Frequently Asked Questions
Faun by Moonlight is a literary magazine that publishes literary fiction.
You can buy our Volumes directly from our store at faunbymoonlight.store. With your purchase, you will receive a high-quality PDF and a high-quality EPUB, DRM-free, subscription-free and ready to read anywhere.
No. At this stage we are a digital only magazine, although we are planning on moving onto print eventually.
We look for stories that feature complex characters, trust the intelligence of their readers, and defy easy categorization. Unmarketable is our specialty.
Literary fiction is a genre that prioritizes depth and complexity through character-driven narratives, over any particular thematic focus. It has no defined format, storytelling device, or pre-determined "must-haves". However, this frees your work from specific genre constraints, not the need for a story. We're looking for works that tell a meaningful story; how you wish you tell that story is up to you.
Our publication's focus is on literary fiction. Your story can contain elements of other genres, but these should only complement, not define it.
Yes. We are interested in challenging works instead of purely speculative pieces. They don't need to be necessarily academic, but must be rigorous in their explorations of the topics they mention. We are particularly interested in politically charged works, and those that may ruffle a few feathers. Although we are generally anti-capitalist and left-leaning in ideology, we are happy to receive works from both sides of the aisle.
Yes. You are free to submit your work without representation.
Yes, we pay writers for accepted work. We pay $20 for pieces under 5,000 words and $50 for pieces 5,000 words and above. While we are aware this is a token amount, it helps writers become credentialed in the paying market, which is valuable for their writing careers and future submissions to higher-paying publications. Still, we aim to increase these payment rates as our publication grows.
We accept submissions year-round. There are no reading periods.
Fee-supported submissions receive responses within two weeks and include detailed, personalized feedback.
For free submissions, we are working through our current backlog but cannot guarantee a specific timeline at this time.
We publish monthly digital Volumes featuring 2-3 short stories through our dedicated store. Our first issue is scheduled for release on November 1st, 2025.
We have implemented a $5 submission fee. This helps us maintain quality review time for each submission and supports our ongoing operations.
All fee-supported submissions receive priority consideration and detailed, personalized feedback on your work—whether your piece is accepted or not. This feedback is crafted to help you understand our editorial perspective and strengthen your writing for future submissions.
Yes, we accept simultaneous submissions. We only ask that if your story is accepted elsewhere, please notify us immediately by email so we can withdraw it from consideration.
We acquire first serial rights only. This means we have the right to publish your story for the first time in our magazine. After publication, we retain non-exclusive archival rights to keep your story accessible in our digital archives and back Volumes. All other rights remain with you, and you're free to republish your work elsewhere after our exclusive period ends.
We request a three-month exclusive period following publication. During this time, your story cannot be republished elsewhere. After three months, you may submit or republish your work anywhere while we maintain our non-exclusive archival rights.