Double Trouble: Two Submissions Windows in 2026

Black Beacon Books will be open to submissions for two anthologies later this year, Lighthouses 2 and Tales from the Ruins 2, and the talented Greg Chapman will be making his mark once again by providing the cover art.

Check the submissions page for the full guidelines, and if you haven't read the first volumes, we highly recommend doing so. We'll be on the hunt for original and exciting mysteries, thrillers, and horror tales that fit the theme of each anthology. Get writing!

Index Case by Sam Dawson

Announcing a new novel! 

Black Beacon Books is thrilled to announce that we'll be publishing the latest novel by British author Sam Dawson in September. This medical thriller is a virus you definitely do want to catch! 

 

Rob is an epidemiologist, dedicated to fighting disease and all too aware that  the UK is unprepared for the deadly pandemic that's about to hit. As he plans how his family will survive, he ponders the traces of  long-dead villages and plagues past, and begins to wonder: is it time to be part of the problem, not the solution?

Cover art by the wonderful Greg Chapman

Illustrations by Sam Dawson

INDEX CASE  by Sam Dawson isn't just another novel - it's a pandemic in itself. A thoroughly-researched medical thriller, a critical analysis of public policy, a survival handbook, a guidebook to some of the historical highlights along the south coast of England, and ultimately a philosophical treatise. All of this wrapped up for the intrepid reader in one gripping novel with Rob, an epidemiologist, preparing his family for the deadly pandemic that's about to hit.

 

Samhain Screams Competition

COMPETITION TIME!

Want to have some original art to celebrate the spooky season?

Artist and SAMHAIN SCREAMS co-editor Greg Chapman is giving you the chance to win this original painting, “Mr. Death and the Pumpkin” 

To go into the draw to win this original painting simply pre-order a copy of SAMHAIN SCREAMS in digital format and send proof of purchase to us at blackbeaconbooks@gmail.com

The winner will be chosen on October 17

GOOD LUCK!

Cover Reveal: The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2

When Greg Chapman posted his latest cover art, we just knew we had to snap it up for The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2. Check it out! Samhain Screams (co-edited by Greg Chapman and featuring his cover art) is going to make Halloween 2025 the spookiest ever, and the diabolical plan is to give you the creeps one year later with the second volume of The Black Beacon Books of Horror.

We'll be taking submissions in November and December. More details coming soon!

 

Heart and Soul: Greg Chapman on the difference between Photomanipulation and Artificial Intelligence

As a trained graphic designer (I have a Diploma in Graphic Design and have 25+ years’ experience) and visual artist, I put in a considerable amount of thought – and heart – into my book cover designs and illustrations.

So, how are book covers made? Each artist or designer has their own way of doing it, I primarily work in the area of photomanipulation. One might ask, how is this different to using generative A.I.?

For me it comes down to how a cover is composed. I use royalty free, CC0 or public domain imagery to create my covers. I take existing images and compose them into an eerie, evocative image. I try and use the adage of “’less is more” focusing on a central point of reference.

My inspiration comes from other covers and artists, or just the images themselves, but my goal is always to take a static image or images and expand them into a montage that might tell a story or give a sense of what the book might contain.

I make a lot of pre-mades, because, well, I just love making them. I enjoy forcing images together. I also do covers on request, so I thought I’d share a cover I’ve done for Cameron at Black Beacon Books.

Take the cover for Steampunk Sleuths (out August the 30th) for example:

When designing, the art and typography always go hand in hand. You shouldn’t really consider one without the other.

This design is made up of the following images that I sourced from CC0 websites… including Pixabay, Pexels and Unsplash.

Figure 1: An existing piece of steampunk aircraft

Figure 2: I liked the tunnel glimpse of the London skyline for the background

Figure 3: This guy's coat just screamed "detective"

Figure 4: The perfect steampunk hat

Figure 5: I stole the head off this image and painted on a moustache and monocle

By using all these images and cutting them up and compositing various the pieces into a whole, I’ve created a whole new image. Something that didn’t exist before. I’ve thought carefully about how they all fit together and also considered colour, mood, texturing, lighting and most importantly matched the image to the themes of the anthology: steampunk and mystery.

