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Philadelphia Stories

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About

Philadelphia Stories Magazine strives to publish the finest fiction, poetry, essays and art written by authors living in, or originally from, Pennsylvania, Delaware, or New Jersey.

Limited Demographic: Submissions are restricted to people with a connection to Pennsylvania, Delaware, or New Jersey.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States
Established in 2004

Publication Media & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication
Published 4 x per year
Print Publication Print Publication
Published 4 x per year

AI Policy

Human-created work only; no AI use allowed

Statistics Synopsis

Slower
Philadelphia Stories's overall average response time is slower than most magazines.
More Approachable
Philadelphia Stories's overall acceptance rate is higher than most magazines.
More Responsive
Philadelphia Stories's overall rate of non-response is lower than most magazines.

Collapse section Fiction Temp Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: People in a specific region.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Short Story: 1,000 - 5,000 words.
Novel Excerpt: Up to 5,000 words.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Place/Regions: Specific region.
Other: May vary.

Payment:

Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Pay ranges from Semi-pro payment to Professional payment. Details: USD $50.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Nonfiction Temp Closed

We’re looking for pieces that focus on positive Philadelphia experiences, but will consider any well-written essay on any subject. In particular, essays should convey real emotional honesty and or humor.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: People in a specific region.

Lengths:

Essay: Up to 2,500 words.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Place/Regions: Specific region.
Other: May vary.

Payment:

Semi-pro payment (1-4.9 US cents per word) to Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Pay ranges from Semi-pro payment to Professional payment. Details: USD $50.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Poetry Temp Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: People in a specific region.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: Up to 36 lines; Up to 3 pieces.

Poetry Forms:

Open to all/most Forms.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Place/Regions: Specific region.
Other: May vary.

Payment:

Professional payment (US$50 or more per poem) Professional payment. Details: USD $50.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Collapse section Visual Art Temp Closed

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience, including: People in a specific region.

Lengths:

Artwork: Up to 5 pieces.

Art Media:

Open to all/most Art Media.

Art Styles:

Open to all/most Art Styles.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics including...
Place/Regions: Specific region.
Other: May vary.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Method: Submittable submission manager.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Image.

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

Philadelphia 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.

Filter:
Accuracy
We have received 23 reports from 22 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Days Reported
30 min | 96.1 mean avg | 96.0 median | 211 max days (47.8 std dev)
Responses
95.65 %
Acceptances:
13.04 % of submissions accepted (93.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 13.64 % 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:
82.61 % (104.8 avg. days per rejection) | 10.5 % personal, 68.4 % form, 21.1 % unspecified
Non-Responses
0.00 %
Lost/Returned:
-
Never Responded:
-
Withdrawals
4.35 % (44.0 avg. days per withdrawal)
Pending
11 responses are pending (13 min | 36.3 mean avg | 26.0 median | 106 max days waiting | 857.3 std dev) from 11 different members This only includes pending reports from people who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

Most submissions are acknowledged on the same day.
Most recent response reported was received on 14 May 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 13 Jan 2026.
Date compiled: 15 Sep 2026 06:30 UTC (2 hours, 47 minutes ago).

Work submitted here was also submitted to...

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Your Submissions

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Philadelphia Stories Fiction Contest  Charges fees for all submissions
The Philadelphia Stories National Prize for Poetry BELIEVED DEFUNCT  Charges fees for all submissions

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: 05 Sep 2026

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

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