Gnome & Bone Magazine is a literary magazine that is “cultivating an ever-growing forest of fantasy and folklore.” They describe themselves as “Rooted in myth, magic, and the gothic imagination, we publish stories, poetry, and artwork online and in print.” They have published one electronic issue so far, which you can read here.
The masthead contains a pseudonym for the editor, but it does also contain some helpful information. The literary magazine as a whole has a thoughtfully playful element, and gnomes come up a lot. For example they are “based in Texas, among moss & manuscripts”.
They have an interesting feature of the magazine that I haven’t encountered before. For some of the stories that are published they share a poll at the end for readers. They call it the “Bone Ballot” which is focus on the meaning of the piece, and looking deeper into one of the questions the piece raises.
They are currently open to submissions for the second issue. The theme of the second issue is Vermilion Cinders. and this is what they have to say about the theme:
“we seek offerings shaped by the remnants of tragedy. What remains after the fire has passed? What survives, transforms, or rises from the ashes? How you interpret this theme is entirely your own.
As a glimpse of what may captivate us, we offer the following: gothic summer, dragons, fairies, heat-drunk magic, red skies, blood moons, phoenixes, scorched kingdoms, and transformation.”
They are open to fiction between 1,000–6,000 words. They say, “We welcome wide interpretations, provided the work meaningfully engages with the fantastical, the extraordinary, or the theme of the current issue.” For micro/flash fiction they are seeking work that is under 1,000 words that still contain a complete narrative and stress that “We especially love pieces that feel like fragments of folklore, myths, or strange tales passed between travelers.”
For poetry they ask for only one poem per submission, and they “encourage contributors to lean deeply into theme”. They are not accepting as much poetry during this reading period.
For nonfiction they want work to be 3,000 words or less and say “We welcome wide interpretations, provided the work meaningfully engages with the fantastical, the extraordinary, or the theme of the current issue.”
They are also open to art that embodies the spirit of the magazine.
Please follow their submission guidelines carefully before submitting and only submit if you feel like your work is the right fit for their magazine. All authors who submit must be 18 or older. They prefer submissions via Google form, and they also have an email address for submissions. If you are submitting by email the subject line should read Submission: Title of Your Piece—Last Name.
All submissions must be either in DOCX, DOC, or PDF in Modern Manuscript Format.
To learn more, go here. Submissions are open until 20th July.
Emily Harstone is the author of many popular books, including The Authors Publish Guide to Manuscript Submissions, Submit, Publish, Repeat, and The 2026 Guide to Manuscript Publishers. She regularly teaches three acclaimed courses on writing and publishing at The Writer’s Workshop at Authors Publish. You can follow her on Facebook here.
