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 Video

So we like to create the occasional celebrity spoof video. Sometimes, we even "bring them on staff". Who saw us teaming up with one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time? We certainly didn't.

Featured Story

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other stories you may like

Five Miles to epworth
~fiction~

Praise from readers:

"A story of "what ifs," eventualities, and realities. A glimpse inside a world you have to live to truly know." - Travis Kerns."A great work filled with detailed imagery depicting the throes of separation in a soldier's family, a desperate battle on two fronts. Very well written." - Winston Wilson."A deep story that finds a way to lodge itself into the tight spaces of your mind and irritate, rub, and agitate, until you read it again." - Derek R. Trumbo Jr.

Iowa Dumping Grounds
~memoir~

Our CFO David Wallace weighs in on IDG...

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!

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submissions

monthly magazine submissions

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

Short Story Contest

-$1,500 $3,000 prize package
-Publication
-Illustration
-NO entry fee

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.

Our story

Come, read all about us

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

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

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.

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.

latest issue

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

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 [email protected] (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

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.

Short Story Contest

Submissions to our contest run annually from October 14th through January 14th (WRITER LEVEL MEMBERS can submit until January 31st through our members portal. If the window is currently closed, check out our General Magazine Submission.

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

Please note that we have additional perks and leeway for WRITER LEVEL 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 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. Click on our Member's page to learn more about the different tiers and perks for each.
Boom, now you're informed.

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 4,000 words (except for WRITER level Members, who get a bonus 1,000 words added!). There are no restrictions on age or location 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 $1,500 $3,000 prize package will be divvied up like so: $1,500 first place, $1,000 second place, $500 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.
      Don't forget about the honorable mentions! That's right, you honorable little losers. Is that harsh? It's supposed to be a compliment. Anyway, we do NOT notify honorable mentions (or semi finalists or finalists) 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, we tend to pick up a few of the finalists for publication in our monthly magazine.

When can I submit?
      The submission period runs from October 14th through January 14th, midnight central standard time (or January 31st for WRITER level Members.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. 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.

Halftime break!

Reading guidelines is the worst, so we'll try and make this as painless entertaining as possible, if that's even possible. So let's kick things off with a video from our latest acquisition to the magazine, berating our editor-in-chief for not hiring her earlier. All you Office fans may recognize this classy gal: the one and only Meredith Palmer...

How do I submit?
      If you're a Writer level Member, make sure to use the Member submission form HERE, otherwise your story will get shuffled into the wrong bin, and you may lose out on all those perks (will come back to this later). For everyone else:
      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) Do not put a link to Google doc - actually attach the document. 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: [email protected]. 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 [email protected] 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, or double space if you can't)(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, and why you decided to submit)Sincerely,
NAME
Contact information
(Type the following verbatim) I have not, and will not, submit this story anywhere else until May 31st.
Story doc attached!

If that's confusing, then emulate our sample below (minus the red lettering part), or even better, become a Writer level Member and submit via our oh-so-easy submission form by clicking HERE.

A special treat for reading this far

You, dear writer, are clearly a cut above. You slogged through all those guidelines, and we thank you for that. So as a little token of our appreciation, enjoy another absurd video - our contest submission we wrote it just for you!

Perks for members

As mentioned, we have a host of perks for all Writer level Members (giving you a slight advantage over your competition) both for reading and submitting. To view the list click on our Member Homepage HERE!

Contest FAQ

Do you accept multiple submissions?
      No, one submission per author.
      EXCEPTION: If you are a card carrying MEMBER at Writer level, 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, writer level members ARE allowed to make simultaneous submissions. To become a member CLICK HERE.If my story is selected, what is the publication process like?
      There will be edits, then payment, then publication. Take a look at what our contributing authors have to say about working with us - it's quite flattering.What type of formatting should the story be in?
      Standard manuscript formatting is fine - we're not picky, so long as its not obnoxious. 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.

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 2024 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.
      Another pro tip: We see a massive influx of stories in the last week of the submission period and have to cram most of our initial reading right in at the end. True, every story gets a read, but it might just have a better chance of standing out (and moving onto the next round) when we're not inundated with a thousand other stories at the same time. Just sayin.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.What about AI?
      The stories we publish are for humans by humans; we do not 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.

