fbpx

Book Publicist Scott Lorenz offers Authors Book Marketing Tips and Techniques on his Blog “The Book Publicist”

woman
Authors, want publicity?
Get ALL the publicity your book deserves, and MORE!
> GET A TOP BOOK PUBLICIST,
SCOTT LORENZ

Top Poetry Competitions Researched by Book Publicist Scott Lorenz

Top Poetry Competitions

By Scott Lorenz
Westwind Communications

Are you a poet and nobody knows it?  Get busy and enter poetry competitions and tell the world about your poetry!

One of the best ways to gain exposure for your poetry is to enter your work into various poetry competitions around the United States. The recognition gained for your prose could help launch your career or give you the encouragement to propel you forward to greater heights. Sometimes that third party endorsement of your work is well worth your time.

I’ve researched and compiled this list of poetry contests that offer recognition and in some cases cash prizes. Good luck!

1. Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry, Salt Lake City, UT. Honoring the memory of a celebrated poet and a beloved teacher, the Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry is awarded annually and is sponsored by The University of Utah Press and The University of Utah Department of English. $1,000 Cash Prize and Publication from the Press; $500 and reading in The University of Utah’s Guest Writers Series from The University of Utah Department of English. https://www.uofupress.com/ali-poetry-prize.php

2. Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize, Pittsburgh, PA. Established in 1981, the Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize is administered by the University of Pittsburgh Press. Named in honor of Agnes Lynch Starrett, the Press’s first director, the prize is awarded for a first full-length book of poems. The prize carries a cash award of $5,000 and publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press as part of the Pitt Poetry Series. The series is edited by Ed Ochester, who also serves as final judge in the Starrett competition. https://upittpress.org/prize/agnes-lynch-starrett-poetry-prize/

3. Aliki Perroti and Seth Frank Most Promising Young Poet Award, New York, NY. Established in 2013, the Aliki Perroti and Seth Frank Most Promising Young Poet Award recognizes a student poet twenty-three years old or younger, with an annual cash prize of $1,000. https://poets.org/academy-american-poets/prizes/aliki-perroti-and-seth-frank-most-promising-young-poet-award

4. Amy Lowell Traveling Poet Scholarship, Boston, MA. The American poet Amy Lowell died in 1925. Her will established an annual scholarship to support travel abroad for gifted American-born poets. The scholarship is administered by the Trustees under her will at the law firm of Choate, Hall & Stewart in Boston, Massachusetts. There is no age requirement, publication requirement, or education requirement. Poets must be of American birth. https://www.amylowell.org/

5. Benjamin Saltman Poetry Award, Pasadena, CA. Established in 1998, in honor of the poet Benjamin Saltman (1927-1999), this award is for a previously unpublished original collection of poetry. Awarded collection is selected through an annual competition which is open to all poets. https://redhen.org/awards/benjamin-saltman-poetry-award/

6. Berkshire Prize for a First or Second Book of Poetry, North Adams, MA. The Berkshire Prize for a First or Second Book of Poetry is open to anyone writing in the English language, whether living in the United States or abroad. Translations are not eligible for this prize, nor are previously self-published books. https://www.tupelopress.org/berkshire-prize/

7. Colorado Prize for Poetry, Fort Collins, CO. The Colorado Prize for Poetry is an international literary contest started in 1995. Since the contest began, over 5,000 book-length poetry manuscripts have been entered. Each year’s prizewinner receives a $2,000 honorarium and publication of his or her book by the Center for Literary Publishing. https://coloradoreview.colostate.edu/colorado-prize-for-poetry/

8. Cowles Poetry Book Prize, Cape Girardeau, MO. Individual poems in the manuscript may have been published previously in a chapbook, magazines, journals or anthologies, but the work as a whole must be unpublished. Translations and previously self-published books are not eligible. Open to any poet writing in English, age 18 or older, regardless of publication history. Send 48-100 pages of poetry–any style or theme–with a table of contents and an acknowledgements page for any previously published poems. The page count doesn’t include the table of contents or acknowledgements. No online submissions. http://www.semopress.com/events/cowles-prize/

9. Elixir Press Annual Poetry Awards, Denver, CO. Elixir Press is sponsoring a poetry contest open to all poets writing in English. There will be a Judge’s Prize of $2,000 and an Editors’ Prize of $1000. Both winning manuscripts will be published by Elixir Press. All entries will be considered for publication. An outside judge, to be announced later, will make the final decision for the first prize. The editors will make the final decision for the second prize. http://elixirpress.com/guidelines/annual-poetry-awards

10. Fugue Annual Writing Contest, Moscow, ID. Fugue’s Annual Writing Contest accepts submissions of both poetry and prose (fiction and nonfiction). Multiple submissions are accepted as long as separate fees are paid. For poetry submissions, please send between 1-3 poems. For prose submissions, please send no more than one short story or one essay. https://fuguejournal.com/general-submissions

11. Iowa Poetry Prize, Iowa City, IA. The Iowa Poetry Prize, open to new as well as established poets, is awarded for a book-length collection of poems written originally in English. Previous winners, current University of Iowa students, and current and former University of Iowa Press employees are not eligible. https://uipress.uiowa.edu/resources/prospective-authors/iowa-poetry-prize

12. Jake Adam York Prize, Denver, CO. The Jake Adam York Prize is a collaboration between Copper Nickel & Milkweed Editions. It is open to all poets in the US who have published no more than one full-length poetry collection. The entries are due October 15. The entry fee is $25 (which includes a year’s subscription to Copper Nickel). The prize is $2,000 plus publication by Milkweed Editions. http://copper-nickel.org/bookprize/

13. May Sarton New Hampshire Poetry Prize, Peterborough, NH. The May Sarton New Hampshire Poetry Prize is named for May Sarton, the renowned novelist, memoirist, poet, and feminist (1912-1995). The winner receives $1000, book publication, and 100 copies of the published book, as well as distribution with our other spring titles through our partner UPNE (University Press of New England). https://bauhanpublishing.com/contests/

14. The Cowles Poetry Book Prize, Cape Girardeau, MO. Prize: $2,000 and 30 copies for the author, publication and distribution of a full-length poetry manuscript with a full-color perfect-bound cover. Manuscripts submitted to the contest will be read and judged anonymously. http://www.semopress.com/events/cowles-prize/

15. Miller Williams Poetry Prize, Fayetteville, AR. A prize of $5,000 and publication by University of Arkansas Press is given annually for a poetry collection. Submit a manuscript of 60 to 90 pages with a $28 entry fee by September 30. Visit the website for complete guidelines. https://www.uapress.com/millerwilliamspoetryseries/

16. Raiziss/de Palchi Translation Awards, New York, NY. The Raiziss/de Palchi Translation Awards recognize outstanding translations into English of modern Italian poetry through a $10,000 book prize and a $25,000 fellowship, given in alternating years. To apply, a translator must submit four copies of a proposal describing the work-in-progress, the applicant’s credentials, and how the fellowship money will be used. https://poets.org/academy-american-poets/prizes/raizissde-palchi-translation-awards

17. Rhina Espaillat Poetry Award, Walden, NY. This award honors the achievements of the great Dominican-American poet, translator, and public school teacher Rhina Polonia Espaillat. The Rhina Espaillat Poetry Award will be awarded for an original poem of not more than fifty lines that reflects her lyricism, empathy, and ability to find grace in everyday events of life. https://www.plough.com/en/contact-us/rhina-espaillat-poetry-award

18. Spirit First Poetry Contest, Langley Park, MD. Poetry submissions may be of any length and any style but must have a theme of Meditation, Mindfulness, Silence, Stillness, or Solitude (we are referring to peaceful solitude – not loneliness). Poems may reflect any discipline, any faith, or none. Poems must be previously unpublished. https://www.spiritfirst.org/

19. The Center for Book Arts Poetry Chapbook Competition, New York, NY. The Center’s Poetry Chapbook Competition has been going strong since 1996; past winners have included Ailish Hopper, Jeffrey Skinner, L.B.Thompson, and Rachel Zucker. Poets! Submit your work for this year’s contest; the deadline every year is December 1; current guidelines are up on our site here. https://centerforbookarts.org/calendar/opportunity/2023-poetry-chapbook-contest

20. The Washington Prize, Washington, DC. The Washington Prize, awarded annually to a living American or Canadian poet, is $1,500 and book publication for a manuscript of original poetry in English. Poets at any stage in their career may submit a manuscript of 48 to 80 pages between January 15 and March 15. $25 entry fee. The winner is selected in summer and publication is planned for early the following year. https://wordworksbooks.org/submissions/the-washington-prize/

21. Pushcart Press, Wainscott, NY. Publication in The Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses is awarded annually for works of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction published by literary magazines or small presses during the current year. https://www.pw.org/writing_contests/pushcart_prizes

22. Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest, Northampton, MA. Now in its 14th year, this contest seeks today’s best humor poems. No fee to enter. Submit published or unpublished work. $2,000 in prizes. https://winningwriters.com/our-contests/wergle-flomp-humor-poetry-contest-free

23. Joy Bale Boon Poetry Prize, Elizabethtown, KY. Poets and writers can submit 1-3 poems of any style to The Heartland Review Press poetry contest. All submissions must include a cover letter and author bio of 30-40 words. https://elizabethtown.kctcs.edu/community/theheartlandreviewpress/poetry-prize.aspx

24. Marystina Santiestevan First Book Prize. Awarded annually to a poet writing in English who has not yet published a full-length poetry book, the prize is named in honor of a great supporter of young poets, and the grandmother-in-law of the contest’s final judge, Bob Hicok. Prospective entrants are encouraged to familiarize themselves with Conduit, which champions originality, intelligence, irreverence, and humanity. https://www.conduit.org/book-prizes

