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About Our Contest
The annual Story of the Year Contest is coming back for the seventh year, and we are searching for compelling, diverse stories that are "easy to read and hard to put down."
The 2024 competition will run from September 18, 2024, to January 13, 2025, and will feature 4 distinct categories. This year, $15,000 in cash prizes are up for grabs, in addition to publication in both digital and print form. Winners will be announced on April 7, 2025. Winning stories and those selected as runners-up will be included in the Storyshares library, which is currently serving tens of thousands of students in all 50 states and over 180 countries. This is an opportunity for writers to not only expose their work to a large, established network of readers, but moreover, for their words to become part of the mission to improve literacy outcomes for teens and young adults across the globe. This is an opportunity to change lives, and to make a difference.
Entry is free, unlimited, and open internationally.
To Enter the Contest
1. Browse contest guidelines and examples for the categories you are interested in.
2. Log in to your account or sign-up to create a free user profile.
3. Click "Write" in the main navigation, followed by "Start writing." Welcome to your writing workshop dashboard!
4. Click "Start New Book" to use our custom book-building tool or click "Upload New Book" to submit a word document.
5. Fill in all the required information and submit your book. Congratulations! You've officially entered the contest!
If you encounter any problems or have any questions, please reach out to contest@storyshares.org. Happy writing!
Timeline
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Sept 18, 2024

Contest open for entries

Jan 13, 2024

Contest closed for judging

April 7, 2025

Winners are announced

Why Write?
Storyshares is on a mission to spread a love of reading and improve literacy skills across the globe. With our annual Story of the Year writing contest, we engage a community of writers to dream up a new library filled with books that engage and support the millions of teens & adults still learning to read.

Every entry that meets the unique Storyshares guidelines has the chance to be published. This is an opportunity for writers to expose their work to a large network of readers, and for their words to improve literacy outcomes across the globe.
Readers across 180 countries have spent over 1,000,000 hours reading Storyshares books
Categories & Prizes
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$5,000
+ publication

Decodable Chapter Books: We are looking for writers who can make stories come to life using single-syllable, high-frequency, and specific phonics words based on a given scope and sequence. 

Decodable Microfiction Collection: Create short and impactful stories with our microfiction challenge! Challenge yourself by building a collection of enchanting stories using 250 words or less.

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$3,000
+ publication

Create heroes, villains, or everyday people with depth and personality in this category all about unforgettable characters! We are looking for writers who can showcase relatable and complex characters that captivate readers and help drive the story with their rich personalities, compelling backstories, and dynamic arcs.

content
$3,000
+ publication

Celebrate the lives of global change-makers in our nonfiction category! From activists to innovators, we are looking for writers who can capture the stories of change-makers in an exciting and insightful way. Join us in honoring those who shaped our world for the better by highlighting their impact and inspiring others to follow in their footsteps.

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$2,000
+ publication

Let your creativity soar in this writing category exclusively for teen writers 18 years or younger! This is a chance for teen writers to unleash their voices and create stories in any genre that showcase their unique experiences and reflect their interests. We are looking for the next generation of young-adult writers to inspire others with their imagination and originality.

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$2,000
+ publication

ReadWorks has partnered with Storyshares and they are looking for young authors to write a new ending for their 8th-grade cliffhanger series Hacked! Test your creativity by writing an alternate ending for this action-packed fiction series!

Our panel of judges includes amazing experts and lovers of literacy.

Awards From
Anna Hall
Anna is the CEO at Northeast Charter Schools Network
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Avi Sethi
Avi is a Board Advisor at Storyshares
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Becca Vaughn
Becca is the Director of Development at ReadWorks
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Beth Gamba Steel
Beth is an Executive Director at the Gamba Family Foundation
Awards From
Colin Seale
Colin is the Founder & CEO of thinkLaw
Awards From
Jess Smith-Harper
Jess is a Director at the American Reading Company
Awards From
Jessica Seessel
Jessica is the Director of Literacy for New York City Public Schools
Awards From
John Mayo Smith
John is a Digital Media Consultant for various companies
Awards From
Katherine Tarca
Katherine is the Director of the Office of Literacy and Humanities
Awards From
Laura Buchwald
Laura Buchwald is an author and novelist
Awards From
Laurel Paula Jackson
Laurel is a Global Citizenship Educator and Social Entrepreneur
Awards From
Dr. Lori Severino
Lori is the Co-Founder of Credentials Unlimited
Awards From
Liz Kline
Liz is the Chief Product Officer at Reading Futures
Awards From
Liz Striebel
Liz is the Senior Managing Director of Literacy at KIPP DC
Awards From
Michael Horn
Michael is an author of "From Reopen to Reinvent"
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Mike Brown
Mike is the Director of The Principal Learning Center (PLC)
Awards From
Dr. Shawn Robinson
Shawn is the CEO of Doctor Dyslexia Dude
Awards From
Neil Jaffe
Neil is the President of the trade book company Booksource
Awards From
Sage Salvo
Sage is the Founder & CEO of Words Liive, Inc.
Awards From
Sam Aronson
Sam is a fiction writer and artist residing in Amsterdam
Awards From
Val Dutta
Val is an Adolescent Literacy Innovation Specialist
Awards From
Zac Elder
Zac is the Head of Strategic Initiatives at Ello
We are honored to have this contest's amazing partners and sponsors.

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Become a contest sponsor
Your support helps to shape and grow our library for our audience of readers around the globe. Want to learn more about getting involved?
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