Dancing Griffin Press is seeking horror stories for the upcoming horror anthology THE DANCING GRIFFIN PRESS HALLOWEEN SPECIAL.
All types of horror are welcome - extreme horror, young adult, spooky middle grade - monsters, body horror, torture, paranormal, we do not discriminate. The only requirement is that your story takes place during the month of October, and at least one character must die.
Length: 2,000 to 4,000 words
Pay: $20 for selected stories, $15 for reprints
Submissions open: April 1st, 2026
Deadline: July 15th, 2026
Publication date: October 1st, 2026
Please email stories to lifeafterdeathproductions@gmail.com with the subject “Halloween Special,” and attach your story as a .docx file. Please send one submission only. Please do not send any additional emails asking if we received your work. We ARE accepting reprints this time around, but please do not send us a previously published story where Halloween imagery was shoehorned in. You own the rights to your story always. Simultaneous submissions are fine, but let us know ASAP if your story needs to be pulled for any reason. We do not accept anything AI. Do not stress about format, font sizes, line spacing, or layouts, as all of that will be changed if your story is accepted. And most importantly, have fun writing. I cannot wait to see what you come up with.
- Jason Harlow, Dancing Griffin Press
CLOSED
Please check back for future submission calls!
Dancing Griffin Press is seeking extreme horror stories for the upcoming horror anthology VERY SPECIAL EPISODES: A 90s Stranger Danger PSA Anthology.
We’re looking for stories that recapture the magic of some of the most disturbing “very special episodes” of the 90’s, like the time Shawn from Boy Meets World joined a cult, the time the kids from Smart Guy ended up in a pedophile’s basement, or even the time 7th Heaven tried to convince us that marijuana will make you die.
YOUR STORY MUST:
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take place in the 90s in a suburban setting
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include an encounter between strangers that ends in at least one death
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address a social issue
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be extreme, nothing purely comedic will be accepted
Think along the lines of:
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a white van approaching a group of kids on a playground
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a man using online chatrooms to lure children to his basement
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Satanic panic and cults
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a teen caving to peer pressure who tries drugs for the first time and meets a gruesome fate
Other things to write about include, but are not limited to:
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abusive daycare cult rituals
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video game-induced violence
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anorexia and bulimia
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roid rage
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gateway drug myths
- 90s urban legends
Length: 2,000 to 4,000 words
Pay: $25 for selected stories, $40 for our absolute favorite
Submissions open: October 15th, 2025
Deadline: January 15th, 2026
Publication date: April 1st, 2026
Please email stories to lifeafterdeathproductions@gmail.com with the subject “Very Special Episodes,” and attach your story as a .docx file. Please send one submission only. We are not accepting reprints this time around. You own the rights to your story always. Simultaneous submissions are fine, but let us know ASAP if your story needs to be pulled for any reason. We do not accept anything AI. Do not stress about format, font sizes, line spacing, or layouts, as all of that will be changed if your story is accepted. And most importantly, have fun writing. I cannot wait to see what you come up with.
- Jason Harlow, Dancing Griffin Press