Previous to 2023, the Spark Awards were restricted to publishing categories and were called the Emerging Author Awards.
Emerging Author Awards
| Genre | Award | Title | Author |
| SciFi/Fantasy | Winner | Clever Elsie | Crystal Brinkerhoff |
| Memoir | Winner | Walking through Walls | Michelle Forstrom |
| MG/YA | Winner | Oscar and the Ghost of Paris | Michelle Hubbard |
| PB | Winner | Show and Tell | Dalton Johnson |
| Religious Topic | Winner | Our Savior from Self-Doubt | Gaylamarie Rosenbert |
| Resource/Self-Help | Winner | No Matter What! Whether you choose to stay in your hard marriage or end it, you can find Joy. | Coral Ward Barajas |
| Mystery/Suspense | Winner | Weak Spot | Stacy Codner |
| Historical Fiction | Winner | Lauren Wood | Blades of Wheat and Steel |
Young Emerging Author Awards
| Historical Fiction | Winner | Diane | Allana Frost |
| Poetry | Winner | The Tale of the Jelly Beans | Megan Long |