Taking Submissions: Short Story Substack June 2026 Window

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Short Story Substack is open for its June 2026 submission window, offering one winning story a $100 base payment plus 50% of subscription revenue. The publication accepts fiction of any genre, from six-word stories to works up to 10,000 words.

Submission Details

Publication: Short Story Substack
Submission Window: June 1 – June 30, 2026
Payment: $100 base pay + 50% of subscription revenue
Word Count: 6 – 10,000 words
Flash Fiction: Yes
Poetry: No
Theme: Open theme
Genre: All genres accepted

About This Submission Call

Short Story Substack was created to support writers and revive interest in short fiction by rewarding one standout story each month with publication and a revenue-sharing payout. The market is open to all genres and welcomes everything from ultra-short experimental pieces to longer short fiction. Reprints are allowed if authors still retain distribution rights, and only the winning story transfers publication rights for Substack distribution.

Submission Guidelines

Mission = Revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful.

Payout = Base Pay of $100 for the chosen story + 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check.

Wait, you mean if this substack gets thousands of subscribers, the winner would get thousands of dollars?

Yes! The New Yorker pays roughly $7,500 per story and I sincerely hope to go way past that.

What does the timeline look like?

Submit stories by the end of the month, winner to be announced on the 15th. There is ONE story that wins and receives the full payout.

Rejection emails will be sent 60-90 days after submission, or you can check the website yourself.

Where do I send submissions?

[email protected]

What are the rules for submitting?

1. No Fees

2. Send in Microsoft Word or Google Doc form

3. Any genre

4. 6- 10,000 words. Yes, just 6 words, like Hemingway’s famous 6-word story “For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn.”

5. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.

6. Acknowledge Distribution Rights on this Substack – You can still sell your story elsewhere but we need to be able to save and publish it here. The goal is to create a library for subscribers.

7. Only the winner will be published and rights will only transfer for the winning story.

What do I get for subscribing?

One beautiful story every month. The complete library. The joy of supporting artists and doing something interesting.

What if I can’t pay right now?

That’s ok! If you publish a blurb about this site on your website, blog, or social media, I will send you one full story of your choosing. Best of all, it is on the honor system because most people in this world are fundamentally good.

Anything Else?

Yes! Analytics will be published monthly in terms of subscribers, the number of submissions, and anything else that might be relevant.

There is also the option to sign up for FREE emails. You won’t get the story, but you will get information and can follow the project.