Horror has a special place in my heart. Ever since the advent of my obsession with vampires and werewolves, I couldn’t help but explore the realms of the horror genre. From the deep, psychological horrors of the nightmares an artist sees, to the mesmerizing, yet disturbing shadows of a writer’s interpretation of hell, there’s no doubt that horror is one of the backbones of fiction. Despite that, there are times when we write these horror stories we know will chill people to the core, and while we want them published, we have absolutely no idea where to submit them. Of course, it helps to have a literary agent, but sometimes that just isn’t possible. As such, below are the top five indie publishers for horror.

1. Night Shade Books
A publisher that adores fantasy and science fiction, as well as horror, Night Shade books has been in business for more than 15 years, and has won a variety of awards, such as the World Fantasy Award and the Stoker Award. Their titles are all beautifully designed, which is always an added bonus. However, a few years ago they became co-owned by Skyhorse Publishing, and Start Media, and have started struggling since.

2. Belle Books
Belle Books is a publisher that is looking for a variety of different genres, including horror. Like Night Shade Books, they’ve been publishing and promoting books since 1999, and are known for their immense support in promoting books. They also give helpful tips as to how you can get your manuscript accepted.

3. Black Bed Sheet
Black Bed Sheet enjoys horror-related stories, alongside science fiction and fantasy. As of now, they’re only accepting submissions for their e-book lines. Ironically, the founder built up the company from the very confines of his home, including his garage. The publisher offers a variety of services like professional editing and cover designing. They’re even working with Dark Horse Comics to produce a novel adaptation for one of their comics.

4. Cosmic Egg Books
Cosmic Egg Books is a publishing company that enjoys publishing speculative fiction. However, in order to work with this publisher, you’re going to have to have an established reputation as a writer. Otherwise, your chances of getting accepted are low. One unique trait about this publisher is that you have to know how to use their database. It’s that database that will allow you to do things like see your revenue.

5. Horrified Press
Yet another press that indulges in horror, Horrified Press specializes in publishing both novel-length manuscripts and anthologies that represent some of the most innovative features in indie horror. They’ve also won awards in their anthologies, as well as advertising other submission opportunities for aspiring writers. Should your work get accepted, you’ll receive around 60% of the profits, as well as half off the cost of contributor copies.

This list, of course, doesn’t include all the publishers available. You may even be able to find some that further suit your needs. Even so, make sure that you read the submission guidelines, and to be ready to submit to more than one. Because after all, this is still your work, and you want to make sure that it’s at its absolute best.