A Publisher's Conversation with Authors: Book Award Realities
Following up on last week's post about the categories of book awards and how they affect ROI, this Tuesday we look at the most useful category for small press authors: the minor awards. (The major awards, such as the Pulitzer are generally not a realistic goal for first-time authors, authors without name recognition, and authors whose books have not soared quickly onto the NYT Bestseller lists.)
📊 Why Minor Book Awards Don’t Drive Big Sales
- Audience Reach: Minor awards don’t have the media amplification or bookstore promotion that major awards do. Their announcements stay within publishing circles rather than reaching the general public.
- Discoverability Limits: Even with a gold seal, most readers don’t browse Amazon or bookstores by award category. They buy based on recommendations, reviews, or visibility in mainstream outlets.
- Marketing Dependency: The award itself doesn’t sell books — it’s how the author/publisher leverages it. Without a campaign (press releases, social media, speaking engagements), the award remains a quiet credential.
- Category Saturation: In nonfiction, especially self-help and spirituality, there are hundreds of award seals floating around. Readers don’t distinguish between them the way they do with Pulitzer or National Book Award.
📊 A Concrete Example: Boof of the Year Award
- Foreword INDIES (BOTYA) is respected in indie publishing. It’s judged by librarians and booksellers, and winners are promoted to a network of 30,000+ acquisition decision-makers.
- Exposure ≠ Sales: The award provides visibility (library catalogs, bookstore newsletters, trade shows), but visibility doesn’t guarantee purchases. Many librarians and booksellers note the award but still buy based on demand, reviews, or author platform.
- Typical ROI: For most indie presses, BOTYA and similar awards bring in dozens to a few hundred sales at best. Any “thousands” outcome is rare and usually tied to books that already had traction.
📈 Why Some Winners Sell More Than Others
- Genre & Market Fit
- Books in high-demand categories (children’s, YA fantasy, popular memoir, spirituality) can ride the award into mainstream sales.
- Niche nonfiction (like specialized memoirs or instructional works) doesn’t see the same lift.
- Marketing Leverage
- Publishers who issue press releases, run ads, highlight the award in newsletters, and pitch to media maximize the award’s visibility.
- Without that push, the award doesn’t drive discovery.
- Author Platform
- Authors with speaking engagements, podcasts, or active social media can amplify the award, converting recognition into sales.
- Authors without a platform rely solely on the award’s organic reach, which is modest.
✨ Bottom Line for Authors
Winning an award is always worth celebrating. But the industry reality is clear:
- Awards don’t sell books — people do.
- The award is a tool. Its ROI depends on how publishers and authors use it to reach readers.
These 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 22 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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