Book awards for self published authors abound and entering is a great idea. A comprehensive list of other competitions can be found here. Dec 22, 2011 just updated all content and added three new contests. Please submit corrections or feedback on any competition to us on the contact page or leave them as comments on the announcement post. The rubery prize is a prestigious international book award seeking the best books by indie writers, self published authors and books published by independent presses, judged by reputable judges. Dec 07, 2011 30 book awards for self published authors by joel friedlander on december 7, 2011 18 comments as self publishing a book has become more accepted and far more popular than it has ever been, book awards for self published books have also multiplied.
All independent authors and publishers with a book date of. Why is selfpublishing still scorned by literary awards. The cost to publish a book depends on a the length of the book and b the level of quality you want. The selfies awards announces its first selfpublished shortlist.
Categories british book design and production awards. Selfpublished authors are still at a disadvantage in the book industry. Sell your work on or buy the books you need immediately. Authors submit a book and a fee for the hopes of winning the contest and the grand prize, usually a. Whether its a book you wrote years ago that never got picked up or a short story you wrote last month and want to share with readers, kdp empowers writers to bring their. Her manuscript, workers rites, won the philbrick poetry award from the providence athenaeum and was published as a chapbook in 2011. British book awards the british book awards, or nibbies, is the definitive event for honouring the commercial successes of publishers, authors and bookshops. Dec 05, 20 back in june, we started a new series dedicated to highlighting the best english language self published books.
The majority of self published book awards dont confer any benefit to the author, other than a seal that winners often must pay for. Jul 12, 2014 these include the guardian self published book of the month, the amazon breakthrough novel award, the next generation indie book awards, and the international book awards. These include the guardian self published book of the month, the amazon breakthrough novel award, the next generation indie book awards, and the international book awards. Some are targeted at books for specific audiences, such as children. An indie author who takes the route of working with a self publishing company might be someone who self publishes a book as a hobby, or they may have the goal of earning money. Book of the year this will be selected from the winners of the other categories. Drake university emerging writer award, co nancy reincke, writers and critics series, english department, howard hall, drake university, 2507 university ave, des moines, ia 50311. Sep 10, 2015 among the dozens of awards for self published books, there arent many that are worth winning. Heather, a widely published and award winning author of novels, short stories and poetry herself, set up the rubery prize. Launched in 2012, 3 wonderbly has sold over 4 million books 4 in over two hundred countries 4 around the world. The list is supplied as information for authors and selfpublishers interested in pursuing awards and citations as a means to their own publishing goals.
Rubery book award is the longest established book award based in the uk for independent and selfpublished books. Fiction and nonfiction writers alike can create, print, and sell their books through all major retail channels. Book awards for selfpublished authors collects in one list book award programs that accept. With over 20 years experience in international publishing we have been involved in the production of more than 600 books, many of which have won. Conducted annually, the independent publisher book awards honor the years best independently published titles from around the world. The new prize was unveiled in december 2018, and aims to discover new talent and recognise. The importance of interior design for selfpublished books. In the uk, bookbrunch has announced the shortlist for the inaugural selfies awards for a selfpublished novel.
The international poetry book awards uk is worth a look. The 2020 ippys are open until the final deadline of. My first book, sunbelievable, was published by my own publishing company and therefore qualified as a self published versus a printondemand self published book. The 11th annual international book awards iba 2020 are specifically designed to be a promotional vehicle for authors and publishers to launch their careers, open global markets and compete with talented authors and publishers throughout the world. To make our self publishing showcase a success, we asked you to tell us about the. The competition is open to all englishlanguage self published books for which the authors have paid the full cost of publication, or the cost of printing has been paid for by a grant or as part of a prize. Many of the contests have categories in addition to poetry and some have regional or other restrictions.
Creative writing is such a key part of life for those who enjoy writing yet it is increasingly difficult to become traditionally published. The annual best indie book award or biba is an international literary contest recognizing outstanding indie authors. The list is supplied as information for authors and self publishers interested in pursuing awards and citations as a means to their own publishing goals. When it comes to well respected book awards that are known internationally there is a problem for the self publisher or the independent press. Self published book awards some make the argument that book contests are a way to rip off writers. The primary criteria is that they accept selfpublished books. Lets take a look at the book awards out there for indie publishers. Your ebook kindle book must be published september 1, 2019 through april 1, 2021. This is another contest exclusively for selfpublished books in eight categories, including poetry collections and childrens books. Alli watchdog ratings are based on careful appraisals of multiple criteria. A chance to celebrate and congratulate authors who have worked tirelessly to create their own story and made it happen.
