The Emma Awards: #1 Multicultural Literary Award
Let’s bring more stories of multicultural characters onto the shelves of readers. With more diversity comes inclusion, acceptance, and understanding for one another resulting in more books with an array of well-written multicultural perspectives.
The Emma Awards:
The #1 Multicultural Literary Award
Are you a talented diverse author of color writing books that include at least one multicultural protagonist (hero or heroine)?
ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS STARTING: January 1, 2026
ENTRY FEE STARTS AT: $60
DEADLINE: July 20, 2026
We’re accepting submissions of romance and women’s fiction books published between January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025 for our diversity in publishing writing contest. ~ (Note: Re-released, re-covered or renamed titles are not eligible.)
CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION TO HELP DIVERSE WRITERS & READERS INTERNATIONAL CONTINUE OFFERING PROGRAMS. AVAILABLE BOOK AWARD OPTIONS CURRENTLY INCLUDE:
- EMMA CRYSTAL AWARD FOR DIVERSITY IN PUBLISHING: Diverse Romance Book & Women’s Fiction Authors submit their books for judging. Winners receive an Emma Crystal Award.
- EMMA READER’S CHOICE: Emma Award entries have the opportunity to can get their readers involved to vote. Winners receive a Reader’s Choice Certificate of Recognition.
- DWRI ROMANCE BOOK CONTEST: Open to all published romance authors – CLICK HERE TO ENTER – LEARN MORE
- SPIRIT AWARD: Voted on by the Diverse Writers and Readers International Board to a deserving individual who goes above and beyond to support romance authors. To submit an individual for consideration, email: awards@dwri.org. Person or Group receives Certificate of Recognition.
- ASPIRING AUTHORS, visit the Aspiring Author Contest – CLICK HERE – LEARN MORE
YOUR SUPPORT HELPS US SUPPORT ROMANCE BOOKS AND DIVERSITY IN PUBLISHING. PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION TODAY.
READER'S CHOICE - EMMA RECOGNITION READER AWARD NOMINATIONS
READER’S CHOICE
Voting Submitted By Readers
Authors who enter the Emma Award Judged Categories will get a chance to have their readers vote for them in the following categories: Author Of The Year, Favorite Hero, and Favorite Heroine. Authors will be notified by the RSJ Awards Team with sharables and content to get their readers to vote during the awards season. Winners in the Readers’ Choice will receive a Reader’s Choice Certificate of Recognition. DEADLINE for voting: 2025 TBD at 11:59 p.m. (EST).
JUDGED CATEGORY - EMMA AWARD CYRSTAL AWARD SUBMISSIONS
Emma Awards
Are You An Author?
Submit for JUDGED CATEGORY.
The JUDGED CATEGORY – EMMA AWARDS are taking submissions. Are you a talented author writing books that include at least one multicultural protagonist (hero or heroine)? Are you a reader or book club wanting to sponsor an authors submission into the Emma Awards? Then we want to hear about it. Authors who are writing multicultural perspectives will have a chance to be awarded the coveted crystal book Emma Award for literary excellence. ~ DEADLINE: 2025 TBD. (EST)
REMINDER: Accepting submissions of romance and/or women's fiction books published between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024. ~ VIEW ELIGIBILITY
(No re-released, re-covered or renamed titles will be eligible.)
SPIRIT AWARD - Voted on by authors
Spirit Award: Nominated by Authors?
The Spirit Award is voted on by authors. Do you know a person or group who unselfishly talks about, promotes, and supports an array of multicultural authors, characters, and stories of romance and/or women's fiction? Nominate them for a Spirit Award. DEADLINE: November 25, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. (EST) / The most voting credits wins so share with your author colleagues. We're looking for some outstanding readers, bloggers and book clubs.
VOTE FOR THE PERSON OR GROUP THAT YOU FEEL DOES A
GREAT JOB OF UNSELFISHLY PROMOTING MULTICULTURAL BOOKS AND AUTHORS.
SPIRIT AWARD: Authors nominate. Winners receive a recognition Emma Certificate.
