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Screams and Wails Anthology

A project of The Slab Press (see other related projects).

Permanently Closed: This project is permanently closed to submissions (February 2026). We provide the following information as an archive.

About

Screams and Wails will be an anthology of original horror short stories with music at their still-beating heart. Think cursed instruments; songs that drive the listener mad; zombie fans; haunted studios.

What we will love: anything with music or music culture as a predominant theme, but are particularly keen on alternative rock types such as rock, indie, metal, goth, prog, dub etc. We want the mood, style and trappings of music, which means fiction, aspiration, glamour, dirt and grit, but mostly fiction.

What we don’t want: anything that will land us with a lawsuit, thank you. No real music lyrics!

Country of Publication

United Kingdom

Publication Medium & Frequency

Print Publication Print Publication
One-time publication

AI Policy

Human-created work only; no AI use allowed

Fiction Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

Horror Open to all/most Subgenres

Lengths:

Short Story: 2,000 - 7,500 words.
Novelette: 7,500 - 9,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Mainstream.

Topics:

Music.
Other: See guidelines.

Payment:

Token payment (under 1 US cent per word) to Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) Pay ranges from Token payment to Semi-pro payment. Details: GBP £0.01/word up to £50.

Submissions:

Method: Email.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
Multiple entries: Unknown.
Media: Text.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

Screams and Wails Anthology Submission Statistics

The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the publication's editors/staff or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics.

Filter:
Accuracy
We have received 13 reports from 13 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported
11 min | 204.0 mean avg | 204.0 median | 248 max days (58.4 std dev)
Responses
92.31 %
Acceptances:
7.69 % of submissions accepted (11.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 7.69 % of submitters accepted Rejections are often underreported, which skews the statistics in favor of acceptances. Most publishers have a lower acceptance rate than indicated here.
Rejections:
84.62 % (213.1 avg. days per rejection) | 27.3 % personal, 63.6 % form, 9.1 % unspecified
Non-Responses
7.69 %
Lost/Returned:
-
Never Responded:
7.69 % (157.0 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)
Withdrawals
-
Pending
1 response is pending (209 days waiting). This only includes pending reports from people who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

Most submissions are acknowledged on the same day.
Most recent response reported was received on 07 Sep 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 27 Feb 2026.
Date compiled: 12 Sep 2026 11:39 UTC (less than a minute ago).
View report of recent responses from this project

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Before Submitting

We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is correct. It is not unusual for publications to evolve or close without notice. We do our best to keep up, but it isn't always possible. Duotrope listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation of the project being listed. Before submitting, you should use your own judgment to determine whether the project meets your standards.

  • Always read the full guidelines provided by the publisher.
  • Try to read at least one previous publication to get a better idea of what the editor would like to see.
  • Unless the publisher's guidelines state otherwise, always use industry standard manuscript formatting.
  • Be professional, patient, and persistent.

Dates

Last Updated: 22 May 2026

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