The independent publisher book awards, also styled the ippy awards, is a set of annual book awards for independently published titles. Such awards arent really about honoring writers at all. Harvard square editions fiction publisher run by harvard. Awards, axiom awards, elit awards, living now awards, and the ippy awards. Book awards for selfpublished authors these awards were selected based on their acceptance of selfpublished books. In the meantime, james minter has drawn together a list of 50 book awards open to selfpublishers. The next generation indie book awards are the largest international awards program for independent publishers. Categories ibpa book award annual book awards program. The ippy awards contest is among the largest and most recognized book awards events in the world, and all independent, university, small press, and selfpublishers who produce books written in. The ippy conducted annually, the independent publisher book awards honor the years best independently published titles from around the world. It offers books for babies, toddlers, elementary school kids, and beyond. He is a seasoned marketer and bestselling author, whose debut book, the minefields, won the bronze 2012 ippy award for best literary novel midatlantic region. Avoid events which are driven by excessive entry fees, marketing services to entrants, or selling merchandise like stickers and certificates.
There are literally dozens of awards open to small press, university press and selfpublished books. There are many award programs in the book business. Living now book awards, illumination book awards, and the ippy awards. The clue awards is a division of chanticleer international novel writing competitions.
I won the ben franklin for best new voice fiction and either won or was finalist for historical fiction for the other two. Learn about the 10 top legitimate book awards open to selfpublished authors. There are literally dozens of awards open to small press, university press and self published books. Some very legit awards do charge an entry fee, but its a matter of degree. The list is supplied as information for authors and selfpublishers interested in pursuing awards and citations as a means to their own publishing goals. Gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded in each category. Add or select a book published in 2020 to register it for the foreword indies. Awards and their benefits is something alli watchdog jim giamatteo is going to be looking at and reporting back on soon. The short answer is no, barefoot books is not a scam. Use the pages below to browse these incredible 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.
Jul 12, 2014 awards and their benefits is something alli watchdog jim giamatteo is going to be looking at and reporting back on soon. One award we researched and almost recommended didnt make the list bc it was clearly a funnel to attract authors for other services. Enter your book in the foreword indies, a book awards program honoring the best of indie publishing each year. These awards include the regional ippy awards for best fiction and best nonfiction in eight u. At the next generation indie book awards, we encourage authors to enter as many legitimate awards programs as their budget can handle. Last fall and winter, we entered book design made simple in some independent publishing book award contests.
But how do you know which ones are legitimate, wellregarded, or even beneficial. While we think all of our clients are the best, some are brand new and have done little yet to earn such prestigious awards. It is the longestrunning unaffiliated contest open exclusively to independent presses. There are hundreds of literary contests and awards, online and off.
Launched in 1996 and conducted each year to honor the years best independently published books, the ippy awards recognize merit in a broad range of subjects and reward authors and publishers who take chances and break new ground. Someone who has the interest should check the ownership of every award listed on the page by rep. Book awards and contests which are legit and worth. In august 2010, bill and melinda gates, along with warren buffett, introduced the giving. Welcome to the illumination book awards online entry page. The ippy awards contest is among the largest and most recognized book awards. Moonbeam awards, axiom awards, elit awards, living now awards, and the ippy awards. Since its creation in 1998, the foreword indies book of the year awards has served to showcase the talent of established university and independent press. Apr 10, 2017 with hundreds of thousands of selfpublished books hitting the shelves every year, indie authors need to find a way to stand out. The elit awards celebrate the ever growing market of electronic publishing in the wide variety of reader formats. Harvard square editions is an independent publisher of fiction. Deepdive mastermind and lunch with viki, coach to fortune 100 ceosteams, 22time bestselling author, award winning publisher and eippy book awards founder explore the magnitude of ways you can plant your book as the foundation to propel your business and your life. The ippy awards are not fakes, and are apparently the worlds largest book awards contest and the longestrunning unaffiliated contest open.
