Submissions
Whether you’re a brand new writer or an established author who stumbled upon our niche and said “That’s weirdly specific—I want in,” we have a place for you here.
Our general submissions are always open!
Upcoming Submission Themes
Signs and Omens (Open October 11-31): A ghost arrives with troubling news. There are more owls than leaves on the tree next door. Something extra falls alongside the rain. Give us stories about signs and warnings. Show us how things turn out differently than expected—or exactly as foretold!
Oceans (Open November 1-20): We want to feel the melancholy of the waves lapping on shore and the violence of the breakers. While we aren’t in need of siren or mermaid stories and poems at this point, we would love to read about other terrifying ocean creatures. Maybe you’re creating your own legend in which narwhals go on a killing spree. Maybe you’re writing cosmic horror, and the whales are here to herald the end of the world. This is a great time for horror with a dash of folklore and magical realism. Don’t forget that we do surf in the Pacific Northwest—it’s just really cold. As always, we want ghost stories! Lighthouses will be hard sells, just because of their ubiquity in paranormal horror.
Winter and Winter Solstice (Open December 25- January 20): While February might feel a little late to be celebrating winter solstice, we want to help our readers get through the last full month of winter with a few stories that bring back the magic of the season. Tell us about people trapped in a cabin during a blizzard with the spirit of someone looking for revenge. Tell us how the fairies who live in the twinkle lights turn bitter as they await the spring. Show us ghosts that are hanging on to their last moments like winter is hanging on to the world!
Cosmic Horror and Old Gods (Open February 1-20): This month we want big, bold creatures and old gods. A mysterious entity lives in a cave on the beach, and legend has it, those who pass by lose their sanity. A forest in Oregon seems to remember more than it should, and there are rumors that it has become sentient. An old woman lives by herself in the mountains, unable to speak, and at night she becomes something else altogether.
On a more specific note, we love the idea of marrying cosmic horror to a typical haunting. Show us a ghost that can’t be defeated, a ghost that makes people lose their minds, or a ghost so all-encompassing that by the time they’re gone, there’s nothing left.
Curses (Open March 1-20): A child won’t stop staring at you. The magician at the theater singles you out and speaks strange words over you. You find an old silver tray in your attic, and the moment you touch it, your world spirals out of control. Incorporate a curse into your piece in any way you see fit!
The Haunted House (Open April 1-20): Emerald City Ghosts was founded on haunted house vibes, and this May, we want to explore that concept in depth! While your ghost doesn’t have to be a literal spirit of the dead (you could go with demons, forces of nature, or something left unexplained), your piece should evoke they idea of a haunting, and it should explore a specific place in a deep way. We want to feel like the place is a character as much as the protagonist!
One more note: your location does not have to be a house. Give us a haunted ferryboat (have we mentioned we like ferryboats?), haunted ice cream shop, or haunted tech startup.
Summer Camp (Open May 1-20): Camp has long been associated with slasher movies, and while we are open to a well-written thriller, we would like to explore some of the other concepts related to these youthful woodland adventures. Write something about the creature that lives in the lake. Tell us the ghost story that keeps coming up, no matter how hard the counselors try to squash it. Write about the things that take over the campground during the winter months. Or tell us a story that isn’t technically set at camp, but evokes some of the ideas surrounding it: isolation, homesickness, adventure, childhood friendships, or cabin life!
Submission Guidelines
What We Love
Ghost stories of any kind. We also love monster stories (especially if it’s an obscure monster or a monster created by you.) We like cults and forests and things that live under the sea. Stories should have a paranormal element.
What We Don’t Want
Gratuitous or explicit sex. In fact, we aren’t really into the romance subgenre at all (though we are always up for a subtle and character-driven love story).
Anything hateful. Just don’t.
Anything AI-generated.
Genre and Style
We primarily publish flash fiction (up to 500 words), short stories (up to 2,000 words), poetry (up to about 50 lines, but we prefer under 20), and book and movie reviews (up to 1,000 words). If your work doesn’t quite fit these parameters, feel free to submit anyway! We’ll make exceptions for the right piece!
Your stories and poems absolutely don’t have to be set in the Pacific Northwest! That being said, we do tend to favor our grungy, rainy, coastal vibes, and we appreciate it if you work those elements into your story (OR you give us such a strong sense of place that we fall in love with your setting and start thinking about beginning a “Big Apple Ghosts” or “Windy City Ghosts” zine!)
Do We Pay?
Unfortunately, no. We will, however, link to your social media profiles, website, and Substack.
Reprints and Simultaneous Submissions
Reprints: got a previously published piece that deserves a second chance at life? We accept reprints as long as you hold the rights.
We accept simultaneous submissions. Let us know if you are published elsewhere!
Next Steps
You must be subscribed (free!) in order to be considered.
Submit here:
Note:
At Emerald City Ghosts, we love and respect our authors and have no interest in wasting their time! For that reason, we want to be upfront about our terms as early as possible. Here is the contract we ask our authors to sign:
Grant of Rights: By signing this agreement, I grant Emerald City Ghosts Magazine the non-exclusive right to publish my work and to use excerpts, the author's name, and biographical material provided by the author for promotional purposes.
Author Representations: I affirm that the work is original and does not infringe upon any third-party rights.
Editing and Formatting: Emerald City Ghosts Magazine reserves the right to make minor edits for grammar, spelling, and formatting, without altering the substance of the work. No significant edits will be made without the author’s consent.
Compensation: Contributors will not receive monetary compensation but will receive credit and promotion through Emerald City Ghosts Magazine’s digital platforms.
Termination: I understand that either I or Emerald City Ghosts Magazine may withdraw my work before publication by written notice.