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500 word scary story contest

500 Word Scary Story contest! Over $10,000 in promotions.

Posted on October 8, 2017February 3, 2023 by Richard

500 word scary story contest

500 word scary story contest!

Welcome to our 2017 500 word horror story contest! We are looking for submissions of horror stories that are scary, and 500 words are less. These stories can be about anything, but as we get them and like them we will publish them on EWR: Short Stories, and if they are in before September 15 they will be published in our print issue.

We have been running this contest for years. This is our big horror contest. If you win you will be featured in our print magazine, digital copy, and on our website. We will promote your work/book/website for 1 year. The prize is basically $10,000 in ads on our site. We will run ads, tweet you daily/weekly, put you on our numerous other social networks and by email of course. We will promote your book or books, literary magazine, book publisher, or just you! It’s our grand prize.

We don’t have a lot of time this year for our contest because we are starting so late. Our deadline is October 28. Please put 500 Word Scary Story contest! in the subject line of your email. 

Rules:

  • Scary story, must be scary, must be high quality
  • Work not previously published by any other publication (on a personal site is ok)
  • Story must be 500 words or less
  • Deadline is October 28th 2017
  • You may enter as many times as you like.

Here are a list of prizes just so we get this right:

1st prize:

  • 1 full year of promotions on our site:
  • Social network promotions
  • Email promotions
  • On site promotions.

2nd prize

  • Same as above but for 1 month ($1000 value)

3rd prize

  • 1 week promotions, same as above.

 

If you want to promote your book, website, or yourself on our site, this is your chance. We reserve the right to reject any promotions if it does not meet our standards (no pornography or bad neighborhood sites). For the most part you can promote whatever you want….if you win!

Send all entries with a cover letter and bio to eds@everywritersresource.com. Remember, make them scary!  Please put 500 Word Scary Story contest! in the subject line of your email. 

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Richard
Richard
Richard Everywriter (pen name) is the founder of EveryWriter and a 25-year veteran of the publishing industry. With degrees in Writing, Journalism, Technology, and Education, Richard has dedicated two decades to teaching writing and literature while championing emerging voices through EveryWriter's platform. His work focuses on making literary analysis accessible to readers at all levels while preserving the rich heritage of American literature. Connect with Richard on Twitter  Bluesky Facebook or explore opportunities to share your own work on ourSubmissions page. For monthly insights on writing and publishing, subscribe to our Newsletter.
Richard
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Category: Expired

4 thoughts on “500 Word Scary Story contest! Over $10,000 in promotions.”

  1. jake cosmos aller says:
    October 9, 2017 at 11:35 am

    Sam Adams decided to celebrate his 65th birthday by taking a walking tour/whiskey tour of the Scottish Highlands. He was a recent widower and needed some time alone. He had never been to Scotland or England but he was part Scot on both sides of his family.

    One night before he began his epic journey, he spent the night drinking with the locals in a pub. They regaled him with ghost stories and warned him against hiking alone as there was a mad laid, a ghost that haunted the woods and killed unwary travelers. Sam dismissed these ghost stories and prepared for his epic adventure. Several offered to come along as guides and show him the best hunting spots but Sam politely declined their offers.

    A few days later, he ends up late one afternoon walking down a lonely country road in the moors, alone on the road, and it is getting dark, gloomy, and cold with a thick as pea soup fog descending upon the land. He is lost and probably must camp out as he did not think he could make it to the next town before dawn.

    As Sam walks down the lonely road, he begins to get a bit afraid. People in the last town had warned him that there were highwaymen on the road, rough people who robbed and sometimes killed travelers particularly people walking alone. And he could not help but think about the ghost stories he had heard in the pub his first night out. But Sam was prepared for any eventuality had a full backpack with supplies including a gun he had bought on the local black market, cost him almost a thousand pounds.

    The quiet of the night is shatters as Sam hears a ghostly wail – an unearthly evil sound that spooked Sam to the core. The sound seems to be close. Sam hears a horse coming and an old man dressed in black and riding a black stallion materializes out of the mist and fog. He stops his horse and says

    “ Hello, stranger, well met on the road. What brings you to these parts?”

    Well I am on a walking/whiskey tour of the highlands and frankly am lost.”
    “A wee bit lost are ye? Here have a wee dram of whiskey on me to warm you up. I distill it myself.”

    Sam takes the whiskey and as he is drinking it, the old man said,

    “So, Mr. American, what do you think of the legend of the Ghost of these moors who kills unwary travelers on the Moors?”

    Sam laughed and said,

    “What nonsense. I ain’t afraid of no ghosts.”

    Then Sam takes a good look over at the figure on the horse. The fog had lifted and the full moon and the moonlight shines through his body. Sam screams echoes through the moors as the ghost lifts a large knife and cuts off Sam’s head yelling,

    “Are ye afraid of Ghosts now?”

    Reply
  2. Wendy Montoya says:
    October 10, 2017 at 11:04 am

    There was a numbing in her ears as she sat down slowly on the perfectly white laced bed spread. Her heart was thrumming in her chest as she took in all that he confessed to her.

    “Why!” she whispered faintly. He sat next to her taking her hand but she yanked it away, staring into his eyes with discussed.

    “Please don’t look at me that way, you should have known!” He mocked her with a crooked smile.

    she looked away to the small kitchen of their suite; just as a cold wind blew threw the opened patio doors. The scent of the tropical sea swarmed her nose. She inhaled with delight knowing she had been far away from her home, accepting what she must do.

    “Well aren’t you going to say anything?” he stood up raising his voice irritated by her silence. She stood suddenly walking to counter leaning in as she glared at him.

    “What would you like me to say?” She snapped leaned up, and quickly made her way back to the bed to sit. This seemed to satisfy him, she knew he would brake out in rage and attack her like he always did.

    The second she did this he sat next to her on the king size bed taking her hand in his as She wept. He turned to her just as she lunged on top of him plunging a kitchen knife deep into his chest. She sliced viciously wanting his heart, for breaking hers.

    The memory of his confession pained her. The affair with her sister; she cried out in agony as she realized; there in her hands rested his bloody heart.

    Reply
  3. Justin Bendell says:
    December 21, 2017 at 2:48 pm

    Were the winners of the 500 word contest announced? I see an announcement for a 50 word contest. Were there two contests?

    Reply
  4. Wendy Montoya says:
    January 4, 2018 at 12:57 pm

    How do we find out who the winner is for the 500 scary word contest are?

    Reply

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