The Bookbrunch Selfies Awards 2020
Submissions are open for the second year of the Bookbrunch Selfies Awards in the UK.
In order to recognise one of the fastest-growing parts of the book market, BookBrunch, with the London Book Fair, launched The Selfies Award scheme in the UK in late 2018. Sponsored by IngramSpark, this exciting initiative aims to discover new talent and reward the best self-published titles each year.
In the first year The Selfies rewarded work in the adult fiction category only. However, BookBrunch is delighted to announce that a second category, children's fiction, has been added to The Selfies Awards for 2020 to help improve diversity in this sector. Recent research by BookTrust shows that books by British writers of colour were twice as likely to be self-published as those by white writers. A third of unique titles from British creators of colour were self-published or published by hybrid publishers, while only about one in 10 unique titles by white British creators was self-published or published by hybrid publishers.
The prize in both categories is £1,000, plus a profile in BookBrunch and a publishing deal provided by sponsors IngramSpark. Shortlisted authors will receive free membership of the 2019 Author HQ club at the London Book Fair. Comprising a theatre and networking area, Author HQ provides a forum for discussion of the ever expanding number of approaches to publishing, and includes networking events and "how-to" style panels.
What the judges are looking for:
• A fantastic story that entertains and delights the reader
• A well-produced ebook or print book
• An enticing cover and blurb that successfully addresses the target audience
• An effective and creative marketing and publicity strategy that has the potential for great sales
All titles submitted need to have been published in English since January 2018, and entries will be accepted from authors based in the UK who are predominantly or only self-published - ie, where the authors themselves act as publisher/creative director.
In order to register, authors should go to the BookBrunch subscription page and select the 6-month subscription box, using the code SELFIES2020-ADULT-FICTION if submitting a title in the adult category, or SELFIES2020-CHILDRENS-FICTION if submitting a title in the children's category. There is a small entrance fee of £25+VAT per title, and all those submitting work will receive six-month subscriptions to BookBrunch.
A similar scheme is also being launched in the US, where submissions will open on 1 January 2020.
More details www.theselfies.co.uk
