As a traditionally published indie author, with a debut novel garnering some positive reviews on Goodreads, I knew that if I wanted my book to win awards it was up to me to scour the internet to find them. In one of my previous posts, Navigating Book Awards, I talk about the reasons why entering awards are a (mostly) positive experience and help #IndieAuthors garner much needed exposure. I also give a list of some awards that are open to authors from any state in the US.
But did you know that there are many book awards that are state specific? That’s right! Every state in the good ‘ol U-S-of-A has an award for the best books of each year, or some variation of “Best Book”.
I thought, maybe it would be helpful to have these by-state book award listings in one convenient place. Today’s blog will focus on the states from A to F and later, I’ll work on the other states. I mean, I do have other things I’m working on besides blog posts. Wink.
So, here’s the deal. I’ve found them, I’ll list them, but it is up to YOU to decide if it is right for your book and if you’re willing to put in the effort to submit. Many of these require you to send print copies to a judging panel and/or require an entrance fee. Not all are specifically associated or run by the state government itself, but rather their library system, university system, or other funded program.
As always, my friends, have fun, be safe and submit ‘til your heart's content! Because your words are valuable and deserve praise.
Let me know if you enter any of these and what your experience was like (and if you win!).
XO
S.E. Reed