StoryBottle Co. publishes immersive storytelling regardless of genre. We want it all, whether it’s considered high-brow literary fiction or the pulpiest brain candy. What we’re really interested in is story in its most essential form: fictional worlds that draw us in, plots grounded in causality, characters we care about, and imagery that sparks the imagination. Good stories keep us spellbound and leave us changed. Like the ship in a bottle on your grandfather’s bookcase, each story contains something mesmerizing, rendered in three-dimensional detail. We offer stories regularly online but will also release two print issues a year that feature the best from the website as well as original work.
Our goal is to bring all genres together to bridge the gap between what's “in” and what's purely fun to read. This eclecticism extends to our authors, too. We seek to publish a variety of writers—both emerging and established—who represent a diversity of experiences. We welcome stories from all.
- Submit up to 60 pages of fiction by August 15, 2026.
- Manuscripts may include any combination of flash fiction, short stories, linked stories, story cycles, or novelettes.
- Multiple and simultaneous submissions are fine, but each chapbook must be submitted separately and withdrawn if accepted elsewhere.
- Entries must be unpublished in their current manuscript form. Individual stories previously appearing elsewhere are welcome; please include an acknowledgements page listing prior publications.
- Don't include your name in the manuscript.
- Writers with close personal or professional relationships with the editors are not eligible.
- The entry fee is $17.
We’re looking for literary fiction, speculative fiction, and genres our readers haven’t seen in a while. Dust off the tropes of an old, abandoned genre and send it our way. We prioritize no theme or narrative style. Just tell us a story we can’t turn away from.
Guidelines:
- Fiction can be of any genre or style. We also accept flash fiction.
- Stories should be no longer than 8,000 words. Flash fiction should be no longer than 1,500 words (up to 3 pieces per submission).
- We do not accept previously published works.
- Please only submit one story at a time.
- We accept simultaneous submissions, but please notify us if you’ve been accepted elsewhere.