Anthology Submissions Now Open

Submissions Announcement #3

We are excited to announce that the window is now open for submissions to the first edition (pilot) of the GossamerWight Literary Magazine Anthology, 'Everyday Eerie'.

The submissions window closes at 11.59 pm (GMT) on All Hallows' Eve. As you can see, the clock is ticking!

About the theme

If we were to extend the theme title 'Everyday Eerie' to 'Everyday Eerie–When the Ordinary Turns Otherworldly,' then it becomes easier to grasp what we are looking for. Our theme invites story submissions that all share a common thread—turning the everyday, or ordinary, into the extraordinary... or the uncanny.

In writing your story/stories, we invite you to add subversive spice; to reimagine common tropes; to gift us with a tale of the unexpected.

Our theme, 'Everyday Eerie' is:

• Broad enough to enable a spectrum of single-genre or cross-genre (mixed) submissions–be that horror (mainstream or folk); weird/New Weird; the supernatural; speculative; dystopian; or fantasy–while giving you a clear theme.
• Uncanny focused: we invite you to take a mundane setting—such as a kitchen, a commuter train, a family dinner, a suburban street, a work location, etc.—and inject a subtle, unsettling twist that makes the familiar feel off-kilter... uncanny.

The 'Everyday Eerie' Anthology Soundtrack

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For example,

The thin veil: moments when reality flickers—e.g., mirrors that reflect another world, streetlights that dim only for certain people.

Domestic dread: e.g., how everyday rituals become rites of something darker.

Hidden histories: e.g., ordinary objects that carry forgotten, malevolent legacies.

Psychological uncanny: e.g., the feeling that something is almost right, but just off enough to unsettle.

Two further* genre-specific submission prompts

To give you some idea of what is possible, consider these two theme-related prompts, with a cross-genre example included:

1. Horror–'The Unseen Neighbour.' A new tenant moves into a cramped town or city flat/apartment and discovers that the thin walls hide a centuries-old ritual space. You might write a story where the everyday act of borrowing a cup of sugar from a neighbour turns into a bargain with something that has been watching the building for generations.
2. Weird/New Weird–'The Algorithm That Listens.' An AI programme designed to optimise grocery deliveries starts recommending items that echo the secret fears of its users. You might write a story that shows how a simple shopping list becomes a conduit for an uncanny, world-shifting logic.
3. Cross-genre example: horror + weird. If going for a cross-genre approach, imagine combining the elements of horror and weird in a story titled 'The Night Shift at the Museum.' A night-watchman/security guard discovers that an exhibit of everyday household artefacts animates after closing, each item in the exhibit reenacting the moment it was first used, with horror-infused consequences.

Your story could appear in me!

The cover for GossamerWight's 1st Edition (Pilot) Anthology. The theme is 'Everyday Eerie'.

Submission advice

Keep the word count limits in mind. Flash fiction submissions: ≤ 1,000 words. We advise you to focus on a single, sharp twist for a flash fiction piece, and establish your uncanny hook within the first 150-200 words. Short stories: ≤ 3,000 words; these can deliver a more layered world-building and character arc. In either case, your piece ought to be complete, i.e., self-contained, delivering a full story arc. To reiterate, flash fiction submissions should be up to 1,000 words, and short stories should be up to 3,000 words.

Remember, we are looking for an uncanny twist; something ordinary that looks or feels subtly 'off'–a detail that feels both familiar and off-kilter simultaneously, prompting a shiver of recognition. Ground your story first in the ordinary (the everyday) before tilting it towards the 'otherworldly.' Play with perception–let your characters question what they know; doubt always underpins the uncanny.

What next?

The submissions window will remain open until All Hallows' Eve (Halloween), 31 October, at which time it will close, unless we announce an extension to the submissions period.

We advise those who might be interested in making one or more story submissions to read the general guidance we have provided under the Submissions tab, which, combined with the theme-specific guidance in this post, should be all you need to know.

A last word. Contingent on the success of our quarterly anthology releases, we envisage taking the best stories from each and combining them in an annual publication; this would be available for purchase online and in most high street bookshops.

Should you have questions, please contact the editor-in-chief using ghost.harmony854@passmail.net. Please state 'Submission query' in the subject line. Or, complete the contact form here. You may also send your story submission(s) using either of these two means.

With thanks and good luck!

James, Denver, Toby, and Miggy.

[Anthology soundtrack by DarkStreet].

*See our post here for the first two prompts.