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 (Under 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 a Motion graphic story trailer, YouTube showcases and Reader Nation voting!
🏆 Awards & Prizes
Top 10 Finalists
The top ten selected entries will receive elevated promotion and premium visibility across Spoken’s discovery channels:
A professionally produced teaser or YouTube Story
Promotional placement across Spoken’s YouTube ecosystem
Honorable Mentions (15 additional selections)
Exceptional submissions that stand out will also be recognized and shared:
A dedicated YouTube Story feature
Inclusion in a featured email sent to the Reader Nation community
Grand Prize Winner
One standout story will receive a full-scale launch package designed to maximize reach, discovery, and impact:
100,000 words of audiobook narration
One complete YouTube audiobook, produced and published by Spoken
A complimentary ticket to Author Nation 2026
Special offerings and recognition from our judges
MEET THE JUDGES
Judge 1 - bio
Judge 2 - bio
It’s not just about discovering your story. It’s about discovering 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 FEB 1, 2026
Voting will take place February 15 - March 1 — Winners announced March 3.
Timeline:
