story unlikely

Real people. Real places. Real stories.

(AND PLENTY OF FICTION, TOO)

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

Featured Story

Every story we publish gets illustrated. Click on the artwork to read the story, and for all you authors on the hunt for a cover for your next great novel, be sure to check out:

Design Unlikely

Most story illustrations are created by our design team from DESIGN UNLIKELY

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other stories you may like

My Name is Angela
~sci fi~

Praise from readers:

“Harry Lang renders sci-fi at its most impactful with beautiful turns of phrase and heartrending truths in My Name is Angela. I highly recommend taking this journey.”
- E. Boleyn“An intense and compelling read….this will stay with me for a while.” – Cissa“For all you sci-fi fans, take a visit to the Soul Man…if you dare!” – C.W. Weeks

Iowa Dumping Grounds
~memoir~

Praise from readers:

"Struck a chord and had me hooked! Outrageously good.” – Author Ronald E. Wright“A witty memoir of delightfully delinquent teenage antics!...had me chuckling throughout and left me with a smile." – Award winning author David Hankins"Man that was a fun read." – Crappin' Cody.

Story Unlikely membership is here! Get access to our back issues, longer stories hiding behind an obnoxious paywall, and a host of other perks. SIGN UP TODAY!

Become a member!

submissions

monthly magazine submissions

-Get published, paid, and illustrated
-Make mom proud
~Boom goes the dynamite

submit

Short Story Contest

-~~$1,000~~ $1,500 prize package
-Publication
-Illustration
-NO entry fee

enter

story unlikely podcast

Because there really aren't enough podcasts out there, we've decided to take it to the ~~streets~~ airwaves, boys(!), by kicking down the barriers between us and your illiterate friends. Click the icon for latest episodes, or find us wherever you download podcasts from.
_{If you host a podcast and would like one of our staff as a guest, send an email to dan@storyunlikely.com}

Our story

Come, read all about us

-What hole did Story Unlikely crawl out from?
-And who runs this joint, anyway?

looking for a cover art?

Are you an author looking to get that perfect illustration for your manuscript? We can help! Our prices are not only affordable, but our designs are tops in the industry! Check out Design Unlikely for all your design needs.

IVORY TOWER

Warning: The Ivory Tower series is a chronicling of an abusive pastor and the corrupt men he has surrounded himself with. This is not a story for entertainment value; understand that many of our readers will find no interest in it. However, until these men have acknowledged their perverse behavior, stepped down from their positions of power and suffer the necessary corrections, then this is a story we will continue to tell.

Ivory Tower Pastor

-Raw
-Powerful
-Shattering

Ivory Tower Page

The attempt: create a literary magazine that publishes top tier stories, pays writers fairly, and treats both our readers and writers like they're actually human. This takes time, and money, and resources, and effort, and lots of caffeine. So consider throwing a few bucks our way. Not only is it for a worthy cause, but we guarantee that you might - just maybe - feel slightly better about yourself after doing so.

Design Unlikely
Our Story
Annual Contest
Magazine Submissions

Disclaimer: Story Unlikely is a literary magazine that publishes fiction and nonfiction, but cannot guarantee distinction between the two. The views expressed in the articles reflect the author(s) opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher and editors. The published material, adverts, editorials and all other content is published in good faith. Story Unlikely cannot guarantee and accepts no liability for any loss or damage of any kind caused by this website and errors and for the accuracy of claims made by the content providers.On this website you might find links to the websites, third-party content and advertising. By using our website and online magazine you acknowledge that and agree that Story Unlikely cannot be held responsible and shall not be liable for content of other websites, advertisements and other resources. Story Unlikely reserves the right to make changes to any information on this site without a notice. By using this site, you agree to all terms and conditions listed above. If you have any questions about this policy, you may contact us.

IVORY TOWER

Ivory Tower Pastor

-Raw
-Powerful
-Shattering

Updates

I'll continue posting updates as they come in, so circle back (Jen Psaki style!). I'll also be posting a segment recapping updates on our monthly issue of Story Unlikely; feel free to subscribe (scroll up). - Danny Hankner, Editor-in-chief

“They said I was either going to do great things, or start a cult." Justin, pastor and elder of the church, referring to the leadership of the Acts 29 Network.

