Darkfaery Subculture Magazine wants your strange pages.
We are looking for books, zines, poetry, essays, chapbooks, art books, dark little paper objects, indie novels, self-published work, small press releases, folklore, horror, gothic fiction, dark fantasy, memoir, subculture writing, visual storytelling, and the kind of words that feel like they were written by candlelight even if they were written at 3 a.m. on a laptop with too many tabs open.
You do not need a publisher, publicist, agent, formal press kit, perfect author photo, or polished media package to reach out.
If you have those things, wonderful. Send them.
If you do not, that does not make your work less real.
What kind of books belong here?
Darkfaery has always lived near the border between art, music, fashion, horror, folklore, memory, myth, and strange personal truth.
We are interested in work with atmosphere.
Work with teeth.
Work with velvet.
Work with ghosts.
Work with glitter stuck to the floor after something beautiful and terrible happened.
That might mean gothic fiction, dark fantasy, horror, paranormal stories, vampire books, faery tales, folklore, poetry, memoir, punk history, goth scene writing, queer horror, haunted romance, strange essays, occult-leaning art books, experimental prose, visual zines, chapbooks, handmade books, or little self-published projects that refuse to behave like normal objects.
We are not here to decide whether your work is “big enough” to matter.
If it has a pulse, a shadow, a voice, or a reason to exist, we want to know about it.
Indie and self-published authors are welcome
Darkfaery understands that a lot of writers are doing everything themselves.
Writing the book. Editing the book. Making the cover. Fighting the formatting. Updating the website. Posting into the void. Trying to learn newsletters, thumbnails, metadata, storefronts, social media, promo graphics, and whatever else the modern world has decided an author must magically know how to do.
That is a lot.
You do not have to pretend you have a whole marketing department hiding behind the curtain.
Send what you have.
Tell us who you are, what you wrote, where people can find it, and why it matters to you.
That is enough to begin.
What can you send?
Keep it simple.
Tell us:
- your name or pen name
- the title of your book, zine, poem, project, or press
- what kind of work it is
- where people can read, buy, preview, or learn more
- whether it is available now or coming soon
- whether we have permission to share your cover, images, excerpts, links, or press materials
- anything you want Darkfaery to understand about the work
Useful things can include a website, shop link, Amazon/Barnes & Noble/Kobo/Bookshop page, publisher page, Goodreads link, StoryGraph link, Substack post, sample chapter, PDF preview, cover image, author photo, social link, or a short description in your own words.
If you have a press kit, send it.
If you only have a link and a few honest sentences, send that.
Everyone is equal at Darkfaery.
What we may cover
Darkfaery may feature books and written work through:
- book spotlights
- author introductions
- interviews
- review consideration
- zine features
- poetry highlights
- small press notes
- themed reading lists
- old-scene memory pieces
- dark fantasy, horror, gothic, and folklore coverage
- “where are they now” creative features
- essays about writing, publishing, creativity, and survival
Submission does not guarantee coverage, but it does open the door.
About reviews
Darkfaery reviews are not bloodsport.
We are not here to humiliate writers, mock indie formatting, punish small presses, or turn someone’s sincere creative work into a clever little public execution.
That does not mean every review will be empty praise.
It means our coverage will be thoughtful, contextual, and respectful. If something is not a fit for us, we can simply not cover it. We do not need to use cruelty to prove we have opinions.
Books are hard to make.
Zines are hard to make.
Poems are little haunted machines and sometimes they bite.
We respect the work.
Volunteer publication note
Darkfaery is currently an independent, volunteer-based publication.
We do not currently profit from submitted work, and we are not able to pay contributors at this stage. Submission does not guarantee publication. Content will be added as it is received, prepared, reviewed, and cleared by permission.
Please only send work, images, excerpts, covers, or materials that you have the right to share.
Anything accepted will be handled with credit, consent, transparency, and respect.
Help us find the strange pages
Darkfaery is being rebuilt through word of mouth, friends, fans, writers, artists, readers, and community.
If you know an author, poet, zine maker, small press, reviewer, illustrator, editor, or strange little book goblin whose work belongs in the Darkfaery orbit, please send them this post.
Like, comment, share, and tell your friends.
Every signal helps us find the people we are trying to reach.
We do not have a giant promotion machine behind us.
We have readers, weirdos, old friends, new friends, and people who still believe strange work deserves to be found.
That has always been enough to start something.
Send your books and strange pages
Submissions and contact:
duvy@darkfaery-subculture.com
Submission guidelines:
https://www.darkfaery-subculture.com/submissions/
Come weird.
Come honest.
Come with ink on your hands.