The most exciting time for a genre is when it's defined or redefined, the scope of its themes taking shape before our eyes at the hands of those who engage with it. And that time, for New Weird Horror, is now.
Tenebrous Press presents the inaugural New Weird Horror Awards—to reward and further this unique blend of genres—and its accompanying Best of New Weird Horror anthology series, showcasing the winners of each year, care of editor Alex Woodroe.
We define New Weird Horror as a Horror subgenre focused on progress, creatively capturing themes and questions that bleed into fiction straight from the modern reader's life and future. It acts as a challenge to break new ground in terms of form and content and to engage with the unknown. Beyond that, New Weird Horror will be defined by the winning pieces themselves.
Does this sound like your writing? Submit your previously published work to the New Weird Horror Awards today!
Disclaimer:
Tenebrous is a young press looking to have fun in the world of Horror and build a community of like-minded peers. We don’t claim this award will wow your dream agent or single-handedly sell your book. It’s a way to showcase reprints that we love in a genre that we care about, and get them into the hands of more readers—no fuss, no lobbying, no hidden costs.
Eligibility:
Any piece of short fiction under 15,000 words originally published in the English language within the eligibility period.
You may submit NARRATIVE poems only; poems will be judged on their storytelling.
Stories published in other languages are welcome if there is an English translation available.
Reprints of stories originally published before the eligibility period are not eligible.
Any work published through Tenebrous Press, or edited by Alex Woodroe or Matt Blairstone, is not eligible. We already think you're awesome, regardless.
If you are unsure of the genre of your story, as long as it’s dark, speculative, and eligible, send it in.
Eligibility period:
Works published between the 1st of November 2021 and the 31st of October 2022 will be considered for Best of New Weird Horror: Volume 1.
Simply: If it's published before Halloween, it competes for this year's award. If it's published after Halloween, it competes for next year's award.
Final submission deadline for this year's award: October 31st, 2022. Send ARCS if necessary to get the submission in on time.
Response:
We will not send out rejections for this project. Rather, if we want to feature your story, we will reach out to you. There will be a published shortlist, and the shortlisted works that don’t end up being featured will still be mentioned and advertised in the anthology. Final decisions made before the end of calendar year 2022.
How to submit:
Submissions will open in 2022. Submit whole books or individual works. Electronic submissions only. Submit your work via our handy form—TO BE RELEASED AT THE START OF 2022. Please be sure to correctly fill in the name of the publisher (if applicable), editor (if applicable), and venue where the work was originally published.
Authors: Be sure your contract stipulates you are allowed to participate in Best Of anthologies, or ask permission from your publisher BEFORE submitting.
Publishers/editors: Be sure your authors give you permission to submit their work before submitting.
Selected authors will be asked to sign a contract allowing their reprint to be featured.
Other rules:
You may speak about this award, submitting to this award, and being shortlisted for this award, in any way you like.
You may have multiple submissions of the same author/publisher.
Questions? Did we miss anything? Drop us a line!
