SUBMSSION GUIDELINES

Welcome to the Dark

Of Ink and Shadows is a writer-first literary magazine dedicated to horror, dark fantasy, and thriller-mystery fiction. We exist to give first-time and emerging writers a real home for dark fiction — a place where going deeper into the dark is not just permitted, it is the point.

Yes, we really do read every submission. We take every writer seriously. And we are honest about what we are: a new publication built by someone who loves dark fiction and believes great stories deserve a home, regardless of how many publishing credits the writer has.

If your story is dark, literary, and genuinely yours — we want to read it.

What We Publish

Accepted Genres

• Horror — must have a speculative or dark literary element. We are not interested in gore for its own sake. We are interested in dread, atmosphere, and the kind of darkness that lingers.
• Dark Fantasy — secondary worlds, mythic retellings, fairy tales with teeth. The darker the better.
• Thriller-Mystery — psychological suspense, noir, crime with shadows. If it keeps you up at night, we want it.

What We Do Not Publish

• Romance, erotica, or explicit sexual content of any kind.
• Children’s fiction or content written for readers under 18.
• Work that is purely comedic or satirical without genuine dark literary merit.
• Fan fiction using existing intellectual property.

Submission Formats & Word Counts

We accept submissions in three formats. Word counts are firm. Submissions outside these ranges will not be read.

• Flash Fiction — 100 to 1,000 words.
• Short Story — 1,001 to 7,500 words.
• Novelette — 7,501 to 17,500 words.

Submission Windows

Of Ink and Shadows accepts submissions during defined windows followed by a reading period. This structure allows us to read carefully, respond promptly, and give every submission the attention it deserves. We are not always open — but we open regularly throughout the year.

Submission windows and their dates are announced via our newsletter and social media at least 30 days in advance. Subscribe to the newsletter and follow us so you never miss an opening.

Inaugural Submission Window

• Opens: October 31, 2026 (Halloween)
• Closes: November 27, 2026 (Thanksgiving)
• Reading period: December 2026
• Publication begins: January 1, 2027

Regular Submission Windows

Following the inaugural window, new submission windows open regularly — approximately every two to three months. Each window is followed by a dedicated reading period during which no new submissions are accepted. This cycle repeats throughout the year.

The general pattern is: submissions open for four to six weeks, followed by a four to six week reading period, followed by publication of selected work on a weekly schedule. We may open a new window while the previous window’s work is being published, so the magazine is always active and the site is never dark.

Window dates for 2027 will be announced on the website and newsletter before the January 1 launch.

Response Time

We aim to respond to all submissions within 90 days of the close of the submission window. We do not send acknowledgment emails upon receipt. If you have not received a response within 90 days of the window closing, you may query us at [submissions email TBD].

Please do not query before the 90-day window has passed. We are a small operation and every query takes time away from reading.

Simultaneous Submissions

Simultaneous submissions are permitted and encouraged. We want you to get your work out into the world. If your submission is accepted elsewhere while under consideration with us, you must notify us immediately so we can withdraw it from our queue. Failure to do so may affect future submissions.

Rights & Exclusivity

What We Acquire

• First World Electronic Rights — the right to publish your story first, online, worldwide.
• First North American Print Rights — for potential inclusion in our quarterly print anthology.

Exclusivity Window

Upon acceptance, Of Ink and Shadows holds exclusive print rights for six months from the date of online publication. During this period, your story may not appear in any other print publication. Audio rights, podcast readings, and other non-print formats are free during the exclusivity window.

After the six-month exclusivity window, ALL rights revert to you automatically. No further action is required. Copyright always remains with you. Of Ink and Shadows never owns your work.

Print Anthology

Accepted work may be selected for inclusion in our quarterly print anthology at our discretion. Anthology inclusion is covered under the original acceptance agreement — no separate contract or additional payment is required. By submitting to Of Ink and Shadows, you agree that accepted work may appear in our print anthology under these terms.

