Leisure Books/Dorchester Publishing is partnering with Rue Morgue magazine and horror fiction site ChiZine to present “Fresh Blood,” a new writing contest specifically for unpublished horror authors. If you’ve got a novel in you, now’s your chance.

Leisure is looking for finished horror novel manuscripts, either supernatural or non-supernatural, of 80,000 – 90,000 words. A panel of experts, including Leisure Executive Editor Don D’Auria and editors at ChiZine, will judge entries. The finalists will be announced in November 2009. From December 2009 through July 2010, monthly competitions in categories such as “Best Summary,” “Best First Line,” “Best Title,” and “Most Frightening Scene” will run on ChiZine.com. Readers will have the opportunity to vote for their favorites, and after each deadline, entries with the fewest votes will be eliminated. The winner will be announced in August 2010 at Rue Morgue’s Festival of Fear in Toronto, Canada, as well as on the Leisure and ChiZine web sites.

The winner will receive a contract for publication in Leisure’s 2011 lineup and a contract from ChiZine Publications for a limited-edition hardcover release, also in 2011. Send entries to submissions@dorchesterpub.com by September 30, 2009. The subject line must include the phrase “Fresh Blood.”

For more details, see the ChiZine or Dorchester sites.