Enter Your Self-Published Book and Launch Your Career
Writer’s Digest wants to recognize the hard work that you have been putting into your book. That’s why, every year, we look for the best from authors in their self-publishing…
Writer's Digest wants to recognize the hard work that you have been putting into your book. That's why, every year, we look for the best from authors in their self-publishing ventures. Whether you're a professional writer, a part-time freelancer, or a self-starter, WD is looking for self-published books for the 22nd Annual Self-Published Book Awards, exclusively for self-published work.
No matter what your book is geared towards, we have a category for you. Enter today in Genre Fiction, Mainstream/Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, Inspirational (Spiritual, New Age), Life Stories (Autobiographies, Biographies, Family Histories, Memoirs), Children's Picture Books, Middle Grade/Young Adult Fiction, Reference Books (Directories, Encyclopedias, Guide Books), and Poetry. The entry fee is just $110, and $85 for any additional entries. But hurry, the deadline is May 1!
A first-place winner will be chosen for each one of these categories (9 total). Each first-place winner will receive $1,000 in cash and promotion in Writer's Digest (the March/April 2015 issue), along with numerous other prizes, including, a one-year membership to Small Publishers Association of North America (SPAN) and a guaranteed review in Midwest Book Review.
One Grand Prize winner will receive $3,000 in cash, plus a trip to the Writer's Digest Conference. The winner will also receive promotion in Writer's Digest (the March/April 2015 issue), plus a one-year membership to Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), a Marketplace Readiness Assessment Consult ($450) value by Amy Collins, and much more.
Honorable mentions receive $50 worth of WD Books and promotion on www.writersdigest.com. All entrants receive a brief commentary from one of our judges, who are all current industry professionals.
Ember Reichgott Junge, who took home the grand prize in the 21st Annual Competition for her nonfiction book, Zero Chance of Passage: The Pioneering Charter School Story, called the award an inspiration to continue writing and an affirmation of her decision to self-publish. You can read her extended interview here, as well as a guest blog post on There Are No Rules. A list of last year's winners is online!
Don't miss out on this potentially career-altering opportunity! Get recognized for your hard work and launch your career today!
This self-published competition is co-sponsored by Book Marketing Works, LLC.
Please see the competition's official page for the entry form, rules, and other details.

Cris Freese is a technical writer, professional book editor, literary intern, and the former managing editor of Writer's Digest Books. Cris also edited the annual guides Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market and Guide to Literary Agents, while also curating, editing, and writing all content for GLA's online companion. crisfreese.com