Hannah Jacobson
As an author, having your book recognized by winning a literary award is an incredible honor. But what if your book is part of a series? Can you submit subsequent books in the series, or even the full series itself?
The answer is: it depends on the specific award and its unique requirements, but yes! Independent authors successfully pursue and win accolades for series all the time.
In this Alliance of Independent Authors post, we'll share some updated guidelines to be aware of when submitting your series for an award. Welcome to the Book Award Update April 2024 with Hannah Jacobson from Book Award Pro.
Submitting Individual Sequels to Book Awards
In most cases, yes, you can submit a sequel or subsequent book in a series for award consideration, even if previous books in the series have already won awards or were submitted in prior years. Literary awards almost always judge books as separate entities.
The fact that a book is part of a larger series doesn't prevent it from being evaluated on its own merits. So if you have a stellar third book in an ongoing series, you can absolutely put it forward for awards. Some awards even have special categories for sequels or series instalments.
Submitting an Entire Series to Book Awards
Photo by Daria Nepriakhina 🇺🇦 on Unsplash
Whether you can submit an entire book series for a single award gets a bit trickier. Some awards simply don't have a category for awarding a complete series. Their rules may specify that only individually published works are eligible.
Many other competitions, however, do allow series submissions. This is more common among awards specifically focused on genres like fantasy, science fiction, romance or mystery which popularized the concept of longer, multi-book narrative arcs. However, there are series awards open for all genres, including nonfiction, literary, poetry, and more.
If entering a full series is permitted, pay close attention to the guidelines. The award organization may have certain stipulations to guide your submission.
For example, the judging panel may require that the series must be completely concluded. Prolific authors crafting those middle chapters may have to exercise patience and wait until the entire epic tale is complete before submitting it for consideration as a whole.
Other awards may stipulate there must be at least three published books in the series, or a minimum of two books submitted at one time. Prior to submission, check award requirements to be sure your series is a good fit.
Promoting Your Series with Award Wins
Your success doesn't just validate the award-winning book itself; it adds credibility and discoverability to your entire narrative journey.
For the awarded title, be sure to feature your accolade prominently on the book cover, your website, and all online sales listings. If you're doing speaking engagements or book events, mentioning your award win is also a great way to grab potential readers' interest and establish your credibility as a professional author.
But also use your winning moment to promote earlier and upcoming series instalments. For example, you can run special bundles or package deals to incentivize readers to experience the full saga you've created. The award, and the story marketing you share surrounding your success, attracts new fans while validating the journey for existing readers.
If you're lucky enough to win an award recognizing your complete series (or if each individual book in your series has won an award), you'll have an even more powerful marketing hook. There is a plethora of story marketing potential when your entire multi-book exploration of characters and worlds is celebrated as a cohesive whole.
While finding literary award recognition for a book series can seem challenging, there are certainly opportunities out there for authors to have their complete multi-book narratives judged and honored. Requirements vary, but don't underestimate the opportunity for recognition these accolades for series provide. Submitting your work, and strategically leveraging any award successes, can be a vital tool for drawing more readers into the immersive written worlds you create.
About Hannah Jacobson, ALLi Awards & Story Marketing Advisor
Hannah Jacobson is the founder of Book Award Pro: the company that leads the industry in helping authors find the perfect reviews and awards for their books.
Book Award Pro is the industry expert on accolades, operating the world's largest database of legitimate reviews and awards. Every year, authors spanning six continents win thousands of new awards, receive valuable reviews, and market their books in one easy-to-use platform.
Book Award Pro has been a trusted ALLi Partner Member since 2020. Hannah is the ALLi advisor for awards and story marketing, and contributes to ALLi resources including the Book Award & Contest Ratings page, Book Prizes & Awards for Indie Authors guidebook, and the Ultimate Guide to Winning Book Awards. Begin your award-winning journey for free or connect with Hannah and Book Award Pro on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Find out more
For more information on applying for book awards that are open to indie authors, you can purchase our short guide, available in multiple formats on our bookstore: Book Prizes & Awards for Indie Authors.
Members enjoy free access to the ebook.
Thoughts or further questions on this post or any self-publishing issue?
If you’re an ALLi member, head over to the SelfPubConnect forum for support from our experienced community of indie authors, advisors, and our own ALLi team. Simply create an account (if you haven’t already) to request to join the forum and get going.
Non-members looking for more information can search our extensive archive of blog posts and podcast episodes packed with tips and advice at ALLi's Self-Publishing Advice Centre.
Independent writers will find this update very useful. Knowing that a series’ individual books can stand on their own is fantastic, and the prospect of sequels receiving praise is really heartening. Much obliged for the wisdom you’ve imparted and for encouraging writers to go after their heartfelt prize goals, Hannah.