Submit Your Short Story!

"Share Your Story" word art

The Saturday Evening Post magazine continues to look for and publish great short stories by both emerging and established authors.

In addition to publishing one short story in every print issue of the Post, we welcome submissions to our online fiction platform New Fiction Friday. Each week, we feature fresh fiction from authors all over the country, bringing you exciting adventures and engrossing stories from writers just like you, available exclusively online.

Submission Guidelines

  • We are CLOSED to fiction submissions in December.
  • Submissions should be between 1,000 and 5,000 words long.
  • Stories must be previously unpublished.
  • Multiple submissions: Please submit only one story at a time; wait for a response before sending more.
  • Simultaneous submissions: Feel free to submit your story to other publications while it is under consideration by us, but please let us know if you find a home for it elsewhere.
  • All general fiction submissions will be considered for both print and online publication.
  • For New Fiction Friday stories, we pay $25 for first exclusive online publication rights for six months; payment for stories selected for print will be negotiated separately.
  • We regret that, because of the volume of submissions we receive, we cannot provide individual feedback on submitted stories.
  • Estimated response time is 90 days.

How to Submit

Submit your story in standard format as a .doc, .docx (preferred), RTF, or PDF attachment, along with a short bio, to [email protected] with the subject line “Attn: Fiction.” Include your name, contact information, and approximate word count on first page, and please number your pages.

In lieu of electronic files, see hard-copy submission guidelines here. Electronic submission is preferred.

What Makes a Good Post Story?

  • Works can be in any genre, but we are not interested in works that feature graphic, and especially gratuitous, sex or violence. We are also not interested stories of an overtly political nature.
  • Though we appreciate a good story in any style, highly experimental fiction is going to be a difficult sell. We prefer stories with a classic arc, with a conflict, climax, and resolution.
  • We are not interested in fan fiction, flash fiction, or poetry.
  • Writing a great short story takes time and deliberation. Please proofread your stories carefully for grammar, spelling, and punctuation and send us your best work.

For a better idea of what we’re looking for, read some of our recent New Fiction Friday stories.

The Saturday Evening Post also hosts the annual Great American Fiction Contest, which is open for submissions from January 1 to July 1. See the Great American Fiction Contest guidelines here.