book awards
An Overview of Awards for Independent Authors—Summer 2012
April 17, 2012
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by Carly Willsie
You’ve worked day and night writing, editing, promoting, and selling your book—isn’t it about time you received a little recognition? We think so! That’s why we’ve gathered some of the best upcoming industry awards for independent authors here on the Big Bad Book Blog.
Awards are a great way to gain recognition and visibility, and they just might boost sales and confidence, too. Best of luck! And remember: It’s never too early to start reorganizing the mantel to make room for your many imminent awards.
Deadline: June 15
Genre: Fiction; Nonfiction; Poetry; Young People’s Literature
The National Book Awards are prestigious accolades administered each year by the National Book Foundation. A $10,000 award is given in each of four categories—fiction; nonfiction; poetry; and young people’s literature. Four finalists in each category are also awarded a $1,000 prize. Note that authors need to submit their pieces through their publishers, and publishers are required to submit $1,000 to a promotional campaign if their book is considered a finalist. Though the submission barriers are somewhat steep compared to other awards, winners include the likes of authors such as Alice Walker, Joan Didion, Gore Vidal, C.K. Williams, and many others.
Deadline: June 15
Genre: Short Stories, Novel Excerpts, Poem, One-Act Plays, Graphic Stories, and Literary Nonfiction
Narrative is a popular nonprofit organization “dedicated to storytelling in the digital age.” The organization awards an annual $4,000 prize to a new or emerging writer. Winners must first publish in Narrative magazine (an accomplishment in and of itself!), and are announced in September. The prize is officially awarded in October.
Discover Great New Writers Award
Deadline: June 28
Genre: Fiction & Nonfiction
The Discover Award is run by Barnes & Noble, and is given each year to debuting authors who have published fewer than three titles and whose sales have not reached 10,000 units. Winning authors receive $10,000 and in-store and online B&N promotion—an advantage whose payoff can’t be calculated. Similar to the National Book Awards, publishers must submit author titles.
Deadline: July 15
Genre: Fiction
The Bard Fiction Prize is awarded yearly to an emerging American writer under the age of 39. Not only does the winning author receive a monetary prize, the writer is also appointed to the position of writer-in-residence at Bard College for one semester. In this position, the recipient is able to give one public lecture to the Bard community as well as meet informally with students. In addition to copies of the published book, the application also requires a cover letter with an explanation of the author’s projected intent at Bard.
Deadline: August
Genre: History, Literature, Children, Nature, Natural History, Instructional, Adventure Guidebook, Nature Guidebook, Design, and Outdoor Classic
Another great award with a summer 2012 deadline is the National Outdoor Book Award. This award acknowledges the best in outdoor writing and publishing and is co-sponsored by the National Outdoor Book Awards Foundation, the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Recreation, and Idaho State University. Awards are announced in early November. This year’s application will be available in early June and deadlines have traditionally been in August.
There are a slew of awards out there, so if you know of any prestigious, independent book awards with summer deadlines that we’ve missed, let us know in the comments!
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An Overview of Awards for Independent Authors—Spring 2012
January 10, 2012
by Carly Willsie
You’ve worked day and night writing, editing, promoting, and selling your book—isn’t it about time you received a little recognition? We think so! That’s why we’ve gathered some of the best upcoming industry awards for independent authors here on the Big Bad Book Blog.
Awards are a great way to gain recognition and visibility, and they just might boost sales and confidence, too. Best of luck! And remember: It’s never too early to start reorganizing the mantel to make room for your many imminent awards.
Foreword Reviews, Book of the Year Awards
Deadline: January 15
Genre: All
Foreword Review, one of the industry’s foremost independent reviews, identifies the previous year’s best independently published books. According to Foreword, the awards are “reviewed by librarians and booksellers as an important statement about a title they might have overlooked,” so it’s definitely worth the effort to enter. Note that there is a $99 entry fee, but that could all be gained back with the $1,500 prize. But hurry—the deadline is January 15.
Deadline: January 15 (extended from December 31)
Genre: All
The Benjamin Franklin Awards, administered by the Independent Book Publishers Association, is one of the more highly regarded awards in the indie world. Winners are recognized at an IBPA gala, and receive an engraved crystal trophy and publicity on the IBPA page. There’s another bonus to entering as well: The judges of the Benjamin Franklin Awards give every entrant personalized feedback and recommendations for their titles.
Deadline: January 21
Genre: All (For a more specific list of eligible categories, visit this link.)
