Submissions

Dream Catcher receives a vast range of submissions from well known and unknown writers. We’re interested in quality and diversity. We welcome poetry, short-stories, artwork, interviews and reviews. The poetry can be on any theme, it can be long or short, as well as translations. Short stories of around 2000 words or less will have a better chance for publication. We aim to build on the solid foundations ofthis long standing and respected magazine and to encourage a diverse range of writers and artists without losing the friendly, eclectic nature of the publication.

Of course the best way to discover what we like to publish is to read our magazine. There are extracts from recent issues elsewhere on this site but if you’d like to help Dream Catcher secure its place on the literary landscape why not become a subscriber? Just click here.

Dream Catcher is now accepting submissions for issues number 41 and 42 which will be published in 2020/21. The editorial committee will respond as soon as practicable.

Include with your hard copy submissions:
A list of submitted items and and PLEASE ensure that 
Your Name, Your Address, and Your email is included on each poem.
The email will be used to notify you of the progress of your submission and where applicable a request for a soft copy of your accepted item. Please take the time to read the article Know thy word processor on the Stairwell Books web page. Though tongue in cheek, it draws attention to ways you can ensure the layout of your poem on the page or simplify the process of getting your short story ready for publication.

A biography is not required.

An SAE is NOT required unless you require the return of the originals or if you do not have access to email.

How to submit

Please send your submissions and reviews by mail to:  

Dream Catcher Submissions Coordinator
Stairwell Books
161 Lowther Street
York, YO31 7LZ


Books for review should be sent to the reviews editor with the envelope clearly marked.
Dream Catcher Reviews Editor
Stairwell Books
161 Lowther Street
York, YO31 7LZ
Reviewers please note the review guidelines.
Electronic Submission
To facilitate submissions by overseas contributorssubmissions may be sent by email. The guidelines are fairly strict as softcopy material is harder to manage.Please adhere to the guidelines listed to the right as it makes the editor’s job managing the large number of contributions that we receive much easier. The email you should use is:
dreamcatchersubmissions@gmail.com
For the time being electronic submissions will not be accepted.
Guidelines for electronic submission:
1.    Please send no more than four pieces of work at any one time
2.    Please send work in the body of an email and not as an attachment
3.    Please include a brief cover letter with the titles of your pieces, your name, address and the email address you’d like to be contacted through
4.    Please put SUBMISSION in the subject line 
5.    Please wait to be notified of the result of your submission before sending more work .

Selection Process

The Dream Catcher editorial policy is to be eclectic. For each issue we select a broad range of styles and subject matter as well as introducing something new and different. We cannot publish every brilliant poem or story we receive, if we did, the magazine would be 500 pages long and be prohibitively expensive. The editorial committee will preselect interesting and intriguing items from which the editor will make a final choice.

We will endeavour to keep you informed of which pieces are shortlisted for final selection.

Contributor’s Copies

Contributors are entitled to purchase up to two copies of the Issue of the Dream Catcher in which they are published at the special price of £3.00 which includes postage. European International contributors will be asked to contribute to postage. We do not police this offer and will honour multiple sales at this price but we do ask that third and subsequent copies are purchased at the full price. Contributors will be sent details of how to do this about a month before publication.

Review Guidelines

Your review must include the following information:

  • Book Title
  • Author(s) name
  • ISBN
  • Number of pages
  • Publisher and year of publication
  • Your Review

Whilst your review should be your honest opinion of the book and its literary merits we will probably not publish a coruscating review even if the book deserves it. We are interested in covering books our readers would be interested in and your thoughts on their relative merits. Do not be afraid to criticise but please draw attention to the book’s merits too.