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/