Fall Into Fiction

Our 2024 Contest has ended. Congratulations to our winners!

Check back soon for details on our 2025 contest.

Fall Into Fiction: September 1 - 30, 2024

Fall is here again! To celebrate, San José Public Library is hosting a short story contest.

How to Enter

Step 1: Complete the online registration form for Fall Into Fiction 2024 by September 30,

Step 2: Submit your entry in one of the following ways between September 1–30:

Online via Short Edition Portal,
Email via shortstories@sjlibrary.org
In person at any San José Public Library location

Guidelines

Who Can Enter: Amateur writers only. All ages.
Style: Any writing style.
Unpublished: No previous print or online publication, including blogs.
Length Limit: 8,000 characters max, spaces and punctuation included.
Audience: Must be for general audiences. No explicit or mature content.
One Entry: One submission per person.
Proofread: Check for spelling or grammar errors.

Please review our full list of Submission Guidelines for more details.

Age Categories and Prizes

Children (0–9): Prizes awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.
Pre-Teens (10–12): Prizes awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.
Teens (13–17): Prizes awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.
Adults (18+): Prizes awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.

Prizes include a gift card to a local bookstore and a bundle of goodies to keep the creativity, words, and fun flowing.

All winners and other selected works will be published on SJPL Short Édition online platform and in the Short Édition Dispensers at select locations.

Judging

Overseeing the judging process will be library staff and volunteers. To understand what the judges will be looking for, you can view the detailed judging rubric. Winners will be announced by November 1.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the Fall Into Fiction Contest, enter your questions in the comments section below or email us at shortstories@sjlibrary.org.