2009 Guidelines for the Fifth Annual GCLS Literary Awards

The GCLS Literary Awards Administrator has issued the nomination guidelines for the 2009 GCLS Literary Awards. There have been minor changes and additions to these guidelines since 2008. Please read the guidelines carefully prior to submitting your nominations. In the event that a question arises that is not specifically addressed in these guidelines, the GCLS Awards Administrator reserves the right to make a ruling. Any rulings made after the nomination period has opened will be posted as an addendum at the bottom of this page.

Eligibility for submission requires:

First edition books printed in the English language.

Published in hardcover or soft cover.

Have a street date between December 1, 2007 and December 31, 2008 (This change brings the street dates back to a fiscal year period)

Be readily available for purchase in the United States.

Must contain significant lesbian content, characters, and/or themes.

Nominations must be postmarked by February 20, 2009.

Self-published books are eligible for nomination.

Paperback reprints of previously published hardcover books are not eligible for nomination.

Subsequent editions (2nd, 3rd editions) are not eligible.

Publishers, authors, fans, publicists, or other individuals are eligible to submit any lesbian titles for consideration.

The number of awards in each category will be determined as follows:

1 book nominated	No awards that year
2-4 books nominated	up to 4 finalists	1 award presented
5-7 books nominated	up to 7 finalists	2 award presented
8 or more books nominated	up to 8 finalists	3 award presented

If a category does not receive enough nominations to make it viable, the category will not be active for the current awards year. The Awards Administrator reserves the right to reassign the book(s) to another category if appropriate, or the administrative fee will be refunded and books returned if the book cannot compete in another category.

Nominations must include the following to be complete and eligible for consideration:

Completed Nomination Form.

Three (3) copies of the nominated book for each category.

An administrative fee of $20.00 for each category in which a book is nominated

All elements (form, books and fees) must be postmarked by February 20, 2009.

10.

A book can be submitted in only one category, with one exception: any debut novelist may submit a first book in both the Debut category and the category to which the book belongs (i.e. Debut and Mystery, or Debut and Traditional Romance, or Debut and Erotica, etc.).

11.

With the exception of eligibility for Debut Author short listing, no book will be shortlisted in more than one category, and no book shall be eligible for an award in more than one category (except for Debut Author). Multiple books by co-authors or co-editors may be submitted for judging in a single category, but after judging, only one book by those authors/editors may be represented as a finalist in that category. If two or more books by co-authors/editors are initially included in the Top 8, the highest ranking book shall be retained and the others eliminated. Exception: If a co-author or co-editor is already represented in a category as an individual author of another book, the book with the collaborator(s) may still be represented so as not to penalize the other collaborator(s).

12.

Multiple books by an individual author may be submitted for judging in a single category, but after judging, only one book by an individual author may be represented as a finalist in that category. If two or more books by an author are initially included in the Top 8, the highest-ranking book shall be retained, and the others eliminated from competition.

13.

Each category will be judged by three individuals. Judges may be authors, booksellers, librarians, book reviewers, or other members of the literary community considered eligible by the GCLS Awards Administrator. In no case will a publisher, editor, or employee of a publisher, or author, or any member of the GCLS Literary Society Board of Directors be eligible to serve as a Judge.

14.

In 2008, the judging process will be administered by Ann German, The GCLS Awards Administrator. (Please see Selection of Finalist and Winners section for more detailed information)

15.

Awards will be announced at the GCLS Literary Awards Ceremony during the 2009 GCLS Literary Conference on July 25, 2009 in Orlando, Florida.

Please Note: It is possible that more than one entity would nominate a particular book. If that should happen, the administrative fee will not be returned or pro-rated but will be used toward defraying administrative costs.

Copies of nominated books become the property of the Golden Crown Literary Society and will not be returned to the publishers or authors. Books not properly nominated will not be eligible for entry for the Awards and cannot be returned. Publishers will be asked to provide a current e-mail (or mail) address for any author whose book is selected as a finalist in order that a notice of the Awards ceremony can be sent to each author.

The decision of the Golden Crown Literary Society as to eligibility of any book shall be final, and no correspondence shall be entered into in relation to eligibility. The decision of the Judges, who will remain anonymous until after the Awards are announced, shall be final, and no correspondence will be entered into with publishers, authors, fans, or any agents concerning the judging process.

Nominations forms should be mailed to the following address:

Make checks payable to: Golden Crown Literary Society. You may also pay by credit card by completing the credit card authorization payment authorization form here. Payment form may be faxed to 877-727-3299, or mailed to the address below. The GCLS highly recommends that the payment form and your sensitive data not be emailed.

PLESE NOTE: We will be reloacting our office during the month of December 2008. Packages shipped UPS should not be sent to the UPS addressed below until After the noted date.

USPS Postal Service	UPS/FedEx/DHL - AFTER Dec 15, 2008
Golden Crown Literary Society GCLS Literary Awards P O Box 120849 Melbourne, FL 32912	Golden Crown Literary Society GCLS Literary Awards 1046 Morgan Circle, NE Palm Bay, FL 32905

Addendums