25. TWFest Poetry Content, New Orleans, LA. Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival hosts an annual competition for 2-4 unpublished, original poems of any style, with a combined length of 400 lines. This contest is only open to emerging writers who have not published a book of poetry. However, poets and writers who have published a book in another genre are still eligible. https://tennesseewilliams.net/contests/

26. Robert and Adele Schiff Awards, Cincinnati, OH. The Cincinnati Review invites submissions for the annual Robert and Adele Schiff Awards. One poem, one piece of fiction, and one piece of literary nonfiction will be chosen for publication in our prize issue, and winning authors will receive $1,000 each. All entries will be considered for publication in The Cincinnati Review. https://www.cincinnatireview.com/contests/robert-and-adele-schiff-awards/

27. Maine Artist Fellowship, Augusta, ME. The Maine Arts Fellowships recognize artistic excellence in the careers of Maine artists. Fellowships are not grants but are merit-based awards based on the level of artistic creativity and vision as shown in the artist’s support materials. https://mainearts.maine.gov/Pages/Funding/Individual-Artist-Fellowships

28. Bellevue Literary Review Prizes, New York, NY. The Bellevue Literary Review Prize awards young poets who create work related to the themes of health, healing, illness, the mind, and the body. Winners are published in the Spring 2024 issue of the BLR and receive a $1000 cash prize. Honorable mention is awarded $300. Poetry entries are encouraged to be written vividly with a strong narrative. https://blreview.org/blr-prizes/

29. Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award, Claremont, CA. The Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award is an annual poetry contest open to mid-career US poets & writers. The generous cash prize is given to encourage poets to have the freedom to dedicate a year to writing their next book and honing their craft without having to worry about paying bills. https://arts.cgu.edu/tufts-poetry-awards/

30. Los Angeles Review Literary Award, Los Angeles, CA. Los Angeles Review awards four first-place-winning writers a $1000 prize for the annual literary competition. Using their online submission, poets can submit up to three poems of no more than 50 lines each. First place will also be published in the new LAR Online and included in the annual best-of-print edition. Only previously unpublished poems are considered for this award. https://losangelesreview.org/awards/

31. Barrow Street Press Prose Book Award, Kingston, RI. Barrow Street’s 2023 Poetry Book Prize has an annual poetry collection prize of $1500 that will be awarded to the first-place winner. Writers and poets must submit a manuscript or book of poetry of 50 to 80 pages to be judged. The poetry must be in English and include a table of contents and an acknowledgment of any previously published poems. https://barrowstreet.org/press/submit/

32. New Writers Awards, Ann Arbor, MI. Now entering its 55th year, the New Writers Award confers recognition on promising writers who have published a first volume in one of the three genres: Poetry, Fiction, and Creative Non-fiction. Judges of the New Writers Award are faculty members of creative writing and literature at GLCA’s member colleges. https://www.glca.org/faculty/new-writers-award/

33. Akron Poetry Prize, Akron, OH. The University of Akron Presson awards a first-place prize of $1500 for an English poetry manuscript of at least 48 pages and no longer than 90. Manuscripts must be submitted using the online portal, and all entries need to adhere to the guidelines available on their website. Online unpublished works are eligible, but individual posts that may have appeared in literary magazines are acceptable. As well as winning the cash prize, the first-place winner’s book will be published as a part of the Akron Series in Poetry. https://uakron.edu/uapress/akron-poetry-prize/

34. 42 Miles Poetry Award, South Bend, IN. The 42 Miles Press Poetry Award was created in an effort to bring urgent and original voices to the poetry reading public. The prize is offered annually to any poet writing in English, including poets who have never published a full-length book as well as poets who have published several. New and Selected collections of poems are also welcome. https://42milespress.com/contest/

35. Omnidawn Poetry Contests, Richmond, CA. Omnidawn Publishing hosts an annual poetry competition awarding first-prize $1000 and publication with 20 author copies. Manuscripts must be in English, and editors encourage a wide range of styles, forms, diversities, and aesthetics (for example: prose, haiku, lyric, and experimental verse). https://www.omnidawn.com/contests/omnidawn-poetry-contests/

36. Townson University Prize for Literature, Towson, MD. Townson University hosts an annual literary prize for a poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction book. Books published within the past three years or scheduled for publication in 2023 are eligible. Publishers, institutions, or individuals can submit three copies of a book or manuscript. It’s important to note that only residents of Maryland who have lived in the state for at least three years can apply. https://www.towson.edu/cla/departments/english/documents/towson_prize_for_literature_rev.pdf

37. Poetry Nation Poetry Contests. Enter your poem for a chance to win up to $2,000 in cash and prizes! Our semi-annual poetry contests award a multitude of prizes to deserving poets. Your poem can be on any topic, using whatever style you prefer. There is no fee to enter our contests, so you have nothing to lose. https://www.poetrynation.com/contest/

38. Oklahoma Poem Contest, Locust Grove, OK. To celebrate National Poetry Month and Oklahoma, the Rural Oklahoma Museum of Poetry conducts an annual Oklahoma Poem Contest, with cash prizes for the winners. Poems must honor or celebrate Oklahoma in some way. Look at the previous winners below to get an idea of what this means. https://rompoetry.com/oklahoma-poem-contest/

39. The Donald Justice Poetry Prize, West Chester, PA. The Donald Justice Poetry Prize is part of the Spencer Poetry Awards, which Kean W. Spencer created in honor of his mother, Iris N. Spencer. The prize recognizes the distinguished American poet, teacher, and Pulitzer Prize winner, Donald Justice. The WCU Poetry Center welcomes submissions of unpublished, original book-length manuscripts that pay attention to form for consideration in this competition.
The winner of the competition will receive $1,500, and have their manuscript published by Autumn House Press. https://www.wcupa.edu/arts-humanities/poetry/contestAwards.aspx

40. Milton Kessler Memorial Prize for Poetry, Binghamton, NY. They accept submissions of 1-3 poems per reading period–no more than 5 pages total. Please send no more than one poetry submission per reading period. We prefer poems with a strong lyric voice and sense of urgency. https://harpurpalate.submittable.com/submit

The Bottom Line: If you are poet and nobody knows it then it’s time to get busy and enter poetry competitions. Do it TODAY!

About Book Publicist Scott Lorenz

Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers.

His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.

Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at https://www.WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at [email protected] or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book www.BookTitleGenerator.net.

Would you like help promoting your book?

If so, tell us a little about your book. What is the title? Do you have a publisher? What is the publish date? How many pages is your book? What is the cost? Do you have web site? What is your specific goal I.E., to make money, raise awareness, get the attention of an agent or publisher, sell the story to a movie or TV studio or something else? Submit the form below with this information and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!


40 Top Book Awards for Authors in 2023

Top Book Awards for Authors Scott Lorenz Book Publicist

ENTER BOOK AWARD CONTESTS AND BECOME AN AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR in 2023!

I followed Scott’s advice. It worked! To my complete surprise, Beautiful Evil Winter earned a bouquet of book awards, including a highly coveted Eric Hoffer Award and a Readers’ Favorite award. 

By Scott Lorenz
Westwind Communications

“Do book awards matter?”

YES!!

As a book publicist, I can assure you they absolutely do matter! One client won several awards and was contacted by two movie producers about her Young Adult Sci-Fi Fantasy Fiction novel.  Another one of my clients won the prestigious Los Angeles Book Festival award. That then led to a flurry of media interest, which subsequently led to a major New York agent deciding to represent the book and pitch it to all the major publishing houses. This author, needless to say, was happy he decided to enter.

Recently a business book client won a major award which caused CNN to reach out to request the book. I could go on and on with examples of how pursuing and winning book awards will give you opportunities to reach out to the media, booksellers, and agents. As a book publicist, I see the media perk up when an author client has received an award. It’s the added credibility that gives them the assurance that the book is worthwhile. It takes the risk out of the equation for the producer or reporter if it’s an ‘award-winning’ book.

Awards also helped take my book Book Title Generator: A Proven System in Naming Your Book to the next level. It’s earned nine awards including the Independent Author Network, Pencraft Book Awards, Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards, and Literary Titan Book Award, just to name a few. My book also landed a spot in the Must-Read category for authors of all experiences and publishers of all sizes. I used a new service called Book Award Pro to take the drudgery out of keeping tabs of all the award entries. Check them out at: https://bit.ly/BookAwardPro

There’s no denying that awards create interest in your book, which can lead to more sales and other opportunities.  A book award may cause someone to stop in their tracks and consider picking up your book in a bookstore.  A book award can give you an edge and sometimes that’s all the difference you need to propel your book into bestseller territory. If you win you can say you are an “award-winning author.” Doesn’t that sound better? Of course, it does, and you get a little magic that comes from a third-party endorsement because an authority says your work is worthy, and that’s priceless.

Most awards charge a fee to enter. Not all awards have a category for your genre and not all of these will work for every book.

Here’s a list of my top book awards worthy of your consideration.

Keep in mind that links change all the time and contests come and go. Some links are for the previous year because that’s all that was available at the time of this writing.

