Tag: writing

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Call for Submissions!

Book Worms Issue 10 – Apocalyptic Horror!

Submission Guidelines

We’re kicking off 2026 with all the optimism of a Threads viewing—yes, the 1984 nuclear war drama, not the app.

If you recognize our Wormy cartoon to the left, then you’ve seen it—and you know. If not, buckle up. There’s a reason it’s considered one of the scariest films ever made.

For our 10th issue of Book Worms Horror Zine, we’re chasing that same level of end-of-the-world dread. If our current political climate gives you the creeps, channel it. Or take us somewhere entirely different—your own futuristic nightmare is fair game, as long as the vision is dark.

We’re looking for stories and poetry that dive into nuclear winters, climate catastrophes, algorithmic uprisings, techno-anarchy, or whatever fresh brand of apocalypse your twisted imagination can conjure.

Have fun with the devastation. We certainly will.

SUBMISSIONS GUIDELINES:

Please read ALL of the following before submitting!

Deadline: January 10, 2026 (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, 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. Also, if you have a social media presence, please include those beneath your email.

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 you are) you may email your submission to bookwormssubmissions@gmail.com (same deadline) Please write Returning Author 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 possible.

Editor’s Note:

Each submission period, we have to pass on many wonderful stories—not because they lack quality, but because the authors didn’t follow the guidelines. Common issues include exceeding the word count, missing the deadline, straying from the theme, or sending work via email instead of the required method (exceptions notwithstanding).

Please don’t be discouraged if your story isn’t selected for this issue. We receive many more submissions than we can publish, and the competition is always fierce. Often, the final decisions come down to word count limits or maintaining a balance of story types. If your piece isn’t chosen this time, we hope you’ll keep writing and submitting—your voice matters, and we’d love to see your work again.

Curious about what kinds of stories we publish? Pick up a copy of Book Worms here!

Featured

Call for Submissions for our Halloween Issue!

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.

Featured

Summer Reading & Writing

Cabin in the Woods

I just returned from my first summer getaway—and it was lovely. I’ve been renting this cabin on Lake Nockamixon for the past few years, sometimes as a solitary retreat in the dead of winter (which is actually one of my favorite times to go). But this year, it was more of a family affair.

I grew up in the country, so it’s in my soul. Coming from a large family that could, at times, feel chaotic, I used the woods—and climbing tall trees—as my emotional escape. Nothing soothes my nerves quite like a deep, quiet forest.

Honestly, I could easily become a hermit. I dream about it constantly. Maybe my dream doesn’t include the insects or the occasional field mouse, but I’d still take that kind of pest over the human kind any day.

Am I confessing to misanthropy? Not at all. I love people—but I love solitude more. It’s just the way I’m built. We all need to honor our natures, and mine craves quiet, natural spaces for comfort and restoration.

My childhood home

Perhaps this is one reason I became an avid reader as a kid—often perched up in a tree. Escaping into fantasy might not be the healthiest coping mechanism, but it’s far less destructive than many others. Writing, self-expression, creating plays and stage personae—none of that’s really changed. They’re all ways of coping, I suppose, if you dig in a bit deeper, but I’ll save that for my therapist.

Naturally, I brought books with me to the cabin, along with my sketchbook to indulge my latent (yet still sadly undeveloped) drawing talent, and my guitar—which I barely strummed the entire time. I have a notebook full of unfinished songs, but since I’m too shy to play around anyone, so finishing them will have to wait for the next solitary retreat.

But I did read. I’m currently indulging in a Richard Laymon read-a-thon I’m hosting on my YouTube channel with some BookTube pals. Extreme horror/splatterpunk is a genre I only dip into occasionally—for obvious reasons. It’s often gross, absurd, and, yes, frequently misogynistic. So, why was I the one to suggest this read-a-thon in the first place? LOL! Who knows. Go with it. I love a good gory drive-in movie in the summer, so Laymon it is. I’m on my fourth novel this month. I’d love a dollar for every “rump” and “turgid nipple” I’ve come across, but hey—I’m having fun. I may need to cleanse my palate with a cozy mystery when it’s all over.

