N E C K S N A P
Welcome to
NECKSNAP Magazine.
NECKSNAP Magazine is a literary horror magazine founded in 2024. We strive to push through the outer boundaries of the genre, and look for work that challenges us. We want your most seizing voices, your prickliest characters, and language that is as precise as it is surprising. Show us what horror can be, and what it can become. Experiment with form, style, voice, and content. Shock us not with gore alone—although don’t be afraid to include it—but with the bracing depth of your characters and inventiveness of your voice.
Scroll down for more about our areas of interest (and non-interest).
NECKSNAP x M E N A C E
Emerging Voices in Speculative Horror Prize
Subs open!
Issue three: Fringe
Subs closed
Issue Three coming soon
For our first ever themed issue, we interviewed Grace Krilanovich, author of The Orange Eats Creeps and the upcoming Acid Green Velvet. She gave some wonderful insights on the topic of “fringe” and on writing in general; click below to read the full interview.
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Give a one-time or monthly donation to our ko-Fi
to support our work, help us pay contributors, and fund print copies.
Out now! NECKSNAP x you are not alone
Special Mini-Issue of
Internet Horror Stories
usernotfound.blog
What we like
GRUNGY: Give us something lo-fi, experimental, and grainy. Evoke a nightmare. Show us the fringes, where things get fuzzy.
GOTHIC: We love natural settings, religious undertones, oppressive atmospheres, and haunts with a twist. Southern Gothic is also a big plus.
GORY: No need for gratuity here, but use viscera, both literal and figurative, to your advantage. Bring the spirit of the story into the body.
We want compelling characters with personality and voice; idiosyncrasy and attention to detail; nuance and insight; invigorating language; and most of all, something that feels unique to you.
Our best advice is to read our published work for a sense of our taste:
Read our author interviews:
Read our interview with Grace Krilanovich on the topic of “fringe.”
Read our interview with Tennessee Hill on the Southern Gothic.
Read our interview with Alex Gonzalez about ultraviolence on the Internet.
Read our issues:
Read all of our back issues.
Read our special mini-issue in collaboration with you are not alone.
What we Don’t
Sci-fi/fantasy (we do make some exceptions – in fact, we’re looking for speculative horror in particular for our Emerging Voices in Speculative Horror Prize! Subs open through June 15.)
Work made with Generative AI/LLMs;
Hateful language;
Excessive or gratuitous violence that doesn’t serve the story;
Shock horror;
Glorification of self-harm or suicide (it can be included, but we’re not interested in romanticization);
Campfire stories (think: standard spooky stories with twist endings);
Unpolished writing;
Stephen King copycats;
Generic or overly conventional style.
What we Like but get a Lot Of
(In other words, we’re more likely to reject unless you’ve got a really interesting angle or voice.)
Horror in the shape of: abuse, misogyny, grief;
Mental illness/descent into madness;
Therapy as a plot device;
Obsession with body and self-image;
Medical horror.
Submissions for Issue Three are now closed. In the meantime, submissions for our 2026 Emerging Voices in Speculative Horror Prize are open from May 15 – June 15! Submit here.
You can also read all previous issues here, and subscribe below to be the first to hear about submission calls, release dates, events, and product drops.
Any questions? Email john@necksnapmag.com or DM us on Instagram/X.
