Awards Changes

 

 

Debut Novel Guidelines
(Effective for 2026 Awards)

 

Debut Novel Eligibility Definition Update

The Debut Novel Goldie Award is intended to celebrate excellence in an author’s very first foray into publishing a novel. We recognize the unique challenges faced by an author who does not know from experience the layers of difficulty in getting that first book from blank page to printed word. These particular challenges are only encountered once in an author’s career and achieving excellence in that moment is a unique feat.

To ensure clarity and transparency on what qualifies for the Debut Novel category, the eligibility definition has been updated. The highlighted section indicates the updated wording. Should there be any questions regarding eligibility that are not addressed in this new wording, please email the Awards Administrators at awards@goldencrown.org prior to submitting a nomination.

 

DEBUT NOVEL

Definition: This category has no genre restrictions, meaning any novel nominated in a judged genre category can also be nominated for the Debut Novel Award. Books must be an author's first novel of any genre (including non-sapphic novels) published in any form (including traditionally published and self-published/indie) under any name (including any current or defunct pen names, aliases, and legal names) and have a minimum of 40,000 words to be eligible for judging. Anthology submissions under 40,000 words, poetry, and nonfiction titles do not count as a previously published novel. Any fanfiction, blog entries, or other fiction works published solely online without an ISBN, no matter the length, do not count as a previously published novel. Finalists are determined by averaging genre-category judges’ scores on 18 essential elements of good novels, plus a 19th cross-genre item common to all novel categories.

 

Eligibility for Awards
(Effective for 2025 Awards)

Audiobooks, books, and covers created by generative aritifical intelligence (AI) are ineligible for a Goldie Award. AI-assisted books and covers are eligible. Nominators must certify agreement with these requirements:

  • Audiobooks: Nominated audiobooks must be narrated by humans to be eligible for an Audiobook Narrator Award. Audiobooks voiced by AI technologies are not eligible.
  • Books: Nominated books must be written by humans to be eligible for the genre category, Debut Novel, and Ann Bannon awards. AI-assisted books are eligible, by AI-generated books (including those translated into English by AI-driven tools) are not eligible. For submission purposes:
    • AI-generated content is defined as text created entirely or in part by AI technologies (e.g., ChatGPT, Jasper, Sudowrite), even if the machine-generated text is later edited, enhanced, or otherwise revised by humans.
    • AI-assisted content is defined as text created by humans who use AI technologies collaboratively as aids in the creative process (to check grammar and spelling, suggest synonyms and alternative phrasing, etc).
  • Covers: Nominated covers must be designed and crafted by humans to be eligible for the Tee Corrine Award. Covers crafted exclusively by humans or human collaboration with AI-assisted design tools (to remove a background, cut and paste objects from a photo, etc.) are elgible. Covers crafted by generative AI are not eligible.

The required publication date for Lee Lynch Classic Award entries is at least 20 years prior to the year the award is presented- 2005 for 2025, 2006 for 2026, etc. Older works still qualify for the awards.

During their tenure, awards administrators and award liaisons cannot submit their work for a Goldie.

Awards Categories and Judging Guidelines
(Effective for 2025 Awards)

Due to the large number of entries, Science Fiction and Fantasy are split into two separate categories.

Due to a low number of entries, formerly separate categories are merged:

  • Fiction Anthologies/Collections (combining Fiction Anthologies and Fiction Collections)
  • Nonfiction (combining General Nonfiction and Nonfiction Anthologies/Collections)
  • Poetry (combining Poetry Anthologies and Poetry Poems/Collections)

Due to longer books, word counts for the three Contemporary Romance categories are now:

  • Contemporary Romance: Short Novels- between 40,000 and 74,999 words
  • Contemporary Romance: Mid-Length Novels- between 75,000 and 89,999 words
  • Contemporary Romance: Long Novels- 90,000 words or more

Actual word count should be provided rather than rounded word count when submitting entries.

  • Actual word count should be based on the body of the work- namely Chapter 1 through the final chapter, plus the prologue and epilogue (for fiction) or the preface/introduction (for anthologies and nonfiction).
  • All other Front Matter (title page, table of contents, dedication/acknowledgement pages, etc) and Back Matter (afterword, appendix, addendum, endnotes, bibliography, author bio, coming soon/read more, aslo by, etc.) should be excluded.