Can I submit a story previously submitted to this contest?
      Yes, but with exceptions (and recommendations):
Any story that previously received an Honorable (or Highly Honorable) Mention, Semi Finalist, or Finalist can only be submitted one more time to this contest (though you can still submit to our general submission period). However, it is strongly suggested that this only be done if very significant feedback was given along with a recommendation to submit again.

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 waded through all of our rules, how about a little word of encouragement from the Story Unlikely team?
      #4. If you have any additional questions, see our frequently asked questions page.
      #5. Oh, and if you submit and forget to attach the story, don't sweat it, just resubmit the whole thing (right away!)
      #6. Although we're not genre specific, we do have a cool deal running with Tangent Online, where any sci fi or fantasy stories we publish get reviewed by them. Pretty sweet, huh? All the more reason to submit.

Rights requested:
The use of the Work by Story Unlikely entails the assignment of first, non-exclusive Anthology Rights, for publication in the English language, and continuing, nonexclusive right to use the Work in the edition as long as Story Unlikely remains in print/publication. (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, and after a set period of time after original publication, generally 3 to 6 months.)

One last important note, for those who enjoyed our contest submission song...

Looking for other great writing resources? Check out the following:

Tangent Online - Reviews from all the major SF/F magazines, and so much more!

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.

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 - sidelined by mediocre prose. What was once a measure of writing and storytelling had been replaced by unashamed propaganda foisted by acolytes masquerading as authors, editors, and publishers. I'm not saying stories can’t contain personal beliefs or deeper meaning, 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 bad actors, 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 an outlet 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 three years in, and (to my knowledge) we’ve become the fastest-growing literary magazine in the English-speaking world, with new subscribers pouring in every day from over a hundred countries. And the best part - we did it all without social media. Let that accomplishment – and its implications – sink in.These are the fruits born of merit, and it should come as no surprise. Since our inception, Story Unlikely has become synonymous with top-tier literature – if it’s published here, you know it’s worth reading. And if you manage to get published here, it’s because you earned it - nothing more and nothing less.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. 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
1-1-24

MEET THE UNLIKELY TEAM

Danny Hankner

Editor-in-chief

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 kids, 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 Benevolent Dictator and Literary Spirit Guide. His written material has been consumed by hundreds of thousands of people from all four corners of the globe.

Brett Favre

Head Writing Coach

We know what you're thinking. Is this for real? It can't be. Can it? CAN IT!? The answer is yes, it absolutely can, but more on a spoof level. If you haven't watched our video introducing the super bowl champ to Story Unlikely, we suggest you set down your egg drop soup and do that right now. And as far as what's to come after, well, we'll just quote the gunslinger himself. "Who knows? Who knows?"

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.

David Wallace

CFO

Hailing from one of the most iconic companies of all time - Dunder Mifflin - David Wallace has returned to the paper business as the new CFO of Story Unlikely. With David's expertise in running giant corporations into the ground and (mis?)managing a wide cast of unpredictable characters, it's obvious he's the perfect choice to usher Story Unlikely to pinnacle of prestige. Is this a joke? At this point, we're not quite sure ourselves, but we're going with it. Click on the image above to hear David's most recent message to our editor-in-chief.

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.

Meredith

Supplier Relations

Let's face it, every organizations needs a Meredith, so who were we to turn her down? And did you see her resume? With health care costs skyrocketing, "immune to rabies" is like a ten-thousand dollar savings right there. Plus, she can play the piano. Talent and value.

M.G.C.

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," MGC - an admirable tax-loathing paying citizen - 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.”

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!

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 [email protected]

Subscribe below to receive an Unlikely Story every month, absolutely FREE, plus a bonus story sent to your inbox right now! Be sure to add [email protected] to your safe contacts so we don't fall into your spam!

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.

submit your story

Submissions to our magazine run annually from February 2nd through September 29th (Writer level Members can submit until October 14th). If the window is currently closed, check out our Annual Contest.

