Q. The address of the awards site has changed. Is this a new website?
A. It is the same website, but we moved to a more logical domain name (awards.coloradoauthors.org).
Q. I had a login to the awards site last year. Can I still use that?
A. Yes. Your old login and password should still be here.
Q. I did not make an awards site account last year, can I use my username and password from the main CAL site to log in to the awards site?
A. No. The main CAL site (coloradoauthors.org) is hosted my Club Express. The awards site is not connected to Club Express. We just asked Club Express to make awards.coloradoauthors.org point to the awards site and they graciously did so.
You have to create a new account on the awards site. Note that you may use the same email, user name, and even password if you want. But your awards site account and your main CAL site account are completely separate and changes in one do not affect the other.
Q. Is my work eligible for the 2026 CAL Awards?
A. Go to the rules page and see if it meets the requirements.
Q. How can I submit a work for consideration in the awards?
A. First you must be a member in good standing of the Colorado Authors League. If you are not yet, go to coloradoauthors.org for information about joining.
Once you are a member you can get a login to this site. Read on for instructions on how to do that.
Q. I am a member of CAL, but do not have a login on this site. How do I get one?
A. Click on Log in in the upper right corner of this site. On the log in page click on Create new account. Enter three items of information:
- A valid Email address. You must be able to receive email at the address. If you use the same address you use on the main CAL site (coloradoauthors.org) it makes it easier for us to verify your membership*, but it is not required.
- A Username. Just your name is fine. Spaces are allowed.
- For Requested Role, choose Contestant.
Click on Create new account. An email will be sent to the administrator who will verify your eligibility and activate your account.
You will not be able to log in until your account has been activated!
*If you use a different email here than you use on the main CAL site (coloradoauthors.org) we will have to email you to verify who you are so we can check your membership status. This will involve you sending us a confirmation from the address you used on the main CAL site, so we know you have access to it.
Q. I have been asked to be a judge, how do I get a login to this site?
A. Click on Log in in the upper right corner of this site. On the log in page click on Create new account. Enter three items of information:
- A valid Email address. You must be able to receive email at the address.
- A Username. You will need to remember this name in order to log in.
- For Requested Role, choose Judge.
Click on Create new account. An email will be sent to the administrator, who will verify your eligibility and activate your account.
You will not be able to log in until your account has been activated!
Q. I created a user name but cannot log in. Why?
A. When you create a new account, it is not activated until an administrator checks your eligibility. This is done by a human, so the time it takes can vary.
When your account is activated, an email will be sent to the address you gave in the account. It will tell you how to log in for the first time.
If you have not received the email within 24 hours of creating the account, then email Kevin Bowersox and he can check it for you.
Q. I'm logged in, how do I submit my work for consideration?
A. On the left of your screen you should see an Add Submission button like this:
Click it to go to the Create Submission entry form.
New this year: You must submit a picture of yourself holding the work you are submitting. This is so we have it for promotional material. Have it handy before you try to add a submission.
Q. I have submitted a work. Where can I see it?
A. On the left of your screen you should see a My Submissions button like this:
That will take you to the My Submissions page. This page lists all of your submissions. It also shows the total fees for the submission, the categories it is entered in, and the Status.
Q. I saved my submission. Can I make changes?
A. Possibly. Go to the My Submissions page and check the Status. If the Status is Unapproved, then you can make changes.
To edit the submission, click on the title. Then choose the Edit tab.
Submissions that have a Status of Approved or Paid cannot be modified.
Q. I submitted my entries, but how do I pay?
A. A submission must be approved before you can pay the fee.
Go to the My Submissions page. If the Status of the submission is Approved then you will be able to pay.
Click on the title of the submission. This will take you to an overview of that submission. If the Status is Approved then there will be a button at the bottom called Pay Fees.
Clicking this button will take you to the Stripe website where you can pay for this submission.
Note: Stripe handles all sensitive information about your payment. All this site receives is a notification that you paid and a link to your receipt.
Q. I have entered more than one submission. Can I pay for them all at once?
A. Regretfully, no. Our web developer is a volunteer and has only so many hours he can devote to this project. Implementing a shopping cart was too complex to achieve this year. Maybe next year.
Q. I created a user name, have waited several days, but have not received any emails. Now what?
A. Check your spam or junk folders. Still can’t find it? Email Kevin Bowersox
Q. Why can’t I enter my book in two Suspense categories?
A. Each category has specific criteria. The Suspense category is always large and usually needs to be divided. We’re just dividing them from the beginning.
Q. Can I enter a collection of poetry, essays, or short stories when some of the individual pieces were already entered in a previous year.
A. Yes.
Q. Can I enter individual poems, essays, or short stories that were entered in a collection in a previous year.
A. Yes, as long as the original publication date is within the contest window.
Q. Why can’t I enter my book in a Genre category and the Mainstream category?
A. Mainstream would then become a catch-all, becoming huge and unjudgeable. Mainstream applies to books that don’t fit into any Genre category.