Long summer days tend to bring out more focused writing in me. As a lifelong early riser, I try to knock out at least a thousand words each morning on my current work-in-progress. I recently released two YA romance novellas, and I’m now finishing up Book Two of an epic fantasy series that I still can’t believe I challenged myself to write. But here we are.

That’s my summer so far—and my summer plans. But as we know, life can change in an instant. All we can do is enjoy the day we’re blessed with.

Hope yours is a good one.

New Fiction – Click to View
Featured

Call for Submissions!

Book Worms Horror Zine Issue #8

Call for Submissions: Cryptid Horror – Summer Issue

This summer, we’re hunting monsters—and we want you to join the chase.

Our upcoming issue is diving deep into cryptid horror, where folklore meets fear and the shadows are never empty. From the fog-drenched hollows of Appalachia to the eerie stillness of primeval forests, we’re looking for stories that stir that ancient dread—the kind that makes you glance over your shoulder… just in case.

Whether it’s beasts from local legend or psychological horrors born from the depths of your own personal wilderness, we want your weirdest, wildest, and most chilling creations.

Think: backwoods folklore, eerie encounters, survival nightmares, and twisted myths.

Unleash your inner cryptozoologist and show us what’s hiding just out of sight.

Deadline: May 31, 2025 (must be received by deadline, so please mail early).

PAYMENT: 8 cents a word for fiction and essays (1500 words or less). $25 for short poems (ten lines or less), $50 for longer poems. Includes one contributor copy.

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

ACCEPTING MAIL-IN SUBMISSIONS ONLY!

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 with your submission. All submissions must be typed (cover letters preferred but not mandatory) and be properly formatted.

Frequently Asked Question: What kind of stories are you looking for?

We generally enjoy “fun”, “80s style” horror reminiscent of the zine’s old-school vibe, but we’ve also been blown away by fresh voices that take the genre in a new direction. That being said, the best chance for your story being accepted by Book Worms is to follow the submission guidelines. Make sure your story is of the horror genre, mail in your submission versus email, meet the deadline, and don’t exceed the word count limit. And if your story doesn’t make it, please keep trying. We’ve had to turn down many excellent stories due to space constraints alone. A good way to get an idea about what we’re looking for is to read our current issue or one of our back issues that are still available.

A Few Tips:

  • Mail early. Unfortunately, we’ve had a few submissions lost in the mail and that didn’t arrive until weeks after the deadline.
  • Consider writing shorter stories. Sometimes we have just enough room to a 500-800 word flash fiction piece.

It might also be helpful to explain what we don’t want.

  • Paranormal romance (Love the genre. It’s not right for Book Worms.)
  • Beyond the pale violence or pornographic material. Keep it fun, kids.
  • Overtly political themes.

Featured

Writing Resolutions 2025

So Long to the Year of Deaths

I was thrilled to see two of my novels, Carni and Final Dress, included in two of my favorite BookTubers’ Best Books of the Year videos! What a lovely gift after a year of more than usual personal tragedies. A year ago, after I’d heard the awful news that one of my best friends had died, I wrote in my diary, “I think this will be the year of deaths.” I had no idea how prophetic those words would turn out to be. By the end of 2024, I had lost two aunts, my mother-in-law, my mother, and my beloved dog Lilly. On top of that, my older brother nearly died from a sudden illness. While I’m relieved to say he’s recovering, it was yet another heartbreaking challenge in a year marked by tragedy. To add to the misery, a few days after Lilly passed, I crashed my bike in a freak accident involving a swat from the Witch’s Wind of November, and broke my collarbone. Weeks of pain rolled into the holiday season which felt more forced than usual, although of course highlights with friends and family ensued.

I’ve always said my favorite holiday ritual is dragging the Christmas tree to the curb. It might sound cynical, but to me, it symbolizes a fresh start. Once the tinsel is gone, I feel like I can begin again with a clean slate. Now, with my broken bone healing and much of the physical and emotional pain behind me, I find myself reflecting on what truly matters. I also took a hard look at my writing, adding up the credits and debits, and came to the painful but honest realization that, for now, it’s amounted to little more than an expensive hobby. But that’s okay. Painful truths are good for the soul. As I move into this year, I’ll continue to write, but I’m releasing the pressure to make a living from it. If one of my books takes off, great. If not, that’s fine too.