1. Entering IndieFab Awards should definitely be on your literary to-do list. https://publishers.forewordreviews.com/awards/

2. Find out how your book can earn a Hugo Award and check out science fiction’s most prestigious award details. http://www.thehugoawards.org/about/

3. Enter Dan Poynter’s Global eBook Awards. Don’t miss this important e-book only award. https://globalebookawards.com/

4. The Deadline for the Autumn House Press award for poetry, fiction and non-fiction is late June. Check it out here https://www.autumnhouse.org/submissions/

5. Poets & Writers has a nice list of writing contests, grants and awards. Check it out at: https://www.pw.org/grants

6. Find out how to make it on the Indie Next List to win an Indies Choice Book Award – https://www.bookweb.org/indiebound/nextlist/view

7. The Nautilus Book Award seeks books that make a difference and inspire. https://nautilusbookawards.com/

8. The National Indie Excellence Book Awards competition selects award winners and finalists based on overall excellence of presentation in dozens of categories. Created especially for indie and self-published authors. https://www.indieexcellence.com/

9. Have you written a business book? The Axiom Business Book Awards celebrate excellence in business book writing and publishing by presenting gold, silver and bronze medals in 20 business categories. https://www.axiomawards.com/66/how-to-enter

10. USA Best Book Awards has a ten-year plus track record of honoring and promoting books to the national and international community. The contest is sponsored by American Book Fest, which focuses on mainstream, independent, and self-published books. http://www.americanbookfest.com/2023bestbookawards.html

11. Reader Views Annual Literary Awards were established to honor writers who self-publish or who were published by small presses or independent publishers. https://www.readerviews.com/literaryawards/

12. Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards. Whether you’re a professional writer, a part-time freelancer or a self-starting student, here’s your chance to enter the only self-published competition exclusively for self-published books. One winning entry will receive $8,000 with nine first-place winners who’ll receive $1,000 each. https://www.writersdigest.com/writers-digest-competitions/self-published-book-awards

13. Readers’ Favorite Awards receives submissions from independent authors, small publishers, and publishing giants like HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster, with contestants that range from the first-time, self-published author to New York Times best-selling authors. https://readersfavorite.com/book-reviews.htm

14. Romance Writer of America promotes the interests of career-focused romance writers by sponsoring awards that acknowledge excellence in the romance genre. RWA sponsors: “The RITA” for published romance fiction novels and “The Golden Heart” for unpublished romance fiction manuscripts. https://www.rwa.org/Online/Awards/Online/Awards/Awards.aspx?hkey=36720e5f-ac35-40e6-8311-22d3816567ad

15. Rubery Book Award is the longest established book award based in the UK for independent and self-published books. “The key to our success is having a keen eye for quality from distinguished and reputable judges.” First prize is $1,500 and the winning book will be read by a top literary agent. https://www.ruberybookaward.com/

16. The Eric Hoffer Award for independent books recognizes excellence in publishing with a $2,500 grand prize and various category honors and press type distinctions. To enter, a book must be from an academic press, small press or self-published author. https://www.hofferaward.com/

17. Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Thousands of dollars in prize money. Finalists and Winners receive a list in the Next Generation Indie Book Catalog distributed to thousands of book buyers, media and others. Plus, the top 70 books will be reviewed by a top New York Literary agent for possible representation. https://indiebookawards.com/enteryourbook.php

18. The International Book Awards (IBA) 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. Winners get an extensive public relations campaign, social media promotion and more. http://www.internationalbookawards.com/

19. The Literary Classics Book Awards and Reviews were created to help authors gain recognition for their work and to help parents find the best in literature for children and young adults. http://www.clcawards.org

20. The Scotiabank Giller Prize. A $100,000 grand prize and $10K (CDN) to each of the finalists. To be eligible, a book must be a first-edition, full-length novel or short story collection, written by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada. The publisher must enter. Sorry, no self-published books. https://scotiabankgillerprize.ca/

21. The Feathered Quill Book Awards accept submissions from all size publishers and work very hard to honor and publicize the winners (there’s a link to a testimonial page on the awards page – read what past winners have to say). https://featheredquill.com/feathered-quill-book-awards/

22. Shelf Unbound Magazine’s Best Indie/Self-Published Book Competition honors more than 100 indie/self-published books. In addition to $1,500 in cash prizes, they’ll feature the winner, five finalists, and more than 100 “notable” books in the December/January issue of Shelf Unbound. Any independently published book in any genre in any publication year is eligible for entry. Entry fee is $100 per book. The competition also includes the Pete Delohery Award for Best Sports Book, open to fiction and non-fiction sports-related books. https://shelfmediagroup.com/competitions/

23. Chanticleer International Book Awards — Grand prize winner receives $1,000 cash plus other awards. More than $30,000 cash and prizes awarded each year. 15 genres including the CYGNUS for SciFiction, M&M for Mystery & Mayhem, Somerset for Literary, etc. https://www.chantireviews.com/  Several of their winners have received major publishing deals (6 figures) and two have had their works optioned for film.

24. The Royal Dragonfly (all genres) and Purple Dragonfly (children’s books) Book Awards are prestigious national book contests recognizing exceptional authors for excellence in writing and a Story Monsters Approved! (children’s books) must inspire, inform, teach or entertain, and adhere to rigorous standards of excellence. https://www.dragonflybookawards.com/

25. The Independent Author Network IAN Book of the Year Awards, an international contest opens to all authors with 35 fiction and non-fiction categories. Winners are eligible to receive a share of cash prizes exceeding $6,000 USD. An Outstanding Book (category winner) will be awarded in each category with recognition of Finalists. Six outstanding titles will be named the Books of the Year. Winning books will be shared at the IAN Facebook page with over 120,000 fans and 575,000 followers at twitter. https://www.independentauthornetwork.com/book-of-the-year.html

26. The Chautauqua Prize for authors is $7,500 plus travel and expense for a short summer residency. Full-length books of fiction and narrative/literary nonfiction are eligible. Self-published books are not eligible. In general, cookbooks, self-help books (including inspirational literature), reference books, picture books, graphic novels, or children’s books are not eligible. https://chq.org/schedule/resident-programs/literary-arts/chautauqua-prize/

27. Mom’s Choice Awards® is recognized in over 55 countries around the world for setting the benchmark of excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. If you have a children’s book or family friendly book, then this is a terrific award to pursue. https://www.momschoiceawards.com/

28. Book Excellence Awards – With over $30,000 in grand prizes in media and marketing services, the Book Excellence Awards has helped honorees increase their book sales, garner attention from film producers, receive distribution in bookstores and increase their visibility and media attention. https://bookexcellenceawards.com/

29. The Page Turner Awards – Their prizes promise the winning authors career-changing opportunities. Fiction authors could win a publishing deal or win an audiobook production, non-fiction authors could win a writing mentorship with a business mentoring expert or get their non-fiction manuscript seen by publishers who are actively looking for work to publish. https://pageturnerawards.com/

30. The Douglas Dillon Book Award is an award presented by the American Academy of Diplomacy designed to celebrate distinguished writing about US diplomatic efforts and achievements. The award comes with a $5,000 cash prize and an invitation to the awards ceremony in the Benjamin Franklin Room at the US Department of State. https://www.academyofdiplomacy.org/award/douglas-dillon-book-award/

31. Next Generation Indie Book Awards – The largest international awards program for indie authors and independent publishers. https://indiebookawards.com/

32. The 2023 International Book Awards – Over their 14-year history, thousands of self-published and indie authors have leveraged the promotional power of their International Book Award to increase online recognition, enhance their title’s credibility, and garner more attention in the crowded book buying marketplace. http://www.internationalbookawards.com/2023callforentries.html

33. NAIWE’s 1st Annual Book Awards 2023 – If you have written a book that was published in the last five years, you are eligible to enter it in the NAIWE 1st Annual Book Awards 2023. https://naiwe.com/book-awards/

34. 20th Annual “Best Book” Awards – Over their 20-year history, thousands of self-published and indie authors have leveraged the promotional power of their Best Book Award to increase online recognition, enhance their title’s credibility, and garner more attention in the crowded book buying marketplace. http://www.americanbookfest.com/2023bestbookawards.html

35. Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction – The Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction were established in 2012 to recognize the best fiction and nonfiction books for adult readers published in the U.S. the previous year. The shortlisted authors and eventual winners reflect the expert judgment and insight of the seven-member selection committee of library professionals who work closely with adult readers. These are the ALA’s first single-book awards for adult trade fiction and nonfiction. https://rusaupdate.org/awards/carnegie/

36. Sophie Brody Medal – The Sophie Brody Medal was first awarded in 2006 and includes a medal for the winner. It is funded by Sophie and Arthur Brody Foundation, and is given to encourage, recognize and commend outstanding achievement in Jewish literature. Works for adults published in the United States in the preceding year will be eligible for the award. https://rusaupdate.org/awards/sophie-brody-medal/

37. Dartmouth Medal – Established in 1974, this medal honors the creation of a reference work of outstanding quality and significance, including, but not limited to: writing, compiling, editing, or publishing books or electronic information. The award is given to works that have been published or made available for the first time during the calendar year preceding the presentation of the award. https://rusaupdate.org/awards/dartmouth-medal/

38. National Book Awards – Established in 1950, the National Book Awards are American literary prizes administered by the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization. A pantheon of writers such as William Faulkner, Marianne Moore, Ralph Ellison, John Cheever, Bernard Malamud, Philip Roth, Robert Lowell, Walker Percy, John Updike, Katherine Anne Porter, Norman Mailer, Lillian Hellman, Elizabeth Bishop, Saul Bellow, Toni Morrison, Flannery O’Connor, Adrienne Rich, Thomas Pynchon, Alice Walker, E. Annie Proulx, Jesmyn Ward, and Ta-Nehisi Coates have all won National Book Awards. Although other categories have been recognized in the past, the Awards currently honor the best Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature, published each year. – https://www.nationalbook.org/national-book-awards/

39. The Booker Prize 2023 – Novelist Esi Edugyan, twice-shortlisted for the Booker Prize, will chair the panel and will be joined by Adjoa Andoh, actor, writer and director; Mary Jean Chan, poet, lecturer, editor and critic; James Shapiro, Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University and author specialising in Shakespeare; and Robert Webb, actor and writer. https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/prize-years/2023

40. IPPA Best Book Award – The IPPA Best Book Award is awarded biennially at the Association’s International Conference on Public Policy (ICPP). The award is given to a single- or co-authored monograph that makes an original and significant theoretical, methodological, and/or empirical contribution to the field of Public Policy and/or Public Administration. https://www.ippapublicpolicy.org/award/best-book-award/16

If You Don’t Have Time to Do All This... A great option for authors to maximize their success in the world of book awards is an automation service called Book Award Pro https://bit.ly/BookAwardPro Their smart matching technology pinpoints the best award opportunities for your book and delivers actionable results. This service automates it all for you: researching thousands of awards, continuously targeting your perfect matches, and professionally submitting your book for awards. Book Award Pro creates a windfall of fresh promotional opportunities for your book – every single month. Check them out at https://bit.ly/BookAwardPro

Author Kelly K. Lavender read this very article about the value of book awards and said this. “I followed Scott’s advice. It worked! To my complete surprise, Beautiful Evil Winter earned a bouquet of book awards, including a highly coveted Eric Hoffer Award and a Readers’ Favorite award. For those that don’t know, the high-profile Readers’ Favorite competition attracts celebrities and New York Times Best-Selling authors. Thanks, Scott for penning that piece! What a game-changer!”

