About the Contest

Welcome to the first ever contest from NECKSNAP Magazine and M E N A C E!

This collaborative contest is seeking to highlight emerging voices in speculative horror. The contest is open to any writer who has not published a horror novel or collection with a major publisher.

As a collaborative contest, we are looking for work that contains speculative elements, such as magical realism, the paranormal, and/or sci-fi. We want the odd, the exciting, the experimental. Give us your weirdest.

Read the latest work from M E N A C E‘s website and visit their Mission page for a full list of their likes and dislikes. For NECKSNAP, read their back issues here, and visit their home page for more information about their preferences. NECKSNAP centers around experimental horror, while M E N A C E focuses on speculative fiction with a horror bent. Think about how you might blend these elements in your contest submission.

Both magazine editors will decide on ONE FIRST-PLACE WINNER, with a GRAND PRIZE OF $300 and a special feature publication on both websites. All submissions will be considered for publication.

Guidelines

For this contest, we are accepting short stories between 1,000-5,000 words. We are not accepting flash or poetry.

Submission fee is $5. One story per submission. We allow multiple submissions, but each each entry must be submitted separately with a $5 fee.

We are offering free submissions for BIPOC or historically marginalized writers for the first week of the contest (May 15 – May 22, 2026). You can use the link below to submit your free submission. Note: The form for free submissions is now closed. If you would still like to submit work, please use the General Submissions link.

Simultaneous submissions are allowed; however, we cannot offer refunds for withdrawals. Please let us know as soon as possible if your work is accepted elsewhere. We are not accepting reprints or previously published stories for this contest.