Update: 21st January 2020

Except for interviews, reviews and articles (see below), we are currently closed to all fiction and creative non-fiction submissions until further notice while we run the Cambridge Prize for Flash Fiction and The Cambridge Prize for Short Stories. We will open to fiction submissions in the latter half of the year.

Please note that we accept submissions from anyone, anywhere in the world.

Short Story Submissions closed

The TSS Submission period for short stories is now closed. It will open again in late 2020, after the Cambridge Short Story Prize has ended.

What we look for

Our preference is for literary fiction, but we are open to other genres and styles as long as the characters are convincing and the plot compelling. Please read some of the short fiction on the site before submitting, or subscribe to our limited edition chapbooks. For further details on submissions, please read below.

Submission Rules

Please read the rules for submission below before sending us your work.

Short Stories must be in English and be between 1,000 and 3,000 words in total. Entries should be the sole work of the author. We accept translations but only with the written consent from the original author. We accept short stories from anywhere and anyone in the world. Entries should be 12pt, a regular font, and at least 1.5 spaced. Please put the title and word count on the first page. Please number the pages. Do NOT put your name on the document. All reading is blind. Your work must not have been previously published online (incl. blogs, journals, websites) or in print (incl. magazines, books, journals). Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but let us know if your work is accepted elsewhere. Please submit as a Word Doc or DocX. We do not accept PDF files. Please save the name of your short story as the document name. Please don’t add things like ‘TSS’ or ‘short story’ or ‘final’ – this makes admin more time-consuming. Please submit ONE short story only. The decision of readers and editors is final. We do not enter into correspondence about decisions. We do not wish to see stories that are gratuitously violent, sexual, or prejudiced.

Selected writers will be published on the website (date tbc.) and offered the choice of a chapbook subscription or £15 to be paid via PayPal (you must have a PayPal account). A few writers may also be offered chapbook publication.

Rights: If your short story is accepted, TSS Publishing will request worldwide digital rights for three months from the point of publication, after which all rights will return to the author. Print rights remain with the author. Should the story be published elsewhere, we would be grateful if TSS Publishing could be noted as place of first publication.

Please consider subscribing to our newsletter (menu at the top) to keep up to date with short fiction and creative non-fiction news.

Thank you for entrusting us with your work.

Flash Fiction Submissions Closed

We will be opening to Flash Fiction Submissions in August 2020.

What we look for

Our preference is for literary fiction, but we are open to other genres and styles as long as the characters are convincing and the plot compelling. Please read some of the short fiction on the site before submitting, or subscribe to our limited edition chapbooks. For further details on submissions, please read below.

Standard Submission: No reading fee. Responses may take up to six weeks.

Fast Track: £5 & response within one week. Please email rupert@theshortstory.co.uk for further details.

Feedback: £15 & response within six weeks.

Please read the rules for submission below before sending us your work.

Selected writers will be published on the website (date tbc) and offered the choice of a chapbook subscription or £15 to be paid via PayPal (you must have a PayPal account).

Please consider subscribing to our newsletter (right sidebar) to keep up to date with short fiction news.

Thank you for entrusting us with your work.

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Creative Non-fiction Submissions open

Standard Submission: No reading fee. Responses may take up to four weeks.

Submissions will be closing on 30th April 2020.

Submission Rules



Please read the terms for submission below before sending us your work.

Submissions must be in English.

Entries should not exceed 4,000 words for memoir, personal essays, reportage and all other forms of CNF. Flash creative nonfiction must not exceed 800 words in total.

Due to the sensitive nature of creative nonfiction, please fact-check carefully and provide references for source materials; do provide us with a web link to verify sources where possible.

If there are any details in your CNF piece that you are unsure of due to memory and/or time passed, do email a disclaimer to clarify any creative liberties taken.

Consider the repercussions of writing about others. Seek permission if you decide to name people or anonymise where appropriate. TSS Publishing can hold no responsibility for any dispute raised regarding the content of your creative nonfiction.

Entries should be the sole work of the author. We accept translations written by the author. We accept creative nonfiction from anywhere and anyone in the world.

Entries should be 12pt, a regular font, i.e. Times New Roman, Calibri or Georgia, and at least 1.5 spaced.

Please put the title and word count on the first page. Please number the pages.

Do NOT put your name on the document. All reading is blind.

Your work must not have been previously published online (incl. blogs, journals, websites) or in print (incl. magazines, books, journals).

Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but let us know if your work is accepted elsewhere.

Please submit as a Word Doc or DocX. We do not accept PDF files.

Please submit ONE piece only.

piece only. The decision of readers and editors is final. We do not enter into correspondence about decisions.

We do not wish to see essays that are gratuitously violent, sexual, or prejudicial.

Responses should be sent within 4 weeks

Selected writers will be published on the website and will be paid £15 via PayPal.

NOTE: file name must NOT contain punctuation such as apostrophes.

Name: * First Last E-mail: * E-mail confirmation: * Word count: * Upload a File (doc. docx. only): * I accept the Terms and Conditions * Yes Submit Reset

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Articles open

We accept articles about short fiction and Creative Non-Fiction all year round. Articles should be between 1000 and 3000 words in length, although we are flexible.

Please email rupert@theshortstory.co.uk with your proposal and a brief introduction outlining your experience.

Reviews open

We accept reviews of short fiction and Creative Non-Fiction all year round. Reviews should be between 1000 and 3000 words in length, although we are flexible.

Please email rupert@theshortstory.co.uk with your proposal and a brief introduction outlining your experience.

Interviews open

We accept interviews with writers, editors, and leaders within the creative world all year round. Interviews should be between 1000 and 3000 words in length, although we are flexible.

Please email rupert@theshortstory.co.uk with your proposal and a brief introduction outlining your experience.

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