Short nonfiction

We publish original nonfiction writing including personal essays, lyric essays, comic essays, flash essays/flash nonfiction, reportage, narrative journalism, experimental nonfiction, sketches and short memoir of under 2,500 words. If you would like to submit something to be performed at our quarterly Manchester, UK live reading series, please keep your submission to under 1500 words.

We welcome submissions of original nonfiction that has not already been published elsewhere (including the writer’s own blog or website). We are unable to pay writers. We aim to respond to all submissions within one month. Simultaneous submissions are welcome but please let us know you’re also sending it elsewhere. If a piece you've submitted to The Real Story is accepted by another publication, please withdraw it here as soon as possible.

Before you submit, we'd like to make sure you understand that we edit all the writing which appears on The Real Story. This means that if we accept a piece we will offer editorial feedback on it and invite the writer to submit a final revision for publication. As a result, our editing process can take a bit more time. If you're unwilling to consider making any changes to your work, please do not submit to The Real Story.

Please include with your submission a one or two line bio. 

Ninjas of Nonfiction and reviews

Writers are welcome to contribute to the Ninjas of Nonfiction series. Each post is a 500-800 word introduction to a great nonfiction writer’s whole oeuvre. 

We also publish reviews of nonfiction works new and old, both books and individual essays. 

For these categories, you may submit a 1-2 paragraph pitch and bio, though we'll also read submissions of finished pieces.