One StoryCompetition

$500 One Teen Story Writing Contest

Dec 01, 2026 23:59:00 UTC

Opportunity type

Competition

Funding

Fully Funded

Location

Global

Deadline

Dec 01, 2026 23:59:00 UTC

About this opportunity

Submissions open on October 20, 2026 and close on December 1, 2026; the entry link will not accept stories before October 20. One Story, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit literary publisher, runs a free annual short fiction contest through its teen magazine, One Teen Story. Writers aged 13 to 19 anywhere in the world enter one original, unpublished story of 2,000 to 4,500 words about the teen experience, in any genre. Winners receive $500, work with a One Teen Story editor, and are published on the magazine's website.

What you get:

$500, paid on publication, for each contest winner
Publication of the winning story on the One Teen Story website
The chance to work with a One Teen Story editor before publication
Honorable mentions chosen in three age categories (13 to 15, 16 to 17, 18 to 19), announced on the website, by email and on social media
Rights revert to the author after publication (One Teen Story pays for first North American serial rights)

What you'll do:

Write one original, previously unpublished short story of 2,000 to 4,500 words with teens as the main characters
Submit it in English (translations accepted, with the original text on request) as a double-spaced, page-numbered DOC, DOCX, PDF or RTF file through One Story's online submission manager, under your age group
Provide proof of age if you are a winner or finalist, and a parent or guardian consent form if you are under 18 and win or receive an honorable mention

Key dates:

Submissions open October 20, 2026 (the submission manager lists no open call before then)
Submissions close December 1, 2026
Age eligibility is measured as of December 1, 2026
Winners announced in spring 2027

More information:

Full guidelines and FAQ on One Story's contest page
Questions to otscontest@one-story.com

Who can apply

Aged 13 to 19 as of December 1, 2026
International entries accepted; the manuscript must be in English
One submission per person, 2,000 to 4,500 words, original and previously unpublished anywhere, including personal websites, blogs and school publications
Teens as main characters and a story about the teen experience; any genre
No assistance from AI tools or software
Simultaneous submissions allowed, but withdraw if accepted elsewhere
Proof of age required for winners and finalists; parent or guardian consent form to publish names of winners and honorable mentions under 18
No entry fee

AI Verification

✓ AI Verified

Our AI read the official sources and cross-checked the key facts. Here is what held up, and what it could not confirm.

We could not fully verify this organization or all of its details. Check it independently on the official website before you apply, and never share sensitive personal or financial information until you are sure a request is genuine.

LOT Verification ScoreSolid

Cross-checked 13 of 16 key facts

Confirmed Our best read Not stated

Good to know

+$500 and publication in One Teen Story, with an editor working on your story
+Open to writers aged 13 to 19 anywhere in the world
+Free to enter

Worth checking yourself

!Submissions open on 20 October; the entry link will not work before then
!Stories must be 2,000 to 4,500 words, in English
!Closes 1 December

Sources checked

ONone-story.comApplyONone-story.submittable.comOfficialONone-story.comApplyONone-story.comApplyONone-story.comApply

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