This page outlines our terms of entry, how to submit, and our offer to published writers.
Guidelines
- Submissions are open until the 30th September 2025 at midnight.
- Please send us one story of between 2,000-10,000 words.
- You must currently live in the North of England. This includes Cheshire, Cumbria, County Durham, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, and Yorkshire.
- The theme is folklore. Retellings of folktales and fairytales, and new stories in a folkloric style are accepted, including folk horror. While the story can be set in the North of England and/or inspired by its folklore, it doesn’t need to be. Read more about what we mean by folklore here.
- Your story must be previously unpublished. Simultaneous submissions are allowed. Please contact us ASAP if your story is accepted elsewhere.
- The submission should be formatted in a standard 12pt font (Times, Arial etc). Please include the title and your name in the document.
- We don’t accept writing that’s been created with any assistance from generative AI (e.g. ChatGPT).
How to submit
- Submit to the editor, Nathaniel, at carnyx.press@gmail.com with Anthology Submission in the subject line.
- In your email, please confirm that you live in the North of England; the work is previously unpublished; and that you haven’t used generative AI to create the work.
- Submit your work as an attached Word file or similar (.doc, .docx, .odt).
If there’s context about your story you feel is important (e.g. information about any folklore it’s based on), feel free to include a brief overview in your email.
We aim to respond to all submissions by the end of October.
Our offer
- We’ll select between 5 and 10 stories for publication.
- The anthology’s planned publication date is June 2026. We intend to release the anthology in both print and eBook format.
- All contributors will receive four free copies of the printed anthology, and can purchase further physical copies at 50% author discount.
- Contributors will also receive a £20 honorarium.
Full terms and conditions will be agreed via contract when an offer of publication has been made.
Visit our FAQ if you have any other questions not answered here. We look forward to reading your submission soon!