EMMA AWARDS - GIVE ME THE DETAILS
WHAT’S AN EMMA AWARD
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EMMA AWARD GUIDELINES: | |
JUDGED CATEGORY AWARD (JC):
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JUDGED BOOK AWARD CATEGORIES*:
*Get details: ~ CLICK HERE |
| READER’S CHOICE AWARDS (RC): The RC Emma Awards are given to the author who receives the most reader votes. It is voted on by both readers and authors. The Reader’s Choice Awards (RC) allows authors who have entered the Emma Awards Judged Categories to get their readers to cast their vote for their favorite author. WINNER’S of the Readers’ Choice will receive a certificate of achievement from the Emma Award committee. |
READER’S CHOICE AWARD CATEGORIES*:
*Get details: ~ CLICK HERE |
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| SPIRIT AWARD: The Spirit Award is voted on by the Board of Diverse Writers and Readers International. It recognizes the person or group who unselfishly talks about, promotes, and supports an array of multicultural authors, characters, and stories of romance and/or women’s fiction. There is no entry fee required. WINNER’S will receive a certificate of achievement. |
HISTORY OF THE EMMA AWARDS - HOW IT ALL STARTED.
The impetus to create the Emma Awards sprang from remarks by the RSJ 2000 guest speaker, well-known historical romance author Beverly Jenkins. The following year in 2001, we held the first Emma Awards ceremony. Fittingly, Ms. Emma Rodgers presented the first award. That first Emma went to Deirdre Savoy for Favorite New Author.
As always, we need your assistance in choosing who the next Emma Award honorees will be. This year as you are reading, if a particular heroine really grabs you, take note. Perhaps you’d like to nominate the heroine (and novel) for the Favorite Heroine category. Same goes for the other categories. Read for pleasure, but don’t forget to make your opinion count. We suggest creating a “Read List” where you list your reads for the year and jot down a few notes for each novel.
EMMA AWARDS ELIGIBILITY
ELIGIBILITY
The Emma Awards are open to diverse authors of color who have written a novel or novella that includes at least one multicultural protagonist that was published for the first time between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024.
Submissions for the 2025 Awards will be accepted from January 1, 2025 through July 31, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. (EST). Both traditionally published and self-published books are eligible.
Eligible books submitted for consideration of an Emma Award must:
- Meet the first publication requirement: a work CANNOT be a re-publication, re-covered, and/or re-named novel or novella; nor may the work have been entered in any previous Emma Award contest year.
- The book being entered must have a copyright date or an original publication date between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024 and be an English language edition. If the novel is part of a sequel or series, the book/installment nominated must meet the publication release date identified above.
- Be an original romance novel or novella with a central love story (or an original commercial fiction novel with elements of romance) and have a resolution of the conflict that is emotionally satisfying, optimistic and/or a “happy ever after” ending.
- Be written by a diverse author of color who is at least eighteen years of age by the nomination deadline and the book must feature at least one diverse protagonist (hero or heroine) who is, for example, Black, Latino, Asian, etc. (including biracial and multiracial characters).
- Judged book submissions must be accompanied by the required Entry Submission Fees*.
Any book that does not meet the eligibility requirements for authorship, publication date, and/or category will be disqualified.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
The Emma Awards accepts submissions from authors of color, readers, editors, agents, and publishing industry professionals into the reader’s choice awards and the judged awards categories.
The submissions and/or nominations must contain a central love story, one or more conflicts that are resolved in the story, and the romance must have an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending (the “happy ever after”). With the exception of Erotic Romance, novels in each category may have varying or any level of sensuality (see Category Descriptions below).
- Authors may submit their own book for both the reader’s choice awards and the judged awards categories. The reader’s choice awards are decided by popular vote and continue to be open to nominations at no cost. Should a reader wish to submit an author and/or book into the judged awards categories, readers will be subject to the same entry fee* and will serve as the authors sponsor. – View how Emma Award submissions fees help RSJ continue their mission to help promote authors of diversity.
- Authors wishing to enter their book into the Judged Categories must have a Judged Category Submission Form on file. All fields are to be completed in order to confirm the book’s eligibility.
- Once you have completed the online Judged Category Submission Form, pay your entry fee and upload your book submission file for judging by the deadline. Authors who were sponsored by a reader will be notified for accepts or declines of book submissions.
- Books must be submitted in e-book readable format (PDF or by gifting the book), complete with copyright page, and authorized by the publisher. For self-published books, the author will be known as the publisher.
- If individuals are unable to provide a free electronic version of an entered work (as specified above), they may provide five copies of their entered work in a format readable on a Kindle by gifting five Kindle editions or by donating the cost to purchase the requisite five Kindle editions. Email: awards@dwri.org
- Cover art for the submitted entry is to be uploaded also for possible marketing opportunities. (Suggested Cover Art should be at least but not smaller than 900px x 1350px). If you are unable to supply a large size cover, upload the largest cover you have and our graphics team will confirm if use in our Emma Award marketing is possible. Note: Covers must be at least 500 x 750 to be considered for any Emma Award Promotions.