What We Are Looking For

Dark. Literary. Atmospheric. Those three words are your compass.

We are not interested in shock for its own sake. However, we are interested in the dread that lives in a sentence, the darkness that builds slowly, the horror that stays with you because it felt true. We want stories that go somewhere — that earn their darkness rather than wearing it as decoration.

We are particularly interested in voices that have not been heard before. If this is your first submission anywhere, you are exactly who we built this for.

What We Are Not Looking For

• Gratuitous gore or torture without literary purpose.
• Racist, sexist, homophobic, or otherwise bigoted content presented approvingly.
• Work that uses real, living people in harmful or defamatory ways.
• Stories that rely entirely on a twist ending with nothing beneath it.
• Work that reads as a first draft.

Manuscript Formatting

Proper manuscript format signals to editors that a writer takes their craft seriously. Please submit your work in standard manuscript format:

• 12-point Times New Roman or Courier.
• Double-spaced throughout.
• One-inch margins on all sides.
• Header on every page: Last Name / Story Title / Page Number.
• Title page: story title, byline, word count, and contact information.
• Paragraphs indented with a tab, not a blank line between paragraphs (except scene breaks).
• Scene breaks indicated by a centered # symbol.

Submissions that are not in standard manuscript format may be returned without reading.

Artificial Intelligence Policy

Of Ink and Shadows does not publish work generated by artificial intelligence tools, in whole or in part. This includes but is not limited to ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, and any other AI writing tool.

We believe in human creativity. We believe in the writer behind the story. AI-assisted work — work where AI has generated plot, prose, dialogue, or significant structural elements — does not meet our standard regardless of how it is framed or disclosed.

All submitters must certify that their work is entirely their own original creation, written by a human being without AI generation. Submitters found to have misrepresented the origin of their work will be permanently banned from future submissions.

On Rejection

We cannot accept all submissions, and most will be declined. This is true of every literary magazine, and it is not a judgment on your worth as a writer. It means the story was not right for this publication at this time.

You will receive a standard form rejection by email. Occasionally — when a story is very close or shows particular promise — we may include a brief personal note or offer feedback. This is at our discretion and we cannot make any promise of personallized replies. If you would like feedback on a declined submission, you may request it and we will do our best to respond when bandwidth allows.

We believe in building a community, not just a publication. We will always treat your work and your time with respect.

How to Submit

We accept submissions through our Google Form submission portal during open windows. A link to the active form will appear on this page when a window is open. When no window is open, the form link will not be active.

The submission form will ask for:

• Your legal name and contact email address.
• Your preferred byline / pen name (if different from legal name).
• Story title and exact word count.
• Genre selection (Horror / Dark Fantasy / Thriller-Mystery).
• Format selection (Flash Fiction / Short Story / Novelette).
• Your manuscript as a .doc, .docx, or .rtf attachment.
• Whether this is a simultaneous submission.
• A brief bio (50–100 words) for publication if accepted.

You will also be asked to confirm the following by checkbox:

• I certify this is my original, unpublished work written entirely by a human being.
• I certify I did not use AI tools to generate any part of this work.
• I agree to the submission guidelines and rights terms as published at [URL].
• I understand that acceptance covers both online publication and potential inclusion in the quarterly print anthology under the terms stated in these guidelines.

The URL reference in the rights checkbox ties your agreement directly to these published guidelines. Please read them carefully before submitting.

One Submission Per Window

Please submit only one piece per submission window. If you have multiple pieces you would like us to consider, submit your strongest work and wait for the next window.

Previously Published Work

We accept only previously unpublished work. This includes work that has appeared online, in print, in zines, on personal blogs, or in any other public forum. If your work has appeared anywhere before, it is not eligible for submission.

Work posted in private critique groups or shared with beta readers does not count as previously published.

Questions

If your question is not answered in these guidelines, you may contact us at [submissions email TBD]. Please note that we cannot provide submission status updates outside of the query window (90 days after window close).

We look forward to reading your work. Go deeper into the dark.