Literary Journal

Seaside Gothic

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Journals & literary magazines1 open opportunity listedUnited Kingdom

About the magazine

Seaside Gothic is an independent literary and arts organization founded in 2018 with the aim of exploring the darker, more atmospheric corners of coastal and maritime experience. Its name signals a curatorial interest in the gothic as a mode—not merely as genre, but as a lens for examining isolation, memory, and the uncanny within seaside settings. The organization publishes an annual anthology, hosts a seasonal reading series, and maintains a small online archive of visual and textual work. Its mission is to provide a platform for emerging and mid-career artists whose work engages with the liminal, the eerie, and the overlooked aspects of coastal life, without resorting to pastiche or nostalgia.

Editorial focus

Seaside Gothic publishes fiction, poetry, and nonfiction of high quality that meet the criteria of seaside gothic literature. Each issue also features a selection of images from a single photographer or artist, including the cover.

PoetryFictionCreative Nonfiction

Submitting your work

Reading periodJan 12 to Jan 18

Reading feeNo

PaymentCash

Response timeLess than 3 months

Simultaneous submissionsYes

Unsolicited submissionsYes

Artists and writers should approach Seaside Gothic with a clear sense of its thematic focus: work that engages with coastal or maritime settings through a gothic, uncanny, or liminal lens. Submissions are typically open for its annual anthology in the spring, with reading periods announced via its website and newsletter. The editors favor work that demonstrates formal control and atmospheric precision over explicit horror or cliché. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please notify promptly if your work is placed elsewhere. Include a brief cover letter that contextualizes your submission within the organization's ethos, and avoid generic flattery. Response times vary; expect 4–6 weeks during reading periods.

To gain an understanding of what the editor of Seaside Gothic is looking for, please read the previous issues. For more information on seaside gothic literature, read the About page.

Read official guidelines