7th-Circle Pyrite

A literary journal celebrating worlds beyond

"We have to do something with all this sulfur."

7th-Circle Pyrite is a celebration of all that transcends the physical or mundane. Spirituality and religion, paranormality, magic, horror, occultism, and the macabre all have a home here.

The 7th Circle of Hell as represented in Dante's Inferno is reserved for those who have committed acts of violence. In the world we live in—where violence runs rampant—sometimes we may feel Hell is already here. And if that's the case, let's take the dregs of life—sulfuric as they may be—and turn them into something more beautiful.

We are an inclusive publication. Diverse viewpoints are always welcome, and we do not discriminate based on race, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, spiritual ideology, health, physical appearance, or any other aspect of a person's identity.

We publish original poetry, short fiction, essays, and artwork. You are invited to submit your work! Click here to view our submission guidelines.

News & Updates

Issue 1 of 7th-Circle Pyrite has arrived!

November 18, 2023

We are excited to announce the publication of the inaugural issue of 7th-Circle Pyrite! Due to the overwhelmingly positive support of a wide range of talented contributors, we have been able to achieve this milestone for those who have been following our developments.

To view the content in Issue 1, click on the cover art in this announcement.

We are continuing to accept submissions of poetry, short fiction, essays, and visual art for upcoming issues slated for March 2024 and May 2024. Please see our submission guidelines for more details.

Issue 2 of 7th-Circle Pyrite is now live!

January 20, 2024

The second issue of 7th-Circle Pyrite has arrived! We are excited to begin 2024 by sharing an eclectic assortment of works created by our skilled and dedicated contributors.

To view the content in Issue 2, click on the cover art in this announcement.

We are continuing to accept submissions of poetry, essays, and visual art for upcoming issues slated for March 2024 and May 2024. Please see our submission guidelines for more details.

Additionally, be sure to check out 7th-Circle Pyrite's appearance in a recent installment of the New Lit on the Block series hosted by NewPages! Click here to view.

Issue 3 of 7th-Circle Pyrite and new Gorgon card added

March 16, 2024

The third issue of 7th-Circle Pyrite is now available! We want to extend our warm and sincere thanks to all of the contributors who have helped build this wonderful issue.

To view the content in Issue 3, click on the cover art in this announcement.

Also, take a moment to check out our new Gorgon card, which represents a category of submissions that supports fantasy and adventure. A big thanks to Nyx for her artistry!

We are continuing to accept submissions of poetry, essays, and visual art for upcoming issues slated for May 2024 and July 2024. Short fiction submissions will reopen on April 1, 2024. Please see our submission guidelines for more details.

Issue 4 of 7th-Circle Pyrite is now live!

May 18, 2024

The fourth issue of 7th-Circle Pyrite is now live! April 1st marked the date our short fiction submissions reopened and also the start of National Poetry Month in the US, so the submissions we received for this issue showcased a tremendous amount of talent from writers all over the world. We thank all of those whose work appears in this issue, as well as those who have continued to support our journal with their wonderfully creative submissions.

To view the content in Issue 4, click on the cover art in this announcement.

If you feel inclined, we also encourage you to read an editor interview with Keiraj M. Gillis, featured here on Duotrope.

We are continuing to accept submissions in all categories for upcoming issues slated for July 2024 and September 2024. Please see our submission guidelines for more details.

Issue 5 of 7th-Circle Pyrite is available now!

July 20, 2024

The fifth issue of 7th-Circle Pyrite is now available! We continue to assert that our contributors are the most important element of our operation, as without them, we would be unable to provide our readership with our favorite works from around the globe. We also are honored to be one of the first publication credits in many of our contributors' portfolio! It is a privilege to give a platform to the spirited works of writers at all stages of their respective careers.

To view the content in Issue 5, click on the cover art in this announcement.

We are continuing to accept submissions in all categories for upcoming issues slated for September 2024 and November 2024. Please see our submission guidelines for more details.

Issue 6 of 7th-Circle Pyrite and 2025 literary award nominations

September 21, 2024

The sixth issue of 7th-Circle Pyrite is here! We hope you enjoy the vibrant assortment of gems that is our latest curated collection. And for those who celebrate, we'd love for you to find a few pieces in this issue that complement the lead-up to Halloween!

To view the content in Issue 6, click on the cover art in this announcement.

