Editor Brad Dunne is accepting submissions for short fiction under 7,500 that fit under the suburban gothic genre.
Editor Brad Dunne is accepting submissions for short fiction under 7,500 that fit under the suburban gothic genre.
We are seeking stories that explore feelings of unease, suspense, and terror within a suburban setting, such as homes, neighbourhoods, community spaces, or work. Stories can include, but aren’t limited to, elements of the supernatural, horror, crime, sci-fi, and magical realism. Examples include Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” Stephen King’s It, David Lynch’s Twin Peaks, and Jane Schoenbrun’s I Saw the TV Glow. The anthology is intended for readers aged 18 and up.
In an effort to streamline the review process, we ask that authors submit their stories by email to submissions@engenbooks.com as a .doc or .docx file, careful to adhere to the following guidelines. The email should include the author’s name and reliable contact information, as well as the story’s title and a word count for the story. The story should be attached to the email, with the document name as the title of the story. The title should appear again at the beginning of the text, but we request that the author’s name not appear in the document, including in headers or footers, or in the name of the document. Submissions are juried blind.
Submissions will be accepted until March 31 2026, at midnight Newfoundland Standard Time. We thank all interested authors in advance for their submissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it pay?
Authors are paid $0.01 CAD per word, to an upper limit of 7,500 words.
Can someone submit more than one poem?
Of course! We may take up to three! We have had the same author in the same collection multiple times in the past. Please for this collection, submit up to only ten (10) poems.
Who can submit?
Any Canadian author looking to celebrate great Canadian poetry! There is also no age restriction. Anyone over Canadian Age-of-Consent (16 years of age) can submit and sign the print release on their own. Entrants younger than that will have to sign the print release with a parent or guardian.🙂
Who keeps the printing rights?
You do! Engen Books Ltd merely gains the right to print your story in this one collection. You keep the rights to your story and property: so if it takes off and becomes a huge hit, you keep all the benefits!
Do you accept reprints?
Yes, so long as you hold the copyright to allow us to publish it in the collection and the other criteria for the collection are met. Please tell us if you are submitting a reprint. We do give priority to new stories except in extreme cases.
How do I submit?
All submissions should be directed to submissions@engenbooks.com and should be sent from a reliable email address that you check regularly (we will contact all applicants through email with the status of their submission once the deadline has passed).
When do submissions close?
March 31, 2026 11:59 PM Newfoundland Standard Time.
Do you have questions?
Email them to submissions@engenbooks.com with the words SUBURBAN GOTHIC in the subject line, we will answer you post haste!🙂
Happy Writing!
We regret that due to the volume of submissions we receive we will be unable to acknowledge receipt of entries. We will contact you after submissions close, usually within 30 days, to let you know if we accepted your work or not.
