Publisher: Brigids Gate Press
Editor: KC Grifant
Release Date: Planned for June 16 th , 2026
What We Are Seeking
Traditionally, women authors have been vastly underrepresented in westerns and weird westerns, so this anthology will highlight authors of marginalized genders and their speculative western short stories.
We are looking for original Weird West stories. These should be generally set in what approximates the “Old West” location and timeframe (North America circa late 1800s) and should have a strong speculative element, such as horror, fantasy and/or sci-fi.
We are most interested in pulpy, unexpected, character-driven stories and are open to some weird westerns set outside the typical historical time period and setting (e.g., space westerns) as long as there are strong Old West aesthetics and inspiration.
The goal of this anthology is to showcase a diverse group of Old West stories beyond the typical archetypes. We strongly encourage all marginalized genders to submit regardless of writing experience. We are interested in showcasing emerging writers as well as established writers for this anthology.
Potential Inspirations/vibes
Prey, The Warrior (TV series), The Harder They Fall, Godless, Power of the Dog, The Winds, The Quick and the Dead, Back to the Future 3, Dead in the West, Jonah Hex, The Dark Tower, Deadlands, The Good, The Bad & the Uncanny: Tales of a Very Weird West
Submission Window
April 1, 2025 through April 30, 2025
Please email your story as a .doc or .docx file attachment with a brief cover letter and author bio to weirdwest@brigidsgatepress.
Word Count
Stories: Up to 5,000 words. No minimum length. 2,000 words is an ideal target.
Poems: Up to 32 lines
Drabbles: 100 words
Compensation
Stories: 10¢ per word
Poems: $50
Drabbles: $50
Paid via PayPal
One complimentary paperback copy of the anthology
One complimentary epub of the anthology
Please Do Not Send
-Stories that include child abuse/pedophilia.
-Stories that are racist, homophobic, transphobic, or that promote hate rhetoric of any kind. (Stories dealing with these themes in sensitive and thoughtful ways are fine.)
-Extreme sex/violence or graphic details included solely for shock value. There are plenty of publication avenues for splatter horror and extreme horror; this is not one of them. Think rated R or PG-13, not rated X.
-Copyrighted characters or fan fiction. Stories that feature historic figures in the public domain is fine.
-AI or generative AI-assisted stories.
There are certain types of stories that will be hard sells, mostly because they have been done
too often:
-Stories featuring overused historic characters (e.g., Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp). If you want to draw from history, please have a very fresh take or go for lesser-known historic figures, like Thorny Rose, the Bandit Queen, Buffalo Calf Road Woman, etc.
-Stories with Old West components that have been overdone and/or are problematic, such as the prostitute with the heart of gold; indigenous healer; haunted burial ground; Wendigos.
-Stories that contain only male characters. For a “Women of the Weird West” anthology, we are hoping to spotlight interesting, complex women characters.
-Stories that use harmful stereotypes or are not thoughtful about portrayals of land theft, indigenous groups and marginalized people. Accepted stories with indigenous characters or elements will be reviewed by a sensitivity reader.
Reprints
No
Simultaneous Submissions
Yes
Multiple Submissions
No
Additional Information
The anthology will include a mix of stories from invited contributors and an open call, with around 15% of the anthology’s accepted stories from the open call.
Formatting Guidelines:
1. Standard manuscript format (double-spaced, 12pt, Garamond).
2. Word format (.docx)
3. Your work must be an attachment, do not include in the body of the email.
4. In the body of your email, please include a short author bio and any applicable content warnings
(see below).
Common Content Warnings
Abuse, animal cruelty/death/abuse, child endangerment, drug/alcohol addiction, eating disorders, graphic sexual content, sexual abuse or assault, mental illness, miscarriages/abortion, suicide and self-inflicted harm.
Rights Requested
Brigids Gate Press will retain exclusive First Worldwide Publication, Print, and Electronic Rights for six months following date of publication, and non-exclusive rights thereafter.
