The IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards™, which include fifty-five categories recognizing excellence in book editorial and design, are regarded as one of the highest national honors for independent publishers.

Drift and Hum was the Gold winner of the Bill Fisher Award for Best First Book: Fiction. I was privileged to join the other finalists in Portland, OR for the annual awards ceremony. Held in conjunction with IBPA’s Publishing University, the award ceremony was a gala dinner where all gold winners received an engraved trophy marking their achievement.

I later received the comments from some of the judges who reviewed the book:

“In his debut novel “Drift and Hum,” author Robert Martichenko proves that self-published books can be as good as (if not better than) traditionally published ones. The cover photo by photographer Larry Allan shows a beaver lodge in the backdrop of Canadian maple trees. This image of natural beauty seasoned by time sets the stage for a story about the “Beaver Brothers” and how they grow up, grow old, and cope with life. The title typeface and choice of colors complement the cover image very well. This warm and inviting cover definitely encourages readers to pick up the book and examine it closely.”

 

“Mr. Martichenko reminds us, in the most entertaining and gentle fashion, that we don’t spend enough time reminiscing with old friends and remembering the foibles of youth. An entertaining read, he took us on a journey of a man holding onto friendships in the best way: close. Well done, sir!”

 

“A modern day recreation of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn…excellent!”

Here are some photos from the awards ceremony:

A big thank you to all my readers and supporters in this endeavor!

A complete list of the winners and finalists are listed on the IBPA website.