Story Unlikely

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Contest guidelines below. READ CAREFULLY. Failure to do so may result in disqualification!

Please note that we have additional perks and leeway for MEMBERS, highlighted in GREEN, granting access to special content and bonuses in the submission process, plus it helps keep the lights on and pay all yee writers!

Speaking of 'Members', (Imagine some yokel hollering from the back of a city council meeting, "Point of clarity!") we have two terms that you should note the difference:
"Subscriber" means our free, basic subscription.
"Member" means our paid, annual membership.
Boom, now you're informed.

Why submit to us?
      - WE PAY WRITERS FAIRLY. It’s hard work writing good stories, and you deserve to get paid. Or maybe you don’t and you’re just duping us? Regardless, we pay 8 cents a word (with a $500 cap), and 2 cents a word for reprints.
      - NO SUBMISSION FEES. Nobody's getting rich off $3 per submission, but paying money just for the privilege of receiving a form letter rejection is the worst. (Costs of running an E-zine aside) We’re going to go ahead and coin a phrase right here and now - ‘Write privilege’, get it? Of course, you do.
      - GET YOUR WORK IN FRONT OF A LARGE AND GROWING AUDIENCE. Our aim is fixed on telling good stories, period, and because of that we have built a massive readership from all over the globe. Want to get your stories out to more than just dear old nana? Then you've come to the right place.
      - REASONABLE TURN-AROUND TIME. If you haven't heard from us within 90 days, then your story was rejected. Rejections stink - we get it - but its better than forever waiting and wondering. All MEMBERS get their stories reviewed within ONE month!
      - WORKABILITY. Is that the right term? Well, we're going with it. Unlike large publishers who view authors as just a number, we actually work with you to help present the story in its best possible light. We do, however, expect reciprocity; Story Unlikely is comprised of volunteers who are by nature team players. If you're an inflexible my way or the highway type - or even worse, an unbearable ideologue - then consider this a premature breakup. No really, it's us, not you.
      - GET ILLUSTRATED. We illustrate ALL stories we publish, and we think we're doing a pretty bang-up job with that. You can learn more about our artists at Design Unlikely.
      - GET REVIEWED. Although we're not genre specific, since we're a professional paying magazine, Tangent Online reviews any SF&F (loosely defined) stories we publish. Your story might even make their Annual Recommended Reading List.
      - Still NOT CONVINCED? Then listen to a word from our CFO - who The Office fans may recognize - to our editor-in-chief on every writer's bane: rejection. Yes, that's a watchable video below, and you'll find more of them (with other cheeky celebrities) littered throughout our site.

What to Submit to us?
      - STORY LENGTH: Our story limit is 3,500 words, but MEMBERS can submit up to 12,500 word stories.
      - CONTENT: To put it simply, we're looking for good stories, measured both by the quality of the writing and the skill in storytelling. We prefer prose that elicits emotion: make us laugh or cry, think or consider, anything on the edge or in between.
      - GENRE AND STYLE: Good stories don’t just come in all shapes and sizes, but in all genres, too (fiction and nonfiction). Although some genres naturally lend themselves to certain feelings, by no means do we expect authors to follow preordained paths. We like stories that cross genres, experiment, and push the boundaries of literature while maintaining the utmost quality in literary technique and storytelling, which is why we're open to just about anything.
      - WHAT WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR: Excessive anything. Think PG-13, R if necessary. We're not attempting to salt the earth with more cultural dogma couched as mediocre fiction, or writers who are jockeying for the title of Most Woke. There’s enough of that out there already. You want to impress us? Write a good story. You want to get published? Write a great one. What about AI? The stories we publish are for humans by humans. So no, we don't accept AI written material. If you're using AI to check spelling or grammar that's fine, but the actual writing needs to be yours.
      - NEW STORIES AND REPRINTS: We accept previously published stories – and oh how we love a good reprint(!), as long as you, dear author, have retained full rights. For reprints, we pay 2 cents per word.
      - A NOTE ON PODCASTING: In 2023 we began producing podcast episodes. It's a ton of fun, and a ton of work, so we're dialing it back for now and may reboot in the future.
      - ONE STORY PER AUTHOR PER 90 DAYS: We do not accept multiple submissions. We DO accept simultaneous submissions (IE, you can send it out somewhere else at the same time. Just inform us immediately if it is accepted.) MEMBERS can submit stories once every 30 days!
      -PERSONAL FEEDBACK: Though we don't respond to rejections, historically we have sent constructive feedback to stories that were close but didn't quite cut the mustard (what does that even mean?). Moving forward, we will only respond with personal critiques to MEMBERS, (though again, only a small percentage of stories will receive feedback). We are run by volunteers, and with our ever-increasing costs, we have to prioritize those who help us stay financially viable. For a chance to receive personal feedback, Members MUST submit through our Member Portal

How to Submit to us?
      - BECOME A READER: Though we don’t charge for submissions, you do need to subscribe to our magazine (free) – this is how we publish our stories, and where you'll see yours in digital print. Please note that although you're welcome to unsubscribe at any time, by doing so will count as an automatic withdrawal for any pending or future submissions. DO NOT mark our emails as spam (and we know when this is done) - not only will you forfeit your entry, but you'll be barred from future submissions. Harsh judgment, sure, but easily avoided on your end. Besides, you want to become the best writer you can be, right? To do that, you need to read the best writers out there, and who's publishing better stories than Story Unlikely? Click HERE to subscribe.
      - SUBMISSION PERIOD: Our standard submission period runs from February 2nd through September 29th. Paying Members get an additional 2 weeks to submit, with their deadline pushed back to October 14th. In between runs our annual contest.
      - BY EMAIL: : Due to our endless quest to dodge overreactive spam blockers, we've changed our submission email to: dan@storyunlikely.com, the same one we send our monthly issue through. As long as you type the word 'Submission' in the title, your story will end up in the right place. And this is important: make sure you type the word 'submission' in the title of your email, otherwise it may be lost! MEMBERS can skip the complicated email and use our handy SUBMISSION FORM. (Seriously though, if you're a Member, use the form to submit, otherwise those added perks may fall through the cracks.) Everyone else will email submissions to dan@storyunlikely.com in the following format:

- FORMATTING: Standard manuscript format is fine, but honestly, you've spent enough time writing the darn thing to worry about our silly preferences on spaces and underlines and, heaven forbid, a different font. If you'd like an in depth look into modern manuscript formatting, then read this article by Bruce Bethke over at Stupefying Stories, which pretty well sums up how we feel.Copy the sample below (like, not literally. Just follow the formatting (directions in red and blue), and insert the information pertaining to your submission):