Nocturne Magazine publishes artfully crafted horror. They’re not looking for predictable plots and cheap screams; rather, they want literary work that’s “deeply unsettling.” They embrace dark writing that might fit into a wide range of genres, including speculative fiction, dark fantasy, and of course, horror. But they also embrace disturbing writing that can’t be classified.
At Nocturne, horror is more than entertainment. “Entertaining as horror is, it also strikes at something profoundly human within us all,” says Nocturne’s editor. They see horror as art, and they want to showcase writing that’s artfully horrifying.
Authors of fiction may submit one story, 7,500 words or fewer. Authors of flash fiction may submit up to five flashes, totaling 5,000 words or fewer. While they primarily publish fiction, Nocturne also accepts poetry, nonfiction, and uncategorizable writing. Submitting authors can expect a response within one month.
Nocturne does not accept writing with gratuitous violence, and they will not read anything about viruses or pandemics.
Nocturne pays authors published in the magazine. The payment varies based on current donations. They also nominate authors for the Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, and other prestigious contests.
Nocturne accepts submissions via email, not online or by post. They accept simultaneous submissions but ask that authors withdraw work published elsewhere. Authors should only send one submission per category at a time.
Nocturne only accepts submissions that adhere to the submission guidelines they’ve posted online. Please read these guidelines in full before submitting. Nocturne doesn’t publish children’s horror, fan fiction, excepts from longer work, or nonfiction that discloses confidential information.
If you would like to learn more or submit to Nocturne, please visit their website here.
Bio: Ella Peary is the pen name for an author, editor, creative writing mentor, and submission consultant. Over the past five years, she’s written hundreds of articles for Authors Publish, and she’s also served as a copywriter and copy editor for a wide range of organizations and individuals. She is the author of The Quick Start Guide to Flash Fiction. She occasionally teaches a course on flash fiction. You can contact her at ellapeary@gmail.com.