The Bottom Line: Book awards do matter. Enter a few and become an “award-winning author.” As Hockey great Wayne Gretzky said, “You Can’t Score Unless You Shoot!” Get to it and let me know how it goes. If you know of another book award I should check out, please send me the details.

About Book Publicist Scott Lorenz

Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.

Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at https://www.WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at [email protected] or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book www.BookTitleGenerator.net.

Would you like help promoting your book?

If so, tell us a little about your book. What is the title? Do you have a publisher? What is the publish date? How many pages is your book? What is the cost? Do you have web site? What is your specific goal I.E., to make money, raise awareness, get the attention of an agent or publisher, sell the story to a movie or TV studio or something else?

Submit the form below with this information and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!


Writers’ Conferences Put Authors on the Road to Success

Writers’ Conferences Put Authors on the Road to Success

By Scott Lorenz
Westwind Communications

Writers Love to Help Fellow Writers – What Better Way to Meet Them Than Writers’ Conferences?

There are several good reasons why writers should invest the time and effort required to attend writers’ conferences.

Attending a writers’ conference only takes a few hours or days at the most, a few bucks, and a little effort to register and arrange travel and lodging, but the payoff can be big.

If the book you are working on is almost finished, attending a writers’ conference gives you a great chance to network with other authors, pitch your book, learn about the major publishing houses, meet book editors and book marketing specialists. If your book is six months or a year from being finished, you can meet people who will give you ideas on shaping your book and give other advice to help you wrap up when you return home.

Or maybe you have been working on your book for a few months and are feeling unsure about whether you really can be a published author. Attending a conference is a good way to get a reality check from book editors or literary agents who can give you a professional opinion on your plot and characters and help you determine whether you are on the right track.

Most important, attending a writers’ conference provides you with a great opportunity to learn about the publishing business by purposeful interaction with insiders.  Some conferences offer  an opportunity to get honest and helpful professional assessments from book editors that will be more than worth the cost and effort of attending the conference.

Of course, you will want to prepare for any writers’ conference you attend by having a plan of what you want to find out and what you will do while there. You will want to develop an elevator speech pitch of your book that you can deliver in one minute. Have handouts available such as promotional bookmarks or book covers, or a one-page written pitch with website URL, email, and one paragraph book summary.

Now that you are ready, here are some writers’ conferences in the coming weeks and months you should consider attending:

Here are some upcoming writers’ conferences in 2019 for your consideration:

February 23, 2019: New Orleans Writers Conference (New Orleans, LA)

March 2, 2019: Writers Conference of Minnesota (St. Paul, MN)

March 8, 2019: The Alabama Writers Conference (Birmingham, AL)

March 9, 2019: Atlanta Writing Workshop (Atlanta, GA)

March 30, 2019: Kansas City Writing Workshop (Kansas City, MO)

April 5-7, 2019: The Muse & the Marketplace Writers Conference (Boston, MA)

April 6, 2019: Get Published in Kentucky Conference (Louisville, KY)

April 13, 2019: North Carolina Writers Workshop (Charlotte, NC)

April 26, 2019: Kentucky Writers Conference (Bowling Green, KY)

April 27, 2019: Seattle Writers Conference (Seattle, WA)

May 2-4, 2019: Las Vegas Writers Conference (Las Vegas, NV)

May 3-4, 2019: Northern Colorado Writers Conference (Fort Collins, CO)

May 4, 2019: Michigan Writers Conference (Detroit, MI)

May 9-11, 2019: Storymakers Conference (Provo, UT)

May 10-11 2019: Washington Writers Conference (North Bethesda, MD)

May 17-19, 2019: PennWriters Conference (Pittsburgh, PA)

May 17-19, 2019: Missouri Writers Guild (Cape Girardeau, MO)

June 16-21, 2019: Santa Barbara Writers Conference (Santa Barbara, CA)

June 29, 2019: The Writing Workshop of Chicago (Chicago, IL)

July 28-August 2, 2019: Napa Valley Writers Conference (St. Helena, CA)

August 1-3, 2019: Mendocino Coast Writers Conference (Mendocino, CA)

August 3, 2019: Tennessee Writers Workshop (Nashville, TN)

August 22-25, 2019: Killer Nashville Writers Conference (Franklin, TN)

August 23-25, 2019: Writer’s Digest Conference (New York, NY)

October 25-27, 2019: La Jolla Writers Conference (San Diego, CA)

October 12-13, 2019: James River Writers Conference (Richmond, VA)

November 23, 2019: Philadelphia Writing Workshop (Philadelphia, PA)

Select a writers’ conference of interest to you and be prepared to enjoy the benefits of meeting other writers, acquiring knowledge you can use immediately, learn about different genres, find a new market for your book, elevate your professional effectiveness, meet editors, agents and publishers, become inspired and return home energized.

The Bottom Line: Make a commitment to attend at least one writers’ conference this year. You’ll be glad you did!

About Book Publicist Scott Lorenz

Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.

Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at https://www.WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at [email protected] or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book www.BookTitleGenerator.net.

Would you like help promoting your book?

If so, tell us a little about your book. What is the title? Do you have a publisher? What is the publish date? How many pages is your book? What is the cost? Do you have web site? What is your specific goal I.E., to make money, raise awareness, get the attention of an agent or publisher, sell the story to a movie or TV studio or something else?

Submit the form below with this information and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!


Top Book Awards Authors Should Pursue

Top Book Awards Authors Should Pursue

By Scott Lorenz
Westwind Communications

Do book awards matter? Absolutely YES!

In fact, just recently one of my clients won the prestigious Los Angeles Book Festival award. That then led to a flurry of media interest, which then led to a major New York agent deciding to represent the book and pitch it to all the major publishing houses. Deals are in the offing. This author, needless to say, is happy he decided to enter.

Pursuing and winning book awards will give you another opportunity to reach out to the media, booksellers and agents. Awards create interest in your book, which can lead to more sales and other opportunities. A book award may cause someone to stop in their tracks and consider picking up your book in a bookstore. A book award can give you an edge and sometimes that’s all the difference you need to propel your book into bestseller territory. If you win you can say you are an “award winning author.” Doesn’t that sound better? Of course, it does, and you get a little magic that comes from a third-party endorsement because an authority says your work is worthy, and that’s priceless.

Most awards charge a fee to enter. Not all awards have a category for your genre and not all of these will work for every book.

Here’s a list of my Top 104 book awards worthy of your consideration.

1. Adventure Writer’s Competition, Fountain Hills, AZ. The AWC accepts novels exhibiting (in whole) the general action-adventure-themed genre and style. The Adventure Writer’s Competition is sponsored by the Clive Cussler Collector’s Society, Braveship Books and AJM Books. It is a annual writing competition for published and non-published authors in the action-adventure genre who meet the entry requirements. https://adventurewriterscompetition.com/index.html

2. Agatha Awards, Gaithersburg, MD. The Agatha Awards honor the traditional, “cozy” mystery. That is to say, books best typified by the works of Agatha Christie. Agatha Awards are given for materials first published in the United States by a living author during the calendar year (January 1-December 31), either in hardcover, as a paperback original, or e-published by an e-publishing firm. https://www.malicedomestic.org/agatha-awards.html

3. Alex Awards, Chicago, IL. The Alex Awards were first given annually beginning in 1998. The titles were selected by the YALSA Adult Books for Young Adults Task Force from the previous year’s publishing and were part of the Adult Books for Young Adults Project, which explored the role of adult books in the reading lives of teenagers and was funded by the Margaret Alexander Edwards Trust. https://www.ala.org/yalsa/alex-awards

4. American Eagle Book Awards, Kendall, NY. Each year, American Eagle Book Awards recognizes notable works of fiction by self-published or independently published authors whose books were published in the previous year in the United States. https://americaneaglebookawards.com/

5. Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction, Enfield, CT. The Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy, named to honor prolific science fiction and fantasy author Andre Norton (1912-2005), is a yearly award presented by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) to the author of an outstanding young adult or middle grade science fiction or fantasy book published in the previous year. https://nebulas.sfwa.org/award/andre-norton-award/

6. Anthony Awards, Stevensville, MD. The Anthony Awards are literary awards for mystery writers presented at the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention since 1986. The awards are named for Anthony Boucher (1911-1968), one of the founders of the Mystery Writers of America. Among the most prestigious awards in the world of mystery writers, the Anthony Awards have helped boost the careers of many recipients. https://www.bouchercon.com/

