Happy New Year!
We hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday and is ready to dive into the new year.
We closed out the year with the publication of our 9th Deathlehem anthology, so what better way to start out the year than with the announcement that we will be doing another Deathlehem in 2023. We already have the cover but won’t be doing a reveal just yet. The submission window for Deathlehem 2023 is now open. You can find the guidelines here. We strongly suggest you read a previous edition to get an idea of what we’re looking for.
In 2023, we will also be publishing a BEST OF… volume, so if there are stories you think should be included, don’t be afraid to voice your recommendations. You can send your recommendations to us on Facebook, Twitter, or via email.
Jeffrey Kosh on Deathlehem…
Recently, Jeffrey Kosh, who has designed all of the Deathlehem covers to date, shared his thoughts on Deathlehem on Facebook and explains why we sometimes have the covers well in advance:
“The magnificent nine (referring to the top image).
I have a particular fondness for this annual collection of horror holiday stories from Grinning Skull Press.
”Back in 2013 it was one of the first major projects I was commissioned and I remember being quite afraid about botching it. It went well, even if today I'd change a lot of things on that wraparound, but that's just my old anal-retentive self.
In 2014, Michael Evans and Harrison Graves came back with a second anthology, and this time I felt more secure about my skills.
”2015 seemed to be the final bell for Deathlehem, as the publishers decided to go with a final volume.
“Then, in 2017, after so many queries about Deathlehem, Michael and Harrison had a change of heart and commissioned one of my personal favorite ones of the series: The Shadow Out of Deathlehem.
”After that, it became routine for me to think about Deathlehem during the year, working on ideas long before they were commissioned to me. 2018 saw a vampire Santa Claus. 2019, which also featured a story by me (Bloody Bones), had a creepy tree with dangling, charred bodies. 2020 had a werewolf coming out of the fireplace. 2021 has one of my weirdest; a Christmas village built upon a giant rotting body. And this year... well, this year we have some ghoulish thing under Santa's clothes.
“Is it over? Of course it's not, as I have done the cover for 2023's edition of Deathlehem - and it's awesome, trust me. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait until next Christmas to see it.
“I'm thankful to Grinning Skull Press for giving me the opportunity to design covers for this series. I'm proud that this anthology series benefits the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
“And most of all, I have a blast every year at making creepy scenes in the snow.
“Now, go buy one of these collections. They are all good and you won't regret it.”
Midnight Machinations Press Submissions
Last year we announced the launch of a new imprint, Midnight Machinations, which will focus on mysteries and thrillers. The submission window for this imprint is now open, and the guidelines can be found here. The submission period for this imprint is short, as we will only be accepting manuscripts through the end of February.