It is an annual program open to present San Diego County residents who published a book in the current year. Qualified participants must currently reside within zip codes 91901 - 92199.

Little Local Authors began during the Golden Anniversary of the Local Author Showcase in 2015 in order to accommodate the increasing number of children authors who enter the Local Author Showcase every year. It takes place in March following the adult Showcase in February. Children authors may enter zines, chapbooks, and other unbound booklets.

Teen Local Authors features writers between the ages of 12 and 18 who enter and submit a book in the Local Author Exhibit. It takes place in the spring following the adult Exhibit in February. Date to be determined. Teen authors may enter zines, chapbooks, and other unbound booklets.

The San Diego Public Library sponsors the Local Author Showcase to nurture and foster local writing and talent in the Greater San Diego area.

The Showcase will be on display in the Dickinson Popular Library of the San Diego Central Library for the entire month of February 2019.

Please submit only one (1) book per author. We need only one copy.

Except for poetry chapbooks, only books with proper bookbinding and format may be submitted. Books must look like books. No pamphlets, brochures or stapled material can be accepted.

We’ll accept books published the year before (in 2017) that did not participate in the previous year. Books published before 2017 do not qualify.

The Online Showcase features authors and their information throughout the year including books, photos, publishers and bios. It opens at the same time as the live Showcase in February, and closes in February of the following year.

eBooks are accepted for display purposes only. To participate authors must upload an image of the book’s cover through the online registration form.  Afterwards, your submission is complete. You don’t need to do anything else.

Please register and submit only the print edition.

Registration must be completed, and books received by Monday, November 26, 2018.

Yes. The Local Author Showcase reflects the diversity of the publishing world.

Books in the Showcase circulate for one year (3/19 – 3/20).  Afterwards qualified books may be added to the collection if they are in compliance with the Library’s Collection Development Policy including whether or not there exists professional reviews of the books.*  eBooks cannot be added at this time unless they are available through the library’s digital format vendor.
*SDPL's selection criteria

Yes. After February when the showcase ends books will be shelved alphabetically by author last names in the Local Author collection located in the Dickenson Popular Library on the first floor. It will not be searchable in the library catalog, but author and book title can be found in the Online Program.*  In February 2019 after a year in the local author collection, books entered in the 2017 Local Author Showcase will be evaluated for possible inclusion in the library collection, pending compliance with the Library’s collection development policy.
*Press “Crtl+F” to search by author name or book title.

During the registration process authors can choose whether they want the book returned to them or donated to the Friends of the Library where it may be sold to benefit the library.