Online Submissions Open
Issue 2 Print Submissions Open Oct 2026
Baltimore Gothic is changing our submission structure. Starting in June 2026, we will be accepting one fiction piece, one nonfiction piece, and one poem per month for online only publication. These submissions are free and will stay open year round.
The print addition of Issue 1 and Issue 2 will be released in January.
Submissions for Issue 2 open October 2026. Issue 2 will be themed Sins & Salvation. Print submissions will now cost $2 per submission. All other guidelines remain the same. For information on the theme for Issue 2, see the guidelines below:
Theme: Sins and Salvation
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The Sin and Salvation issue delves into the South’s complex relationship with religion, where fervent spirituality and human frailty collide in a haunting tapestry of redemption and damnation. This theme explores the tension between devout faith and moral decay.
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What we want:
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We want stories that probe the psyche of fanatical preachers, hypocritical congregations, and lost souls grappling with guilt, divine judgment, or supernatural retribution. We want tales of fire-and-brimstone sermons masking dark secrets, backwoods revivals spiraling into chaos, and individuals wrestling with personal demons in the shadow of a judgmental deity. This issue should capture the eerie beauty of a South torn between divine grace and its own heart.
Fiction — 1500 to 5000 words.
Please submit between 1 and 3 works of fiction. We do not accept flash at this time.
All online submissions are free, but tip jar submissions will be prioritized for feedback. All print issue submissions are $2 each. Please submit up to three
We are trying to ensure that this journal can be published in print and online. We hope to be able to provide author copies as payment and eventually be able to pay our authors in future issues.
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We are looking for portraits of the human condition. We want fiction that says something. While we are looking for gothic fiction, we are not looking for genre fiction.
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A few great examples: "Good Men are Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor and "James Reading Goes to Sea" by Zora Neale Hurston.
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What we want:
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Southern Gothic
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Dark themes
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Portraits of madness
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Portrayals of irrational, abnormal or horrific thoughts or desires
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Grotesque characters
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Dark Humor ​​
What we do not want:
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Mythology
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Fantasy
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Slasher
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Monster Fiction
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Science Fiction ​​
Poetry — up to 5 poems
For poetry, we will accept up to 5 poem submissions. All online submissions are free, but tip jar submissions will be prioritized for feedback. Print submissions for poetry are $2 each.
Poetry must be between 1-2 pages. Ballads or other long forms of poetry that are under 4 pages are also accepted, however only one will be selected for each issue.
It must contain one or more of the following elements: urban decay or human decay, psychological suspense, supernatural, natural or rural elements, Southern culture, or other cultural elements. Some examples include: Edgar Allen Poe, Minnie Hunt, and William Faulkner.
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Haikus and experimental form poetry are not accepted at this time.
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Nonfiction — 1500 to 5000 words
Please submit between 1 and 3 works of nonfiction. We do not accept experimental forms of nonfiction or flash at this time.
All online submissions are free, but tip jar submissions will be prioritized for feedback. Each print submission is $2. We are trying to ensure that this journal can be published in print and online. We hope to be able to provide author copies as payment and eventually be able to pay our authors in future issues.
Nonfiction must be in the memoir style/format. Nonfiction must contain Gothic or suspenseful elements. Only two Non-fiction pieces will be accepted at this time.