Wow, the last few weeks have really been a long journey to get here – but you made it, dear finalists! Let’s celebrate! After popping the corks, it’s time to get ready for the big YSA finale on October 13 in Vienna, when you will compete on stage! We are looking forward to meeting you.

How will the jury choose the winner?

All jury members have of course already chosen their secret favorite – but this can still change on the evening of the final event! So it’s up to you to convince the jury with your book!

We wish we could take even more great books to the finals. But all the great books deserve their place in the spotlight just as much: so share your books with the world and let your creativity run wild in the book promotion! Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram (@story.one.world) – we always love to hear from you!

We are convinced that the best chapters of your journey to bestseller status are still ahead of you.

And don’t worry: The Young Storyteller Award will take place again in 2024! We hope you’ll be back next year 🫶🏻
All further information will follow soon. Stay tuned!

Today, 20 authors will really celebrate, but tomorrow the YSA 2023 will go into the next round: On 5 October at 11 a.m. we will announce which 10 finalists have made it to the finals in Vienna.

The decision on the shortlist 20 was extremely difficult for us, and therefore we would like to say to ALL of you: You can be incredibly proud of yourselves, because you have already won! Exciting months lie ahead of you, and we want to support and encourage you – for all those who made it onto the longlist: From the beginning of November, your books will be presented in Thalia’s bookstores of choice and that could open the door to success for you.

But as you know: anyone can make it with us, regardless of the Young Storyteller Award and jury decisions.

You have many chances now, so take them! Your journey to becoming a bestselling author has just begun – and with a little patience, you’ll soon find your books on Thalia’s story.one bestseller list!

• Bestseller list Germany
• Bestseller list Austria

We don’t want to keep you in suspense any longer. The shortlist with the Top 20 will be published on October 4th and on October 5th we will announce who the 10 finalists will be.

How does the jury decide?

Every book was carefully considered. The further one got, the more jury members read it. Special attention was paid (in addition to text quality) to:

• Your book idea
• Your talent
• The chances of becoming a bestselling author

In the event of a tie, book description, biography, cover and title were the deciding factors.
Sales figures and social media were not taken into account.

Did the jury get it wrong?

Prove the jury wrong and sell more than 300 books through bookstores/online shops, and we will contact you personally to discuss how Thalia and story.one can promote you further.

You can see how well your book is selling by looking at the story.one x Thalia bestseller list.

• Bestsellerliste Germany
• Bestsellerliste Austria

You will receive exact information about your sales figures (if we don’t get in touch beforehand) in February at the latest for the previous year.

And soon you will find the best book promotion tips on story.one.

Your journey is not over – it has just begun

A very special shout-out goes to the authors who did not make it into the YSA Top 100 this year. Such a decision is never easy for us, especially when so many have written such great books! 📚✨

But a reminder: your journey to becoming a bestselling author has only just begun 🚀 There are plenty of opportunities waiting for you, like the Thalia bestseller list! This is definitely one way to ensure the success of your book 🤩 You can make your dreams a reality by continuing to promote your book online and in the Real World 🏆 It’s in your hands now.

It’s in your hands now 🫶🏻 and we can’t wait to see where this journey takes you!