When I started writing seriously, one of the first publishers to catch my eye was Undertaker Books. Their tagline, “Stories to take to your grave!” is one of the most evocative around, and I’ve enjoyed reading dozens of short stories from Undertaker anthologies.
But loving a publisher and working with them doesn’t go hand in hand. Since I found them, I submitted a half-dozen stories to Undertaker. The first was short-listed but ultimately passed over. (That one, “Cradle to the Grave,” got a significant overhaul and will appear soon in Best of Carnage House Year Two from Carnage House.)
Each of my other submissions received polite rejections. Several of those went on to find life in other anthologies, but God, I wanted to get into an Undertaker Books anthology.
A few Undertaker Books anthologies I didn’t get into but absolutely devoured as a reader
Cue the 80s montage: I read each new collection of short stories as it comes out, not just enjoying them but studying them, dissecting them. I read their blog, which President and Editor D.L. Winchester updates frequently and is frankly my favorite on the craft and business of writing. With each story published under a different editor, I learn and improve. What changed in the stories I submitted to Undertaker to get them accepted somewhere else? What did those editors change after accepting them?
Finally, it’s happened. I recently signed a contract to get my new story published in a 2026 anthology from Undertaker Books. I can’t say much more right now, but after getting into the HWA, this had become a personal goal that I’m proud to say is soon to be accomplished.
Watch this space, because I will share more as I am able!
R.E. Dyer 
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