5-31-23: Real Men of ~~genius~~ gutlessness.4-13-23: Emails to the elders, info dump round 2.3-14-23: Emails to the elders, info dump round 1.1-16-23: "Look's like cancel culture's back on the menu, boys!"

“Do you fear Justin?”
Rob purses his lips, thinks, nods. “He’s smart, well-read, very knowledgeable, and a great arguer. Yes, I’m intimidated by him, and that’s not a good place to be as a fellow elder of the church.” - Rob, elder and pastor of the church.

12-23-22: Diving into the psyche with some New Year’s ~~Resolutions~~ Predictions11-18: As with Covid, so with church...10-14: Justin returns, triumphant, from his Naughty Sabbatical

“It’s going to be difficult to convince Justin of his sin.” – Rob, elder and pastor of the church.

9-20: Answering the skeptics8-30: Read the decision of another church’s elders in their letter to remove their lead pastor for near-identical abuse.8-26-22: "They have no idea what they're doing."...an actual quote not by me.

“You have brought charges against Justin, the elders have listened, and now we dismiss all charges against him.” – Alex, elder of the church.

8-13-22: Are we really that different than the elders...seriously?7-27-22: Misinterpreting Matthew 18...read more.7-13-22: "You call these eggs!?"...keep reading.

“These aren’t sins, they’re just character flaws,” – Alex and Rob, elders of the church.

6-28-22: One of the scariest verses in all of the Bible comes from Exodus...read on.6-13-22: Have you straight up asked the elders, "Is this true?"...click HERE to read more.6-8-22: The elders have issued a statement...click HERE to continue reading.

“We’re not satisfied by Justin’s repentance,” – Alex, elder of the church.

testimonies

"Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men....On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.” - Joshua 6: 2-5

Why are we posting testimonies, and why does it even matter? Click HERE to find out. If you, or someone you know, has a testimony to share about the abusive leadership of this church, please reach out to dan@storyunlikely.com (Nothing gets posted without prior consent. Even if you're wrestling with this, please reach out.) More testimonies are coming in, so check back soon.

Following up with Jamie Richardson
Jamie & Billy Richardson

“We don’t know exactly how to handle this. We’ve been trying to walk Justin through areas of repentance, but, it’s just not…I mean, if it comes down to it, do we have enough evidence to do something about it?” – Rob, elder and pastor of the church.

Ethan Graham
Jeremy Gardner recounts his own journey with cognitive dissonance.

“We feel a bit like the cleanup crew. Justin makes a mess, and we come in after to patch things up.” – Alex, elder of the church.

Paul J. Brack
Seth Fuller
Ryan & Danielle Jensen

“We have all experienced Justin, but for so many others in this church, if they themselves have never been run over by Justin, then they can't fully comprehend the reality of it.” ~ Rob, elder and pastor of the church.

Helpful links

"Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character. Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God - I say this to your shame." - 1st Corinthians 15:33-34

We're receiving volumes of content from people - how to make sense of this, why it happens, how to move forward, how to prevent this from happening in the future, etc. I'll be posting the most relevant ones once I have time to watch, listen, or read through them.

Read the decision of another church’s elders in their letter to remove their lead pastor for near-identical abuse.In their book Restoring the Fallen, a group of authors walk through the long, hard journey of Biblical restoration after a Christian speaker and psychologist's affair and sexual sin is exposed. This is a must read for anyone dealing with extreme sin in the church, and how to respond appropriately.Chuck Degroat joins Bodies Behind the Bus to dive into narcissism and how it affects the church. Disclaimer - the hosts (and Chuck himself) often deviate from the main topic of spiritual abuse and lend their thoughts to more debated issues such as diversity or complementarianism vs egalitarianism. Although these are important topics to discuss - and I believe there are things to be gleaned from all sides of these issues - personally, I feel this is out of place in the broader topic, and may leave some listeners feeling put-off, which is why I'm mentioning this.Author, psychologist, and certified trainer from the John Maxwell Team, Shaneen Megji shares insights into how narcissism infects the church in these revealing videos:
How God sees the narcissist pastor
When church turns into a cult
What the Bible says about Christian narcissistsPastoral Bullies - by Sam Storms.When to distrust your pastor - An article posted in the Gospel Coalition.The story told a thousand times. Accomplishments as high as heaven, character as low as hellWhy are people like this? It's hard to wrap our minds around things we don't understand. Clinical Psychologist Dr. Ramani delves deep inside the mind of the The Grandiose Narcissist.

