Grim Graffiti | Submission Guidelines

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Writer's Guidelines

Grim Graffiti is closed to submissions until January 2009.

What We're Looking For:

Grim Graffiti seeks well-written dark fiction. Why do we stress the terms "dark fiction?" Well, as one of our Grim Graffiti Artists expressed, "Dark fiction isn't always horror, supernatural, or fantasy. Sometimes, it's just dark." So while we love horror, we also question why the genre should hold a monopoly on the darkness. More importantly (at least to us), we stress the generalization of dark fiction because we enjoy reading and writing dark tales in other genres as well as in the horror genre. Therefore, here at Grim Graffiti, we seek to gather dark stories regardless of their genres in hopes of creating a dark fiction addiction in dark fiction aficionados like ourselves and then feeding that fix all at once.

While we are interested in stories with a dark edge regardless of genres, we are also interested in non-cozy crime fiction, horror, dark fantasy, and dark science fiction. Dark flash fiction is also welcomed. Despite our insatiable appetites for dark fiction, please avoid sending stories containing explicit sex and gratuitious gore. We consider stories containing a plot, some characterization, and a bit of setting within 500 to 4,000 words. For updates, please visit Grumblings from the Shadows.

When to Submit:

The Grim Graffiti reading periods for each year of publication are:

January 15 - February 15 for the March (spring) issue
May 26 - June 26 for the July (summer) issue
September 15 - October 15 for the November (fall/winter) issue

How to Submit:

Option 1:

Please type your story single-spaced with a double space between paragraphs. No need to indent your paragraphs or to type two spaces after a period. Use black text only, please. At the end of your story please also type 'End' so we can be sure we have your complete story.

Send your story as a Rich Text Format (.rtf) attachment to subs@grimgraffiti.com with 'Submission: Your Story Title' as the email's subject line.

Option 2:

Submit your story using the submission form available here.

Reprints & Simultaneous Subs:

Previously unpublished stories and reprints are welcomed. Previously published material must include information on where and when the story has appeared so that acknowledgements can be given. Please be sure that your previously published material can indeed be reprinted.

No simultaneous or multiple submissions. Please wait to hear back on your first submission before submitting another story.

Rights:

We ask for Nonexclusive Electronic Rights and Nonexclusive Electronic Reprint Rights to publish an author's story on our website for a three month period. Rights revert back to the author after publication. Copyright remains the author's at all times.

After the completion of each publication year at Grim Graffiti, we will consider publishing the stories as either a trademark paperback collection or as a PDF collection. We will contact the authors for permission to reprint their stories.

Response Time:

Please allow 4 weeks for response time. If you have not received an acceptance or rejection of your story 4 weeks after your submission, please send an inquiry to editor@grimgraffiti.com.

Publication:

Grim Graffiti's yearly publication dates are: March 20 for the spring issue, July 20 for the summer issue, and November 20 for the fall/winter issue.

In the case of publication, authors of stories appearing at Grim Graffiti may be asked to sign a contract via email.

Regarding rejection: we will try to send constructive comments on rejected stories when possible. We are professional and respectful, and hope that writers who submit to Grim Graffiti return the professionalism and respect where rejection is concerned. We also like to actually edit manuscripts, but will never publish any changes without an author's permission. However, by "edit" we do not mean massively rewriting a story or correcting misspellings and grammar mistakes that happen to be riddled throughout a story.

Payment:

$10 for the Grim Editor's Choice story. Payment will be made one month after publication through PayPal. All other authors receive exposure. Grim Graffiti hopes to pay all of its authors in the near future.

General Inquiry:

Please email queries and feedback to editor@grimgraffiti.com.

Elizabeth Clifton, Editor
R. Bowman-Jones, Assistant Editor
C. M. Clifton, Assistant Editor
The Grim Editor