Literary Journal

shoegaze literary

Closes in 10 days

Journals & literary magazines1 open opportunity listed

About the magazine

Shoegaze Literary is an online journal founded on the principle that literary work can operate with the immersive, texture-driven intensity of the shoegaze musical genre—layered, atmospheric, and emotionally direct without being confessional. Since its inception, the journal has sought to publish poetry, short fiction, and hybrid texts that prioritize sonic and imagistic density over conventional narrative resolution. Its issues are organized around thematic provocations, such as 'Reality Bites Back,' which invite writers to explore the friction between mediated experience and raw perception. The journal maintains a deliberately lean, editor-run structure, with no institutional affiliation, allowing it to respond quickly to contemporary shifts in experimental writing.

Editorial focus

shoegaze literary is a capsule project that publishes poetry and fiction. the magazine borrows its name and aesthetics from the eponymous musical genre where artists often perform looking down at their effect pedals. it aims to support and uplift emerging writers through its digital venue by curating a third space for dreamy, distorted alternate realities. this is done through open communication, community engagement, and supporting and uplifting contributors through promotion and platforming.

PoetryFictionTranslation

Submitting your work

Reading periodFeb 14 to Apr 14

Reading feeNo

PaymentNo payment

Response timeLess than 3 months

Simultaneous submissionsYes

Unsolicited submissionsYes

Read at least one full issue before submitting; the journal's aesthetic is coherent but not prescriptive, and familiarity with its range will clarify whether your work fits. Send 3–5 poems or one prose piece under 3,000 words. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, but withdraw promptly if accepted elsewhere. Expect a response within 4–8 weeks; if you have not heard back after 10 weeks, a polite query is appropriate. Do not send work that relies on plot or argument at the expense of language; the editors favor writing where sound and image lead. Cover letters should be brief and free of bio padding—list previous publications only if directly relevant.

we love work that is different and surprising. we encourage writers to challenge themselves. editorially, we pride ourselves on open communication and ask for the same from our contributors.

Read official guidelines

Submission calls

1 listed

OpenDeadline · 2026-10-15