- Each submission into a judged awards category is $60. Entries must be paid at time of submission; checks will not be accepted. Please note that entry fees are not refundable. Any submission received without payment will be disqualified.
NOTE: UPLOAD SUBMISSION & COVER TO:
https://www.dropbox.com/request/h4LakWYWzb5P5GyjmjKk
*Entry Fees: The entry fee for the Judged Category Emma Awards is currently $60. Entries must be paid at time of submission; checks will not be accepted. Please note that entry fees are not refundable. View how Emma Award submissions fees help RSJ continue their mission to help promote authors of diversity.
EMMA AWARDS - WHY IS THERE AN ENTRY FEE?
YOUR SUPPORT HELPS KEEP THE EMMA AWARDS ALIVE
TO PROMOTE MORE MULTICULTURAL BOOKS.
Over the years, RSJ has annually opened the Emma Awards for both authors and readers to nominate a deserving author at no entry fee. As a not-for-profit event, we have counted on the generosity of the publishing community as well as conference attendees and supporters to help RSJ spotlight deserving multicultural authors. With the growth of the RSJ platform, the Emma Awards must grow to become a self-sustaining enterprise. Accordingly, we have joined the other judged awards in the industry and instituted an entry fee.
All judged award submissions require a sixty dollar ($60) entry fee per category. Individuals may submit appropriate entries for more than one category. Entrants may be asked to judge a category in which they are not entered. Click Here to submit your entry fee. A submission form must be on file.
If you would like to support the Emma Awards by sponsoring the cost of one or more of our beautiful engraved crystal book awards, please DONATE and SUPPORT the RSJ Emma Awards today using the link below. The amount of donations are open to your generosity. Those donating will be known as “Emma Angels.” Donors of $500 or more will be known as “Emma Platinum Angels” for their valued support of multicultural books. Your support will help subsidize entries for those authors who continually support and give back to the RSJ book lovers community. CLICK HERE TO DONATE
EMMA AWARDS - Entry Fee Waiver
Do you meet the requirements for an entry fee waiver?
JUDGING CRITERIA
JUDGING CRITERIA
READER’S CHOICE AWARDS
Readers’ Choice Awards (RCA) are not judged but are instead voted on by both readers and authors, the Reader’s choice awards are awarded to the author who receives the most public nominations.
JUDGED CATEGORY AWARDS
Judged Category Awards will be judged by a select group of industry professionals along with a limited number of approved advisory judges of readers and/or authors.
The Judges must
- have a passion for romance and women’s fiction featuring black and multicultural protagonists;
- be knowledgeable of the formula for romance literature;
- be fair and objective in evaluating, judging, and reading finalist books;
- be knowledgeable of the genres and subgenres they are judging;
- be willing to read e-book versions of their assigned books or acquire their own print editions.
Judges will randomly be given submissions. The names of judges for the various award categories will not be made public to ensure the integrity and credibility of the award process. The criteria for judging each category will be distributed to the applicable selected judges.
Judges may not judge any category in which the work of a family member is a finalist and must complete a judges qualifying form when requested. The potential judges will be notified if they are approved and will be sent the category that they will be judging, with the appropriate form for scoring, upon commencement of the judging period.
Entered authors are eligible to serve as contest judges, but they cannot judge any category in which one of their works are entered.
I WOULD LIKE TO SERVE AS A JUDGE! Email your contact information to emmaawards@rsjconvention.com with the subject, Judge, and tell us why your feedback would be a great addition to the Judges panel.
CATEGORY DESCRIPTIONS
CATEGORY DESCRIPTIONS
The awarded categories listed below are divided into four areas: (1) reader selection, (2) judged by selected judges, and (3) author selection. Categories marked with an asterisk are new for this award year. Categories with fewer than 3 finalists will not be judged.
READER’S CHOICE AWARDS INCLUDE: (Novels that are nominated by the public with the most votes receiving a symbol of achievement by the Emma Award committee.)
Hero of the Year
Favorite hero in a romance novel or novella.
Heroine of the Year
Favorite heroine in a romance novel or novella.
Author of the Year
Favorite author of a romance novel or novella across all categories.
