Submissions

 Submission Guidelines

SUBMISSIONS ARE CLOSED

 

October 18-November 01

for FROST ZONE STORIES Books 3 & 4

 

FROST ZONE STORIES

 

Canadian biannual publication of dark literary fiction.

 

Submissions open October 18 - Nov01

The submission manager is set to close at midnight Canadian and US Pacific time,
but please don't wait until the last minute as the portal is automated.

 

This submission period is for Book 3 and Book 4 - to be published in 

spring 2026 and autumn 2026
Stories between: 1200 - 4000 words

 

Please do not include your name in the story manuscript, nor in the file name, so that submissions can be read and rated anonymously. 

 

Short Fiction: We are seeking original, clear and concise, unpublished short stories 1200 - 4000 words. 

Please only submit your own work. We do not currently publish translations.

Submit only one story per submission period. 

Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please let us know as soon as possible if accepted elsewhere.

Note: unpublished means work that has not appeared anywhere previously 

- this includes print and/or digital books, anthologies, zines, magazines, blogs, 

social media, defunct venues, podcasts, recordings, videos, websites, or anywhere else.
Please do not submit a previously published story under a new title.

Dark Literary Fiction, Quiet Horror, Literary Horror

 

This covers a wide range of subject matter including shadowy, bleak literary stories, tales of the supernatural, folk horror, hauntings, misadventure, psychological horror and more - including the unexpected, the dreadful, the chilling, and the strange. If you're not sure - send it, but  -  

-  we're sorry even though we are fans of a wide range of dark fiction and horror this is not the best place for extreme horror, ultra violence, or erotica.

                                                              

We also will not publish stories containing:  animal cruelty, child abuse, sexual assault, graphic or explicit sexual content, extreme horror, anything pro-ageism, pro-bigotry, hatred or prejudice toward any group/demographic.

 

No AI: we do not want to publish work created in whole or in part or assisted by artificial intelligence.

We want to publish your words, not machine-generated words, which by the way are taken from other authors' work - that is how these 'programs' are trained. So no, no thank you.

We also aim to never use AI generated art. We will create art in-house, or at times pay trusted artists to license their work.

Frost Zone is based in CANADA and payments are issued in Canadian funds. 

If you are located outside of Canada, you will be charged fees and exchange rate - not by us, and not within our control.

The following is our starting point. We hope to offer more in due course.

We are not open exclusively to Canadians, but if you are submitting from outside Canada, please understand what you will receive if you opt for the $ and one contributor copy, rather than two contributor copies.

 

Canadians will be paid via eTransfer

Each accepted Canadian author will be sent a flat rate in CANADIAN DOLLARS of $15.00 and one print contributor's copy or two print copies.

Each accepted author located outside of Canada will be sent two print copies of the book in which they appear or, via Paypal, a flat rate in CANADIAN DOLLARS of $15.00 (less currency conversion and Paypal fees) and one print contributor's copy.

We suggest that two copies is the better option for those outside of Canada.

We cannot predict exchange rates, and have no control over the fees which you will be charged by Paypal. We do not have access to alternative payment options, which are available to publishers based in other countries such as the USA or UK, Paypal Canada does not permit us, or make it possible for us to pay the fees for you.

 

RIGHTS: if your story is accepted we will seek first worldwide English language rights for print and digital/eBook publication. We ask for exclusivity for three months and non-exclusive rights thereafter.
Author retains copyright to their work. 

 

Format for submissions: preferably double-spaced in a standard font (such as Times New Roman, or Garamond) 12 pt., indented paragraphs (not tabs or spaces), .doc or .docx file - similar to
SHUNN modern or classic but without identifying information. There is no need to include your address or telephone number; we will ask for these only if your story is accepted. Please do include your general location (Country) in either the cover letter or bio section in the submission form. 

REMINDER: do not put your name on the manuscript or in file name. Stories are to be read anonymously for impartial rating. (There is a place for you to enter your name and email etc. in the submission manager).

Decisions are never personal. Responses will be sent as form letters, and many quality stories will receive a declination due to the limited space available, for one reason. Each issue will be carefully curated and the 8-10 or so stories that work best for us will be selected to make up each book.

PLEASE DON'T RESPOND TO REJECTION EMAILS - 

the answer is in the form email we send - there are limited spaces; we select from the stories that best suit this publication.

We are looking only for FICTION. Each issue will have a notice similar to the following. Please make sure your story complies.

The stories in this publication are works of fiction. Characters, names, places, events, and businesses are either fictional or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, places, events, or businesses is purely coincidental. Each story is the product of the author's imagination.

Authors must be 18 years old or over to submit stories to us.

Submissions are taken through Dumosuma® and the call will be open on dates specified at top of this page.