I think having a goal of writing and releasing at least one novel a year is a doable goal. In the meantime, I have several files filled with completed or started writing projects. After vacillating about what to do with my first foray into fantasy (a so far two-book series called Starlight Over Oran), I decided to publish it on RoyalRoad and see what kind of feedback it gets over there. I’ll never stop writing, but my expectations may need an adjustment. So, moving forward into a new year, I’m keeping an open mind and an open heart. If I survived 2024, I think I can survive just about anything.

Do check out Lydia’s and Jason’s videos below. They’re both excellent sources for horror lit. Happy New Year!

Featured

Seeking Submissions!

Book Worms Horror Zine Issue #7

Seeking original short stories, essays, and poems for our Winter 2025 issue.

THEME: Space and Science Fiction Horror (must have horror elements, not just sci-fi.)

DEADLINE: December 15, 2024

PAYMENT: 8 cents a word for fiction and essays (1500 words or less). $25 for short poems (ten lines or less), $50 for longer poems. Includes one contributor copy.

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

ACCEPTING MAIL-IN SUBMISSIONS ONLY!

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 with your submission. All submissions must be typed (cover letters preferred but not mandatory) and be properly formatted.

Frequently Asked Question: What kind of stories are you looking for?

We generally enjoy “fun”, “80s style” horror reminiscent of the zine’s old-school vibe, but we’ve also been blown away by fresh voices that take the genre in a new direction. That being said, the best chance for your story being accepted by Book Worms is to follow the submission guidelines. Make sure your story is of the horror genre, mail in your submission versus email, meet the deadline, and don’t exceed the word count limit. And if your story doesn’t make it, please keep trying. We’ve had to turn down many excellent stories due to space constraints alone. A good way to get an idea about what we’re looking for is to read our current issue or one of our back issues that are still available.

A Few Tips:

  • Mail early. Unfortunately, we’ve had a few submissions lost in the mail and that didn’t arrive until weeks after the deadline.
  • Consider writing shorter stories. Sometimes we have just enough room to a 500-800 word flash fiction piece.

It might also be helpful to explain what we don’t want.

  • Paranormal romance (Love the genre. It’s not right for Book Worms.)
  • Overtly political themes.
  • Beyond the pale violence or pornographic material. Keep it fun, kids.
Featured

The Million Word Rule

A little under four years ago, I made the decision to start tracking my word count using an Excel document. As of today, I have surpassed the half a million mark. In the world of writing, there’s a popular belief, often attributed to Ray Bradbury, that one must write a million words to achieve mastery. In all honesty, I may already be close to or have exceeded that milestone. My first novel was published seven years ago, following numerous years of writing short stories and screenplays. I won’t include blog posts or school assignments, nor those handwritten attempts at first novels stashed away in the attic. But for the sake of organization and accuracy, let’s consider that I’m halfway to that million-word goal.

If I write another eight to ten novels (mine are typically on the shorter side), I should have a better grasp of what I’m doing by then. The key, I believe, is to persist in the same activity with increasing dedication; eventually, clarity will emerge. As long as I’m not just endlessly typing like Jack Torrance, but also actively editing, shaping, and daring to publish these words in some form, improvement is inevitable.

Make sure to listen to James DeFeo and my weekly podcast, The Right Brain Café, for invaluable insights into writing and creativity. This week, we delve deep into the concept of failure in creativity. It’s time to realize that perhaps those million words are just a warm-up to one’s greatest achievement.

Call for Submissions – Book Worms Issue #6

Featured

All of Them Witches

As Book Worms Horror Zine enters its second year, we’re thrilled to announce that this year’s Halloween issue will be all about Witches. This time around, we’re looking for fiction, poetry, and essays of the witchy kind.

Frequently Asked Question: What kind of stories are you looking for?

