11 Spooky Halloween Stories in the Public Domain (That Are Totally Free to Use!)

When spooky season rolls around, I am 1000% here for it – skeleton earrings on, PSL in hand, and vintage horror stories queued up. But here’s the thing: you don’t need to spend a dime to enjoy some hauntingly good Halloween vibes!

These classic tales of terror are ALL in the public domain, which means you can read them, share them, quote them, or even build a whole seasonal campaign around them without worrying about copyright monsters lurking in the shadows.

Whether you’re looking to jazz up your October content calendar, create a creepy lead magnet, or just freak out your friends with some literary chills, these stories have you covered. Let’s dig up some spine-tingling gems, shall we?

1. The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe

A short and sinister tale of guilt, madness, and one extremely loud heartbeat. This one’s perfect for dramatic readings (you KNOW you want to whisper “It was the beating of the hideous heart!”) and makes for super quotable content.

• Entrepreneur Tip: Use the theme of guilt and overwork in a newsletter about setting boundaries – “Is your to-do list haunting you?”
• Social Media Tip: Create a spooky reel or TikTok reading the final lines dramatically – dark lighting, heartbeat sound effects, and all.
• Ecommerce Tip: Promote a Halloween bundle with the tagline “Let your heart skip a beat with these killer deals.” Use quotes in Instagram carousels, reels, or eerie voiceovers. Or design a free printable quote pack with Poe’s creepiest lines as a seasonal opt-in.
• Image Generator Prompt: A gothic Victorian room with old wooden floorboards. A wide-eyed man kneels, listening in terror to a glowing red heart thumping beneath the floor. Dim candlelight casts eerie shadows on the walls.

2. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

Headless horsemen, ghostly rumors, and small-town spookiness? YES PLEASE! This timeless American folktale has the perfect Halloween aesthetic baked right in.

• Entrepreneur Tip: Use it to talk about fear-based decision-making – “Don’t be an Ichabod when it comes to your business strategy.”
• Social Media Tip: Create a “Which Halloween character are you?” quiz and include Ichabod Crane.
• Ecommerce Tip: Feature themed merchandise or candles with “haunted New England” vibes. Use snippets in email countdowns, or write a blog post comparing your product to Ichabod Crane (tall, skinny, and just a bit overdramatic?).
• Image Generator Prompt: Ichabod Crane rides a frightened horse through a moonlit forest as the Headless Horseman gallops behind him. Autumn leaves swirl through the night air, and a jack-o’-lantern glows in the distance.

3. The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe

One word: Nevermore. Arguably the most iconic spooky poem ever. It drips with gothic goodness and mood for DAYS.

• Entrepreneur Tip: Create a lead magnet titled “Nevermore: 10 Habits You Need to Banish From Your Business.”
• Social Media Tip: Pair a moody voiceover of the poem with behind-the-scenes shots of your workspace lit by candles.
• Ecommerce Tip: Sell dark aesthetic products or services with the phrase “Nevermore basic – go bold this season.” Turn this into a mini zine or downloadable PDF with illustration vibes. Great for building your email list or sharing on Pinterest as a freebie.
• Image Generator Prompt: A gothic girl in a dark study, writing at a candlelit desk. A black raven perches on a bust above her, while storm clouds and lightning flash outside a tall window.

4. The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe

Buried alive, revenge, and a whole lot of wine? It’s a deliciously devious tale to share in October. Super short and super chilling.

• Entrepreneur Tip: Talk about the danger of holding grudges in business – “Don’t wall up your growth potential.”
• Social Media Tip: Share a wine + book pairing reel: “What Poe tale pairs with your favorite red?”
• Ecommerce Tip: Promote a limited-time “revenge is sweet” product bundle or Halloween box. Create a Halloween-themed product launch around this one – maybe “revenge is sweet” for a limited edition item. Perfect for fun promo copy.
• Image Generator Prompt: A spooky wine cellar scene. A man in a carnival jester outfit is being bricked into a wall, eyes wide with fear, while the other man smirks, holding a trowel. A dusty wine bottle sits ominously on a crate.