7. Axiom Business Book Awards, Traverse City, MI. The Axiom Business Book Awards are intended to bring increased recognition to exemplary business books and their creators, with the understanding that businesspeople are a very well-read and informed segment of the population, eager to learn about great new books that will inspire and inform them and help them improve their careers and businesses. https://axiomawards.com/

8. Big Moose Prize, Pittsburgh, PA. Each year Black Lawrence Press will award The Big Moose Prize for an unpublished novel. The prize is open to new, emerging, and established writers. The winner of this contest will receive book publication, a $1,000 cash award, and ten copies of the book. Prizes will be awarded on publication. https://www.blacklawrence.com/submissions-and-contests/the-big-moose-prize/

9. Bisexual Book Awards, New York, NY. Books can be submitted by the author, publisher, or the Bi Writers Association (BWA). However, anyone may suggest a book for us to outreach. Any book with a bisexual or bi+ character, bisexual storyline, bisexual subject matter or bisexual themes can be submitted. The book award categories are open to all authors regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Qualifying books should be published in print in English. https://www.biwriters.org/book-award-submissions/

10. New Letters/New Americans Award, Kansas City, MO. New Letters is eager to support writers whose work speaks to the experience of immigrating to the United States. Each calendar year, the New Letters/New Americans prize will award $1000 to a story, poem, or essay about the process of becoming a new American. The winner will be chosen by the editor in chief, from the pool of regular submissions to the magazine. There is no fixed deadline, and submissions are accepted all year long. https://www.newletters.org/new-americans-award/

11. Black River Chapbook Competition, Pittsburgh, PA. Twice each year Black Lawrence Press will run the Black River Chapbook Competition for an unpublished chapbook of poems or short fiction between 16-36 pages in length. The contest is open to new, emerging, and established writers. The winner will receive book publication, a $500 cash award, and ten copies of the book. Prizes are awarded on publication. https://www.blacklawrence.com/submissions-and-contests/the-black-river-chapbook-competition/

12. Blue Ridge Mountains CWC Directors Choice Awards, Ridgecrest, NC. Past and present attendees of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference are eligible to submit their published work to this contest. https://www.blueridgeconference.com/contest-info/#dc

13. Byron Caldwell Smith Book Awards, Lawrence, KS. These awards are given biennially to one individual in each of three categories, residing or employed in Kansas, who has authored an outstanding book published within the two calendar years preceding the application deadline. One $750 award for fiction, one $750 award for non-fiction, and one $750 award for poetry is given each competition cycle. The recipients receive their awards at a public presentation and reception held at the Hall Center. https://hallcenter.ku.edu/byron-caldwell-smith-book-awards

14. Caldecott Medal, Chicago, IL. The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. https://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/caldecott

15. CALIBA Golden Poppy Awards, Campbell, CA. The members of CALIBA present The Golden Poppy Book Awards to recognize the most distinguished books written by writers and artist who make California their home. The Golden Poppies are given for books published in the following categories: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Cooking & Food, Mystery, Romance, Poetry, Science Fiction, Non-Narrative, Nature Writing, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Children’s Picture Book. Mirrors & Windows and the Martin Cruz Smith/Diversity celebrate diversity and inclusion. https://caliballiance.org/page/GP2023

16. Carol Awards, Palm Bay, FL. The Carol Awards are ACFW’s recognition for the best Christian fiction published by traditional publishing houses in the previous calendar year. Beginning with the 2015 Carol Awards program, certain independently published Christian fiction will be eligible. https://acfw.com/acfw-contests/carol-awards/

17. Chatelaine Awards, Bellingham, WA. Chanticleer Book Reviews is looking for the best books featuring romantic themes and adventures of the heart, historical love affairs, perhaps a little steamy romance, we will put them to the test and choose the best among them. (Hint: check other genres for romance categories as well, such as paranormal, young adult, mystery, etc., multiple submissions are welcome) Awards to be given. https://www.chantireviews.com/services/Romance-&-Womens-Fiction-Writing-Contests-p21521080/

18. Christian Author Awards, Maitland, FL. Sponsored by Xulon Press, the Christian Author Awards recognizes preeminent new Christian authors who are independently published. Full-length books of fiction and non-fiction are eligible. Eligible books must be in English and published in the United States as a self-published work or as a work published by a non-traditional or print-on-demand publisher. The content of eligible books must be consistent with a Christian worldview and the historic Christian faith. https://www.xulonpress.com/christian-writers-award/index.php

19. Christian Book Awards, Phoenix, AZ. The Christian Book Awards are among the most prestigious awards in the religious publishing industry, as well as the oldest. Formerly the Gold Medallion Book Awards, the Christian Book Awards have been awarded to Christian authors since 1978. Given out by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA), the awards honor excellence in content, literary quality, design, and significance of contribution in six categories, including Bibles, Fiction, Children, Inspiration, Bible Reference, and Non-Fiction. https://christianbookawards.com/

20. Christian Indie Awards, Pace, FL. Christian Indie Awards (formerly Christian Small Publisher Book of the Year Awards) honors books produced by small publishers and independent authors each year for outstanding contribution to Christian life. Books are nominated by the publishers or authors and voting is open to Christian readers, retailers, and publishing professionals. Voting typically runs in February and March and runs for eight weeks.  https://christianaward.com/

21. Christy Awards, Lawrence, KS. Every year publishers are invited to submit novels written from a Christian worldview and copyrighted in the year preceding the awards. To be eligible, you must submit a full-length work of fiction, including a novella published as a freestanding entity. All eligible submissions must be written by contemporary novelists, not classic writers of the past. Eligible books must be in English and distributed in the United States. https://www.christyawards.com/

22. Cider Press Review Book Award, San Diego, CA. Submit 48-80 pages of original poetry in English not previously published in book form (individual poems may have been previously published in journals, anthologies, and chapbooks). https://ciderpressreview.com/bookaward/#.Y5B64ctByUk

23. CIPA EVVY Book Awards, Lakewood, CO. 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.). CIPA membership is NOT REQUIRED. https://cipabooks.com/cipa-evvy-awards/

24. CMA Book Awards, Chicago, IL. This program recognizes the outstanding work of publishers, authors, and book editors who serve Catholic readers. The Catholic Media Association announces winning entry names at its Catholic Media Conference, publishes them in the Awards issue of The Catholic Journalist, and showcases them on the CMA website. The Book Awards had over 350 entries, 55 categories and 76 applicants including 47 publications and 29 self-publishing authors. Books submitted to the CMA Book Awards must have a copyright date from the preceding year. Publishers may submit any works published by their company, authors may submit works of which they are the primary author or co-author, and editors may submit their compilations or reference books. https://www.catholicmediaassociation.org/book-awards/

25. Coretta Scott King Book Award, Chicago, IL. The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values. The award commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and honors his wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace and world brotherhood. https://www.ala.org/rt/cskbart

26. Cybils Awards, Chicago, IL. The Cybils (Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers Literary) Awards were started by a small group of bloggers in 2006 as a grassroots project. Our mission has always been to help discover children’s and YA books which combine the highest literary merit and popular appeal and to bring those books to the attention of librarians, teachers, parents, and others who help to encourage reading in children and teens. No entry fee, but publishers are expected to provide review copies of any books they submit. https://www.cybils.com/

27. Cygnus Awards for Science Fiction, Bellingham, WA. Chanticleer Book Reviews is looking for the best books in the genre. Winners receive editorial book reviews, $200 cash for grand prize and a chance to win $1000 cash. Novels may be Manuscripts, Self-published, Indie Published or Traditionally Published. https://www.chantireviews.com/services/Fantasy-and-SciFi-Blue-Ribbon-Awards-Writing-Contest-p21521218

28. Dayton Literary Peace Prize, Dayton, OH. The Dayton Literary Peace Prize, inaugurated in 2006, is the first and only annual U.S. literary award recognizing the power of the written word to promote peace. The Dayton Literary Peace Prize invites nominations in adult fiction and nonfiction books published within the past year that have led readers to a better understanding of other cultures, peoples, religions, and political points of view. Both awards carry a $10,000 cash prize. https://www.daytonliterarypeaceprize.org/

29. Don D. and Catherine S. Fowler Prize, Salt Lake City, UT. The Don D. and Catherine S. Fowler Prize will be awarded to the best book-length, single-author manuscript in anthropology submitted to the Press. All submitted manuscripts must demonstrate the best substantive research and quality writing. Successful entries will focus on the human experience in the American West. Submissions in archaeology, ethnography, ethnobiology, ethnohistory, ethnolinguistics, biological anthropology, and paleoecology as it pertains to human behavior are especially welcome. The winning author will receive a publication contract with The University of Utah Press that includes a cash prize of $3,000. https://www.uofupress.com/fowler-prize.php

30. Drue Heinz Literature Prize, Pittsburgh, PA. Drue Heinz Literature Prize for a collection of short fiction. The prize carries a cash award of $15,000 and publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press under its standard contract. Eligible submissions include an unpublished manuscript of short stories; two or more novellas (a novella may comprise a maximum of 130 double-spaced typed pages); or a combination of one or more novellas and short stories. Novellas are only accepted as part of a larger collection. Manuscripts may be no fewer than 150 and no more than 300 typed pages. https://upittpress.org/prize/drue-heinz-literature-prize/

31. DWAA Annual Writing Competition, Westlake Village, CA. The Maxwell Medallion writing contest is open to all writers, editors, publishers, photographers, artists and others whose work falls into the designated competition categories, which include newspaper, blog postings and magazine columns or articles on canine health, training, rescue or other topics, as well as short stories and poetry. https://dogwriters.org/