"Jesus was not killed by atheism and anarchy. He was brought down by law and order allied with religion, which is always a deadly mix. Beware those who claim to know the mind of God and are prepared to use force, if necessary, to make others conform. Beware those who cannot tell God's will from their own." ~ Barbara Brown Taylor

Design Unlikely
Our Story
Annual Contest
Magazine Submissions

Short Story Contest

Our annual short story contest is currently open for submissions through January 31st.

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

Please note that we have additional perks and leeway for MEMBERS, see details below (highlighted in green)!

Story Guidelines:
Attention storytellers: we just want good stories! There are no restrictions on genre: fantasy, sci fi, memoir, fiction/nonfiction, etc - we don't care as long as it's written and told with quality and care. The story itself cannot exceed 4,500 words. There are no restrictions on age of participant, and no need to ask us for permission to participate in the contest - just follow the guidelines below.

What do I win?
      A ~~$1,000~~ $1,500 prize package will be divvied up like so: $750 first place, $500 second place, $250 third place. The winning story will be featured on Story Unlikely's website, will be strongly considered for our annual (print) sample magazine, and may be sent out as the bonus story for signing up, which means a lot of exposure to the winner.
      All three placing stories will be published in the monthly issue, and all three will be illustrated by our crackpot team of digital editors!
      Don't forget about the honorable mentions! That's right, you honorable little losers, you. Is that harsh? It's supposed to be a compliment. Anyway, we do NOT notify honorable mentions ahead of time, because we're ~~lazy~~ busy, so very, very ~~lazy~~ busy. Rather, we announce them in the monthly issue along with the winning story, which you need to sign up for in order to be eligible to enter. If your name appears on this list of honorables, you'll be prompted to contact us and we'll send you a fancy-schmancy certificate for proof that you, indeed, almost won a writing contest. But not quite. Plus, if there is a strong showing, some honorable mentions may be considered for publication in our monthly magazine or podcast.

When can I submit?
The submission period runs from October 1st through January 31st.When will my story be published?
Stories will be published - at our whimsical discretion - the following calendar year between June and December. Winning authors will be notified, at the latest, by May 31st. All authors MUST be signed up for the Story Unlikely monthly magazine (free!) to be eligible for prize and publication. (Don’t worry, we only send out ONE issue (email) a month – we can’t stand getting our emails blown up, and we know we’re not alone in that). Please note that although you're welcome to unsubscribe at any time, just wait until the contest is over, otherwise we'll consider that a disqualification of your entry. 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 judgement, sure, but easily avoided.

How do I submit?
We accept email submissions only, and from legitimate email addresses, not tied to some private school server that will bounce back. If your submission (or email you use to subscribe) comes from one of these, it will be disqualified. Attach the entire story to the email (Microsoft word doc or docx). Be sure to remove ALL forms of identification from the story (If your story happens to be about you, just be sure to remove your last name).
Due to our endless quest to get our stories past overreactive spam blockers, we've changed our submission email to: dan@storyunlikely.com. Sure, organization was easier with a different address, but as long as you type the word 'Submission' in the title, your story will end up in the right place. And this is important, so we'll say it again: make sure you type the word 'submission' in the title of your email, otherwise it may be lost! So email submissions to dan@storyunlikely.com in the following format:

(Email Subject Line) Submission: TITLE/GENRE(In the body of the email)Dear Editor,TITLE, GENRE, WORD COUNT[Insert FIRST 250 words of your story (rounded to the nearest sentence) here]# (insert page break)(Insert short author bio, including any previously published stories, as you want it to appear below your story if/when published)(Tell us how you found Story Unlikely)Sincerely,
NAME
Contact information (best email contact, phone number (just in case), country and state, and email)If that's confusing, then emulate our sample below

