Fall Into Fiction Guidelines

When is the Contest: September 1 – 30, 2024.  
 
Submission Deadline: Entries and registration forms must be received by 11:59:59PM on September 30, 2024.
 
How to Enter:
 
  • Online or Paper Entry Form: Complete the online Contest Entry Form, or get and complete a paper entry from at any SJPL location.
  • Submitting Your Work   
    • Authors who are 13+: For entries written by those age 13+, entries may be submitted online via Short Edition Portal.
    • Authors who are under 13: For entries written by those under age 13, you must submit your entry via email to shortstories@sjlibrary.org as an attached Word Document, linked Google Doc, or pasted into the body of an email.
  • Doublecheck Your Entry: Please ensure all names, poem title, and contact info are accurate.
  • Limit 1 Entry:  Only one submission/entry per person/contestant.
Who Can Enter:
 
  • All Ages: Open to writers of all ages. Submissions will be categorized into 4 different age groups: 0-9, 10-12, 13-17, 18+.
  • Amateur Authors Only: Contest is limited to amateur authors only.
  • No SJPL Staff in General Public Contest: San José Public Library staff may not enter submissions for the General Public contest. Library staff may enter into the staff-only contest.
Content Requirements:
 
  • Original Work Only: Submitted work must be a fully original work. Entries must not have been previously published, self-published, published on a website or made public on social media, broadcast, or featured among the winners in another competition.
  • Located in California: This contest is only open to California Residents
  • No AI: Submissions created with artificial intelligence (AI) will not be considered.
  • World Languages Accepted: Authors may submit entries in languages other than English but must also provide an English translation. Judges will score the entry based on the English translation. 
  • Audience Level: Submitted work must be for general audiences. We will not accept entries with explicit language or mature content. 
  • Length Limit: 8,000 characters max, including spaces, punctuation, and special characters.
  • Proofread: Check for spelling or grammar errors.
  • Format: Text only. Images or drawings will not be considered.
How Scoring Works
 
All submissions will be judged according to the following rubric and scoring criteria. The judges read all the entries; their decision is final. Neither the judges nor San José Public Library staff will enter into any correspondence regarding appealing scores.  
 
Contest Prizes and Winners
  • 1st, 2nd, 3rd: Prizes will be awarded to first, second, and third place winners for each age category.
  • Gift Cards: Any cash prizes will be awarded as gift cards.
  • Winner Notification & Announcements:  
  • Where to Pick Up Prizes: Prizes will be available for pickup at the winner’s preferred SJPL location.  
Publication
  • Publishing Winners: Winning entries and selected works will be published in San José Public Library’s online collection in Short Edition and BiblioBoard.
  • Reproduction & Reuse: San José Public Library reserves the right to reproduce your work. You can reuse all your work after the contest.