34 Book Awards Authors Should Pursue for 2013

By Scott Lorenz

Westwind Communications

“Do book awards matter?” YES!!

As a book publicist I am right here to inform you that yes, theyabsolutely do matter! In actual fact, one particular of my customers 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 significant publishing homes. Offers are in the offing. This author, needless to say, is pleased he decided to enter.

Pursuing and winning book awards will provide you with one more opportunity 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 is the added credibility that offers 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 create interest within your book, which can lead to a lot more sales and other opportunities.A book award may perhaps bring about somebody to cease in their tracks and consider selecting up your book in a book store. A book award can provide you with an edge and often that’s all the difference you'll want to propel your book into bestseller territory. If you win you'll be able to say you happen to be an “award winning author.” Does not that sound superior? Of course it does, and you get somewhat magic that comes from a third party endorsement due to the fact an authority says your function is worthy, and that’s priceless.

Most awards charge a fee to enter. Not all awards possess a category for the genre and not all of these will function for each and every book.

Here’s a list of my Top32 book awards worthy of your consideration.

1. Enter to win The 2013 Independent Book Publisher Awards. The contest is for independent, university, smaller press, self-publishers and independent authors throughout North America and overseas publishers who publish books intended for the American market. https://secure.independentpublisher.com/trans_entry.php?srcg=ipggl1

2. Entering the Book of the Year Awards must unquestionably be on your literary to-do list. Check it out right here https://www.forewordreviews.com/services/book-awards/botya/

3. Check out the National Book Critics Circle Awards and enter by December 1 http://bookcritics.org/awards/award_submissions/

4. The Man Booker Prize for Fiction boasts that the prize is the world's most significant literary award. Entery types are due April 2 and Completed Books are due July 1http://www.themanbookerprize.com/node/20

5. The Newbery Medal was the world’s first children’s book award. Enter prior to December 31 http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyapp/newberyapplication

6. Enter to win the Caldecott Medal prior to December 31for your Children’s picture book http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/caldecottmedal/caldecottapp/caldecottapplication.cfm

7. Find out how your book can earn a Hugo Award and take a look at science fiction’s most prestigious award particulars http://www.thehugoawards.org/about/

8. Strive to be nominated and win the Nobel Prize in literature. Who can nominate? Professors of literature and of linguistics at universities and university colleges to name a couple of. (One more reason it pays to maintain the ties your alma mater!) http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/nomination/

9. The Edgar Allan Poe Award for books submission deadline is September 28. See the way to submit your book http://www.mysterywriters.org/?q=Edgars-Info

10. FT/Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year submission deadline is June 30 https://www.eiseverywhere.com/ereg/index.php?eventid=22298&categoryid=74822

11. Enter to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction just before January 2013http://www.pulitzer.org/how_to_enter

12. The National Book Award deadline is June 15. Learn the best way to submit your book here http://www.nationalbook.org/nbaentry.html

13. Enter the 2013 Independent Publisher Book Awards by March 2013. The “IPPY” Awards were conceived as a broad-based, unaffiliated awards program open to all members of the independent publishing industry, and are open to authors and publishers worldwide who produce books written in English and intended for the North American market.http://www.independentpublisher.com/ipland/IPAwards.php

14. Learn a lot more about the way to enter to win the Stonewall Book Award. Click for facts http://www.ala.org/glbtrt/award

15. Enter Dan Poynter’s Global eBook Awards Don’t miss this vital ebook only award. http://globalebookawards.com/

16. The Deadline for the Autumn House Press award for fiction is June 30. Check it out herehttp://www.autumnhouse.org/contest-submissions/

17. Enter to win the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award. Click for a lot more particulars

http://www.pen-ne.org/news-noteworthy/penhemingway-award

18. Check out the best way to enter many writing contests, grants and awards. http://www.pw.org/writing_contests/award_fiction

19. Find out tips on how to make it on the Indie Next List to win an Indies Choice Book Awardhttp://www.bookweb.org/indiebound/nextlist/view

20. Get your book recommended for The Discover Great New Writers award http://www.barnesandnobleinc.com/for_publishers/discover_program/discover_program.html

21. The Nautilus Book Award seeks books that make a difference and inspire. http://www.nautilusbookawards.com/

22. With book trailers being an vital part of all book marketing strategies. Be sure to enter your book trailer in the Moby Awards. They are looking for the best…and worst book trailers. Click for more information as they are released.http://www.mhpbooks.com/2012-moby-awards/

23. Here’s a service where you could enter several book festivals at the same time for about $50 per festival. This is absolutely the best idea. I’ve used this several times. 1 entry form, one payment, two books, ten plus book awards spread out over a year. Just do it. http://bookfestivals.com/

24. 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.http://www.indieexcellence.com

25. 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. They possess a year-end deadline of January 12.http://www.axiomawards.com/

26. ForeWord Reviews sponsors the Book of the Year Awards. It's open to all independently- and self-published books released that year. There are sixty categories, and in each category a gold, silver, and bronze winner. The deadline to enter is January. Look into: http://www.forewordreviews.com

27. The non-profit Independent BookPublishers Association's Benjamin Franklin Awards are now in their 26th year of awarding excellence in book publishing in 55 categories. All entrants receive direct judge feedback--unique in the industry. For much more information, visit http://ibpabenjaminfranklinawards.com/

28. USA Best Book Awardshas a ten year track record of honoring and promoting books to the national and international community. The contest is sponsored by USA Book News which covers books from all sections of the publishing industry-mainstream, independent, & self-published. Entry deadline September 30. http://www.usabooknews.com

29. Reader Views Annual Literary Awards were established to honor writers who self-publish or who were published by small presses or independent publishers.

http://www.readerviews.com/Awards.html

30. Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. The Grand Prize winner will receive a publishing contract and a $50,000 advance. All you'll need is a CreateSpace account. Check it out. https://www.createspace.com/abna?ref=478921&utm_id=5969

31. 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.This self-published competition spotlights today’s self-published works and honors self-published authors. http://www.writersdigest.com/competitions/selfpublished

32. Readers’ Favorite Awards receives submissions from independent authors, little 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. http://readersfavorite.com/annual-book-award-contest.htm

33. 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. http://www.rwa.org/p/cm/ld/fid=525

34. Epic eBook Awards by The Electronic Publishing Industry Coalition (EPIC) annually recognizes the best ebooks in many categories. (Books may also have been be released in print editions.) The awards were previously known as the "Eppies"http://www.epicorg.com/competitions/epic-s-ebook-competition/epic-s-ebook-competition-rules.html

Require yet another purpose 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 1 that won an award, any award, over the title that doesn't have an award to its credit. I'm confident that this same phenomena works for bookstore patrons browsing the shelves as well."

The bottom line, book awards do matter.Enter several and let me know how it goes. If you know of yet another book award I should really look into, please send me the information.

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 additional. 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 clientele 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 number of. Learn far more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at http://www.book-marketing-expert.com or contact Lorenz at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or by phone at 734-667-2090. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist

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