LAST UPDATED: August 2, 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or purchasing from Horrorsmith ("we," "us," "our," including all product lines: Story Letters, Murder Mysteries, HORRORSMITH: The Magazine, HORRORSMITH: The Podcast, Horrorsmith Publishing, and Horrorsmith Apparel), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use our site or purchase our products.

2. Description of Services

Horrorsmith is a horror fiction studio offering:

• Story Letters — serialized horror fiction delivered via physical mail on a recurring subscription basis
• Murder Mysteries — solve-at-home mystery experiences delivered as digital PDF downloads
• HORRORSMITH: The Magazine — a digital publication available by single issue, monthly subscription, or prepaid annual subscription
• HORRORSMITH: The Podcast — Audio content distributed via linked videos from YouTube once it launches. Date TBD.
• Horrorsmith Publishing — full-length books available across the Fear Forge, Thrill Forge, and Teen Forge imprints
• Apparel — physical merchandise launching August 10, 2026

3. Subscription Terms (Story Letters & Magazine)

3.1 Billing Cadence

Story Letters are billed either monthly or as a prepaid annual subscription. The Magazine is available as a single-issue purchase, monthly subscription, or prepaid annual subscription.

3.2 Auto-Renewal

Story Letter subscriptions, either monthly or prepaid annual, do not auto-renew. Magazine subscriptions, either monthly subscription or prepaid annual, do auto-renew. Customer will be notified in advance via email of any renewal charge.

3.3 Cancellation

Monthly subscribers may cancel their subscription at any time. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. Prepaid annual subscribers must cancel within 30 day of purchase.

3.4 Mid-Story Cancellation

If a monthly subscriber cancels a Story Letters subscription before receiving all installments of a story,  no further letters will be shipped, and no refund will be issued for the current billing period. If a prepaid annual subscriber cancels a Story Letters subscription within the 30-day window, no further letters will be shipped and a full refund will be given.

3.5 Promotional Subscriptions

Certain purchases may include a complimentary subscription to another Horrorsmith product (for example, a free Magazine subscription included with a new Story Letters subscription). These complimentary subscriptions are for one year, one magazine a month for twelve issues. At the end of the twelve months, unless another qualifying purchase is made, subscriber will receive an email prior to the twelfth issue to initiate subscription of the magazine or other complimentary product. If customer does not initiate a subscription for the continued receipt of the previously complimentary product, no other issues of the product will be sent out.

4. Digital Products (Murder Mysteries, Magazine, eBooks)

4.1 License, Not Ownership

When a customer purchases a digital product (including Murder Mystery PDF downloads and Magazine issues), the customer is purchasing a limited, non-transferable license for personal use only. Customer may not resell, redistribute, publicly share, or reproduce the content for commercial purposes.

4.2 Digital Refunds

Due to the nature of digital downloads, all sales of digital products are final once the file has been delivered or accessed, except where required by law. 

5. Physical Products & Shipping

5.1 Story Letters, Apparel, and Physical Kits

Physical products are shipped to the address provided at checkout. Horrorsmith is not responsible for delays caused by shipping carriers, but will make reasonable efforts to assist with lost or misdelivered packages.

5.2 Shipping Timeframes

Installment 1 of our Story Letter subscriptions ship out same day as long as the order is received prior to noon PST. Regular installments ship the week of the 1st and the week of the 15th of every month. Items from Horrorsmith Apparel will be shipped out according to the manufacturer's specified lead times.

5.3 International Shipping

We do currently ship internationally. Customers are responsible for any customs fees or import duties. If an item is "free shipping" for a United States-based customer, international customers will only pay the difference in shipping costs.

6. Gifting

Story Letters subscriptions may be purchased as gifts. Please indicate the preferred date of shipping on the product screen and indicate the gift recipient's address on the checkout screen. Pricing is concealed from the recipient's packaging. A gift announcement will be provided via a printable PDF available to the purchasing customer.

7. Mature Content Disclosure

Horrorsmith's Story Letters and Murder Mysteries contain horror content, including but not limited to psychological horror, violence, death, and themes involving child endangerment or family trauma. These products are recommended for readers ages 15 and older. By purchasing, you acknowledge the mature nature of this content and accept responsibility for determining its appropriateness for yourself or any recipient, including gift recipients.

8. Intellectual Property

All stories, characters, artwork, branding, and content produced by Horrorsmith — including but not limited to Husher Creek, The Rotting Midway, The Halloween Child, and all Murder Mystery titles — are the exclusive property of Horrorsmith and protected by copyright. No content may be copied, reproduced, distributed, or used to create derivative works without express written permission.

9. User Conduct

You agree not to use the Horrorsmith website or products for any unlawful purpose, to attempt to interfere with the site's operation, or to misrepresent your identity when making a purchase.

10. The Horrorsmith Foundation

The Horrorsmith Foundation is a charitable giving program operated directly by Horrorsmith to support individuals experiencing homelessness and domestic hardship. Horrorsmith allocates 20% of net profit — calculated after deducting advertising costs, shipping, and materials — from Horrorsmith product sales to the Foundation on a quarterly basis. Contributions are used to fund quarterly charitable distributions and to purchase goods provided directly to individuals and families served by the Foundation.

The Horrorsmith Foundation is not a separate registered nonprofit organization. Purchases made on this site are not tax-deductible charitable donations. The percentage and structure of contributions described above may be adjusted at Horrorsmith's discretion, and any changes will be reflected in this policy.

11. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Horrorsmith is not liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from your use of our products or services. Our total liability for any claim will not exceed the amount you paid for the product giving rise to the claim.

12. Changes to These Terms

Horrorsmith reserves the right to update these Terms of Service at any time. Continued use of the site or an active subscription after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

13. Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Washington, without regard to conflict of law principles.

14. Contact Us

Questions about these Terms of Service can be directed to: lsmith@horrorsmithpublishing.com