We also want to take the opportunity to notify our readers and submitters that 7th-Circle Pyrite is a nominating publication for Best of the Net and the Pushcart Prize. These awards are designed to recognize exceptional contributions that have been published in smaller, independent literary publications and presses. Nominees submitted this fall have the potential of being awarded through publication in the Best of the Net and/or Pushcart Prize anthologies slated for 2025. We plan to share our nominations in the announcement for our next issue, but if your work is nominated, you will receive an email from us ahead of that announcement. To learn more about these awards, please follow the links above!

We are continuing to accept submissions of poetry, essays, and artwork for our November 2024 issue. Short fiction submissions are temporarily closed as of the date of this announcement, but will be reopening on December 21, 2024. Please see our submission guidelines for more details.

Issue 7 of 7th-Circle Pyrite and Best of the Net + Pushcart Prize nominees

November 16, 2024

The seventh issue of 7th-Circle Pyrite—our last issue of the 2024 calendar year—is available now! Our journal's first issue was published in November 2023, making this month's issue somewhat of an anniversary offering. We have had the pleasure of enjoying a year's worth of submissions from our talented readers, and for that, we are incredibly thankful. We have resolved to continue featuring the work of the vibrant literary community we're so honored to be a part of.

To view the content in Issue 7, click on the cover art in this announcement.

Additionally, as announced in September, we want to extend our congratulations to our Best of the Net and Pushcart Prize nominees! Those authors and their works are as follows:

Best of the Net Nominees (Short Fiction)

Isabella Frederick - Anthemusa
James C. Bassett - Regodless

Best of the Net Nominees (Poetry)

Evan Burkin - Polaroid in South Light
Heather Sager - In the name of the decayed leaf
Wallace Truesdale II - I Should've Been an Astronaut
Glen Armstrong - Philosopher's Stone
Ken Goodman - in the equipoise
Jaymee Thomas - The Silent Alchemy of Evening Light

Pushcart Prize Nominees (Short Fiction)

Isabella Frederick - Anthemusa
Ken Foxe - The Falling People
Dani Arieli - Across the Marsh

Another sincere congratulations to all of this year's nominees!

We are continuing to accept submissions of poetry, essays, and artwork for our February 2025 issue. Short fiction submissions are temporarily closed as of the date of this announcement, but will be reopening on December 21, 2024. Please see our submission guidelines for more details.

Issue 8 of 7th-Circle Pyrite and a (belated) Happy New Year!

February 15, 2025

The eighth issue of 7th-Circle Pyrite has arrived! But, more importantly, we want to wish all of our readers and contributors a Happy New Year. With the quick pace of the holiday season leaving many with their schedules filled, it was a heartening experience to see so many members of the writing community making time to share their work with us. We simply can't overstate our appreciation for your continued support as we move into 2025.

To view the content in Issue 8, click on the cover art in this announcement.

We are continuing to accept submissions in all categories for upcoming issues slated for April 2025 and June 2025. (Note that short fiction submissions may be subject to a brief pause during this time.) Please see our submission guidelines for more details.

Issue 9 of 7th-Circle Pyrite and opportunities for writers of longer-form works

April 19, 2025

The ninth issue of 7th-Circle Pyrite (and second issue of 2025) is available to read now! Issue 9 is a short-and-sweet release containing many of our favorite works submitted of late. We hope you enjoy these talented writers' creations!

To view the content in Issue 9, click on the cover art in this announcement.

Additionally, many have noted that our short fiction submissions have temporarily closed, with a reopening date slated for July 1, 2025. However, writers of longer-form works like short fiction, novellas, and full novels have many opportunities to create and share their work. A well-known event in the literary community is National Novel Writing Month (often abbreviated as "NaNoWriMo"), which is a month-long challenge held in November that tasks writers with completing a 50,000-word novel in 30 days. However, NaNoWriMo also hosts more open-ended challenges in April and July, supported via the Camp NaNoWriMo arm of their nonprofit. If you're looking for a good way to exercise your writing talents, check it out!

We are continuing to accept submissions of poetry, essays/creative nonfiction, and artwork for our June 2025 issue. Please see our submission guidelines for more details.

Issue 10 of 7th-Circle Pyrite
and a note on short fiction

June 21, 2025

The tenth issue of 7th-Circle Pyrite is now available to read! We extend our thanks to all of our Issue 10 contributors as well as the many thoughtful submitters whose work we had the privilege of reviewing. We always want to emphasize that, whether a work is selected for publication or not, the courage required to submit work at all is not lost on us.

To view the content in Issue 10, click on the cover art in this announcement.

