This page will list submission opportunities FAW receives and contests we hear about. Many of these will be in InkSpots also, but this is a way of making them available immediately. Non-FAW events may be placed here also.
If you wish to be notified of new content on this page, please send an email to Scott Davidson scottfrombayside@yahoo.com
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New poetry contest from CWC
The Smalls TooA BIG contest for small poems and prose |
Mark your calendars for Feb. 15!Announcing a statewide CWC poetry and prose contest beginning on February 15 – March 15, inviting your submissions of 8-line poems or 75-word prose. AWARDS
Winning and selected poems/prose will also appear in a forthcoming publication. Billy Collins, past Poet Laureate of the U.S.A writes in his book, Musical Tables, “Whenever I pick up a new book of poems. I flip through the pages, looking for small ones. Just as I might trust an abstract painter more if I knew he or she could draw a credible chicken, I have faith in poets who can go short.” Here is an example of one of his poems from this book: Falling Asleep Walking backwards into a dark forest, I sweep my footprints out of existence with a large weightless branch GENERAL GUIDELINES
JudgesLes Bernstein, head judge, is an award-winning poet and anthologist whose poems have appeared in journals and anthologies in the United States and internationally. Her full-length book, Loose Magic, was reviewed by the Los Angeles Review of Books and is available on Amazon.
Robin Gabbert has poems published in local, state, and international anthologies. Her books include—The Clandestine Life of Paintings, in Poems and a new book Somehow, I Haven’t Drowned published by Blue Light Press. www.robingabbert.com For questions, please contact Les Bernstein at lessieb13@yahoo.com |
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Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest |
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To enhance the presentation of our Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest winners, we commission original artwork to go with their poems. This is an extra benefit of winning and incurs no expense on the poet’s part. Please enjoy selected illustrations below. This year’s contest will award the Tom Howard Prize of $3,500 for a poem in any style or genre, and the Margaret Reid Prize of $3,500 for a poem that rhymes or has a traditional style. Ten Honorable Mentions will receive $500 each (any style). The top 12 entries will be published online. The top two winners will also receive two-year gift certificates from our co-sponsor, Duotrope. Submit three poems for one $25 entry fee. Both published and unpublished poems are welcome. Enter online via Submittable. Poets from most countries are eligible. Length limit per poem: 250 lines. Deadline: October 1. Winning Writers is one of the “101 Best Websites for Writers” (Writer’s Digest, 2025). |
Half Price Books Flash Fiction Contest
Watch here for information on the Spring 2026 contest. No information yet. Here is the information from the last contest.
As of August 22, here is the current information on the next contest. Submissions are due September 22. This information comes from Al Menard.
The email address for submissions is
The FCAC Flash Fiction Contest will be held on Saturday, September 27, 2025, from 10 am until 5:00 pm, with awards issued about 5:30 pm on Saturday, September 27. This event is sponsored by the Fremont Cultural Arts Council, the Fremont Area Writers, Half Price Books at the HUB, Jack’s Brewery at the HUB, and Infinity Care. The contest is open to anyone writing a 300-word or less story about the theme “THE FRIENDLY GHOST”. The story must be on one page of an 8-1/2 by 11 inch standard piece of paper with the author’s name and contact information on the back or on a separate piece of paper. The deadline to enter a story is midnight, Monday, September 22, 2025. The entries will be put on a colored paper background and displayed through out Half-Price Books at the HUB in Fremont, Everyone who enters the store between 10 am and 5 pm can pick up a ballot to vote for their top five stories. We accept up to three entries per author. We have had winners as young as 11 and as mature as 90+ years of age. We normally receive over 50 entries for this contest, so it is a good idea to capture the reader’s interest in the first sentence.
Note we’re a sponsor this year. We’ve had winners in the past, so start working on your submissions!
August 12: Here is a workshop on story telling in San Francisco:
