We are very pleased to announce that the guest editor for Midnight Echo 18: CURSED will be J.S. Breukelaar.

Submissions are only accepted through the form at the end of this page. Please read all the guidelines first.

J.S. Breukelaar is an expat author living in Sydney, Australia where she teaches literature and writing at Sydney University and Western Sydney University. Her second novel, Aletheia, was a 2018 Aurealis Award finalist and her first novel, American Monster was shortlisted for the 2015 Wonderland Award. Her new collection of short stories, Collision:Stories, was a Shirley Jackson Award finalist, and received the Aurealis Award for Best Collection, 2019, and the Ditmar Award for Best Collection, 2019.

You can find her short fiction, essays and poetry in The Dark Magazine, Black Static, Juked, Unnerving, Lightspeed, Gamut, The Nervous Breakdown, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, LitReactor, and in anthologies like Tiny Nightmares, Welcome to Dystopia, and Women Writing the Weird. Born in California, raised in New York, educated in New Zealand and Australia, her third novel, The Bridge, came out in June, 2021.

Here’s what she wants to see for Midnight Echo 18: CURSED:

I’m looking for stories about curses.
Give me curses of the blood, of the earth, of the home, of the heart. Give me curses that are blessings in disguises, and blessings that become monstrous. I’m looking for stories that push boundaries.
Give me the why, the where, the who of the cursed. A curse without a character is just a dirty word.
Give me curious curses, curses at the edge that snarl and sing. Voices from beyond the grave, lost in the woods, or in love, buried alive, living a dream or a lie. Make me hear your midnight echo.

A full list of previous issues and editors can be found at the end of this page.
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Submission Guidelines – CURRENTLY CLOSED

There is a submission form for writers and artists to send their fiction, articles and art for consideration for publication in Midnight Echo Magazine. You will find the form below – please read the following first:

Midnight Echo is the magazine of the Australasian Horror Writers Association. We seek original, previously unpublished horror fiction, poetry, and non-fiction on horror-related subjects. As the AHWA’s goal is to support the genre in Australasia, we only accept unsolicited submissions from writers in (or originally from) Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the Pacific Islands. Don’t self-reject – we actively encourage submissions from everyone, especially traditionally under-represented demographics including but not limited to all ethnicities, races, sexes, sexual orientations, gender identities, disabilities, ages, or other individual status.

Fiction and Poetry: We accept all types of horror. Your story or poem should unnerve, disturb, or inspire fear. We encourage you to be courageous with your subject matter, but above all else, tell an entertaining story that will linger with our readers. Local stories with distinctly Aussie, Kiwi, or Pacific settings, characters, dilemmas, monsters, or themes are especially welcome. Please read issues of the magazine to get a feel for what we like to publish. No multiple submissions, send only your best story. No simultaneous submissions, please – we aim to respond as quickly as possible after the submission period ends. No reprints – original, previously unpublished work only, please.

We pay AU$0.05/word for fiction (that’s 5 Australian cents per word). Word limit: 5,000 words firm.

We pay AU$20 per poem. Limit up to 20 lines.

Non-Fiction: We welcome articles, creative non-fiction, and interviews on horror-related subjects. Non-fiction that has an Australasian focus (such as an interview with a local author or article about a local book or film) is preferred, but we welcome a broad range of horror-related submissions. Please read issues of the magazine to get a feel for what we like to publish.

We pay AU$30 per non-fiction article up to 5,000 words.

Note about pay rates: While AHWA would like to pay writers more for their work, the organization is run by volunteers and has limited funds. Our goal is to develop emerging Australasian writers and give them experience working with editors, which we hope is a value above and beyond what we’re able to pay for their work. However, through more writers becoming AHWA members and more readers purchasing copies of Midnight Echo or the Dead of Night anthology, the AHWA can strengthen its financial position and increase its rates.

Internal Art: We always include 2-3 pieces of black and white horror artwork in Midnight Echo. We are looking for art that is dark, sinister, or scary. We pay AU$50 per piece for internal art.

Full colour cover art: We always encourage submissions of full colour cover art for each issue. We pay AU$100 for the successful piece.

ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE IN STANDARD MANUSCRIPT FORMAT AND SUBMITTED VIA THIS FORM.

Please attach only .doc, .docx, or .rtf files. All others will be deleted unread.

We only accept unsolicited submissions from writers in (or originally from) Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the Pacific Islands.

Good luck! Here is the form for submissions.

Previous issues of Midnight Echo have had a variety of amazing editors:

Issue 18: Cursed – Edited by J.S. Breukelaar

Issue 17 – Edited by Greg Chapman

Issue 16 – Edited by Tim Hawken

Issue 15 – Edited by Lee Murray

Issue 14 – Edited by Deborah Sheldon

Issue 13 – Edited by Paul Mannering with co-editors Helen Stubbs and Isobel Blackthorn

Issue 12 – Edited by Shane Jiraiya Cummings and Anthony Paul Ferguson

Issue 11 – Edited by Kaaron Warren

Issue 10 – Edited by Craig Bezant

Issue 9 – Edited by G.N. Braun

Issue 8 – Edited by Marty Young, Mark Farrugia and Amanda J. Spedding

Issue 7 – Edited by Daniel I. Russell

Issue 6 – Edited by David Conyers, Jason Fischer and David Kernot

Issue 5 – Edited by Leigh Blackmore

Issue 4 – Edited by Lee Battersby

Issue 3 – Edited by Stephen Studach

Issue 2 – Edited by Angela Challis and Shane Jiraiya Cummings

Issue 1 – Edited by Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond