Opening Early to Mid-12/17
Novelettes (10,000-17,000 words), novella (17,001-45,000 words), novels (45,001-250,000 words, open to series so long as first book is completed), and collections of short stories (15,000-45,000 words). This is for commercial horror, suspense, thriller, and crime primarily. At this time I’m not interested in anything too abstract or bizarre, weird is fine as long as there is suspense and a beginning, middle, and end. Think the hits by Stephen King, Ronald Malfi, Anne Rice, Shirley Jackson, Bentley Little, Peter Straub, Stephen Graham Jones, Lawrence Block, Megan Abbott, Gillian Flynn, Thomas Harris, you get the idea. Monsters, bad people, ghosts, witches, ominous everyday items, slashers, original zombie situations, haunted houses, kidnappings, heists, murders, plots to murder, etc. No cop dramas. No war stories (this universe or any other). No adventure horror running along the lines finding Bigfoot, King Kong, Loch Ness monster, Kaiju, shark attacks (Severed Press has this pretty well covered).
Collections must be at least 50% externally published anthology/magazine/chapbook reprints.
Reprints welcome for novellas and novels, through preferably those a few years removed from print (or those that didn't see print for very long). Previously self-published books are an extremely difficult sell.
Very short releases will be digital only, but a window for further submissions will be open past closure for omnibus paperback possibilities or joint releases of similar stories (basically, the minimum for physical publication is (21,000 words).
The pay rate is 50% of net profits for eBooks and paperbacks and unlimited discounted paperback copies available (rate determined with each title, and potentially fluctuate based on printer prices). There are no advances. All writers must agree to assist in marketing efforts (blog appearances, interviews, etc.). If you think the publisher should do all of this alone, take a hike!
Edits range from minimal to heavy, if you are unwilling to make changes, consider compromises, or relent on the absurd number of em dashes and semicolons you us, don’t submit.
Submit no more than twice to this category per open period. If I accept your story, don't submit again... I find I need to state even the obvious because knowing how to open and save a Word doc does not guarantee common sense.
In your cover letter, explain your story in no more than three sentences. Give me a two sentence bio. List your top three credits, blog address, Facebook or Twitter address (yep, I like to know if I’d like to work with you before I get too deep into things). If you’re not on social media, there’s no way you can get the word out sufficiently after releases, and your work will not be considered (unless you own a bookstore). Please do not tell me your sexual orientation or skin colour. I don’t really care. It’s off-putting when people think things out of their control should give them a leg up. That said, stories from non-typical points of view are welcome, particularly rural stories about realistic human-beings.
Also, generally, if you’re pro-Trump, pro-Farage, pro-Richard Spencer, pro-Alt-Right, I won’t read your stuff because you’re a racist, sexist, or plain fucking stupid, probably all three. Yes, I do think it is fine to discriminate against this group. This has nothing to do with politics, this has to do with humanity, the environment, and not lending the platform I've created to human sludge.
Response time will vary, but I will respond within six months, typically within one month.
If you need to withdraw or change file, do so on Submittable (to change, withdraw and re-submit, but no more than once because it eats submission window space - 300/month).
NEVER SUBMIT MORE THAN ONCE PER CATEGORY AT ANY GIVEN TIME. FOR REAL.
Simultaneous submissions are fine, notify me if another editor beats me to acceptance when you withdraw the submission.
Send any questions or queries about reprint interest to me, Eddie Generous, at unnervingmagazine@gmail.com
Will close once enough stories are found.
