The Importance of Book Awards for Self-Publishing Authors

There are several ways to make your self-published book stand out among all the rest. But one of the best ways to create a buzz about your book is by winning an award! Winning a book award is a great feeling, and sometimes it even comes with prize money — best of all, it can be a powerful marketing tool.

There are hundreds of thousands of self-published books released each year, and competition is fierce. Authors who are serious about getting their book noticed will need to put extra effort into the promotional department. By entering legitimate writing contests, authors can up their chances of winning recognition…and so much more.

When you win a book award…

  • You receive third-party validation that your book is worthy.
  • You may win prize money…
  • The awards website will feature a list of all the winners and send out a press release announcing the winners — resulting in more publicity for you!
  • You can send out your own press release to announce your award — again, more publicity.
  • You can add an award sticker to your book cover that consumers, librarians, and booksellers will see immediately, and this can influence their buying decisions.
  • You gain credibility as a writer and an edge in the market.
  • You can call yourself an award-winning author, not only with friends and family but in promotional materials and interviews as well!

Things to keep in mind when entering writing contests:

  • Do your research! Most contests are legitimate, but always be on the lookout for scams.
  • A quality book cover might mean the difference between first place and an honorable mention!
  • Make sure your book has been thoroughly edited and polished. Judges will be evaluating the quality of your work, but if the book is full of typos and grammatical errors, it will be rejected.
  • Follow contest rules to the letter: meet the deadline, and submit your work in the correct format and in the correct category.
SIX MAJOR AWARDS IN ONE SUBMISSION PACKAGE!

25 percent off iPadNow is the season to enter book awards! The Book Award Submissions Package includes everything you need to enter 6 major book award contests. And the best part is, Outskirts Press takes care of all of the details!

The six awards are:

  • Writer’s Digest International Self-Published Awards
  • The National Best Books Awards
  • The Next Generation Indie Book Awards
  • The Reader Views Literary Awards
  • The Benjamin Franklin Awards
  • ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Awards

Outskirts Press will handle all the details, including:

  • The award submission fees
  • Registering your book with each contest
  • Sending each program the necessary review copies of your book
  • Accurately and completely filling out the necessary entry forms
  • Selecting the most appropriate category for your book
  • Shipping and handling costs of your book to each of the contest’s multiple judges

Many awards only accept books in the current copyright year (some will accept older books). If you just published your book this year, it is definitely the time to enter before it’s too late!

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