Contest · August 1–31, 2026
$500 says you can write it.
It'll still sound like you.
The AIStoryHub Short Story Contest. Draft at least 10,000 words on the platform this August. Three prizes, paid in Anthropic API credit. Judged blind, on the writing, not on how it got made.
Entries open August 1, 2026. Free to enter, open worldwide, no purchase necessary.
Prizes
$500 total, split three ways.
Every prize is delivered as an Anthropic API key, preloaded with the credit amount and ready to use.
1st place
$300
Anthropic API credit
Plus a feature on the AIStoryHub blog and community hub.
2nd place
$125
Anthropic API credit
3rd place
$75
Anthropic API credit
Entry
Five steps, one story.
“Use the platform” doesn't mean AIStoryHub has to write the story for you, or that the whole draft has to happen here. Use it in some way, for some part of the work.
01
Make an account
Free, no card required. Use the built-in model or bring your own key from Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, or OpenRouter.
02
Draft on AIStoryHub
Write or continue a short story of at least 10,000 words, using AIStoryHub in some way to draft it. A brand-new project or one you started months ago both qualify. Lean on Ash, Generate PRO, Voiceprint, whatever your process needs.
03
Finish it your way
Polish off-platform if you want. Read it aloud, hand it to a beta reader, run a Human Grit Pass. The story on the page has to be one you'd put your name on.
04
Enter from your story list
Once your story passes 10,000 words, open your story list and click Enter contest on its card. Confirm in the popup and you're in, no export, no email, no separate form.
05
Wait for the verdict
Every entry is stripped of names and read blind by our judging panel. Winners are announced by September 15, 2026.
Dates
Mark the calendar.
One month to write. Two weeks to judge. All times Eastern.
August 1, 2026
Entries open
August 31, 2026, 11:59pm ET
Submission deadline
September 1–14, 2026
Blind judging
September 15, 2026
Winners announced
Judging
Read blind. Scored on craft.
Names and bios come off every entry before it reaches a judge. Nobody on the panel knows who wrote what until scoring is done.
40%
Voice & craft
30%
Story & structure
20%
Originality
10%
Meets the rules
Eligibility
Open to writers, worldwide.
A handful of exceptions apply. The full legal terms are in the official rules.
Read the official rules- Open worldwide, except where prohibited by local law or export sanctions.
- You must be the age of majority in your country of residence (18+ in most places).
- You need a free AIStoryHub account, and you need to have used it, in some way, to draft your entry. New project or one you started before, both count.
- One entry per person. Multiple accounts get every entry disqualified.
- No purchase necessary. Nothing on AIStoryHub costs money to enter.
- AIStoryHub team members, contractors, and their immediate families can't enter.
- Residents of Quebec, Canada are not eligible, due to local contest-registration rules.
Questions
Before you draft.
- Does the whole story have to be written on AIStoryHub?
- No. You just need to have used AIStoryHub in some way to draft it, whether that's the whole manuscript or one chapter. We check platform usage against our own account activity, so there's nothing you need to send us as proof.
- What if I don't have an API key?
- You don't need one. AIStoryHub ships with a free built-in model, so you can draft your whole entry without connecting a provider.
- Can I submit a story I already started before August 1?
- Yes. It doesn't have to be a new project. As long as you've used AIStoryHub in some way to draft it and the finished story is at least 10,000 words, it's eligible.
- How do I actually submit my story?
- There's no export or email. Once a story crosses 10,000 words, an Enter contest button appears on its card in your story list. Click it, confirm in the popup, and that's the whole submission. The button appears starting August 1, 2026.
- Any restrictions on genre or content?
- Any genre. Fantasy, romance, thriller, literary, whatever you write. The one hard rule: no NSFW or sexually explicit content, in line with our standard content guidelines.
- How is 'best' decided?
- A blind read by our judging panel, scored on voice and craft, story and structure, originality, and whether the entry meets the rules. No names or bios attached to entries during judging.
- How do I actually get the prize?
- Winners receive an Anthropic API key, preloaded with their prize amount in credit and ready to use right away. Full terms are in the official rules.
Entries close August 31, 2026
10,000 words.
One month. $500.
Entries open August 1, 2026. Make a free account now so you're ready on day one.