Stone Soup Writing Contests: A Practical Guide

Stone Soup Writing Contests: A Practical Guide

This guide was checked on 2026-08-25.

Editorial overview

Stone Soup has published writing and art by young people since 1973. That publishing history gives its long-form competition a character quite different from a competition that begins with a one-off upload: the organiser is acting as an editor and potential book publisher as well as a contest host. The current Stone Soup Novel and Long Form Fiction Contest is the seventh annual edition, and its stated purpose is to encourage young writers to attempt work longer than they have written before.

Every long-form work accepted and published by Stone Soup between 1 September 2025 and 31 August 2026 is automatically considered in the current contest. The judges have not fixed how many manuscripts they will select; they will publish as print books as many as they believe meet book-publishing standards. A useful example is the 2023 fiction winner, His Tower of the Night: A Nathalia Kitzmiller Mystery, written by Siri Nelson at age 12. Stone Soup's editors praised the novel for combining suspense and playfulness with a heroine whose family life gives the mystery both realism and warmth.

CompeteMap's view is that the real achievement here is finishing and revising a substantial manuscript that can survive editorial scrutiny. The open-ended length and publication route reward stamina, control of structure, and a willingness to reread the whole work, not just polish an opening chapter. It suits a young writer already sustaining a long story; for someone still experimenting with voice or endings, Stone Soup's shorter publishing and flash opportunities may be a more useful step before committing to a book-length project.

Quick Facts

For current dates, eligibility and registration details, see the Stone Soup Writing Contests competition page.

Review Evaluation

Rated Intermediate. The main challenge is sustaining a coherent, original work across substantial length and first meeting Stone Soup’s editorial publication standard.

What the entry involves

Long-form fiction changes the preparation problem. The first goal is not perfect prose but a complete narrative arc that can support sustained revision. Before drafting deeply, writers should understand the protagonist’s desire, the pressure that drives the story, the major turning points, and the ending toward which earlier scenes are working.

A practical plan divides the manuscript into manageable units. Scene cards or a chapter map can expose gaps in causality, repeated beats, and characters who disappear without purpose. During revision, alternate between structural passes and sentence-level passes; trying to solve plot, pacing, voice, grammar, and formatting simultaneously usually hides the most important decisions.

Submission and editorial route

Submit long-form fiction through Stone Soup's online writing submission form with parent or guardian authorization. The current published closing date is 2026-08-30. Students should confirm the live form and requirements before uploading, especially because acceptance for online publication is part of the route into contest consideration.

The manuscript should receive a continuity pass, a read-aloud pass for awkward rhythm, and a compliance pass for file format and originality attestations. Keep an untouched submitted copy and a simple submission record.

Judging and outcomes

The official page explains how editorial acceptance leads into contest consideration and how some manuscripts may move into book publication. That makes editorial readiness important, but writers should also value the durable achievement of finishing and revising a substantial original work.

Key Takeaways

• Start by reading the current official brief and turning every requirement into a checklist.
• Choose an idea that can survive revision, not merely one that sounds impressive at first.
• Build time for feedback, verification, and a last compliance pass before submission.
• Keep drafts, research notes, and judging feedback as evidence of growth after the result.

Sources checked

• https://stonesoup.com/stone-soup-novel-contest/
• https://stonesoup.com/submit-writing/
• https://stonesoup.com/
• https://old.stonesoup.com/post/saturday-newsletter-november-11-2023/