Story Unlikely Short Story Contest

About

Attention storytellers: we just want good stories! There are no restrictions on genre: fantasy, sci fi, memoir, fiction/nonfiction, etc - we don't care as long as it's written and told with quality and care.

No Fees! This contest does not charge mandatory fees.

Important: Stories will be published in the following calendar year between June and December. Members have a longer submission window.

Want more insight into the affiliated editors' preferences? Read our interview with the editor(s) of Story Unlikely.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 2021

Publication Media & Contest Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Awarded 1 x per year
Print Publication Print Publication: Awarded 1 x per year

AI Policy

Human-created work only; no AI use allowed

70 members set this contest as a Favorite.

Statistics Synopsis

Slower: Story Unlikely Short Story Contest's overall average response time is slower than most contests.
More Challenging: Story Unlikely Short Story Contest's overall acceptance rate is lower than most contests.
Less Responsive: Story Unlikely Short Story Contest's overall rate of non-response is higher than most contests.

Learn more about our statistics

Collapse section Fiction Temp Closed

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 01 November 2026 12:00 AM CDT (in 50 days) through 14 January 2027.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General Open to all/most Subgenres
Action-Adventure Open to all/most Subgenres
Fantasy Open to all/most Subgenres
Horror Open to all/most Subgenres
Mystery/Crime Open to all/most Subgenres
Romance Open to all/most Subgenres
Science Fiction Open to all/most Subgenres
Suspense/Thriller Open to all/most Subgenres
Western Open to all/most Subgenres

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Up to 1,000 words.
Short Story: 1,000 - 7,500 words.
Novelette: 7,500 - 10,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Mainstream.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Winner's Prize:

Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Professional payment. Details: USD $2,500 for first place.

Submissions:

Method: Email.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are NOT allowed.
Multiple entries: Multiple entries are NOT allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Nonfiction Temp Closed

Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 01 November 2026 12:00 AM CDT (in 50 days) through 14 January 2027.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Narrative Nonfiction: Up to 10,000 words.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Mainstream, Personal.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Memoir.

Winner's Prize:

Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Professional payment. Details: USD $2,500 for first place.

Submissions:

Method: Email.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are NOT allowed.
Multiple entries: Multiple entries are NOT allowed.
Media: Text.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

Recent cover image or website screenshot for Story Unlikely Short Story Contest

Go to contest webpage

Report:
Submission/Response
Correction/Update
New Cover Art

Social Platforms:
None known

Support this Publisher:
Become a Member
Donate on PayPal

For the Editor(s):
Request Interview
Duosuma Submission Manager
Link to Duotrope

Story Unlikely Short Story Contest Submission Statistics

The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the publication's editors/staff or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics.

Filter:

Group by submission

Accuracy

We have received 15 reports from 14 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Days Reported

58 min | 203.0 mean avg | 174.0 median | 514 max days (120.9 std dev)

Responses

73.33 %

Acceptances:

0.00 %

Rejections:

73.33 % (155.9 avg. days per rejection) | 0.0 % personal, 72.7 % form, 27.3 % unspecified

Non-Responses

20.00 %

Lost/Returned:

Never Responded:

20.00 % (414.7 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)

Withdrawals

6.67 % (313.0 avg. days per withdrawal)

Pending

5 responses are pending (250 min | 294.0 mean avg | 300.0 median | 323 max days waiting | 27.4 std dev) from 5 different members

Other Information

Most submissions are acknowledged on the same day.
Most recent response reported was received on 02 Jun 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 30 Jan 2026.
Date compiled: 11 Sep 2026 17:48 UTC (5 hours, 57 minutes ago).

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Before Submitting

We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is correct. It is not unusual for publications to evolve or close without notice. We do our best to keep up, but it isn't always possible. Duotrope listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation of the project being listed. Before submitting, you should use your own judgment to determine whether the project meets your standards.

Always read the full guidelines provided by the publisher.
Try to read at least one previous publication to get a better idea of what the editor would like to see.
Unless the publisher's guidelines state otherwise, always use industry standard manuscript formatting.
Be professional, patient, and persistent.

Dates

Last Updated: 01 Sep 2026

We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year.