Easily publish textbooks, course materials, and research. Ambassador internationals childrens book each the same was honored with the 20 usa best book award. The uk s selfies award announces its first selfpublished shortlist in news by porter anderson february 5, 2019 while news of book and publishing awards proliferates, the selfies awards are being introduced in the uk as a competition among indie authors. Discoverability is the word on every selfpublished authors lips. We believe that if you write a book, you should be able to publish it. She has worked as a journalist and womens health educator in western massachusetts. Either way, the indie author usually attempts to self publish by the cheapest, fastest and least painful route possible. Winning a 2020 iba award gives your book added prestige and tells prospective book buyers. In some cases, possibly most, self published authors are not allowed to enter. Book awards for selfpublished authors the book designer.
Two years later he still had to selfpublish his second novel in 2011 which will no doubt be ignored in the guardian until perhaps uk publication. Online retailer amazon uk has taken on big awards such as the man booker and costa book awards by launching its own literary prize for selfpublished ebooks the. With hundreds of thousands of self published books hitting the shelves every year, indie authors need to find a way to stand out. Publishing takes less than 5 minutes and your book appears on kindle stores worldwide within 2448 hours. The evvy awards are open to any independently or self published print book, e book or audio book and may be submitted by the author, publisher or credited service provider illustrator, designer, editor, printer, consultant, etc. The editor of the football, design and illustration magazine, pickles, explains why selfpublishing was the obvious choice pickles was recommended by daniel humphry published. Jun, 2016 book awards for selfpublishers now accepting links and logos to websites for awards for selfpublished authors books. Entries are limited to independently indie published books, including those from small presses, e book publishers, and self published authors. Readers recommended selfpublished authors books the. The annual winner of this ukbased award receives a prize of. A book award will give you an edge and may be all the difference needed to propel your book into bestseller territory. I was a runnerup in the rubery book awards and the prestigious uk peoples book prize. The costs and benefits of publishing your own books bbc news. Book awards for self published writers are one way to do that.
Some of her poetry and short stories have been published in the following journals please note this is not a complete list. Ellen lafleche is a judge of our north street book prize. Offers awards in several writing categories, including poetry, general fiction, e book fiction, and e book nonfiction, as well as categories by press type, such as micro or self published. Book awards for selfpublished authors publishers weekly. The key to our success is having a keen eye for quality from distinguished and reputable judges. My first book, sunbelievable, was published by my own publishing company and therefore qualified as a selfpublished versus a printondemand selfpublished book. When you win or get placed, you can say you are an award winning author. The next generation indie book awards are the largest international awards program for independent publishers. Mystery book awards, writing contests and literary prizes. Although your book will be uploaded in an ebook form, your entry isnt limited to the ebook category. Book marketing services also available with experienced, professional support. Book awards for selfpublished authors star print brokers. Book awards for selfpublished writers are one way to do that. Learn about the 10 top legitimate book awards open to self published authors.
It sounds and is great, and gives the book a magic lift that comes from a third party endorsement. Authors submit a book and a fee for the hopes of winning the contest and the grand prize, usually a sum of money. We will then let you know if its the sort of book that our readers willmight enjoy. Everything you do to market your work, from facebook and twitter to writers forums and events will lead back to this, ideally, creative masterpiece. The annual best indie book award is an international literary award contest recognizing independent authors in major genres. Unlike others out there, or websites claiming to help people self publish, i have one very important thing they dont have 14 years ago i set up my own independent publishing company, which has gone on to win national awards, sell 100,000s of books and products, and i still run this publishing company to this day, implementing the latest bestseller marketing strategies which are working. Kindle direct publishing kdp empowers you to do just thatits an easytouse self publishing platform that lets anyone who has a story publish it. Researching book award contests can be overwhelming. The evvy awards are open to any independently or self published print book, e book or audio book and may be submitted by the author, publisher or credited. While news of book and publishing awards proliferates, the selfies awards. Dawsons first self published book, the black mile a thriller set in londons west end between 1940 and 1970 again failed to register. Self published authors are still at a disadvantage in the book industry. In fact, i won the 2014 uk peoples book prize for my childrens novel, i think i murdered miss.
The uks selfies award announces its first selfpublished. Whether youre a professional writer, a parttime freelancer or a selfstarting student, heres your chance to enter the only selfpublished competition exclusively for selfpublished books. Exemplifying the highest standards of book design, production and printing, this category is open only to books that are published, printed, designed and bound in great britain. We cant guarantee our advice will turn manuscripts into bestsellers, but hopefully it will make those first steps a little easier. A quick internet search will yield many other competitions that accept submissions of selfpublished books. We frequently receive inquiries from self published writers looking for awards for which they are eligible.