32. Eric Hoffer Award for Independent Books, Titusville, NJ. The Eric Hoffer Award for independent books recognizes excellence in publishing with a $2,000 grand prize and various category honors and press type distinctions, as well as the winners of the Montaigne Medal, da Vinci Eye, and First Horizon Award. The book awards are covered in the US Review of Books. After the contest, books are donated to libraries, schools, and hospitals where appropriate. http://www.hofferaward.com/

33. Erma Bombeck Writing Competition, Dayton, OH. The Erma Bombeck Writing Competition is hosted every two years by the University of Dayton and the Washington-Centerville Public Library in Centerville, Ohio, where Erma wrote the books and columns that launched her national fame. Capture the essence of Erma’s writings, and you could win $500 and a free registration to the Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop. https://www.wclibrary.info/erma/

34. Excellence in Publishing Awards, Ellicott City, MD. The goal of the “Excellence in Publishing Awards” is to recognize the best in Catholic publishing. Publishers may submit multiple books. Publishers who are Foundation Members at the time of submission will receive one free submission for every paid submission. https://www.catholicpublishers.org/Excellence-in-Publishing-Awards

35. Ezra Jack Keats Book Award, Brooklyn, NY. Known collectively as the Ezra Jack Keats Book Award, the New Writer Award was established in 1985 and the New Illustrator Award in 2001 to recognize and encourage emerging talent in the field of children’s books. The EJK Book Award is given annually to an outstanding new writer and new illustrator by the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation. https://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/ezra-jack-keats-award/

36. Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction, Athens, GA. More than fifty short-story collections have appeared in the Flannery O’Connor Award series, which was established to encourage gifted emerging writers by bringing their work to a national readership. The first prize-winning book was published in 1983; the award has since become an important proving ground for writers and a showcase for the talent and promise that have brought about a resurgence in the short story as a genre. Winners are selected through an annual competition that attracts as many as three hundred manuscripts. https://ugapress.org/series/flannery-oconnor-award-for-short-fiction/

37. Florida Book Awards, Tallahassee, FL. The Florida Book Awards is an annual competition that exists for one purpose–to honor the best work written by Florida authors and about Florida culture in the previous year. Begun in 2006, the Florida Book Awards is the most comprehensive state book awards program in the United States, and the only one with a Spanish Language category. The successes and growth the Florida Book Awards have enjoyed in the last ten years are testimony to the quality of authorship and the rich culture of books that exists and continues to prosper in the Sunshine State. https://www.floridabookawards.org/

38. Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards, Traverse City, MI. You have a great book, you’re looking for some recognition, and you want a wider audience to fall in love with it. That’s where Foreword’s annual book awards program comes in. The IndieFab Awards recognize the best in indie book publishing and has been doing so for fifteen years. Our prestigious awards honor great indie books with over 248 winners in 62 categories annually. https://publishers.forewordreviews.com/awards/

39. French Voices Award, New York, NY. The French Voices Award honors both translators and American publishers for their work. The program’s goal is to create a US-published series of books representing the very best of contemporary French writing in every field. This ambitious program is aimed to support translations from French into English. Applications are accepted twice per year and candidates are selected by a literary committee. Books of every genre (fiction, non-fiction, children’s literature, comics and eBooks) are eligible for the French Voices Award. https://face-foundation.org/artistic-funds/albertine-translation/french-voices-applications-2021-1/

40. Futurescapes Writing Contest, Sundance, UT. FutureScapes is an annual writing competition that asks writers to envision a particular future and tell us its story. We could run projections and publish reports, but there’s a reason why Oscar Wilde didn’t say, Life imitates empirical studies. We want to help writers of excellent potential find their voice while shaping tomorrow. https://futurescapes.ink/

41. Geisel Award, USA. The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award is given annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English in the United States during the preceding year. https://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/geisel

42. Genesis Contest, Palm Bay, FL. The ACFW Genesis Contest is for unpublished Christian fiction writers. With ten categories to enter, Genesis provides the opportunity for unbiased feedback on writers’ work by published authors and experienced judges, and the chance for finalists to have their work read by Christian publishing house editors and literary agents. https://acfw.com/acfw-contests/genesis-contest/

43. Gertrude Warner Awards for Middle-Grade Books, Bellingham, WA. Chanticleer Book Reviews is looking for the best books featuring stories of all shapes and sizes written to an audience between the ages of about eight to twelve. Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Paranormal, Historical, Adventure we will put them to the test and choose the best Middle Grade Books among them. https://www.chantireviews.com/services/Middle-Grade-Fiction-Writing-Contests-Chanticleer-Book-Reviews-p58078131

44. Global eBook Awards, Santa Barbara, CA. The Global eBook Awards are more than an honor for the best eBooks published, they offer high-profile publicity for eBook authors, publishers, and eBooks. https://globalebookawards.com/

45. HeartWood Broadside Series Contest, Buckhannon, WV. Submit one poem (of any form) or flash prose piece (fiction or nonfiction) per entry; regardless of genre, the entry must be 200 words or less. There is no limit on the number of entries per person. http://www.heartwoodlitmag.com/submit

46. Henry and Anne Paolucci Book Award, Wilmington, DE. The Paolucci Book Award is an annual honor recognizing the best book that advances conservative principles. The award is named in memory of Henry and Anne Paolucci, distinguished scholars, teachers, and writers who exemplified the ideal of the public intellectual. https://home.isi.org/professors/paolucci-book-award

47. High Plains Book Award, Billings, MT. The High Plains Books Awards recognize regional authors and/or literary works which examine and reflect life on the High Plains. The High Plains region includes Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. https://www.highplainsbookawards.org/

48. Hudson Prize, Pittsburgh, PA. Each year Black Lawrence Press will award The Hudson Prize for an unpublished collection of poems or short stories. The prize is open to new, emerging, and established writers. The winner of this contest will receive book publication, a $1,000 cash award, and ten copies of the book. Prizes awarded on publication. https://blacklawrencepress.com/submissions-and-contests/the-hudson-prize/

49. Hugo Awards, Cambridge, MA. The Hugo Awards, presented annually since 1955, are science fiction’s most prestigious award. They were first awarded in 1953 and have been awarded every year since 1955. The awards are run by and voted on by fans. https://www.thehugoawards.org/

50. IACP Cookbook Awards, New York, NY. The IACP Cookbook Awards honor the authors, publishers, and other contributors behind the best cookbooks published each year. Being acknowledged as a finalist or winner has become a coveted mark of distinction, in part because of the program’s growing list of illustrious honorees, who, over the years, have included Rick Bayless, Mark Bittman, Dorie Greenspan, Thomas Keller, and Julia Child, CCP, among others. The program is also widely lauded as the most selective in the industry due to its two-tier judging process that requires recipe testing in all relevant awards categories. https://www.iacp.com/awards/

51. IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award, Manhattan Beach, CA. The IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award for excellence in book publishing is regarded as one of the highest national honors for small and independent publishers. The awards are administered by the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), with help from over 150 book publishing professionals including librarians, bookstore owners, reviewers, designers, publicity managers, and editors. They are unique in that the entrants receive direct feedback on their titles. The actual judging forms are returned to all participating publishers. https://www.ibpabenjaminfranklinaward.com/

52. IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law/Roy C. Palmer Civil Liberties Prize, Chicago, IL. Established in 2007 at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law by alumnus Roy C. Palmer and his wife, Susan M. Palmer, the prize honors a work of scholarship that explores the tension between civil liberties and national security in contemporary American society. The $10,000 prize is designed to encourage and reward public debate among scholars on current issues affecting the rights of individuals and the responsibilities of governments throughout the world. https://kentlaw.iit.edu/law/faculty-scholarship/conferences-lecture-series/palmer-prize-lecture

53. ILA Children’s and Young Adults’ Book Awards, Newark, DE. The ILA Children’s and Young Adults’; Book Awards are intended for newly published authors who show unusual promise in the children’s and young adults’ book field. Awards are given for fiction and nonfiction in each of three categories: primary, intermediate, and young adult. Books from all countries and published in English for the first time during the calendar year will be considered. https://www.literacyworldwide.org/get-involved/awards-recognition/awards-grants/ila-children’s-and-young-adults’-book-awards

54. Illumination Book Awards, Traverse City, MI. With the motto, “Shining a Light on Exemplary Christian Books,” the Illumination Book Awards are designed to honor the year’s best new titles written and published with a Christian worldview. Authors, illustrators, publishers and self-publishers of Christian books written in English and intended for the North American market may enter. Authors and illustrators are welcome to enter their books themselves. https://illuminationawards.com/

55. Independent Publisher Book Awards, Traverse City, MI. Conducted annually, the Independent Publisher Book Awards honor the year’s best independently published titles from around the world. The awards are intended to bring increased recognition to the thousands of exemplary independent, university, and self-published titles published each year. https://ippyawards.com/

56. Instruction & Insight Book Awards, Bellingham, WA. CIBA is looking for the best Non-narrative/Non-Fiction books including guidebooks, instructional books, inspirational books and more. There is a $75.00 US Dollar fee and an amazing prize package. https://www.chantireviews.com/services/Non-Fiction-Guides-and-How-To-Book-Awards-Chanticleer-Book-Reviews-p77617464

57. Iowa Short Fiction Award & John Simmons Short Fiction Award, Iowa City, IA. Any writer who has not previously published a volume of prose fiction is eligible to enter the competition. The manuscript must be a collection of short stories in English of at least 150 word-processed, double-spaced pages. We do not accept e-mail submissions. https://uipress.uiowa.edu/resources/prospective-authors/iowa-short-fiction-award

58. John Dos Passos Prize for Literature, Farmville, VA. The John Dos Passos Prize for Literature is given annually by Longwood University to an underappreciated writer whose work offers incisive, original commentary on American themes. The winner of the prize receives an honorarium and will give a reading on Longwood’s campus in the spring. http://www.longwood.edu/english/dos-passos-prize/

