Submissions require digital copies of the material to be submitted through our Submittable portal. All judges have access to the digital copies of works submitted in their categories. In some cases, judges request to receive materials in physical form as an accessibility consideration. Reading 45-150 novel-length works on a screen within the span of a few months can cause significant amounts of stress and strain even for readers without pre-existing limitations. All judges are also inevitably offered physical copies of their top 10 titles as part of their honoraria. Because we have no way of knowing what these titles will be at the start of the submission window, we request that 3-4 physical copies of all submissions are mailed in order to accommodate these circumstances. In some cases, the availability or lack thereof of a physical copy will determine how much of a book a judge is able to review and how far it makes it in the deliberation process. This policy has been in place since the 2022 award cycle, and it should be noted that some finalist titles were not submitted as physical copies. As the Lammys are an increasingly international award, we understand that particularly for self-published authors, shipping books can be a substantial financial commitment without a promised return on their investment. It is up to each submitter to determine whether that expense is worth it. 

Books which are not requested by the judges remain in what is called the Lammys Library, a sub-program which allows us to donate remaining books to non-profit community groups, LGBTQ+ resource centers, libraries, Pride festivals, incarcerated individuals, and teens in transitional housing. To date and in the time of diminished access to LGBTQ+ literature due to book banning and oppressive legislature, the Lammys Library has been able to donate over 6,000 books to worthy organizations dedicated to ensuring our stories make it into the hands of readers who need them.