Macabre Magazine: Macabre Magazine Nonfiction Calls Gold Star Program Gold Star Free Tip Jar Option

What We Are Looking For

Macabre Magazine is dedicated to nonfiction that interrogates and expands the boundaries of horror. We seek essays, criticism, cultural analysis, and interviews that examine horror across literature, film, art, philosophy, and popular culture.

We value critical writing that situates horror in its broader artistic and social context—work that explores not only what frightens us, but what that fear reveals about humanity itself.

• Essays & Critical Nonfiction: 2,000–6,000 words
• Interviews (Text): 2,000–6,000 words
• Interviews (Audio): Up to 30 minutes in length; must be professionally edited and accompanied by a verbatim transcript (.docx).
• Audio Nonfiction: We welcome recorded essays, conversations, and commentary exploring the art, philosophy, or cultural study of horror.

All submissions must be original and unpublished. We do not consider reprints, translations, or any work created or assisted by AI tools.

Professional presentation matters. Submissions must be prepared in a standard, readable format. We strongly encourage industry-standard practices such as the Shunn Manuscript Format (ignore the contact information instructions).

Checklist for formatting:
• Font: 12-point Times New Roman (or equivalent), black
• Spacing: Double-spaced throughout
• Margins: 1 inch on all sides
• Indentation: 0.5 inch at the start of each paragraph
• Justification: Left-aligned (ragged right)
• Title: Centered on the first page
• Word count: Include in the header of the first page
• File type: Word (.docx) only — no PDFs or plain text files

Submissions not meeting these guidelines may be returned for correction. If a revised file is not received within one (1) week, the submission will be rejected without further consideration.

For audio essays, interviews, or commentary pieces:
• Submit in .mp3 or .wav format (minimum 320 kbps).
• Include a verbatim transcript in a separate .docx file.
• Audio must be clearly mixed and mastered for consistent volume and intelligibility.
• Recorded content must adhere to all ethical, originality, and blind review standards applied to written work.

Submissions not meeting technical or editorial standards may be returned for correction.

Identifying information should appear only in the Duosuma submission form. Files containing identifying details will be rejected unread.

Important: All submissions are reviewed under a strict blind review policy. To preserve the integrity of this process, contributors must remove all identifying information—including names, email addresses, or personal details—from the manuscript and transcript files prior to submission.

Our blind review process ensures that all work—written or audio—is evaluated exclusively on its intellectual merit, originality, and contribution to the study of horror. The review team includes editors, cultural critics, and scholars specializing in literature, media, and the humanities.

We uphold impartiality and equity by focusing solely on the quality of the work itself.

• Multiple Submissions: Authors may have up to two (2) nonfiction submissions active at a time. Review timelines may lengthen accordingly.
• Simultaneous Submissions: Permitted. If your work is accepted elsewhere, you must withdraw it immediately through Duosuma.

We do not accept reprints. This includes any work previously published in print, online, or self-published venues such as blogs, newsletters, Medium, Substack, or Patreon.

Macabre Magazine publishes only original, human-authored work. The use of generative AI is prohibited at every stage of the creative process—including ideation, outlining, drafting, revising, and editing.

Submissions found to involve AI assistance will be rejected immediately and may result in a permanent ban from future consideration.

Critical thought and artistry must come from the human intellect and imagination.

We aim to respond within six (6) weeks. If you have not received a decision after that time, you may query through Duosuma.

At present, Macabre Magazine does not offer monetary payment. Contributors whose work appears in the digital or print edition may receive a complimentary digital copy of the issue in which their work appears.

All accepted contributors are also eligible for a one-year complimentary membership to the American Horror Society, providing professional development resources, networking opportunities, and member-only events.

By submitting your work to Macabre Magazine, you agree to grant the following rights upon acceptance:

• Exclusive First Serial Rights: Six (6) months, in English, following publication. During this time, the contributor agrees not to publish the work elsewhere.
• Perpetual Archival Rights: Non-exclusive rights permitting Macabre Magazine to retain, display, and preserve the work in its digital archives, anthologies, or affiliated platforms.
• Promotional Rights: Perpetual right to reproduce excerpts, images, or media from the work for marketing, publicity, or review purposes that promote the contributor and their work.
• Anthology Inclusion Rights: Right to republish accepted works in future anthologies, special editions, or collected volumes, with full contributor credit.
• Audio Rights: Right to produce, publish, and distribute audio adaptations or narrations of accepted works on our official media platforms.
• Audio-Visual Rights: Right to adapt, feature, or incorporate accepted works within multimedia formats exclusively for promotional, editorial, or archive purposes (such as videos or visual showcases). For clarity, the contributor retains all film, television, dramatic, and theatrical rights to the work.
• Award and Nomination Rights: Right to nominate accepted works for consideration in literary and artistic awards, prizes, or external anthologies (including, but not limited to, the Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, or the Bram Stoker Awards).

After the six-month exclusivity period, all rights revert to the author. Copyright remains with the creator at all times.

Submission of nonfiction to Macabre Magazine constitutes acknowledgment and acceptance of these guidelines in full. The editorial board reserves the right to amend these terms without prior notice; however, no revisions shall retroactively alter the rights of works already accepted for publication.

Our goal is to foster rigorous, thoughtful, and transformative discourse about horror—its craft, culture, and consequence. We look forward to reading and hearing your work.