PERKS FOR MEMBERSIf you find our guidelines a little too restraining, consider becoming a member and unlocking the following perks:      1. Members can submit up to THREE stories instead of one.
      2. Stories can be up to 5,000 words instead of 4,500.
      3. All member stories that receive honorable mention get personal feedback from our editor-in-chief.
      4. Simultaneous submissions ARE allowed for our members - in other words, you can send your entry/s out to other venues while also entering it into our contest (any story withdrawal from non-members we automatically consider to be a simultaneous submission that was accepted elsewhere, which lands you on the excrement list, and none of us want that).
      5. Forget the complicated email and submit via our hassle-free/grain-free/humanely built submission form HERE.
      6. Additional perks for our magazine submission period, which can be viewed HERE.
      7. Read back issues and stories locked behind the paywall.
      8. All members receive $25 off any cover art at Design Unlikely, which right there pays for itself.Sign up for a membership today by CLICKING HERE!

Become a member!

CONTEST FAQDo you accept multiple submissions?
      No, one submission per author.
      EXCEPTION: If you are a card carrying MEMBER, you can submit up to THREE stories!Do you accept simultaneous submissions?
      No – do not send your story entry out to other publishers prior to May 31st, and do not withdraw your entry. We offer a generous prize package with NO cost to enter - in return, we ask that you give us the time we need to give every story a fair shake.
      ANOTHER EXCEPTION: Once again, paid members ARE allowed to make simultaneous submissions. To become a member CLICK HERE.What type of formatting should the story be in?
      Standard manuscript formatting is fine - we're not picky, so long as its not obnoxious.Any tips on winning this thing?
      Many stories get ‘bumped’ before we finish reading the first page (that’s right, we’re a merciless bunch). A trained eye can tell the quality of a story and the ability of the storyteller from only a few sentences, so tighten that opening! It also helps to read some of our past issues, like our 2022 contest winning story HERE. Besides, you want to become the best writer you can be, right? Well then, to do that, you need to read the from the best writers out there, and who's publishing better stories than us? Seriously, SUBSCRIBE NOW and see for yourself.What are you looking for?
      To put it simply, good stories. Entries will be judged both by the technical and literary quality as well as the author's ability to tell a story. All entries must be previously unpublished. Here’s 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 win? Write a great one.Anything I missed?
      Likely you skimmed over two things, and they're OH so important:
      #1. To be eligible for the contest, all writers must be signed up to Story Unlikely's monthly issue. Did we mention it's free? Because it is. Totally free. You can unsubscribe at any time, just wait until the contest is over, otherwise we'll consider that a disqualification of your entry. 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 placed on our Excrement List, aka lifetime ban from submitting, where only a generous donation to the human fund can bring you back into our good graces. Ok, we're joking about the human fund, but not on the ban.
      #2. Re-read HOW we want you to submit (like, the first 250 words of your story, we really do need that in the body of your email - it is of utmost importance to us).
      #3. Now that you've slogged through all of our rules, how about a little word of encouragement from the Story Unlikely team?

Subscribe now

looking for a cover art?

Story Unlikely retains First North American Serial Rights upon publication. The author retains all other rights to their story. (In other words, you can publish your story anywhere else after it's been published here, we just ask that you mention that it was published in Story Unlikely first.)

Looking for more writing competitions to enter? We're happy to link other great resources if you're in the market:

