How to enter

The Thalia Storyteller Award is a joint competition organised by Thalia and story.one. We share a love of stories and a passion for discovering the best ones and enriching the book market with fresh ideas. We are therefore looking for new, innovative books with stories that inspire readers. “Through our partnership with story.one, we have found the ideal format to celebrate and promote this spirit of discovery,” says Thalia CEO Ingo Kretzschmar. There are 3 award categories that reflect the diversity and dynamism of the stories that surround us every day. With the Thalia Storyteller Award, Thalia and story.one want to discover new stories that have the potential to stimulate the reading market and create new favourite books.

For anyone unfamiliar with story.one, there’s a practical explainer video which outlines how you can get started with story.one and create your own book. Watch it on our website to get a quick start in storytelling.

These are in the Help Center on our website. There’s loads of information and resources to help you start your publishing journey.

Your story, your rules – within an innovative framework. story.one books consist of 12 to 17 chapters and have a total of 60 to 80 pages. This compact format is ideal for captivating today’s readers.

Start each chapter at ‘Write’ in the navigation bar. There are three pages per chapter for you to fill with your words and an additional page for visual elements such as images, illustrations or QR codes – make the most of this creative space. Whether you create a collection of short stories or a continuous narrative, whether you write in one language or multilingually, whether you use traditional genres or create completely new ones: your vision sets the course. Show us how you bring the pages to life – we can’t wait to dive into your story’s world.

Firstly, we’re delighted you want to take part. To begin, register on story.one, where you will become part of our creative community, and gain access to our innovative book format. 

Imagine how your book will one day be on the shelves and catch the eyes of readers, fascinated by your title, your cover and a description that entices them to read it.

Before you get to that point, take some time to formulate an idea which will excite you, the jury and future readers. Talking to friends, family and first readers can be worth its weight in gold, because feedback is what makes good stories great.

As soon as your book is ready you can publish it with a few clicks. We look forward to seeing your finished work and are excited to see what fascinating stories you’ll share with us.

You can fill the story.one book format as you wish, of course also with poetry/poems, all genres and languages are possible – unlock your creativity.

As soon as you have finished your book, you can publish it. To activate the voucher, enter it in the last step of the upload and order process for your book and type ThaliaStoryteller25 in the field ‘Enter voucher code here’. As soon as you have entered the code, the invoice amount will be removed from the first author’s copy and your book will automatically be entered for the Thalia Storyteller Award.

Entering the Thalia Storyteller Award is completely free of charge. Here’s how to redeem the voucher and its benefits.

1. Free use of all features: You can use all the story.one design options free of charge. This includes various layouts for the book cover as well as the option to upload your own image for the cover
2. No printing or shipping costs: It covers the cost of printing your first author’s copy and shipping. You will receive a free copy of your book, sent to you without any shipping cost

Redeeming the voucher: Type the code ThaliaStoryteller25 in the corresponding field in the last step when completing your book order. Using the code activates the voucher, and automatically registers you for participation in the Thalia Storyteller Award 2025. The code Thaliastoryteller25 has two functions: it means you don’t incur any costs for your first author’s copy and registers you in the competition.

Important: You Must Use the Code. To benefit from these advantages, you must enter code Thaliastoryteller25 at checkout. The benefits cannot be credited afterwards if you order without using the code. If you do forget, you can still take part in the Thalia Storyteller Award – write to [email protected] and we’ll ensure your book is entered.

Benefit from lower prices – only for authors: If you would like to order more copies of your book right away, you can at reduced prices – we want to offer all authors the opportunity to get their book to a broad audience.

You can purchase any number or choose from three packages:

• Basic, from 7 copies: The price per copy drops to €14. Perfect for surprising your family and friends with a unique gift
• Premium (most popular), from 50 copies: The price drops to €12 per copy, you get 3 additional free copies, and you can participate in mybook@Thalia. Your book will be sold in a Thalia flagship store of your choice for at least one month
• Professional, from 300 copies: The price is only €10 per copy and we’ll give you an additional 30 free copies for your book promotions (e.g. readings, distribution to media, book bloggers, influencers etc). Taking part in mybook@Thalia is also possible with the Professional package

As soon as you enter the voucher code Thaliastoryteller25 when ordering more than one copy, the costs for the first author’s copy will be automatically deducted from the invoice.

