You Imagine discussion

Hi all,
I just wanted to encourage all authors of independent titles to enter their 2008 titles into awards like the IPPY award and the Ben Franklin Award sponsored by PMA. Also, some other awards such as Best Book Award sponsored by USA Book News, The London Book Festival, the DIY Festival, the Next Generation Indie Book Award and Foreward Magazine's Indie Book Award program. These awards programs can really help a book get noticed; they have really boosted the visibility of my young adult novel SONGS FOR A TEENAGE NOMAD.

SONGS won the silver medal for the 2008 IPPY in YA fiction this year and is a finalist for Best New Voice in YA Fiction for the Ben Franklin Awards. It was also the winner in the teenage categories for 2008 Next Generation Indie Book Awards and the 2007 London Book Festival and a finalist in a couple of other awards.

Best of luck in all your writing!
Smiles,
Kim

Thanks SO much for mentioning this, Kim. You're a great example of how awards like this can help a book get noticed. Here are the links to the book awards you mentioned:

IPPY http://www.independentpublisher.com/
Ben Franklin Award (Sponsored by PMA) http://www.pma-online.org/pubresource...
Best Book Award (USA Book News) http://www.usabooknews.com/bestbooksa...
London Book Festival http://londonbookfestival.com/portal/
DIY Festival http://www.diybookfestival.com/
Next Generation Indie Book Award http://www.indiebookawards.com/
Foreward Magazine's Book Award program. http://www.forewordmagazine.com/awards/

If anyone knows of any other awards, please let us know!

I looked on the PMA site and saw the Ben Franklin Awards-- but I did not see how to submit a title for consideration for the upcoming year's awards. Could you please post a link to that information, Kim?
Thanks,
Beth Fehlbaum, author
Courage in Patience, a story of hope for those who have endured abuse
http://courageinpatience.blogspot.com
http://www.kunati.com/blog-beth-fehlbaum
Chapter 1 is online!

Beth: I emailed the Ben Franklin folks last week about how to submit. The form for 2008 books won't be available until August, so you have some time.

I agree with Kim about the visibility of these awards; my Breathing Out the Ghost was a finalist in mystery/suspense for the Next Generation, I got a bronze IPPY in lit fic last week, and I'm up for the ForeWord in lit fic, which will be announced Friday. The only other one I would add is the Indie Excellence Awards (www.indieexcellence.com)---I got 3rd in it.

Also, there are from time to time things like the Atlantic City Beach Book Festival and the New York Book Festival---these are PR events run by a Hollywood firm (the same one that does the London, I believe), so how many you enter really depends on your budget, but there is prize money for top winners, so you might just earn money to enter more contests. Most of these run $50 a pop.

Finally, don't forget the American Book Awards, done by the Before Columbus Foundation. They lean toward multicultural stuff, but last year my publisher won one out of the blue for a great book called The Space Between.

Thanks for the additional suggestions for book awards, Kirk. And congratulations on your own successes!
I'd create the links for them, but I'm headed of to Book Expo America in a few days and have a ton to do.

Great comments, Kirk! I've been hearing so much about your book - I can't wait to read it!!

That's kind of you, Kim---I've been hearing very complimentary things about Songs, too. I was actually hoping I could send you the copy I ordered when it arrives and have you sign it for me---I was so happy to see you won the YA category in the Next Gen competition that I got a copy off Amazon. It made me happy to see the name of a fellow GoodReader up there!

One day I hope to join you both, God willing ;O) Congratulations.

You will!!!! :-)

Don't forget regional awards. There are many states/regions in the U.S. that also have book awards of one sort or another.

Hi all,
I had a great time at the Ben Franklin Awards. SONGS FOR A TEENAGE NOMAD won for Best New Voice in Children's/YA Fiction - very fun! Just wanted to share the good news.