Fiction
Story Unlikely
- Length
- Up to 7,500 words
- Pay
- Not stated
- Fee
- No fee
- Simultaneous
- Allowed
- Reprints
- Reprints welcome
What they accept
Story Unlikely is a monthly literary magazine with no genre restrictions, taking one story per author per 90 days of up to 7,500 words by email during its standard window of February 14 through October 14, with its annual contest running in between. It accepts simultaneous submissions and reprints and charges no submission fees; it pays 8 cents per word capped at $350 for original stories ($700 for Writer level Members) and 1 cent per word with a $20 minimum for reprints, rates the structured fields cannot hold because of the caps.
- Query after
- 99 days
- AI policy
- The stories we publish are for humans by humans. We don't accept AI material. If you're using AI to check spelling or grammar that's fine, but anything beyond that needs to be yours.
More like this
| Publication | Length | Pay | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Another Chicago Magazine Also flash-friendly (under 1,500 words) | Up to 5,000 words | Not stated | Closes 1 Dec 2026 |
| Bayou Magazine Also flash-friendly (under 1,500 words) | Up to 7,500 words | 150 USD flat | Closes 15 Dec 2026 |
| Bright Flash Literary Review Also flash-friendly (under 1,500 words) | 50 to 1,500 words | Unpaid | No closing date |
| Burnline Magazine Also flash-friendly (under 1,500 words) | 500 to 10,000 words | Unpaid | No closing date |
| CutBank Also flash-friendly (under 1,500 words) | Up to 8,500 words | 50 USD flat | Closes 1 Feb 2027 |
| Grain Magazine Also flash-friendly (under 1,500 words) | Up to 3,500 words | Not stated | Closes 15 Jun 2027 May close early |