Poets & Writers
The Submission Grinder
Duotrope
Christopher Fielden
Almond Press

Winning Writers
First Writer
Commonwealth Writers
Reedsy

a word of encouragement from the editors of story unlikely

Keep at it, dear writer

Submitting stories for publications is a drag. We get it. We’ve been there. It’s easy to get bogged down by a mountain of guidelines, worrying over what to include in your bio, and of course the endless form rejections devoid of constructive feedback. What am I doing wrong? You begin to wonder as the rejections pile up. And in time you lose hope, despair, and give up.But take heart, dear writer!It’s a cruel game, getting your story published, but we’re on your side, and we’re rooting for you. Why? Because we firmly believe that the best writers out there are people we’ve never even heard of. And we want to find them. And them could very well be you!Truly, we don’t care about an author’s background (as far as selecting their stories for publication - we still read them because we're interested in the writers submitting to us). So, you haven’t been published before, and you worry that without a big pedigree, your story will simply fall through the cracks? Not so. In fact – and we’re not lying when we say this - some of the worst submissions we get come from writers with the biggest pedigrees (well, not the absolute worst, but still shockingly bad). We’ve been as surprised by this revelation as you are. But it’s true!In other words - and despite the odds - if you want to get published in Story Unlikely, all you have to do is write a great story. And that’s it! Don’t sweat the other details. With us, it’s all about the story. And we know you’ve got one, or two, or a hundred, so show us! Then let us show the world.What do you have to lose?~THE EDITORS

Our Story

Confession: Story Unlikely was an unlikely afterthought

The divide between the masses and the elites is growing, and it’s infecting every aspect of our culture, including literature. In fact, the arena of the written word may just be its origin. How often are the stories we’ve come to love – whether on the page or in the cinema – derided by the critics, while shallow titles devoid of purpose or meaning gobble up all the awards, accolades, and praise?I’ve experienced a taste of this, only on a much smaller scale. For years I received positive feedback from editors who eventually declined my stories because ‘it just didn’t fit the theme,’ or ‘wasn’t quite the style we had in mind’. And I always wondered: who cares? Am I the only person who just wants good stories, regardless of whatever flavor of the month is currently trending?Meanwhile, of what words of mine did manage to make it to the public eye, I began to witness the immense power that deep, meaningful literature can provoke. Do you know how many times readers have reached out to me, moved by the words I put to paper, weeping over their keyboards over a simple story? Me, a mere stranger, a million miles away, and they just let it all come out.You don’t forget that - as a writer, and as a human.While this continued, the industry took a radical turn, and I watched many authors - far more talented than myself - getting sidelined by mediocre prose. What was once a measure of writing and storytelling had been replaced by filling racial quotas, conjuring up new genders, and parking every dystopian plotline in the smarmy aftermath of global warming. I'm not saying these elements disqualify a story, but rather the story - in spite of whatever message you’re trying to sell - better be king. But it’s not…not anymore. And these publishers, either frightened to death by a prospective Twitter mob storming their virtual gates, or themselves having sworn fealty in religious-like fervor can no longer see past their own biases.Somewhere along the way, an idea bubbled to the surface: what if I founded a magazine that shed all the pretense and just delivered the things I, as a reader, cared about? Forget rigid genre classifications, no more free passes to established authors coasting on past success, and to hell with the insanity of extreme politics. What would it look like if a literary magazine - for once - just published stories because they were good?Well, we did, and it’s working. We’re only two years in, and we’ve built an audience all over the world (we’re in 77 countries as I write this), with more people subscribing every day, every hour, and sometimes every minute. While so many others have lost sight – have become themselves the distributors of the very prejudices they so vehemently despise – we’re taking a different approach, and like the American companies of yesteryear, building our foundation on a reputation that delivers quality (stories and illustrations) every, single, time.We are the underdog stepping up to the plate, David gathering stones in the river, the meteor hurtling towards the barren deserts of our literary landscape, and this is our anthem:1. Find great writers
2. Publish great stories
3. Build a yuuuuge audienceWelcome to Story Unlikely.Danny Hankner, Editor-in-chief
1-10-23

MEET THE UNLIKELY TEAM

Danny Hankner

Editor-in-chief & digital padawan

Danny Hankner began penning stories about himself and his idiot friends as a teenager. Now, masquerading as an adult, he lives in Davenport, Iowa with his wife and three children, working as a master electrician for his own company. In his spare time, Dan rides and builds mountain bike trails, scrapes infinitely spawning cat hurl off the basement floor, and runs Story Unlikely, an award-winning literary magazine where he floats around self-important titles like 'Editor-in-chief'. His work has besmirched the good reputations of Downstate Story, SQ Mag, Tenth Muse, and many more unfortunate publishers, as well as being awarded semi-finalist in Writers of the Future.

