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Submission Guidelines

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Submissions: Open

What We Are Looking For

If it is horror—it belongs at Dark Harbor Magazine.

We are seeking character-driven horror fiction that lingers in the mind long after the last line. Stories that bring dread, fear, unease, the uncanny—yet do so through deeply realized characters, authentic voices, and plots propelled by human choices and consequences. We are most drawn to fiction that pays homage to horror’s enduring traditions while carving new ground with a contemporary edge—a pulpy edge works too.

Ask yourself: Is this the best version of this story I could have written? Does it carry enough weight to haunt a reader long after they’ve left the page? If so, it belongs with us.

What We Publish:

Flash Fiction: 500–1,500 words
Short Fiction: 1,500–7,500 words

Formatting

Professional presentation matters. A well-formatted manuscript signals to our editors that you take your craft seriously. We strongly encourage industry-standard submission practices, such as the Shunn Manuscript Format (Ignore the part about including your information: Read Below).

Checklist for formatting:

  • Emphasis: Italics, not underlining
  • Font: Times New Roman, 12 pt, black
  • Indentation: 0.5 inch
  • Justification: Left margin only (ragged right)
  • Spacing: Double-spaced (this does not mean hit the space bar twice after each sentence or paragraph)
  • Margins: 1 inch on all sides
  • Headers: Keyword from title + page number, upper right (not on first page)
  • Smart quotes: On, but proofread carefully
  • Title: Centered, halfway down the first page
  • Word count: Upper right of first page, rounded to nearest hundred
  • File type: .docx only (we do not accept PDF or plain text files).

These formatting guidelines are not optional. For submissions that do not meet these guidelines: The reviewing editor will reach out for an updated file—if no response is received within one (1) week, the submission will be rejected without consideration.

If you feel stuck on formatting, again, please refer to the Shunn Manuscript Format guidelines (Ignore the part about including your information: Read Below). And if you need more guidance, Reedsy has a wonderful video on YouTube you can watch here.

Blind Review Process

Important: Do not include your name, email, or other identifying information in the manuscript file. All submissions are read blind. Submissions containing identifying information will be rejected without consideration.
If a manuscript does not follow these standards, the reviewing editor may request a corrected file. If no revision is provided, the manuscript will be rejected within one (1) week.

All submissions to Dark Harbor Magazine are read and reviewed by a diverse team of beta readers with strong academic and professional backgrounds.

Our reviewers include advanced degree holders in English, sociology, psychology, and related fields—several at the master’s and doctoral level—as well as experienced readers and writers outside of academia.

This range ensures that every story is evaluated with care, for both its literary craft and character depth, and for its ability to provoke dread, unease, and engagement in readers.

For more information on our blind review process, you can read this article.

Multiple & Simultaneous Submissions

  • Multiple Submissions: Up to two (2) manuscripts per submission are allowed. Review times may increase with multiple entries.
  • Simultaneous Submissions: Allowed, but please notify us immediately if your piece is accepted elsewhere.

Reprint Policy

We do not accept reprints. This includes any story previously published in another venue, whether print, online, or self-published (personal blogs, Medium, Substack, etc.). Here is more information on what qualifies as a reprint: Reprints: What's Old is New Again by Duotrope.

Generative AI Policy

Dark Harbor Magazine stands firmly against the use of generative AI in any form. We publish only original, human-authored work.

This means AI tools may not be used at any stage of your creative process—including but not limited to:
  • Ideation (using AI to generate prompts or story ideas)
  • Outlining (using AI to structure or plan your story)
  • Drafting (using AI to generate passages or dialogue)
  • Revising (using AI to suggest rewording or structural edits)
  • Editing (using AI grammar/style checkers beyond standard word processor tools)
Any use of AI-generated or AI-assisted text is grounds for immediate rejection of a submission and may result in a permanent ban from future consideration.

We believe horror—and literature at large—must come from the human imagination, in all its depth and imperfection.

Review Timeline

We aim to respond within six (6) weeks. If you have not received a decision (acceptance, rejection, or a request for revision) after this period, please reach out via our contact form.

Payment

At this time, we cannot offer payment. As our magazine grows, it is our commitment to begin paying authors fair compensation for their work.

Rights

By submitting your work to Dark Harbor Magazine you are agreeing to and granting us the rights to:

  • Publish your story exclusively for six months, during which you agree not to submit it elsewhere for consideration. This is not a transfer of copyright—you will retain full ownership of your story.
  • The right to archive your story on Dark Harbor Magazine permanently for as long as the website is operational. After the six-month exclusivity period, you are free to publish your story elsewhere while we retain the right to keep it accessible in our archives.