With these story.one services, you can focus on writing and designing your book. Take this opportunity to share your story with the world.

The Thalia Storyteller Award judging process is thorough and multi-stage to ensure each book is assessed fairly and professionally. Our jury consists of experts in the fields of literature, publishing and media who bring their expertise to the panel:

1. First review of all books: In the first round, we check each book twice (and independently) to see if it meets the basic criteria. This includes checking the title, cover, book description, biography, table of contents, first story and general design. Books that obviously do not meet the expectations – for example, an uninspired title, a random cover, or an inadequate book description – are eliminated. About 80% of the submissions do not make it to the next round. The very good and interesting book concepts are already marked for the final review during this first screening.
2. Detailed examination: Books which move to the next rounds undergo a more intensive evaluation of the content. The jury reads the books to have a thoroughly informed opinion. It’s expected that the quality of the book is consistent throughout and not concentrated only in a few pages. The books shortlisted in this round have a chance of making it into the top 10. Each book will be read and evaluated in its entirety by at least two judges.
3. Selecting the winners: Of the shortlisted books, the Thalia jury then evaluates the mix of the idea, the text, the overall realization, the credibility and authenticity of the authors to select the 10 winners of the TSA25.

This process is the result of a collective, thoughtful analysis involving the story.one and Thalia teams. A lot of emphasis is placed on in-depth jury meetings to select the best 10 books which will move and inspire the audience.

The jury gives great importance to originality and emotional depth. What will impress them is books based on a unique idea which offer something new and unusual or tell a compelling story. Emotional resonance is another key to the success of your book. The jury wants to feel real emotions – it could be joy, sadness, amazement, or hope. A book which emotionally resonates with readers will be remembered for a long time.

The author biography gives the jury an insight into you, your credibility, and the authenticity you have in the topic you have chosen. A well-written biography shows how deeply you are connected to the topic and why you’re the right person to tell this particular story.

The book description plays an important role in evaluating your submission. This is the window into your book’s world and should spark curiosity and intrigue – without giving too much away. A clear, engaging description will immediately engage judges and readers and is crucial to generating interest in your book.

Successful authors often say the best books come from a deep personal connection to the subject. Stephen King said: “Write not to make money, but to break the hearts of readers.” This demonstrates the importance of passion and emotional honesty in the writing process.

So, the jury is not just looking for technical competence in writing, but for stories which are well-told and have a deep meaning or strong emotional impact. Your job as an author is to convey your unique voice and perspective as authentically as possible. Take the chance to show the world through your eyes and create something which moves and inspires both the jury and your readers.

You can start earning commission on your book as soon as the 11th copy is sold in retail. We offer a base commission of 10%, which is €1.80 per book sold – double what many other platforms pay out on similar formats.

Our commission model is designed to grow with the sales of your book. As more books are sold, the commission increases as a percentage, meaning your earning potential increases with your book’s popularity. This tiered commission is an incentive for authors to promote their books and reach a wider audience.

We provide all the book creation technology and the use of the platform for free. We’re the only platform in the world that offers the entire process, including a book with an ISBN, free. We did this because we believe everyone in the world should have the opportunity to publish a book and earn income from it.

Plus, all participants in the Thalia Storyteller Award receive a free copy of their book, which is a saving for our authors and enables you to publish without financial risk.

By being a part of story.one, you can share your creative works with the world and have the opportunity to generate income from them.

Firstly, think carefully about the basic idea. What do you want to tell and why exactly is this story worth putting down on paper? This creative core of your book is crucial.

Invest time in designing your cover. Play around with the different design options, upload your own cover image, choose from different elements for the front and back covers.

Create a captivating title. Try out different variations and take your time until the title fits your story perfectly.

Don’t forget the cover and title are the first points of contact for potential readers. They make the first impression and can determine the success of your book.

Work carefully on your book description. It will be printed on the back of your book and will be displayed in online shops. It should inspire curiosity and encourage people to buy.

Present yourself in an authentic author biography and add a personal picture. Readers will be curious to find out more about the person behind the words.

The rights of use generally remain with you as the author. story.one receives the distribution rights for the book for as long as you wish, but for at least a period of six months. This means you have the freedom to use text from your story.one book elsewhere at anytime.

