Fiction, Poetry, Essays, Reviews
Gutter
Gutter is a magazine of new Scottish and international writing paying a flat £50 per published piece regardless of length or style. Fiction, poetry and essay windows run twice a year and are currently closed; reviews are commissioned on a rolling, paid basis.
🔴 Currently closed Verified 2026-09
The docket
The nine things that decide whether a pitch is worth sending. Every answer below is either taken from the publication’s own guideline or computed by BRYME from the 304-publication desk. Where the publication does not say, the docket says so instead of filling the gap in.
- Payment
- Flat £50 per pieceOf the other 12 records based in the United Kingdom that state a flat-fee figure, 8 state less, 4 state more.
- Length
- Prose to 2,500 words; up to 3 poems totalling 100 lines
- Who can submit
- Open internationallyThe guideline states no geographic restriction.
- Reading period
- Fiction, poetry and essay submissions are currently closed.Windows run twice a year, in Spring and Autumn.
- Response time
- Not statedNo response time recorded. A follow-up after two to three weeks is reasonable; silence past that is a soft no, not a rejection.
- Simultaneous submissions
- Not accepted — send to one place at a timeWe do not accept simultaneous submissions. — https://www.guttermag.co.uk/submit (read 2026-09-30)
- AI policy
- Not statedThe guideline is silent. BRYME records that 138 of the 304 publications on this desk do restrict AI-assisted work, so silence here is not permission — ask.
- Rights
- Not statedBRYME records that 162 of the 304 publications on this desk state their terms. This one does not. Ask what rights you are assigning, for how long and for what territory, before you sign anything.
- Experience
- Not statedThe guideline sets no experience requirement. BRYME records that as silence, not as a welcome — a first-time writer is not excluded, but nor are they invited.
What this record does not tell you
This publication leaves 4 of the nine questions unanswered. BRYME publishes that gap instead of filling it — a generated answer would look complete and cost you a pitch.
- Response time — expect to wait blind, and keep other pitches live.
- AI policy — assume disclosure is expected unless the editor says otherwise.
- Rights — you may be asked to assign more than you expect. Get the terms in writing.
- Experience — look at what kind of writer this publication normally publishes before you pitch; its guideline does not say.
Record last human-checked 2026-09-06. Sources listed at the foot of this page. Figures are compared only against other records based in the United Kingdom quoted the same way, so a per-word rate is never ranked against a flat fee.
Quick facts
- Payment
- Flat £50 per piece
- Word count
- Prose to 2,500 words; up to 3 poems totalling 100 lines
- Submission
- Submittable during an open window
- International writers
- Yes
- Status
- 🔴 Currently closed
- Last verified
- 2026-09
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.
- Research the publication and read several recent pieces.
- Choose a specific idea that fits their beat and audience.
- Write a concise subject line naming your idea.
- Introduce yourself in one or two lines (who you are, where you publish).
- Explain the proposed piece in a short paragraph — angle, structure, length.
- Say why it fits this publication.
- Include 2–3 relevant clips or links.
- Close professionally and thank them for their time.
- Send through the official channel only.
Not accepting submissions at the last check.
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.
Check, question or correct this record
BRYME publishes its working, not just its conclusions. Last human check: 2026-09.