Self-Published Book Awards

LEARN MORE! Closed. Writer’s Digest’s Self-Published Book Awards is not currently accepting submissions. This is the only Writer’s Digest competition exclusively for self-published books.

Author:
Tara Johnson
Updated:
May 3, 2022
Original:
Apr 6, 2020

CLOSED. Winners will be notified by October 17, 2022, and will be announced in our March/April 2023 issue.

Whether you’re a professional writer, a part-time freelancer or a self-starting student, here’s your chance to enter the premier self-published competition exclusively for self-published books. Writer’s Digest hosts the 30th annual self-published competition—the Annual Self-Published Book Awards. This self-published competition spotlights today’s self-published works and honors self-published authors.

Prizes
Categories
How to enter
Preparing Your Entry
FAQ
Pricing and Deadlines
Easy to follow PDF

Prizes
One Grand Prize winner will receive:

NEW! $10,000 in cash
An interview with them in Writer’s Digest (March/April 2023 issue) and on WritersDigest.com
A paid trip to the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference, including special recognition at the keynote
A coveted Pitch Slam slot at the Writer's Digest Conference where the winner will receive one on one attention from editors or agents
Publication of an excerpt from their winning book on WritersDigest.com

One First Prize winner in each category will receive:

$1,000 in cash
Their name and the winning book's title published in Writer’s Digest (March/April 2023 issue) and on WritersDigest.com

All Grand Prize and First Prize winners will also receive:

A one-year subscription (new or renewal) to Writer’s Digest magazine
A one year subscription to Writer’s Digest Tutorials
20% discount off of purchases made at Writer’s Digest University
A special graphic recognizing their winning status

Honorable Mention Winners will receive promotion on www.writersdigest.com and a special graphic for use in promoting your win.

All entrants will receive a brief commentary from one of the judges.

Categories

Mainstream/Literary Fiction
Genre Fiction
Nonfiction/Reference (General Nonfiction, Cookbooks, Guidebooks, Textbooks, How-To, etc.)
Inspirational/Self-Help
Memoirs/Life Stories (Biographies, Autobiographies, Family Histories)
Early Readers/Children’s Picture books
Middle-Grade/Young Adult
Poetry Collections

ENTERING IS EASY!

Create your free Submittable account by clicking the SUBMIT button. If you already have a Submittable account, simply log in!

*NEW* You can now compete in multiple WD competitions with a single login! Check back often for an updated list of competitions.

When you are ready to submit your work to the WD Self-Published Book Awards, you’ll want to have the following information available:

Your contact information (be careful that the information provided is accurate). Time sensitive information such as credits and contact information (for prize distribution) is taken directly from the submission form. Due to the nature of deadlines, corrections to this information are not guaranteed.

Your SELF-PUBLISHED BOOK AWARDS COMPETITION submission information (see the PREPARING YOUR ENTRY tips for more information).

Your method of payment (see the ENTRY PRICING, SUBMISSION DEADLINES AND WINNER NOTIFICATION page for tips for all pricing and deadlines).

Ready to enter? Click on the link below to get started!

Enter your email below and receive a free download, "Writer's Digest Complete Guide to Writing Contests," and be a step ahead of your competition!