PLEASE READ BEFORE REGISTERING
Submission period: February 1 to April 21
Have you published a new book in 2021 or 2022? Or are you on the cusp of wrapping one up now?* If so, consider entering it in our 10th Annual Book Awards.
Placing as a finalist with a respected book award, or winning it, can help you reach new audiences and markets. It also delivers a satisfying cap to all the hard work that goes into putting out a fine book.
Taking high marks in this awards program is all about the quality of the work. All winners and finalists are showcased on the IPNE website. They receive a digital certificate for display on social media channels, websites, and marketing materials. And they are honored at the online awards event, for an evening spent in celebration of these fine books — a high point for the year's events. IPNE will also be sending out press releases to select organizations and media.
We care about helping books reach their intended audiences. About recognizing authors who've achieved excellence. About highlighting those books for readers.
How it works
We accept print books only. You do not need to be a member of IPNE to submit a book. You do not need to live in New England to submit a book. Your book can be author-published, hybrid-published, or traditionally published. Its publication date must be 2021, 2022, or sometime in 2023* before the submission period closes in April.
(* For a work of fiction published earlier, see also the details on the legacy series.)
To submit your book, register with the book’s details (author, publisher, publication date, page count, and so on, as specified in the form), pay the fee ($45), and then mail four print copies to the address you’ll receive with confirmation of registration.
We’ll match your book with three qualified judges drawn from our panel of literary scholars, authors, librarians, developmental editors, booksellers, and other qualified reviewers vetted and selected for this process.
Each book competes within its category, and also for the top prize as Book of the Year. The judging wraps up in late fall. The awards ceremony follows in January.
The legacy series
New this year, the legacy series will feature select backlist titles. This year's focus: fiction of the twenty-teens (+ 2020 reprise).
If you have a novel or a collection of short stories published from 2010 through 2020, you may submit this work as a work of legacy fiction. Note that this is our working title for the series.
Don't click register yet!
Before you begin the registration process, see this description of the awards categories.
If your book is a work of fiction, help us better match it to judges by filling out this form. It will be easier if you fill it out before going into the registration process. Be prepared to do some thinking and talking about your book. Best to allow a little time.
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Here's what to have ready for registration
Any major contributors, publisher info, publication date, ISBN. Page count, word count. The back cover copy, your book's Amazon URL and any other URLs you'd like to include. Other collateral, if you would like. (No book reviews, please!) You can also let us know about any potentially sensitive themes. And a high-res image of your book's front cover.
Some of this info is important for the end game, should your book place or win. Some of it is so that we can better match your book to judges that best represent your target audience. Those are the reviewers you want.
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Judging criteria
Our judges look at the whole book. Though the substance of the book is given the most weight, they consider as well how professional and to industry-standard is the outside (cover, front and back) and the inside (the book layout).
For the design award, nothing of the content is considered. Only the book itself as a designed product.
Questions?
Reach out to the IPNE book awards coordinator.
Notices
Depending on the number of submissions for a category, IPNE reserves the right to combine, divide, or otherwise modify the award categories. In the event that categories for a particular genre are added, consolidated, or eliminated, submission(s) will be judged in the category or categories most relevant. Books that have been submitted miscategorized will not be judged in a category that does not apply.
All entries will be held to basic publishing standards with respect to length and legibility. Entries that clearly violate such standards will be disqualified.
The book awards are coordinated and managed by a volunteer committee. All judging is undertaken by an independent panel. Apart from the one designated book awards role, IPNE's board of directors has no visibility into, and is not directly involved with, any of the details or proceedings.
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