Megan Hankner

Senior editor

Growing up without a TV (poor, neglected child), Megan was forced into the tattered pages of series like Nancy Drew or Little House on the Prairie for entertainment. Megan cultivated her appreciation for prose by earning an overpriced English degree from St Ambrose University. Don’t feel too sorry for her – shortly after graduating, she managed to land a super handsome prince charming for a husband who now operates as full-time sugar daddy, and who clearly had no hand in crafting this bio, despite his brilliant (totally brilliant!) way with words. When not wrangling the kids or rolling her eyes at her husband’s antics, Megan samples a garden variety of books at an alarming rate, though her favorite genres include travel and athletic memoirs.

Laura

Editor who misplaced her last name

Recently exiled from California, Laura has returned to her midwest roots after years of longing for its sweltering summers, its frigid winters, and a charming array of allergens. Laura is a fantasy connoisseur who has a strange addiction to re-starting epic, long-winded series like The Wheel of Time before she actually finishes them. She lives in Des Moines with her high-functioning germophobic husband and token feline named Chaos.

Craigbeard

Editor

Craig’s a top-notch man of mystery who enjoys a top-notch story (it’s rumored that he takes his books like he takes his carnival food – hot and fast and slightly terrifying). When not ingesting novels from authors like Stephen King or Kurt Vonnegut, Craig indulges his inner movie buff with the latest Wes Anderson flick. He lives in Moline, Illinois with his wife and son, grinding out the work week with a beard that brings all the girls to the yard.

Metal Gear Caleb

Digital ~~editor~~ overlord

From his youthful days photo-swapping heads with his adolescent friends and inserting geysers of fake blood from a multitude of orifices to now, where he crafts ridiculous digital selfies and stylizes them with proper titles like, “Government knows best,” or, “Body by booster,” or, “My pronouns are was/were.” An admirable tax-~~loathing~~ paying citizen, MGC enjoys life in a small village outside Cincinnati, Ohio with his wife and trio of tromping children he refers to as “The Broodlings.” When not hacking away on a computer at his day job, he can be found tinkering with mechanical keyboards, reading fantasy, sci-fi, and theology books, or lending his talents to Story Unlikely for compensation we refer to as “A Pittance.”

The Berminator

Digital editor

A rider of mountain bikes, a builder of mountain bike trails, and a photographer of femur-breaking dirt jumps that Napoleon Dynamite would certainly describe as ‘sweet’, The Berminator travels the greater United States ever in search of the next singletrack to shred. When he’s not enjoying the outdoors, he’s likely hunched over his keyboard, snacking on stale saltines and enhancing every pixel of cover art thrown his way.

Barb Delf

Editor

Influenced heavily by a mother who taught English (and whose instruction – in terms of rigidity - was perhaps rivaled only by the special forces, or The Soup Nazi), and a father who plucked obscure words out of thin air like a word magician, it was inevitable that Barb found her way through the pages of crime and spy novels and into the doldrums of editing. By day, Barb lives on a horse farm in the rural Midwest with her husband, running her own business and minding after the crew – Gunner, an exuberant Wire-Haired Fox Terrier who defends the fort against all manner of foul creatures (coyotes, feral raccoons, wayward possums), and his cheer-squad, an Australian Shepherd named Orville.

David Spaugh

Reader of the prose

Despite being only 1/8 Choctaw, David Spaugh makes up for his blundering whiteness by being 9/8 Texan – yes, the math here is correct, for he’d be 10/8 (remember, everything’s bigger in Texas, including fractions) if he wasn’t currently residing in Oklahoma, where he works as a Senior Manager of Financial Planning & Analysis, a title that will lull even the most feral toddler right to sleep. Here in the Not Texas, David can be found at late-night campfires telling stories to his wife and kids in a husky Batman voice (the throat-cancer Christopher Nolan type, not the bionic Adam West, May He Rest In Peace), talking about Jesus and/or Bigfoot, or discussing his love for the outdoors, largely cultivated from a healthy diet of Bob Ross and 80’s synth music. David’s debut Novel, Here in the Not Yet, was released in 2023. You can find out more by visiting www.davidspaugh.com.

Editors Unknown

The Luchadors of Literature

This is for the editor/s, if they do exist, who just like to read stories and give input without all the glamor that comes with being an editor, which really only includes a grainy photo from better days and an overly sparky bio. So here's to you, editors in the dark, ghost readers without name or pay. That is, of course, if you even exist.

