Current Theme:
Where Dreams & Nightmares Collide (Submission Window Opens October 1st, 2026 through January 1st, 2027)
Upcoming Themes & Dates:
What Lurks Beyond the Campfire – January 1st, 2027-April 1st, 2027
Shifting Silhouettes – April 1st, 2027-June 1st, 2027
Theme Description:
What happens when a dream and a nightmare collide? Where the subconscious can’t quite decide if our fantasies are pleasant or terrifying. We want stories that explore dreams, nightmares, or that middle ground in-between. From horror stories that prey on the vulnerability of our sleeping selves to dark and whimsical worlds unlike our own that call to us while we drift in the void.
Short Stories:
Here’s what we are looking for:
- Word Count: 500 to 5,000 words
- Genres: Dark Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and Horror
- Formatting: 12-point font, Times New Roman, double-spaced. Page numbers are lovely. Use of paragraph indentations is a virtue. Acceptable file types: .docx, .doc, .pdf. Please follow Shunn Modern Manuscript Format when submitting. Instructions can be found here: https://www.shunn.net/format/story (please do not include your phone number or physical/mailing address on submissions).
Here’s what we can offer you:
- Payment: $10 USD/per story (for stories published in Issue #2 and forward)
- Promotion: Your work will be featured on our social media, in our issue, and may be read for our podcast
Poetry:
Here’s what we are looking for:
- Word Count/Line Count: 30 lines or 300 words (for prose poetry).
- Genres: Dark Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and Horror
- Formatting: Up to 3 poems per submission. 12-point and legible font (like Times New Roman), double-spaced. Page numbers are lovely. Acceptable file types: .docx, .doc, .pdf.
Here’s what we can offer you:
- Payment: $5 USD/per poem (for poems published in Issue #2 and forward)
- Promotion: Your work will be featured on our social media, and in our issue, and may be read on our podcast.
What we Don’t Want:
- Any racist, homophobic, transphobic, misogynistic, or any content that is offensive in similar veins. We are an inclusive magazine, aiming to unite readers with thrills and chills rather than ostracize with villainous ideals.
- Perverse content involving minors or forced sexual acts of any kind, minors or otherwise.
- Torture-porn or glorification of violence.
- Things created by AI. We are a human-valuing magazine. We don’t live in a simulation. At least, we hope not. Stories suspected to be written in whole or in part with AI will be immediately disregarded.
Other Guidelines:
- Simultaneous submissions are okay. Make sure to tell us as soon as possible if your story is accepted elsewhere, so we can withdraw your submission.
- Multiple submissions are too many. Send us only one story per issue, please!
- Original stories only. We are not taking reprints at this time, including excerpts from longer published stories. We do not accept fanfiction.
- Anonymous manuscripts only. We don’t want to be biased by names and credentials. Please remove your name, pseudonym, and any personally identifying info from your manuscript document before you submit it.
- In your cover letter, please include a two to four sentence bio, your speculative genre, your author or poet name under which the story should be published, and any trigger warnings. No need for a story summary, but you’re welcome to state which preferences it meets.
- For accepted works, a contract will be provided for first publication rights. We will retain exclusive rights to publish your story for the first six (6) months, including audio rights. During this time, the work will be published on our website and may be read for our podcast. After six (6) months, we retain nonexclusive rights to keep your work on our site in our archives, but you are welcome to re-publish it anywhere else you wish. We ask that you cite our magazine as the first publication.
- We want your story to be the best it can be on its debut! All accepted works will be reviewed by our editors for pre-publication edits, and authors will be asked to respond to all editorial suggestions. We want you to be comfortable with any final decisions, but we do reserve the right to refrain from publishing any piece we feel has not met the minimum editing standards for publication.
Ready to Submit?
Please send your submission to our email: submissions@northernshadowsmag.com
You should receive an email confirmation that we have received your story. If you do not hear back from us with a decision after 4 months, you can inquire at editor@northernshadowsmag.com.