Fiction
The Dark Magazine
The Dark pays 5¢ per word for original horror and dark fantasy up to 6,000 words. Submit by email; no simultaneous or AI-assisted work.
🟡 Information needs verification Verified 2026-10
The docket
The nine things that decide whether a pitch is worth sending. Every answer below is either taken from the publication’s own guideline or computed by BRYME from the 304-publication desk. Where the publication does not say, the docket says so instead of filling the gap in.
- Payment
- 5¢/word originals; 1¢/word reprintsOn publication for originals; on acceptance for reprints.
- Length
- 2,000–6,000 words
- Who can submit
- Not statedNo stated country restriction. The magazine's diversity statement welcomes submissions from all writers, of all nations, nationalities, ethnicities, backgrounds, faiths, genders, orientations, identities and experiences. Nigeria qualifies.
- Reading period
- Not yet assessedBRYME has not recorded a reading period for this market from its guideline page. That is our gap rather than the publication's silence: it does not mean the window is open, and it does not mean there is none. Read the guideline linked on this page before you send.
- Response time
- Minutes to 48 hours; query after one week
- Simultaneous submissions
- Not statedThe guideline does not address simultaneous submissions. BRYME records that as silence rather than assuming a yes: if you are sending the same piece to several publications, say so in your cover letter and withdraw it everywhere the moment it is taken.
- AI policy
- AI-assisted work is prohibitedThe guideline forbids AI-generated or AI-assisted writing.
- Rights
- StatedFirst world rights for original fiction, bought on publication; non-exclusive reprint rights for reprints, bought on acceptance.
- Experience
- Not statedThe guideline sets no experience requirement. BRYME records that as silence, not as a welcome — a first-time writer is not excluded, but nor are they invited.
What this record does not tell you
This publication leaves 4 of the nine questions unanswered. BRYME publishes that gap instead of filling it — a generated answer would look complete and cost you a pitch.
- Who can submit — the guideline leaves this open, so ask before you spend an evening on the pitch rather than assuming a yes.
- Reading period — no window recorded yet, so check the guideline before you pitch rather than assuming it is open.
- Simultaneous submissions — the guideline leaves this open, so declare it in your cover letter rather than assuming.
- Experience — look at what kind of writer this publication normally publishes before you pitch; its guideline does not say.
Record last human-checked 2026-10-03. Sources listed at the foot of this page. This record holds no figure BRYME could compare, so no ranking appears above it. Where a rate is quoted per word, it is never ranked against a flat fee.
Quick facts
- Payment
- 5¢/word originals; 1¢/word reprints
- Word count
- 2,000–6,000 words
- Submission
- Email with the story attached (.doc, .docx or .rtf)
- International writers
- Yes
- Status
- 🟡 Information needs verification
- Last verified
- 2026-10
What this publication wants
This is BRYME's summary of the publication's focus — not a copy of their website. Type of writing: Fiction. Official guideline: The Dark Magazine guidelines.
Topics, themes and styles they look for
- Horror and dark fantasy between 2,000 and 6,000 words.
- Stories that experiment or deviate from the ordinary — the guidelines invite fiction that may fall outside regular categories.
- Reprints are considered if they first appeared in established print markets — magazines, collections, anthologies — within the past two years.
Subjects they avoid
- Graphic, violent horror — despite the name, this is not that market.
- Anything translated, written, developed or assisted by AI tools; attempting to submit AI work may mean a ban from future submissions.
- Simultaneous submissions and multiple submissions — violations result in a total ban.
- Stories embedded in the body of the email instead of attached as a document.
- Responses to rejection letters, for any reason.
Key requirements
- Email submissions@thedarkmagazine.com with the story attached in .doc, .docx or .rtf.
- Use proper manuscript format — the modern Shunn format is preferred.
- Include your bio in a cover letter.
- For reprints, put REPRINT in the email header: SUBMISSION: [STORY TITLE] (REPRINT).
- Submit once and wait for a response before sending anything else; there is no wait period after a rejection.
Who can submit
No stated country restriction. The magazine's diversity statement welcomes submissions from all writers, of all nations, nationalities, ethnicities, backgrounds, faiths, genders, orientations, identities and experiences. Nigeria qualifies.
Rights
First world rights for original fiction, bought on publication; non-exclusive reprint rights for reprints, bought on acceptance.
AI policy
Prohibited
How to write for them
Official requirement: always follow the publication's own guideline exactly.
BRYME's practical advice: write for the publication's audience, use a clear structure, keep paragraphs short, lead with a specific angle, and confirm the word count before submitting. These are practical suggestions — they are not the publication's official rules.
How to pitch
Where a pitch is required, this is the general pattern BRYME recommends — always adapt it to the publication's guideline.
- Research the publication and read several recent pieces.
- Choose a specific idea that fits their beat and audience.
- Write a concise subject line naming your idea.
- Introduce yourself in one or two lines (who you are, where you publish).
- Explain the proposed piece in a short paragraph — angle, structure, length.
- Say why it fits this publication.
- Include 2–3 relevant clips or links.
- Close professionally and thank them for their time.
- Send through the official channel only.
The official page does not state a current status.
How to submit
Email with the story attached (.doc, .docx or .rtf)
Apply through the official channel below. BRYME only records submission destinations it has verified.
- Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
- Submission: Email with the story attached (.doc, .docx or .rtf)
- Submission email: submissions@thedarkmagazine.com
What the guideline asks you to prepare
- The current guidelines list email submissions but do not explicitly state whether the reading period is open; check the official page before sending.
- Polish the story to manuscript format and attach it — never paste it into the email.
- Send it once, then wait: responses can arrive within minutes or take up to two days; query only after a full week, including the title and date submitted.
- Do not submit the same story anywhere else while The Dark considers it.
- If the story has appeared in a print market in the past two years, submit it as a reprint with REPRINT in the header.
What happens after submission
Expected response: Minutes to 48 hours; query after one week
If the publication does not state a response time, BRYME records that it is unknown. A follow-up is generally reasonable after a couple of weeks; if there is still no response, treat that as a likely non-acceptance rather than a rejection. Acceptance is normally communicated by the publication. If they accept, they will tell you exactly how to submit the final piece and, for most, how and when payment is made.
Check, question or correct this record
BRYME publishes its working, not just its conclusions. Last human check: 2026-10.