Submissions closed
Poisoned Soup for the Macabre, Depraved and Insane: Nostalgic Terrors
Edited by Wendy Dalrymple and Grace R. Reynolds
What We Are Seeking
A pinch of poetry, a dash of drabbles, a frisson of flash fiction… mix well together in a cauldron
of nostalgia and what do you get?
A recipe that's dastardly, delectable, and pure poison.
Welcome to Poisoned Soup for the Macabre, Depraved and Insane, an anthology like no other
designed to inspire, soothe, and satisfy the dark hearts of Horror lovers everywhere.
The genre stirs a sense of nostalgia for us all, through vintage television hits like Tales from the
Crypt and Elvira’s Movie Macabre, to famed comics such as Adventures into Terror and Weird
Tales. Give us your nightmares, your childhood frights, your sleepaway camp mysteries. Tell us
how Clive Barker tricked you into a ride on The Midnight Meat Train or which episode of Are
You Afraid of the Dark? made you sleep with the light on. When you stare into the shadows,
what do you see? What whispers and caresses your ears with shadowy tendrils? Where does your
mind go as you conjure unimaginable apparitions just beyond your reach?
We want to know… when did Horror take root for you?
Poisoned Soup for the Macabre, Depraved, and Insane: Nostalgic Terrors is a collection of
original fiction, poems, and essays where new and seasoned horror writers recount their
first experiences with the genre. A mix of terror, inspiration, comfort, and reassurance, this
anthology offers a powerful experience for those who seek to create and consume stories that
transcend the page.
Submission Window
December 14, 2024 - December 31, 2024
Submissions closed
Word Count
Poems: Up to 32 lines
Drabbles: 100 words
Flash Fiction: 500-1000 words
Non-Fiction: Up to 1k words
Payment
8¢ per word for prose
$50 per poem or drabble
Paid via PayPal, along with an ebook contributor’s copy of the anthology
Please Do Not Send
Absolutely no AI. Anyone caught submitting AI written material will be boiled in our cauldron.
No graphic rape/sexual assault scenes.
No splatterpunk, extreme horror or toilet humor.
Please use your best judgment!
Reprints
No
Simultaneous Submissions
Yes
Multiple Submissions
No
Additional Information
The anthology will be a mix of 25% solicited stories and 75% stories selected from the open call
submission period.
This anthology is open to all writers, but we strongly encourage writers from the LGBTQIA+,
BIPOC, and other marginalized communities to submit.
*Each submission will be received through a third party and assigned a number to allow for blind
readings by the editors. No nepotism here, horror friends!
Formatting Guidelines
1. Standard manuscript format (double-spaced, 12pt, Garamond).
2. Each page should have a header with the Story/Poetry Name only. Do not include your name on the submission and do not add any other headers, footers, or page numbers.
3. Word format (.docx)
4. Your work must be an attachment, do not include in the body of the email.
Submitting
Submissions closed
Subject Line: POISONED SOUP - STORY NAME - AUTHOR NAME
In the body of your email, please include a short (1 paragraph) author bio, any applicable
content warnings (see below), and a short (1 paragraph) explanation of why your submission
connects to the theme Nostalgic Terrors.
Common content warnings used by Brigids Gate Press are: abuse, animal cruelty/death/abuse,
child endangerment, drug/alcohol addiction, eating disorders, graphic sexual content, mental
illness, miscarriages/abortion, suicide or self-inflicted harm.
Estimated Response Time
Our goal for this anthology is to have all submissions responded to by the end of March, 2025
for publication in December, 2025.
We expect to receive a substantial amount of interest in this call and will cap it at 500
submissions. If this is to occur, the editors will post an announcement on social media and on the Brigids Gate
Website.
All submissions will be responded to with form rejections due to the anticipated high volume.
We thank you in advance for understanding!
Rights Requested
Brigids Gate Press will retain exclusive First Worldwide Publication, Print, and Electronic
Rights for six months following date of publication, and non-exclusive rights thereafter.