Gutter

What this publication wants

This is BRYME's summary of the publication's focus — not a copy of their website. Type of writing: Fiction, Poetry, Essays, Reviews. Official guideline: Gutter guidelines.

Topics, themes and styles they look for

• Work that challenges, re-imagines or undermines the status quo, and pushes at the boundaries of form and function.
• They reject any distinction between literary and genre, high art and popular culture.
• Poetry: up to three poems totalling no more than 100 lines, in a single document.
• Fiction and essays: a maximum of 2,500 words, one prose submission per issue.
• Review pitches at any time — they will ask for examples of previous work before commissioning.

Subjects they avoid

• Work that does not conform to the guidelines — it will not be considered.
• More than one prose submission per issue.

Key requirements

• Submittable
• Prose max 2,500 words
• Poetry max 3 poems / 100 lines
• .docx or .rtf

Who can submit

Official: during their two annual windows they accept poetry, fiction and essays from writers in Scotland and beyond. Reviews are commissioned on newly published books with a clear Scottish connection. Scots and Gaelic guidelines are provided on the same page.

Rights

Not stated on the submit page.

AI policy

Not stated in the guideline

How to write for them

Official requirement: always follow the publication's own guideline exactly.

BRYME's practical advice: write for the publication's audience, use a clear structure, keep paragraphs short, lead with a specific angle, and confirm the word count before submitting. These are practical suggestions — they are not the publication's official rules.

How to pitch

Where a pitch is required, this is the general pattern BRYME recommends — always adapt it to the publication's guideline.

1. Research the publication and read several recent pieces.
2. Choose a specific idea that fits their beat and audience.
3. Write a concise subject line naming your idea.
4. Introduce yourself in one or two lines (who you are, where you publish).
5. Explain the proposed piece in a short paragraph — angle, structure, length.
6. Say why it fits this publication.
7. Include 2–3 relevant clips or links.
8. Close professionally and thank them for their time.
9. Send through the official channel only.

Not accepting submissions at the last check.

Track this pitch

How to submit

Submittable during an open window

Apply through the official channel below. BRYME only records submission destinations it has verified.

• Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
• Submission: Submittable during an open window

What the guideline asks you to prepare

• Watch https://www.guttermag.co.uk/submit or their newsletter for the Spring or Autumn window.
• Submit via Submittable as .docx or .rtf.
• For reviews, get in touch at any time with examples of previous work.

What happens after submission

Expected response: Not stated

If the publication does not state a response time, BRYME records that it is unknown. A follow-up is generally reasonable after a couple of weeks; if there is still no response, treat that as a likely non-acceptance rather than a rejection. Acceptance is normally communicated by the publication. If they accept, they will tell you exactly how to submit the final piece and, for most, how and when payment is made.