It probably from memory took me 1-2 days to create. Of course some might prefer to let a gen-AI do all this work. Sure it might do it in seconds but it will simply spit out an amalgamation of hundreds, potentially thousands of pieces of stolen art. There won’t be any thought put into it, no skill, no dedication to what makes a cover interesting and inviting.

Ultimately book cover designers are real people. People who read books, appreciate story and art and what makes a book special.

Please consider using a real person for your next book.

Thank you.

Greg Chapman – Dark Designs | The website of horror artist Greg Chapman

Anthology Announcement: Samhain Screams!

SAMHAIN SCREAMS

Edited by Greg Chapman and Cameron Trost 

Halloween. 

So much more than costumes and candy, it’s the time when the veil between our world and the other side is at its thinnest. The hour when dark forces come into the light in search of innocent souls. A time of blood and evil.

Australian Shadows Award-winning and multiple Bram Stoker Award-nominated author and artist Greg Chapman, and acclaimed author Cameron Trost, are seeking new original Halloween tales for this anthology, planned for release in October 2025.

We want memorable, character-driven stories set on, or near, the last night of October. Give us ghosts, serial killers, rituals and monsters, heroes and villains, but most of all give us the true dark side of Halloween - and make it terrifying.

Payment is $50 AUD for stories up to 5,000 words. Contributors will also receive a complimentary print and digital copy.

The anthology will feature original cover art and internal illustrations by co-editor Greg Chapman.

The submissions window opens March 1st and closes midnight May 31st. Send all submissions to samhainscreams@hotmail.com Story submissions should follow the Shunn format.

Horror Anthology: Greg Chapman

The Black Beacon Book of Horror will be released on Friday the 13th of October; the Kindle version is available for pre-order at just $1.99 instead of $3.99 and you can add the anthology to your Goodreads list today. To get you in the mood for a particularly spooky Halloween this year, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. The first Black Beacon Book of Horror is bound to give you the creeps!

Hi Greg,

Why do you write horror?

Because I have to. There’s an inherent instinct where I wonder about the dark side of the world, the darkness in ourselves and as a writer I find that fascinating.

Is there a story behind your story in this anthology?

I’ve always been curious about reincarnation and the idea of the souls of serial killers. The concept of them being born rather than made was too good to pass on.

Do you have an all-time favourite horror tale?

All-time favourite? That’s hard to narrow down, but my favourite collection of tales would have to be The Books of Blood by Clive Barker. In the Hills, The Cities is an astounding piece of literature. 

What books did you grow up reading?

Mostly comic books, and children’s books like The Big Friendly Giant by Roald Dahl and the like. I didn’t discover horror books and films until much later. 

Do you have any writing rituals?

The only one would be that I usually write a story longhand in a notebook every time and it has to be a black pen.

Where can we find you online? 

Writing: darkscrybe.com 
Art: dark-designs.com 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GregChapman.Author/

Thanks for answering our questions.

Dark Reflections: Cover Reveal and TOC

Here it is! Check out Greg Chapman - Horror Author & Artist's cover for the forthcoming dark fiction collection from Paul Kane. We hope you love it as much as we do. Dark Reflections will be published in December, just in time for ghost story season. These short stories are a wink and a nod to Paul's influences, including M.R. James, Charles Dickens, William Hope Hodgson, H.P. Lovecraft, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Edgar Allan Poe. The foreword is provided by the legendary Kim Newman, Kim Newman's Anno Dracula books. So much talent in just one book! Keep looking in that mirror...

