“Where members have a grievance over issues such as plagiarism, with a publisher over a contractual issue, or a similar matter; and that grievance has not been resolved after the member has made reasonable endeavors, the member may approach the HWA Grievance Committee. The Committee will consider the facts and endeavor to assist the Member in getting a satisfactory resolution.” - HWA Member Handbook
Function
HWA Grievance Committee is established to provide an avenue within the organization where members may freely and openly inform the association of events that may negatively affect the organization or its members. The Chairman of the Grievance Committee must appoint volunteers to act as committee members. The committee must have a minimum of 5 volunteers including the chairman, but never exceed 9 members, including chairman.
The committee DOES NOT:
- Make decisions regarding the morality of members.
- Take sides on any issue.
- Play favorites.
The HWA offers this service as a benefit to its members and acts solely as an investigator/mediator. The HWA does not provide legal advice to anyone. If a party to a dispute informs the HWA that such party is represented by legal counsel, the HWA will immediately cease its investigation or mediation unless all parties and their counsel agree otherwise. The HWA is not obligated to conduct an investigation or mediation with regard to any matter that, in its sole discretion, the HWA deems to be outside the scope of the Grievance Committee or deems might place any of the HWA or its officers, trustees, or members of the Grievance Committee in jeopardy or expose any of them to liability.
Purpose
The purpose of the Grievance Committee is to help members resolve various complaints AFTER the member has utilized their own methods of resolution.
The chairman will notify HWA leadership and Board of Directors of any negative trends found in grievances.
Steps of grievance committee upon receiving complaint:
- Ensure that complainant is a dues-paying member of the HWA.
- Ensure that complaint specifies type of grievance.
- Contact complainant within 72 hours.
- Contact defendant within 48 hours after receiving a completed grievance form from the complainant.
- Check complaint against the current bylaws of the association.
Grievance Submission:
Complete the form below to submit a grievance to the HWA.
We have two submission periods:
- January 1 through November 30 — For all works published between January 1, 2026 and November 30, 2026
- December 1 through December 31 — For all works published between December 1, 2026 and December 31, 2026
We do this to save our jurors from having too big an avalanche of works at the end of the year, so please submit early. You or your authorized agent are offering your own work to be read by the Bram Stoker Award Jury. This will not get the work on the Recommended Reading List — that is a separate process. Neither submitting to the Jury nor the work’s presence on the Recommended Reading List guarantees that the work will make it to the ballot.
SUBMIT A DIGITAL COPY OF THE WORK
- Upload files only in PDF (Adobe), EPUB, MOBI, DOC (Word), or RTF (rich text format)
- If you cannot upload your work, then upload a DOC, RTF, or PDF document about your work and where to get a review copy (NetGalley, Edelweiss, etc) plus the required information from the form below.
DEEP BREATH.
Take your time. Make sure your recommendation is neatly formatted and complete. For questions or concerns, please email stokerchair@horror.org.
We have two submission periods:
- January 1 through November 30 — For all works published between January 1, 2026 and November 30, 2026
- December 1 through December 31 — For all works published between December 1, 2026 and December 31, 2026
We do this to save our jurors from having too big an avalanche of works at the end of the year, so please submit early. You or your authorized agent are offering your own work to be read by the Bram Stoker Award Jury. This will not get the work on the Recommended Reading List — that is a separate process. Neither submitting to the Jury nor the work’s presence on the Recommended Reading List guarantees that the work will make it to the ballot.
SUBMIT A DIGITAL COPY OF THE WORK
- Upload files only in PDF (Adobe), EPUB, MOBI, DOC (Word), or RTF (rich text format)
- If you cannot upload your work, then upload a DOC, RTF, or PDF document about your work and where to get a review copy (NetGalley, Edelweiss, etc) plus the required information from the form below.
DEEP BREATH.
Take your time. Make sure your recommendation is neatly formatted and complete. For questions or concerns, please email stokerchair@horror.org.
We have two submission periods:
- January 1 through November 30 — For all works published between January 1, 2026 and November 30, 2026
- December 1 through December 31 — For all works published between December 1, 2026 and December 31, 2026
We do this to save our jurors from having too big an avalanche of works at the end of the year, so please submit early. You or your authorized agent are offering your own work to be read by the Bram Stoker Award Jury. This will not get the work on the Recommended Reading List — that is a separate process. Neither submitting to the Jury nor the work’s presence on the Recommended Reading List guarantees that the work will make it to the ballot.
