I'm an Acquisitions Editor. This is what I'd love to see.

And yes, writing that was really weird after twenty years of being on the other side of the publishing equation.

I joined Quill & Flame Publishing as the managing editor in charge of acquisitions for the Obsidian imprint early this year. When the owner of Quill & Flame came to me with the offer to helm an imprint just for the creepy but hopeful stories I love to read and write, I said “yes” pretty dang fast, people. I forced myself to take time to pray and think about it, but it was almost unnecessary.

This was an opportunity to find all those dark, spooky, and spine-chilling books I wanted to read but didn’t want to write myself. I wasn’t leaving that on the table.

I have spent 2025 learning everything I can from my lovely Madame Publisher, hiring my editing team, and setting the stage for what I want this little Wednesday Addams of an imprint to be. I’m so excited for our submissions window to open on July 1 and even more excited to take pitches at Realm Makers in a few weeks!

What is Obsidian?

Obsidian publishes spine-tingling science fiction, horror, and fantasy that redeems the dark. The imprint is intended to fill a gap in the market for readers who love creepy stories but want to avoid sexual content, excessive language, and extreme gore.

Quill and Flame Publishing is known for “heat without the scorch.”
Obsidian aims to give you “chills without the nausea.”

My father is an artist, so I grew up familiar with many of the greats, especially Rembrandt. Rembrandt’s paintings tend to be quite dark, and he was a master of using value and contrast to draw the eye toward points of light in his art.

The Denial of St. Peter by Rembrandt, 1660

I’m looking to acquire stories much like Rembrandt’s paintings: swathed in shadow while lifting my eyes to the light.

But first, what I don’t want

Open-door romance/spice. No body part action on the page, people. Obsidian adheres to the same content rules as the rest of Quill & Flame, so if you want to work with us, the spice has got to go.

Middle grade or children’s books. Obsidian publishes adult and young adult only.

Epic fantasy. Most epic fantasy I’ve read is either not nearly dark enough to fit Obsidian and is just too long. George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series is a great example of what I absolutely do not want, in tone, content, and overall worldview.

What I want

All things dark, spooky, and spine-chilling in a variety of settings!

Futuristic settings

Science-gone-awry, biopunk, cyberpunk, post-apocalyptic, dystopian

• Oddly Specific Requests

  • Moby Dick in space. Gimme angry space whales swallowing stars and dark, moody, possibly deranged protagonists.

  • Science gone-awry based on obscure urban legends like the Soviet Well to Hell

Contemporary settings

Supernatural, paranormal, horror, dark magical realism

• Oddly Specific Requests

  • Stories featuring Jewish folklore, such as Lilith, dybbuks, golems, and yes, the ever-popular Nephilim

  • Southern gothic magical realism like the work of Billy Coffey

  • Supernatural stories in the same vein as Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness and Prophet

Fantastical settings

Dark urban fantasy, gaslamp/steampunk, and fantasy not set in Medieval or Medieval-like settings or in Europe

(Psst: there is a lot of dark fantasy out there already, so it will be a tougher pitch for Obsidian than science fiction or supernatural. If you bring me fantasy, I want the weird, creepy, or atmospheric kind.)

• Oddly Specific Requests

  • Moody stories pondering existential questions like The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue

  • Quirky but creepy stories with dangerous fae and magic like Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. Give me magic systems with truly ugly consequences.

Online submissions open July 1, 2025 and close July 31, 2025. If you have an appointment to pitch to me at Realm Makers, I will only accept bribes in the form of Hu brand salty dark chocolate. You can find all the submission guidelines at the Quill & Flame website.

Go on, then. Give me some creative nightmares. 😈