The attempt: create a literary magazine that publishes top tier stories, pays writers fairly, and treats both our readers and writers like they're actually human. This takes time, and money, and resources, and effort, and lots of caffeine. So consider throwing a few bucks our way OR by BECOMING A MEMBER! Not only is it for a worthy cause, but we guarantee that you might - just maybe - feel slightly better about yourself after doing so.

Story Unlikely membership is here! Get access to our back issues, longer stories hiding behind an obnoxious paywall, and a host of other perks. SIGN UP TODAY!

Become a member!

We try and be a little more accessible than most magazine editors. Got a question, comment, or concern? A suggestion for us to improve Story Unlikely? A compliment to pass along to an author? Reach out to us at storyunlikely@mailbox.org

Subscribe now

submit your story

Have a good story? We want to see it.

Submissions to our monthly magazine are currently CLOSED and will reopen February 2nd. IN THE MEANTIME, OUR MONTHLY MAGAZINE SUBMISSION IS OPEN, CLICK HERE FOR GUIDELINES.

Please note that we have additional perks and leeway for MEMBERS, see details below (highlighted in green)!

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 for stories up to 2,000 words (well, 1,875 to be exact). Stories longer than this are capped at $150 payment.
      - NO SUBMISSION FEES. We’re not saying the other guys are getting rich off $3 per submission, but there’s something about the idea that we, as writers, have you pay you, the publisher, just for the privilege of rejecting our work with a form letter, bothers us. (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. What's more, all members get their stories reviewed within ONE month! If you're a MEMBER, simply type the word 'MEMBER' in the subject and body of your email, and just like that, you're high priority! CLICK HERE to sign up today!
      - WORKABILITY. Is that the right term? Well, we're going with it. Unlike large publishers who view you as just a number, we actually work with you to help present the story in its best possible light, while never infringing upon the author's vision. We respect both creation and creator, and want to add value to both.
      - GET ILLUSTRATED. We illustrate ALL stories we publish. Have you beheld some of our work? Just peruse around our site - we don't mean to brag (ok, yes, we totally do) - but what we're putting out is seriously good.

What to Submit to us?
      - STORY LENGTH: Our story limit is 10,000 words, but if you're looking to publish a longer piece, remember, our MEMBERS may submit up to 15,000 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 edges 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 (see note at bottom of page).
      - 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.
      - 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 1 cent per word with a maximum payout of $50 (the story length can still be up to 10,000 words).
      - A NOTE ON PODCASTING: Last year we began telling stories audibly through our podcast. Click HERE for details on our podcast publishing guidelines.
      - ONE STORY PER AUTHOR PER 90 DAYS (unless you're a member): 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.) On the occasion we send a rejection with feedback, please wait 90 days from your original submission before submitting again - we have a lot of submissions, and this helps us not get overrun. Remember, PAID MEMBERS can submit stories once every 30 days!

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 'print'. Don’t worry, we send out ONE issue per month. Your sacred inbox is safe with us! (See sign-up form below) 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 judgement, sure, but easily avoided on your end. Besides, you want to become the best writer you can be, right? Well then, to do that, you need to read the from the best writers out there, and who's publishing better stories than Story Unlikely? Subscribe below and see for yourself.
      - SUBMISSION PERIOD: Our standard submission period runs from February 2nd through September 29th (In between runs our annual contest).
      - BY EMAIL: UPDATE: Due to our endless quest to get our stories past overreactive spam blockers, we've changed our submission email to: dan@storyunlikely.com. Sure, organization was easier with a different address, but as long as you type the word 'Submission' in the title, your story will end up in the right place. And this is important, so we'll say it again: make sure you type the word 'submission' in the title of your email, otherwise it may be lost! So 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.For previously UNPUBLISHED stories:Email Subject line: (SUBMISSION: STORY TITLE, GENRE)
Body of email: Include TITLE, (FICTION/NONFICTION,SUB GENRE (if applicable)),WORD COUNT, FIRST 250 words of the story (rounded to the nearest sentence), author bio as you want it to appear along with your published story, your contact info.Please include how you found Story Unlikely. If you're really feeling chatty, tell us the main reason why you decided to submit a story to us - this feedback really helps us grow the magazine.Attachment: Attach your story as a DOC or DOCX, or something else if you want to be difficult.For previously PUBLISHED stories (reprints):
Email Subject line: (SUBMISSION, REPRINT, STORY TITLE)Body of email: Include TITLE, FICTION/NONFICTION,SUB GENRE (if applicable),WORD COUNT. FIRST 250 words of the story (rounded to the nearest sentence), author bio as you want it to appear along with your published story. Include your contact info and information on the previous publication (where and when, online or print, and previous payment, if any).Please include how you found Story Unlikely. If you're really feeling chatty, tell us why you decided to submit a story - this feedback really helps us grow the magazine.Attachment: Attach your story as a DOC or DOCX, or something else if you want to be difficult.(If this is confusing, then just emulate our sample below)

