Below are the questions we receive most often about the conference & the applications process. If you have a question not answered here, feel free to contact us.
Please read our 2024 COVID-19 Protocols.
General Conference & Application FAQs
For 2021, the Conference is located on the Napa Valley College main campus. The address is 2277 Napa Vallejo Highway in Napa, zip code 94558.
As we base our acceptance on the writing itself, we don’t ask for a references or recommendations. However, in your statement of your writing background in the cover letter, you are welcome to include the names of teachers you’ve worked with, or someone who’s recommended the Conference to you.
As the writing sample is the basis of your admission, it’s best to send the application and written submission at the same time. We are unable to review a submitted application without the writing sample.
Absolutely. In the past, we’ve had participants from Japan, Israel, Canada, South America and other places around the world.
Since our focus is primarily on craft, we don’t bring in agents with the specific purpose of reviewing submitted work. We do on occasion feature publishing professionals on our special panels.
Attendees of the conference in the last two years (2021 and 2022) who reapply will be entered into a lottery for admission. We will reserve a number of spots for returning writers, and will increase this number as space permits.
Napa Valley College prohibits unlawful discrimination on the basis of disability and takes action to prevent such discrimination by providing reasonable accommodations to eligible individuals with disabilities.
Check out our Accessibility Statement for more information.
Fiction Application FAQs
There is no need to withhold your name on the manuscript. Please submit in the standard manuscript format: double-spaced, in a legible font, preferably 12 pt Times New Roman, Times, Palatino, or equivalent, with one-inch margins. Please number the pages and use standard paragraph format: indent the first line and no extra space after the paragraph.
The manuscript sent with the application is not always the one used in the workshop. After acceptance, there will be an opportunity to submit a different manuscript for the workshop, one that would benefit from the review and response process.
As acceptances are based on your written submission (10 to 15 pages or 2,500 to 3,750 words), you should send in your strongest work, published or unpublished, with your application. However, we expect an unpublished manuscript to be offered to the workshop and thus open to the review and response process.
