We're looking for psychological horror where the threat is the people, not the premise.
Sixteen stories will appear in Witnessed: An Anthology of Literary Horror, our first book, published early 2027.
Guest Judge
CARL ELLSWORTH
writer of
Red Eye · Disturbia · The Last House on the Left · Unhinged
Submission Window
July 15 – September 15, 2026
Submission Fee
Free
Word Count
2,000 – 6,000
First Prize
$500
Second Prize
$200
Honoraria
$100 for each of the remaining 14 selected stories
The theme is Witnessed. Take it wherever it pulls you, the watcher in the next room, the witness who couldn't intervene, the testimony nobody asked for, the thing seen that can't be unseen.
We're drawn to stories where the worst things happen between people. Serial killers between killings. Stalker stories told from the wrong side. Communities turning on one. Obsessions that wear a friendly face. Family obligations curdling. We want the kind of dread that comes from trying to understand why people do what they do, and the kind of fear that makes a reader recognize themselves in the wrong character.
Touchstones, for the kind of work we read in:
Our work stays in the recognizable world. Sci-fi, fantasy, supernatural, and paranormal stories aren't always a good fit. But if you wrote something like Andy Davidson's In the Valley of the Sun then we want to read it.
We read blind. Your manuscript must contain no identifying information anywhere in the document. This includes no name, email, address, or bio. If you include a cover page, list only the story title.
Formatting requirements:
Simultaneous submissions:
Yes. Please notify us promptly if your story is accepted elsewhere.
Multiple submissions:
Yes.
Reprints:
Original work only. Stories previously published in journals, magazines, or anthologies are not eligible. Work that has appeared on the author's personal blog, Substack, Medium, or similar self-published venue is welcome, provided the author retains all rights and is prepared to remove the prior version if the story is selected.
Compensation for selected stories: First prize $500. Second prize $200. The other 14 selected stories each receive a $100 honorarium.
All 16 contributors receive three contributor copies of the anthology and a 40% discount on additional copies ordered through the press.
Response: Winners will be announced December 1, 2026. All submitters will receive a response by that date.
We use Subfolio for all submissions.
Submissions are now open until September 15, 2026.
Questions about submitting? Write to us at submissions@edgeandbusby.com