NIGHTLIGHT is currently OPEN to submissions.
We are open for short story submissions (3,000-6,000 words) in February, April, June, August, and October.
We open for flash fiction submissions (750-1,500 words) each March.
Are you Black? It doesn’t matter what part of the world you’re from, or where you are now–as long as you’re Black and you write horror, you are welcome to submit!
Here’s what you need to know:
- At least one of your birth parents must be Black.
- Story submissions should be between 3,000 and 6,000 words.
- Please send only one submission to us at a time. Multiple submissions will be automatically rejected without response.
- Simultaneous submissions (sending the same story to multiple publications) are okay, but please let us know if you sell your story elsewhere ASAP.
- We typically respond within 4-6 weeks.
- We pay for exclusive audio (first world) and electronic publishing rights for 6 months after the air date.
- We only accept reprints that have not been published in audio format previously. Just let us know where your story has appeared so we can credit properly.
- All submissions should be in classic manuscript format (double-spaced, monospace font). Your physical address is not required.
- We do not accept poetry, non-horror fiction, or non-fiction.
- Submissions that don’t meet our requirements will be automatically rejected with no response.
How We Pay
- If we accept your story (over 3,000 words), we’ll pay you $200. We send money via Venmo and the Cash App, but can also do PayPal if you don’t have Venmo or Cash, but you will be responsible for fees.
- Flash fiction (750-1,500 words) is paid at USD$0.05 cents per word. We open for flash fiction in March of each year.
- Reprints are paid $50 per story.
- We typically pay you when your story airs.