Taking Submissions: Exquisite Undead – The Horror Tree

Exquisite Undead is seeking lush, haunting, and unforgettable vampire fiction for a new anthology celebrating all forms of vampirism, from gothic romance to gruesome horror. Writers can submit short stories, flash fiction, and poetry through September 1, 2026, with payments up to $65 USD per accepted piece.

About This Submission Call

Exquisite Undead is looking for vampire stories that linger long after the final page, whether romantic, tragic, grotesque, terrifying, or emotionally devastating. Editors welcome all genres and interpretations of vampirism, from cl***ic blood-drinkers to psychic vampires and experimental takes on the undead. The anthology is especially interested in queer, trans, and BIPOC voices, with a focus on atmospheric, emotionally charged storytelling rather than pure ***a.

Submission Guidelines

Submissions will be open June 1, 2026 – September 1, 2026.

What am I Looking For?

The simple answer: Vampire stories. Lush, gorgeous, chilling, beautiful vampire stories.Tell me a story that will linger at the back of my mind forever. That will make me go feral while I’m reading it, that will have me underlining phrases and marking it up with exclamation points and big, excited YESes. Write me a story that shows me you understood the vampire ***ignment. Introduce me to your favorite aspects of vampires, make me love and/or loathe your characters, use the concept of vampires to carry a metaphor or message that means something to you. Make it brilliant, queer, swoony, romantic, tragic; make it dark, gruesome, bloody, gritty, even kind of gross—make it whatever you want, and make it exquisite.I especially encourage BIPOC and queer/trans writers to submit.

Please read the following guidelines carefully before sending your submission.

Your submission should be a clean draft that has been self-edited at least once. Please do not submit a first draft.Stories written by or with the use of artificial intelligence will not be accepted. Don’t even bother.I will not accept any stories that glorify hate or bigotry in any form, including but not limited to: racism, ***ism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, etc.Dark/heavy thematic elements are welcome, but please do not submit stories with on-page ***ual ***ault.One submission per author. Even if you have multiple pen names, you still count as 1 author. Please do not submit more than 1 work.Submissions will be accepted until SEPTEMBER 1, 2026. Any submissions received after this date will not be considered.A submission does not guarantee an acceptance. You will receive either an acceptance or a p*** within 1 month of the submission deadline. (Please note that this timeline is subject to change depending on the volume of submissions. I will keep this site updated with any delays that might occur.)
I retain the right to reject submissions for any reason. Rejections will not include any critique or in-depth explanation. Please do not request this should you receive a p***.PLEASE DO SUBMIT:Any genre. Horror, romance, fantasy, sci-fi, historical, a weird blend of everything—all are welcome.Stories about vampires and/or the concept of vampirism in a recognizable way. Feel free to take that in whatever direction you’d like: traditional blood-drinking vampires, undead horrors, psychic vampires—the details are up to you! Surprise me!Short stories, flash fiction, or poetry up to 7000 words. (Stories under 1500 words are considered flash fiction and will be paid the flash fiction rate of $30/story.)PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT:Nonfiction, novellas, fanfictions, or any work that does not meet the definition of short story, flash fiction, or poetry.Stories that function as inseparable sequels to other work you have written. This means that if you write something that features characters from your previous published works, it must be self-contained enough that it can be read without having read the other related works.Stories over 7000 words. Due to space and time constraints, that is a hard limit.Works that do not match the theme.Stories that are primarily ***a. This anthology is for an adult audience, so mature content is allowed, but this is not specifically an ***a anthology.Stories that you have published elsewhere, either digitally via Patreon, Ko-Fi, itch.io, or a personal website, or in other anthology publications.

Terms of Publication

If your work is accepted, you agree to the following:

Your story or poem is not published elsewhere, physically or digitally, including in another anthology or magazine, or on yours or another publication’s website. This includes Patreon, Ko-Fi, itch.io, newsletters, etc.Your story will be exclusive to this anthology for 6 months, after which you are free to distribute it wherever you wish, following other publications’ exclusivity terms.You will not distribute, publish, or sell your story individually during the 6-month period in which your story will be exclusive to this anthology.You will receive compensation of $65 USD (for short stories) or $30 USD (for poetry or flash). This will be sent via Paypal after all acceptances have been finalized.

How to Submit

Submissions will open June 1, 2026.

Head to the link at the bottom of this page on June 1st, 2026, for how to submit.

More Submission Opportunities

Looking for more speculative fiction submission opportunities?
Browse more speculative fiction submission calls.

Submission FAQ

When is the submission deadline?

Submissions are open from June 1 through September 1, 2026.

What genres are accepted?

The anthology accepts any genre, including horror, romance, fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, and genre mashups, as long as the story centers on vampires or vampirism.

What is the word count limit?

Submissions must be 7,000 words or fewer. Stories under 1,500 words are considered flash fiction.

How much does the publication pay?

Accepted contributors receive: $65 USD for short stories, $30 USD for flash fiction or poetry. Payments are made through PayPal.

Are reprints allowed?

No. The anthology only accepts original unpublished work and does not allow stories previously published online or in print.

Via: Exquisite Undead.