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

Please note that we have additional perks and leeway for WRITER LEVEL 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 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. Click on our Member's page to learn more about the different tiers and perks for each.
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 Writer level 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 talented team players graciously volunteering their time. In fact, read what our contributing authors have to say about working with us - it's quite flattering.
      - GET ILLUSTRATED. Most stories we publish get illustrated (occasionally we do a double issue where we only illustrate one story), 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 Writer level MEMBERS can submit stories up to 12,500 words.
      - 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.) Writer level 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 Writer level 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. Writer level 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: [email protected], 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! Writer level MEMBERS can skip the complicated email and use our handy SUBMISSION FORM. (Seriously though, if you're a Member at Writer level, use the form to submit, otherwise those added perks may fall through the cracks.) Everyone else will email submissions to [email protected] 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):

If for some reason you can't see the above picture, then follow the text guidelines below (if you CAN see it, feel free to skip this section:Email Subject line: (SUBMISSION: STORY TITLE, GENRE, REPRINT (if applicable))
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, DOCX, RTF, 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 above)One last thing - if you're an editor of a paying magazine, mention this. We may contact you at some point in the future if an opportunity for collaboration arises.

Perks for members at Writer level

As mentioned, we have a host of perks for our paying Members (giving you a slight advantage over your competition) both for reading and submitting. To view the list click on our Member Homepage HERE!

I submitted a story, now what?
      - Seriously, subscribe to our magazine (free): 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 become a MEMBER at the Writer level. If we have not contacted you within three months (or one month for members) from when you submitted your story, then it was not accepted. Remember, we don't send rejection letters. Our motto: rejections are like bronchitis - ain't nobody got time fo' that!
      - 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 JNCOs circa 1998.
      - Cheer up with your favorite carcinogen-filled soda and a little word of encouragement from the Story Unlikely team.
      - If you have any additional questions, see our frequently asked questions page.
      - And because you've made it this far, treat yourself to our very touching submission song...

SUBMISSION REFERENCE GUIDE

Once you’ve read all the information above (and you need to, to understand our procedures and why we do them), then feel free to scroll to the bottom of this page for a quick reference for our guidelines instead of wading through all that text above. See, we try and make it easy on you. Sometimes.      - SUBMISSION PERIOD – February 2nd through September 29th, central standard time, extended to October 14th for Writer level Members.
      - WORD LENGTH – 3,500 limit, or up to 12,500 for paying Writer level Members.
      - PAY – 8 cents a word (capped at $500).
      - REPRINTS – Yes, we accept reprints at 2 cents a word.
      - GENRE – No restrictions. Go crazy if you want.
      - RESPONSE TIME – WE DO NOT respond to rejections. If you do not hear from us within 90 days (or 30 days for paying Writer level Members), it was rejected. Do not email us about the status of your submission, unless we have previously reached out and put your story on ‘hold’.
      -FORMATTING – Follow our sample above. We’re not concerned with manuscript formatting as long as it’s not obnoxious.
      - HOW/WHERE TO SEND – Via email to [email protected], make sure the word ‘submission’ is in the title. Writer level Members should use our easy submission portal.
      - MAKE SURE YOU ARE SUBSCRIBED – You must be a (free) subscriber to submit to us. If you are not, your submission gets tossed. SUBSCRIBE HERE for free!

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 other great writing resources? Check out the following:

Tangent Online - Reviews from all the major SF/F magazines, and so much more!
Chill Subs - A great resource to search for other publishers. And like us (and the good folk at Tangent Online), they're all volunteers!
Horror Tree - Search for publishers, read reviews & interviews, and more!

The use of the Work by Story Unlikely entails the assignment of first, non-exclusive Anthology Rights, for publication in the English language, and continuing, nonexclusive right to use the Work in the edition as long as Story Unlikely remains in print/publication. (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, and after a set period of time after original publication, generally 3 to 6 months.)

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.

Podcast

Our CFO David Wallace questions the podcast

The Story Unlikely Podcast is where we tell unlikely stories, interview interesting people, and sometimes do a bit of both. Click on the links above to listen, or search for "Story Unlikely Podcast" in your favorite podcast player. We generally upload a new episode the middle of every month.

