Taking Submissions: Spookane: A Spokane-Based Horror Anthology

Spookane: A Spokane-Based Horror Anthology is now accepting horror submissions inspired by the darker side of Spokane and nearby areas. Writers have until July 31, 2026 to submit original flash fiction or short stories set in or strongly connected to the Lilac City.

About This Submission Call

Spookane is seeking horror fiction rooted in Spokane County and surrounding areas like Cheney and Coeur d’Alene. Editors are looking for creepy, unsettling, supernatural, or strange stories tied to the local culture, landmarks, folklore, or atmosphere of the region. The anthology welcomes a wide range of horror styles, from monsters and cryptids to apocalyptic scenarios and psychological dread, while encouraging submissions from marginalized voices including queer, Indigenous, and neurodivergent writers.

Submission Guidelines

Spookane: A Spokane-Based Horror Anthology

Let’s face it: Spokane can be a creepy place. Let’s share our stories, real and imagined, about the creepier side of the Lilac City in a collected anthology timed for release this Halloween. The submission deadline is July 31st.

We are accepting: Fresh flash fiction stories between 100-1500 words OR short stories between 1500 and 8000 words. Please submit only one short story or a maximum of two flash fiction stories. All stories must be original and take place in Spokane County, nearby areas such as Cheney/Coeur d’Alene, or have a similarly strong Spokane connection. Actual title TBD. Depending on the quantity and content this may be split into multiple volumes or cancelled entirely.

We encourage stories from traditionally marginalized groups and would love to feature indigenous, queer, and neurodivergent authors.

Here are some ideas, but I’m confident you can come up with something far better:

• Bloomsday runners must run for their lives when a hellhound is set loose on Doomsday Hill.
• A bigfoot hunter finds himself being pursued.
• A college basketball coach sells his soul so his team may become nationally recognized and now payment is due.
• What really happened in the Spokane Club basement.
• The gargoyles on the Chronicle building come to life.
• A time traveler from the future doblockents his efforts to prevent the North/South Freeway from being built and the apocalypse that will result if he fails.
• The garbage goat will eat anything. Anything.
• Zombie turkeys.

Limitations: Unfortunately we can only accept stories written in English at this time. We are only accepting stories that have never been published elsewhere. Simultaneous Submissions are welcome but the author must inform us by e-mail as soon as the submitted piece is accepted elsewhere. Pieces cannot be withdrawn once Wicked Shadow Press informs the author of its acceptance for publication.

Please do not submit content involving depictions of blockual blockault–we understand there may be a place for this in horror, but it’s not what we want this book to be. Likewise, anyone promoting racism, transphobia, homophobia, fascism, religious nationalism, or other MAGA principles will be excluded and possibly publicly shamed.

This book is fiction, so please do not directly name living individuals or litigious entities. Any actual histories should be changed enough to be considered fictional.

Poetry is unlikely to be accepted, but maybe you’ll surprise us with a poem we can’t resist. Please do not submit illustrated stories, although we may choose to do an illustrated anthology in the future.

All authors must be 18+.

AI Policy: Human writers only. We understand that some people use AI to edit or spell check and that with tools like Grammarly making the gap between human and machine writing narrower it is getting harder to even tell sometimes. But this is a book about humans who have lived or experienced Spokane, and the perspective of machines is not welcome here and works suspected of being AI will be rejected.

Rights: You will retain full rights to your story upon release, though we retain non-exclusive reprint rights for this anthology and variant formats. We may publish collections or “best of” compilations in the future, and should your story be considered for inclusion in that work, we will contact you and it will be treated as a new project.

Authors will be solely responsible for ensuring that their book has not been plagiarized or written by AI. By submitting your entry, you affirm that the Editor/Publisher of this book will not be held responsible for disputes arising due to plagiarism or copyright infringement in regards to your story.

Launch & Reading: We will have some form of public launch and book reading around Halloween, 2026. Details TBD. Authors are encouraged to come and meet each other, share, and autograph their works, but this is not required.

Compensation: All authors whose stories are accepted may choose to register with PubShare, a collaborative platform, if they want to earn a percentage of the profit from each book sold. Authors will also receive a complimentary copy of the ebook version. Unfortunately at this time as we are independent and completely unfunded, we cannot provide a complimentary copy of the print book.

Editing: All stories submitted should be considered final, edited, and proofread. They will not receive much in the way of editing after submission, but the editor may make small changes without notifying the author including changing spelling, fixing errors, formatting, etc.

Submission: Please email a .doc/.docx/.rtf/.odt file or google docs link to [email protected] Make sure the subject reads: Submission for Spokane1 All authors will be notified if they were accepted by the end of August. However, replies can be delayed under unforeseen cirblockstances.

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Submission FAQ

When is the submission deadline?

The submission deadline for Spookane is July 31, 2026.

What genres are accepted?

The anthology is seeking horror fiction with a strong Spokane-area connection.

What is the word count limit?

Flash fiction: 100–1,500 words, Short stories: 1,500–8,000 words

How much does the publication pay?

Accepted authors may participate in PubShare profit-sharing and will receive a complimentary ebook copy of the anthology.

Are reprints allowed?

No. Only previously unpublished stories are accepted.

Via: Mystery Rebellion.