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American Short Fiction

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About

1,305 members set this magazine as a Favorite.

American Short Fiction has published, and continues to seek short fiction by some of the finest writers working in contemporary literature, whether they are established, or new or lesser-known authors. There are no set guidelines as to content or length, but anyone wishing to send a story to American Short Fiction should first become familiar with the work previously published by the magazine. Our standards for acceptance are extremely high.

Fees Notice: This project charges fees (or requires purchases) for all submissions. The fee is USD $3.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States Established in 1991

Publication Media & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic PublicationUnknown publication frequency.
Print Publication Print PublicationPublished 3 x per year.

Fiction Temp Closed
Dates:

Will be open to submissions from 01 September 2025* (approx. 225 days from now) through 31 December 2025. 7

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:
General General
Lengths:
Flash Fiction Flash FictionNo specific word count limits known (our definition: up to 1000 words).
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:

Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Professional payment. Details: "Competitive" rates.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT 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.

American Short Fiction 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.
This project ranks among the Extremely Challenging Fiction Publishers in our database.
AccuracyWe have received 223 reports from 211 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported0 min | 195.4 mean avg | 205.0 median | 539 max days (407.0 std dev)
Responses85.65 %
Acceptances0.00 % No publication has a 0% acceptance rate. This data is based on submission reports sent to Duotrope, and we have not received reports of any acceptances yet.
Rejections85.65 % (184.8 avg. days per rejection) | 22.5 % personal, 54.5 % form, 23.0 % unspecified | 0.9 % shortlisted
Non-Responses14.35 %
Lost/Returned-
Never Responded2.24 % (331.2 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)
Withdrawals12.11 % (91.1 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending169 responses are pending (18 min | 85.4 mean avg | 88.0 median | 471 max days waiting | 272.1 std dev) from 168 different members This only includes pending reports from users who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

The editors will try to make a decision within 240 days. (33.6 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 240 days.)
Do not query on the status of your submission before 240 days have passed.
The most common submission fee paid: USD $3.00.
Submissions are acknowledged within 6 days on average.
Most recent response reported was received on 18 Jan 2025.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 12 Sep 2024.

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Your Submissions

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American Short(er) Fiction Contest Charges fees for all submissions
The Halifax Ranch Fiction Prize Charges fees for all submissions

Dates

Last Updated: 31 Dec 2024
Last Audited: 12 Nov 2024. (We audit each active listing twice a year. Learn more at link.)
Date Added: 11 Feb 2006

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.