Bloodletter Magazine is a feminist horror magazine publishing the work of nonbinary, trans, and women writers and artists. “For each issue, we work with artists who contribute companion illustrations for each piece represented in the magazine. Bloodletter was founded on the principle that horror is an incredibly complicated, abundant genre – one that can be used as a tool to work through and expound upon difficult, perhaps even unnamable emotions and traumas.“

They are currently open for their special edition poetry zine with the theme of Trans Voices in Horror. They received funding for this special issue and will be paying contributors $50 per poem and $150 for five illustrations. See specific call details in my interview with editor Anna Laura Falvey below.

HOPKINSON: How/why was Bloodletter Magazine originally started? 

FALVEY: Our founder and editor-in-chief extraordinaire, Ariel McCleese, sought to do several things when she started Bloodletter. Firstly, to build a platform upon which to uplift the academic and creative voices of women, trans, and nonbinary writers in the horror genre. It was also important that the virtual publication be non-hierarchical—special shout out to Nicole Jaffe, our incredible web designer and developer, who coded our site so that the pieces are differently ordered each time the site is accessed. And finally, to ensure community staying power: she wanted our contributors to feel special, celebrated, have ongoing support, and new opportunities from Bloodletter whenever possible. 

HOPKINSON: Who is your target reader audience? 

FALVEY: Truly anyone who appreciates a kickass piece of writing, some gorgeous freaky art, and a veeeery satisfying website design. Really though, you don’t have to be a horror buff in order to enjoy the magazine. Our definition of horror is intentionally expansive—our writers use horror elements as storytelling tools to grapple with the ungrappleable. 

HOPKINSON: What type of work are you looking for? 

FALVEY: Rich, complicated interpretations of the genre. We’re always looking for our own biases and conceptions to be challenged. Right now, we’re incredibly excited to be working on our first print offering: a poetry zine highlighting trans voices in horror. We are actively looking for poetry from trans writers and illustrations from trans artists!

HOPKINSON: What do you wish you’d see submitted, but rarely comes in? 

FALVEY: For our biannual magazine, we’re always looking for more articles/article pitches! I would really love for Bloodletter’s nonfiction turn-out to become more robust. I’ve been incredibly impressed with the scholarship contributed to the magazine so far, and am so excited to see more of it.

HOPKINSON: What are some of your favorite lit mags/journals?

FALVEY:  My first intro to how wide and full horror writing can be was when I worked on staff at Bellevue Literary Review – the horror of the body, the horror of the human experience. I also love Abridged, Howl (both Irish journals), Room Magazine, Conjunctions, and Empty House Press. Also, not magazines, but love to Belladonna* Collaborative and the Poetry Brothel. 

HOPKINSON: What is your favorite part of being on staff at Bloodletter Magazine?

FALVEY: As editor, I’m grateful to get to work so intimately with our writers and their work. It’s important to me that our contributors feel deeply proud of the work they have represented in Bloodletter, and I’m always excited to have conversations with writers and really dig into the work to get it there. Nonfiction editing has felt especially rewarding. As a member of the larger Bloodletter team, I’ve learned such a tremendous amount in the year and a half that I’ve been on staff. The sparkling creativity, ingenuity, adaptability, and sheer fierceness of our team amazes me.

HOPKINSON: Where can we send submissions? 

FALVEY: We’re open for submissions for our Trans Voices in Horror poetry zine until June 17th. This is a paid opportunity! Trans writers and artists can submit their work here: https://bloodlettermag.com/submit/ Our biannual magazine opens for submissions in March and September.

HOPKINSON: If someone has a question, how can they contact you? 

FALVEY: Feel free to reach out to me or to Ariel via email!
Me: anna.bloodlettermag@gmail.com; Ariel: bloodlettermag@gmail.com 

• POETRY ZINE SUBMISSION DEADLINE: June 17, 2025 (11:59pm PT)
• THEME(S): Trans Voices in Horror  
• FORMAT: Print
• SUBMISSION FEE: None 
• PAYMENT: $50 per poem, $150 per 5 illustrations
• AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME: To an email question, within a few days. 
• SUBMISSION METHOD: Google form. Details at https://bloodlettermag.com/submit/ 
• SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS: Yes, but please let us know if it’s been accepted elsewhere.
• FORMS: Poetry, Visual Art
• SOCIAL MEDIA:  Instagram, YouTube
• LISTINGS: CLMP, Chill Subs, Duotrope

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