African-American authors rarely receive national recognition for their work.
There are a few, like novelists Terry McMillan and
Walter Mosley, whose profiles have been raised due to
movie adaptations. And a few others, like NY Times reporter and Pulitzer Prize
winner Isabel Wilkerson, experience national
breakthroughs for historical or non-fiction work. But the most consistent,
high-profile, annual recognition bestowed upon Black authors are the
NAACP Image Awards nominations for outstanding literary work.
I was
fortunate to receive one such nomination this year for my recently released
book, 101 Scholarship Applications: What
It Takes to Obtain a Debt-Free College Education. This was not only my
fifth published book, but it was a book that I originally had not intended to
write. Its publication resulted from two years of research I conducted to ensure
that our daughter, who is now a freshman at North Carolina Central University,
had no college loan debt upon graduation. After receiving numerous inquiries
from other parents, I felt the most efficient way to distribute the information
was by compiling it in a book.
In September of last year, I received an
email from the Image Awards announcing that the nomination process for the
literary awards had begun. As co-founder and national coordinator of the
National Black Book Festival,
I often receive these types of notifications, which I distribute to authors
within our network. As I scanned the list of categories, I noticed one titled
“Instructional,” and I decided to submit my book, which was released later that
month.
The Awards Committee requires applicants to submit 15 copies of
their books for review, plus a processing fee of $215.00. The competition was
tremendous, and there was no guarantee of success. Since my books are
self-published, the fee and the cost of printing the books was an additional
personal expense, but I decided to take a chance.
As it turned out, it
was the best $215.00 I’ve ever spent in terms of a return on my investment. When
the nominations were announced in December, my book was among them. The NAACP
Image Awards provides tickets to the festivities for all nominees and a guest,
but they do not cover travel expenses. However, I viewed the nomination as a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and decided to make the trip to Los Angeles for
the two-day affair on Feb. 5 and 6.
The event did not disappoint and
exceeded my expectations. Nominees were treated like winners throughout the
Image Awards, receiving free access to the women’s brunch, two red carpet
opportunities, non-televised awards on Thursday evening, televised awards on
Friday, and the after party featuring
Chaka Khan as the musical performer.
The menus were first class with open bars throughout both days. The nominees
hobnobbed with television and movie celebrities, who were, for the most part,
accessible and friendly. Photographers from national and international
publications took red-carpet photos of all nominees who attended.
The
literary awards were announced on Thursday evening and there were eight
categories: Fiction, non-fiction, instructional, children’s, debut author, young
adult/teens, biography, and poetry. To my surprise, there were only a few of the
literary nominees in attendance, but the excitement was electric. Those who won
(I was not among them) graced the stage with heartfelt acceptance speeches.
Although the Image Awards celebrated its 46th anniversary this year, the
literary honors were first launched 22 years ago in 1993, with only one category
for outstanding literary work. Their expansion to eight separate categories,
with five nominees for each, represents an opportunity for authors to receive
honors for something many would do for free. Indeed, most writers pursue their
craft for years without compensation. Writing is a passion which compels them,
in hopes that the readers will either be entertained or informed.
If
not for the efforts of the NAACP Image Awards, African American authors would
have few opportunities to receive national recognition for their literary works.
With the thousands of books now published by Black authors every year, the Image
Awards play a major role in maintaining the standards of excellence in
African-American literature.
Gwen Richardson is a Houston-based entrepreneur and author. Information
about her and her books can be found on her website:
www.gwenrichardson.com.
Related Links
Read about Dwayne Smith’s experience winning award from Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author