JUDGED BOOK AWARDS INCLUDE: (Novels that are reviewed for the quality of the story based on the guidelines identified on the scoring sheet provided to each judge. Winners receive the coveted crystal book Emma Award.)
Contemporary Romance
Novels which are set in the modern era (generally from 1975 to the present) and focus primarily on the romantic relationship between the hero and heroine without elements of other subgenres. For example, contemporary romances which contain paranormal or religious elements would be entered in the applicable category, either Paranormal Romance or Inspirational/Spiritual Romance. The heat level of these novels may range from sweet up to steamy.
Commercial Fiction with Romantic Elements
Novels in which themes other than romance are central to the plot even though a love story (with an optimistic and emotionally satisfying ending) is still present and an integral part of the storyline. For example, this category would include Women’s Fiction novels and other mainstream fiction that does not fit neatly into any other romance category because of their genre-specific content, but whose storyline would lack cohesion upon removal of the central romance.
Debut Author of the Year
Favorite new author (an author – or authors in the case of a writing team – who, prior to the award year, has not had any other novel or novella previously commercially available in any format, whether traditionally or independently published, under any writing name).
Erotic Romance
Novels in which strong, sexual interaction is a frequent and integral part of the love story and is often described using explicit language and may include lifestyles such as BDSM. In these stories, the intense sexual relationship could not be removed without damaging the storyline and hindering the growth and development of the hero and heroine’s relationship. These novels may contain elements of other romance subgenres (such as paranormal, historical, etc.).
Historical Romance
Novels which are set in a time prior to the modern era (generally before 1975).
Inspirational / Spiritual Romance
Novels which contain religious or spiritual beliefs (of any culture or denomination) as a core part of the love story, character growth, and relationship development of the hero and heroine.
Interracial Romance
Novels in which the main love interest of the black heroine or hero is of another race.
Novella Romance
Stories which would qualify for any other award category but which are only between 20,000 and 40,000 words (whether published as a stand-alone book or as part of an anthology).
Paranormal / Science Fiction Romance
Novels in which paranormal, supernatural, fantasy or science fiction elements are an integral part of the storyline.
Romantic Comedy Fiction Romance
Novels in which the romance and comedy genres are combined, focusing on a couple attempting to deal with their love or attraction, often involving the sexual tension and social interactions put them, create the conflict they must overcome with comedy that keeps the reader engaged, laughing, and smiling.
Suspense Romance
Novels in which the plot centers around a suspense, mystery, or thriller storyline.
Sweet / Clean Romance
Novels in which emotional intimacy is emphasized without sex, but religion or spirituality is NOT a key element of the story. The storyline may contain sexual tension (think G- to PG-rated heat levels), but contain no explicit sexual details (other than occasional kissing), no sexual scenes, and no offensive language or profanity.
Young Adult Romance
Novels in which young adult life (tweens and teens) is an integral part of the character development and conflict of the plot. The main characters are generally age 15-19 years or younger. Sexual content in these novels must be appropriate for readers of the same age level as the primary characters and must not contain any on the page illegal sexual activity (including any consensual sex that would be classified as statutory rape).
AUTOMATIC ENTRY INCLUDE:
Each submission into the judged categories is automatically entered into the below categories for review.
Book Cover of the Year
Favorite book cover. (This award is given to the cover artist.)
Book of the Year
Favorite romance novel across all categories.
AUTHOR’S CHOICE AWARD INCLUDE:
Spirit Award
This award recognizes the person or group who unselfishly talks about, promotes, and supports multicultural authors of romance and/or women’s fiction by:
- Introducing readers to multicultural romance and/or women’s fiction authors;
- Supports multicultural romance and/or women’s fiction authors at events such as book signings, reader events, or conferences;
- Blogs, writes reviews, and encourages others to read books by multicultural romance and/or women’s fiction authors;
- Participates in multicultural romance book and/or women’s fiction discussions; and
- Encourages others to participate and attend clubs, events, conferences, and discussions geared towards multicultural authors of romance and/or women’s fiction.
NOTE: Publishers, marketing or street teams, pay for review individuals/groups, personal assistants of authors, and any other individuals, who receive direct compensation* or payment for their promotion efforts are not eligible for consideration. *Direct Compensation for the purposes of the Spirit Award includes direct payment from authors, or publishers in lieu of marketing and or promotional review items.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to emmaawards@rsjconvention.com. Please add emmaawards@rsjconvention.com to your safe sender list.