Many people, including myself, will choose a book just because it has one of these award stickers on it. This is a 100% legit independent childrens book publisher that has been around for 26 years. Since 1983, the independent book publishers association ibpa, the largest notforprofit trade association of independent publishers, has been a leader in member advocacy, education, and tools for success. Steve owns and operates the when words count retreat, in rochester, vt. Each years ippy awardwinning titles represent a list of authors, editors, publishers, illustrators and photographers who arent afraid of change and thats why their wonderful, heartfelt, and inspired writing and publishing is so worthy of our awards. My book also garnered 8 other book awards, but the only sticker i apply to book covers is the indiereader discovery award. Nautilus book awards better books for a better world. Click on the link, sign into your facebook account and like us. Well, the winners have been announced, and were so pleased we couldnt stop ourselves from the results. The jenkins group, a costly selfpublishing services provider, runs at least six awards programs. And yes, it does provide a cautionary tale for those of us who are seduced by the possibility of our work winning a coveted prize. My latest project was planned as a more personal story. In midapril, we got word that our book had won gold at the independent publisher ippy book awards. A legitimate contest or awards program will provide clear rules, including information about entry categories, deadlines, eligibility, format, fees, prizes and the circumstances in which they will or will not be awarded, judging, and very important any rights you may.
Medalists and their guests are invited to attend the awards ceremony and celebration at no charge. 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. Update on the 2019 nautilus season wonderful and challenging for those of you who are new to nautilus, we extend a heartfelt welcome and hope that you enjoy exploring this website. Ippy award winners can celebrated their new award with a host of visual items including award seals for their books, certificates, medals, electronic images for their websites and much more. Book publishing books are marketing tools independent publisher independent publisher book awards elit book awards living now book awards moonbeam childrens book awards axiom business book awards. Chula the fox is a middle grade historical novel, steeped in chickasaw language and culture and set in our tribes homeland, near presentday mississippi. The past decade has been the most dynamic period ever for u. Conducted annually, the independent publisher book awards honor the years best independently published titles from around the world.
Niea national indie excellence awards united states. Ippy, and forward awards, all of which cost to enter but are considered prestigious in the indie press world. Ippy award winners announced for 2018 compassionate storytelling from diverse points of view april 18, 2018 traverse city, mi the medalists in the 22nd annual independent publisher book awards have been announced, and they represent a snapshot of america today. Award programs are designed to give winning titles a marketing boost in the trade and consumer markets.
Not only did several blair authors take home some of these awards, but several authors at our distributed lines did as well. Best of business awards for local businesses september 9, 2015 in web design by stephen proffitt yet another wave of scammers are taking advantage of local businesses with their best of business awards or similar equivalents. On the plus side, the awards seem to be sponsored by a legit organization latino literacy now and they appear to have an association with the american library association. With hundreds of thousands of selfpublished books hitting the shelves every year, indie authors need to find a way to stand out. The elit awards are an industrywide, unaffiliated awards program open to all members of the electronic publishing industry. Since 1997, the independent publisher book awards have been recognizing the best independently published books each year read more about the history of the ippys. Including them here should not be taken as an endorsement of the competition or its sponsors. Please visit these other jenkins group publishing service companies.
Ippy book awards the ippy book awards are run by the jenkins group. Jul 11, 2012 here are our favorite awards for indie authors that have proved legit, with entry fees that arent ridiculous and that are respected in the publishing industry. On the plus side, the awards seem to be sponsored by a legit organization latino. But i had noticed the jm northern logo on several book festival listings and wondered if they were on the up and up. The national indie excellence awards niea is open to all english language printed books available for sale, including small presses, midsize independent publishers, university presses.
After my book came, out i applied for ben franklin, ippy, and forward awards, all of which cost to enter but are considered prestigious in the indie press world. The book excellence awards is an international book award that helps authors and publishers increase their credibility, visibility and book sales. Many if not most novel awards out there require for you to be supported by a large, known publisher. It is judged by a panel of over 120 librarians and booksellers to bring attention to some of the most innovative, creative, and beautiful books from independent presses and authors. Just what are these awards about, and why should you enter them. In 1999, ibpa named its best first book awards in his honor shortly before he passed away. Independent publisher ippy book awards is run by the jenkins group a book marketing firm and is clearly a forprofit venture.
