What One Story does

One Story is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit literary publisher founded in 2001 in Brooklyn, New York, by Hannah Tinti, Maribeth Batcha, and Devin Emke. It operates two print magazines — the flagship One Story (a monthly 5×7 chapbook delivering a single short story by mail since April 2002) and One Teen Story (launched ~2012, publishing three teen-written stories per year via a free annual contest for ages 13–19) — both advertising-free and available in print and on Kindle. Beyond publishing, One Story runs an education platform comprising asynchronous craft classes, self-guided courses, fiction workshops, a Lecture Series, the year-long Writing Circle (capped at 20–30 students), the annual five-day Writers' Conference at Poets House in Manhattan, and the Adina Talve-Goodman Fellowship. The organization also offers Submission Manager, a custom web-based submission system built in-house and now released free and open-source to other publishers.

Name

One Story

Legal name

One Story, Inc.

Website

https://one-story.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

One Story is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that publishes two short-fiction magazines (One Story and One Teen Story) in chapbook format and operates a multi-product online and in-person writing education platform serving literary fiction readers and aspiring writers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Literary Magazine Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Book Publishers (513130), All Other Publishers (513199)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Fiction Writing Workshops (Short Story, Novel) (EDAMAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Writing Retreats & Intensive Bootcamps (EDAMAMAK), Children’s Subscription & Book Club Publishing (MPAJAFAO), Children’s & YA Writing Workshops (EDAMAMAF)

Keywords

• Literary magazine publishing
• Short fiction publication
• Writing education programs
• Creative writing workshops
• Nonprofit literary organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Print Subscriptions: Monthly print subscriptions delivered by mail in chapbook format. Subscribers receive one story per month. Includes Flashback sale at 2002 rates, standard subscriptions, and gift subscriptions.
2. Digital Subscriptions: Kindle and Kindle App versions available for digital reading.
3. Educational Programming: Revenue from online classes, workshops, writing circles, and the annual Writers' Conference. Includes self-guided classes, asynchronous craft classes, reading groups, fiction workshops, and lecture series.
4. Writing Circle Membership: Year-long education program with membership benefits including free access to classes, Slack community, and Zoom meetups. Priced at $595 for patrons and $625 for non-patrons.
5. Writers' Conference: Five-day annual conference at Poets House in Manhattan featuring workshops, craft lectures, panels, and networking. Conference fee is $1,575 (member price $1,475) plus $20 application fee.
6. Back Issues: Sale of individual back issues at $2.50 per issue, providing additional revenue from the extensive archive of published stories.
7. Grants and Donations: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, One Story receives funding from grants and individual donors including DAG Foundation, NYSCA, Whiting Foundation, Amazon Literary Partnership, NEA, and others.
8. Mailing List Rental: Occasionally rents subscriber and submitter mailing addresses to like-minded organizations for one-time use as additional revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

One Story is a nonprofit literary publisher that mails subscribers one curated short story per month in a 5x7 chapbook format, plus publishes One Teen Story for teen writers ages 13-19. Beyond publishing, it operates an educational platform offering online writing classes, workshops, the annual Writers' Conference, the Writing Circle, the Short Story Collection Incubator, the Adina Talve-Goodman Fellowship, and a Lecture Series, while also providing a free open-source Submission Manager tool to other literary publishers.

