Ebobea Book Awards – Eligibility & Submission Guidelines
The Ebobea Book Awards celebrate outstanding literary works from authors of all cultures and backgrounds, promoting equity, diversity, and excellence in storytelling. Our mission is to recognize books that inspire, educate, and entertain readers worldwide. To ensure a fair and transparent process, we provide clear eligibility and submission guidelines below.
-
Eligibility Guidelines
To be eligible for the Ebobea Book Awards, a book must meet the following criteria:
Publication Status
Books must be published and available for purchase (in print, e-book, or audiobook format)
Language
Books in any language are eligible, reflecting our commitment to global storytelling. Translations are welcome, provided the translated work is published and available for purchase.
Genres / Categories
Eligible categories include:
-
Fiction (e.g., literary, historical, science fiction, fantasy, romance, mystery/thriller)
-
Nonfiction (e.g., memoir, biography, history, self-help, science)
-
Poetry Children’s Books (e.g., picture books, middle grade, young adult)
-
Young Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
Author Eligibility
Submissions are open to all authors, traditionally published, self-published, or hybrid regardless of nationality, residence, or cultural background.
Publication Requirements
Print and e-books must have a valid ISBN; Kindle-exclusive titles must have an ASIN.
Content Standards
As part of our commitment to equity and inclusion, books must not contain illegal content or hate speech. Submissions are subject to review for compliance with our values of equity and inclusion.
Previous Submissions
Books submitted in previous Ebobea Award cycles are ineligible unless they have been substantively revised and republished with a new ISBN or ASIN.
2. Submission Instructions
We are committed to making the Ebobea Book Awards accessible to all authors.
There is no entry fee for submitting a book.
Submission Instructions
-
Entry Fee
There is no fee to submit a book.
-
Submission Method
All submissions must be made using the online form on the Ebobea website.
-
Author Photo Requirement
To complete your submission, you must upload one recent, high-quality photo of yourself.
This photo may be used for verification, judging materials, finalist announcements, promotional
features, and any official Ebobea Book Awards communications if your book is longlisted, shortlisted,
or selected as a winner.
Photo Guidelines
-
Must be a clear, professional-quality headshot.
-
The author must wear formal or form-fitting attire.
-
No t-shirts, logos, sportswear, or casual clothing.
-
The background should be plain, neutral, and uncluttered.
-
Accepted formats: JPG or PNG.
Requirement Notice
Submissions without a valid author photo will be considered incomplete and may not proceed to the judging stage.
-
Required Information
Submissions must be made through our online submission portal on www.ebobea.com.
Complete the submission form, including:
-
Author name(s) and contact information.
-
Book title, category,
-
ISBN/ASIN, and publication details.
-
A brief synopsis (up to 250 words) of the book.
-
Adigital copy of the book in PDF or EPUB format.
For books in languages other than English, a sample translation (up to 10 pages) in English
is appreciated but not required. Physical copies are not required unless requested by the judging panel for verification.
-
Confirmation
Upon successful submission, you will receive a confirmation email with a submission ID.
Keep this ID for reference in case of inquiries.
-
Accessibility If you require assistance with the submission process due to accessibility needs, please contact us at global@ebobea.com.
3. Judging Process
The Ebobea Book Awards are evaluated by a distinguished panel of 25 judges, including authors, editors, librarians, and literary critics from diverse backgrounds. Our judges are selected for their expertise and commitment to literary excellence.
Evaluation Criteria:
-
Literary Quality (40%): Strength of writing, narrative structure, and language use.
-
Originality (30%): Creativity, unique perspective, and innovation in storytelling.
-
Impact (20%): Emotional, intellectual, or cultural resonance with readers.
-
Presentation (10%): Professional editing, formatting, and overall polish.
Judging Stages
Longlist: Judges review all eligible submissions to select a longlist of top contenders in each category.
Shortlist: The top 5–10 books per category advance to the shortlist, based on judges’ scores.
Winners: Finalists are evaluated by both judges’ scores (60%) and public voting (40%) to determine winners.
Transparency
While individual judge identities remain confidential to prevent external influence, their qualifications and selection process are shared on our About Us page. Judges adhere to a strict code of ethics, including conflict-of-interest disclosures.
Public Voting and Voting Packages
To engage readers and amplify authors’ visibility, the Ebobea Book Awards includes a public voting component for shortlisted books. Voting is optional and complements the judges’ evaluations.
How Voting Works
Once the shortlist is announced, readers can vote for their favorite books in each category via our secure voting platform on www.ebobea.com.
Public votes account for 40% of the final score, with judges’ scores comprising the remaining 60%.Voting is open to anyone worldwide, with no geographic restrictions.
Voting Packages
To support the administrative costs of the awards and ensure accessibility, we offer voting packages for purchase. Each package provides a set number of votes that can be distributed across shortlisted books:
-
15 votes: $4.99
-
220 votes: $24.99
-
450 votes: $49.99
-
1,000 votes: $199.99
Voters can purchase packages via our secure payment system and allocate votes to one or multiple shortlisted books.
