Story Unlikely

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About

Whatever happened to the art of storytelling? It's become a lost relic, along with our identities. But here, we're revitalizing this once great craft. Don't worry, you're in good hands. After all, if laughter is medicine, then Story Unlikely is therapy for broken souls.

Important: Length limits for their paying members and nonmembers differ. Also, their members have a longer submission window. Please see their complete submission guidelines for details.

The editors may not respond to all submissions. After waiting 90 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

United States

Publication Media & Frequency

Electronic Publication Electronic Publication: Published 12 x per year
Print Publication Print Publication: Published 1 x per year

AI Policy

Human-created work only; no AI use allowed

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Statistics Synopsis

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

Learn more about our statistics

Collapse section Fiction Open

Dates:

Open to fiction submissions through 14 October 2026* (approx. 33 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

Open to all/most Genres, including:
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 - 15,000 words.

Styles:

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

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

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 $0.08/word for originals, up to a max. of $700; $0.01-0.02/word for reprints.

Submissions:

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

Collapse section Nonfiction Open

Dates:

Open to nonfiction submissions through 14 October 2026* (approx. 33 days from now).

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Narrative Nonfiction: Up to 15,000 words.

Styles:

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

Topics:

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

Payment:

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.

Recent cover image or website screenshot for Story Unlikely

Go to publication's website

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 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 Most Unresponsive Fiction Publishers in our database.

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Group by submission

Include outliers

Include related projects

Accuracy

We have received 76 reports from 59 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.

Days Reported

2 min | 110.2 mean avg | 97.0 median | 397 max days (143.3 std dev)

Responses

22.37 %

Acceptances:

2.63 % of submissions accepted (6.0 avg. days per acceptance) | 3.39 % of submitters accepted

Rejections:

19.74 % (66.2 avg. days per rejection) | 6.7 % personal, 53.3 % form, 40.0 % unspecified

Non-Responses

56.58 %

Lost/Returned:

Never Responded:

56.58 % (142.7 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded)

Withdrawals

21.05 % (56.4 avg. days per withdrawal)

Pending

55 responses are pending (1 min | 91.9 mean avg | 73.5 median | 412 max days waiting | 271.5 std dev) from 54 different members

Other Information

The editors will try to make a decision within 90 days. (60.5 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 90 days.)
The editors may not respond to all submissions. After waiting the time indicated above, assume your submission will not be accepted.
Most submissions are acknowledged on the same day.
Most recent response reported was received on 05 Aug 2026.
Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 17 Jul 2026.
Date compiled: 11 Sep 2026 17:48 UTC (6 hours, 18 minutes ago).

Work submitted here was also submitted to...

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Your Submissions

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Story Unlikely Short Story Contest

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.