Fraidy Cat Press

If you've submitted anything to us this year you should have a response in your inbox. Please email us if you haven't received a response to your submission.

Hey Jeannie,

No, you didn't miss out. We put this on hold because we're behind on FCQ. 2025 has been a shit year w/ multiple surgeries, concussions, physical therapy, dental work, & a recent family funeral. We've been left reeling and are trying to protect our peace and FCQ's future.

I know I'm behind on stuff for @fraidycatpress.bsky.social and for that I'm very sorry. Had some health issues recently and lost my grandfather last week. Promise I'll get back to everyone with responses, contracts, and everything else I owe you all as soon as I can!

My giant puppy Chad posing with a stack of copies of FEEDING THE WHEEL because he knows every copy sold means more money in the kibble fund

Pub day is here! My debut cosmic horror novella FEEDING THE WHEEL is officially out on store shelves and digital marketplaces all over the world. Instead of droning on about how proud I am of this work and how fulfilled I feel as a writer, I'd like to take a sec to thank everybody who made this real

The cover for Die Laughing Magazine Issue 4! The image is of a room with pale, yellow walls, with a framed photo on the wall of a vase of flowers in the back. On a table in the foreground, a slice of furry looking fruit pie with stubby paws and a tail (appearing to be somehow both pie and also a star-nosed mole) sits on a light blue plate. Many of their distinctive noses are visible amongst the pinkish berries. To the left of the plate is a fork, also slightly furry and with tines that look like the claws of the mole. Cover text follows. Issue No. 4, July 2025. Die Laughing Magazine. A.C. Bauer Lillie E. Franks Joelle Killian Randall Madden SJ Townend Rob Walker Edited by Theodore Hill and Cassandra Daucus Cover art by Theresa Galusaurus Interior art by Iseult Murphy.

Come on in! Take a seat! Can we interest you in a slice of pie?

No?

Fair enough. How about the shiny new cover for Die Laughing Issue 4, with art by the inimitable @galusaurus.bsky.social? Seems like a sweet deal to us.

The full PDF of the issue will be available 7/15, $5 for a download! Yum!

Last day for FCQ general subs for our Rage themed volume. BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and Palestinian authors are able to submit 7/8-7/14.

Send us your weird, cosmic, and literary horror stories of unbridled wrath and ruin!

fraidycatpress.com/submission-g...

#horrorlit #cosmic #shortstories #indieauthor

Fraidy Cat Quarterly is open to submissions of flash, short stories, and art for our rage themed issue today! Full guidelines at the link: fraidycatpress.com/submission-g...

#horror #rage #cosmic #weird #shortstories #horrorlit #flashfiction #art #indie

you are not on my level youre still doing jungle stuff and im underwater and it sucks ass here but theres really cool music

Born of Waste — Creepy Born of Waste *** Written by: Some Unholy Obscenity *** Momentary Brightness *** Written by: Robert Helfst and Narrated by: Nate DuFort *** Keep Them Fed *** Written by: Tim Brown and N...

Need some horror goodness to wind down your weekend? My story "Momentary Brightness" was produced as a podcast segment on @creepypod.bsky.social ! Very proud of this story and stoked to hear it produced so well here! www.creepypod.com/episodes/202...

#horror #podcast #cosmic

POLL: Which deal do you prefer when it comes to indie mags?

A: Buy one copy, get one half off

2: Buy two copies, get one free

III: Other (let us know)

We've got some backstock we'd like to move, trying to decide what kind of deal to run.

#indie #smallpress #horrorlit #cosmic #weirdhorror

fraidycatpress.com/submission-g...

Open call for horror novellas coming soon!

#horrorlit

We've sent out responses to everyone who's submitted to us prior to today. If you haven't heard from us, please check your spam folder for both of your email accounts (some people included 2 in their submissions) and then query us if you're still not finding it!

I didn’t know this was controversial. Even if reading every submission beginning to end was feasible—without ballooning response times on every one to several months, at least—it wouldn’t be useful. You can tell within a few pages, paragraphs, sometimes even sentences if a story is working for you.

If we’re talking short stories/micros/poems, TYPICALLY the submitting writer will run with the first acceptance received. It’s a double-edged sword - you shouldn’t sinus sub anywhere you’re not okay with withdrawing from.

Manuscripts work a little differently and have their own complexities.

Reminder: simultaneous submissions are 100% encouraged when you're working with us.

No simsub rules should only be used by publishers that make their decision swiftly within a couple of days. To do otherwise reduces author's opportunities.

If you haven't read it yet, why care so much?

We LOVE this piece so much! Thank you for trusting us with your work @marigoldrowell.com !

#art #spooky #horrorlit #indie #artist #horror

Awesome! Glad it got to you. Thank you for digging into some paranoia-fueled madness! We weren’t sure how the overall themed volumes would be received but have been very happy with everyone’s excitement!

a woman says i am your mother in a very angry manner ALT: a woman says i am your mother in a very angry manner

Happy Mother’s Day, y’all!

@teresa-ardrey.bsky.social is ELITE for snagging the year 1 bundle and 2025 subscription to FCQ! So much beautiful cosmic goodness in one photo!

Glad it got there! We love your story and this volume!

Black and white cover of Fraidy Cat Quaterly Volume 5

First page of my story, Sea Junk Shaped like the English Alphabet

Back cover of Fraidy Cat Quarterly vol 5

Thanks for the contributor copy, @fraidycatpress.bsky.social !

Available here: fraidycatpress.com/product/frai...

You can get your copy here: fraidycatpress.com/product/frai...

First page of “The Neighbor’s Baby” by Aaron Lindenthaler.

Its preview o’clock! In “The Neighbor’s Baby” @mrjumpcut.bsky.social takes readers on a fast and furious ride of second-guessing concern for a family you don’t really know.

#smallpress #indie #horrorlit #preview #paranoia #shortstory #horror

Importantly: we’re excited to see submissions from EVERYONE, but especially authors from underrepresented and marginalized communities.

If you have a pulse and you like the vibe of what we’ve published in FCQ, please submit. No self rejection allowed!

Yay! So glad those made it to you! Thank you for trusting us with your work!

fraidycatpress.com/submission-g...

Open call for horror novellas coming soon!

#horrorlit

Get yours here: fraidycatpress.com/product/frai...

Sneak preview, part two! @jduckwriter.bsky.social explores family commitments, loneliness, and self-deception at a shady government facility in the cosmic-tinged “Threshold” in FCQ5.

#indie #horrorlit #smallpress #cosmic #paranoia

Can't miss lineup of weird fiction highlights here! HAIL 10P!

#indie #weirdfiction #horrorlit