Safeguards
Our voting platform uses advanced fraud detection to prevent bot activity, multiple accounts, or tampering. Votes are verified before being counted, and any suspicious activity is investigated by our administrative team. Revenue from voting packages supports prize pools, operational costs, and literacy initiatives, as outlined in our Financial Transparency Report.
Awards and Recognition
Winner of the Ebobea Book Awards receive:
-
A custom golden Ebobea Book Awards trophy, shipped to the winner anywhere in the world at no cost
-
A digital award seal for marketing and promotional use
-
Featured promotion on the Ebobea website, social media channels, and newsletter
Finalists
Shortlisted authors receive:
A digital finalist certificate.Recognition on our website and social media.
Longlist: Longlisted books are highlighted on our website.
4. Judging and Voting FAQs
We value transparency and want to address common questions about our judging and voting processes. Below are answers to frequently asked questions to help authors, publishers, and readers understand how the Ebobea Book Awards operate.
5. Contact Us
For questions about eligibility, submissions, or the awards process, please email global@ebobea.com We aim to respond within 3–5 business days.
General Questions
Q: Who are the judges, and how are they selected?
A: Our 25 judges are experienced professionals, including authors, editors, librarians, and literary critics, chosen for their expertise and diversity of perspectives. They are nominated by past winners, industry partners, and our advisory board. To prevent bias, judge identities remain confidential, but their qualifications are shared on our About Us page. Judges must disclose any conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from evaluating books they are connected to.
Q: How do you ensure fairness in judging?
A: Judges follow a standardized scoring rubric based on literary quality (40%), originality (30%), impact (20%), and presentation (10%). Scores are aggregated anonymously to prevent individual bias. Our administrative team oversees the process, and external auditors review results to ensure compliance with our ethics policy.
Q: Can books in any language really be judged fairly?
A: Yes. Our diverse judging panel includes multilingual members and experts in various literary traditions. For books in languages not all judges can read, we provide professional translation summaries or engage bilingual judges to ensure fair evaluation. The focus remains on universal literary qualities like storytelling and impact.
Voting Questions
Q: How do voting packages work?
A: Voting packages allow readers to support their favorite shortlisted books by purchasing a set number of votes (e.g., 3 votes for $1.00, up to 1,000 votes for $199.99). Voters can distribute their votes across one or multiple books in any category. The process is secure and accessible via our voting platform on www.ebobea.com
Q: Why are there voting packages instead of free voting?
A: Voting packages help cover administrative costs, such as platform maintenance, fraud detection, and prize pools, while keeping entry free for authors. The tiered structure ensures accessibility for casual voters ($1.00 for 3 votes) while allowing enthusiastic supporters to contribute more. Revenue allocation is detailed in our Financial Transparency Report.Q: Do voting packages give an unfair advantage to some books?A: No. Public voting accounts for only 40% of the final score, with judges’ scores (60%) providing a robust counterbalance. Our fraud detection system flags suspicious voting patterns (e.g., bulk purchases from a single source), and such votes are disqualified. We also cap the impact of votes to prevent any single voter or group from dominating results.
Q: What safeguards are in place to prevent vote tampering?
A: Our voting platform uses encryption, IP tracking, and behavioral analysis to detect and block bots, duplicate accounts, or fraudulent activity. All votes are verified before being counted. If tampering is suspected, our team investigates and may reject votes, as outlined in our Terms of Voting. We also publish a summary of vote counts and verification steps after winners are announced.
Q: Can authors or publishers buy votes for their own books?
A: Authors and publishers may purchase voting packages like any voter, but they are subject to the same safeguards. Excessive or suspicious voting by parties connected to a book triggers a review, and such votes may be disqualified. We encourage authors to promote their shortlisted books to readers organically rather than purchasing votes directly.
Submission and Outcome Questions
Q: Why is there no entry fee?
A: We believe financial barriers should not prevent talented authors from being recognized. By eliminating entry fees, we make the awards accessible to all, especially independent and underrepresented authors. Voting package revenue and sponsorships sustain the awards.
Q: How are winners notified, and what do they receive?
A: Winners and finalists are notified via email and announced publicly on our website and social media. Winners receive a free trophy, a digital award seal, and promotional features. Finalists receive a certificate and recognition. Additional prizes, such as cash awards, are announced before the shortlist phase.
Q: What happens if a book doesn’t meet eligibility criteria?
A: Submissions are screened for eligibility before judging. If a book is found ineligible (e.g., unpublished or missing an ISBN), the submitter is notified via email with an explanation. We encourage resubmission in future cycles if eligibility issues are resolved.
Q: Can I appeal a judging or voting decision?
A: Judging decisions are final, as they are based on a rigorous, multi-judge process. However, if you believe there was a procedural error (e.g., a submission was overlooked), you can contact global@ebobea.com within 14 days of the winner announcement. Voting disputes are reviewed if evidence of tampering or system errors is provided.
Q: How can I trust that the Ebobea Book Awards are legitimate?
A: We are committed to transparency and fairness. We publish detailed guidelines, share judge qualifications, use audited processes, and report voting and financial summaries. We align with industry standards set by organizations like the Alliance of Independent Authors and welcome feedback to improve. Our mission to advance equity and literary excellence guides every decision.