Reddit rules index · read 2026-09-26
Can you promote on r/shortstories?
Self-promotion restricted Its rules restrict self-promotion. Posts that promote your own work are likely to be removed.
- 114,715 members
- text posts only
- posting limited to approved users
- its rules on Reddit
This is a place to submit your original short stories and be part of a community of writers.
What its rules say about promotion
Keep It About the Writing
* No advertisements * Authors are allowed to link to a personal subreddit or Reddit profile. Do not link to a site where you can monetise - including, but not limited to: Kofi, Medium, Patreon, Paypal, and Youtube - or to a website where you are selling things. * No requesting writing services, calls for submissions, or homework help. * The story must be posted on this subreddit in the text box, not linked to. * Please post only the story. Any commentary may be left in a top level comment.
All 9 rules of r/shortstories
- No AI-generated or AI-edited Content
* AI-generated stories are not allowed * Using AI, Chat Bots, or LLM based tools to edit your story is also prohibited * As is the use of AI to fully translate a story * We also do not allow the use of AI-generated images - Keep It About the Writing
* No advertisements * Authors are allowed to link to a personal subreddit or Reddit profile. Do not link to a site where you can monetise - including, but not limited to: Kofi, Medium, Patreon, Paypal, and Youtube - or to a website where you are selling things. * No requesting writing services, calls for submissions, or homework help. * The story must be posted on this subreddit in the text box, not linked to. * Please post only the story. Any commentary may be left in a top level comment. - Posts Must Be in English, and Good-Faith Attempts
* Minimum of 500 words. You can check out r/flashfiction for shorter works. * Plagiarism will result in a ban. Do not post other people's work. * No joke posts, copypasta, troll, fecal, urine, or meme-based stories. * Only one short story post per user every 24 hours - Stories Must Be Properly Formatted
* Posts titles must include a properly formatted literary story title and may include a short logline. Not sure how to capitalize? [Here’s a handy tool.](https://capitalizemytitle.com/) * Walls of text will be removed. * Code blocks that don't serve a narrative function or stretch on for too long will be removed. * Stories should follow basic grammar rules and look like a revised draft. * Use [this tool](https://redditpreview.com/) to check how your post will look before submitting. - No Reposts
* This includes reposting an edited version of a story you have shared here before, unless the story has changed significantly enough to essentially be a new post. You are always welcome to edit your original post. * This only applies to reposts on this subreddit. You're welcome to share stories here that you have already shared elsewhere. - No Harmful or NSFW Content
* Includes, but is not limited to, explicit suicide or suicide-note stories, pedophilia, rape, bestiality, necrophilia, incest, explicit sex, and graphic depictions of abuse or torture. * You are welcomed and encouraged to provide content warnings at the top of your story if you are dealing with heavy topics. * Use your best judgement, but mods have final say. - Avoid Racism and Political Debate
* Slurs will result in removal and possible ban. Find a better way to vilify a character than them utilizing hate speech. * Political soapboxing and tirades of political parties, ideologies, or actions will be removed. * Avoid real-world drama such as current events or political climate - Be Civil in Discussion, Feedback, and Critiques
* Users are held to a higher standard here. Think before posting; that is another person you are talking to. - All Submissions Must Be Tagged
* Add the tag at beginning of your post title in square brackets. Basically, your post should look something like this: `[SF] My Sci-Fi Story Title`
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The verdict is our reading of r/shortstories's rule text on 2026-09-26. Rules change and moderators decide: read the current rules before you post. Not affiliated with Reddit or r/shortstories.