We generally enjoy “fun”, “80s style” horror reminiscent of the zine’s old-school vibe, but we’ve also been blown away by fresh voices that take the genre in a new direction. That being said, the best chance for your story being accepted by Book Worms is to follow the submission guidelines. Make sure your story is of the horror genre, mail in your submission versus email, meet the deadline, and don’t exceed the word count limit. And if your story doesn’t make it, please keep trying. We’ve had to turn down many excellent stories due to space constraints alone. A good way to get an idea about what we’re looking for is to read our current issue or one of our back issues that are still available.

A Few Tips:

  • Mail early. Unfortunately, we’ve had a few submissions lost in the mail and that didn’t arrive until weeks after the deadline.
  • Consider writing shorter stories. Sometimes we have just enough room to a 500-800 word flash fiction piece.

It might also be helpful to explain what we don’t want.

  • Paranormal romance (Love the genre. It’s not right for Book Worms.)
  • Anything with a political theme.
  • Beyond the pale violence or pornographic material. Keep it fun, kids.

Submission Guidelines

Deadline: September 1, 2024

Payment is 8 cents a word for fiction and essays (1500 words or less). $25 for short poems (ten lines or less), $50 for longer poems. Includes one contributor copy.

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

ACCEPTING MAIL-IN SUBMISSIONS ONLY!

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

*In the past, we’ve made some special allowances for writers living outside the USA. But due to the overwhelming amount of submissions we receive, we are now only accepting mail-in submissions.

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

Be sure to check out our Podcast and follow us on Instagram.

Featured

Back on Wattpad

As a proud Watty award winner, I’m happy to be back on Wattpad after a brief (roughly one year) sojourn, where I switched to Kindle Vella (see my video for more about that experience). I may move a new story back to Vella at some point. Still, for now, Wattpad continues to be my story workbook: a safe space where I can try different genres (like the fantasy duology I’m close to finishing) and receive feedback from fellow authors.

One story I recently completed, spurred on by a Wattpad novella contest, is a YA paranormal romance called Trust in the Shadows. It’s about a high school student who meets her “soul mate,” who may be her savior or just a weird guy she should avoid like the plague. The contest winner has yet to be announced, but I am proud to say the story received an Ambassadors Pick award for Round Two. Even if I don’t win, I’m glad I participated.

The contests and the camaraderie keep me coming back to Wattpad. Next on the writing docket is my new slasher horror in a setting I know well: a theater! It’s called Final Dress, and I hope to have it out this fall. Please comment below and tell me what you’ve been reading and writing. 

Featured

Call For Submissions !

Book Worms Horror Zine Issue #5

Seeking short fiction for our Rock n Roll Issue! From hair-raising riffs to head-banging oblivion, horror and rock n roll are a match made in Hell! Book Worms Horror zine is a limited-edition print only publication sold on Etsy and selective bookstores.

Frequently Asked Question: What kind of stories are you looking for?

We generally enjoy “fun”, “80s style” horror reminiscent of the zine’s old-school vibe, but we’ve also been blown away by fresh voices that take the genre in a new direction. That being said, the best chance for your story being accepted by Book Worms is to follow the submission guidelines. Make sure your story is of the horror genre (you’d be surprised how many we receive that aren’t), mail in your submission versus email, meet the deadline, and don’t exceed the word count limit. And if your story doesn’t make it, please keep trying. We’ve had to turn down many excellent stories due to space constraints alone.

It might be helpful to explain what we don’t want.

  • Paranormal romance (Love the genre. It’s not right for Book Worms.)
  • Anything with a political theme. We read to escape that stuff.
  • Beyond the pale violence or pornographic material. Keep it fun, kids.

Submission Guidelines

Deadline: April 30, 2024

Payment is 8 cents a word for fiction and essays (1500 words or less). Includes one contributor copy.

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

ACCEPTING MAIL-IN SUBMISSIONS ONLY!

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

*In the past, we’ve made some special allowances for writers living outside the USA. But due to the overwhelming amount of submissions we receive, we are now only accepting mail-in submissions.

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

Be sure to check out our Podcast and follow us on Instagram.