Calls for Submissions

Submit by February 2026

Sixteen Rivers Press is accepting submissions for full-length poetry manuscripts from Northern California poets to be published in spring 2028. Based in the Bay Area, they are a shared-work poetry collective committed to collaborative, hands-on publishing of local work. Manuscripts should be book-length poetry collections and will be read blind. Do not include your name anywhere on your manuscript, as it is important that your manuscript be a blind submission. The manuscript must be single-spaced and between 60 and 90 pages. Manuscripts must be previously unpublished, although individual poems may have been published online or in print. The manuscript should include a title page without the author's name and address, a table of contents, and an acknowledgments page listing previous publications of the poems. Submissions are accepted by email only and will be open until February 1, 2026. For more guidelines and to submit, visit: sixteenrivers.org/submit.

Submit by January 2026

River of Words is accepting submissions for their 2026 River of Words International Poetry & Art Contest. They are a program dedicated to environmental literacy for youth through poetry and art, encouraging young writers to explore place, nature, and community. The contest is open to students ages 5-19 (Pre-K to 12) and invites original poems engaging with the environment in an open, creative way. Up to five poems may be submitted online by a parent, guardian, or educator. The deadline is January 31, 2026, at 11:59 pm PST. For more guidelines and to submit, visit: www.stmarys-ca.edu/academics/schools/kalmanovitz-school-of-education/centers-institutes/center-environmental-literacy/river-of-words.

Varied Deadlines

Join the Northern California Book Reviewers! The NCBR, a volunteer association, seeks prospective members based in California as jurors for the Northern California Book Awards, now in its 45th year. Nominating committees in Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction (General and Creative), Children's Literature (Younger Readers, Middle Grade, Young Adult), and Translation (Poetry and Prose) select the finalists and winners. NCBR members must have published three reviews in an established online or print publication. Editors at newspapers and publications that publish book reviews, children's librarians, book media hosts, and other book professionals are also eligible. To submit books for NCBA consideration, see: poetryflash.org/programs/?p=ncba. Joyce Jenkins, editor@poetryflash.org, cell: (510) 612-3958, or (510) 525-5476.

—POSTED JANUARY 2026