 

Nomination Fees and Voting Process
(Effective for 2025 Awards)

  • Ann Bannon entry fees will increase from $20 to $30, due to potential cash prizes from Aronson-Besthoff grant
  • Tee Corrine entry fees will increase from $20 to $25, due to time needed to process and evaluate cover entries
  • Debut Novel entry fee of $20 will be eliminated, reflecting support for first-time authors
  • Judged genre-category and Audiobook Narrator entry fees will increase from $35 to $45, due to potential cash prizes
  • Publishers, authors, and other nominators will receive a discount based on their total entries the prior year (i.e. 2023):
    • 20% discount for 30 or more total entries
    • 15% discount for 20-29 total entries
    • 10% discount for 10-19 total entries
  • Ann Bannon Award finalists for ranked-choice voting will number 15 maximum rather than 25, to make voting easier

 

 

 

Ann Bannon Voting
(Effective for 2024 Awards)

To vote for the Ann Bannon Popular Choice Award, voters must be subscriber for the Golden Crown Literary Society Newsletter. To become a subscriber, follow this link to enter your email address. This is the email address that will allow you to vote on RankedVote in April. If you have any questions, reach out to the Awards Administrators, awards@goldencrown.org. Finalists will be announced April 17th and the last day to become a subscriber to be able to vote is April 22nd at 5pm PST.

Special Category Nominations
(Effective for 2023 Awards)

Due to changes in the Special Categories (Ann Bannon, Debut, & Tee Corinne) process last year, all nominations must be made at the same time. Nominators are no longer able to nominate a book only for a Special Category. All Special Category Nomination must be made on the same application as the Genre Nomination.  This means that nominators will need to coordinate with Author/Publisher on who will make the nomination, which categories it will be nominated in, and how it is paid for.

For example, if you are an author whose publisher nominates their book, but only in the Genre Category and you would like it nominated in a Special Category, you will need to talk to your publisher about adding the Special Category nominations to that application.

Physical Books
(Effective for 2024 Awards)

The fee for nominating physical books incresed from $40 to $50. Nominators will no longer need to send 5 copies to the Awards Administrators.

Ann Bannon Popular Choice Award
(Effective for 2023 Awards)

In its pilot year $22,000 in prize money was distributed to authors at the July 1 Goldie Awards Ceremony during GCLS’s 19th Annual Conference in Denver, CO.

 

Ann Bannon Prizes

Finalists for the 2023 Ann Bannon Popular Choice Award were determined by averaging judges’ scores on 18 essential elements of good novels, plus a 19th cross-genre item common to all novel categories. Winners were selected via a single round of ranked-choice voting open to the public. Here are the 2023 results,

·         Gold Ann Bannon Award for first place ($3,000) – If I Don’t Ask by E.J. Noyes, Bella Books.

·         Silver Ann Bannon Award for second place ($2,000) – Just a Touch Away by Jae, Ylva Publishing.

·         Bronze Ann Bannon Award for third place ($1,000) – Broken Beyond Repair by Emily Banting, Sapphic Publishing.

 

Genre-Category Prizes

Authors of the top-scoring novel in each of 2023’s 12 genre-specific categories received a $1,000 prize. Books scoring highest on the essential elements and cross-novel items, plus specific statements in its genre category, included:

·         Contemporary Romance: Short Novels – Trial and Error by Carsen Taite, Bold Strokes Books.

·         Contemporary Romance: Mid-Length Novels – The Last Lavender Sister by Melissa Brayden, Bold Strokes Books.

·         Contemporary Romance: Long Novels – Plain English by Rachel Spangler, Bywater Books.

·         Erotic Novels – Escorted by Renee Roman, Bold Strokes Books.

·         General Fiction – Dead Letters from Paradise by Ann McMan, Bywater Books.

·         Historical Fiction – Once in Berlin by Jo Havens, Self-published.

·         Mystery/Thriller/Crime – Delafield by Katherine V. Forrest, Spinsters Ink.

·         New Adult Fiction – Catching Feelings by Ana Hartnett Reichardt, Bold Strokes Books.

·         Paranormal/Occult/Horror – The Wicked and the Willing by Lianyu Tan, Shattered Scepter Press.

·         Romantic Blend – Enigma by Suzie Clarke, Bold Strokes Books.

·         Science Fiction/Fantasy – Endurance by Elaine Burns, Mindancer Press/Bedazzled Ink.

·         Young Adult Fiction – Can I Trust Her? by Frances Lucas, Bella Books.

 

Winners of $1,000 prizes in three “non-novel” categories, determined by books that Goldie judges scored highest among relevant 2023 entries, included:

·         Fiction Anthology/Collections – Defiant Hearts by Lee Lynch, Bold Strokes Books.

·         General Non-Fiction – Half In: A Coming-of-Age Memoir of Forbidden Love by Felice Cohen, Dividends Press.

·         Poetry Poems/Collections – Time Out of Time by Arleen Paré, Caitlin Press & Dagger Editions.

 

Debut Novel

The top-scoring Debut Novel, determined by how Goldie judges rated first-time novels on items common to all novel categories, received a $1,000 prize. The 2023 winner was The Barrens by Kurt Johnson and Ellie Johnson, Arcade – Skyhorse.

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