This topic of book awards and their value is both subjective and nuanced. It is one reason I’ve not tackled it before since it can be easily misunderstood.

There are a lot of book awards in the industry, both in the general market and in the Christian market. Some are quite prestigious (the Pulitzer or the Nobel prize, for example) and others could be perceived as a scam to get unsuspecting writers to pay to enter.

Sometimes the publisher pays the entry fee. The rest of the time the author pays the fee. And there is a wide variety of costs for entry. This fee is legitimate and helps offset the significant expenses related to the management and processing of the entries. Ask your publisher which ones they will underwrite on your behalf. The others are the author’s choice.

Be sure to note the difference between being nominated for an award and being a finalist. One time a writer thought being nominated meant they were a finalist. In reality, nominated only meant the publisher had paid to enter the book in the contest and told the author about the entry.

What if You Win an Award?

Winning an award is great! At the very least, it is validation of the quality of your work. But it doesn’t always translate into new sales. The biggest reason is that awards presented this year, 2024, are for books published in 2023. So there is a lag time well after the initial marketing push when the book was new. (However, it does create an excuse to shout about it, especially on social media!)

Many times an award is presented, but the only ones who really know about it are those inside the industry. Compare the book industry to the music industry. You may hear the news of the top Grammy Awards, but did you know there are 91 Grammy Awards given out each year?

While not necessarily a fair comparison, I must ask the question, “Can you name two of the last five winners of American Idol?” (Fun fact: Kelly Clarkson won the first American Idol competition. But that was 22 years ago.)

Not all contests are equal in the eyes of the market or even in the industry. You may win a local writing contest in your small town (congratulations!), but does an award like that get your attention when considering the purchase of a new book?

Don’t get me wrong. I am glad there are organizations that work to provide recognition of great books. And it does look nice in your book proposal when pitching to an agent or an editor. But it is one piece of the larger picture. If your new proposal isn’t well written or on a topic of interest, it won’t matter how many past awards you have won; the answer will still be “no thank you.”

Also, let me be clear. We are very proud of the awards our authors have received. We have an entire page dedicated to those on our website. (Click here for our awards page.) It is a honor and a privilege to work with such amazing writers.

Should you enter contests? Absolutely. Will winning that award guarantee a massive book deal down the road? Unlikely. But it will give you an accolade that may encourage you to keep working on your writing gift.