Submission 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.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, $10 minimum capped at $75). However, as of April 2024, we do offer all authors being published in our podcast a steep discount for our Membership - first year Membership is only $1. Discount code is sent once contract is signed.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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Not receiving emails/monthly issues:If you’ve subscribed to our monthly magazine (CLICK HERE if you haven't), but have not received our welcome email, or you have, but our monthly issue is not landing in your inbox, check the following:The usual problem is that your email host (Gmail, Yahoo, etc - and by far the most problems we have are with unusual hosts, IE @madethisnameup.com) is identifying our emails as spam, and as a result either filtering them directly into your spam folder (or sometimes ‘promotions’ if you’re using Gmail), or not allowing them to even go through at all. Do/check the following to help ensure our emails go through:      1. Check your spam. If it’s in here, mark it as ‘not spam’ or ‘safe’, or even better respond to the email itself.
      2. Check your ‘promotions’ folder if you’re using Gmail, or any other folder where your email service might have sent our email.
      3. Send an email to [email protected] if you haven’t already, as this helps your email register that our email is not spam.
      4. “Whitelist” our email address – google it for directions specific to your email host.
      5. The last option is to use a different email address - as mentioned, we've found that @randomemailhosts are notorious for blocking our emails, so if you're using a lesser known @address, try switching to a more popular one. If even that doesn't work, you can still stay up to date with our issues by becoming a member where we keep all of our issues on archive for our members to read at their leisure.
      6. If you've done all the above and are unsure if your email is in our system, send an email to [email protected] and we can check for you. But please, do the above first to help minimize our time troubleshooting. =)

Membership questions:1. I’m confused about the difference between “subscribing” and becoming a “member”:The Story Unlikely monthly magazine is free to subscribe to - you can do so by signing up HERE. Our membership is not. Our (free) subscribers get the monthly issue emailed to them the first week of every month and can submit stories to be published. Membership grants a host of additional perks listed HERE. Membership is not required to submit a story/get published/paid etc but it gives you a leg up (and helps pay our bills), so yeah, you should totally become a member. Who knows, it may even help lower your cholesterol? Ok, that's a stretch, but no more than pretending a bowl of Cheerios equates to a healthy diet.2. I thought this was free, why do I have to pay for a membership?It costs thousands of dollars annually to run Story Unlikely – and that’s with an all-volunteer labor force. It won’t be long before our costs rise to the tens of thousands annually. Someone has to pay for this, so where does that money come from? Historically, our benevolent editor-in-chief has funded this endeavor from his own pocket (how nice), but his pockets are not deep. Therefore, we have to monetize. Although the occasional donation is nice, charity is not a viable business plan. That’s why we’ve created our membership to help pay our increasing costs. The more people who sign up, the more we can do (IE pay our authors more and therefore receive even better stories, expand our podcast, partner with other organizations, bigger prize packages for our contest/accept more stories and even turn them into printed anthologies). If you’re unfamiliar with how businesses operate, just remember everything costs money – money is a business’s life blood. Even better, watch a season or two of Shark Tank and you’ll come away with a better understanding and appreciation for entrepreneurs everywhere.

Contest/Submission guideline questions:1. Inquiries about when our contest and/or magazine submission period opens and closes:Part of the year we run our annual short story contest. The remainder of the year runs our general magazine submission period. To be clear, these are separate submissions that fluctuate slightly year to year, though they seldom overlap. All the information you need is contained within their respective guidelines:Magazine submissionContest submission2. What constitutes too much gore/graphic material?Unfortunately, we cannot answer this question specifically without looking at the specific work (and no, do not send us a piece and ask us to look it over prior to submitting – we love you, but not that much). If you’re unsure, err on the less is more mentality. Worst case, if we love your story but have problems with a specific scene, we’re happy to work with you to make changes suitable to our needs. In the end, it’s unlikely your story will be rejected for the excess content alone (unless your story opens with it), but for reasons that have more to do with the quality of the writing and storytelling, so use your best judgment.3. Restrictions on participating in the contest:We have no restrictions on authors submitting their work. Read the guidelines for more details.4. What about AI?Great question. At this point, we’re like a lot of places and just not sure what to make or do with it. What we’ve seen from AI is quite remarkable in terms of a computer’s capacity to understand and articulate, but woefully underwhelming in its quality of ‘literature’. We’ve seen plenty of AI generated content and can spot it a mile away (and yes, it’s quite bad). But what about tomorrow? Or next year? Will AI be able to capture an author’s style and voice and “create” quality content? And then what? We don’t have answers to this, but for now, please do not send us AI generated material. If you want to use AI to look over and proof your own writing, that’s one thing, but you as a writer still need to do the hard work and develop your writing muscles. In other words, it's fine hiring a personal trainer to help you compete in that next marathon, but you can't pay the trainer to run it for you.

