BOOK AWARD ROUNDUP PART IV

American Writings Awards, IAN Awards and Pencraft

Sorry for my long hiatus from this series as I launched DEINCEPTION, book 2 of the REINCEPTION trilogy. Many of you have supported me on this journey and I’m so thankful! The launch is off to a great start and I’ve already begun awards submissions for DeInception. In a subsequent piece, I will share which awards I’m entering this time around, which ones I’m skipping, and why. I will also share my results along the way!

Then, I will try to get back to that serialized crime novel….

If you’ve been following this Book Awards series, you know that ReInception won more than ten awards. Through the process, I learned a lot about book awards, what distinguishes them and what did or did not work for me.

To level set again, ReInception is a science fiction, new adult trilogy. This is a traditionally published book from a small publisher and therefore consider an “Indie” book. There are other awards out there that are specific to other genres or types of publishing that I am not covering here.

In Part I of this series, I covered how to find book awards, how to vet them, and how to determine which ones to apply for.

Part II covered my personal criteria for this column. Please read this to understand what I do and don’t discuss in this series. Then, I went into detail about the Wishing Shelf Awards, The Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBAs) (in my case, the Cygnus awards for science fiction), and the Foreword Review Indie Awards.

Part III focused on the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards (now just called the IBPA Awards), The IPPY Awards and the Eric Hoffer Awards.

Today, we are going to talk about the American Writings Awards, IAN Awards and Pencraft!

The American Writing Awards

The American Writing Awards deadline for submissions for 2024 just ended but had the most expansive legibility criteria I’ve seen, permitting books published between 2021 - 2025.

Cost of Entry

Cost to enter is one of the lowest in the awards space at a reasonable $39 per title and all submissions qualify for the “Book of the Year” award. Submissions are via PDF of the book.

Categories

The AWAs has a massive list of categories, a long submission window and unusual categories such as for “legacy” books in fiction, non-fiction and children’s books. Additionally, they recognize finalist and winners in each category, so there are a lot of opportunities to win.

Pros are—there are a lot of opportunities to win. Cons are—there are a lot of opportunities to win, so I’m not sure how selective this prize is.

Criteria & Offerings

While the Judging Criteria are not listed on the site, the “about” page clearly states that this is a grassroots, “for authors, by authors,” award with the purpose of creating a platform for authors to boost their works through recognition. So to answer the question above, this award may not be meant so much for selectivity as for opportunity to promote. Since I entered, the site definitely got more flashy and a bit advertisy. They also offer other services, such as Book Reviews, Press Releases and Advertising (not wholly uncommon).

The AWAs are not rated by the AIA Book Awards and Contest Ratings.

My Experience

ReInception was a 2022 Finalist in the Science Fiction category.

This award did not have some of the offerings that I personally valued, such as a live awards ceremony. They did have limited publicity for winning books on social media, but significantly less robust than some of the other awards, like Eric Hoffer and IBPA. In their congratulatory email, they note that they also market “to public libraries, national booksellers, and our multiple media channels--including newspaper publications, media sites, Facebook, and more.” So there may be more promotion going on behind the scenes.

These awards definitely got fancier in the last two years since I entered, with sexy new winners’ seals and more flashy promotion. I’d recommend this award for authors who are looking for a lower price point and barrier to entry, or who have a niche book where the AWAs might have a category that other awards do not offer (such as a book that was not published in the awards year). Their site does have a sense of enthusiasm and it’s apparent that they have continued to develop the site and offerings over the last couple of years. This might be one to keep an eye on to see where it goes and how they continue to evolve.

The Independent Author Network (IAN) Awards

ReInception was a finalist for the IAN Awards.

The IANs are Recommended by the AIA Book Awards and Contest Ratings for their clear criteria and guidelines and for the lack of upselling.

Criteria

The 2025 IANs are open for submissions. All published books available for sale in English are eligible and the IANs do not have any publication date requirements or word count restrictions. Self-published authors are also eligible.

Judges are “authors, publishers and editors” and for this year, they are looking for “Vibrant covers, attention-grabbing openings, memorable characters, crisp dialogue, captivating and original plots, and climactic, memorable endings.”

2024 winners will be announced on November 15.

Fees and Dates

The 2025 contest is open from September 1, 2024 to August 16, 2025. The cost is $49 for the first category and $35 for each additional category (No limit).

The IANs have numerous cash prizes for winning books, including $1,000 for the Book of the Year.

Promotion

IAN shares info about winning books to their extensive network of subscribers on FB, IG, X and Threads. There is no live awards ceremony or event. Winning authors get a digital seal.

While this award does not do as much follow on promotion and offerings as an organization like IBPA, this is recognized as a reputable “win” in the Indie industry.

Pencraft Awards for Literary Excellence

ReInception is the winner of a 2023 First Place Pencraft Award for Science Fiction.

Submission Dates

The 9th Annual Pencraft Awards are open for submission. The awards are open to books published in English and available for sale after January 1, 2021, and prior to September 10, 2025. There are cash prizes and 1st place, second place and runner up winners get a seal.

Benefits & Competitiveness

One thing I particularly liked about the award was that they also do seasonal awards quarterly, so you don’t have to wait a whole year to find out if you won something and are in the running for the annual award!

Pencraft does have a lot of categories and chances to win. However, in 2023, there were over 1,100 books submitted for consideration. Based on the number of finalists and winners, this is still a competitive award. There is also a live book awards ceremony. This year, it was in Las Vegas (and I’m in New York), so I did not attend, but based on my experience at the Ben Franklin awards, an in-person event is something I consider high value in an award competition.

Fees

Entry fee is $49 per category and the Pencraft Awards accepts book submissions in all formats.

Criteria

The Pencraft Awards has clear judging criteria:

“All works are judged on content, general excellence in writing, and originality. Books published by all publishers, including self-publishers, are accepted. The PenCraft Book Awards competitions are an equal opportunity contest giving no merit to one type of publisher over another.

Submitted works will be judged by a panel of authors, librarians, and other literature lovers. The criteria for the 2025 competitions are:

Book or Audio Book cover design (10%): Does the cover captivate the reader with a compelling visual and create an engaging first impression? Does the design spark imagination, inviting readers to explore the narrative? Does it feature bold typography and striking imagery that not only draws attention but also reflects the genre, aiding in the quick identification of the story type? Are the title and author's name prominently displayed?

Literary/Artistic Merit (30%): The quality of writing receives primary consideration in the PenCraft Book Award judging. The book's editing, illustrations, and attention to detail involved in its creation is an important element in the selection process.

Originality (20%): Originality in concept and execution is another primary consideration in selecting winning titles. The book should demonstrate innovative literary qualities, which in many cases will be specific to their genre or category.

Marketing effort (10%): Is the book accessible on major platforms like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, or BookShop.org? Are there editorial reviews available? Does the book page utilize Amazon A+ content? Is the book easy to find on Google? Is the book's title in conflict with more popular books or movies?

Audience Appeal (30%): A PenCraft Book Award-winning entry must have a strong appeal to its target audience. The book will be judged on its effectiveness in engaging that particular readership and their acceptance of the book.”

The Pencraft Awards are not rated by the AIA Book Awards and Contest Ratings.

Additional Resource for Finding Awards

Here is another good list of recommended book awards with a short summary of why each is recommended (by a publicist): Top Book Awards for Authors in 2024

Want To Be A Guest Poster?

If you have entered awards specific to other genres and are interested in sharing your learnings in a guest post, please message me! I’m sure my 500 (and growing) subscribers would love to hear from you!!