2026 Anthology Submission Guidelines for CAW Paid Members Only (with the exception of young author entries)
Please read it in its entirety before submitting.
**Submission Period**
- Opens: March 1, 2026, at 12:00 AM
- Closes: April 30, 2026, at 11:59 PM
- The anthology will be published in the fall of 2026, in time for holiday gift-giving.
- All submitters must be current (2026), paid members of Cartersville Area Writers at the time of submission (with the exception of young author entries).
**Submission Details**
You may submit:
- One story (fiction or non-fiction) or
- Up to two poems or
- A story (fiction or non-fiction) and a poem
- Genre: Your choice.
**Formatting Requirements**
- File Format: Save your work as a Word file (.doc or .docx). If you use other formats, please save in .doc or .docx.
- Font: Times New Roman, 12 pt
- Spacing: Double-spaced
- Header: Include your name, the title of your story/poem, and your email address at the top left of the first page of your submission.
**Word Count Limit**
- Maximum for stories: 6,000 words (You do not have to reach this limit.).
**Submission Process**
- Submit your work using the link below. *NOTE: You have to sign in with your Google account information in order to submit, because we use Google Forms and Google Drive. If you do not have a Google account (Gmail) and are unable/unwilling to create one, please email us at CAWHospitality@gmail.com for alternative submission instructions.
- All submissions must include a biography (not to exceed 100 words) and a headshot (jpg, color or black and white).
- Please revise and polish your work before submission. Please share it with trusted individuals for feedback before you submit it.
- If your work is returned with suggested edits, please address and complete those edits promptly to facilitate publication.
**USE OF AI**
- The use of Generative AI to write your story or poem is strictly prohibited. By submitting your work, you confirm that you did not use AI to write any part of your story or poem. You are allowed to use spell check, punctuation check, and grammar check. The story or poem must be written entirely in your own words.
**Content Considerations**
- IMPORTANT: Consider the subject matter carefully, as this group anthology may be gifted to family members.
**Previously Published Work**
- If submitting work that has been published elsewhere, you must hold the publication rights. Please provide information on where it was first published at the beginning of your submission.
**Rights Information**
Upon publication of the 2026 anthology:
- CAW retains first publication rights (print and digital) and archival rights.
- All other rights will be returned to you, allowing you to resubmit/republish your story or poem as desired.
- We ask that you acknowledge the Cartersville Area Writers Anthology as “first published in” if your piece is published again after your rights are returned to you.
**Special Note for Young Authors Contest**
- YA submissions are for 10th – 12th grade students currently enrolled in a high school located in Northwest Georgia (Bartow, Floyd, Paulding, Polk, Gordon, Cherokee), public or private.
- YA participants do NOT have to be paid members of CAW.
- This is a blind contest judged by a committee. The winner will receive a scholarship and publication.
- All submissions will receive a free in-depth critique after the anthology is published.