Submissions are now OPEN for Seven Story Hotel: Issue Four (7SH4).

Seven Story Hotel is Subtle Body Press’s interview‑forward arts and literature zine — a hybrid, countercultural, esoteric, and outsider‑leaning journal that explores the strange edges of contemporary culture, art, and technology. Each issue blends interviews, essays, visual art, poetry, flash fiction, and experimental prose into a curated, interdisciplinary collision.

If you’re new to 7SH, we strongly recommend reading the most recent issue to understand the journal’s tone, scope, and appetite. But in short: We seek disruptions, heresies, and beautifully articulated departures from conventional wisdom.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR (in order of need):

1. Topical, timely, and journalistic nonfiction

Critical essays, cultural analysis, reportage, sociological commentary, philosophical investigations, media criticism, and deep‑dive explorations of niche or emerging phenomena. Examples (not limitations):

• technology as modern magick

• the religiosity of UFO culture

• Jungian readings of internet subcultures

• political treatises (anti‑, pro‑, or ambivalent)

• exposés, investigations, or cultural autopsies

• speculative nonfiction on AI, transhumanism, or digital mythologies

2. Visual art

Full‑color or black‑and‑white photography, illustration, collage, comics, mixed‑media, and other visual forms.

3. Poetry, flash fiction, and experimental prose

We do publish these, but nonfiction and interviews make up the bulk of each issue. Fiction submissions are welcome, but acceptance rates are significantly higher for nonfiction.

4. Audio, video, hypertext, and multimedia work

7SH welcomes experimental digital forms — audio essays, short video pieces, browser‑based work, hypertext, mixed‑media, and other hybrid modes. Because these formats vary widely, please query first so we can arrange a private way to view or experience the work without it being publicly posted.

THEME:

Each issue of 7SH (except Issue Zero) has been loosely aligned with one of the seven chakras. Issue Four works — subconsciously — with Anahata, the fourth chakra (green), and its correspondences with Netzach.

Think of this less as a directive and more as an atmospheric undercurrent: tension and release, rupture and reconciliation, the heart as a site of conflict, devotion, contradiction, and will.

If your work doesn’t consciously align with this symbolic framework, submit it anyway. The theme is a lens, not a gate.

WORD COUNT:

For written work, we are seeking pieces 5,000 words or fewer, with a strong preference for 1,350–2,700 words. The further a submission strays from that sweet spot, the less likely it is to be accepted.

RIGHTS & COMPENSATION (THE WRITTEN WORD):

• $45 flat fee per accepted piece

• One contributor copy (U.S. residents only)

  • For contributors within the domestic United States, we will mail one physical contributor copy.

  • For contributors outside the United States, we will add the MSRP of the issue to your payment in lieu of shipping a physical copy.

• Subtle Body Press acquires First Worldwide Rights for print, e‑book/digital, and audiobook.

• Work must not have been previously published or made publicly available in any medium, including online.

RIGHTS & COMPENSATION (VISUAL, INTERACTIVE, AUDIO):

• $45 flat fee per accepted piece

• One contributor copy (U.S. residents only)

  • For contributors within the domestic United States, we will mail one physical contributor copy.

  • For contributors outside the United States, we will add the MSRP of the issue to your payment in lieu of shipping a physical copy.

• We acquire First Worldwide Rights for use in print, e‑book/digital, and audiobook formats.

• Previously released work will be considered only if your licensing agreements are nonexclusive and do not conflict with our usage.

SUBMISSION:

• Written Work

Send as a DOCX file to: sevenstoryhotel (at) subtlebodypress (dot) com

Please use this subject‑line format: 7SH SUB — [TITLE] — [YOUR NAME]

Shunn format is required (12‑point, double‑spaced, Times New Roman or Courier), unless your piece relies on visual or typographic eccentricities. In that case, submit it in the format that best preserves your intent. Submissions that do not adhere to Shunn (when applicable) will not be read.

• Visual Work

Send common preview formats (JPG, PNG, GIF) for evaluation. If accepted, we will request high‑resolution, print‑ready files.

Please use this subject‑line format: 7SH ART — [YOUR NAME]

• Audio, Video, Hypertext, and Multimedia Work

7SH welcomes experimental digital forms — audio essays, short video pieces, hypertext, browser‑based work, mixed‑media, and other hybrid modes.

Because these formats vary widely, please query first so we can arrange a private way to view or experience the work without it being publicly posted.

Use this subject‑line format when querying: 7SH CYBER — [YOUR NAME]

In your query, briefly describe:

• the format (audio, video, hypertext, interactive, etc.)

• the approximate length or scope

• the best way to privately access it (link, file, temporary password, etc.)

We will work with you to determine the best method for review.

• Simultaneous Submissions

Allowed — but notify us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.

WHAT TO INCLUDE (AND NOT INCLUDE):

• Let the work speak for itself.

You do not need to pitch, summarize, or justify your piece. A one‑sentence orienting note is fine if the form is unusual, but the work should stand on its own.

• Context is optional, not required.

If your piece engages with niche subcultures, esoteric frameworks, or specialized terminology, you may include a brief contextual note — but only if it helps us understand how to approach the work. This is not a synopsis.

• No trigger warnings or content notes.

Our editor prefers to encounter the work unmediated and spoiler‑free.

• For visual submissions:

A short note about medium, process, or intended presentation is welcome but not required. Preview files are fine; we will request high‑resolution assets upon acceptance.

• Please include the essentials:

  • Your name

  • A short bio

  • Social‑media links and/or your website

  • The title of your piece

  • The word count (for written work)

NOTIFICATION:

We are a small team, and our editor reads everything. There are no slush readers. We do not offer feedback or send rejection emails.

• If your work is accepted, you will be notified by email.

• If we begin announcing contributors and you have not heard from us, your work was not accepted for this issue.

• Unaccepted work remains in our queue for future consideration unless you withdraw it.

If your work is not accepted, please don’t take it as a reflection on your craft. Submissions are a gauntlet of subjectivity and timing — and you may have exactly what we’re looking for next time.