Your Story. It’s Personal.
A storytelling competition where the heart behind the work matters just as much as the story itself.
This winter, Spoken, Author Nation and Reader Nation invite writers everywhere to take part in a first-of-its-kind audiobook competition — one built around voice, connection, and the moments that make your story uniquely yours.
We’re not just looking for great short stories.
We’re looking for the story behind the story — why it mattered enough for you to make it.
What Makes This Contest Different?
This is a competition shaped around narration craft and personal storytelling.
You’ll submit a short work (5,000–10,000 words) produced in Spoken Studio using either multi-voice or duet digital narration. Then you’ll add a brief author commentary explaining how this piece came to be — the moment it clicked, the spark, the personal truth behind it.
The Top 10 entries will be shared publicly on Spoken’s YouTube channel and each will be celebrated and brought to life with:
- Motion graphic story trailers
- YouTube showcases
- Reader Nation voting!
- Wide promotional pushes
This is all about the discovery of YOU as an author.
Preliminary judging will conducted by professional authors and will focus on story, performance, and the story behind the story.
The Reader Nation community will be invited to vote for their favorite story among the Top 10 stories hosted on YouTube.
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS JANUARY 25, 2026
Voting will take place February 15 - March 1 — Winners announced March 3.