Please carefully review these guidelines before submitting a nomination. Please note that you must have a Submittable account prior to filling out the nomination form. You may create a free account here.

Nomination Fee

$65 per nomination

Deadline

Sunday, February 15, 2026 @ 11:59 p.m. EST.

Eligibility

• Books and chapbooks published within the 2025 calendar year (January 1 to December 31). Reprints and second editions are not eligible.
• Books will not be considered nominated if any of these guidelines are not met and materials and payment are not postmarked by February 15, 2026. 

Required Materials

The following required materials must be received by February 15, 2026 (postmarked).

• Nomination form;
• $65 nomination fee;
• A copy of the book (digital preferred, though you may mail a hard copy).

Definition of a Georgia Author for the 61st GAYA

To be considered a Georgia author and thus eligible for nomination for GAYA, an author must meet one of the following criteria: 

• The author must have been a resident of Georgia when the nominated book was written, though they may have since moved out of state; or 
• The author must currently live in Georgia when the book is nominated.

Definitions of GAYA Categories for the 62nd GAYA

A book may be nominated in only one category and is selected by the nominator.

Categories:

• Fiction (subcategories) 

1. First Novel—First published novel by a single author (any genre)
2. Literary Novel—A non-genre novel by a single author
3. Short Story Collection—A collection of short stories by a single author
4. Detective/Mystery—A novel by a single author featuring a crime or crimes
5. Horror--A novel by a single author that includes horror and/or supernatural elements
6. Romance—A novel by a single author intended for the mass-market and involving a primary focus on relationships
7. Science Fiction/Fantasy— A novel by a single author that is grounded in the science or technology of the future, and/or fantastical elements
8. Graphic Novel—A narrative work where the story is told not only through words, but also sequential art and can be fiction or nonfiction

• Nonfiction (subcategories) 

1. Biography—A life history that is a fact-based, referenced life story of a person, a group of people, or a family;  category does not include autobiography, which should be nominated under memoir
2. History—Research-based books which use narratives to examine and analyze past events
3. Inspirational—Books on topics in self-help, life improvement, motivational, religious, or spiritual
4. Memoir—A book that is an account of one’s personal life and experiences
5. Essay Collection—A collection by a single author. It may not be an anthology of essays by multiple authors

• Poetry (subcategories) 

1. Chapbook—By a single poet and generally no more than 40 pages
2. Full-Length Book—By a single poet

• Children’s Book—Books written for ages 9 and younger, including picture books, fiction or nonfiction
• Young Adult—Books written for ages 10 and older and are either fiction or nonfiction
• Cookbook/Culinary—Books that contain a collection of recipes, techniques, or focus on the exploration of food, cooking, and culture of food
• Specialty Book—Anthologies of poetry, creative non-fiction, and fiction, and books that include a visual element such as art or photography

In the Event a Category Has Fewer than Four Nominees

If a category has fewer than four nominees, authors will have the opportunity to move their books to the next best category. For example, if there are only two books in the Cookbook category, authors will be notified and may choose to place the book in the Specialty Book category.

In the Event an Award Is Not Made in a Category

Georgia Writers Association reserves the right to not award a winner in a category if it is determined that none of the nominations should win. If no winner is selected due to a lack of sufficient nominations in a category, the nomination fee will be refunded. However, if the category judge determines that a category has no first– or second–place winner, the nomination fee will not be refunded.

Breach of Eligibility

If authors are no longer residents of Georgia, they may be asked to provide proof that their book was written or published while living in the state of Georgia. In the event an author is determined to be GAYA-ineligible, the author will be disqualified, and the nomination fee will not be refunded.

Special Payment Requirements

If entities or authors are unable to pay the nomination fee through the Submittable portal (e.g., a university press which requires a vendor form and can only mail a check), please email administrator@georgiawriters.org. We will send you a link to submit your nomination and make arrangements to receive your nomination fee.

Georgia Writers is partnering with the Fine Arts Work Center (FAWC) in Provincetown, MA to award a scholarship to a Georgia Writers member to participate in a week-long summer workshop at FAWC in 2026. The scholarship winner will have their tuition and lodging fully covered, and be provided a $500 food and travel stipend. FAWC's full lineup of workshops will be announced in January. The scholarship recipient will work directly with FAWC to be placed in one of their top workshop choices. (You can see the catalog of workshop from last year here.)

This scholarship is open to writers of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction/memoir.

Not a Georgia Writers member? Sign up here today to become eligible.

The Fine Arts Work Center, a non-profit organization founded in 1968, is dedicated to encouraging the growth and development of emerging visual artists and writers and to enhancing the year-round vitality of the historic art community of Provincetown, MA.

The Work Center is internationally known for its acclaimed Fellowship program, which grants seven-month residencies to 20 emerging writers and artists every winter. FAWC Fellowships have provided sustained and crucial time and space to over 1,000 emerging artists and writers over the course of its 50+ year history.

The Fine Arts Work Center also offers open-enrollment educational programs that provide opportunities to artists of all levels to take strides in their artistic practice and become part of a rich creative community, in addition to helping preserve Provincetown as a cultural destination.

FAWC’s Summer Workshop Program offers over 60 week-long workshops in visual arts and creative writing for more than 500 students over the course of 9 weeks every summer. They bring nationally recognized artists and writers to Provincetown to teach workshops and to participate in readings and artist talks that are open to the public and enjoyed by hundreds in the community.

Georgia Writers members can apply here by December 31st, 2025.

Eligibility: 

• Must be a current member of the Georgia Writers Association, with membership dues up to date.
• Not a member? Sign up here today to become eligible.

Requirements:

• C.V./Resume
• Cover Letter (details below)
• Writing Sample (details below)

Selection Process:

• This scholarship will be judged internally by the board of directors of the Georgia Writers Association. Applicants will be judged first and foremost on the strength of their writing sample; the board will take into careful consideration the CV, and the cover letter, which should detail the project applicants plan to work on at the Fine Arts Work Center, how they expect this experience to benefit their writing, and why they are uniquely qualified for this scholarship. The winner of the scholarship will be announced in February 2026. 

We Believe That Anyone Can Be a Storyteller.

About our Publication

• Waymark Literary Magazine is a fully online magazine in html format. We publish fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and art.
• Waymark accepts submissions from undergraduate students from North America (Canada, Mexico, North America, the Caribbean islands) and its affiliated territories. Work submitted by students residing outside of North America or work from non-undergraduate students will not be considered for publication.

About Our Issues

• Waymark publishes two issues every academic year, one per semester. Submissions for our Fall/Winter '25 issue open July 1, 2025 and close on November 16, 2025. 
• Please expect a turnaround time of 2-3 weeks for decisions on submissions. If you have not heard back within this time frame, please feel free to reach out to us at waymarkmagazine@gmail.com
• Any submissions submitted after the Nov. 16th can still be considered for the next issue instead.
   

Submission Guidelines

• All pieces should be submitted with adherence to MLA formatting: 12 pt. font, Times New Roman, double-spaced, page numbers in the top-left.
• Waymark does not publish erotica or fan fiction of any kind. We reject works with excessive violence, hate speech, and unnecessary gore.
• All submitted works should be self-contained stories that are not parts of larger works. Waymark does not publish chapters of books or book excerpts.
• To see our guidelines for specific genres, please check out our website: https://waymarkmagazine.com/submission-guidelines/