You want to write for HorrorFam.com? Awesome!
Here’s what you need to know:
Your article MUST revolve around HORROR in some way. Horror movies, horror television, horror books/comics/mangas/zines, horror art, horror fashion, horror music/soundtracks/podcasts, horror toys/collectibles, horror masks… anything horror! HorrorFam.com’s niche is strict, but it’s also nearly endless.
Your article should be at least 700 words. Longer is awesome, but shorter usually won’t be considered.
If you include images with your submission, you MUST tell us where you got them from. Photos you take yourself are the best, but other images will be considered. (If you submit an image and we can’t use it, even with proper credit/citing, don’t fret; images aren’t as important as the article itself -there’s a good chance we’ll still be able to publish your piece!).
Please include your AUTHOR BIO at the BOTTOM of your post! Contributors are required to provide a name and email address (not published publicly) so you’re guaranteed a byline if we choose to publish your article… but JUST a byline is kinda lame, right? So include a blurb with your info (1-3 sentences + any links you’d like to promote) so our readers can get to know you!
DO…
Cite your sources! Include links to where you got your information (either next to the sentence where the fact is stated or at the bottom of your post as a list). Give credit where credit is due and all that good stuff.
Write SHORT paragraphs. Large paragraphs/blocks of text cause eyestrain. O_o Break your thoughts up into small chunks. Adding in headers/sub-headers is also greatly appreciated!
Keep it PG-13. Yeah, yeah… PG-13 horror?! Booooo. Um. Ever heard of The Monster Squad?? How about Tremors?! PG-13 can be awesome! Basically, your “swear” count is ONE swear per article (and only if it’s absolutely necessary). Uploaded images with excess gore or visible “naughty bits” will be censored upon publication, if they’re deemed essential to include at all. We try to keep HorrorFam.com content fam-friendly! (Note: you can freely link out to gory/racy material if you clearly label it as being NSFW).
Not sure about your topic? Email Lauren with a pitch (article idea) first! If she likes it, she’ll ask you for a full post. Or, if you’re 100% confident in your idea, go ahead and send her a completed draft. Totally up to you!
Have fun! It’s the name of the game. If you have fun writing it, then our audience will likely have fun reading it. Write in a casual style, and let your personality shine through.
Don’t…
Plagiarize. Seriously. Don’t do it. Super-duper NOT cool. Plus, we double-check that shiz. BE ORIGINAL!
Write about yourself. That’s so tacky! We LOVE that there are so many creative people in the #HorrorFam!! And we WANT to promote your amazing art/podcast/film/comic/mask/whatever, but YOU should NOT be the one to do it here on the blog. There are several other options available for self-promotion:
- Write about yourself/your in your author BIO (that’s what it’s for!) while keeping your actual article about the topic you chose.
- Contact Lauren and introduce yourself! Tell her why you’re awesome and what you’re doing/creating in the horror genre. There’s a good chance she’ll interview you or write a post about you/your creation on the blog! (Did you know she shares a round-up of new & upcoming indie horror projects on the 1st Friday of January, May, and September?)
Try to sneak in affiliate links. You absolutely cannot have affiliate links in your post/article. You may have ONE affiliate link (if it’s properly labeled as an affiliate link) in your author bio.
Other Important Stuff:
HorrorFam.com/Lauren Spear reserves the right to choose what does and does not warrant publication. Just because you’ve submitted something does NOT guarantee publication. That said, don’t dismay if Lauren rejects your article – you’re always welcome to try again with a different piece!
Sadly, we cannot afford to pay writers at this time. Hopefully that’ll change down the road. If/when it does, we’ll update this section.
PLEASE don’t harass Lauren. She DOES read each and every piece that’s submitted, but it takes time for her to go through everything without getting overwhelmed. If one full week has gone by and you haven’t heard from Lauren, THEN feel free to contact her to see what’s up.
You read through ALL that and still want to submit something? YOU ROCK!! Send an email to Lauren (HorrorFam.com’s head editor) at [email protected] or use the contact form below:
Privacy policy:Â Your email address will never be published, shared, or sold – we just need it so we can reply to your message! If you don’t want to share your real name, use a nickname (we just need something to address you by).Â
