3 Horror and Dark Fiction Publishers Accepting Unsolicited Manuscripts

Updated 9/11/24

Horror is an immensely popular genre. (Zombies! Vampires! Werewolves!)

Perhaps, for that reason there are relatively few publishers accepting unagented manuscripts. (Many horror publishers say they are "swamped.")

The publishers I have listed below accept a variety of formats: short stories, novellas, and novels. All are traditional publishers.

Please read all submission guidelines carefully.

Note: You can find an extensive list of hundreds of publishers accepting manuscripts directly from authors here: Publishers Accepting Unagented Manuscripts
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Black Bed Sheet Books specializes in publishing fiction….particularly of a dark nature: Horror, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Suspense, Young Adult, Contemporary, Thrillers, anything appealing and written very well. "If you don’t think your writing is exemplary, don’t shy away.  If it shows promise and meets what we’re looking for, we can work with you to make it exemplary.  We believe in opening doorways for damn good talent that larger publishers don’t seem to have time for, as well as working with accomplished, seasoned pros."

They also accept submissions for their EBOOK-ONLY line of titles.  Their Ebook-only line generally consists of content too short to publish in print. 

They receive an average of 2,500 submissions a year and their response time is a minimum of six months. 

Submissions: Contact them first with a query. Read guidelines here.

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Unveiling Nightmares welcomes works across a variety of genres, including horror (all sub-genres including extreme/splatterpunk), romance, science fiction, erotica, poetry, and young adult fiction. "Whether your story sparks love, nightmares, adventure, passion, or discovery, we’re excited to explore its depths. At Unveiling Nightmares, we understand the craving for adventure, excitement, and thrills that our readers seek. Yearning to escape the mundane and delve into worlds teeming with mystery and intrigue.

Whether you have a novelette, novella, a gripping novel, or a collection of short stories, we’re eager to take a look." 

Submissions: Please read full guidelines here.

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Unnerving publishes Horror, Crime, Mystery, & Dark General Fiction novels and novellas. "The themes are fairly open (not interested in stories that revolve around people feeling unloved or out of place, nor sad tales about sad people being sad, seriously don't send me this stuff, I don't want it), but my favorite stuff resembles the glory days of horror 70s, 80s, even the early 90s. Stuff like Stephen King's Pet Sematary, The Shining, Carrie, Revival, Creepshow. Think Douglas Clegg, Ray Garton, John Saul, Michael McDowell, Thomas Tryon, and so on. Also, open to absurdity, splatterpunk, dark comedy, smut." 

The finished products will need to be between 20,000 and 110,000 words in length. 50/50 net royalties split. No contract fees. 5-year publishing terms. Unnerving also publishes anthologies. 

Submissions: Please read full guidelines here. Has submission periods.