SUBMIT A DIGITAL COPY OF THE WORK
- Upload files only in PDF (Adobe), EPUB, MOBI, DOC (Word), or RTF (rich text format)
- If you cannot upload your work, then upload a DOC, RTF, or PDF document about your work and where to get a review copy (NetGalley, Edelweiss, etc) plus the required information from the form below.
DEEP BREATH.
Take your time. Make sure your recommendation is neatly formatted and complete. For questions or concerns, please email stokerchair@horror.org.
We have two submission periods:
- January 1 through November 30 — For all works published between January 1, 2026 and November 30, 2026
- December 1 through December 31 — For all works published between December 1, 2026 and December 31, 2026
We do this to save our jurors from having too big an avalanche of works at the end of the year, so please submit early. You or your authorized agent are offering your own work to be read by the Bram Stoker Award Jury. This will not get the work on the Recommended Reading List — that is a separate process. Neither submitting to the Jury nor the work’s presence on the Recommended Reading List guarantees that the work will make it to the ballot.
SUBMIT A DIGITAL COPY OF THE WORK
- Upload files only in PDF (Adobe), EPUB, MOBI, DOC (Word), or RTF (rich text format)
- If you cannot upload your work, then upload a DOC, RTF, or PDF document about your work and where to get a review copy (NetGalley, Edelweiss, etc) plus the required information from the form below.
DEEP BREATH.
Take your time. Make sure your recommendation is neatly formatted and complete. For questions or concerns, please email stokerchair@horror.org.
We have two submission periods:
- January 1 through November 30 — For all works published between January 1, 2026 and November 30, 2026
- December 1 through December 31 — For all works published between December 1, 2026 and December 31, 2026
We do this to save our jurors from having too big an avalanche of works at the end of the year, so please submit early. You or your authorized agent are offering your own work to be read by the Bram Stoker Award Jury. This will not get the work on the Recommended Reading List — that is a separate process. Neither submitting to the Jury nor the work’s presence on the Recommended Reading List guarantees that the work will make it to the ballot.
SUBMIT A DIGITAL COPY OF THE WORK
- Upload files only in PDF (Adobe), EPUB, MOBI, DOC (Word), or RTF (rich text format)
- If you cannot upload your work, then upload a DOC, RTF, or PDF document about your work and where to get a review copy (NetGalley, Edelweiss, etc) plus the required information from the form below.
DEEP BREATH.
Take your time. Make sure your recommendation is neatly formatted and complete. For questions or concerns, please email stokerchair@horror.org.
We have two submission periods:
- January 1 through November 30 — For all works published between January 1, 2026 and November 30, 2026
- December 1 through December 31 — For all works published between December 1, 2026 and December 31, 2026
We do this to save our jurors from having too big an avalanche of works at the end of the year, so please submit early. You or your authorized agent are offering your own work to be read by the Bram Stoker Award Jury. This will not get the work on the Recommended Reading List — that is a separate process. Neither submitting to the Jury nor the work’s presence on the Recommended Reading List guarantees that the work will make it to the ballot.
SUBMIT A DIGITAL COPY OF THE WORK
- Upload files only in PDF (Adobe), EPUB, MOBI, DOC (Word), or RTF (rich text format)
- If you cannot upload your work, then upload a DOC, RTF, or PDF document about your work and where to get a review copy (NetGalley, Edelweiss, etc) plus the required information from the form below.
DEEP BREATH.
Take your time. Make sure your recommendation is neatly formatted and complete. For questions or concerns, please email stokerchair@horror.org.
We have two submission periods:
- January 1 through November 30 — For all works published between January 1, 2026 and November 30, 2026
- December 1 through December 31 — For all works published between December 1, 2026 and December 31, 2026
We do this to save our jurors from having too big an avalanche of works at the end of the year, so please submit early. You or your authorized agent are offering your own work to be read by the Bram Stoker Award Jury. This will not get the work on the Recommended Reading List — that is a separate process. Neither submitting to the Jury nor the work’s presence on the Recommended Reading List guarantees that the work will make it to the ballot.