Another great award with an upcoming deadline is the Eric Hoffer Award for Independent Books. This award, named after American philosopher Eric Hoffer, honors authors whose work has been published with independent, small, academic or self-publishing presses. The grand prizewinner receives $2,000, and the award is covered in the US Review of Books.
Independent Publisher Book Awards
Deadline: March 21
Genre: All
The “IPPY” awards are in their sixteenth year of recognizing independent talent. The group offers a number of awards in a breathtaking amount of categories (72!) as well as regional, and ebook-specific awards. In addition to the regular IPPY awards, the group also names “Outstanding Books of the Year.”
The National Indie Excellence Book Awards
Deadline: April 10
Genre: All
Submissions for the National Indie Excellence Book Awards are now open for independent and self-published books; pieces published between 2009 and 2012 are eligible. Prizes are sponsored packages—everything from mobile marketing to event management services to electronic press kits—designed to continue your book’s sales journey after the award.
Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards
Deadline: First Round—March 31; Final—August 31
Genre: Children’s, Middlegrade, Young Adult
This award, sponsored by the Jenkins Group and Independent Publisher Magazine, seeks to honor children’s book authors, illustrators, and publishers. The award is given in a number of age- and genre-appropriate categories. Every winning author receives a medal, a certificate, and 20 sample seals for their books.
There are a slew of awards out there, so if you know of any prestigious independent book awards with spring deadlines that we’ve missed, let us know in the comments!
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2010 Next Generation Indie Book Awards
March 1, 2010
by GreenleafBookGroup
Calling all indie authors and publishers--including small and mid-size independent publishers, university presses, e-book publishers, and self-published authors. Enter the Next Generation Indie Book Awards now to have your book considered for cash prizes of $1,500, awards, exposure, and recognition as one of the top independently published books of the year! The deadline is March 10, 2010, so get your submissions in today!
The top 60 books will be reviewed by New York literary agent Marilyn Allen or her co-agents for possible representation in areas such as distribution, foreign rights, and film rights. Ms. Allen has served as Senior Vice President of HarperCollins, directed sales and marketing teams for Simon & Schuster and Penguin Books, and worked with authors such as Stephen King, Ken Follett, and Barbara Kingsolver.
Visit www.IndieBookAwards.com for more information or to enter.
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Nautilus Book Awards Deadline Extended to February 28
February 8, 2010
by GreenleafBookGroup
The Nautilus Book Awards, which recognizes "books and audio books that promote spiritual growth, conscious living, and positive social change," has extended its deadline for entries to February 28, 2010. The award is open to all publishers and self-published authors with books published or produced in 2008 or 2009 in the English language. Check the category list to see if your book would be a good candidate for a Nautilus award. Because there may be some overlap between categories, the kind people at Nautilus will even reposition your book if the category in which it was submitted is not the most appropriate choice.
To enter, you'll need to fill out the entry form, pay the entry fee, and have four copies sent off to Nautilus, postmarked no later than midnight, February 28, and sent via FedEx, UPS, or USPS Priority Mail with delivery confirmation. For more information, visit the Nautilus Book Awards website or email marilyn@nautilusbookawards.com. Good luck!
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Tips on Submitting to ForeWord's 2009 Book of the Year Awards
December 22, 2009
by Aaron Hierholzer
The deadline for ForeWord magazine's Book of the Year Award is January 15, 2010! ForeWord is a trusted and widely read print magazine and online review service for readers, booksellers, and librarians; receiving a good review or award from them lends credibility to authors and enhances the marketability of the book. Whitney Hallberg, Awards Coordinator for ForeWord sent out a helpful letter yesterday with submission tips for authors and publishers. She's kindly given us permission to reprint them here. If you plan to submit, be sure to read these first!
1. If you can’t decide what category to enter your books in, look at previous years’ winners and finalists in the categories you’re considering. This will give you a good idea of what kind of books each category receives. Past winners are listed at http://www.forewordmagazine.net/botya/. Pick the category you think is best, but know that our finalist judging panel will move books to different categories if they think they’ll compete better.
2. Two copies, please! Two judges will be looking at every book that’s named a finalist, so we need two copies of every book.
3. Save postage—package entries together. If you’re entering more than one book, you can box them all together.
4. Think about the real people—my coworkers and me—who will be opening your packages, and don’t use too much tape and packaging! We don’t want your books to fall out in the mail, but in order for them to be considered for the awards, we have to be able to get them out of their envelopes.
