Cemetery Dance magazine will open to submissions again later this year (please don’t send anything now – it’ll still be returned unread). However, they are only going to open to submissions for two months at the very most. Prior to closing to submissions, they state that they were receiving up to 500 stories per month, with a limited number of fiction slots available per issue, hence the change.

In addition, they will have a new electronic submission system in place, allowing quicker response, saving on the cost of postage and being more environmentally-friendly.

They will be seeking: “Horror, dark mystery, and suspense short stories up to 5,000 words. Originals, no reprints. We want tales that are powerful and emotional—creepy, chilling, disturbing, and moody. Suspense/mystery/crime tales with a horror element are always welcome. Both supernatural and psychological stories are fine. Most common reasons for rejection are: lack of power, lack of originality, slow pacing, poor writing, boring themes. Read the magazine, see what type of fiction we are publishing—don’t submit with a blind eye!”

Payment will be: “Professional rates, minimum of five cents per word, plus two contributor copies. Payable within 30 days of publication. Up to 5,000 words; maximum payment of $250. All rights revert to the author upon publication.”

Full details on how to submit will be posted on the website once the new submission system is ready. The publishers stress that writers must not submit until the appropriate time – all manuscripts submitted before they have the new system ready will be returned unread.