Anyone of any age, gender, or background, from anywhere in the world, who has published a book with an indie publisher, or self published their book in english, on amazon kdp. Contests for already published poetry books updated. The uks selfies award announces its first selfpublished shortlist. A mong the dozens of awards for selfpublished books, there arent many that are worth winning. Self publish ebooks and paperbacks for free with kindle direct publishing, and reach millions of readers on amazon. John doppler, head of allis watchdog desk and author of choosing the best self publishing services for you, identifies and rates the best and worst self publishing services here on this page. This list provides a brief overview of each award and is intended as a preliminary guide to awards that accept self published books by canadian writers. You can promote and sell your self published book in a range of ways, including in the blurb bookstore, on amazon, and with worldwide online retailers. Selfpublished book awards, writing contests and literary. Back then, selfpublishing a book carried a huge stigma, but today, more books are selfpublished than traditionally published, and more selfpublished books are purchased than traditionally published books.
Entries are limited to independently indie published books, including those from small presses, ebook publishers, and selfpublished authors. These awards were selected based on their acceptance of selfpublished books. Wonderbly, previously lost my name, is an award winning independent technology and publishing business that offers personalised childrens picture books. The design of your book cover is one of the most important elements of your self publishing project.
May 07, 2017 a regularly updated list of contests for already published books of poetry, listed in chronological order of deadline. And a new book awards program today february 5 is adding to the wintry mix something almost as distinctive as the proverbial snowflakes design. Selfpublished book awards some make the argument that book contests are a way to rip off writers. A t this time of year, shortlists, longlists, and calls for submissions swirl like snow showers up and down the uk. How to get published on this page well try to dispel a few myths and offer some helpful hints and encouragement to writers hoping to take that great leap forward to getting published. Indie book awards may be focused on nonfiction, fiction or poetry books, or may be open to all three. And many of these contests are run by media groups that use them as a way to drum up business. The majority of selfpublished book awards dont confer any benefit to the author, other than a seal that winners often must pay for. Among the dozens of awards for selfpublished books, there arent many that are worth winning. This is slowly changing, but it is an issue now for most self published authors. Two contemporary novels working with cover and interior designers 5 book binding styles illustrated. Book awards contests can be a great way for a new or experienced author to win a prize, get recognition, and improve your chances at getting a major book deal. Including them here should not be taken as an endorsement of the competition or its sponsors.
Jun 27, 2018 the importance of interior design for selfpublished books the selfpublishing industry has come a long way since the early 2000s. The problem with many book awards for independently published authors is they dont seem particularly interested in the books. The best selfpublished book awards programs have the power to change that and bring authors and their works out of obscurity and into the spotlight. Even if they are allowed or an independent press attempts to enter these competitions are usually prohibitively expensive.
For award specific entry details, deadlines and entry fees, click on the link provided for each award. Book awards open to selfpublished books fundsforwriters. Jan 14, 2017 a mong the dozens of awards for selfpublished books, there arent many that are worth winning. Of course, if you just want to get your book out there, you can always format it for free and self publish. Print 1 or 1,000 print one copy at a time, or buy many of your self published books upfront for a lower price per unit. Selfpublished book awards the writers union of canada. Apr 23, 2018 i recently self published a book and looked through the number of awards and marketing organizations and they barely conceal their avarice.
The awards are owned by irish book awards ltd, a notforprofit company presided over by a board comprising represent. Entries will be evaluated on content, writing quality. That said, we live in an age in which anyone can publish a book using readily available. Some authors wish to participate in awards contests to aid in accomplishing their own goals. Book awards authors should enter westwind communications. The ippy awards were conceived as a broadbased, unaffiliated awards program open to all members of the independent publishing industry, and are open to authors and publishers worldwide who produce books written in english and appropriate for the north american market. Book awards for self published authors including them here should not be taken as an endorsement of the competition or its sponsors. Award winning book cover design spiffingcovers self. Award winning authors tend to be more successful when it comes to finding a literary agent, getting a publisher, and selling more books. Indie publishing versus selfpublishing 1106 design. Why i set up a new book award when other awards let. The primary criteria is that they accept self published books.
The awards are intended to bring increased recognition to the thousands of exemplary independent, university, and self published books released each year. Top 10 selfpublished book awards for independent authors. Jun 25, 2019 books published by traditional publishers are considered for coverage by the media, awards organizations, and bookstores, many of which wont even consider self published books. This esteemed book award ceremony is aimed at professional, freelance, and student selfpublished authors. Please remember to read the rules before entering the wishing shelf awards how to enter. Award contests can aid in book marketing and promotion.