We are currently closed to all submissions

We're seeking fresh, original stories under 5,000 words. Surprise us with something completely different or a new take on familiar themes. We think horror is a wide-ranging genre, so we're pretty open-minded. Anything from traditional scary stories to dark sci-fi and fantasy to black comedy works for us.

We buy nonexclusive rights and pay $20 for stories, $10 for book or movie reviews and $5 per poem. Please send everything as a word attachment, using 12 point, times new roman font and single spacing. Our response time is generally 2-8 weeks, but if you submit the month before a new issue is due, it may take a little longer. Our new issues go online March 1, June 1, Sept. 1 and Dec. 1.

If you're interested in doing reviews, please query first. To avoid the appearance of conflict of interest, reviewers must not have any working relationship with publishers or filmmakers or distributors whose books and movies they are reviewing. Contact us at admin@downinthecellar.com.

If you'd like to send us a book or movie for review, please mail to Jeff Cercone, 2847 W. Shakespeare Ave. #2, Chicago, IL 60647.