SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Grendel Press accepts short story submissions that fit into our chosen genres of Dark Fantasy, Horror, and Romance.
We will develop themes for each genre as submissions accumulate.

Unpublished short stories must be 2,500-7,000 words and if approved, will be featured in our anthologies consisting of approximately ~65,000 words each. Approved stories will be published in English ebook,  and print with a possibility for audiobook. If approved, you will be notified when the anthology has received the perfect combination of stories to publish, and it’s expected publication date.Â

2024 Themes

The Midnight Labyrinth
Submission Period: August 1st, 2023 – December 31st, 2023 (Midnight CST) SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW CLOSED.
Each story should feature a tale delivered from a character who stepped through a door and found themselves someplace unexpected.
On their journey, they will notice a book called Midnight Labyrinth. No requirement to read or interact with it; it just needs to appear.
Genre-bending is welcome! Sci-fi, steampunk, horror, fantasy, etc.

Please Note:This anthology is an exploration of PLACE and FANTASY, so the MC in the story needs to actually find themselves in a new world/city/place that they’ve either never been before or haven’t been for a long time. (I’m leaving this vague so you have room for nostalgia along with the weird and unexpected, not so you can make any story fit in two seconds.)
Also, please don’t shove the anthology requirements at the beginning of your story all at once. That does not endear you to the editors, nor is it in good spirit of the anthology.

More Than a Monster (Vol 2) – TBD
Submission Period: January 1st, 2024 – May 31st, 2024 (Midnight CST)
Join our Discord Server to weigh in on this theme and see early-access details for The Midnight Labyrinth!

Compensation

We pay .05 per word in exchange for rights to publish your original stories in a seasonal anthology. No reprints, these stories must be unpublished elsewhere. We may be running multiple themed anthologies at a time, so feel free to submit one story per theme only.Â

Exclusivity Terms & Author Rights

What We Want

• Unpublished short stories with 2,500-7,000 words (we will consider stories that are slightly outside the word count range)
• We go for stories that are dark and deep; we are looking for the stories that stick with you long after you go to sleep.
• Stories with a depth of character that explore the mind as much as the monsters.
• Stories that show more than tell and build suspense before shock factor.
• Easily readable. It’s wonderful to craft a gorgeous story, but if people need a dictionary to understand it, we cannot accept it.

What We Do Not Want

• Stories published elsewhere
• Shorts without properly formatted dialogue or containing too many spelling and grammar errors. These stories may be returned to you with a request to clean them up and resubmit.
• Stories that are not Dark Fantasy, Horror, or Dark Romance
• Fan fiction or anything that may cause copyright issues.
• Sex is fine, but plot should come first.
• Stories that include intolerance of a person or group’s race, religion, nationality, physical or mental ability, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
• Gratuitous gore and violence with no purpose – blood and guts are fine as long as there’s something more going on than the shock factor.
• Stories that glorify, minimize, or inaccurately represent child abuse, animal abuse, or sexual assault.

Deadline & Schedule

Our deadlines are posted above. We will notify of your acceptance or denial via the email you provide in your submission.  You have a chance at that time to consider our agreements and specify your method of payment.

Please check our website for general anthology updates. 
We do our best to get rejection letters out to everyone, but we also provide weekly updates on the status of our anthologies in our newsletter and on all of our social medias.
Please take an active interest in staying up to date on your submitted anthology.Â

Simultaneous Submissions

To qualify your submission to us, your story must not have been published elsewhere. You MAY simultaneously submit your work elsewhere.
However, if it is accepted, please notify us of your withdrawal via email at submissions@grendelpress.com as soon as possible.

Multiple Submissions

You may submit multiple stories that fit our themes! You may submit two different stories, but only one may be accepted per anthology.Â

Manuscript Format

• The manuscript must be understandable by a mixed audience. Any English is fine as long as the average Joe can understand all of the references and it follows basic grammar rules.
• 12 pt.  Times New Roman font, normal margins, and double spaced
• Do not use any special formatting like headers, page numbers, images, and page/section breaks
• Include your author’s name, title, and word count on the first page
• Indicate scene breaks with three stars, no space (***)
• Indicate the end of the manuscript with three stars, with spaces in between (* * *)
• Submission must be in Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx)
• Save the file name in this format: Title of Story_Author’s Full Name
• If you use a penname, place it in the document with the word count and title, but please include your full legal name in the form submission box for payment purposes.

Send your Submissions