Napa Valley Writers invites submissions of fiction and creative nonfiction prose for our 2026 anthology, The Hidden Story: What Shocked, Surprised, or Shattered a World.
We're looking for writing that dares to go beneath the surface — a revelation that reordered everything, an ordinary moment that concealed something extraordinary, the truth that arrived too late or just in time. The shock of sudden loss. The slow surprise of becoming someone new. The quiet shattering that no one else saw.
We welcome
Literary fiction and flash fiction
Personal essays and memoir
Experimental prose
Submissions must be prose only and may be either fiction or non-fiction.
The maximum length for entries is 1,500 words.
Entries are open to everyone, with a maximum of 2 entries per person in any category.
The submission fee (for each piece) is $20 for members and $25 for nonmembers.
All submitted work must be original and unpublished; AI-generated submissions are not permitted.
The deadline for story submissions is June 1, 2026.
Entries will be judged, and selected pieces will be announced by mid-July 2026.
The anthology is scheduled to be published and released by October 15, 2026.
Entries must be double-spaced, using 12-point Times Roman font, and must not include any identifying information on the submitted document. (Author information will be collected using our submission form.)
All submissions should be made in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format.
All authors with selected entries will be contacted to meet contractual terms for publication. Anthology authors will receive a free book, and an opportunity to read at a public event.
Pieces will be judged on the following criteria:
Thematic adherence. How well does the submission fit the theme?
Structural cohesion. How well are plot and setting developed? Is the story well-paced and organized?
Character development. How authentic do the characters and their emotional journeys feel to the reader?
Narrative Craft and Structure: This focuses on the technical skill of the writer—how well the story is paced, organized, and executed.
Originality. Is the writer's voice distinct, unique? How is the reader drawn into the story?
Mechanics and formatting adherence. This is the assessment of basic mechanics and readability.
Ralph DeAmicis — Co-author and publisher of the top selling wine tour books in the North Bay as well as over fifty nonfiction and self-help books ranging from Feng Sui to Business and Astrology. www.SpaceAndTime.com.
Paul Moser — Author of three fiction books, the first three reflecting his tragic fascination with satire: The New Revised Catechlysm, T-Bull and the Lost Men, Inside the Flavor League. The fourth is a memoir, Seeking. To escape work on a current manuscript, he blogs at thisunholymess.com.
Kevin Courtney — Award-winning journalist, columnist and former editor of the Napa Valley Register.
Yvonne Baginski — Former reporter, publisher and editor, Yvonne's published more that 200 articles, op-ed pieces and letters on a variety of political, health care and environmental issues.
For questions, contact napavalleywriters@gmail.com.