Effective 1/24/2024
Submission Guidelines
Christmas Spirits is seeking previously unpublished ghost stories suitable for sharing around a fire during holiday celebrations. Stories can be set during the winter, winter holidays, or framed by them. We’re looking for stories with a ghostly aesthetic: Cobwebs tangled with tinsel, atmospheric scares, winter chills of the spectral kind. We are also seeking artists to illustrate companion pieces to selected stories.
Call for Submissions
Submissions are open now. The deadline to submit art or manuscripts is March 31, 2024.
For Writers
Word Count limit: Ideal lengths for stories would fall between 1,000 and 5,000 words. Flash fiction and poetry are welcome. Microfiction will be considered for publication online.
Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but please notify us promptly if your work is accepted for publication elsewhere.
Content guidelines: Looking for works that would fall within the ghost story genre--not simply horror. The setting should evoke winter. Bonus points if your story touches on themes associated with winter holidays: death, rebirth, renewal. In addition to Christmas, other winter holidays may be included.
Your work may be selected to be paired with an artist to create a suitable illustration for the publication, at the publisher’s discretion.
Compensation: All published authors will receive a copy of the publication in which their work appears. Writers will be paid $50 per work that appears in the printed magazine.
Submission formatting: Please structure the title of your submitted files as AUTHOR NAME_WORK TITLE. Please be certain your manuscript also includes the following elements:
Your name (and pseudonym if you wish to use one), address, email, phone number on the first page
Page numbers
A short third-person biography of yourself that is 100 words or less.
A short introductory email including a blurb describing your submitted work.
Double spaced and 12 point font.
Copyright information: Christmas Spirits will have an irrevocable worldwide license to publish your work in print and online for five years from the date of first publication. Such license is exclusive for the first year after first publication, and non-exclusive thereafter. This may include publication in a “best of” or other compilation. Christmas Spirits will have the right to apply for copyrights in the magazines that may contain the creators’ work. Copyright to the creators’ work is retained by each respective creator of the work at all times, and creators are responsible for applying for their own copyright rights. Authors are free to enter into other licenses of their work after the first year after first publication.
Submitting the work: Send submissions to submit@christmasspirits.org.
For Artists
We’re seeking artists to illustrate selected works. To be considered, please send samples of your work or a link to your portfolio to submit@christmasspirits.org.
Compensation: All published artists will receive a copy of the publication in which their work appears. Artists and writers will be paid $50 per work that appears in the printed magazine.
All decisions regarding the use of artists’ work is at the publisher’s discretion.
Copyright information: Christmas Spirits will have an irrevocable worldwide license to publish your work in print and online for five years from the date of first publication. Such license is exclusive for the first year after first publication, and non-exclusive thereafter. This may include publication in a “best of” or other compilation. Christmas Spirits will have the right to apply for copyrights in the magazines that may contain the creators’ work. Copyright to the creators’ work is retained by each respective creator of the work at all times, and creators are responsible for applying for their own copyright rights. Artists are free to enter into other licenses of their work after the first year after first publication.
Please send any questions to nicole@christmasspirits.org.