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The Best American Short Stories

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A project of HarperCollins Publishers (see other related projects).

About

18 members set this anthology as a Favorite.

The Best American Short Stories is the premier showcase for the country’s finest short fiction, featuring unforgettable stories by both renowned writers and exciting newcomers.

Important: Reprints only of work published in nationally-distributed American or Canadian publications in the previous calendar year.
Limited Demographic: Submissions are restricted to Americans and Canadians.
The editors may not respond to all submissions. After waiting a reasonable amount of time, assume your submission will not be accepted.

Country of Publication

United States

Publication Media & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic PublicationPublished 1 x per year.
Print Publication Print PublicationPublished 1 x per year.

Fiction Open
Rolling Submissions:

Next cutoff date is 31 December 2024* (approx. 188 days from now). 2

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:
General General
Lengths:
Short Story Short StoryNo specific word count limits known (our definition: 1000 to 7500 words).
Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

Unknown payment Unknown payment.

Submissions:

Methods: Email. Postal.
Reprints: Reprints are allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Unknown.
Multiple entries: Unknown.
Media: Text.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.
* We do not know the time and/or timezone, so we cannot be more precise. Submit early to avoid disappointment.

The Best American Short Stories Submission Statistics — Free Preview!

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.
AccuracyWe have received 2 reports from 2 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Pending2 responses are pending (217 min | 241.0 mean avg | 241.0 median | 265 max days waiting | 33.9 std dev) from 2 different members This only includes pending reports from users who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

The editors may not respond to all submissions. After waiting a reasonable amount of time, assume your submission will not be accepted.

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Dates

Last Updated: 14 Jun 2024
Last Audited: 01 Apr 2024. (We audit each active listing twice a year. Learn more at link.)
Date Added: 11 Oct 2017

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.