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50-Word Stories

About

What is a 50-Word Story? A 50-word story is a piece of fiction written in exactly 50 words. That doesn’t mean “roughly” 50 words; it doesn’t mean “as close to 50 words as possible”; it doesn’t mean 50 words or fewer. It means exactly 50 words.

As with any other form of fiction, a 50-word story should have a beginning and an end, a plot and character development (even if they are only implied), and a theme, meaning, or purpose of some sort. Many 50-word stories are built around twists or climactic moments.

Important: Submit only once a month.
The editors may not respond to all submissions. After waiting 30 days, assume your submission will not be accepted.
Want more insight into the editors' preferences? Read our interview with the editor(s).

Country of Publication & Year Established

Canada
Established in 2009

Publication Medium & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication
Published 260 x per year

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

Statistics Synopsis

Faster
50-Word Stories's overall average response time is faster than most magazines.
More Approachable
50-Word Stories's overall acceptance rate is higher than most magazines.
Less Responsive
50-Word Stories's overall rate of non-response is higher than most magazines.

Fiction Open

Dates:

Open to fiction submissions through 15 September 2026* (approx. 12 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

Open to all/most Genres, including:
General

Lengths:

Flash Fiction: Exactly 50 words.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Pays occasionally, up to Professional payment. Details: One story published each month is selected to receive CAD $50.

Submissions:

Methods: Email. Online form.
Reprints: Reprints are allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
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.

50-Word Stories 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.

This project ranks among the 25 Most Approachable Fiction Publishers in our database.
This project ranks among the Most Unresponsive Fiction Publishers in our database.
Filter:
Accuracy
We have received 50 reports from 30 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported
0 min | 29.9 mean avg | 30.0 median | 335 max days (141.8 std dev)
Responses
50.00 %
Acceptances:
34.00 % of submissions accepted (10.8 avg. days per acceptance) | 46.67 % of submitters accepted Rejections are often underreported, which skews the statistics in favor of acceptances. Most publishers have a lower acceptance rate than indicated here.
Rejections:
16.00 % (18.0 avg. days per rejection) | 0.0 % personal, 62.5 % form, 37.5 % unspecified
Non-Responses
44.00 %
Lost/Returned:
-
Never Responded:
44.00 % (43.1 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)
Withdrawals
6.00 % (157.7 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending
9 responses are pending (1 min | 45.9 mean avg | 25.5 median | 114 max days waiting | 698.3 std dev) from 9 different members This only includes pending reports from people who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

The editors will try to make a decision within 30 days. (42.0 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 30 days.)
The editors may not respond to all submissions. After waiting the time indicated above, assume your submission will not be accepted.
Most recent response reported was received on 17 Aug 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 06 Aug 2026.
Date compiled: 03 Sep 2026 02:04 UTC (5 hours ago).
View report of recent responses from this project

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Your Submissions

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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: 31 Aug 2026

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

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