Sanctuary for Writers
A reading platform that works for you.
Build readership, talk to readers, and host your portfolio — for free. Writing should be the hard part.
Publish for free. Own your stories.
Join the short story renaissance.
Sanctuary is built for writers — especially new ones. We’re bringing great stories to willing readers, with the heart of a literary magazine and the discovery of Spotify.
Choose your path:
Portfolio
Instant, no review
For writers who want a beautiful place to publish. Your stories are available instantly on your profile, but won’t be suggested to new Sanctuary readers.
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Anyone who lands on your profile can read your stories. Your profile becomes a living portfolio of your work, available for friends, family, readers or followers.
It won’t be featured on the Edition or Browse page for other readers - unless you decide to submit it later!
Or
Featured
48-hour turnaround
For writers who want to build an audience. Your story is available instantly on your profile, but will be reviewed before being recommended to readers.
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Approved submissions are visible to users across Sanctuary, as well as eligible for the daily ‘Edition’.
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If you choose, your story will be turned into a high-quality audio narration for listeners. If you’d like to opt out, your story will be available to read.
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Learn who reads your story, and where they are most engaged. Get reviews, talk to readers, and share your writing.
Why do we review featured stories?
Although open platforms appear welcoming, they often bury real stories under the noise.
We review stories to keep quality high. If readers trust that every story - like yours - is engaging and authentic, your work is more likely to be seen by the right people.
It may seem intimidating, but we think that this is the best way to foreground great stories.
Writer-specific FAQs:
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Publishing on Sanctuary is completely free — remember, we’re just trying to make sure every story is engaging.
Stories are not currently monetised, but we have plans to reward writers in the future.
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No! If you publish a story without submitting it, anyone who lands on your profile — friends, family, existing followers, or your readers — will be able to read your story; it just won’t be recommended to new readers on Sanctuary.
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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 story.
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We aim to respond within 48 hours, but it may sometimes take longer — please reach out if you have any questions or concerns. After your story has been approved, it goes live on Sanctuary without additional reviews.
Tips for a Successful Submission
Submission GuideIf you decide to share your story, read these tips carefully.
To submit a story, download the Sanctuary app and hit the ‘+’ button in the library. On the final step of publication, select ‘submit for review’. That’s it!
Make sure your title is distinctive, readable, and intriguing.
TitleA beautiful cover is one of the most important aspects of a Sanctuary story. If your cover is relevant, original, and properly formatted, it is more likely to pick up readers.
CoverBlurbs are an art. Keep it concise, but draw the reader in as much as you can.
BlurbWe recommend selecting 3 genres — try to select the genres your story most aligns with.
GenresThat’s it! If you’ve opted to submit your story, we will read it and get back to you as soon as possible.
SubmitSounds scary? Don’t worry - here are answers to more common questions:
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Whilst we require all featured stories to have audio options, It is entirely your choice to opt out. In the publishing step, you will find an option to opt out of in-app narration This won’t penalise your story - it’s totally fine. Read our Content Guidelines for more information.
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You’re welcome to share anything that you’ve created - no specific genres or themes are required.
We do ask that you review the content guidelines before posting. Literature can delve into difficult topics, but some content is prohibited for safety.
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It’s up for interpretation, but Sanctuary has a limit of 25,000 characters. If your story is longer, you’re welcome to publish it in several parts.
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Absolutely. Publishing on Sanctuary does not, and will never, affect the ownership of your stories. Your stories are yours to create, share and enjoy - we’re here to help you do that.
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Interacting with challenging topics is a central part of literature. When treated sensitively, there is absolutely space for dealing with sensitive content on Sanctuary.
However, some content is expressly prohibited. Please review our content guidelines and Terms of Service for further guidance.
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We would encourage you to exercise your own creativity. That being said, we understand that certain measures may circumvent detection tools. In a changing world, important discussions about ownership are still playing out.
For now, therefore, if you are going to publish a story assisted by A.I., you are required to select ‘mark as A.I. Generated’ upon publishing. Once again, we would like to emphasise that your story will always be more authentic when you’re the one telling it.
Under no circumstances is it permissible to publish copyrighted material without written permission from the lawful owner. Copyright infringements will be quickly detected and swift action will be taken. If you believe your copyright has been infringed on Sanctuary, please email copyright@sanctuarystories.co.uk with details.
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When we look at stories, we select for craft and style, not genre or editorial taste. Our goal is to deliver the engaging stories that readers expect from Sanctuary.
There is no cap on the number of stories we approve. If you’re hesitant, we really encourage you to apply.