Editorial standards

What we look for

A publishable submission contains exactly six written words and works as a complete creative piece. It may be a story, poem, memoir or joke, but it should create more than a slogan, isolated observation or familiar quotation.

• Exactly six words
• Original writing
• A discernible idea, image or turn
• Deliberate, intelligible language
• An appropriate genre and attribution
• No hidden seventh word in a title

Original work and AI

Submit only work you created and have the right to publish. Copied quotations, close imitations and unattributed work may be declined or removed. The collection celebrates human writing, so stories generated substantially by artificial intelligence are not accepted.

What may be declined or removed

We may decline, hide or remove work that is not six words, is substantially unoriginal, is advertising or spam, contains private information, infringes rights, targets an individual with abuse, promotes hatred or violence, or is otherwise unlawful. Difficult, dark and provocative subjects are not automatically disqualifying; context, craft and likely harm matter.

Editing and genre decisions

We may normalize obvious spacing, punctuation, capitalization or genre errors without changing a story's creative meaning. Material changes should be referred back to the writer where practical. Genres are browsing aids, not permanent literary verdicts, and a story may be moved when another collection is a better fit.

Rankings and editorial judgment

Reader rankings decide how prominently community stories appear. They do not determine whether a submission meets these standards, and popularity is not the only measure of literary quality. Curated collections may use independent editorial judgment. Read the full ranking methodology.

Corrections, reports and removal

Writers may request a correction or removal of their work. Readers may report suspected copying, incorrect attribution or harmful content by emailing hello@sixwordwonder.com with the story text and the reason for concern. Reports are reviewed, but a report does not guarantee removal.

Independence and endorsement

Publication means a work was considered suitable for this community; it does not mean Six Word Story endorses every idea expressed. Community rankings are separate from the Six Word Wonder Contest, and publication here does not enter a story into that contest.