Dark Valentine

Permanently Closed: This project is permanently closed to submissions. We provide the following information as an archive.

About

Dark Valentine is a quarterly journal devoted entirely to dark fiction, which we define as any story in any genre that is disturbing, provocative, haunting, scary, dangerous, or any combination of those things. Think of classic stories like “The Mummy’s Paw,” “The Open Window,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” and “The Lady or the Tiger?” Think of Jack London’s “To Build a Fire,” William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily,” Harlan Ellison’ “I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream,” J.D. Salinger’s “A Perfect Day for Bananafish,” and Tanith Lee’s “Because Our Skins are Finer.” The world is a dangerous place, as full of shadows and moonlight as it is sun and blue sky. We want the stories that come from the dark places—words that sear and scar and bewitch and bedazzle. Words that are as dangerous to hear as they are to tell. Tell us a story.

Country of Publication

United States

Publication Medium & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Published 4 x per year

Fiction Closed

Short stories in any genre so long as they fit under the overall heading of “dark.” Here are just a few genres we want to see: black humor, dark romance, urban fantasy, horror, mystery, SF, paranormal, dark fantasy, speculative, slipstream, surrealism, magical realism, lit fic, steampunk, splatterpunk, cyberpunk, dieselpunk, and so forth. Surprise us with your take on a famous fairy tale or an urban legend.

Dates:

Rolling Deadlines: Check cutoff dates.

Audience:

Unknown

Genres:

General Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Fabulism, Gothic, Magic Realism, Urban
Fantasy Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Dark Fantasy, Retrofuturism
Horror Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Dark Fantasy, Paranormal, Supernatural
Mystery/Crime Open to all/most Subgenres
Romance Open to all/most Subgenres
Science Fiction Open to all/most Subgenres, including: Cyberpunk, Retrofuturism

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: 500 - 1,000 words.
Short Story: 1,000 - 5,000 words.

Styles:

Dark.

Topics:

None found.

Payment:

Token payment (under 1 US cent per word) to Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) Pay ranges from Token payment (under 1 US cent per word) to Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word).
Note: We list broad pay categories rather than payment specifics. Check with the publisher for details.

Submissions:

Method: Electronic submissions.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
Media: Text.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

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Dark Valentine Submission Statistics

The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the publication's editors/staff or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics.

This listing is inactive and does not have any submission reports for the past 12 months.

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Before Submitting

We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is correct. It is not unusual for publications to evolve or close without notice. We do our best to keep up, but it isn't always possible. Duotrope listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation of the project being listed. Before submitting, you should use your own judgment to determine whether the project meets your standards.

Always read the full guidelines provided by the publisher.
Try to read at least one previous publication to get a better idea of what the editor would like to see.
Unless the publisher's guidelines state otherwise, always use industry standard manuscript formatting.
Be professional, patient, and persistent.

Dates

Last Updated: 22 May 2026