Hi, my name is Billy Bob Buttons (my pen name, my real name is Edward Trayer) and my children’s novels have been independently published in the UK. I do pretty well but I’m so fed up of entering my books in American book awards. They cost a fortune and I doubt many of the books even get opened. So I decided to set up my own book award for independent and self-published authors of hardbacks, paperbacks or e-books, living and/or selling books in the UK.
I write children’s books, I’m a secondary school English teacher and, every year, I do a 200 school book tour , so I thought I’d mix the three things up and organise for the children’s books to be judged by the children in the schools I visit. The adult books, not so much my forte, will be assessed by members of established reading groups that include teachers, authors and PhDs in medicine and business.
I also thought 75 dollars to over 120 dollars (90 odd quid) to enter a book award was a gigantic rip-off. They must be making a bloody fortune over there. So I thought £28 would be okay; cover the cost of posting the books to the schools and reading groups, hosting the website, advertising the finalists in a literary magazine and designing and printing a certificate for all the finalists.
This bit is very important. This is only my third year doing this and I’m not promising chests of gold, and I very much doubt Oprah will be knocking on the doors of the winning authors. But I do promise your books will be read cover to cover and judged by children and adults who love reading, and the entry fee will be used to cover the costs of running the Award plus a prize or two for all the finalists.
Also, every entrant will be given feedback, whether they win or not, and, if you do do well in this Award, you can publicise your success in any way you see fit. I just discovered many of the independent book awards in America charge a licencing fee if you wish to publicise the fact you won! Cheeky or what!?
I write children’s books, I’m a secondary school English teacher and, every year, I do a 200 school book tour , so I thought I’d mix the three things up and organise for the children’s books to be judged by the children in the schools I visit. The adult books, not so much my forte, will be assessed by members of established reading groups that include teachers, authors and PhDs in medicine and business.
I also thought 75 dollars to over 120 dollars (90 odd quid) to enter a book award was a gigantic rip-off. They must be making a bloody fortune over there. So I thought £28 would be okay; cover the cost of posting the books to the schools and reading groups, hosting the website, advertising the finalists in a literary magazine and designing and printing a certificate for all the finalists.
This bit is very important. This is only my third year doing this and I’m not promising chests of gold, and I very much doubt Oprah will be knocking on the doors of the winning authors. But I do promise your books will be read cover to cover and judged by children and adults who love reading, and the entry fee will be used to cover the costs of running the Award plus a prize or two for all the finalists.
Also, every entrant will be given feedback, whether they win or not, and, if you do do well in this Award, you can publicise your success in any way you see fit. I just discovered many of the independent book awards in America charge a licencing fee if you wish to publicise the fact you won! Cheeky or what!?
Interested? Check out our webpage - www.thewsa.co.uk
Cheers,
Edward