Note: will not respond in the case of rejection; assume rejection after 90 days. Note: one submission per 90 days.
Note: Suggest that potential submitters read their about page: https://www.storyunlikely.com/#ourstory
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.
A note on genres and what we're looking for: +There are plenty of publishers who claim they are open to any genre, but still only publish a select few. Just so you know that we're not yanking your chain, here's a list of genres we accept and are open to publishing: Action/adventure, general, fiction/narrative nonfiction, humor/comedy/satire, speculate (fantasy, sci fi, horror, magic realism, cyberpunk), memoir, western, romance, alternate history, suspense/thriller, mystery/crime, literary, and any cross/hybrid genres.
Submitting to this market is tied to subscription to a promotional newsletter: either they will subscribe you to the newsletter when you submit, or you must be a subscriber to submit.
Market Submission Schedule
Submission window - Feb 2, 2026 thru Sep 29, 2026 (Begins 18 days from now)
Market Genres
Genres
Action/Adventure
Alternate History
Fantasy
General
Horror
Humor
Literary
Mystery/Crime
Romance
Science Fiction
Suspense/Thriller
Western
Market Types, Lengths & Pay Scale
Originals
Flash
0 to 1000 words
8 cents/word
Short Story
1000 to 3500 words
8 cents/word
Reprints
Flash
0 to 1000 words
2 cents/word
Short Story
1000 to 3500 words
2 cents/word
Market Submission Types
AI Submissions?: Not Allowed
Electronic Submissions?: Yes
Postal Submissions?: No
Multiple Submissions?: No
Simultaneous Submissions?: Yes
Translations: Original Language Only
Estimated Response: 90 days
Market-Provided Data
This section can be updated by a representative of the publication. To add a representative, the publication should contact us to request it (no cost).
This statistical information is an aggregation of submission data provided by our members. The more data we have the more accurate our
numbers will be so please be sure to log all of your submissions here and not just your rejections or acceptances.
Count:
There are 50 completed reports in the past 12 months.
Averages and Boundaries:
Min: 6 | Average: 96.76 | Median: 101 | Max: 175
Responded:
34.00%
Accepted:
-
Rejected:
34.00% - avg 96 days(17.64% of rejections are personal)
Rewrites:
-
Dead Letters:
62.00%
Lost/Returned:
-
Never Responded:
62.00%
Withdrawn:
4.00%
Pending:
There are 19 pending responses.
(2 min | 145.68 average | 124 median | 653 max days waiting)
Note: pending statistics may skew high if some users neglect their data. We recommend querying after the time the market suggests to query.