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

Anthology / Events / Flat Amount

 by 

Taking Submissions: Tales of Galactic Pest Control

Deadline: July 1st, 2025
Payment: $100 or higher depending on Kickstartr
Theme: Short stories that explore the theme of pest control in creative, unexpected, and engaging ways.

We’re seeking original short stories that explore the theme of pest control in creative, unexpected, and engaging ways. However, don’t be misled by the title—this is not a shared-universe project, nor does your story have to be set in space or on an alien world. Your tale can take place anywhere—on a starship, in a medieval village, deep in the jungle, or even within the microcosm of a single human body. The crucial element is the struggle against some form of infestation, nuisance, or destructive force.

Your protagonist might be a seasoned exterminator, a desperate homeowner battling an alien infestation, or even the pest itself, trying to survive against overwhelming odds. We welcome a wide range of tones, from serious and thought-provoking explorations of ethical dilemmas to lighthearted, comedic takes on interstellar vermin problems. Whether your story leans toward hard science fiction, space opera, fantasy, horror, or slipstream, as long as it aligns with the pest control theme, we want to see it!

(more…)

Anthology / Events / Royalties

 by 

Taking Submissions: Elven Rock of Ages

Deadline: August 31st, 2025
Payment: Royalties
Theme: A 1980s band that end up in a fantasy kingdom (a few specific details to include below.)

Announcing the latest open call by Ps and Qs Publishing! Elven Rock of Ages

 

What I’m Looking For: 

 

Rift is tired of ruling his Elven Kingdom. He’s been maintaining peace for a thousand years. His son is ready to take over and his daughter is leading his armies. He has nothing to do except sit in his court and pretend to be entertained. Enter a 1980s band that managed to stumble into his kingdom. Finally, something new. Deciding that playing rock music is how he wants to spend his time, he and three of his most trusted guards head out into the world. They take on the names, 

 

Rift – singer

Belanger – bass 

Draye – guitar 

Todd – drummer (Someone has to have a normal human name.) 

1988 – Band Name

(more…)

Articles

 by 

Meta’s Use of Pirated Material to Train AI, and Why You Should Care

Meta’s Use of Pirated Material to Train AI, and Why You Should Care

 

It all started with a piece in The Atlantic by Alex Reisner ( https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/03/libgen-meta-openai/682093/ ) revealing that Meta, the organisation behind social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram, have been using a library of pirated written material to train their generative AI. Of course, this is a bit of a simplistic starting point. There have been ongoing outrages throughout creative communities for years now, including legal cases brought by users of DeviantArt to MidJourney for their use of copyrighted images to train AI ( https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2024/05/10/deviantart-midjourney-stable-diffusion-artificial-intelligence-image-generators ). Similarly, a group of authors, including Paul Tremblay and Mona Awad, brought a lawsuit against OpenAI for book scraping ( https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jul/05/authors-file-a-lawsuit-against-openai-for-unlawfully-ingesting-their-books ) that were partially dismissed in February ( https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/feb/14/two-openai-book-lawsuits-partially-dismissed-by-california-court ). But the recent furore, and the betrayal of the writing community, is suddenly very focused around this issue.

(more…)

Anthology / Contributor's Copy / Events / Flat Amount

 by 

Taking Submissions: High Stakes and Bloody Business

Deadline: July 31st, 2025
Payment: One free paperback OR $10 USD
Theme: Stories that involve vampires. Your vampire(s) can be the whumpee, whumper, and/or caretaker. We will also consider stories about vampire-adjacent creatures such as dhampirs, succubi, etc.

Bring out your vampires! For WPP’s fourth anthology, we’re looking for stories that involve vampires. Your vampire(s) can be the whumpee, whumper, and/or caretaker. We will also consider stories about vampire-adjacent creatures such as dhampirs, succubi, etc.

Word Count: Up to 17,500 words

 

(more…)

Articles / For Readers / Reviews

 by 

Epeolatry Book Review: Black Cat Tales, An Anthology of Black Cats, ed. Francesca Maria & Mark Causey

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: Black Cat Tales, An Anthology of Black Cats
Author: Various, ed. Francesca Maria and Mark Causey
Genre: Horror, Dark Fantasy
Publisher: Black Cat Publishing
Publication date: 13th June, 2025

Synopsis: A black cat approaches, do you let it cross your path, or run in the opposite direction? From the superstitious to the unlucky, from a witch’s familiar to a soul stealing grave robber, black cats have captured our imagination and remain solidly in the realm of the dark. 

Join authors from around the world for never before published horror, dark fantasy and mystery short stories and poems featuring the beloved, feared and mystical black cat. Black Cat Tales showcases a diverse group of authors ranging in age from 17 to 80, some with multiple award winning publications under their belts, for others, this will be the first time seeing their work in print.

(more…)

Articles

 by 

Writing Prompt Wednesdays: The Fool

Writing Prompt Wednesdays: The Fool

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:

(more…)

Articles

 by 

Rest In Peace Patrick Winters

It is with great sadness and shock that Horror Tree heard of the passing of writer Patrick Winters following a battle with ill-health that we all thought he had won.

Patrick had been a longstanding contributor to Trembling With Fear (TWF), and when I did a quick check of TWF’s emails, I saw possibly his first submission was to Stuart back in January, 2017. His last submission was early 2024. This means he is someone who has worked with all three editors at TWF: Stuart, myself, and Lauren!

His writing was always enjoyable, often with a good twist, and he was certainly skilled at his art. He was also able to home in on an editor’s interests. I recall an Unholy Trinity written as an homage to the rock band Dio, and Patrick was fully aware of my love of metal (this can be read here). So it was with great delight that we watched him move beyond TWF, with wider publishing success, including his novelette, Seeing, which I reviewed on its publication. Even more poignant now was his very recent announcement sharing the news of his upcoming debut short story collection, Ghosts Will Haunt My Bones, with Baynam Books Press. And he continued all this whilst hitting ups and downs of serious illness and personal loss. I honestly think he had a lot more to offer the writing world – if only he had been given more time. He was a man of resolution, determination, and not an ounce of self-pity, and will always be a part of the TWF family at Horror Tree.

You can find full details of his writing on his website Publications – Patrick Winters, and this includes those published on TWF.

If you have a memory you wish to share with his family and friends, you can do so here.

Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this time.

Events / Flash / Flat Amount / Magazine / Poetry / Reprints Allowed

 by 

Taking Submissions: The Lorelei Signal 2025 Oct – Dec Issue Window

Submission Window: April 15th – May 15th, 2025
Payment: $15.00 for short stories $5.00 for poems and flash (<1000 wds) fiction pieces. $5.00 for reprints
Theme: SF/Fantasy stories that feature strong / complex female characters

The Lorelei Signal is a quarterly SF/Fantasy electronic magazine – one that will feature strong / complex female characters. This does not mean your female character has to be the main hero or villain in the story. What it does mean is no shrinking violets, or women who serve only to get into trouble so the male hero can rescue them.


Each issue I hope to publish:
7 short stories, 1 flash fiction piece and 2 poems
that meet the following guidelines:

My primary guideline is simple:
Write a good fantasy story with strong/complex characters.

What I am NOT looking for – erotica / slash / or other such stories.
Although well written love scenes that are IMPORTANT to the story will be considered on a story-by-story basis.

(more…)