Dark Reflections

Stories Influenced by the Masters of Dark Literature

Proudly presenting the table of contents:

In Hyding (Traumas, published by Black Shuck Books, 2020)

Signals (Ghosts, Spectral Press, 2013)

Life Sentence (Albions Alpträume: Zombies Eloy Edictions, 2006)

Humbuggered (Festive Fear, Tasmaniac, 2010)

The Greatest Mystery (Gaslight Arcanum, Edge Publishing, 2011)

Dracula in Love (Dead Things Issue 5, October/December 2000)

Heartless (Original to this Collection)

Masques (Return of the Raven, Horror Bound Books, 2009)

Paw People (Original to this Collection) 

Thicker Than Water (Innsmouth Nightmares, PS Publishing, 2015)

The Grey Room (Original to this Collection)

Cover Reveal: The Black Beacon Book of Horror

Our Patreon patrons have already seen it as part of their exclusive benefits, and now it's your turn. Behold Greg Chapman's cover for our very first anthology dedicated solely to horror stories, The Black Beacon Book of Horror! Submissions close tomorrow (the 28th of February) but we already know that this book will be teeming with eerie folk horror, mind-bending cosmic terror, and creepy psychological dread. Expect more news, including the announcement of the table of contents and the anticipated publication date, to be revealed by the end of March.

Is that a shiver of excitement running down your spine...or one of terror foretold? 

Cover Reveal: Tales from the Ruins

You've been so wonderfully patient, and for that we thank you! But the wait is now over...

Black Beacon Books is proud to present the cover art for Tales from the Ruins, our next anthology and our first specifically post-apocalyptic one. It will be released late February next year, and as always, we'll be setting up a Facebook launch page and you'll be able to pre-order the anthology at a bargain price. For now, however, let's take a moment to appreciate the formidable cover. We hope you're as thrilled as we are! Don't hesitate to send a message of congratulations to the darkly delightful, Greg Chapman.

 

 

Happy Halloween, Black Beaconers!

Greg Chapman's debut collection, "Vaudeville and Other Nightmares", is out now in both print and electronic formats. Just CLICK HERE for all your spooky Halloween tales!

Greg Chapman: Rockhampton's Dark Scribe

Greg Chapman's debut collection, "Vaudeville and Other Nightmares", was released last weekend and is already receiving rave reviews. You can buy your copy now for just $12.50 (USD) plus postage and handling from our online store.

As Halloween draws ever closer, we'll be holding giveaways of Greg's other books and artwork through the Facebook event page, and if you happen to call Rockhampton in Australia home, you'll be able to meet Greg for a Halloween graveyard tour... if you dare! You can get in touch with him via his website, Greg Chapman: Dark Scribe.

An Interview with Greg Chapman

Greg Chapman's debut short story collection, "Vaudeville and Other Nightmares", will be released by Black Beacon Books next weekend. We've asked him to answer a few questions about what inspires and motivates him to write.

1. Several tales in Vaudeville and Other Nightmares have a historical or mythological setting. The title story takes place in the south of the United States and explores the history of the American Civil War. The last tale in the collection, Codex Musaicum, plunges the reader into a very important moment in history too, this time in Vienna. Tell us about which historical eras pique your curiosity and ignite your imagination and why?

 

I’ve always had a fascination for the dark ages (naturally), but strangely enough, I’m yet to set a story in that era. The obvious overtones of superstition and persecution are ripe for the picking though, aren’t they? Ancient history, and particularly the different cultures and mythologies of early civilisation interest me as well. Back then people truly believed in the impossible; monsters and heroes and gods and that’s fodder for any storyteller! My tale Chthonic in Vaudeville and Other Nightmares, is a sort of modern-day rehash of the quests of Greek myth.

2. Talking about different settings, how about writing locations. Imagine you could spend a month writing fulltime and with an unlimited budget anywhere in the world! Where would you go and what routine would you follow?

