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Beginnings and Endings

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It is human nature to conceptualize the world consisting of beginnings and endings. This duality permeates almost everything we see, imagine, feel, and hope for. Beginnings and endings can be real and tangible such as birth and death, marriage and divorce, the first and last day of school. They can be metaphorical, perhaps not even visible, such as a thought that blinks into existence only to disappear just as quickly from someone’s mind, or a first impression of someone or something that changes over time.      

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Eligibility. Members in good standing of any branch of the CWC are eligible to submit their work for the 2025 SJVWanthology providing they follow the submission guidelines as outlined below. Failure to comply with the guidelines may result in rejection. 

 

Acceptable Work. Short story, essay, memoir, stand-alone excerpt from a longer work, and poetry are acceptable. For stories, essays, and memoirs the maximum length is 3,000 words. For poetry, the maximum length is four pages. All work must be original and not previously published (electronically or in print). It is the policy of SJVW not to accept work that is AI generated in any way. All work must be original to the author and solely to the author.

 

Font Style and Size. All work will be submitted using Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced. Poetry may be submitted using single spacing with one blank line between stanzas. Before submitting a poem using a font or formatting different from Times New Roman 12-point, email sjvalleywriters@gmail.com to explain your rationale for varying from the submission guidelines. The Editor-in-Chief will reply with assent or denial of your plan. 

 

Electronic Submission Only. All work will be submitted through the SJVW website as a Word document using the form on this page.

 

Number of Submissions. Each author may submit TWO prose pieces or TWO poems. Only one of the prose pieces may exceed 3,000 words to achieve story closure. Alternatively, the author may submit ONE prose piece and ONE poem. If submitting more than one piece, combine them into one Word document. Do not submit multiple documents. 

 

File name. Label your Word file in the following way: your full name followed by 2025 Anthology Submission. Examples: Jane Doe 2025 Anthology Submission. Bob Gómez 2025 Anthology Submission. On the first page of your document (not a title page) include your name and email address. 

 

Illustrations. Do not submit work with illustrations or photographs. Use a placeholder textbox instead.  They may be considered after the work is accepted.  Only black and white illustrations will be included in the interior of the anthology in light of publication expense for color.  All illustrations must be cleared for copyright. That is, you must have the rights to use any picture or illustration with your submission and be able to provide proof of those rights at the time of the submission of the picture or illustration. The following statements apply:

(a) If the illustration or photograph is licensed and a payment is required, you must present proof to San Joaquin Valley Writers that you have paid for the use of the illustration or photograph. San Joaquin Valley Writers will not pay for illustration or photograph licensing.

(b) If you took the photograph in a public setting and you can show the date and location in your phone data indicating you are the owner of the photograph, it is cleared for copyright. If you created the illustration, you are the rightful owner and own the copyright.

(c) If a person’s face is recognizable, it is highly recommended that you provide a signed, dated, Photo Consent Form (an example is provided on the San Joaquin Valley Writers website) giving you permission to use the photograph.

(d) If someone else took the photograph, their written permission is required authorizing you to use it.

 

Sensitive Material. Submissions containing sexual or violent material that is not germane to the story will be heavily edited. Adult language and adult situations are acceptable provided they are appropriate to the characters and circumstances. It is the policy of SJVW to promote diversity and equality. In so doing, submissions that inappropriately target a particular group or class of people may be rejected. 

 

Simultaneous Submissions. Work may be submitted simultaneously provided we are notified immediately if the work is accepted for publication elsewhere. Acceptance by another publisher revokes the submission to San Joaquin Valley Writers.

 

Copyright Policy. By submitting work to the anthology, the author is granting SJVW a one-year exclusive license to publish, reproduce, distribute, and display the work from the date of the publication of the anthology.  During that year, the author may not submit the work to any other publication. At the end of the year, SJVW retains a non-exclusive license for the life of the copyright to continue to publish, reproduce, distribute, and display the anthology including the work, but all copyright rights are retained by the author and he or she may utilize the work as they see fit, including in other publications.

 

Editorial Oversight. All submitted work is subject to editing to ensure the quality of the publication. This includes editing for clarity, spelling, punctuation, and/or formatting requirements as well as matters related to plot and character development or the relationship of the piece to the anthology’s theme. Editing will occur in consultation with each author. The submission may be rejected if an author does not wish to accept the editorial suggestions. If the submission cannot be brought up to publication standards even with editorial input, the piece may be rejected.

 

Editing Prior to Submission. Self-editing and peer-editing prior to submission is encouraged. The cleaner the work, the more likely it is to be accepted. Some authors have their work professionally edited before submission. The editors of the anthology may not participate in the editing of any piece prior to submission or during submission that would lead to a conflict of interest in evaluating submissions for inclusion.

 

Author Biography. Each author whose work is accepted must provide a brief biography via email, not to exceed 150 words, within seven days after notification of acceptance of their work.

 

Terms of Publication. Click here to read the Terms of Publication. Upon submission, you automatically agree to said terms. 

 

Submission Fee. $5 for all CWC members and $15 for non-members. These fees are the same regardless of whether one or two pieces are submitted. 

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Deadline for submission. March 15, 2025, 5:00 p.m.

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For a pdf and printable version of these guidelines, click here. 

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