Page 6 - BCALA Winter 2018

6 | BCALA NEWS | Volume 45, Issue 1
BCALA Now Accepting Literacy Award Submissions
LeTTeR To PuBLIsheRs ANd AuThoRs:
The Literary Awards Committee
of BCALA is now accepting submissions for the annual BCALA Literary Awards. The committee will present four prizes of $500.00 each for adult books written by African-American authors: a First Novelist Award, a Fiction Award,
a Nonfiction Award, and a Poetry Award. The First Novelist Award is given to recognize an outstanding work by a first time African- American fiction writer. Honor Book citations are also awarded
in fiction and nonfiction without any accompanying monetary remuneration. Additionally, an Outstanding Contribution to Publishing citation is provided to an author and/or publishing company for unique books that
offer a positive depiction of African- Americans.
First presented at the second National Conference of African- American Librarians in 1994,
the BCALA Literary Awards acknowledge outstanding works
of fiction and nonfiction for adult audiences by African-American authors. Recipients of these awards offer outstanding depictions of the cultural, historical or sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora
and embody the highest quality of writing style and research methodology, if applicable.
Books from small, large and specialty publishers are welcome for review consideration. Titles forwarded for review must be published in 2018. Sets or multi- volume works are eligible. New
editions of previously published works are eligible only if more than 30% of the total content is new or revised material. Inspirational, self- help, and adult graphic novels are ineligible. Only finished, published books should be submitted; galleys (bound or unbound) and chapbooks are unacceptable.
Please send one copy of each title submitted to each member of
the Literary Awards Committee. A Committee roster with their addresses can be found at http:// bcala.org/literary-award- committee/
Supply all available information regarding the submission, including promotional material, author biography and available news articles and reviews.
Story continues on page 7 with the BCALA Literary Awards Criteria
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