knew Lauren, the Editor-in-Chief, from her amazing work with the British Fantasy Society and via her Writing the Occult courses (check them out if you haven’t already)—and I knew I would be in the safest and friendliest of hands.

Add to that the dimension of encouraging fellow writers and helping them to grow their careers, and I’m in. When I’m not writing or reading horror, I’m immersed in the world of Horror Studies, or teaching students to write speculative fiction. If I could slide through a time-slip and tell little me (no doubt curled up with a Creepy Worlds comic, eating sherbet) that one day I would make a living from writing horror and talking about it, I think I’d explode into a cloud of bats! Nothing excites me more than discovering new talent and giving people a hand up into the glorious world of publishing, so the TWF team is the ideal place for me!

What are you looking for in terms of submissions to your section?
In this role, I am looking for submissions that are oozing with seasonal atmosphere. For Halloween, our next issue, I want stories redolent with pumpkin pie and skittering leaves. I want parties with eerie guests, October tours of catacombs lit with lanterns, and graveyards full of revellers (alive and undead). I want midnight seances and windows decorated with kitsch ghostly figures; I want mirrors reflecting flickering candles to see the future but revealing hidden pasts. I want your stories to make me sniff the air and smell Halloween! It will be the same for each issue. I want stories that exude the essence of each season—Valentine’s Day, the sultry weight of Summer, and the lights (and darkness) of midwinter for Christmas.

Any tips on submitting to you / working with you? What won’t get past you in a submission?
If you are submitting to me, be aware that seasonal issues won’t accept stories that fall foul of any of the standard ‘don’t be a dick’ rules—no racism, homophobia, misogyny, transphobia, etc. In addition to this, I’m not interested in any stories containing graphic sexual violence, animal abuse, child abuse or tired tropes about mental illness (see ‘don’t be a dick’ rules). If in doubt, run an idea by me before submitting.

At the beginning of each submission period, I’ll be creaking open the doors of the seasonal Open House, platters of festive treats at the ready, to hold a live Q&A session for interested potential authors for each issue. Look out for details on Horror Tree for these sessions, as well as occasional writing challenges and mini-masterclass sessions. I can’t wait to read your work!

Sarah Elliott, Assistant Editor: Unholy Trinities
Based in: Nottingham, UK

Sarah has also recently stepped into the role of Interviews Coordinator for the wider Horror Tree site!

Sarah Elliott is a writer, spoken word artist, poet and self-published author (Warrior Wisdom Sun 2022, United Under One Sun 2023). She regularly hosts writing hours and monthly flash fiction workshops with the London Writers’ Salon. Her articles, stories, and author interviews can be found on the Horror Tree website and her work has been published in Red Rose Thorns magazine, Writing in Community anthology and Hope is a Group Project. Sarah is currently writing a tarot-inspired collection of flash fiction, short prose and poetry. She documents her writing journey in her Substack newsletter, A Writer’s Life. Sarah serves as a social media officer for the writing organisation 26 and is a member of the British Fantasy Society. Based in Nottingham, England, Sarah lives with her cat, Bella. A speculative fiction enthusiast, she enjoys books, films and TV series in the genre. More from Sarah here.

Why did you want to join the TWF team?
I was already contributing in terms of articles and author interviews and I’m grateful for those opportunities, so I wanted to support in other ways. It was also a great way to gain more experience in the writing world and learn new skills, which is always fun!

What are you looking for in terms of submissions to your section?

• Twists on tropes are always interesting
• Different POVs that are thought-provoking
• If dialogue is used, make sure it’s engaging
• Good pace
• The unusual!

Any tips on submitting to you/working with you?

• Please read the submission guidelines and follow them!
• I appreciate clear communication
• Please bear with me if I need to ask questions or gain clarification…

Trigger/content warnings – what won’t get past you in a submission?

• Harm to animals
• Harm to children
• ⁠Misogynistic themes

 

Vicky Brewster, Assistant Editor: Serials
Based in: Wales

Vicky is an academic and editor from South Wales. Their research focuses on 21st-century horror fiction, and they have presented at Romancing the Gothic, the UK Ghost Story Festival, and at numerous academic conferences. They have edited speculative fiction for seven years, and count among their clients prize nominees, Amazon bestsellers, and traditionally published titles. They also produce the podcast, Words Have Power. When not reading, writing, or editing, Vicky enjoys LARP and tabletop roleplay, indoor climbing, and hanging out with their cats.