SUBMIT A DIGITAL COPY OF THE WORK
- Upload files only in PDF (Adobe), EPUB, MOBI, DOC (Word), or RTF (rich text format)
- If you cannot upload your work, then upload a DOC, RTF, or PDF document about your work and where to get a review copy (NetGalley, Edelweiss, etc) plus the required information from the form below.
DEEP BREATH. Take your time. Make sure your recommendation is neatly formatted and complete. For questions or concerns, please email stokerchair@horror.org.
We have two submission periods:
- January 1 through November 30 — For all works published between January 1, 2026 and November 30, 2026
- December 1 through December 31 — For all works published between December 1, 2026 and December 31, 2026
We do this to save our jurors from having too big an avalanche of works at the end of the year, so please submit early. You or your authorized agent are offering your own work to be read by the Bram Stoker Award Jury. This will not get the work on the Recommended Reading List — that is a separate process. Neither submitting to the Jury nor the work’s presence on the Recommended Reading List guarantees that the work will make it to the ballot.
SUBMIT A DIGITAL COPY OF THE WORK
- Upload files only in PDF (Adobe), EPUB, MOBI, DOC (Word), or RTF (rich text format)
- If you cannot upload your work, then upload a DOC, RTF, or PDF document about your work and where to get a review copy (NetGalley, Edelweiss, etc) plus the required information from the form below.
DEEP BREATH.
Take your time. Make sure your recommendation is neatly formatted and complete. For questions or concerns, please email stokerchair@horror.org.
We have two submission periods:
- January 1 through November 30 — For all works published between January 1, 2026 and November 30, 2026
- December 1 through December 31 — For all works published between December 1, 2026 and December 31, 2026
We do this to save our jurors from having too big an avalanche of works at the end of the year, so please submit early. You or your authorized agent are offering your own work to be read by the Bram Stoker Award Jury. This will not get the work on the Recommended Reading List — that is a separate process. Neither submitting to the Jury nor the work’s presence on the Recommended Reading List guarantees that the work will make it to the ballot.
SUBMIT A DIGITAL COPY OF THE WORK
- Upload files only in PDF (Adobe), EPUB, MOBI, DOC (Word), or RTF (rich text format)
- If you cannot upload your work, then upload a DOC, RTF, or PDF document about your work and where to get a review copy (NetGalley, Edelweiss, etc) plus the required information from the form below.
DEEP BREATH.
Take your time. Make sure your recommendation is neatly formatted and complete. For questions or concerns, please email stokerchair@horror.org.
We have two submission periods:
- January 1 through November 30 — For all works published between January 1, 2026 and November 30, 2026
- December 1 through December 31 — For all works published between December 1, 2026 and December 31, 2026
We do this to save our jurors from having too big an avalanche of works at the end of the year, so please submit early. You or your authorized agent are offering your own work to be read by the Bram Stoker Award Jury. This will not get the work on the Recommended Reading List — that is a separate process. Neither submitting to the Jury nor the work’s presence on the Recommended Reading List guarantees that the work will make it to the ballot.
SUBMIT A DIGITAL COPY OF THE WORK
- Upload files only in PDF (Adobe), EPUB, MOBI, DOC (Word), or RTF (rich text format)
- If you cannot upload your work, then upload a DOC, RTF, or PDF document about your work and where to get a review copy (NetGalley, Edelweiss, etc) plus the required information from the form below.
DEEP BREATH.
Take your time. Make sure your recommendation is neatly formatted and complete. For questions or concerns, please email stokerchair@horror.org.
We have two submission periods:
- January 1 through November 30 — For all works published between January 1, 2026 and November 30, 2026
- December 1 through December 31 — For all works published between December 1, 2026 and December 31, 2026
We do this to save our jurors from having too big an avalanche of works at the end of the year, so please submit early. You or your authorized agent are offering your own work to be read by the Bram Stoker Award Jury. This will not get the work on the Recommended Reading List — that is a separate process. Neither submitting to the Jury nor the work’s presence on the Recommended Reading List guarantees that the work will make it to the ballot.
SUBMIT A DIGITAL COPY OF THE WORK
- Upload files only in PDF (Adobe), EPUB, MOBI, DOC (Word), or RTF (rich text format)
- If you cannot upload your work, then upload a DOC, RTF, or PDF document about your work and where to get a review copy (NetGalley, Edelweiss, etc) plus the required information from the form below.