There you have it: advice straight from the source. Be sure to follow Whitney's practical advice for the best chance at having your work recognized. Finalists will be named in March; winners will be named at BookExpo America in June
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Two Greenleaf Authors Recognized in 2009 800-CEO-READ Business Book Awards!
December 16, 2009
by GreenleafBookGroup
We're excited to announce that A Seat at the Table: How Top Salespeople Connect and Drive Decisions at the Executive Level, a business book that Marc Miller published with Greenleaf Book Group in May of this year, has won Best in Category in Sales in 800-CEO-READ's 2009 Business Book Awards. Miller's book gives salespeople critical tools for connecting with decision makers to make more and bigger sales. Salespeople who become experts in their customers' businesses and help them generate better results earn a "seat at the table"—the place reserved for those select people who guide the strategic direction of an enterprise.
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Another Greenleaf author, Allan Weis, who wrote The Business of Changing Lives: How One Company Took the Information Superhighway to the Inner City, was a runner-up in the "Innovation & Creativity" category of the awards. Congratulations to Marc and Allan!
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Big Bad Weekly Tip: Book Awards Deadlines Approaching Fast!
September 28, 2009
by GreenleafBookGroup
The submission deadline for the third annual 800-CEO-READ Business Book Awards is October 15, 2009. 800-CEO-READ, a sister company to Harry W. Schwartz Bookshops in Wisconsin, created the business book award program to recognize the best business books published each year. The awards include several individual categories, as well as an overarching award for the Best Business Book of 2009. Any English language business book originally published in the U.S. in 2009 is eligible. Each book will be judged on the originality of its ideas and content. The winners will be announced on December 15, 2009. Click here to enter your eligible business titles today (entry is free).
Also, note that USABookNews.com, a site that highlights hundreds of new and notable books each month, has extended the deadline for their annual National Best Books Awards to September 30, 2009. (That's this Wednesday!) The awards are open to all books with an ISBN published in 2008 or 2009. Visit the National Best Books 2009 Awards page for more information and to enter your eligible titles.
Good luck!
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Mom Knows Best: Mom's Choice Awards
September 14, 2009
by GreenleafBookGroup
The submission deadline for the Mom's Choice Awards® is just around the corner, so if you want to get the attention of the parents and educators of the world, listen up!
Authors of parenting guides, children’s books, and young adult novels know how beneficial a publicity campaign that strategically targets women can be. What better way to market your book to moms than to have an official Mom’s seal of approval? The Mom's Choice Awards represent a mark of distinction that parents, teachers, librarians, and booksellers trust when selecting quality, family-friendly materials. Winning a Mom’s Choice Award is not only an honor for an author, but it brings its winners added benefits for their marketing and publicity campaigns, such as product reviews posted to Amazon.com and BN.com, a national media release, cooperative advertising opportunities, promotional opportunities at BookExpo America and ABC Kids Expo, product promotions via the Mom's Choice Awards website, great discounts on radio, television, and print campaigns, and much more!
The entry deadline for this year’s awards is October 1, 2009. All published books with copyright dates of 2007 to 2010 are eligible. Click here for more detailed information and entry guidelines.
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The 2009 Indies Choice Book Awards, and What Indie Buzz Can Do for You
March 6, 2009
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In case you missed the announcement, the voting for the 2009 Indies Choice Book Awards has begun. Put on by the American Booksellers Association, this is an opportunity for all of the independent bookstores to vote on what they think are the best books of the year, as well as induct their top 3 picture books into the Hall of Fame.
As authors, this is a perfect opportunity to remember the important role independent book stores can play in the success of a book. Get to know the people running the independent stores. They would not own a bookstore if they did not love books, and the authors who write them. These booksellers want to know you, as evidenced by the category for "Most Engaging Author." The feedback they give is instant, and if there is enough support for you or your message, you might be amazed at how quickly word can spread about your book.
Consider Sara Gruen and her book Water for Elephants. Sara made herself and her advance copies available to the independents right from the beginning, during trade shows and mailings. The response was so positive her advance copies had to be printed three different times to keep up with demand from stores and big-media reviewers. This led to a huge increase in print run for the final book, and close to two million copies of the book have been sold to date. Her success was due largely to the immensely positive response from the independent bookselling community.
Having your book carried in the larger stores is very important for any author, but it is nice to see the effect the independent stores and old-fashioned word-of-mouth can have on the book industry. While you might not be able to vote in the ABA poll, it is fun to imagine who you might vote for if given the chance . . . or even what your book's title might look like on next year's ballot.
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