 

If I had the cash, I’d write a book in every great library in the world. Libraries like Trinity College in Ireland, or the Abbey Library of St. Gallen in Switzerland. I know that sounds corny, but I find libraries to be extremely calming; sometimes I just walk around inside them to de-stress. By their very nature, libraries are like peaceful temples and I’ve written many tales in my local library. At the very least I’d have a great opportunity to travel the world. As for routine, I’d probably sit near a window so I could take in the view (if need be), with my i-pod in.

3. Your love of Edgar Allan Poe's work is evident in many of the stories in the collection. How did this love affair start and why is Poe's work so special to you?

 

I first came across Poe about 15 years ago while at university. His tale The Fall of the House of Usher was tucked away inside a Literary theory textbook. I was instantly drawn into his words, his morbid descriptions and how he saw beauty in death. When I looked into his life and saw how melancholy he was, but how he used that to hone his writings, he became my all-time favourite. My story Patrick Oswald Edwards is my tribute to him.

4. Do any of the tales in your collection give you, the author, nightmares? Which do you think is the scariest?

 

One particular character more than any particular story; Meknok, the primary antagonist of Codex Musaicum, the tie-in story to my novella The Noctuary, is probably my most disturbing invention. He came to mind when I asked myself where my ideas come from. I enjoy creating nasty creatures, but my aim is to make them memorable – make them become nightmares.

5. Have you received feedback from your readers? What is the most touching message you have had from a fan? How can people get in touch with you?
 

I’ve had a few readers tell me they couldn’t sleep after reading one of my stories and I consider that a win. It would be great to hear from readers, either via my email – midnighttheatre@hotmail.com or via my website – www.darkscrybe.com

6. Tell us about what you are working on at the moment.

 

I’ve just started the first draft of a novel, tentatively titled “Kemper House”. It’s a haunted house tale, but it focuses on the neighbours, the house putting out an evil vibe on the rest of the street.  I still haven’t decided whether I’ll ever go inside the house. Time will tell ;)

 

 

Subtropical Suspense Cover Reveal

It is with great pleasure that Black Beacon Books reveals the cover design for our inaugural anthology, Subtropical Suspense. Greg Chapman, who provided the striking cover for Kit Power's The Loving Husband and the Faithful Wife, has once again done an outstanding job by creating a cover that perfectly fits the theme and feel of the anthology. Don't you agree?

The anthology will be launched at Black Cat Books (179 Latrobe Tce, Paddington, Brisbane) at 2 pm on Saturday the 19th of July. More information about the launch will be announced soon, but please put that date down in your diary this very instant.

The anthology will feature sixteen gripping tales of mystery and suspense set in Brisbane!

The impressive table of contents is as follows:

A Lasting Impression    FN Karmatz
Penelope Potter    Frank Ince
The Deluge    Gerry Huntman
Magnetic North    FN Karmatz
Scarlett Fever    Alice Godwin
Downpour    Sophie Yorkston
Missing    Kerry Lown Whalen
The Woman from the West    David Dolan
Living Statue    Barry Rosenberg
Incident in Wilston    Phil Brown
Like Me, The River    Duncan Richardson
Campus of Fear    Frank Ince
Cold Comfort    Sam Muller
The Final Cut    Linda Brucesmith
Blood on the Ice    Helen Stubbs
The Death, Rise and Deliverance of Greer Cabot    Kirk Marshall

Ebook Cover: The Loving Husband and the Faithful Wife

Ladies and gentleman, welcome to 2014! Make it one of your resolutions this year to read and support quality independent fiction... not the drivel read by the unthinking ovine masses! Black Beacon Books is here to help you do just that.

Our first release this year is The Loving Husband and the Faithful Wife by Kit Power. This ebook containing two stories in the suspense / crime genres will be released on the 25th of January. However, pre-orders can be placed now for just 99 cents instead of $1.99.

Today, we are proud to reveal the ebook's cover, designed by Greg Chapman. It's an eye-catching and arousing illustration, the significance of which you will discover upon reading the title story.