We attach great importance to offering our authors freedom in all legal matters. It’s important to us you retain control over your creative work and at the same time benefit from our platform to make your stories accessible to a wide audience.

Yes. And, it’s best to write your story.one book directly on our platform. We’ve developed an intuitive editor which makes it easy for anyone to get their thoughts and stories written. This editor is designed so you can see how your text will look in the finished book while you’re writing. This gives you the chance to see what your book’s layout will look like early in the writing process and adapt it if you need to. The story.one editor offers loads of options for formatting and designing your text, which makes the whole process efficient – and enjoyable.

Your book can be found everywhere! As soon as you have uploaded your book to story.one, it will be available in all online shops and bookshops throughout the German-speaking world. This means that it can be ordered not only online, but also in stationery bookshops. Add a sales link (e.g. to Thalia) to your book on your author page, then your readers can order directly. In addition, your book will also be available in many online bookshops throughout Europe.

For authors with an international community, we even offer international book distribution. For an extra charge of just €100, you can take advantage of this service, which then guarantees global distribution of your book for three years. Your story will reach readers around the globe!

Story.one is committed to sustainability. Each book is produced on demand, which means it is only printed when there is a demand for it in the respective quantity, thus avoiding both overproduction and wasting resources. Thanks to local printing facilities, CO2 emissions are reduced.

Your book is not only unique, but also environmentally friendly. 🌱

After your book has been approved for printing, it takes up to 48 hours before it is listed in the online shops and can be ordered. After 5-7 days, the retailers will have completely updated their databases, including the cover image, book description and biography.

A really good story is more than just a collection of words – it’s a window into new worlds, experiences and emotions. It can be based on true events or inspired by your fantasy, but the most important thing is that it connects with the reader. A story that creates personal connections or simply blows the reader away has a special power. Think of those moments when someone tells a story and everyone says: “That should be made into a film!” or “Someone should write a book about that”. These stories arouse emotions, create images in our minds and never let go.

Whether it’s a gripping slice of life anecdote, a special interest story or a local legend – each one can be great. We look for stories which hook readers and offer them something meaningful or entertaining. It doesn’t matter if you have a large community or not; what matters is the ability to reach and touch your readers. At Thalia and story.one, we look forward to discovering – and promoting – great stories which open up new perspectives for our readers and touch them deep inside.

This story.one special prize honours not only the cover but the entire design of a book. It is about the combination of cover design and illustration throughout the book, creating a unique visual narrative and reinforcing the thematic concept of the book.

Why is the overall design of the book important?  A coherent overall design influences how the book’s story is perceived. The jury values submissions in which the overall concept of the visual language is recognisable and the cover and illustrations together create a unique narrative. This shows the author values the content as well as the aesthetic presentation of the book.

How can I make my book stand out in terms of design?  Make sure all of the visual elements of your book – from the cover to the illustrations inside – are aligned and support the mood and message of your story. Creativity and originality in design can help your book stand out from the crowd.

What should you bear in mind when designing a book?

• Coherence: All design elements should speak a unified language and complement each other
• Narrative elements: Use visual elements which directly address and expand on the plot or theme of your story
• Quality of illustrations: Ensure illustrations and layout are of high quality and professionally executed

How will the winner of the special prize be decided?  The jury is looking for creativity, innovation and the ability to create a coherent and appealing visual experience. It’s about how well the design supports the story and whether it represents a self-contained, artistic concept.

For more details and inspiration on excellent book designs, visit our Thalia Story Spots or the FAQ page on our website.

It is possible to write and publish under a pseudonym. This can be useful, especially if there are important reasons for doing so: it could be author’s writing about sensitive topics which could affect their privacy or security, or if they have a prominent public role in their profession that’s not compatible with their writing. A pseudonym can be used to gain creative freedom, unaffected by social or cultural expectations.

However, every author should be aware the jury is looking to get an understanding of the person behind a book, especially when it comes to assessing authenticity and personal expression. It’s important the authenticity of the work is recognizable, even under a pseudonym.

It’s worth considering that anonymity ends at the final event. If you’re selected as a winner, it would be necessary to reveal your identity to the organizer to participate in the final event. This ensures the integrity of the competition and a fair and transparent evaluation of all entries.

