Your Cabin Questions, Answered
FAQ for The Alchemist's Cabin
Hello, Wanderers—You’ve found your way to the Cabin’s door, and I’m so glad you did.
I’ve received a few questions lately about what we’re building here, so let’s gather ‘round the firelight and answer them all in one place. 🕯️ If you have any more, feel free to leave them in the comments below and I will update as we go!
Submission Questions
When will submissions open?
Submission portals will be opening end of January, early February!
Our bi-weekly publishing will begin January 13th!
Can I submit more than once?
We ask that you submit one piece at a time—two if you absolutely can’t decide. Once you have received an email letting you know if you have been accepted or not, you can submit again.
Do I own my own work?
Yes! The Alchemist’s Cabin is home for stories, but they belong to the author. When you publish your piece with The Alchemist’s Cabin, you’re granting us First Serial Rights—which simply means:
You’re allowing us to be the first to publish your work, either online or in print, aside from your personal blog or Substack, and allow us to keep the piece on our archive once it is published.
After we’ve published it, you can republish the piece elsewhere later (in a book, anthology, etc.)
We just ask that you note that The Alchemist’s Cabin was it’s first home. For example: “This piece first appeared in The Alchemist’s Cabin (2025).”
We don’t claim ownership, copyright, or exclusivity beyond being the first home your work appears in. Think of it as a soft handshake agreement—you keep your rights, and we just ask for the honour of debuting your piece.
What are you looking for?
Forest’s Edge Fiction
Short fiction (up to 3500 words)
Flash fiction (up to three piece)
Porch Light Poetry
Up to three pieces
Wandering Works
Wandering Works is our most open-ended category. We’ve already received incredible pieces—songs, visual art, and even floral arrangements—and we plan to keep this space wide open for visual arts, experimental work, and fictional pieces that wander outside the usual forms.
What do you mean by “unfinished stories”?
We use this both literally, and metaphorically. This could be unpolished/finished works, first chapters of a work in progress, or something you love but are still looking for feedback on. It doesn’t have to be polished and perfect to matter here.
“Unfinished stories” also means people still becoming—writers healing, creating, learning, and experimenting. People, like our founder, who thought their story was going to end and decided it didn’t have to. It’s a place for those whose voices are still finding shape; whose stories are still being written, in life and on the page.
What is the theme?
We have no one theme.
We’re looking for captivating, original work that feels adventurous in spirit—stories that explore new ideas, perspectives, or emotional terrain. Work that takes creative risks, pulls the reader into unfamiliar territory, and leaves a lasting impression.
Are there any submission guidelines?
We will be accepting all forms of written work! We have a rough word limit of ~3500 words, but thats more a guideline. We aren’t strict on it, just didn’t want to receive full manuscripts from people since we are a 1.5 person team!
We also accept up to three poems/short pieces per submission, and ask you clearly mark where each new poem starts.
Are there any formatting guidelines?
Please submit a pdf that is easily readable. 1.5-2.0 spacing is preferred, however we aren’t too picky. Just know any formatting/font choices may need to be adjusted to fit Substack’s editor.
Can I use a pen name?
Yes! We have a section on the submission sheet that allows you to use a pen name to be published under. We do need your information for payment purposes, but if you want to publish with a pen name only the name you choose will be made public.
Payment Questions
What are you paying authors?
Currently, we are paying authors $10CAD.
We are reader-supported, and what we pay our authors is dependent on reader subscriptions and donations. Once we have an idea of what we can offer we will update our page, in Canadian dollars. All accepted authors will be told ahead of time what we are currently paying, and are able to change their mind at any time prior to publication.
How are you paying authors?
We pay authors through PayPal.
If you’ve ever needed a place to lay your words down, this is it. The tea is hot, the lights are low, and the door is open.
Thank you for being here 🖤
Consider subscribing, or making a donation to help us get started!
so pumped to support a canadian page!! Hoping to submit something at some point, admittedly I am still gathering the courage to publish my drafts (I’m new to Substack and the writing world)
Are you looking for strictly stories? I'm beginning to write insights on my experiences as an educator, and i’d love to write a specific peace for you all if you’ll take it!