A home for women in horror
Black Spot Books is a women-owned specialty press dedicated to celebrating, preserving, and championing women’s voices in horror.
Founded in 2017 by award-winning author and editor Lindy Ryan, Black Spot began with a simple belief: extraordinary stories deserve an extraordinary home. What started as a home for bold, genre-bending speculative fiction soon found its heart in horror—and, more specifically, in the remarkable work women are doing within it. We were acquired in 2019 as an imprint of multimedia company Vesuvian Media Group, and are distributed international by the Independent Publishers Group (IPG).
Today, Black Spot Books publishes horror by women and female-identifying authors across forms and subgenres, from dark fiction and poetry to anthologies that bring together established voices and emerging talent. We believe horror is richer, stranger, sharper, and more vital when more women have a place within it—not only to tell their stories, but to have those stories celebrated, preserved, and remembered. We believe that women are at the heart of horror. Now. Then. And forever.
Our books have brought together acclaimed and award-winning authors alongside exciting new voices, earning recognition from industry genre awards and helping build a growing community of writers and readers who believe women belong at the center of horror. That community is fundamental to who we are—and who we will continue to be.
Through our publishing program, anthology series, and speciality initiatives including projects like the charity poetry showcase Under Her Eye, with proceeds donated to the global nonprofit organization The Pixel Project, which works to end domestic violence against women worldwide, and our renowned award-nominated women-in-horror anthology series to canonize women's work in contemporary horror, Black Spot is committed not simply to publishing exceptional work, but to helping build a lasting record of women’s contributions to contemporary horror. We want to make space for the voices shaping the genre now—and ensure their work remains part of its story for years to come.
Because women have always been part of horror. We’re here to make damn sure no one forgets it.
Founded in 2017 by award-winning author and editor Lindy Ryan, Black Spot began with a simple belief: extraordinary stories deserve an extraordinary home. What started as a home for bold, genre-bending speculative fiction soon found its heart in horror—and, more specifically, in the remarkable work women are doing within it. We were acquired in 2019 as an imprint of multimedia company Vesuvian Media Group, and are distributed international by the Independent Publishers Group (IPG).
Today, Black Spot Books publishes horror by women and female-identifying authors across forms and subgenres, from dark fiction and poetry to anthologies that bring together established voices and emerging talent. We believe horror is richer, stranger, sharper, and more vital when more women have a place within it—not only to tell their stories, but to have those stories celebrated, preserved, and remembered. We believe that women are at the heart of horror. Now. Then. And forever.
Our books have brought together acclaimed and award-winning authors alongside exciting new voices, earning recognition from industry genre awards and helping build a growing community of writers and readers who believe women belong at the center of horror. That community is fundamental to who we are—and who we will continue to be.
Through our publishing program, anthology series, and speciality initiatives including projects like the charity poetry showcase Under Her Eye, with proceeds donated to the global nonprofit organization The Pixel Project, which works to end domestic violence against women worldwide, and our renowned award-nominated women-in-horror anthology series to canonize women's work in contemporary horror, Black Spot is committed not simply to publishing exceptional work, but to helping build a lasting record of women’s contributions to contemporary horror. We want to make space for the voices shaping the genre now—and ensure their work remains part of its story for years to come.
Because women have always been part of horror. We’re here to make damn sure no one forgets it.