Bill fisher was a visionary in the world of independent publishing and integral in starting ibpa in the early 80s, when it was known as pma publishers marketing association. He was proud of the honor, and of being a publisher in the west. Welcome to the 11th annual international awards, sponsored by american book fest. The full name of these awards are the independent publisher book awards. The moonbeam childrens book awards are presented by publishing services company jenkins group, inc. Here are our favorite awards for indie authors that have proved legit, with entry fees that arent ridiculous and that are respected in the publishing industry. The top 10 awards for indie authors the wise ink blog. Moonbeam award winners can celebrated their new award with a host of visual items including award seals for their books, certificates, medals, electronic images for their websites and much more. The independent publisher book awards ippys honor the years best books from independent and small press publishers. Posted on august 28, 2018 under iuniverse news the independent publisher book awards contest is now accepting entries for 2019, from independent authors and publishers with books intended for an englishspeaking audience. These awards were selected based on their acceptance of selfpublished books. I very strongly suspect its all an interlinked scam set up. The awards are intended to bring increased recognition to the thousands of exemplary independent, university, and selfpublished titles published each year. The clue awards for thrillersuspense novels 2016 official.
Ibpas awards have more legitimacy that many profitmaking awards because the sponsor is a legit organization, but they still tick most of the boxes mentioned abovehigh entry fees, multiple award categories to maximize entries, anonymous judging, and negligible prizes. Moonbeam childrens book awards, axiom book awards, elit awards, living now book awards, illumination book awards, and the ippy awards. Over this time, the ibpa benjamin franklin award for excellence in book publishing has become one of the highest national honors for. Previous winners and finalists of the book excellence awards have doubled their book sales, garnered attention from film producers, received distribution in book stores and increased their visibility and media attention. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. As one of the oldest, most established independent book awards in operation, the independent publisher book awards ippys are well known and respected in the book industry. The moonbeam awards will recognize and reward the best of these books and bring them to the attention of booksellers, librarians, parents and children. The ippy awards contest is accepting entries for books released between january 1, 2016 and february 24. The ippy awards contest is accepting entries for books released between january 1, 2016 and february 24, 2018, or with 20162018 s. The national indie excellence awards niea is open to all english language printed books available for sale, including small presses, midsize independent publishers, university presses, and selfpublished authors. Jan 18, 2018 learn about the 10 top legitimate book awards open to selfpublished authors. Each years ippy award winning titles represent a list of authors, editors, publishers, illustrators and photographers who arent afraid of change and thats why their wonderful, heartfelt, and inspired writing and publishing is so worthy of our awards. Dec 22, 2011 the awards are intended to bring increased recognition to the thousands of exemplary independent, university, and selfpublished titles published each year.
Nine days later, we won another gold medal, this time at. Theres nothing to stop you from inventing your own scam award just for your own book, and announcing your status to the world. Jenkins group is a proud member of the american book producers association. Remember our post about award nominations for the benjamin franklin and ippy awards. Sep 09, 2015 we will have a sudden influx of client businesses that have received awards for being the best in their local market for their industry now that this scam which first appeared in 20 is now operating in 2015. If you visit our award contest winners pages by clicking the award winners link under the search bar at the top of our website, you will notice that in some cases the same award is given more than once in the same category, which is the result of more. We hosted the winners of the 23rd annual, 2019 independent publisher book awards on may 28th in new york city, celebrating their incredible work with 300 medalists and guests. When i made the decision to enter my book in the ippy awards, i had no idea it was the same company who awarded me in 1997 that year they were called the small press book awards. Book awards program honoring the best of indie publishing each year. There are a few sites that warn authors of the pay to play awards game. Ibpa benjamin franklin awards home ibpa book award. The foreword indies annually recognize up to four winners in each of 55 categories. Each winning book receives a medal, a personalized certificate, and 20 sample seals. Nov 15, 20 almost all ask for some kind of entry fee and its hard to know which ones are worth the money.
Some very legit awards do charge an entry fee, but its a matter of. This contest is for christianthemed books written in english with s 20192020, or that were released since january 1, 2019. The newbery and caldecott awards are the very best, as im sure you know. Top 10 selfpublished book awards for independent authors. Here are our favorite awards for indie authors that have proved legit, with entry fees that arent ridiculous and that are respected in the. Book awards for selfpublished writers are one way to do that. Jun 09, 2015 the jenkins group, a costly selfpublishing services provider, runs at least five awards programs. Excessive entry fees can be a sign of a profitmaking scheme. Keep in mind that some awards programs are in place to make money for the company running them this is the case with one of the oldest and largest indie book awards programs while others are in place to. Author of the discovery award winning life in a jar and before the court of heaven. Independent publisher book awards 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 intended for the north american market. The books, puzzles, and other products are impressive and worth any parents money.