FAQs
Curious? You're in the right place.
Welcome! This page is our comprehensive, evergreen, frequently asked questions resource, answering the most common logistical, legal, and creative questions in one place.
What is your magazine’s mission?
We are a UK-based independent online literary magazine dedicated to hosting dark and unconventional storytelling and poetry with an uncanny twist, centred on publishing our quarterly digital anthologies.
Visit our About and What’s in a Name? pages for more information.
What is your magazine’s editorial philosophy?
Anthologies: Submissions are open to lay, academic, and other professional writers.
We encourage submissions from all without condition, except those stipulated within our general and theme-specific anthology guidelines.
Each anthology's theme is selected by the editor-in-chief.
Visit our General Submission Guidelines for more information.
What kinds of stories and poems does GossamerWight publish?
You can find illustrative examples in our published digital anthologies, available to download in our online store.
We focus on the following genres: horror (mainstream and folk); weird and ‘New Weird’; supernatural/spectral; speculative; dystopian; fantasy. We also embrace the Gothic.
Each genre encompasses many elements. We are compiling a comprehensive listing of genre and subgenre types for the Resources section of our main website.
What about graphic narratives?
We accept original, theme-appropriate graphic narrative submissions for publication in our anthologies.
Artwork should remain legible at our anthology A5 size of 5.83 x 8.27 inches (148 x 210 mm). Compliance would avoid us needing to reduce panel sizes that exceed our A5 sizing, which may then affect legibility of the submitted panels.
There is no fixed word limit. We allow for up to eight pages, subject to the needs of the piece and available anthology space. Images and text must be in black and white (monochrome).
Due to the complex nature of a graphic narrative composition, for those contemplating such a submission, we welcome email contact by the graphic narrative artist before they start their composition. This is so we may provide any necessary upfront guidance and support.
Do your anthologies connect to each other?
Yes and no! Although all our anthologies encapsulate our core interests, we may either publish a quarterly edition as a stand-alone themed work, or run a themed series.
For example, for the four quarters of 2026, we are running a series with a shared arc of literary, uncanny, and psychologically grounded themes. The quarter anthologies form a loose narrative progression: from Thresholds (published in quarter one) through to collapse, haunting, and strange rebirth – balancing dread and awe with hope, resilience, and defiance.
Read more by visiting The Arc: GossamerWight’s 2026 Anthology Series.
How often do you publish new anthologies?
We publish a fresh, themed digital anthology every quarter. The periods are 1 January-31 March, 1 April-30 June, 1 July-30 September, and 1 October-31 December. The submission window is open for the first two months of each quarter, and the editorial team then deliberates and makes its selections during the first three weeks of the third month of each quarter. We publish the anthology on our site during the last week of each quarter.
Each anthology's theme is selected by the editor-in-chief.
How do I submit my work?
You can find comprehensive guidance here:
In the post for the latest anthology call, which you’ll find in the central panel on our Substack publication homepage, and…
General Submission Guidelines, an evergreen post accessible from our Substack publication homepage navigation menu.
We urge submitters to adhere to our guidelines to prevent the risk of non-acceptance.
What are the benefits of being published in one of your anthologies?
The potential benefits are many. Visit the two evergreen posts accessible from our Substack publication homepage to learn more:
Submission Benefits: General &
Submission Benefits: Students.
We suggest you read both; each provides valuable insights.
Successful contributors are complementary copies of the PDF and ePub anthology in which their work appears. We also promote their submission piece(s) on our social media platforms.
What are the anthology formatting and length requirements?
We provide comprehensive information in our General Submission Guidelines. We advise you to read that page in full.
Before submitting, always read the submission guidance for the current anthology and the General Submissions Guidelines.
Can I submit work published before?
Yes. At present, we accept submissions that have been published before, i.e., on personal website blogs, in other anthologies, in other literary magazines, in magazines that are now defunct, and submissions that have appeared only in physical print.
We do not accept submissions that have been published before on publicly accessible forums or on any social media platform.
Can I submit multiple pieces or make multiple submissions?
We allow you to submit up to three pieces of work (prose and/or poetry, regardless of the mix) or one graphic narrative, or one non-English work with an accompanying English translation, all on one submission occasion per anthology, and no more.
That means that we do not allow multiple submissions, i.e., any submission return trip for the current anthology!
Do you accept simultaneous submissions?
Yes. However, we expect adherence to standard simultaneous submission etiquette, namely that:
(1) you tell us at the time of your submission that you have also submitted one or more of your (named) pieces to another publication, and
(2) that you’ll let us know, without undue delay, if any piece is accepted elsewhere, so we’re not left hanging. We don’t need you to list the other publication(s).