59. Kindle Book Awards, Kokomo, IN. The Kindle Book Review’s Best Indie Book Awards is co-sponsored by book sites like Kindle Boards, Digital Book Today, World Literary Cafe, and Author Marketing Club. Any independent or small press author can submit books in the categories of Mystery/Thriller, Romance, Y/A, Sci-fi/Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Horror/Suspense, and Non-Fiction. https://www.thekindlebookreview.net/11th-annual-kindle-book-awards/

60. Maine Literary Awards, Portland, ME. The 2018 Maine Literary Awards are open to all current Maine residents, including seasonal residents. All nominations to the Book Awards, regardless of category, must have been published during the 2017 calendar year. The editors (or lead editor) of books entered in the Anthology category must be Maine residents. Maine publishers of books by out-of- state authors may enter the Excellence in Publishing Award. Nominations to the Drama Awards and Short Works Awards may be unpublished or previously published works, as well as excerpts from larger works; previously published short works must have been published in 2017. Maine writers may self-nominate or be nominated by others. https://www.mainewriters.org/maine-literary-awards#mla-submit

61. Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, Westminster, MD. The Black-Eyed Susan Book Award is a children’s choice award for the state of Maryland. Each year since 1992, the Black-Eyed Susan Book Award has been given to authors and/or illustrators of outstanding books chosen for the award by Maryland students. The award seeks to promote literacy and lifelong reading habits by encouraging students to read quality, contemporary literature. https://www.maslmd.org/black-eyed-susan-award

62. Michael L. Printz Award, Chicago, IL. The Michael L. Printz Award annually honors the best book written for teens, based entirely on its literary merit, each year. In addition, the Printz Committee names up to four honor books, which also represent the best writing in young adult literature. The awards announcement is made at the ALA Midwinter Meeting as part of the Youth Media Awards and is celebrated with a program and reception each year at the ALA Annual Conference. https://www.ala.org/yalsa/printz

63. Nilsen Literary Prize for a First Novel, Cape Girardeau, MO. Award: $2,000 and publication by Southeast Missouri State University Press. Manuscripts submitted to the contest will be read and judged anonymously. http://www.semopress.com/events/nilsen-prize/

64. Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors, Cape Girardeau, MO. Created by the Missouri Humanities Council, the Warrior Arts Alliance, and Southeast Missouri State University Press, this series of anthologies preserves and shares military service perspectives of our soldiers and veterans of all conflicts and of their families. It is not only an outlet for artistic expression but also a document of the unique aspects of wartime in our nation’s history. http://www.semopress.com/events/proud-to-be-writing-by-american-warriors/

65. Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards, Traverse City, MI. The Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards contest is designed to honor the year’s best children’s books, authors, and illustrators. The program is open to authors, illustrators, and publishers of children’s books written in English or Spanish and intended for the North American market. Awards are given in 42 print book and six e-book categories covering the full range of subjects, styles, and age groups that children’s books are written and published in today. https://moonbeamawards.com/

66. Mystery & Mayhem Awards, Bellingham, WA. The M&M Awards reward independently published books and unpublished manuscripts in the following categories: Amateur Sleuth, Romance, Animals, Hobbies, Blended Genres, Medical/Lab Lit, Travel/Vacation/Exotic Locales, Humorous, Senior Sleuths, Historical/Period, Y/A, and Classic/British-English Cozy to Not-so-Cozy. https://www.chantireviews.com/services/Cozy-Mystery-Novels-Writing-Contest-p21521076

67. Mystery & Mayhem Awards – Cozy Mystery Writing Contest, Bellingham, WA. Chanticleer Book Reviews is looking for the best books featuring “mystery and mayhem”, amateur sleuthing, light suspense, travel mystery, classic mystery, British cozy, hobby sleuths, senior sleuths, or historical mystery, perhaps with a touch of romance or humor, we will put them to the test and choose the best among them. (For suspense, thriller, detective, crime fiction sees our Clue Awards). https://www.chantireviews.com/services/Cozy-Mystery-Novels-Writing-Contest-p21521076

68. Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, Stillwater, OK. The Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature is given to the fantasy novel, multi-volume novel, or single-author story collection for adults published during the previous year that best exemplifies the spirit of the Inklings. Books not selected as finalists in the year after publication are eligible for a second year. Books from a series are eligible if they stand on their own; otherwise, the series becomes eligible the year its final volume appears. https://www.mythsoc.org/awards.htm

69. Narrative Fall Story Contest, San Francisco, CA. Entries can include short shorts, short stories, essays, memoirs, photo essays, graphic stories, all forms of literary nonfiction, and excerpts from longer works of both fiction and nonfiction. Entries must be previously unpublished, no longer than 15,000 words, and must not have been previously chosen as a winner, finalist, or honorable mention in another contest. https://www.narrativemagazine.com/great-stories/narrative-prize

70. National Book Awards, New York, NY. The National Book Award is one of the nation’s most prestigious literary prizes and has a stellar record of identifying and rewarding quality writing. In 1950, William Carlos Williams was the first Winner in Poetry, the following year William Faulkner was honored in Fiction, and so on through the years. Many previous Winners of a National Book Award are now firmly established in the canon of American literature, such as Sherman Alexie, Louise Erdrich, Jonathan Franzen, Denis Johnson, Joyce Carol Oates, and Adrienne Rich. https://www.nationalbook.org/

71. National Indie Excellence Awards, Hermosa Beach, CA. The National Indie Excellence Awards is open to all English language books available for sale, including small presses, mid-size independent publishers, university presses, and self-published authors. The National Indie Excellence Awards exists to help establish independent publishing as a strong and proud facet of the publishing industry. https://www.indieexcellence.com/

72. National Outdoor Book Awards, Pocatello, ID. The National Outdoor Book Awards (NOBA) is a non-profit educational program sponsored by the NOBA Foundation, the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education, and Idaho State University. Its purpose is to recognize and encourage outstanding writing and publishing in the outdoor field. Books may be nominated for awards in one of ten categories. http://www.noba-web.org/

73. Nelligan Prize for Short Fiction, Fort Collins, CO. The Nelligan Prize for Short Fiction was established in 2004 in memory of Liza Nelligan, a writer, editor, and friend of many in Colorado State University’s English Department, where she received her master’s degree in literature in 1992. The Nelligan Prize is offered annually. The winner receives a $2,000 honorarium and the story is published in the fall/winter issue of Colorado Review. https://coloradoreview.colostate.edu/nelligan-prize/

74. The 20th Annual “Best Book” Awards, Sponsored by American Book Fest, Los Angeles & Phoenix. Over their 20-year history, thousands of self-published and indie authors have leveraged the promotional power of their Best Book Award to increase online recognition, enhance their title’s credibility, and garner more attention in the crowded book buying marketplace. http://www.americanbookfest.com/2023bestbookawards.html

75. New England Book Awards, Cambridge, MA. Titles must be either about New England, set in New England or by an author residing in New England. It can be a hardcover, a paperback original or reissue that was published between September 1, 2014, and August 31, 2015. https://newenglandbooks.org/page/book-awards

76. New Letters Editor’s Choice Award, Kansas City, MO. We’re looking for work those experiments, that crosses the traditional boundaries of genre and form. Enter your hybrid work – your lyric essays, prose poems, short-shorts, collages, micro-memoirs… whatever you’re doing that’s experimental, that defies easy categorization. https://www.newletters.org/editors-choice-award/

77. Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Lake Oswego, OR. The Next Generation Indie Book Awards (#NGIBA) is the largest non-profit book awards program for indie authors and publishers. The Next Generation Indie Book Awards was established to recognize and honor the most exceptional independently published books in over 70 different categories, for the year, and is presented by Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group (www.IBPPG.com) in cooperation with Marilyn Allen of Allen O’Shea Literary Agency. https://indiebookawards.com/

78. Pacific Northwest Book Awards, Eugene, OR. Since 1964 the PNBA has presented annual awards to recognize excellence in writing from the Pacific Northwest. Rather than soliciting nominations for specific categories, we simply require that the author and/or illustrator reside within the PNBA region (Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Montana, Idaho, and British Columbia) and that the book be published within the current calendar year. In addition, nominations may be submitted for special awards honoring efforts in publishing, illustration, or for a body of work. Special awards are determined at the discretion of PNBA’s Book Awards Committee. http://www.pnba.org/book-awards.html

79. Parents’ Choice Awards, Timonium, MD. Designed to help parents and caregivers of all achievements and backgrounds make informed decisions about which new products are right for their children, the Parents’ Choice Awards is the nation’s oldest nonprofit program created to recognize quality children’s media. The Parents’ Choice Awards program honors the best material for children: books, toys, music and storytelling, magazines, software, videogames, television, and websites. Parents’ Choice Foundation’s panels of educators, scientists, performing artists, librarians, parents and, yes, kids themselves, identify the very best products for children of different ages and backgrounds, and of varied skill and interest levels. http://parents-choice.org/

80. PEN Translation Prize, New York, NY. The $3,000 PEN Translation Prize invites submissions of book-length translations from any language into English published during the current calendar year. Eligible titles must be original book-length literary translations published by a U.S. trade publisher. Self-published books and reprints are not eligible. https://pen.org/pen-translation-prize/

81. Prime Number Magazine Awards, Winston-Salem, NC. Submit one unpublished poem or story. Poem should be no more than three pages in length (no word count needed) with numbered pages and spaced according to the poet’s intended style. Short story should be 53 to 5,300 words, double-spaced in 12-pt. type with numbered pages. https://www.press53.com/prime-number-magazine-awards

82. Pura Belpré Award, Chicago, IL. The award is named after Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library. The Pura Belpré Award, established in 1996, is presented annually to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth. It is co-sponsored by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), and REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking, an ALA affiliate. https://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/belpre

