Submission Guidelines

FICTION: Stories from 1000 to 7,500 words (anything longer or shorter w/o query first will be automatically declined). Macabre Cadaver is looking for well-written fiction that defies classification, breaks the rules, sets new standards, knows no boundaries, and doesn’t fit nicely into any particular nook or cranny. We publish speculative fiction which incorporates themes of horror, science fiction, and dark fantasy. Any story is welcome as long as it is unique and distinctive. We read a lot of stories, so grab us from the first word and keep us interested until the last, surprising us with new and insightful twists and turns and ideas. Don’t forget about the perplexing “human condition” and the need for characters to be affected by the outcome of your story. Something important must depend on the outcome or the suspense, anticipation, and desire to continue reading are lost.

NON-FICTION AND POETRY:  Articles about speculative topics, horror, science fiction, fantasy, fiction in general, movies, books, artwork, writing, etc., or anything to do with the speculative genre are always welcome. Articles must be 1000-3500 words in length. Poetry is welcome in any form. Please submit each poem as a separate document. We accept poems in lengths of up to 500 words. Multiple submissions are accepted for non-fiction and poetry.

ARTWORK: Artwork of all kinds is accepted, from pen and ink sketches to full color compositions in any medium, including photography. We are looking for high quality artwork for our covers and inner pages of Macabre Cadaver to accompany articles, stories, and poetry, or to be displayed in feature artist galleries. Multiple submissions are accepted for artwork.

FILE TYPES: Accepted file types are: txt, rtf, doc, docx, jpg, gif, png, bmp, tif and zip.

FORMATTING: All fiction submissions must be in standard manuscript format: double spaced, minimum of 1” margins all around, running header with: AUTHOR NAME / TITLE / PAGE NUMBER on every page (except title page). Please use a readable font (Courier New is preferred); do not use script or bold or all caps, and use underlines instead of italics to emphasize words. Avoid using fancy styles or markup that will interfere with readability. Include your name, address, phone number, and email in the upper left corner of the first (title) page, and then the title and byline centered about 1/3rd of the way down the page. Include the word count in the upper right corner of the first (title) page. This is your chance to make a first impression. When we open the story and begin reading this will be the first thing we will see, and it does make a difference if the story is properly formatted.

You can find a sample of standard manuscript format here.

IMAGES: Image files can be combined and sent in a zip file, but the maximum file size for any submission is 1 megabyte. The maximum recomended size for images is 800x600 pixels at 72dpi resolution for web content. If your combined image files exceed 1MB please contact us for further instructions on how to submit them to us.

RIGHTS: Macabre Cadaver magazine requires First North American publication rights, covering all print and electronic versions of the magazine, including, but not limited to, anthologies, PDF and HTML. We will send a contract with full explanation of rights upon acceptance. A sample contract can be viewed here.

PAYMENT: We do not pay for submissions at this time.

OTHER INFORMATION: Response times may take up to 90 days, however if you haven't heard from us by then you may query us to obtain the status of your submission. No simultaneous submissions (excluding non-fiction, art and poetry). Please query for reprints.