| Creativity, style, content, and relevance to African-American culture. |
| A contributor to TimBookTu for at least 3 months. |
| Writer is chosen alternately between poetry, fiction, and essay categories. |
| An extensive body of work: minimum of 8-10 poems, or 3-4 fiction pieces, or 3-4 essays. |
| Editor makes the final selection with input from advisory committee. |