Product overview

One Story is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit literary publisher that operates two print magazine products — the flagship One Story Magazine (published monthly since 2002, delivering one short story per issue in a 5×7 chapbook format by mail) and One Teen Story Magazine (launched ~2012, publishing three teen-written stories per year via a free annual contest). Both magazines are advertising-free and available in print and via Kindle. Beyond publishing, One Story operates a multi-product education platform encompassing the annual Writers' Conference, Asynchronous Craft Classes, Self-Guided Classes, Fiction Workshops, the Lecture Series, the year-long Writing Circle, the nine-month Short Story Collection Incubator, and The Adina Talve-Goodman Fellowship. The organization also offers a free open-source Submission Manager tool for the publishing industry. Subscription products include print, digital, gift, renewal, and FlashBack tiers. All One Story subscribers receive One Teen Story as part of their subscription.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• One Story Magazine The flagship print publication of One Story: a 5x7 chapbook-sized magazine that mails subscribers one great short story per month. Advertising-free; publishes authors only once; each issue features a single story with no images.
• One Teen Story Magazine A publication under the One Story umbrella targeting teen writers ages 13-19. Publishes 3 stories per year selected through a free annual writing contest; winners are edited, published, and paid $500. All One Story subscribers receive One Teen Story as part of their subscription.
• Writers' Conference An annual five-day in-person writers' conference held at Poets House in Manhattan. Includes intensive workshops capped at 10 participants, craft lectures by visiting authors, agent and editor panels, a featured author reading, student readings, and social events. Conference fee is $1,575 (member price $1,475).
• The Adina Talve-Goodman Fellowship A year-long educational fellowship awarded annually to an early-career fiction writer whose work speaks to issues and experiences of inhabiting bodies of difference. Includes a $2,000 stipend, free admission to the Writers' Conference, access to online classes, Writing Circle admission, and a full manuscript review with Executive Editor Hannah Tinti.
• Writing Circle A year-long education program and accountability group for fiction writers. Members receive access to a private Slack channel, monthly Zoom meetups (readings, write-ins, discussions), free access to select One Story classes, and discounts to craft courses. Capped at 20-30 students. Costs $595 for patrons and $625 for non-patrons.
• Short Story Collection Incubator A nine-month intensive program designed to help writers complete, refine, and prepare a short story collection manuscript for publication. Taught by Lena Valencia.
• Online Writing Classes (Asynchronous Craft Classes, Self-Guided Classes, Fiction Workshops) Online writing instruction including: Asynchronous Craft Classes (75-200 students, 3-7 day runs around a specific craft element); Self-Guided Classes (self-paced, one-year access); and Fiction Workshops (six-week intensive Zoom workshops limited to 10 students with instructor and peer feedback).
• Lecture Series Live virtual events on Zoom featuring writers lecturing on a single craft topic or in conversation. The 2026 Lecture Series runs February through November 2026 with lectures from eight One Story authors.
• Submission Manager A free, open-source online submission management system originally built by One Story for its own submissions and now offered to other literary publishers and non-profit organizations at no cost.
• One Story Print Subscription A monthly print subscription delivered by mail in a 5x7 chapbook format. Auto-renews annually at $20/year (regular rate) or $15/year (FlashBack/legacy rate). Includes risk-free trial: full refund after first two issues.
• One Story Digital Subscription Digital access to One Story via Kindle and the Kindle App, allowing readers to access stories on phone, computer, or tablet.
• One Story Gift Subscription A print subscription gifted to another reader. Priced at $15 for one year; includes a bonus issue and gift card for the recipient. Does not auto-renew. Optional eCard delivery available.
• One Teen Story Contest An annual free writing contest for teen writers ages 13-19. Three winners are selected, published on the One Teen Story website, and paid $500. Honorable mentions are chosen in three age categories. No entry fee.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 250 pieces of writing published by alumni in 2019 alone
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• CLMPsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCommunity of Literary Magazines and Presses provides professional development consulting program to help grantees improve in marketing, website development, fundraising, diversity initiatives, and operations.
• Poets HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit poetry library and community center in Battery Park City hosting One Story's annual Writers' Conference. Conference students can access Poets House facilities and literary magazine collection.
• SubmittablecoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline submission platform used by One Story for accepting and managing literary submissions during two submission periods per year.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Granta: Renowned British literary magazine publishing fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Directly comparable to One Story as a curated literary periodical with strong editorial brand and emerging-writer focus.
• Ploughshares: Literary magazine published by Emerson College featuring fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Direct peer as a nonprofit literary periodical with comparable editorial ambitions.
• Tin House: Literary magazine and book publisher focused on fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Comparable as a literary periodical with strong brand and writing community engagement.
• The Paris Review: Iconic American literary magazine publishing fiction, poetry, and interviews. Direct peer as a leading literary periodical with similar prestige positioning and audience of literary fiction readers.
• Zoetrope: All-Story: Literary fiction magazine founded by Francis Ford Coppola, publishing short fiction. Direct peer in literary fiction periodicals; former executive editor Will Allison is now a contributing editor at One Story.
• McSweeney's Quarterly Concern: Literary magazine and publishing house known for innovative fiction and design. Comparable as a literary periodical with distinctive editorial identity and strong brand.
• Catapult: Literary magazine and book publisher offering fiction, nonfiction, and writing classes. Comparable as a multi-product literary platform combining publishing and education.
• American Short Fiction: Literary magazine dedicated to short fiction, published quarterly. Direct peer in literary fiction periodicals with similar editorial mission focused exclusively on the short story.
• The Center for Fiction: NYC-based literary nonprofit offering awards, events, writing classes, and community programming. Comparable as a literary organization combining publishing-adjacent programming with education.
• GrubStreet: Boston-based nonprofit creative writing center offering workshops, classes, and conferences. Direct peer in literary education programming for aspiring fiction writers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/onestorymag
• Facebookfacebook.com/onestorymag
• Instagraminstagram.com/onestorymag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about One Story