Can I make consecutive anthology submissions?
No. We do not accept consecutive anthology submissions – if we accept your work in one quarterly issue, you must wait one issue before submitting again.
This requirement provides an increased opportunity for those who are yet to submit their work for the first time.
Do you accept non-English submissions?
We accept submissions in any language (for any genre and submission type) on the condition that a full and faithful translation* accompanies it in British or American English within the same document at the time of submission.
We allow one non-English submission per submitter per anthology.
(* unless the translation is deliberately mis-matched in parts for literary purposes, i.e., an intended literary choice).
Do I keep my copyright?
Yes. In the United Kingdom (where we are based), you own the copyright to your creative work and receive automatic legal protection and rights. See the GOV.UK page here.
Non-UK residents should verify the copyright laws of their country to ensure protection of their submissions. International agreements may protect you, such as the Berne Convention.
You hold the copyright of what you submit to us; we hold copyright in the anthology compilation. Read our General Submission Guidelines for more on this topic.
Do you charge for anthology submissions?
No. However, we welcome tips from those uploading submissions intended for potential inclusion in our quarterly digital anthologies – either at the time of submission or at any later date.
Whether or not a submitter tips has no bearing on our acceptance or non-acceptance of their submission.
Tips can be made either ‘in-house’ on our website (via Stripe), or by clicking through to our ‘Buy Me a Coffee’ page… as you can below!
Voluntary fees: we accept voluntary fees (‘tip jar’ payments) for all submission types. Should you wish to tip, please use our Buy Me A Coffee link below. Thank you!
Will you pay me if you publish my work in an anthology?
Like many literary magazines, we cannot offer payment at this time to those whose prose, graphic narratives, or poetry we publish in any of our quarterly digital anthologies.
That said, successful contributors are given a complimentary copy of the PDF and ePub anthology in which their work appears (before the edition goes on open release), plus a 15% discount code, redeemable against goods in our online store. We also promote their submission piece(s) on our social media platforms.
How long does it take to hear from you after I submit?
If you use the Anthology Submissions Portal (Form ‘A’) on our website homepage, you’ll receive an automated responder email. The editor-in-chief follows up within 72 hours to reassure the submitter of the safe receipt of their submission and to relay any technical or other editorial issues. Those making a submission by email (to editor@gossamerwight.com) will receive an email response from an editor within 72 hours, as above.
Notification of submission success. We aim to notify you of the outcome of your submission at approximately two weeks post-submission. Submitters who send work early in the window may hear from us sooner; those submitting closer to the deadline may hear up to two weeks after the window closes.
What happens if you accept my piece?
The editor-in-chief will send you an email with an acceptance letter attached (from one of the editors on behalf of the editorial team), which details the piece(s) we have accepted, why it/they stood out to us, what happens next, and what acceptance means for you. We might also attach a Word track changes document with suggested editorial changes/improvements.
We will later send you proofs (screenshot images) of your accepted piece(s) and bio page in the configuration we intend for the anthology. This is a final-stage check and sign-off (by you) procedure before we publish.
What happens if you reject my piece?
Although some use the word ‘rejection’, we prefer to use terms like ‘not included this time’ or ‘not this time for this anthology’, and similar expressions.
We have composed a post titled, ‘Not Selected? Read Me.’ In this we say that “Selection is always a matter of fit rather than merit: each anthology issue develops its own inner character, and not every presented piece will belong to its particular shape.” We provide a list of resources and possible next steps to help writers continue developing their voice and to find the right home for their work.
How can I stay informed about calls for submissions and new releases?
(1) Subscribe to receive new submission opportunities and general updates by clicking on the Subscribe button in our posts, like that below;
(2) Click on the Follow button wherever it appears.
(3) Follow us on these social media platforms: LinkedIn and Bluesky. We also have a Flipboard page.
Where can I purchase past anthologies?
Our quarterly digital anthologies are available to download, free, in our store in either PDF or ePub format. We welcome tips.
We had considered publishing a physical (ink on paper) annual anthology, but have shelved that idea for the time being.
Do you accept volunteer interns or offer a mentorship program?
Not yet. However, we are currently exploring virtual intern and mentorship opportunities.
What is the process for reporting a problem or suggesting improvements?
Email editor@gossamerwight.com to report a problem – including technical-specific issues – or to make an improvement suggestion.
To raise a matter concerning our Store page, email store@gossamerwight.com.
Alternatively, click on the button below:
❦ Are we missing a FAQ?
We welcome suggestions from our Subscribers, followers, and visitors for additional FAQ page content.
Please let us know your suggestions by emailing editor@gossamerwight.com. Thank you!