JUDGING PROCESS
As publisher, Anne M. Kaylor handles communications with contestants; receives, logs, and distributes contest entries; and designs, markets, and sells the anthology.
We make every effort for our contest to be “blind”—meaning the judges (see 2026 Judges) do not receive contestants’ names, so they do not know your identities when choosing. To maintain the integrity of this process, we stress that you send all personal information within the body of your email and make sure your files (attachments) contain no personal identifiers. And please direct your questions only to the publisher at Kakalak@carolina.rr.com.
Still, we acknowledge judges may recognize individual works. When this occurs, a judge recuses her/himself while the other judges score and discuss the piece. In the rare instances when judges think they know the poet or artist but not the individual work submitted, they may choose to participate in judging. This has proven to be the fairest approach because of the process:
- Each judge scores every submission after careful consideration.
- Judges meet and discuss scores and individual pieces in-depth.
- Selections are made only after judges arrive at a consensus.
- Judges often find they don’t know for sure who an individual is.
- Judges revisit and discuss selections to choose winners.
DEFINITION OF “UNPUBLISHED”
We define “unpublished” as not appearing in a printed or online publication. We have come to the realization, however, that not every form of sharing your creative endeavors should be considered “published.” With that in mind, here’s a list (not all inclusive) of what we DO ACCEPT:
- Artwork appearing in personal electronic galleries
- Artwork shared on social media
- Poetry posted on personal blogs or social media
- Poetry performed on social media, i.e., YouTube
NOTE: Posting your work may make it recognizable by one or more of the judges.
Any poem or art that appears in a printed or online book/journal is considered “published.” That includes a collection by different poets/artists and a collection by one poet/artist. The publisher’s identity does not matter—we put equal weight to the worth of a book published by a publishing company vs. a self-published book.
WHAT TO EXPECT
- You’ll receive an email from Kakalak@carolina.rr.com confirming your submission payment.
- Kakalak@carolina.rr.com will also acknowledge receipt of your submission email. Please add this email address to your accepted emails list, so our emails don’t end up in your SPAM/JUNK folder.
- NOTE: I (Anne Kaylor) respond personally to all payments and submissions received, usually within two to three business days. Please be patient, as it takes time to log, review, and respond to every individual.
- Everyone who submits will be notified regarding acceptance. Please check back for updates on when notifications will be sent.
- Judges choose only one (1) piece from an artist and one (1) piece from a poet (award winners may have up to 2 pieces included). The two contests are judged separately, so anyone who submits to both contests may have both art and poetry included.
- All contributors receive a proof of their work as it appears in print (after design is complete), usually in late summer. This is to check for errors and is not an opportunity to change or revise. (Exact timeline based on number of submissions received, which impacts how long judging takes.)
SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM & INCLUSIVENESS POLICY
We acknowledge the need to offer all individuals equal opportunity when submitting, which means ensuring everyone can submit, regardless of financial status. We invite those who can to sponsor a poet or artist who cannot afford to submit otherwise. Our commitment is to make sure ALL sponsor donations go directly to this program.
- NOTE: No one involved with Kakalak receives a salary or stipend—it is a volunteer effort by everyone, including the publisher. Hopefully, submission fees and book sales cover the costs of the prizes awarded and printing of books.
If you wish to submit to our contests but cannot meet the fee requirement, please email kakalak@carolina.rr.com to request sponsorship. NOTE: We do not require proof of your financial need. This program works on an honor system, so please respect the program!
If you would like to sponsor a poet or artists for the Kakalak 2026 contests, please click on the image below (which will take you to PayPal):
THANK YOU TO ALL THE 2025 SPONSORS! Because of your generosity, we received the funds needed to cover others’ submission fees. Your support means so much!