What was the name of the first short story that King had professionally published in 1967?

The first short story Stephen King had professionally published in 1967 was “The Glass Floor.” It appeared in the autumn 1967 issue of Startling Mystery Stories, marking his first professional sale.

King had written and circulated stories before this, including work for amateur publications and student outlets. “The Glass Floor” was different because a paying professional magazine accepted it; King reportedly received $35 for the story. Its publication came years before Carrie made him a major novelist.

A common mix-up is confusing “The Glass Floor” with Night Shift, the 1978 collection that gathered many of King’s early stories. “The Night Shift” is not the title of this first story. The Other Side of the Fog was an early unpublished novel, while The Cursed Expedition is not the canonical answer to this question.

The story was later reprinted, including in Weird Tales in 1990. Although King’s early fiction history includes self-published and amateur work, reference works consistently identify “The Glass Floor” as his first professionally published short story.