Absolutely, poetry has a home with us. You can fill your book with poems or include them as part of a larger narrative. Your work can be as diverse as your creativity allows. We have already seen that poetry wins the hearts of our readers and the jury – as the impressive example of the poetry slammer who made it to second place in our Young Storyteller Award 2023. So, whether it’s pure poetry or a mix of different literary forms, we’re excited to see the worlds you create through your words.

The code ThaliaStoryteller25 is your ticket to the world of authors. It covers the entire cost of creating your TSA book – and that includes all the design options which would normally cost extra. In addition, you will receive a free author’s copy sent directly to your home. Depending on which design options you choose, the value of the voucher can be up to €100. You can submit up to three books to the TSA25. 

Your free author’s copy will be sent to you 10-12 days after your book has been uploaded. At the same time as the copy is sent out, your book will be available in stores. This allows you to get your work in your own hands and see how it finds its way to readers.

Please make sure your address and name details are correct when you upload your book. We will not be able to send another free copy if the original does not reach you due to an incorrect address or name. We recommend you check all details carefully before completing the upload. Please take care and pay close attention at this step.

Simply write to us, [email protected] (subject: Forgotten code).We can add the code manually and submit your book to the jury. Please note, a refund for costs already incurred is not possible. So it’s important you make sure you enter the code ThaliaStoryteller25 at checkout to avoid any cost and your book is entered into the competition.

After your upload, the book is ‘in review’; approval for printing usually takes place within 48 hours. When your book is approved, you will receive an invoice with the voucher code noted on it. This serves as the acknowledgement that your book is successfully participating in the Thalia Storyteller Award.

story.one’s unique format has revolutionized the writing process, and the way an engaging book is created – it’s magic. We have simplified the writing process and redefined the way books are designed to allow anyone to create a professional looking book quickly and effectively.

The time it takes to write a story.one book can vary, but many of our authors find they can finish their book in as little as 14 days if they have a clear vision and a good concept. The speed of our process allows you to react quickly to current trends and keep your content topical.

It’s always been important to us that books are not only written quickly but can be published quickly. Our flexible way of publishing means authors can respond promptly to social developments and reader interests. Creating a book at story.one is both a creative process, and a timely and dynamic one, allowing authors to share their stories with the world effectively without delay.

As soon as you have published your book on story.one, our team starts the review process. We look at each book and look for ones which potential could be put on display for sale in Thalia bookstores – whether in a single branch or nationwide. This process happens in the background.

As a rule, your book will be visible in all online shops within 2-3 days. After around 10-14 days, all information is updated, and your book can be ordered everywhere. Meanwhile, your author’s copies are produced and arrive at around the same time. This is also the perfect time to launch your book campaign to let the world know about your book and increase the chance it will not only find a prominent place online, but perhaps also on a Thalia shelf.

Generally, a book is released within 48 hours, but it can take up to 4 days around the TSA deadline due to the large number of submissions.

Your book will be listed on Thalia and all other online shops just 1-2 days after the approval. 

Making a book successful is a jigsaw – it depends on many pieces:

Know your readers: think about who would enjoy reading your book. If you know what they like and your book offers that, more of them will be willing to find out more.

Promote your book: Even the best book needs to be discovered. Tell people everywhere about your book – on the internet, with friends or through advertising so it doesn’t remain unnoticed.

A beautiful cover and an exciting title: The first thing someone sees is the cover and title of your book. If these stand out and create curiosity, people are more likely to pick up your book.

Exciting content: Your story should be so exciting and well told that nobody wants to put it down. Well-written text is important so your readers love the book and recommend it to others.

Positive reviews: If people like your book and say so, others will want to read it too. Good reviews are a great recommendation.

Stay open to change: Sometimes a small improvement, like a few new sentences in your story or a better description of the book, can have a big impact. But make sure you don’t keep changing everything, because that’s a lot of work and not always necessary.

So, the secret is not only to write an exciting book, but also to show it to the right people and make sure it gets noticed.

At story.one you can easily track of your sales. With our ‘Sales Trend’ dashboard in your author account, you can see the current sales trend numbers before the next payment. Please note there may be delays in the display of new releases and that the time of order, purchase and display in the sales Sales Trend may vary.