Subscribe now

PERKS FOR MEMBERSIf you find our guidelines a little too restraining, consider becoming a member and unlocking the following perks:      1. Members stories are reviewed within ONE month instead of three (which means you can submit a new story every month instead of having to wait three, as well).
      2. Stories can be up to 15,000 words instead of 10,000.
      3. (Coming 2024) Forget the complicated email and submit via our hassle-free/grain-free/humanely built submission form HERE.
      4. Additional perks for our annual short story contest, which can be viewed HERE.
      5. Read back issues and stories locked behind the paywall.
      6. All members receive $25 off any cover art at Design Unlikely, which right there pays for itself.Sign up for a membership today by CLICKING HERE!

Become a member!

I submitted a story, now what?
      - Seriously, sign up for the magazine: We do NOT consider submissions from anyone who is not one of our readers – sorry, but we’re kind of inbred that way. You’re welcome to unsubscribe at any time, just be aware that doing so automatically withdraws 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 placed on our Excrement List, aka lifetime banishment from submitting, where only a generous donation to the human fund can bring you back into our good graces. Ok, we're joking about the human fund, but not on the ban.
      - Wait up to 90 days unless you've paid for a membership: If we have not contacted you within three months (or one month for members) from when you submitted your story, then it was rejected.
      - Tell your friends about us: You want them to see your work, don’t you? We also want word of mouth referrals, so talk us up to your inner circle like we’re Jinko’s circa 1998.
      - Cheer up with your favorite carcinogen-filled soda and a little word of encouragement from the Story Unlikely team.

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.
      ++And if our extensive submission page isn't wordy enough for you, you're welcome to read a little more HERE about what we're looking for.

looking for a cover art?

Story Unlikely retains First North American Serial Rights upon publication (of all previously unpublished stories). The author retains all other rights to their story. (In other words, you can publish your story anywhere else after it's been published here, we just ask that you mention that it was published in Story Unlikely first.)

Podcasting guidelines

The good news: podcasting opens up an opportunity to showcase stories that we simply don't have room for in our monthly magazine (although some of the stories we accept may be published in both mediums). We're also considering interviewing the occasional author - aka more opportunity for exposure, and we will continue illustrating ALL published stories, regardless of medium.The bad news: due to our limited budget (still waiting for that fat cat donor to fall into our lap), at this time we can only offer our reprint rate to stories slated for the podcast (1 cent a word capped at $50).More good news: to help offset this imbalance, we're offering $100 off any service from Design Unlikely to previously unpublished stories - what author won't eventually need a cover art, right? - of which there is no expiration. Oh, and if we ever change our mind and decide to later on publish the story in the magazine as well, you'll be reimbursed the difference of your reprint rate and still keep the $100 voucher. So let's say you submit a 2,000 word (unpublished) story, and we accept for the podcast. You get paid $20 plus the $100 voucher. A year later we decide we want to publish this in our magazine (maybe it's a slow submission cycle, or something falls between the cracks), we'll pay you the difference ($130), and go on our merry way with publishing the story - Charlie Sheen calls that "winning".All stories submitted to us will be considered first for the magazine, and second for the podcast. If your aim is to be published in the magazine only, you're welcome to decline any podcast offers - don't worry, we'll only cry for a little bit.