One Teen Story Contest / How To Apply (Awards: $500 + Publication)
The One Teen Story Contest is currently open for its 2026 edition. Are you a teenage writer? You might want to to put finishing touches to your short story.
Here’s a brief introduction to the One Teen Story literary magazine. It publishes three stories every year. Also, this prestigious literary magazine accepts submissions from teen writers ages 13-19 for its short story contest.
They are excited to announce their newest One Teen Story Contest! They’re asking writers ages 13-19 to enter their original, unpublished fiction.
Submit great short stories of any genre about the teen experience—literary, fantasy, sci-fi, love stories, horror, etc. What’s in a great short story? Interesting teen characters, strong writing, and a beginning, middle, and end.
Benefits Of The One Teen Story Contest
- One Teen Story will publish the winning stories in its forthcoming issues, reaching over ten thousand readers.
- The contest winners will receive $500 upon publication and 25 copies of the magazine featuring their work.
- The contest winners will also have the opportunity to work with a One Teen Story editor prior to publication.
- The judges will choose honorable mentions in three age categories: 13-15, 16-17, and 18-19, and they will announce each on their website, by email, and on social media.
Submission Guidelines For The One Teen Story Contest 2020.
- To enter, you must be between the ages of 13-19 as of December 1st, 2025.
- Short stories should be between 2,000 to 4,500 words and be the writer’s own original, previously unpublished work.
- Previously published stories and stories forthcoming at other publications will not be considered. This includes stories that have been self-published online on personal websites or other publishing platforms, including blogs.
- By submitting your work, you are acknowledging that it is your own creation, that it has not been borrowed from any other person’s work (including film and video content), and that the characters and situations are of your own invention.
- Stories should be engaging and should have teens as their main characters and be about the teen experience.
Who is Eligible
- No entry fee
- Only one submission per person.
- One Teen Story reserves the right to approve all final, edited content.
- A parent or legal guardian must sign a consent form for One Teen Story to publish the names of winners who are under the age of 18 on our website and social media platforms.
- A parent must sign a consent form for One Teen Story to publish the names of the winners and honorable mentions on our website.
- You must submit through One Teen Stories’ online Submission Manager.
- All winners and finalists must provide proof of age.
How to Submit for One Teen Story Contest
- They have an automated system for you to send your work to them. It will securely send their editors your story and email you a confirmation that it has been received.
- To use the automated system, you’ll need to log in to your One Teen Story account on the One Teen Story Submission Manager Page.
- If you don’t have one, you will be able to create one on the One Teen Story Submission Manager when you submit your piece.
Using this account, you will be able to check the status of your submission at any time by going to our login page. - When you are ready to submit, please visit their Submission Manager. In the Genre drop-down menu, be sure to select your correct age group.
IMPORTANT: Please note that they only accept work by writers ages 13-19. If your story is being considered for publication, they will ask that you provide them with proof of your age.
Deadline: December 1st, 2025 11:59pm ET
To increase your chances of winning, ensure that your story is based on a unique story idea.
Ensure that your story has a clear narrative arc.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie taught a short story writing workshop not too long ago. You can learn a lot from her.
If you have any questions, please email otscontest@one-story.com with the subject line One Teen Story Contest.
GoodLuck!
