A story is not less universal because it begins in a local language. The words you grew up with, the conversations you remember, the expressions that do not translate neatly: sometimes they are exactly what makes your writing special.
Short Story Lovers welcomes original writing across many languages. You can bring the language that feels most natural to you without first rewriting your story in English. Our goal is simple: any writer, any language, a place for the story to live.
Your language is part of your story.
The language you choose helps readers discover your work in the right collection. It does not translate your text or change your author profile's language.
1. Begin with the story you want to tell
Sign in, go to your Author Hub, and choose Add New Story. Select Standalone for one complete work, or Multi-Chapter for a longer story told in parts.
Write naturally in the script and language you use. The usual story requirements still apply, including original content, a meaningful story description and cover, and the publishing eligibility of your account. Multi-Chapter publishing remains a Pro Author feature. For the general editor walkthrough, see Adding a New Story.
2. Choose the story's language
In the story editor, look for the Story language control. It has a searchable list of supported languages, displayed using native and English names. Choose the language in which the story is primarily written.
SSL may suggest a different language after examining part of what you have written. This is a helpful prompt, not an automatic replacement of your choice. Review the suggestion and select the correct language yourself. If your story uses more than one language or includes romanized words, choose the language that best represents the work and its intended readers.
For a Multi-Chapter Story, the story's language applies to the whole work, including its chapters. You do not have to select a new language for each chapter.
3. Add your cover and story details
Continue with the usual publishing steps: add your cover, description, category and relevant details, and preview the story as a reader will see it. Use the same care you would with an English story. A meaningful description helps readers decide whether they would enjoy your work.
When choosing a category, think about the kind of story it is, not the language in which you wrote it. A romance written in Hindi is still a romance.
4. Submit your public story
English publishing continues through the usual eligible publishing flow. A newly submitted public, non-English story goes through an additional content and quality check before it becomes publicly available.
Many submissions can be published automatically after passing the checks. Others may need review by the SSL team, especially when the system cannot confidently assess the language, originality, or quality of the content. A review status is not the same thing as rejection, and there is no guaranteed publication time.
We use these checks to protect readers and writers while welcoming original storytelling from a wider range of languages. We do not use the review to translate or rewrite your work.
5. Follow your story's progress
After submission, pay attention to the confirmation shown on screen. If your public story needs checking, it is not yet publicly listed. Once published, it can be discovered through your Author Site, its language collection, and the usual appropriate areas of SSL.
SSL sends email about important publication or review decisions, including when a story needs attention. If changes are requested, follow the instructions in that email and return to your My Stories area. Do not assume your work is public simply because you clicked Submit.
What about Private Stories?
Private Stories remain separate from public discovery. You can share a Private Story directly with eligible readers or subscribers without listing it publicly across SSL. Choosing another language does not make a private work public, and the public multilingual review process is not a substitute for private sharing.
Learn more in Private Stories: Share Before Publishing.
Write the story that only you can tell.
The right readers should be able to find it without asking you to set your language aside.
For publishing restrictions and originality requirements, read our Story Publishing Guidelines. Need help? Write to [email protected].