“American Short Fiction publishes work by emerging and established voices: stories that dive into the wreck, that stretch the reader between recognition and surprise, that conjure a particular world with delicate expertise—stories that take a different way home.”
“Our goal here at American Short Fiction is to respect . . . involvement by offering consistently intelligent, engrossing, and beautiful reading, in print and on this website, and we appreciate your company. “Stories! Stories, stories, stories!” cried the narrator on the final page of that first Spring ’91 issue, in a work by W. D. Wetherell. Stories, indeed.”
American Short(er) Fiction Contest
The prize recognizes extraordinary short fiction under 1,000 words. The first-place winner will receive a $1,000 prize and publication, and the second-place winner will receive $250 and publication. All entries will be considered for publication.
Submission period ends: February 1, 2016.
Guidelines for contest.
Submission Guidelines for regular submissions.
In addition to its triannual print magazine, American Short Fiction publishes stories (under 2000 words) online.
Unsolicited submissions are accepted year-round. There are no set guidelines as to content or length. Anyone wishing to send a story to American Short Fiction should first become familiar with the work previously published by the magazine.
Short fiction must be original and previously unpublished. ASF considers work that has appeared online (including on blogs and Facebook) to be previously published.
All manuscripts must be typed and double-spaced, with the author’s name, address, phone number, and approximate word count at the top of the first page, and numbered throughout.
Send only your best work. Submit only one story at a time. Pay the $3 submission fee before submitting your work.
ASF will read and consider simultaneous submissions, on the condition that the author notify them immediately if the manuscript is accepted for publication elsewhere. Submitters must also withdraw the submission through the Submittable site.
Payment is competitive and upon publication. American Short Fiction purchases first serial rights. All rights revert to the author upon publication.
The Spring 1991 inaugural issue included an essay by Joyce Carol Oates.
