If you are not familiar with Readin Magazine, it is an online magazine that was founded by an incredible Black woman who was tired of seeing the majority of bookish media centering white voices. @Sera launched Readin Magazine with a handful of other bookish content creators

and has faithfully engaged in conversations about diverse and inclusive stories ever since.

As you may recall, they launched the Readin Awards last year in protest to the Goodreads Awards, which are famously stacked in favor of popular white authors, regardless of how well received Black and brown stories are. Because as we all know, the truth is that Black and brown authors are regarded less and their stories are judged more harshly. Many of the same readers who can consistently lose themselves in stories filled with plot holes and hurried writing when it involves a dragon and a pale-faced princess will rip stories that center us apart, unable to find themselves, or any value whatsoever. Which leaves spaces like the Goodreads Choice Awards conspicuously void of our work.

The Readin Awards was Sera's effort to create a space that is committed to not leaving Black and brown people out of the conversation.

And last year, on their inaugural year, our first book--Cry, Voidbringer by Elaine Ho--won three awards in the Indie chategories. It won for Best Debut, Best Fantasy & Best Side Characters.

Now today is the LAST DAY to nominate books for the 2026 Readin Awards and we have put out two books that qualify this year! So I would love if you would all go make sure to nominate them!

Devil of the Deep is our Haitian mermaid/pirate fantasy, following a young mermaid who is forced to flee her home in order to protect an ancient artifact from a cult that is trying to use it to raise their island from the ocean floor and reshape the world in the image of their forgotten god. To survive, she must band together with a Black woman who happens to be the most notorious pirate alive and a disgraced navy captain who is supposed to be hunting her.

Buzzard is our near-future dystopian about a midwife who is on the run after she is convicted as the last abortion provider in a puritanical, fractured version of the United States.

Here is what you need to know:

1. You can find the link to nominate books for the Readin Awards HERE

2. Use the INDIE nomination form. We are an independent publisher.

3. Here are a list of categories that could fit, depending on your preferences:

• Best Debut (Both Books)

• Best Fantasy (Devil of the Deep)

• Best Sci-fi (Buzzard)

• Best Side-Character (Both Books)

• Best Character Arc (Both Books)

1. For each category you nominate for, you will need (a) Book Title, (b) Author Name, (c) Publisher Name & (d) Launch date

   BOOK TITLES: Devil of the Deep & Buzzard

   AUTHOR NAMES: Falencia Jean-Francoise (Devil of the Deep) | Inez Ray (Buzzard)

   PUBLISHER: Left Unread

   PUBLICATION DATE: Devil of the Deep - April 7th | Buzzard - September 22nd

REMINDER: Today is the last day to nominate! So please take a couple minutes right now if you can spare them to go make sure both of our books get nominated! As I said earlier, Black and brown authors very rarely get the opportunity for this kind of recognition. And that is even more true for Black and brown indie authors. So please help me to make sure our authors get the recognition they deserve for the incredible work they entrusted to our community.

Thank you!