Our Stories Literary Journal | About Our Stories

We are committed to publishing the best fiction on the web. In each publication, you’ll find new stories, a letter from the editor and an author interview in our Interview with a Master Series. Check out past interviews in our archives with Richard Bausch, Paul Cody, George Saunders, Mathew Sharpe, Stacey Richter, Ana Menendez, T. C. Boyle, Junot Diaz, Adam Haslett, Steve Almond, and Alan Cheuse.

Don’t Just Submit. Learn to Receive.

For every submission we receive year round, we give personalized feedback. We’ll give our general impressions, point out the strengths and weaknesses and give you suggestions on how to fix your story. Submitting to Our Stories is free –and worth it. We have staffed Our Stories with short story writers and novelists to help you because we know what it’s like to send manuscripts off into the void, only to be rejected, never knowing what went wrong or how to fix it.

Contests

We are the sponsors of the Emerging Writer Award and the Richard Bausch Short Story Contest and the Our Stories Flash Fiction Contest aka the "The Gordon Award". Contest submission times are held during summer and winter. During these times, you will receive a track-changed version of your manuscript with page-by-page feedback suggesting line edits, and commenting directly on what we think works and what doesn’t. A personal letter will be attached. In it, you can expect to find feedback on your characters, the strength of the plot, and a little about the opening and closing of your piece. If you win our contest, we provide you with publication and cash. If you don’t, we give you the tools to win next time.

Writing Workshops

We offer one-on-one mentorships with any editor from Our Stories of your choosing. Was your critique helpful? Hire the editor to help you work through other stories, through several drafts. There are several one-on-one programs to choose from. To sign up, choose a staff member, then go to the workshop page for more information.

The Our Stories Publishing Schedule

Open Submission Period:

Fall Issue

August 1st - September 15th

Richard Bausch Short Fiction Contest:

Winter Issue

October 1st - January 15th

Gordon Award for Flash Fiction:

Spring Issue

January 16th - April 15th

Emerging Writer Award:

Summer Issue

May 1st- July 31st