Georgia Author of the Year Deadline for Submissions Extended

Nominations for the 2018 Georgia Author of the Year Awards are now EXTENDED to February 12, 2018

Georgia Author of the Year Nomination Form 2018
Official 54th GAYA Guidelines 2018
Please review these guidelines before submitting a nomination. Download the nomination form here.
Nomination Fee: $60 per nomination
Deadline: February 12, 2018
Only chapbooks and books published within the 2017 calendar year (January 1 to December 31) are eligible. Traditionally published or self-published books are eligible, as are electronically published books on a major platform (Kindle, Nook, or iPad), for a fee of $60. For electronic books, a URL and ISBN must be provided as well as one print copy of the text for judges to review. Books will not be considered nominated if any of these guidelines are not met and materials and payment are not postmarked by February 12, 2018. First- and second-place winners will be announced at the Georgia Author of the Year (GAYA) ceremony on June 16, 2018.

Required Materials
Must be received on or before Monday, February 12, 2018 (postmarked)
Two hard-copies of the nominated book, the completed nomination form, and the $60 fee must be mailed to:
Georgia Writers Association
Georgia Author of the Year Awards 
440 Bartow Avenue #2701 
Kennesaw, GA 30144

Definition of a Georgia Author for the 54th GAYA
To be considered a Georgia author and thus eligible for nomination for GAYA, an author must meet one of the following criteria: the author must have been a resident of Georgia when the nominated book was written, though she or he may have since moved out of state; or the author must be currently living in Georgia when the book is nominated.

Definitions of GAYA Categories for the 54th GAYA
A book may be nominated in only one category selected by the nominator.
Fiction

• Detective/Mystery—A novel by a single author featuring a crime or crimes
• First Novel—First published novel by a single author
• Literary Fiction—A novel by a single author
• Romance—A novel by a single author intended for the mass-market and involving a primary focus on relationships
• Science Fiction— A novel by a single author that is grounded in the science or technology of the future
• Short Story Collection—By a single author

Poetry

• Chapbook—By a single poet and generally no more than 40 pages
• Full-Length Book—By a single poet

Nonfiction

• Biography—A life history that is a fact-based, referenced life story of a person, a group of people, or a family. This category does not include autobiography, which should be nominated under
• Cookbook—Books that contain a collection of recipes, techniques, or focus on the exploration of food, cooking, and culture of food.
• Essay—A collection by a single author that sustains a single topic or theme. May not be an anthology of essays by multiple authors
• History—Research-based books which use narratives to examine and analyze past events
• Inspirational—Books on topics in self-help, life improvement, motivational, religious, or spiritual.
• Memoir—A book that is an account of one’s personal life and experiences by a single author
• Specialty Book—Books that include a visual element such as art or photography.

Children’s Book—Books written for ages 9 and younger by a single author (and/or illustrator). A children’s book includes picture books and can be fiction or nonfiction.
GLBTQ—Works produced by or for the GLBTQ (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer) community and can be fiction, nonfiction, or poetry.
Graphic Novel—A narrative work where the story is told not only through words, but also sequential art and can be fiction or nonfiction.
Young Adult—Books written for ages 10 and older by a single author (and/or illustrator), and are either fiction or nonfiction.

In the Event a Category Has Fewer than Four Nominees
If a category has fewer than four nominees, authors will have the opportunity to move their books to the next best category. For example, if there are only two books in the Romance category, the authors will be notified and may choose to place the book in the Literary Fiction category. If the author decides that no other category is suitable, the nomination fee will be refunded.
In the Event an Award Is Not Made in a Category
The Georgia Writers Association reserves the right to not award a winner in a category if it is determined that none of the nominations should win. If no winner is selected due to a lack of sufficient nominations in a category, the nomination fee will be refunded. However, if the category judge determines that a category has no first– or second–place winner, the nomination fee will not be refunded.

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