Verticals For Good Launches Micro-Series Challenge to Transform Lives
News related to:Verticals For Good · 3 min read
LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, October 7, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Verticals For Good, led by four-time #1 bestselling author Havilah Malone, has launched the Verticals For Good Micro-Series Challenge, aiming to bring purpose to the burgeoning micro-drama market. The winning script will be announced live at the third edition of the LA Vertical Drama Market, scheduled for November 5-7, 2026, at Capital Arts in Los Angeles.
Malone, known for her roles in HBO’s "Barry" and "Insecure," and CBS’s "NCIS: New Orleans," founded Verticals For Good with the goal of using the vertical micro-series format to tell stories that entertain and transform. The challenge is open internationally to writers 18 and older, individually or in teams of up to three, with all entries submitted in English. The deadline for submissions is October 30, 2026, at 8:59 p.m. PT.
The micro-drama format, which includes serialized stories told in one- to three-minute vertical episodes made for the phone, generated an estimated $11 billion in global revenue in 2025 and is projected to reach $14 billion by the end of 2026, according to research firm Omdia. The U.S. is expected to account for $1.5 billion of that revenue. Much of the content still focuses on revenge plots, billionaire romances, and cliffhangers engineered for the next swipe.
The book concludes with her S.H.I.N.E. formula: Stop Settling, Heal Internally, Ignite Your Passion, Network with Winners, Empower Others. Malone sees the challenge as an opportunity to give permission to millions of people to fall apart and come back as themselves, one episode at a time.
The challenge is divided into two tracks: Track A, which follows the book closely, and Track B, which allows for a thematic reimagining of one of the book’s core themes in any genre, from rom-com to thriller. The winner will receive a $2,000 prize, and the winning script will be announced live at the LA Vertical Drama Market. Two runners-up will receive coaching sessions with industry experts: Kay Ross, founder of Story Math, and Roberta Sparta, founder of Sparta Productions.
The challenge also takes a clear stance on the use of AI. Writers may use AI tools for research, outlining, brainstorming, and formatting, but the core storytelling, including scenes, dialogue, characters, and plot, must be their own. Malone, an alumna of the Sundance Collab x TikTok Micro-Series Writers Program, will also appear as a featured panelist at the LA Vertical Drama Market, where she will share the Verticals For Good model and the market opportunity it opens.
Verticals For Good is building a roster of writers trained to adapt empowerment and transformation books into vertical series for authors, publishers, and brands. The initiative is seeking partnerships with studios, streamers, and vertical platforms looking for purpose-driven series that audiences finish and share. Brands and foundations are also invited to seek corporate social responsibility and impact partnerships, including sponsoring future challenges, writer fellowships, and branded series. Investors interested in mission-driven entertainment at the intersection of publishing and short-form video are encouraged to engage.
The challenge is part of a broader plan to transform the micro-drama format into a tool for personal and social transformation. Malone believes that brands spend billions to reach people on their phones, and she envisions a future where that screen time leaves people better off. The partnership Verticals For Good is building aims to make that vision a reality.