Where great stories live.

Join the Waitlist

Once you’re in, you’re in.

To publish on Sanctuary, we invite new writers to submit a short writing sample.

Don’t worry — we’re actively looking for undiscovered talent.

❋ Quick and Low-Stakes

We aim to approve writers within 7 days, but our average response time is under 48 hours.

Once you’re in, you’re in — approved writers can publish stories freely. We’re not looking to editorialise, and this step is designed to uphold quality, not our personal taste.

❋ 100% Human Readers

We let your writing speak for itself. Prior experience or publication is totally unnecessary. Whether you’re experimenting with your first story or on your third novel, we’ll treat your writing with the care that it deserves,

❋ Build readership & share your portfolio

Join a community of verified readers and writers, build an audience, and get eyes on your stories.

Writing Sample - Form

Why do we ask for a writing sample?

Although open platforms appear welcoming, they often result in the opposite effect — great stories become buried under the noise.

We verify writers to keep quality high, which benefits both readers and writers. If readers trust that every story - like yours - is engaging and authentic, your work is more likely to be seen by the right readers.

It may seem intimidating, but we think that this is the best way to foreground great stories.

Sounds scary? Don’t worry - here are answers to some common questions:

  • We approve a high proportion of writers — we’re not looking to editorialise, just to deliver the engaging stories that readers expect from Sanctuary.

  • That’s great! We started Sanctuary to give platform to people who love writing, and that applies especially to people who have never written or published before. Please don’t hesitate to submit your sample — at the very least, you’ll received some real feedback on your story!

  • Absolutely not. Think of it like joining a verified community of writers — you’re welcome to publish as much or as little as you like.

  • All you have to do is download the Sanctuary app! It is completely free, and you’re welcome to apply as a writer at any point.

  • We aim to respond within 48 hours, but it may sometimes take longer — please reach out if you have any questions or concerns. After you have been approved, you can publish freely on Sanctuary without additional reviews.

  • No - just good writing. Stories can be of any genre, style, setting or length <5k words. Our editors are not looking for what they like, but for a baseline level of quality.

    If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

  • Getting approved on Sanctuary is completely free — remember, we’re only trying to make sure every story is engaging.

    Currently, stories are not monetised, but we have plans to reward writers in the future.

Submission Guide

Become a Sanctuary writer

Start sharing your stories with readers today.

Full Name

Please use your full name.

Publication History

This will only be used for our internal data - we want to elevate writers regardless of publication history.

Email

Enter the email that you wish to be associated with your Sanctuary account. If you already have one, please use the same email.

Writing Sample

A brief sample of your writing, in any format that you like. It can be a complete story, an extract, or anything else you’d like to share.

Submit

That’s it! A member of our team will read your sample and get back to you as soon as possible.

  • “Your intuition knows what to write, so get out of the way.”

    Ray Bradbury

  • “I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle with human emotions.”

    James Michener

  • "I wrote my first novel because I wanted to read it."

    Toni Morrison

  • “Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them in order that the reader may see what they are made of.”

    Kurt Vonnegut