SUBMISSIONS OPEN FOR U.S. SELFIES 2022
For further information contact Christi Cassidy, +1-917-217-4269
- Memoir and Autobiography Category Added to Awards for Self-Published Books –
NEW YORK—February 1, 2022—Submissions are now open for the 2022 U.S. Selfies awards for self-published books. Newly expanded categories now include memoir and autobiography as well as adult fiction and children’s books. Three winners—one per category—will each be awarded a cash prize of $1,000. In addition, winning titles receive advertising and promotions valued at $5,000 from Publishers Weekly and selected sponsors.
“I am deeply grateful for the first-place honor bestowed on my debut novel, L’Origine, by the U.S. Selfies,” said Lilianne Milgrom, winner of the 2021 award for her novel about the controversial and celebrated L’Origine du monde (The Origin of the World), painted in 1866 by Gustave Courbet. “Any writer who has put his or her blood, sweat and tears into their literary baby understands the validation that comes with that sort of award. It has opened doors, made a positive impact on the trajectory of my book and given me the confidence to continue on my writing journey.”
Author Naibe Reynoso and illustrator Ana Varela took the top prize in children’s books in 2021 for How to Fold a Taco, a picture book in Spanish and English that explores the fun of la cocina with instructions on making tacos.
The 2022 awards submission period opens on February 1, 2022 and closes on the night of March 31, 2022. Three juried shortlists of up to eight titles per category will be announced on May 4, 2022. The U.S. Selfies award winners will be announced on June 10, 2022, with a virtual ceremony to be held during the American Library Association annual conference, which runs June 24 – 28, 2022.
A free e-book reader of first chapters of the fiction and memoir finalists will be published and available for download at the awards website, https://selfiesbookawards.com/. All the shortlisted titles will also be featured in a special exhibit at the U.S. Book Show, https://usbookshow.com/, May 24 – 26, 2022.
“BookBrunch are delighted to be working with Publishers Weekly and BookLife again to recognise the very best in indie publishing in the U.S., this year opening up a third category for memoir/autobiography,” said Jo Henry, managing director of BookBrunch, the daily online news service for the U.K., which administers the Selfies in the U.K.
With the mission to discover new talent and reward the best self-published titles each year, BookBrunch launched the Selfies Awards to great acclaim in the U.K. in 2018. In 2020, BookBrunch teamed up with Publishers Weekly and its self-publishing arm, BookLife, to launch the awards initiative in the U.S. The first winner was Tim Westover, author of The Winter Sisters, a novel of science and superstition that takes place in antebellum small-town Georgia. In 2021 the children’s books category was added to the U.S. Selfies.
“The U.S. Selfies honors excellence in self-publishing, with discovery a key factor in the success of the awards, which help self-published authors further promote their books to libraries and booksellers,” said Cevin Bryerman, CEO and publisher of Publishers Weekly.
“Indie authors gain well-deserved recognition and support from the U.S. Selfies book awards, which spotlights indie titles of merit for librarians, booksellers and book lovers,” said Carl Pritzkat, COO, Publishers Weekly, and president of BookLife.
Books submitted for prize consideration must have been published during the calendar year 2021 and demonstrate solid sales via sustained marketing and publicity efforts. Eligible titles in all categories must have been published in the United States by authors and/or illustrators who live in the U.S.; authors and illustrators need not be U.S. citizens. Entries cost $60 each and will only be accepted from authors and/or illustrators who are predominantly or solely self-published, defined as authors and/or illustrators who act as publishers and/or creative directors. The deadline for submission is March 31, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Judges look for excellence in self-published works, including:
- Stories that entertain and delight readers
- High production values in e-book or print format
- Enticing covers and blurbs that successfully nab the target audience’s attention
- Effective and creative marketing and publicity strategies with the potential for significant sales
Each author or illustrator who submits a book will receive a free subscription to the BookLife Report, a weekly newsletter for indie and self-published authors. Winners as well as shortlisted authors and illustrators will be invited to attend the virtual awards ceremony at the ALA Annual Conference.
For more information, contact Christi Cassidy, +1-917-217-4269, ccassidy@publishersweekly.com.
About BookBrunch
BookBrunch is a daily news service and information site for the book industry and has been keeping thousands of publishing professionals informed about the latest developments on a daily basis since 2008. Joint editors Nicholas Clee and Neill Denny have 40+ years covering the book trade between them, and BookBrunch’s news coverage reflects their knowledge and experience of the industry.
About Publishers Weekly
Now celebrating its 150th anniversary, Publishers Weekly is the international news platform of the book publishing industry. Founded in 1872 and published weekly since then, the magazine boasts 1.23 million social media followers; publishes 10 e-newsletters, BookLife (a website and semimonthly supplement), Publishers Weekly en Español (with Lantia), an Arabic edition, two blogs, podcasts, a mobile edition, digital editions, and apps; offers the Publishers Weekly Digital Archive; and features a thriving website that reaches 14 million unique visitors annually.
About BookLife
BookLife taps the experience, integrity and authority of Publishers Weekly to help self-published authors achieve their goals. BookLife offers in-depth articles, professional tips and strategies for creating and marketing books; a free weekly BookLife Report e-newsletter; BookLife Reviews, a paid review service; and a free, easy tool to submit self-published books for free review consideration in Publishers Weekly. The inaugural BookLife Indie Author Forum takes place virtually on March 19, 2022.
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