Additionally, short fiction submissions will reopen on July 1st. Due to the volume of submissions we typically receive in this category, we want to share that there may be a slight delay in receiving a response for your short fiction submission, though we do try to get back to all of our submitters in a timely manner. If there will be a delay in responding to your work that exceeds our normal 30-day turnaround, we'll reach out to you to make you aware of it.

We are continuing to accept submissions for poetry, essays/creative nonfiction, and artwork for our upcoming August issue. Please see our submission guidelines for more details.

Issue 11 of 7th-Circle Pyrite
is available to read now!

August 16, 2025

The eleventh issue of 7th-Circle Pyrite is here! This issue is the first to follow our short fiction submissions reopening, so we want to offer a sincere thanks to all of our fiction writers who granted us the privilege of reading their work. We thoroughly enjoyed having the opportunity to explore the many "worlds beyond" conjured by such exceedingly vast artistries. And, of course, all poets, artists, and creative nonfiction writers deserve a thanks for so consistently sharing work that features depth and dimension.

To view the content in Issue 11, click on the cover art in this announcement.

We are continuing to accept submissions in all categories for our upcoming November issue. Please see our submission guidelines for more details.

Issue 12 of 7th-Circle Pyrite, 2025 Best of the Net nominees, and changes slated for 2026

November 15, 2025

The twelfth issue of 7th-Circle Pyrite is available to read now! This is a particularly special issue for us, as it marks the two-year anniversary of the journal. 7th-Circle Pyrite launched in October of 2023 and published its first issue just one month later, so we remain grateful to have such a dedicated readership inclusive of exceptional writers and artists willing to share their work with us.

To view the content in Issue 12, click on the cover art in this announcement.

We are continuing to accept submissions in all categories for our upcoming February 2026 issue. Please see our submission guidelines for more details.

Additionally, we have the pleasure of announcing this year's Best of the Net nominees! As many of you know, the Best of the Net Anthology invites smaller publishers and presses to present published work first appearing online for consideration of inclusion in their yearly anthology. Per the Best of the Net guidelines, our nominees were chosen among works published between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025. Check out the nominees' works by clicking their names below!

Poetry

Tyler King, "Virgo"
Gayeng Makinang, "Apastron (Cain and Abel)"
Larry Kilman, "Skywards"
Nicholas Alti, "Mythos Kinetics"
Sierra B. Jameson, "MY CAT GIVES ME TAROT READINGS"

Short Fiction

Dani Arieli, "Across the Marsh"
Ken Foxe, "The Falling People"

We want to extend our congratulations to each of these amazing writers!

As a final note, we'd like to make our readers and any potential submitters aware that, starting in 2026, 7th-Circle Pyrite will be published quarterly rather than bimonthly. This will reduce our yearly issue count from six to four, allowing us to dedicate more time to the thoughtful review of each submission.

Thank you again to our amazing readers and contributors, and we hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season!

Check out Issue 13 of
7th-Circle Pyrite now!

February 21, 2026

Issue 13 marks the first issue of 2026 for 7th-Circle Pyrite, extending our reach into the new year. As always, we are grateful for our fantastic contributors, readers, and dedicated authors and artists who graciously and courageously share their work. As a quick reminder, we are now on a quarterly publication schedule, so new issues will arrive every three months rather than our former bimonthly cadence.

To view the content in Issue 13, click on the cover art in this announcement.

We are continuing to accept submissions in all categories for our forthcoming May issue. Please see our submission guidelines for more details.

A Sincere Thank You & Farewell from 7th-Circle Pyrite

April 25, 2026

To our incredible authors, artists, and readers:

Though this announcement is a painful one to make, we must inform each of you that 7th-Circle Pyrite will be closing permanently. Issue 14, which was scheduled for a May 16th release, has unfortunately been cancelled. All published content on our site will remain accessible through August 15, 2026.

We launched 7th-Circle Pyrite in late 2023 and have enjoyed exploring each of the unique worlds presented to us by the immensely talented creators in the literary community. From haunted houses to castles, vampires to dragons, and hellfire to heaven, we have seen the passion our community has demonstrated for "worlds beyond." Every story, poem, essay, and art piece we have received has truly been a gift. Receiving those gifts from all parts of the world has been an experience like no other.

We are encouraged, however, when reflecting on the long and fruitful journeys each of you will continue to have as readers and contributors in this space. We want to extend our thanks to each of you for your support, kindness, and unparalleled creativity.

Be well, and may our paths cross again in this life or the next!

Keiraj M. Gillis

Editor-in-Chief

7th-Circle Pyrite