Contests & Calls from Around the Web — Summer 2026
We love a good writing contest. Not because winning changes everything — it doesn’t, not usually — but because a deadline with real stakes does something to a story that a blank document never will. It makes you finish the thing.
Every season we pull together the contests and open calls worth your time. Free-to-enter opportunities are flagged because we think your work has value. Entry fees are disclosed when present. Everything listed has been checked — we don’t send you somewhere sketchy.
Go write something dark. Then send it somewhere. Our submission window opens October 31 — but don’t wait on us.
🏆 Contests
FREE
Dark Fiction
📅 Deadline: June 30, 2026 🖊 Up to 17,000 words · 💰 $500–$1,000 + Grand Prize $5,000
Science fiction, fantasy, and light horror. One of the most established and legitimate short fiction contests running. Anonymous judging by working professionals. No excessive violence or explicit content. Quarterly prizes — enter once per quarter.
📅 Deadline: July 31, 2026 🖊 Up to 6,000 words 💰 $5,000 top prize
Speculative fiction about humanity’s future. Open genre — dark and unsettling futures welcome. Strong prize purse for a free contest. Worth a look if you write near-future or speculative horror.
📖 Anthology calls
FREE
Dark Fiction
📅 Deadline: July 8, 2026 🖊 500–7,000 words · Flash OK 💰 $500 USD per story
Literary horror and psychologically rich dark fiction. Prioritizes atmosphere, prose style, and thematic complexity. One of the better-paying literary horror markets open right now — and free to submit. Flash fiction accepted.
FREE
Dark Fiction
📅 Deadline: June 30, 2026 🖊 2,000–5,000 words 💰 £20 GBP + print copy + ebook
Horror, weird fiction, and dark fantasy centered on uncanny small communities and strange local traditions. Published by Kilter & Rammel. Darkly entertaining, not pure dread — atmosphere with personality.
FREE
Dark Fiction
📅 Open: May 15–August 15, 2026 🖊 2,000–6,000 words 💰 Payment on acceptance
Pure horror — gore accepted but character and story come first. Bonus points for weaving the theme into sci-fi or fantasy. No simultaneous submissions. Anonymous submission required.
FREE
Dark Fiction
📅 Deadline: June 7, 2026 🖊 3,000–4,000 words preferred 💰 SFWA rate — $0.08/word
Horror exploring demons, possession, folklore, addiction, and trauma — edited by V. Castro for Flame Tree. A major publisher at professional rates. Broad thematic interpretation encouraged.
🎯A note on our curation:
We list opportunities we’ve verified as legitimate. We flag free-to-enter calls clearly because we believe your work has value and you shouldn’t have to pay to prove it. Paid entry fees are disclosed when present — you decide what’s worth it. Always read the full guidelines before submitting. Links go directly to the publisher or listing source.
Looking for more?
Check out some of our favorite places to find hot spots to send submission!
01
Horror Tree
horrortree.com
The best single source for horror, dark fantasy, and weird fiction submission calls. Updated constantly and completely free.
02
Submission Grinder
thegrinder.diabolicalplots.com
Searchable database of markets and response times. Find new markets by genre and pay rate, and track where you’ve submitted.
03
Authors Publish
authorspublish.com
Free newsletter and site that sends out themed submission calls monthly. Catches anthology calls that slip through elsewhere.
04
Almond Press Competitions Calendar
dystopianstories.com/writing-competitions-contests
Regularly updated contest calendar with strong speculative and dark fiction coverage. Good for finding contests outside the usual horror channels.
✦ ABOUT THE EDITOR ✦
Bunny Cates
Bunny Cates is the founder and editor of Of Ink and Shadows. She has spent nearly two decades in the book community and believes dark fiction deserves a serious home. She lives in western Kentucky.