DEEP BREATH.
Take your time. Make sure your recommendation is neatly formatted and complete. For questions or concerns, please email stokerchair@horror.org.
We have two submission periods:
- January 1 through November 30 — For all works published between January 1, 2026 and November 30, 2026
- December 1 through December 31 — For all works published between December 1, 2026 and December 31, 2026
We do this to save our jurors from having too big an avalanche of works at the end of the year, so please submit early. You or your authorized agent are offering your own work to be read by the Bram Stoker Award Jury. This will not get the work on the Recommended Reading List — that is a separate process. Neither submitting to the Jury nor the work’s presence on the Recommended Reading List guarantees that the work will make it to the ballot.
SUBMIT A DIGITAL COPY OF THE WORK
- Upload files only in PDF (Adobe), EPUB, MOBI, DOC (Word), or RTF (rich text format)
- If you cannot upload your work, then upload a DOC, RTF, or PDF document about your work and where to get a review copy (NetGalley, Edelweiss, etc) plus the required information from the form below.
DEEP BREATH.
Take your time. Make sure your recommendation is neatly formatted and complete. For questions or concerns, please email stokerchair@horror.org.
We have two submission periods:
- January 1 through November 30 — For all works published between January 1, 2026 and November 30, 2026
- December 1 through December 31 — For all works published between December 1, 2026 and December 31, 2026
We do this to save our jurors from having too big an avalanche of works at the end of the year, so please submit early. You or your authorized agent are offering your own work to be read by the Bram Stoker Award Jury. This will not get the work on the Recommended Reading List — that is a separate process. Neither submitting to the Jury nor the work’s presence on the Recommended Reading List guarantees that the work will make it to the ballot.
SUBMIT A DIGITAL COPY OF THE WORK
- Upload files only in PDF (Adobe), EPUB, MOBI, DOC (Word), or RTF (rich text format)
- If you cannot upload your work, then upload a DOC, RTF, or PDF document about your work and where to get a review copy (NetGalley, Edelweiss, etc) plus the required information from the form below.
DEEP BREATH.
Take your time. Make sure your recommendation is neatly formatted and complete. For questions or concerns, please email stokerchair@horror.org.
Call for Submissions for Poetry Showcase Volume XIII
The HWA is proud to announce that it will call for submissions from its members for the HWA Poetry Showcase Volume XIII.
Colleen Anderson has agreed to take over as the editor for the next two volumes to follow, HWA Poetry Showcase volumes XIII and XIV. This year’s judges, along with Colleen Anderson, will include Kyla Lee Ward, Erik Hofstatter and Jamal Hodge.
The HWA is very proud of the tradition of poetry in the horror genre and of the HWA’s support for poetry. This volume is limited to members of the HWA to showcase their talents in dark poetry. We will verify membership and if a non-member submits they must obtain some level of membership prior to the final cut for the volume to be considered.
The rules for this year’s volume will be similar to previous years:
- No more than 35 lines. Each author or group of collaborators on a single poem may only submit one (1) poem. Speculative and dark verse is welcome but it should have a “horror” slant.
- No fancy formatting, dual columns, lining of poems in the center of the page, poems that require strange configurations to look like an image and similar formatting. This is difficult to translate to a single page for publishing. Poems should be submitted in .rtf, .txt or Word formats.
- Any form – free verse, metered, rhyming, haiku, Tanka etc. – is acceptable. But, if you do use a more traditional form, please remember that poor writing, overly heavy reliance on cliché and imitation will significantly reduce any chances of acceptance. We need good poetry. For example: George (Lord Byron) Gordon already owns the phrase “She walks in beauty, like the night.” Evangeline Walton and many others have overused the phrase “She Walks in Darkness.” Stay away from these type of archetypal clichés.
- English only, please.
- No previously published works or simultaneous submissions.
- Rights will revert on publication with the HWA retaining the right to use the poem in relation to promoting the volume.
- PAYMENT: The HWA will pay contributors a flat rate of $35.00 (thirty-five USD). Contributors will also receive a paperback copy of the volume.
- HWA will also provide accepted authors with an e-copy of the volume.
Submissions will close May 1 at 11:59PM PST.
This is a great opportunity to help the HWA celebrate and promote the contribution of poetry to the genre. We look forward to reading your work.