The Sales Trend shows all the copies ordered by retailers worldwide and produced and delivered by us. The figure shows the retail purchases, not the sales of the books. As retailers also place copies in stock, the subsequent sale of a copy does not automatically trigger a change in the Sales Trend. Books that are not sold and returned by retailers or have not been paid for/collected are deducted when calculating the author’s commission and the sales trend is adjusted accordingly.

The exact sales figures are provided to us by dealers every six months, on 30 June and 31 December. They are provided by established retail partners, whose data is regularly and thoroughly validated to ensure the highest accuracy, and include all worldwide orders, minus copies which have not been sold or been picked up. We then use this verified data to calculate your author commission, which is paid out accordingly. Author copies ordered directly from story.one are not included in this overview.

You can also take a look at the story.one bestseller lists at our partner Thalia. These lists, available at Thalia Germany and Thalia Austria, show you how well your book is selling at Thalia. All book sales at Thalia are included in these bestseller lists, so you can see how your book compares to other titles. It’s not only a great way to celebrate your success, but also to be inspired by the popularity of other story.one authors.

The story.one x Thalia bestseller list only shows sales at Thalia. It’s a good indication of how your book compares to other titles sold through Thalia. Although this does not include all sales, it does provide a valuable perspective on your book’s popularity and market penetration with Thalia.

This will help you to understand the success of your book and give you insights to adjust marketing to increase your book’s visibility.

Yes, you can order as many copies of your book as you like. If you order 7 or more copies, you will benefit from discounted prices. The invoice amount will be reduced by the value of the voucher.

Every book published by story.one which sells more than 300 copies in bookshops, regardless of the Thalia Storyteller Award, automatically receives a special promotion from us and Thalia. This is your wild card for an outstanding promotion: your book will be placed in selected Thalia bookshops. You don’t need to do anything else – we’ll contact you as soon as you’ve crossed this important threshold. We are also working on a feature which will allow you to view sales figures directly in your story.one profile. We aim to have this feature available by the end of the Thalia Storyteller Awards to give you even more transparency and control over the success of your book.

In the meantime, the sales rank on thalia.de and the story.one x Thalia bestseller list provide a guide to how well your book is selling. Visit www.thalia.de/vorteile/story-one/bestseller to see current sales successes.

story.one stands for transparency and protecting the intellectual property (IP) of third parties when using AI tools. If you use text or image AI to create your book, please include this information in the imprint of your book.

Your language selection not only affects the display of the published texts on story.one, but also determines the language of your book displayed in the online shops, so it’s important to specify the correct language in the story editor for each story/chapter. This ensures that your book is presented correctly both on story.one and in bookshops. You can then also use the automatic spell checker for your text.

For the Thalia Storyteller Award, we are looking for new and unpublished books that reflect the diversity and creativity of our authors. Therefore, your book should be text whch has not yet been published in a story.one book.

However, we understand a very specific text may have the potential to shine in your new book. Therefore, you can submit a book for the award that includes such a story, as long as the other texts are published in a book for the first time. We want to offer readers originality and freshness to inspire them.

Yes, at story.one you have the option of correcting typos or small errors in your book as part of the “reorder with error correction” feature. We charge a fee of €25 for this service. Please note after these changes, your corrected book can then be uploaded to the databases of book retail. All newly printed books will then contain the changes, while copies already being distributed will remain unchanged until they are sold. This ensures your story reaches your readers as quickly as possible in the best possible quality.

As a story.one author, you can order discounted author copies if you buy at least 7 copies of your book. This is a great way to get your book at a reduced price and share it with family, friends or readers.

For larger orders, we offer additional discounts and special offers, such as the myBook@Thalia feature if you want to order more than 50 copies. These offers are ideal for authors who want to sell their books at events or plan to widely distribute their work.

For more information about discounts or ordering options, visit our Help Center, where you’ll find instructions and helpful tips on how to get the most out of your orders. We are happy to provide advice and assistance in supporting your publishing.

Yes, you can stop the distribution of your book in retail six months after the publication date. There is a one-off fee of €25 for stopping distribution and we will forward this change to all retail book databases. All details can be found in our Help Center.