Your Story.|

A storytelling competition
where the heart behind the work
matters just as much as the story itself.

What Makes This
Contest Different?

This winter, Spoken, Author Nation and Reader Nation invite you to an audiobook competition with BIG prizes, built around voice, connection, and the story behind the story.

Using Spoken Studio, narrate, download and submit a short audio work (Any Genre, Under 10,000 words). Record a brief author commentary explaining the spark—the personal truth behind it.

Roadmap to the Jackpot

MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW EACH STEP

1

NARRATE

Start in Spoken Studio. Use single, multi-voice, or duet digital narration.

2

THE SPARK

Record a brief commentary explaining the personal truth behind your work.

3

PUBLISH

MUST be Published & Downloaded by Feb 20 to qualify for judging.

4

FINALS

Finalists announced March 10. Top 10 head to YouTube for Reader Voting!

Awards & Prizes

Top 10 Finalists

Global Visibility

  • Professionally produced teaser
  • YouTube ecosystem placement
  • 100,000 Spoken credits
  • Newsletter feature placement
  • Winner Webinar panelist invite
🏆 Grand Prize Winner

The Launch Package

  • Author Nation 2026 Ticket
  • Reader Nation 2026 VIP Ticket
  • 100k words of narration
  • YouTube audiobook production
  • Cinematic book trailer
  • Post-contest interview
  • 1 Year Spoken Subscription
Bonus Selection

One wildcard from the top stories will be drawn for a Free 60-minute Author Story Consultation with Isabelle Knight, Build Your Author Brand..

Meet The Judges

Isabelle Knight

With a career spanning over two decades as a top-tier publicist, Isabelle Knight has worked alongside industry titans in film, television, and publishing, including JK Rowling, Miramax, Netflix, and the BBC. She runs the consultancy Build Your Author Brand.

Explore Website →

Matt Buchman

USA Today and Amazon #1 Bestseller M. L. "Matt" Buchman has authored over 70 novels, 125 short stories, and 50 read-by-author audiobooks. He is also the editor of Thrill Ride – the Magazine.

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Jessie Kwak

Jessie Kwak is an author, storyteller, and business book ghostwriter living in Portland, Oregon. She leads Story Rebel and is the author of thriller novels and productivity books.

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Cody Sisco

Cody Sisco is an author, editor, and literary culture producer. His startup, BookSwell, is a literary events and media production company dedicated to amplifying voices.

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Simon Patrick

Simon Patrick is a publisher and audiobook producer. Seeking affordable audiobook options, Simon has become an expert in AI audio, text-to-speech technology.

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Peter Zuckerman

Peter Zuckerman is an award-winning journalist and author whose work includes the internationally published Buried in the Sky.

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Keith Wheeler

Keith Wheeler is a 5-time, International #1 Best Selling author who helps others become published authors through his popular YouTube channel.

Visit YouTube →

Danica Favorite

Danica Favorite is the Community Manager at PublishDrive and co-host of Brave New Bookshelf, a podcast exploring AI in publishing.

Explore Website →

Beyond the cost of publishing and downloading your project, there is NO ENTRY FEE. It's time to share the story behind the story.

SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY

Produced in Spoken Studio