The Alliance of Independent Authors monitors the literary awards industry in several ways:
Our Open Up to Indie Authors campaign urges prestigious prizes and awards to include self-publishing authors in their programs (email us anytime to alert us to awards that discriminate against indie authors).
We have a Partner Membership for author awards and prizes that align with our Code of Standards, and go through the vetting process required to become an ALLi partner.
We work with Hannah Jacobson, founder of ALLi Partner Member Book Award Pro and ALLi Awards Advisor, to stay appraised of changes to the global publishing awards ecosystem.
Hannah provides a monthly feature about awards to the ALLi blog and key advice to our members.
We rate awards and contest in the ratings list below. The ratings are the opinion of the ALLi watchdog, based on pricing, reputation of the award, contract terms and conditions, transparency, judging process, and value to the author.
Contact the watchdog desk if you would like to inform us about a contest or award, or discuss a rating.
The event exists to recognize talent, not to enrich the organizers.
Avoid events which are driven by excessive entry fees, marketing services to entrants, or selling merchandise like stickers and certificates.
The judging process is transparent and clear.
Watch out for contests whose judging criteria and personnel are vague or undisclosed.
Entrants are not required to forfeit key rights to their work.
Avoid contests with onerous terms, especially those which require the forfeiture of publishing rights without a termination clause. When in doubt, have an independent professional review the terms.
Receiving an award is an achievement.
An event that hands out awards like Halloween candy dilutes the value of those awards, rendering them meaningless. Beware events that offer awards in dozens of categories. These are often schemes to maximize the number of winners in order to upsell to them.
Prizes are appropriate and commensurate with the entry fees collected.
If a cash prize is offered, it should align with the size of the entry fee. “Exposure” is not an appropriate prize. Representation or publication are acceptable prizes, but only if offered by a reputable company without hidden fees.
There is no profiteering upsell
e.g. manuscript critiques, marketability analyses, tickets for prizegiving, trophies.
Ratings & Reviews
Key/Legend
Excellent (Partner Member)
Contests that have been vetted and align with ALLi's Code of Standards.
Mixed
Contests which are mostly positive, but present some issues of minor concern.
Watchdog Advisory
Contests that fail to align with ALLi's Code of Standards, are the subject of consistent complaints and, in some cases, have been subject to legal action.
Recommended
Contests that clearly benefit the author rather than profit the organizer.
Caution
Contests with more serious concerns e.g excessive entry fees, exploitative contracts, conflicts of interest, or high-pressure sales.
Disclaimer
The assessments listed on this page are the opinion of the ALLi Watchdog. Authorized representatives of the organizations listed above are welcome to contact us to request information on ALLi's assessment process, or to present additional information for our consideration.
Is there an award or contest you're wondering about that's not on our list? Let us know so we can evaluate it.
wdt_ID
award_id
Event
Rating
is_closed
Organization
Website
Fee
Categories
Judging
Pros & Cons
Contract
Marketing
Other
notes
1
1
International Book Awards
fail
0
i310 Media Group
$79/category, $59 if you send a money order
87
Anonymous
Pro: Promotes award winners at no extra cost. Con: Requires ISBN for eligibility.
2
2
Best Book Awards
fail
0
i310 Media Group
$79/category, $59 if you send a money order
95
Anonymous
Pro: Promotes award winners at no extra cost. Con: Requires ISBN for eligibility.
3
3
Readers' Favorite
mixed
0
Readers' Favorite LLC
$89 - $109
132
Anonymous
Pro: Clear guidelines and judging criteria. Con: Above-average entry fee.
6
6
Southern California Book Festival
fail
0
JM Northern Media LLC
$50
16
Anonymous
Pro: Clear guidelines. Con: Does not clearly disclose judging criteria.
7
7
Los Angeles Book Festival
fail
0
JM Northern Media LLC
$50
19
Anonymous
Pro: Clear guidelines. Con: Does not clearly disclose judging criteria.
12
12
New England Book Festival
fail
0
JM Northern Media LLC
$50
15
Anonymous
Pro: Clear guidelines. Con: Does not clearly disclose judging criteria.
13
13
San Francisco Book Festival
fail
0
JM Northern Media LLC
$50
15
Anonymous
Pro: Clear guidelines. Con: Does not clearly disclose judging criteria.
14
14
Paris Book Festival
fail
0
JM Northern Media LLC
$50
15
Anonymous
Pro: Clear guidelines. Con: Does not clearly disclose judging criteria.
16
16
New York Book Festival
fail
0
JM Northern Media LLC
$50
15
Anonymous
Pro: Clear guidelines. Con: Does not clearly disclose judging criteria.
