One Story See other projects related to this listing. We list other projects with similar titles. Please check that you report any submissions under the correct listing. About One Story began in 2001. Hannah Tinti and Maribeth Batcha saw short stories disappearing from high-profile print publications and smaller literary magazines folding. They knew that with fewer venues for short fiction, emerging writers would have a hard time getting noticed, and short stories could fall by the literary wayside.Batcha had the innovative idea of mailing one short story at a time to subscribers, like a letter from a friend. Tinti signed on as editor. One Story launched in 2002.To keep the doors of One Story open to all, the co-founders set a policy that they would only publish an author one time. Since then, One Story has published over 300 stories by 300 different writers in an unfussy 5 x 7 chapbook format. While a copy of One Story might get wrinkled, dog-eared, and passed along, the story itself stays with the reader. Submission Caps: They may close to submissions early if they reach their quota. Country of Publication & Year Established United States Established in 2002 Publication Medium & Frequency Print Publication Print PublicationPublished 18 x per year AI Policy Human-created work only; no AI use allowed Statistics Synopsis Slower One Story's overall average response time is slower than most magazines. More ChallengingOne Story's overall acceptance rate is lower than most magazines. More ResponsiveOne Story's overall rate of non-response is lower than most magazines. Fiction Temp Closed Audience:Open to a broad Audience.Genres: GeneralLengths: Short Story: 3,000 - 7,500 words. Novelette: 7,500 - 8,000 words.Styles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Experimental, Literary.Topics: Open to all/most Topics.Payment:Professional payment (5 or more US cents per word) Provides free copy/copies Professional payment. Provides free copy/copies. Details: USD $500.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. Go to publication's website Report: Submission/Response Correction/Update New Cover ArtSocial:Bluesky @onestorymag.bsky.socialFacebook FacebookInstagram @onestorymagX (Twitter) @onestorymag Support this Publisher: Make a Donation Subscribe For the Editor(s): Request Interview Duosuma Submission Manager Link to Duotrope One Story 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 Extremely Challenging Fiction Publishers in our database. Filter: Category: Group by submission Include outliers Include related projects Accuracy We have received 193 reports from 171 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information. Days Reported 7 min | 90.6 mean avg | 90.5 median | 214 max days (410.6 std dev) Responses 92.23 % Acceptances: 0.00 % 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. Rejections: 92.23 % (91.4 avg. days per rejection) | 47.2 % personal, 43.8 % form, 9.0 % unspecified | 0.5 % rewrite requests | 1.0 % shortlisted Non-Responses 0.52 % Lost/Returned: - Never Responded: 0.52 % (133.0 avg. days before reporting submissions as never responded) Withdrawals 7.25 % (52.3 avg. days per withdrawal) Pending 60 responses are pending (86 min | 94.8 mean avg | 92.0 median | 298 max days waiting | 968.2 std dev) from 60 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 90 days. (49.2 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 90 days.) Most submissions are acknowledged within one day. Most recent response reported was received on 08 Sep 2026. Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 09 Jun 2026. Date compiled: 09 Sep 2026 00:55 UTC (2 hours, 50 minutes ago). View report of recent responses from this project Work submitted here was also submitted to...This section is available to subscribers only. Sign up and start your free trial today!Members accepted here also had work accepted by...This section is available to subscribers only. Become a member and start your free trial today! Your Submissions This section is available to subscribers only. Join today! Related ProjectsAdina Talve-Goodman Fellowship DNQOne Teen Story Contest Before SubmittingWe 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. DatesLast Updated: 18 Aug 2026We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year. Cookie Consent: This site uses secure first-party cookies for essential, preference-setting, and statistical purposes. We do not use any marketing, advertising, or third-party cookies. Read our full cookie policy. Accept All Cookies Allow Essential Cookies Only