The Phantom Pulse

About

The Phantom Pulse is a speculative fiction magazine of the grey corners of humanity, dread that permeates the skin, and the bizarre. Our pages are haunted by twisted longing, inevitable darkness, and quiet obsession.
We publish traditional horror, sci-fi horror, dark fantasy, and the weird. We have diverse reading tastes and are open to experimental forms and stories.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 2025

Publication Medium & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Published 2 x per year

AI Policy

Human-created work only; no AI use allowed

33 members set this magazine as a Favorite.

Statistics Synopsis

Regular Speed: The Phantom Pulse's overall average response time is within a normal range for magazines.
More Challenging: The Phantom Pulse's overall acceptance rate is lower than most magazines.
More Responsive: The Phantom Pulse's overall rate of non-response is lower than most magazines.

Learn more about our statistics

Collapse section Fiction Open

Dates:

Open to fiction submissions through 30 September 2026 11:59 PM PDT (in 15 days).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

Fantasy Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Weird/New Weird
Horror Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Weird/New Weird
Science Fiction Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Weird/New Weird

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Up to 1,000 words.
Short Story: 1,000 - 5,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Dark, Mainstream.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) Provides free copy/copies Semi-pro payment. Provides free copy/copies. Details: USD $0.05/word for originals; $0.01/word for reprints.

Submissions:

Method: Email.
Reprints: Reprints are allowed in some circumstances; check their site for details.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Expand section Visual Art Closed

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

Recent cover image or website screenshot for The Phantom Pulse

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Submission/Response
Correction/Update
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Social:
Bluesky @thephantompulse.bsky.social
Instagram @the.phantom.pulse

Support this Publisher:
Make a Donation
Support on Patreon

For the Editor(s):
Request Interview
Duosuma Submission Manager
Link to Duotrope

The Phantom Pulse 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:

Group by submission

Include outliers

Accuracy

We have received 53 reports from 52 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Days Reported

4 min | 70.0 mean avg | 75.0 median | 94 max days (28.3 std dev)

Responses

90.57 %

Acceptances:

0.00 %

Rejections:

90.57 % (73.9 avg. days per rejection) | 6.3 % personal, 81.3 % form, 12.5 % unspecified | 1.9 % shortlisted

Non-Responses

0.00 %

Lost/Returned:

Never Responded:

Withdrawals

9.43 % (7.8 avg. days per withdrawal)

Pending

34 responses are pending (1 min | 7.9 mean avg | 8.0 median | 144 max days waiting | 23.7 std dev) from 34 different members

Other Information

Most recent response reported was received on 06 Apr 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 12 Feb 2026.
Date compiled: 15 Sep 2026 05:50 UTC (3 hours, 54 minutes ago).

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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: 08 Sep 2026

We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year.