Theme: Folk Horror

For our next issue, Book Worms is venturing deep into the twisted roots of folk horror—that uncanny space where ancient legends, rural isolation, and old-world rituals fester just beneath the surface of pastoral charm.

Think of it like this: you and your partner leave the city behind for a peaceful life in a quaint countryside village. The air is clean, the neighbors are… unusually welcoming. Then one night, you hear drums echoing from the forest. You follow the sound. There’s firelight flickering through the trees. Chanting. Masks. A circle. And just like that, you realize you’re not the guest—you’re the offering.

Folk horror thrives on the uneasy tension between tradition and terror. Classic examples include Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon, Starve Acre by Andrew Michael Hurley, and The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones. On screen: The Wicker Man, The Witch, and Midsommar.

That said, folk horror is fluid—so stretch the boundaries. Invent your own cursed villages, pagan rites, or ghost-haunted fields. Just keep it eerie, keep it folkloric, and above all, make it scary.

This Halloween, Book Worms wants stories that chill, not just charm. We’re still suckers for “fun” horror, but this issue? We’re going full nightmare.
Ready to scare us?
Send us your tale.

Deadline: September 10, 2025 (must be received by deadline, so please mail early).

PAYMENT: 8 cents a word for fiction (1500 words or less). $25 flat fee for poetry (20 lines or less)

No reprints or multiple submissions, please. Exclusive rights for six months after publication.

ACCEPTING MAIL-IN SUBMISSIONS ONLY! (*see exception below)

Mail your submissions to: La Regina Studio/Grundy Commons/925 Canal Street/Bristol, PA 19007

Decision notices are sent through email so there is no need to include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Please include your email address and your mailing address with your submission. All submissions must be typed (cover letters preferred but not mandatory) and be properly formatted.

A few new things to know:

• Send only one submission, meaning don’t send multiple short stories or poems or a combination of both. Send only one piece and send your best.
• DO NOT send your submissions using registered mail or any kind of correspondence requiring a signature. It probably won’t get to us and you’ll be wasting your money.
• If you’ve had work previously published in Book Worms (you know who are) you may email your submission to bookwormssubmissions@gmail.com (same deadline) Please write Halloween Submission in the subject line.
• Please use the EXACT mailing address listed above. Please don’t write Book Worms on the address. This is a side project and our mailman might get confused. The mailbox is in a huge industrial complex and unfortunately, letters have gotten lost in the past, so please follow the instructions and mail as early as you can.

And finally, please don’t be discouraged if your story isn’t selected for this issue. We receive many submissions for each zine and can only accept a small handful. If your piece isn’t chosen this time, we still encourage you to keep writing and submitting—your voice matters, and we’d love to see your work again.