Frequently Asked Questions: The GCLS “Goldie” Awards

How long have the Goldies existed?

In 2005, the first Goldie awards were given in four categories (romance, mystery/thriller, sci-fi/fantasy, and debut author). As of 2013, Goldies are given in 12 regular categories plus four special awards: The Ann Bannon Popular Choice Award, The Lee Lynch Classic Awards, The Directors’ Award, and The Trailblazer Award. Starting in 2012, eBooks were added for consideration. More categories may be added in the future as well.

How are books chosen for Goldie consideration?

Books may be nominated by anyone who pays the nomination fee and supplies the required number of copies of books for the judges to read.

How do books get judged?

Qualified judges read all the nominated titles and score them based upon an extensive questionnaire that covers elements of a book (plot, characters, theme, writing effectiveness, etc.). Each judge (currently we use three per category) submits scores online and the totals are tabulated electronically to determine the winners. The top books are announced as finalists and listed at the website.

How are judges chosen?

Judges can volunteer to serve or may be asked to serve by the Awards Administrator. Anyone can suggest people they think would be a good judge, to the Awards Administrator. The primary qualifications include that judges must be willing and able to impartially read all the books in their assigned category, and they must be well read in the genre as well as knowledgeable about writing structure, storyline, plot, POV, and other critical aspects that make a book successful.

How can a judge be impartial since the lesbian writing world is small?

While it is true that the lesbian writing world is a small community where many writers and readers know each other, Goldie judges pledge to read all nominated works with an open mind. If a judge has a conflict of interest, this must be disclosed before the judging process begins or their scoring will be discarded. No one who has a book under consideration or whose partner has a book under consideration may judge in that category. Publishers and those who work closely with a publishing house have too great a conflict of interest and are exempted from eligibility to judge.

How is the GCLS Board involved in the judging process?

The Board established the guidelines for the awards program, but is not involved in the yearly nomination or judging processes for Goldie awards. They learn who the winners are, the same time as everyone else - at the Awards Ceremony.  The awards process is administered by an independent senior awards administrator, who is assisted by a junior awards administrator.  The senior is experienced in the processes, while the junior is in training to take over from the Senior administrator in the following year.  The Awards Administrators ensure that the rules and regulations are followed and all aspects of the judging process are kept secret. People with a “Need to Know” (i.e. the administrator, trophy vendors, the creator of the Powerpoint) must sign a Confidentiality Agreement, promising to keep their knowledge confidential until after the awards presentation. One board member serves as a Liaison to the Awards Administrators. The Liaison is not empowered to make or influence any decisions, but only to provide historical information, and to help interpret guidelines if needed. All final decisions rest with the Awards Administrator. The Liaison shares no information with the rest of the Board, cannot have a book under consideration, and is not informed of the specifics until the judging process is completed (because the Board Liaison  makes the PowerPoint presentation for the awards).  At the end of an awards cycle ( i .e. after the Awards Ceremony), the Awards Administrator lets the Board know about any aspects of the guidelines that need revision for the next awards cycle.

What if the administrator faces a question not covered in the guidelines?

If the Administrator ever needed help with an issue of policy or procedure that is not contained within the rules/guidelines and clarification of the guidelines is needed from the Board of Directors in order for the Awards Administrators to make a decision, the Liaison will serve as a conduit to help the Administrator "sanitize" (i.e. remove all identifiable information that could serve to suggest a book, author, editor or publisher involved in the issue)  the information that the Board will need in order to advise on the interpretation of the issue.  From 2005 through 2012 such a situation has only arisen once.

Do Goldies represent the best of lesbian literature?

We like to think so but the selection process allows anyone to nominate books, and there is no jury process to determine eligibility. Only rarely has the Awards Administrator had to disqualify a book (and usually that has been because the book did not fall into the eligibility period). All books nominated are considered. While there are guidelines about what constitutes eligibility (for instance, the books must somehow involve a lesbian(s)), it is the judges who determine if a book meets the highest standards.

What about the other awards?

Anyone can nominate someone for the Trailblazer Award The final decision is made by the Board of Directors.  See General Information under 2013 Awards, for eligibility details.

Anyone can nominate a member in good standing for the Director’s award. The final decision is made by the Executive Director in conjunction with the Board.

Anyone can nominate a book for the Lee Lynch Classic Award. The final decision is made by the Board of Directors.

The Ann Bannon Popular Choice Award is nominated by members and chosen by the membership using an online voting system.

For more details, please visit the 2013 Literary Awards Page for more information.

What if I was a finalist for an award and couldn’t come to the yearly conference?

The Awards Administrator asks all those who cannot attend to select a proxy acceptor and provide a speech. If you win a Goldie, the GCLS will ensure that it is mailed to you.

Where do I go to find out more about the awards?

Check out the 2013 Literary Awards page for the Awards Guidelines, lists of past winners, and various other pieces of information.