17
17
Beach Book Festival
fail
0
JM Northern Media LLC
$50
15
Anonymous
Pro: Clear guidelines. Con: Does not clearly disclose judging criteria.
19
19
Hollywood Book Festival
fail
0
JM Northern Media LLC
$50
15
Anonymous
Pro: Clear guidelines. Con: Does not clearly disclose judging criteria.
23
23
Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY)
fail
0
The Jenkins Group
$85
105
Anonymous
Pro: Clear guidelines. Con: Does not clearly disclose judging criteria.
Relentless marketing and upselling.
The site's FAQ notes that judges may not even read the books.
24
24
Living Now Book Awards
fail
0
The Jenkins Group
$75 - $95
34
Anonymous
Pro: Clear guidelines. Con: Does not clearly disclose judging criteria.
Relentless marketing and upselling.
25
25
eLit Book Awards
fail
0
The Jenkins Group
$70 - $90
65
Anonymous
Pro: Clear guidelines. Con: Does not clearly disclose judging criteria.
26
26
Moonbeam Children's Book Awards
fail
0
The Jenkins Group
47
Anonymous
Pro: Clear guidelines. Con: Does not clearly disclose judging criteria.
Relentless marketing and upselling.
27
27
Axiom Awards
fail
0
The Jenkins Group
$75 - $95
22
Anonymous
Pro: Clear guidelines. Con: Does not clearly disclose judging criteria.
The Hugo Awards have been presented annually since 1955. Nomination and voting are restricted to dues-paying Worldcon members.
49
49
Global Ebook Awards
fail
0
Indigo Enterprises, LLC / Dan Poynter
$79
106
Numerous judges, disclosure voluntary by judges
Pro: Clear guidelines and judging criteria. Con: Book must be available to the public.
Sells winners certificates at $25 each
50
50
Kindle Book Review Reader's Choice Awards
pass
0
Kindle Book Review
N/A
7
Popular vote
Pro: Clear guidelines. Con: Judging is based on public voting system (requiring work beyond submission).
Email subscription required to win. No submission process; books are nominated by readers.
51
51
International Rubery Book Award
partner
0
Rubery Book Award
£36 or $60
0
Disclosed
Pro: Clear guidelines and judging criteria. Con: Preference is print and ebook submission (extra expenses to submit).
Cash prize of £1500 for Book of the Year, £150 for each category winner.
52
52
Reader Views Literary Awards
fail
0
Book by Book Publicity
$85 - $105
52
Anonymous
Pro: Clear guidelines and judging criteria. Con: Above-average entry fee.
Sells publicity packages to entrants
Prizes are various marketing services
54
54
Nautilus Book Awards
fail
0
Mary Belknap
$175 - $195
38
Anonymous
Pro: Clear guidelines and judging criteria. As of 2024, increased accessibility for indie authors. Con: Extra expenses to submit to select categories.
Urges authors to "Invest in your Message". Grand Prize winners receive a "cash prize" (amount not disclosed), "exhibit opportunities" at book fairs, and a "List of Marketing Opportunities".
55
55
Mom's Choice Awards
N/A
0
$500 - $1500, with some discounts available
0
Anonymous
Pro: Clear guidelines and judging criteria. Con: Above-average entry fee, extra expenses to submit.
Less of an award and more of a product seal of approval, MCA evaluates products and services for children, families, and educators. The steep price tag is a significant barrier to entry in this progra
56
56
IACP Cookbook Awards
fail
0
International Assoc. of Culinary Professionals
$175 - $200
16
Anonymous
Pro: Clear guidelines and judging criteria. Con: Above-average entry fee, extra expenses to submit.
Winners must pay a licensing fee to display an IACP Award seal on their products, ranging from $500 for a digital version to $1,000 for 10,000 stickers.
No tangible prizes are noted on the event's website. In addition to the category judging, the contest features special awards and a People's Choice award determined by popular vote.
59
59
Foreword INDIES Book Awards
pass
0
Foreword Reviews
$89
56
Anonymous, but process disclosed
Pro: Clear guidelines and judging criteria. Con: Above-average entry fee.
Foil seals marketed to winners, along with ads for review services, advertising, mail services, etc.
The Alliance of Independent Authors is a professional business membership organisation that advises, campaigns for, and empowers self-publishing authors. A non-profit, our mission is ethics and excellence in self-publishing and we provide authors with trusted advice, supportive guidance, and a range of resources, within a welcoming community.
The Alliance of Independent Authors monitors the literary awards industry in several ways:
