About

Stories must be original, stand alone, and feature a teen main character; AI assistance and previously published work, including blogs and school publications, are not allowed. Each writer submits once, through an online portal, into the age group of 13 to 15, 16 to 17, or 18 to 19, between October 20 and December 1. Winners are announced in the spring. Each age group has one winner and one runner-up, with honorable mentions named on the website. Winners work with an editor before publication, are paid $500, and keep all rights after publication.

The 2026 round drew nearly 900 submissions and three winners, so selection is steep--unsurprising, given that the original One Story has a reputation as one of the most prominent lit mags in the country. Paid, edited publication with a literary organization, free entry, and a field this narrow together make this among the strongest fiction credentials available to a teen writer.

A win shows a student’s story was edited, paid for, and published by a literary nonprofit whose name holds genuine prestige.