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This call will be open for one month in
December 2025, March 2026, June 2026, September 2026.
Responses will be out within 2 months of the call close date.
CALL NOW OPEN
We are looking for dark stories, in any genre.
Please ensure your first 500 words compel the reader to want to go further.
Word count : 5,000+
Please include a blurb (40+ words, we’ll work with successful entries to finesse it for publication), and a short synopsis. Your synopsis should absolutely give your plot and twists away. Include both of these in your manuscript, before your story.
Remember: we have a blind read process, which means our read team do not know any of the author’s details. Please do not include your personal information (name, pseudonym, address, email, bio, etc.) in your manuscript – your story will be rejected and will not be eligible for resubmission. However, please include your personal information in the email body.
- Author eligibility : Open to all.
- Reprints : Not allowed.
- Simultaneous Submissions : Not allowed. Please don’t send your manuscript to other publishers while we are evaluating it. We have a small team and we need to allocate our meagre resources to those stories we have a chance of securing.
- Co-authored works : Allowed.
- Multiple Submissions : As many as you like.
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Publication :
Each story will be its own publication, published in digital format, and assigned to one of our new series headers. - Sequels are always a possibility, and where accepted, the first and subsequent publications will be re-directed to the “single author” stream, which includes print editions.
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Author compensation :
Monetary awards will be based on wordcounts after edits (so please don’t pad);
~5,000 to 10,000 – $20 USD
~10,001 to 17,000 – $30 USD
~17,001 to 50,000 – $50 USD
Nothing over 50k, please.
Plus one digital copy
Submit to : shortreads@blackharepress.com
Please allow up to 12 weeks for a response.
Don't forget to check out our Submission Guidelines .
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