A Publisher's Conversation with Authors: Are book contests worth entering? Which ones?
It is Tuesday. Monday's madness is over, and Wednesday will take us over the hump, so Tuesday it is--for some serious discussion with authors. Tuesday talks mean to address authors in waiting and self-published authors who would like to go a more traditional route or who would at least like to take their steps with a publisher by their side.
Today's topic takes a look at book contests. Are the awards worth the effort and, sometimes, the cost? Are some contests better than others? The answer to those questions is generally yes and yes.
- To be able to say that you have written an award-winning book is helpful for sales, regardless of the significance of the award.
- To be able to say that you have won a coveted award is even more helpful.
- From our experience in marketing, when we market four books together through one promotional source, where two books are award-winners and two are not, generally we see distinctly more sales for award-winning books.
- An award gives a publisher/author something to talk about -- it is good for at least several blog posts, tweets, and other social media announcements and discussions.
- An award dresses up a press release very nicely and adds to the substantive content.
Want to read more about contests and which ones may be the best for you to enter? Check out lists from TCK Publishing, bestthrillers.com's list, and Westwind Communications.
If you are looking for criteria to decide on which book competition to enter, Book Award Pro’s evaluation of a large number of the contests available can be found here: Book Award & Contest Ratings — Self-Publishing Advice Center from the Alliance of Independent Authors (selfpublishingadvice.org). Be aware that this document is aimed more toward the self-published author than those published by a commercial press. Therefore, some of the “con”s, such as “must have an ISBN” or “must be available for purchase,” will not a negative for commercially published books.
And if you want to leave it all in the hands of someone else, BookAwardsPro is there to help. They have a free service (you do the work of application) and a paid service (they do the nomination for you).
Bottom line: Book awards can enhance book sales; however, not all competitions are equal.
Lesson for today's Tuesday talk: Set aside a little money to enter competitions, but do so judiciously. They are one tool of several that can help with effective book marketing.
See more Publisher Conversations with authors HERE.
Learn more about publishing from an acquisitions editor -- how to get your book proposal accepted, why proposals are turned down/accepted, and how to find the right publisher for your book. On special sale for $5 while inventory lasts at MSI Press webstore.
The Tuesday talks reflect real discussions between the management of MSI Press LLC and our own authors or those would-be authors who come through our doors but don't make the cut--yet. If you have a topic that you would like addressed, leave the question in the comment section. Chances are, in our 18 years of publishing first-time and experiences authors, we have had a conversation with one of our authors that we can share with you.
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