Story Submissions

Submission Guidelines

For 2027, we’re heading outdoors…

The trail that seemed to go on longer than it should. The campsite where someone’s been watching since sundown. The cave that goes deeper than any map.

We want stories tied to the places people go to get away: state and national parks, forests, mountains, rivers, caves, campgrounds and lonely roadside landmarks. Places where help is an hour away, your phone has no signal, or where the quiet is part of the threat. The danger might be a person, the land itself, something no one can explain, or whatever followed you home.

Think of a seasonal caretaker who keeps finding things left for him in a park that’s closed for the winter (Watcher in the Woods). A body-finder whose uncanny knack for locating missing hikers has a darker explanation (The Reward). An urban explorer who goes down an old mine and finds out why it was closed off (The Heart Below).

If your story makes listeners double-check the tent zipper, we want to read it.

Deadline

Submissions are open until January 31st. You may submit multiple stories.

All story rights belong to the author unless exchanged via contract. If your story is selected we will reach out via email to discuss purchase & payment. For questions, email us at fullbodychills@audiochuck.com

Setting & Plot

Modern day (2020’s / set in reality)
Nature must be included—either as a backdrop, a plot point, or a force in its own right (e.g. parks, trails, caves, desert, body of water, historic landmark, etc.)
Familiar—an everyday scenario that escalates into horror (e.g. a trail you’ve hiked a hundred times, a family campground, a landmark that doesn’t look right at night)
Key Themes: isolation, entrapment, family tension, betrayal, unreliable perception
The Threat: can be human, natural, or unexplained (e.g. stalker, cryptid, time loop)
Endings: should feel unsettling or unresolved; it’s why the Narrator is sharing this.

The Narrator & POV

Word Count: 3,000–6,000 words (20–40 min read)
1st person—framed like an online post (e.g. blogpost, forum, etc.)
Past tense (e.g. “I open [opened] my tent and hear [heard] a birdsong.”)
Confessional—like the narrator is unburdening themselves (e.g. “I need to tell you this… I’m not sure you’ll believe me…”)
Relatable—Someone like you or me with a reason to be in the wild (e.g. seasonal park employee, search-and-rescue volunteer, urban explorer, family on a road trip)
Often Vulnerable or flawed (e.g. lonely, grieving, financially struggling, or hiding something)

Notice

Before you submit: Audiochuck receives many story submissions, and many are similar to one another or to material we’re already developing or can access from other sources. We can only review your story if you agree to our Full Body Chills Submission Terms.

In short: your submission is not confidential, and submitting doesn’t create any agreement or obligation to pay. If we select your story, we’ll reach out about a separate written agreement, and that agreement is the only way we’ll use your work or pay you for it. You confirm the story is yours to share. You also agree that if we put out something similar, you won’t bring a claim against us. Please keep a copy of what you send, because we can’t return submissions.

Story Submission

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Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, Max. file size: 50 MB.

Additional Comments

Consent*

I am at least 18 years old. I have read and agree to the Full Body Chills Story Submission Terms (defined below), including the release of claims and the agreement to binding arbitration.

Full Body Chills Story Submission Terms.
These Submission Terms (“Terms”) apply to any story, idea, recording, or other material (“Material”) you submit to Audiochuck, LLC (“Audiochuck,” “we,” or “us”) through the Full Body Chills submission page. By checking the box and submitting, you agree to these Terms. If you don’t agree, please don’t submit.

1. Why we require these Terms. We receive many solicited and unsolicited stories, ideas, and formats. Many of them are similar or identical to material that we, our employees, or our partners have developed or can otherwise access. We would not review your Material unless you agreed to these Terms.

2. No confidentiality. You submit your Material voluntarily and not in confidence. No confidential, fiduciary, or other special relationship exists or is created between you and Audiochuck by your submission. Our rights in your Material are no less than those of any member of the public to whom you haven’t submitted it.

3. No obligation; separate agreement required. We are not obligated to review, select, use, respond to, or negotiate with you about your Material. If we choose to engage you, we will offer you a separate written agreement. Any right to compensation, credit, or other terms will come only from that agreement, once both you and Audiochuck have signed it. Without a signed agreement, no agreement exists between us about your Material, whether express, implied, or based on industry custom. That includes any expectation that you will be paid if we use any idea, theme, or concept in it. Reviewing, discussing, or expressing interest in your Material does not create an agreement or obligation.

4. Similar material. You acknowledge that material developed, created, acquired, licensed, or otherwise obtained by Audiochuck, or third-party material we have access to, may be similar or identical to your Material in theme, idea, plot, format, or other respects. You are not entitled to compensation because of our use of any such similar or identical material. We may select or produce stories from other authors that are similar to yours. Doing so gives you no claim against us.

5. Your promises. You represent and warrant that: (a) you are the sole owner and author of the Material and have the right to submit it; (b) no one else’s consent is needed for us to use it; (c) it was not created in whole or in part with generative artificial intelligence; and (d) to the best of your knowledge, it does not infringe anyone’s rights or include anyone’s private information without their permission. You will indemnify Audiochuck against claims, losses, and expenses (including attorneys’ fees) arising from any breach of these promises.

6. Release. To the fullest extent permitted by law, you waive, release, and forever discharge Audiochuck from any and all claims, known or unknown, arising out of or relating to the Material or its use. You agree never to bring any such claim. You expressly waive the benefits of California Civil Code Section 1542, which provides: “A general release does not extend to claims that the creditor or releasing party does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release and that, if known by him or her, would have materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor or released party,” and of any similar law in any jurisdiction. This release does not apply to claims under any separate written agreement signed under Section 3.

7. Dispute resolution. Any dispute relating to these Terms or your Material will be resolved by confidential, binding arbitration before a single arbitrator administered by JAMS in Los Angeles County, California, under its then-current rules. Good-faith discussion and mediation come first, but skipping mediation is not a breach of these Terms. You and Audiochuck waive any right to a jury trial or to bring claims in court. The prevailing party may recover its reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs. Your sole remedy is money damages; you may not seek injunctive or other equitable relief. Judgment on the award may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.

8. Copies. Keep a copy of your Material. We won’t return submissions and aren’t responsible for their loss or damage.

9. General. “Audiochuck” includes our affiliates and our and their employees, agents, contractors, licensees, and assigns. If you submit jointly with others, these Terms bind each of you. If any provision is unenforceable, it will be omitted and the rest will remain in effect. California law governs these Terms, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. These Terms are the entire agreement about your submission. No oral statements change them. Your personal information is handled under our https://audiochuck.com/privacy-notice.

10. Counsel. You may consult an independent attorney before agreeing to these Terms. By submitting, you confirm you have read and understand these Terms and are agreeing voluntarily.

By submitting, you confirm that this work is your own and was not generated or substantially written using AI tools.