The Unopened Door

A project of Owl Hollow Press (see other related projects).

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

About

If you found a door that was never meant to be opened… would you open it?
Some doors are locked to keep danger out. Others are locked to secrets inside.
In literature, we see it often: Narnia’s wardrobe, Alice’s rabbit hole, Coraline’s door to the Other World. These are just a few examples, but any mundane entry could be a story waiting to be told.
An abandoned fallout shelter. A hatch buried beneath Antarctic ice. A forgotten room behind a fireplace. A cave sealed by an ancient civilization. A rusted submarine airlock. A child's bedroom closet that suddenly appears where no closet existed before.
In this anthology, we will explore stories where someone ignores the warnings and opens something that should have remained shut.
What waits on the other side isn’t always a monster—but it always comes with a price. From mysterious happenings and supernatural suspense to psychological thrillers and dark fantasy, The Unopened Door explores humanity’s oldest temptation: the irresistible need to know what's hidden behind the next threshold.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 2026

Publication Media & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: One-time publication
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:

Open to all/most Genres, including:
General
Fantasy Open to all/most Subgenres
Horror Open to all/most Subgenres
Romance Open to all/most Subgenres
Science Fiction Open to all/most Subgenres

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Up to 1,000 words.
Short Story: 1,000 - 7,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Mainstream, Realist.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Other: See guidelines.

Payment:

Token payment (under 1 US cent per word) to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Provides free copy/copies Pay ranges from Token payment to Professional payment. Provides free copy/copies. Details: USD $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.

No recent cover image available for The Unopened Door

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The Unopened Door 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.

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Accuracy

We have received 16 reports from 16 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Days Reported

10 min | 18.3 mean avg | 18.5 median | 25 max days (5.2 std dev)

Responses

100.00 %

Acceptances:

6.25 % of submissions accepted (22.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 6.25 % of submitters accepted

Rejections:

93.75 % (18.0 avg. days per rejection) | 33.3 % personal, 46.7 % form, 20.0 % unspecified | 18.8 % shortlisted

Non-Responses

0.00 %

Lost/Returned:

Never Responded:

Withdrawals

Pending

5 responses are pending (19 min | 23.8 mean avg | 24.0 median | 29 max days waiting | 3.7 std dev) from 5 different members

Other Information

Most recent response reported was received on 11 Sep 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 31 Aug 2026.
Date compiled: 15 Sep 2026 10:00 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: 31 Aug 2026