Why did you want to join the TWF team?
Aside from the fact Lauren McMenemy and I seem to be in some strange congruent timeline where our fates are irreversibly entangled, I’ve been an active supporter of independent speculative and horror publication for years now. I love my indie author clients, and I’m excited to start working with authors of shorter fiction. I think publications like TWF are so awesome for new writers to find a platform and gain experience of the industry, and I’m very excited and privileged to be a part of that.

What are you looking for in terms of submissions for your section?
We live in the age of the reboot, so I’d love to see old tropes done in new ways. I’m excited to find #OwnVoices authors, and to see these dusty old horror tropes through queer, non-white, trans, disabled, feminist lenses. I’m also always delighted to be surprised by something new—and if you can surprise me, I’ll be very impressed! I’m looking for tight stories with intriguing (not necessarily likeable) characters and high stakes.

Any tips on submitting to me?
I don’t really want to impress my own tastes on anyone. I read and enjoy a great variety of texts, and I want to see your authentic authorial voice. Write about what you love and you’re passionate about, and that’ll make me love it too.

Trigger warnings: What won’t make it past your desk?
Needless violence against animals, child sexual assault, fatphobia. I would like to be warned in advance of violence against animals, sexual violence/assault, transphobia, and domestic abuse.

 

Annette Livingstone, Editorial Assistant
Based in: Derby, UK

Annette’s joining us to keep our admin and inbox under control!

Annette is a novice writer with a lifetime’s experience in reading. By day she works in accounts, but at night she will often be found with a book, a mug of coffee and a cat curled up on her lap, or attending another online writing course. She loves all things horror and paranormal—books, films, ghost hunting, and, of course, Halloween (it is her birthday after all). Annette is currently working on her first novel, a paranormal story about a possessed artifact that is inspired by real events from a location she has investigated several times. She started a book review journal this year, which combines her love of reading with her love of stationery and is one of the reasons why she wanted to join the TWF team: to gain more experience and knowledge in writing professional reviews and articles for publications.

Tips for working with Annette:
Have a good sense of humour, understand her almost obsessive need for organising everything and everyone, and the patience to listen to her constantly talking about her ghost hunting adventures.

 

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This is TWF

Trembling With Fear is Horror Tree’s free fiction arm, published right here on this site every week. We publish stories of various lengths in our regular column, our themed calls, and our special editions. And, everything we publish goes into an annual print and digital anthology, sales of which help to fund the site and keep it going.

Weekly edition, published every Sunday

• One short story of up to 1500 words
• Three drabbles of exactly 100 words each

Drabble submissions are welcome year-round (and our Drabble beast has an insatiable appetite), but short stories must only be submitted within the four 2-week open windows: the first two weeks of January, April, July, and October. Any short stories submitted outside of those dates, or over our maximum word count, will be returned unread.

Unholy Trinities, published Fridays

Three drabbles which serve as standalone stories, but are also connected to tell a larger story, idea, or theme.

Serials, published Saturdays

Expanded stories of up to 15,000 words, but which can be broken into distinct chapters and published over consecutive Saturdays. Think of it as the old-style serialised works that made Dickens and Sherlock Holmes household names. As for the theme of these stories? Just make it darkly speculative, please—it doesn’t have to be about serial killers!

Themed calls, published seasonally

• Valentine’s: submissions open between 1 December and 31 January
• Summer holiday: submissions open between 1 April and 31 July
• Halloween: submissions open between 1 August and 13 October
• Christmas: submissions open between 1 November and 7 December

Stories submitted to these seasonal specials can be up to 2500 words, but must be clearly set to the theme in question. That means jilted lovers and ghostly sweethearts for Valentines; campfire stories and backpacking horrors for summer; evil Santas and decorations that are out to kill you for Christmas. As for Halloween? This is quite open, but we get an awful lot of pumpkin-based stories at this time so maybe try to avoid that? Think about the wider idea behind Halloween, the thinning of the veil between worlds, the monsters on the rampage, the lost souls a-wandering…

Take note!

Our submission guidelines are here; they include the topics that will not make it past our censors, so make sure you read them. We’ll always email to confirm we’ve received your submission, but be aware this is a manual process—it might take us up to a week to acknowledge receipt. Nothing automated and fancy at TWF Towers!

Make sure you use the submission form on the submissions page and/or our contact page. Choose the right section from the drop-down menu, and if you’re submitting to a themed call then make sure you tell us which one in the body of the email.

Do not copy and paste your story into the message box. Please upload it as a document (not a PDF!). Make sure you include a short bio with your submission, too.

Every submission is read by multiple members of the team to make sure we reach a consensus.

What are you waiting for? Get submitting!