Formatting issues:1. I can’t make a ‘page break’ in my email:Don’t sweat it. Just double space or do something to separate the sections.2. I don’t know what to put in my author bio:Don’t sweat it. Do the best you can. These get finalized after we accept your story.3. I can’t attach a doc or docx. Can I use something else?We have a variety of readers reading submissions from a variety of devices, so please save us the hassle and follow this request. If you must, you can use something else like RTF, but know that if we can't read your submission, then you risk it getting tossed.

Community message board

All writer level members get access!

Interested in joining a community of like-minded writers who are serious about their craft, but not so serious about themselves? Then you've come to the right place. Stop in and chat with our editors, volunteers, previously published authors, and many more great writers! Did we mention our Troll Free Guarantee?

Why join a writing message board?
Writing communities are where we learn, grow, and become better writers, where we find like-minded friends, pull our collective hairs out at the difficulty of this literary publishing game, and laugh together at everything thrown our way. In short, if you want to become the best writer you can be, you need to join a group. And not all groups are created equal. We know - we've been a part of many over the years, and with our decades of experience, we're creating an oasis for writers thirsting for good community.

CLICK HERE to become a WRITER LEVEL member and join our community message board today!

"Things that are free get overrun by parasites; you get the trolls, the bots, the scam artists because there's no barrier to participation." - Dr. Jordan Peterson.

The Writer's Gym

Meet the coaches

"We take our writing seriously, and ourselves not so much"

Literary Sensei

“Write fresh stories. You can’t move forward if you’re looking behind.”

Book Boss

“Don’t worry about offending people with your writing. Just write from the heart and pour your soul onto the page.”

"Head" Writing Coach

"You may not know this, but I'm a bit of a writer myself."

B Team Leader

"Why am I always on B team? We all know I'm Brett's ghost writer."

Click below to read a sample article

Are you serious about leveling up into the best writer you can be? Then become a paying member and read all the articles by our talented, proven team of writing coaches.

click to Enter the Gym!

Hungering for more than just a monthly article? Some of our coaches offer classes and even one on one coaching!

learn more about and receive personal training from our coaches!

Writer Testimonials

Because we're focused on quality over quantity, we spend extra time with each author and their story. The results? Authors LOVE working with us, but don't take our word for it!

A genuine champion of storytelling, first and foremost, STORY UNLIKELY brings to life the people, places, and improbabilities that torment writers and enchant readers. It's not a literary magazine - it's the pub in your favorite fantasy novel, it's the poet's bakery from Cyrano de Bergerac, it's the shady refuge from the heat under Grandma's porch. We've all tried to find something like this, but social media has let us down over and over, devolving into grotesque scandals, casual cruelty, and the aggrandizement of influencers over actual authors. STORY UNLIKELY encourages but doesn't pander, operating on a basis of honesty, respect, and curiosity. And above all - story. When they believe in your work, they throw their whole selves into amplifying its voice. Some literary journals are where stories go to die. At STORY UNLIKELY, they live forever.
~ Cassondra Windwalker, author of Ghost Girls and RabbitsWorking with Story Unlikely was absolutely fabulous! I’ve worked with quite a few markets, and few were as easy to work with as Story Unlikely. Clear communication, quick resolutions to concerns, and then BAM—publication! 100% recommend.
~ David Hankins, author of Death and the TaxmanI'm so glad I discovered Story Unlikely! One of my favorite essays was having trouble finding a home and as I researched literary publications, I felt like Story Unlikely was a perfect fit--and I was 100% right. Not only did the essay resonate with Danny, his acceptance email was so heartfelt that it literally made me cry. In discovering Story Unlikely, I found also a community of writers who "get" me and my writing, and with whom I can fully be myself. It's a brilliant thing to find!
~ Lynne Golodner, author of Forest Walk on a FridayIn a publishing world that seems to increasingly be staffed by nothing but gatekeepers, it's refreshing to find a venue that throws the gates wide open instead and welcomes in all kinds of great storytelling. I've also been through some soul-grinding, story-shredding editing experiences in my writing journey, and was thrilled to discover that here it's a real back-and-forth between editor and writer during the editing process; they're willing to work with writers to make sure the story is the best it can be—it was great to actually be listened to instead of just told what had to be changed to bring my work closer to an editor's personal aesthetic than my own. I couldn't have asked for better communication through any step of the process, from acceptance to publication, and I can't recommend working with Story Unlikely enough!
~ Sarah Cannavo, author of Wolf of the Pines