83. R.L. Shep Ethnic Textiles Book Award, Berkeley, CA. Given annually to a publication judged to be the best book in the field of ethnic textile studies, the award consists of a cash prize funded by an endowment established by R.L. Shep in 2000. The purpose of this award is to encourage the study and understanding of textile traditions by recognizing and rewarding exceptional scholarship. Books are reviewed by the R. L. Shep Award Committee. https://textilesocietyofamerica.org/programs/awards-scholarships/shep

84. Read Russia Prize, New York, NY. The READ RUSSIA PRIZE is a cash prize of up to $10,000 awarded in New York each May for works of Russian literature in English translation in the following categories: contemporary fiction written after 1990; 20th-century fiction written between 1900 and 1990; 19th-century fiction written between 1800 and 1900; and poetry (classic and contemporary). https://readrussia.org/journal/article/announcing-the-2020-read-russia-prize

85. Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing, Brooklyn, NY. The ethos of America is defined by its immigrants. Their stories have always been an essential component of the nation’s cultural consciousness, from Isaac Bashevis Singer to Jhumpa Lahiri, from Jacob Riis to Maxine Hong Kingston. In novels, short stories, memoirs, and works of journalism, immigrants have shown us what resilience and family devotion we’re capable of and have expanded our sense of what it means to be American. In these times of intense xenophobia, it is more important than ever that these stories reach the broadest possible audience. https://restlessbooks.org/prize-for-new-immigrant-writing

86. PROSE Awards, Philadelphia, PA. Since 1976, the Association of American Publishers Awards for Professional and Scholarly Excellence (PROSE Awards) have recognized the very best in professional and scholarly publishing by celebrating the authors, editors, and publishers whose landmark works have made significant advancements in their respective fields of study each year. https://proseawards.com/

87. Schneider Family Book Awards, Chicago, IL. The Schneider Family Book Awards are designed to recognize authors or illustrators for portraying storylines featuring characters with special needs. The awards are given annually for books aimed at each of three audiences’ children up to age 8, kids ages 9 to 13 and teens ages 14 to 18. https://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/schneider-family-book-award

88. Shamus Awards, Laughlin, NV. Eligible works must feature as a main character a person PAID for investigative work but NOT employed for that work by a unit of government. These include traditionally licensed private investigators; lawyers and reporters who do their own investigations; and others who function as hired private agents. These do NOT include law enforcement officers, other government employees or amateur, uncompensated sleuths. There is no application fee and no submission form; as a simple cover letter will suffice. http://www.privateeyewriters.com/shamus_submissions.html

89. Shelf Unbound Competition For Best Indie/Self-Published Book, Richardson, TX. Any independently published book in any genre is eligible for entry. “Independently Published” books include self-published books and e-books (such as those published through CreateSpace, Lulu.com, iUniverse, etc.) and/or books and e-books published through small presses releasing less than five titles per year. The competition also includes the Pete Delohery Award for Best Sports Book, open to fiction and non-fiction sports-related books. https://shelfmediagroup.com/competitions/

90. Sophie Brody Award, Chicago, IL. The Sophie Brody Medal is funded by the Brodart Foundation and is given to encourage, recognize and commend outstanding achievement in Jewish Literature. Works for adults published in the United States in the preceding year are eligible for the award. https://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/awards/258/apply

91. Stonewall Book Awards, Chicago, IL. The first and most enduring award for LGBTQIA+ books is the Stonewall Book Awards, sponsored by the American Library Association’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table. Since Isabel Miller’s Patience and Sarah received the first award in 1971, many other books have been honored for exceptional merit relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender experience. https://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/stonewall-book-awards

92. Tethered by Letters Fiction Literary Competition, Elizabeth, CO. TBL is pleased to announce our Spring Literary Competition. There are three submission categories: 1) short stories of any genre ranging from 1,000 to 7,500 words, 2) flash fiction with a word limit of either 55, 250, or 500 words, and 3) poetry no longer than three pages. For these contests we are looking for engaging stories, vivid characters, and fresh perspectives and styles. https://frictionlit.org/contests/

93. The Black Orchid Novella Award, New York, NY. The Black Orchid Novella Award offers a $1,000 prize to the best original, unpublished novella that conforms to the tradition of the Nero Wolfe series. Entries must be 15,000 to 20,000 words in length and submitted by the deadline. http://www.nerowolfe.org/htm/literary_awards/black_orchid_award/Black_Orchid_award_intro.htm

94. The Killer Nashville Claymore Award, Franklin, TN. Every year, the Killer Nashville Claymore Award assists new and rebranding English-language fiction authors get published, including possible agent representation, book advances, editor deals, and movie and television sales. https://www.killernashville.com/the-claymore-award

95. The Masters Review Flash Fiction Contest, Bend, OR. Send us your stories under 1000 words! We love a good piece of flash fiction. The winner will receive $3000, publication, and a spot in Kathy Fish’s Fast Flash online workshop. Our love of flash fiction runs deep. And throughout our years of reading work by emerging writers we’ve seen some incredible pieces of small and powerful fiction. We are proud to now offer a contest dedicated solely to flash. So here it is: a home for your very best small fiction. Send us big worlds in tiny packages, large ideas with a low word count. Dazzle us with your best fiction under 1000 words. https://mastersreview.com/flash-fiction-contest/

96. Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award, Lawrence, KS. The Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award is an annual award presented by the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas to the author of the best short science fiction story published in English in the preceding calendar year. Nominations are only accepted from editors and reviewers directly solicited. https://sfcenter.ku.edu/sturgeon-award

97. Three Percent Best Translated Book Awards, Rochester, NY. Launched by the weblog Three Percent in 2007, the Best Translated Book Awards aim to bring attention to the best original works of international fiction and poetry published in the US during the previous year. Starting in 2011, each winning translator and author will be awarded a $5000 cash prize and a plaque. http://www.rochester.edu/College/translation/threepercent/index.php?s=btb

98. Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award, San Marcos, TX. Texas State University College of Education developed The Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award to honor authors and illustrators who create literature that depicts the Mexican American experience. The award was established in 1995 and was named in honor of Dr. Tomás Rivera, a distinguished alumnus of Texas State University. https://www.education.txst.edu/ci/riverabookaward/

99. Twisted Mystery Podcast Contest, Valencia, CA. We are looking for audio books that walk the line between torment and contempt. Tantalizing and torturous. Desire and degradation. Literally, we could do this all day, but we’ll stop. If you feel like your mystery novel goes to the edge without plunging over into infamy, please let us have a look. https://62e593661829a.site123.me/

100. Vermont Book Award, Montpelier, VT. The Vermont Book Award is a new prize created to honor artists with deep connections to the state of Vermont, and to draw attention to a state so uniquely suited for creative enterprise. To be eligible for this year’s prize, a book must either be set in Vermont, published by a Vermont press, or written by a Vermont writer. https://vcfa.edu/vermont-book-awards/

101. Western Writers of America Spur Awards, NM. To be eligible, works submitted must be set in the American West, the early frontier, or relate to the Western or frontier experience. Submitted works must be first copyrighted and published in the calendar year covered by the award. Categories include Western Traditional novel, Historical novel, First novel, Non-fiction, Biography, Short Fiction, Short Nonfiction, Juvenile Fiction, Drama, Documentary Script, Children’s book, Poem and Song. https://westernwriters.org/spur-awards/

102. World Fantasy Awards, Mukilteo, WA. The World Fantasy Awards, established in 1975, are presented annually at the World Fantasy Convention. The World Fantasy Award has been described as one of the three most prestigious speculative fiction awards. The nine awards are presented at the banquet of the World Fantasy Convention held each year in late October – early November. Two of the nominees on the final ballot are determined by readers while the remainder come from the ballots put together by a panel of judges who change annually. The judges select the recipients in a second round of voting. The awards are based on work done during the previous calendar year. http://www.worldfantasy.org/

103. Writer’s Digest Self-Published eBook Awards, Blue Ash, OH. Writer’s Digest’s 9th Annual Self-Published E-book Awards honors the best self-published e-book(s) in eight of the most popular categories with $5,000 in cash, a featured interview in Writer’s Digest magazine, and a paid trip to the ever-popular Writer’s Digest Annual Conference in New York City. In addition to $13,000 in total cash prizes, all entrants will receive a brief review of their book from one of Writer’s Digest’s competition readers. https://www.writersdigest.com/writers-digest-competitions/self-published-ebook-awards

104. Young Readers Choice Awards, Bothell, WA. The Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Young Reader’s Choice Award is the oldest children’s choice award in the U.S. and Canada. Chosen by the children of Alberta, Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington, from books published 3 years previously, and nominated by librarians, teachers, and students. https://pnla.org/young-readers-choice-award/

Need another reason to enter? Jim Cox of Midwest Book Review says, “The fact is award stickers help to convince buyers to purchase. I’ve seen this happen with librarians — when faced with two competing titles and a limited acquisition budget the librarians will take the one that won an award, any award, over the title that doesn’t have an award to its credit. I’m confident that this same phenomenon works for bookstore patrons browsing the shelves as well.”

The Bottom Line: Book awards do matter. Enter a few and let me know how it goes. If you know of another book award I should check out, please send me the details.

About Book Publicist Scott Lorenz

Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.

Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at https://www.WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at [email protected] or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book www.BookTitleGenerator.net.

Would you like help promoting your book?

If so, tell us a little about your book. What is the title? Do you have a publisher? What is the publish date? How many pages is your book? What is the cost? Do you have web site? What is your specific goal I.E., to make money, raise awareness, get the attention of an agent or publisher, sell the story to a movie or TV studio or something else?

Submit the form below with this information and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!