5. The Call of Cthulhu by H.P. Lovecraft

If you like your horror with a side of cosmic dread, Lovecraft’s your guy. Cthulhu is iconic, otherworldly, and (weirdly) kinda meme-able.

• Entrepreneur Tip: Use Cthulhu as a metaphor for overwhelm – “What’s the monstrous force derailing your productivity?”
• Social Media Tip: Create a funny Instagram post showing your chaotic desk vs. a Cthulhu drawing – #Relatable.
• Ecommerce Tip: Launch a themed merch line or mug with “Summon caffeine, not cosmic horrors.” Run a “What eldritch horror are you?” quiz on your site. Great for traffic and email capture. You can also use Cthulhu as a stand-in for biz overwhelm in your copy – “Feeling like Cthulhu’s got your to-do list?”
• Image Generator Prompt: A tentacled creature rises from the sea beneath a full moon. A beautiful woman sits on a cliff nearby completely unaware of the horror behind her.

6. The Monkey’s Paw by W.W. Jacobs

Three wishes, terrifying consequences. Classic “be careful what you wish for” vibes that still hit hard.

• Entrepreneur Tip: Blog post idea: “3 Business Shortcuts That Backfired – And What I Learned.”
• Social Media Tip: Host a fun “What would you wish for?” poll with a spooky twist.
• Ecommerce Tip: Use it as the theme for a Halloween upsell – “Wish granted: 3 spooky bonuses added to your order.” Use this theme in a sales email series about avoiding shortcuts or risky marketing tactics. Or write a blog post about “3 Marketing Wishes That Went Horribly Wrong.”
• Image Generator Prompt: A shriveled monkey’s paw rests on a velvet cushion surrounded by three flickering candles – one of which has just gone out. In the background, a shadowy figure watches from the dark.

7. Dracula by Bram Stoker

The ultimate vampire tale. Dracula oozes gothic dread, aristocratic evil, and a whole vibe of foggy castles and doomed love.

• Entrepreneur Tip: Use Dracula’s eternal legacy to talk about brand longevity – “Is your business built to last through the centuries?”
• Social Media Tip: Create a fun carousel of “Signs Your Biz is Turning into a Vampire” – aka draining your energy.
• Ecommerce Tip: Run a Halloween promo called “Bite into these bloody good deals.” Use quotes to create moody Instagram carousels, or run a Halloween-themed sale with the tagline “Enter the lair of irresistible deals.”
• Image Generator Prompt: A mysterious vampire in a long cloak stands on the balcony of a fog-covered castle. Bats fly across the night sky as red eyes glow from the shadows. A spooky rose lies on the ledge, dripping blood.

8. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

The OG science-gone-wrong horror story. Frankenstein’s monster is both terrifying and tragic, giving your content serious depth.

• Entrepreneur Tip: Use this as a metaphor for building a business from scratch – “Are you assembling your dream client monster?”
• Social Media Tip: Post a behind-the-scenes of your work process titled “It’s alive!”
• Ecommerce Tip: Bundle products into a “Franken-deal” – everything stitched together at one scary-good price. Frame a campaign around “building your business monster” – perfect for coaching services or digital product creation.
• Image Generator Prompt: A quirky scientist in a Victorian lab shouts “It’s alive!” as lightning strikes. A large green monster opens one eye on the table, surrounded by bubbling vials and glowing equipment.

9. The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe

Gloomy mansions, family curses, and the ever-reliable theme of being buried alive. Poe was REALLY into that.

• Entrepreneur Tip: Use this story to talk about generational business habits – “What’s crumbling in your brand’s foundation?”
• Social Media Tip: Dramatically reenact falling apart at your desk with spooky sound effects and caption it “House of Usher vibes.”
• Ecommerce Tip: Launch a “Rebuild Your Brand” kit – tools to refresh outdated designs or content. Use the crumbling mansion metaphor in a brand story or email. “Is your business the House of Usher? Time to rebuild before it collapses.”
• Image Generator Prompt: A grand, crumbling mansion stands on a stormy hill. Cracks split the building in two while ghostly faces peek from the windows. A lone figure in a cloak looks back at it in horror.

10. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

A chilling tale of dual identities and the shadow self. It’s surprisingly relatable for modern burnout and biz pivots.

• Entrepreneur Tip: Share your business origin story: “My Jekyll and Hyde moment – when I realized I needed a new direction.”
• Social Media Tip: Show a side-by-side of your “work mode” vs. “burnout mode” with a humorous twist.
• Ecommerce Tip: Offer a split-deal campaign: two products, two styles, one spooky offer. Use the “two sides” concept in a rebranding campaign or to talk about balancing creative and strategic energies.
• Image Generator Prompt: Two versions of the same man – one neat and scholarly, the other shadowy and wild – stand back-to-back in a foggy alley. A spilled potion bottle glows on the ground between them.

11. The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe

A lavish party, a mysterious figure, and the creeping presence of death. Basically the original “you can’t outrun your problems” parable.

• Entrepreneur Tip: Blog about why procrastination kills progress – “No amount of glitter can mask poor planning.”
• Social Media Tip: Post a dramatic masquerade look and caption it: “Mask on, hustle hiding. Time to face the chaos.”
• Ecommerce Tip: Run a “behind the mask” campaign showing the real story behind your product or team. Use this for a themed email sequence or mini launch: “You can’t hide from poor planning…but we’ve got your back.”
• Image Generator Prompt: A lavish masquerade ball in a haunted castle. Elegant guests wear ornate masks, while a red-cloaked figure stands ominously in the doorway. A giant clock reads midnight.

12. The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

The masked musical genius and his underground lair. It’s dramatic, tragic, and full of haunting flair.

• Entrepreneur Tip: Talk about the power of unseen influence – “Are you the phantom genius behind your brand’s success?”
• Social Media Tip: Share a mysterious black-and-white reel with a single spotlight, revealing your favorite product.
• Ecommerce Tip: Create a “mystery box” product offering with Phantom flair – what’s behind the mask? Use this to highlight mystery in your brand – “Behind the Mask: The Real Story of My Biz.” Perfect for storytelling content.
• Image Generator Prompt: An ornate opera house balcony. A masked man hides behind velvet curtains watching a singer onstage. A chandelier sways above while roses with black ribbons line the rail.

13. The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells

An invisible madman on the loose! It’s quirky, unsettling, and full of fun horror metaphors.

• Entrepreneur Tip: Blog about visibility in your niche – “Is your brand invisible in a crowded marketplace?”
• Social Media Tip: Post a ghost-style boomerang with just your product floating – creepy and cool.
• Ecommerce Tip: Offer secret discount codes or hidden products for Halloween – like a “you found me!” scavenger hunt. Blog post idea: “Is Your Marketing Strategy Turning You Invisible?” Or run a promo campaign with sneaky mystery bonuses.
• Image Generator Prompt: An empty trench coat and hat hover in the air, holding a steaming teacup. Behind it, startled townsfolk peek through a frosty window. Only the faint shimmer of glasses gives the figure away.

Final Ghastly Thoughts…

So there you have it! These classic, spooky Halloween stories are not only thrilling reads, they’re also wildly useful for content creation, quote graphics, email campaigns, product promos, and Pinterest-worthy freebies. Public domain = marketing playground, my friend.

Give one (or all!) of these creepy classics a spin this season and see how they spark your creativity – and connect with your audience in totally unexpected ways.

Here are some more great articles that you might love!

• HUGE List of Popular Stories In The Public Domain
• HUGE List of Artists In The Public Domain for AI Prompts
• Leveraging Free Public Domain for Commercial Use

Source: https://marketingartfully.com/11-spooky-halloween-stories-in-the-public-domain-that-are-totally-free-to-use/