I've been published in over 30 literary venues, but Danny [Story Unlikely's editor-in-chief] stands out as an exceptional editor who truly understood what this piece could become. He pushed me beyond my comfort zone, offering insights that elevated the story while respecting its core essence. His keen eye for both structural elements and linguistic nuance helped transform a good piece into something I'm genuinely proud of. What makes Danny special is his ability to see both what's on the page and what's trying to emerge—the story beneath the story. Story Unlikely provided not just a platform for my work, but a collaborative partnership that honored the piece's potential. For writers seeking an editor who will challenge them while championing their unique voice, Story Unlikely is that rare find.
~Dana WallI was a Story Unlikely reader before I was a Story Unlikely writer. I had the feeling there was a careful curation process and great affection for the pieces they published. My feeling was confirmed when they selected one of my stories for publication. From the moment I was told of their interest, through the editing of the story and the production of it as a podcast, they acted as an ideal partner and cheerleader. We writers send our stories out into the world hoping that they will find a home. I'm so thankful that one of mine landed in the good hands of Story Unlikely.
~ Andy MillmanI’ve worked with many magazines and editors over the years, but it’s rare to find a publication that seems to care about my work as much as I do. Dan and the rest of the team at Story Unlikely not only appreciated my work and helped it to find an audience, but actually made it the best that it could be. The editing process felt collaborative in a way that I hadn’t experienced before, and ultimately it led to the best possible version of my story.
~ Mack Mani

I found that working with Danny and the Story Unlikely team was an “experience unlikely” when I’ve submitted to other publications in the past. There is no pretentiousness, no social justice disclaimer that would automatically disqualify what could be the world’s next big deal. There’s just quality writing and an excellent, hands-on editing process with a team that knows the value of a good story. If you’ve written something great, but feel it’s unlikely to get published, man have I got a place for you to check out!
~ Michael J. McMullinThis was a story that I really believed in and saw a lot of rejection. So I was thrilled to have it find a home in Story Unlikely. I was even more thrilled when I saw the beautiful cover art. That was a career first for me. Having it included on a year-end recommended reading list from Tangent Online put me over the moon and was the highlight of my writing for 2024. Thank you again for your consideration and help!
~ Andrew Hughes

Video script

Hey Brett, see script below. Feel free to ad lib, edit, or change anything you want:

Hey guys, it's Brett Favre, Head Writing Coach for Story Unlikely, and I’ve got some grim news. After reviewing the entries from last year, we decided to launch The Writer’s Gym, because, quite frankly, most authors out there are gettin’ soft: Weak openings, bloated dialogue, and apparently every character now is a victim, but not of your classic antagonist like a three-headed dragon or a Soviet dictator; instead, our heroes are beaten senseless by villains like trigger warnings and peanut allergies.What happened to the days of robust characters? Of rugged individuals who – no matter how hard they got knocked down – would always get back up…Kind of like the hero of a script I once wrote for an animated film about an enchanted kingdom full of flying ponies and magical unicorns, but all was not well. You see, there was one pony who, although strong as an ox, was an outcast, cursed with an unsightly unibrow, and whose part I specifically wrote to be voiced by no other than Dwayne The Rock Johnson. The title of the screenplay...My Little Jabroni.Now why am I telling you this? Because writing is hard, and nobody knows that more than me—let’s face it, studios weren’t exactly fighting over the rights for My Little Jabroni. But rejection hasn’t stopped me, and it better not stop you.You know, before my writing days, back in 97’ when The Green Bay Packers won the Superbowl, it wasn’t just because I was so great – although I was pretty darn good. It was because I had a dedicated team backing me up. And if you want to succeed in this industry, then find your team, whether it’s with the passionate folk of Story Unlikely or with the next group of writers. Either way, surround yourself with good people, where you can talk shop and help each other trim the fat off every manuscript. Because without someone to come alongside and point out your flaws, you’re just another Jabroni spinning his wheels, trying to save the kingdom while refusing to accept responsibility and shave that awful unibrow.And no one respects a unibrow.
Coach Favre, out.End script
(can you slide your thumb across your neck at the end like you did last time? That was so perfect!

BTW, after that last video you did, my buddies keep sending me posts of yours on X. Love it! Your speaking truth about country, about God, about simple concepts our culture once took for granted, like how important fathers are. You're on a good path and effecting so many people you'll never know. Stay the course - I hope this encourages you even a fraction of what you have encouraged me.Maybe you should write a book? ;)