Bow & Chariot Horror Writing Contest

This is Bow & Chariot’s first official contest, and we’re thrilled to begin by celebrating horror in all its forms.

Calling all writers who want to delve into the season of mystic and horror!

Can you write a short story under 1500 words filled with what hides within shadows, takes shapes under the night sky, finds refuge in a shaken human soul? Fear, disgust, suspense comes in all different forms and we here at Bow and Chariot want to experience it all through your words. If your story fits the fang then be ready for a cash prize.

We await your terror.

Pre-registration opens September 28th and runs until October 23rd at 11:59 PM CST.
The contest officially begins on October 24th at 10:00 AM CST, when all pre-registered participants will receive the contest rules and prompts (either a monster, a special word, and/or a theme you must use in your Horror Story).

From that moment, the clock is ticking. Writers will have until October 31st at 11:59 PM CST to submit their completed horror story.

Winners will be announced on November 25th.

Prizes

  • 1st Place: $150 and Publication on the Bow & Chariot website

  • 2nd Place: $50 and Publication on the Bow & Chariot website

  • 3rd Place: $25 and Publication on the Bow & Chariot website

  • All other entrants will be considered for publication.

    Prizes will be paid via PayPal only. Entrants are responsible for ensuring they can legally receive PayPal payments in their country. Due to U.S. law, we cannot send prize payments to residents of countries or regions under U.S. sanctions.

Guidelines

  • Word Count: 500–1,500 words.

  • Genre: Stories must fall under the Horror umbrella. This includes (but is not limited to) Gothic, Psychological, Paranormal, Folk, Body, Cosmic, Dark Fantasy, Monster stories, Apocalyptic, Weird Fiction, Occult, Survival, Slasher, Found Footage, etc. At Bow & Chariot, it takes a lot for us to shy away from a story because of its content. Don’t be afraid to push the limits as long as there is intention and purpose behind it.

  • All work must be unpublished, including self-published pieces on blogs, newsletters, or social media. Reprints will be disqualified.

  • Submissions must be written in English, though code-switching/meshing is welcome.

  • AI-generated work will be automatically disqualified without refund.

  • Formatting:

    • Double-spaced

    • 12-point Times New Roman or Courier New

    • Submit as a Word doc (.doc or .docx) or PDF

    • Do not include your name anywhere inside the manuscript itself. Your name will be collected through the submission form.

    • Please include the subgenre of horror at the top of your document (for example: Gothic, Folk Horror, Psychological, etc.). This is just to give us context before reading your submission.

  • Content Warnings: Please include a content warning (CW/TW) at the top of your document if your story contains potentially triggering material.

  • File Naming: Please title your file as Lastname_Title.docx or .pdf .

  • Deadline: Submissions must be received by October 31 at 11:59 PM CST. Late entries will not be considered.

    All deadlines are based on Central Standard Time (CST).

How It Works

  1. Pre-register between September 28th – October 23rd at 11:59 PM CST.

    • All pre-registrants will be added to the contest list.

  2. Contest launch (October 24th at 10:00 AM CST).

    • You’ll receive the official prompts by email: either a monster, a special word, and/or a theme you must use.

    • Your story must use the official prompts.

  3. Write your Horror Story.

    • You’ll have until October 31 11:59pm CST to finish and submit via our contest submission form.

  4. Judging.

    • All stories are first read by Bow & Chariot editors. Shortlisted entries will be considered anonymously for final decisions.

  5. Winners announced November 25th.

Fees

  • Entry fee: $5 per story

  • You may submit more than once, but each entry requires a separate fee.

Rights

  • Authors retain full copyright to their work.

  • By entering, you grant Bow & Chariot a non-exclusive license to publish winning stories and promote them across our channels (including short excerpts, social media graphics, or video teasers).

  • All other rights revert to you after publication.

Important Notes

  • Submissions are final. Please double-check your file before submitting. Typos won’t disqualify you.

  • Entry fees are non-refundable, even if you withdraw or your story is not selected.

  • Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but if your piece is accepted elsewhere, please withdraw it from our contest immediately.

  • We will be using JOTFORM to handle the submissions.

  • The contest is open internationally to writers age 18 or older, provided PayPal is available in their country and due to U.S. law, we cannot send prize payments to residents of countries or regions under U.S. sanctions.

  • Bow & Chariot reserves the right to disqualify entries that do not follow the rules or submission guidelines.

Now, are you ready to capture the season’s dark spirit?

REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED