Want your horror book or film reviewed? Ginger Nuts of Horror is Europe’s largest independent horror review and culture site, based in Edinburgh. We review horror novels, novellas, collections, anthologies, comics and films from big publishers, small presses and self-published writers. We also run author interviews, filmmaker interviews and guest features. All of it is free.
This page tells you how to send a horror book review request, a film review request, a news item or a guest feature. It also lists the details and images every post needs. Send everything in one email and your piece can go live much sooner.
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How to Contact Ginger Nuts of Horror
Every request goes to one address: jimmcleod@gnofhorror.com. Please use the right subject line, so your email lands in the right pile.
| What you are sending | Subject line |
|---|---|
| A book for review | REVIEW REQUEST: Book Title by Author Name |
| A film for review | REVIEW REQUEST: Film Title, dir. Director Name |
| A news story or announcement | GNOH NEWS ITEM REQUEST: Headline |
| A finished guest feature or interview | GUEST FEATURE: Series Name, Your Name |
| An idea or pitch | FEATURE PITCH: Your Idea |
How to Submit a Horror Book for Review
Email us a review request. Please don’t post a book or send a file until we ask for one. Your request goes to our whole review team. If a reviewer picks it up, I will email you to ask for a review copy.
What to Put in Your Book Review Request
- Title, and the series name and book number if it is part of a series
- Author, as the name appears on the cover
- Publisher or imprint, plus a link to the publisher’s homepage
- Publication date (day, month and year)
- Page count and ISBN-13
- Formats on sale (hardback, paperback, ebook, audiobook)
- Format you can send for review (ePub, PDF, Kindle, print)
- Subgenre, for example folk horror, cosmic horror or splatterpunk
- Synopsis or back cover copy
- Content warnings, if any
- Purchase or pre-order link: one link where readers can buy the book
- Author website
- Front cover image and author headshot, attached as files (see the image guide below)
- A short author bio of 40 to 120 words, written in the third person
How to Submit a Horror Film for Review
We review horror features and shorts, from studio releases to micro budget indies. Send a review request first. If a reviewer takes it on, I will email you to ask for a screener link.
What to Put in Your Film Review Request
- Title and director
- Writer and two or three lead actors
- Production company and UK distributor, plus a link to the distributor’s homepage
- UK release date and how it is released (cinema, streaming, digital, disc)
- Running time and BBFC certificate, if it has one
- Subgenre and a short synopsis
- Where to watch link: a cinema listing, streaming page or store page
- Trailer link (YouTube or Vimeo) and the film’s website
- Release status: out now, on the festival circuit, seeking distribution or under embargo (give the embargo date)
- Content warnings, if any
- Poster, two or three stills and a director headshot, attached as files
- A short director bio of 40 to 120 words, written in the third person
The Details and Images Every Ginger Nuts of Horror Post Needs
Every review, interview and guest feature on Ginger Nuts of Horror is built from the same set of boxes. They help readers find your work, and they help search engines understand it. To build them, we need the facts, images and links below. If something is missing, we have to chase it, and your post waits in the queue until we get it.
Here is what each box shows, and what we need from you to fill it.
Box 1: The book or film at-a-glance box
Sits at the top of the post.
- Book: title, author, publisher, publication date, page count, formats, ISBN-13, series and book number, subgenre
- Film: title, director, lead actors, UK release date, running time, certificate, UK distributor, subgenre
- A one or two sentence premise, which we write from your synopsis
- The front cover or poster
- An orange button to buy the book or watch the film
Box 2: The heading line
For books, the post opens with Book Title | Author | Publisher | Publication Date. The publisher name links to the publisher’s own homepage, so please send that link as well as the buy link. For films, we link the distributor’s homepage in the same way.
Box 3: About the author (or director)
Sits at the end of the post.
- Your name as you use it professionally
- A headshot
- A bio of 40 to 120 words, in the third person
- A link to your own website, which becomes the orange button
Box 4: Get the book or watch the film
A closing box with one line on where to get it and the same buy or watch link. Interviews and features carry this box, so readers who reach the end can buy without scrolling back up.
Images: What to Send and How to Send It
- Front cover or poster: the flat front image only, JPG or PNG, at least 1,000 pixels on the long side. No 3D mock-ups and no promo banners with extra text.
- Headshot: a clear photo of your face, JPG or PNG, at least 800 by 800 pixels. Square or portrait works best, because we crop it to a circle.
- Film stills (films only): two or three landscape stills, at least 1,200 pixels wide.
- Credits: tell us the photographer for your headshot and the cover artist and designer, if you want them credited.
- Attach images as separate files. Please don’t paste them inside a Word document, because they lose quality. A Dropbox or Google Drive link is fine for large files.
- Permission: only send images you have the right to share.
Links: The Five We Always Need
- Buy or watch link: one link for the orange button. A publisher shop, Bookshop.org or a universal book link works well. For films, the streaming, cinema or store page.
- Publisher or distributor homepage: the main site, not a product page.
- Your website: for the author box.
- Social media: up to three profiles you want us to include.
- Trailer (films) or book trailer, if you have one.
Quick checklist before you hit send
- All the facts for the at-a-glance box
- Synopsis and content warnings
- Front cover or poster, attached
- Headshot, attached
- Bio of 40 to 120 words, third person
- Buy or watch link
- Publisher or distributor homepage
- Your website and up to three social links
- The right subject line
AI-Assisted Books and Cover Art
Ginger Nuts of Horror does not review books written with AI tools. We also do not review books with AI-generated or AI-assisted cover art. If AI played any part in the writing or the cover, please do not send us a review request.
What Happens After You Submit a Review Request?
- We add your request to our private submissions forum, where the whole review team can see it.
- If a reviewer wants to cover it, they let me know.
- I will then email you to ask for a review copy or screener, and tell you which format the reviewer needs.
- When the review is ready, it goes into our schedule. We publish at least ten posts a week.
- When it goes live, we share it on our social media channels. Please share it too.
Our reviewers are volunteers who read in their spare time, so we cannot promise every book or film will be reviewed. September to November is our busiest season, with Halloween releases flooding in, so please allow extra time. If the review queue is full, we may offer you an interview or guest feature instead.
Send Us Horror News
Got a book deal, a cover, a trailer, a crowdfunding campaign or an event to announce? Use the subject line GNOH NEWS ITEM REQUEST. Include:
- The full announcement, with who, what, when and where
- The date you want it announced, and any embargo
- All relevant links, including buy, pre-order or ticket links
- High resolution images, attached as separate files
Horror Author Interviews, Filmmaker Interviews and Guest Features
Want to reach horror readers without waiting for a review? Write for us. Our guest features let authors, filmmakers, artists and fans talk about horror in their own words, and they always include your book or film. Download a template below, fill it in, and send it back with everything in the checklist above.
Every template now ends with a details form. It asks for every fact, image and link we need, so please fill it in before you send.
The Horror of My Life
Tell us about the horror that shaped you: the first book you read, the greatest film ever made, the cover you would frame, and the book or film you are working on next.
Five Minutes With
Our author interview. Nineteen questions about you, your writing and your latest book. Answer as many as you like.
The Book, Film or Comic That Made Me
Write about the one book, film, comic or album that made you the horror fan or creator you are today.
Childhood Fears
What scared you as a child, and how does that fear show up in your work now?
Oh No, I'm Stuck in a Horror
A light-hearted interview. You wake up trapped in a horror story. Which one, and how do you get out alive?
Unique Horror Guest Articles
Got an idea that doesn't fit a series? Guest posts, essays and book extracts are all welcome. Pitch it to us first or send the finished piece.
How to Send Your Finished Guest Feature
- Fill in the template in Word, Google Docs or Pages.
- Complete the details form at the end of the template.
- Attach your headshot and your cover or poster as separate image files.
- Email it all to jimmcleod@gnofhorror.com with the subject line GUEST FEATURE: Series Name, Your Name.
Our house style is simple: no paragraph indents, one return between paragraphs, and book and film titles in italics with each main word capitalised, as in Night of the Living Dead. We may make light edits for clarity and house style.
Ginger Nuts of Horror Reviews and Features Are Always Free
We never charge for reviews, interviews, news or features. Paying us will never buy you a review or a better rating. If you enjoy what we do, you can support the site on Patreon or Ko-fi.
Join the Ginger Nuts of Horror Review Team
Love horror and love writing about it? We are always looking for new reviewers. Email jimmcleod@gnofhorror.com with the subject line JOIN THE TEAM, tell us what you like to read or watch, and send links to any reviews you have written. You can meet the Ginger Nuts of Horror review team first.
Frequently Asked Questions About Horror Review Submissions
Does Ginger Nuts of Horror charge for reviews?
No. Every review, interview, news story and feature on Ginger Nuts of Horror is free. Payment never buys coverage or a better rating.
Does submitting my horror book guarantee a review?
No. Your request goes to our whole review team, and a reviewer picks it up if it suits them. If the queue is full, we may offer an interview or guest feature instead.
Can I send a physical copy of my book?
Please don't send a book or a file until we ask for one. When a reviewer takes your book on, I will email you to ask for a review copy and tell you which format they need and where to send it.
Do you review self-published and small press horror?
Yes. We review horror from big publishers, small presses and self-published authors, and we judge every book on what is on the page.
Do you accept AI-assisted books or AI cover art?
No. We do not review books written with AI tools, or books with AI-generated or AI-assisted cover art.
What images do I need to send?
A flat front cover or poster at least 1,000 pixels on the long side, and a clear headshot at least 800 by 800 pixels. Send them as separate image files, not inside a Word document.
Why do you ask for so many links?
Every post has a buy or watch button, an author box with a link to your website, and a heading line that links to your publisher or distributor. With every link in your first email, we can build your post without chasing you.
Can I appear on Ginger Nuts of Horror without a review?
Yes. Download one of our free guest feature templates, such as Five Minutes With or The Horror of My Life, and send it back with your images and links.
Can publishers and publicists contact you?
Yes. Publishers, publicists and PR agencies are welcome. Please send one email per title to jimmcleod@gnofhorror.com with the full details listed on this page.
Where should I send my submission?
Send everything to jimmcleod@gnofhorror.com, using the subject line for your request type.
Contact Ginger Nuts of Horror
Ready to send? Email jimmcleod@gnofhorror.com with your details, images and links. We look forward to reading, watching and sharing your horror.
