Creative Nonfiction that Illuminates

We publish essays and creative non-fiction stories. We love pieces that illuminate the human experience. We value narratives that delve into the emotional complexities of life, share insights, stir empathy, and provoke deeper understanding. Beyond telling us what happened, show us the impact it had on you and others. 

Submission Guidelines:

• Length: Must be 1,000-3000 words.
• Must be based on a true event that happened to you.
• Format: Submissions must be in a Word document. DO NOT SEND A PDF.
• Original Content: We seek original, unpublished work.
• Submissions are taken only through Submittable. 
• Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, but please let us know if your piece is accepted elsewhere. 
• $5.00 submission fee to help defray the many costs of running a literary journal. If you are unable to pay this fee, please contact us.
•  It's important to note that you will retain full ownership of your piece and the copyright reverts to you upon publication. If you decide to publish your piece again, please mention that it was first published by Chicago Story Press. 

Note: 

We may suggest light edits to your piece. Please make sure it has no misspellings or grammatical errors.

Requirements:

The author guarantees that he/she possesses sole ownership of his/her personal narrative, that it is a true story, and that he/she is the sole owner of the copyright and its content. 

Moreover, the author assures that he/she did not commit plagiarism in relation to his/her story and ensures that its contents are entirely his/her creation. 

The story must not contain libelous, illegal, sexist, racist, homophobic, legally obscene, defamatory and intentionally hateful contents.

Now Indexed in EBSCO

We are proud to announce that our literary journal is now included in EBSCO’s prestigious literary database, which is accessed by 90% of colleges and universities worldwide. This partnership expands the global reach of our authors' work, making it more accessible to scholars, researchers, and readers around the world. 

Why the Fee?

To cover the costs of running our journal, we charge a small reading fee. This fee supports the time-intensive process of reading hundreds of submissions, selecting and editing the pieces we publish, and maintaining our digital platforms. Importantly, none of this money goes into our own pockets—we are a volunteer team committed to supporting  authors.