We’re excited to celebrate a number of Books Forward family authors and their titles that have recently been recognized across the industry with various awards, nominations, and accolades.
The Independent Publisher Book Awards, or IPPYs, were recently announced, and there’s a host of Books Forward authors featured among the winners.
- Lisa Braver Moss, “Shrug,” gold in Young Adult Fiction
- Michelle Cameron, “Beyond the Ghetto Gates,” silver in historical fiction
- Brandy Ferner, “Adult Conversation,” silver in Humor
- Marika Lindholm, Cheryl Dumesnil, Domenica Ruta, and Katherine Shonk, “We Got This: Solo Mom Stories of Grit, Heart, and Humor,” silver in Women’s Issues
- Kathleen Shoop, “The Thief’s Heart,” bronze in Midwest Best Regional Fiction AND gold in Book Series Fiction for The Letter Series
Acknowledging independent authors with awards for more than 20 years, the IPPYs were created to “bring increased recognition to the deserving but often unsung titles published by independent authors and publishers.”
The Nautilus Book Awards announced its winners for 2019 — and there are quite a few Books Foward authors on the list!
- Donald Rattner, “My Creative Space,” silver in Creativity & Innovation
- Donna Cameron, “A Year of Living Kindly,” gold in Personal Growth (large publisher)
- Richard C. Lyons, “The DNA of Democracy,” silver in All World Cultures Conscious Growth & Development
- Hendrika de Vries, “When a Toy Dog Became a Wolf and the Moon Broke Curfew,” gold in Memoir & Personal Journey (large publisher)
The Nautilus Books Awards were created to recognize significant new cultural movements and the books that identify and publicize these movements.
Multiple authors were named finalists in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, the largest International awards program for indie authors and independent publishers.
- Andrew Lam, “Repentance,” winner in Historical (Fiction)
- Rachel Kowert, “Pragmatic Princess: 26 Superb Stories of Self-Sufficiency,” finalist in Children’s Picture Book (Educational 6 Years & Up)
- Hendrika de Vries, “When a Toy Dog Became a Wolf and the Moon Broke Curfew,” finalist in Memoirs (Overcoming Adversity/Tragedy)
- Elena Schwolsky, “Waking in Havana: A Memoir of AIDS and Healing in Cuba,” finalist in both Memoirs (Personal Struggle/Health Issues) and Travel/Travel Guides
- Michael Bland, “The Price of Safety,” finalist in both Science Fiction and Thriller
- Alice C. Early, “The Moon Always Rising,” finalist in Chick Lit, Paranormal, and First Novel
- Elayne Klasson, “Love is a Rebellious Bird,” finalist in both General Fiction/Novel and Best Cover Design
- Monique Allen, “Stop Landscaping, Start Lifescaping” finalist in Cooking/Home/Garden
- Kathleen Shoop, “The Christmas Coat,” finalist Novella (17,500-40,000 words)
Three Books Forward authors were recently recognized by the eLit Book Awards. With more than 65 categories, the eLit Awards are dedicated to honoring the best e-books published each year in North America.
- Susan K. Hamilton, “Shadow King,” bronze (tie) in Fantasy/Science-Fiction
- Kelly Oliver, “Jackal: A Jessica James Mystery,” gold in Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
- Donna O’Donnell Figurski, “Prisoners without Bars: A Caregiver’s Tale,” silver in Autobiography/Memoir
Other recent accolades include Donna Baier Stein’s “Scenes from the Heartland” being named a finalist for the inaugural 2019 Big Other Book Award for Fiction. Created by the online arts and culture magazine Big Other, the awards aim to “recognize excellence in literature, to promote and support the work of innovative writers and adventurous presses.”
Two Books Forward authors were recently named finalists for the 2020 Montaigne Medal as well as the Eric Hoffer Award Grand Prize Short List and honorable mentions for the aforementioned award. Recognized in those special lists are Elena Schwolsky for her memoir “Waking in Havana” and Janet Roger for her novel “Shamus Dust.” The Hoffer Awards honor the memory of American philosopher Eric Hoffer by highlighting “salient writing, as well as the independent spirit of small publishers.” As part of the Eric Hoffer Awards, the Montaigne Medal is awarded to thought-provoking books that “either illuminate, progress, or redirect thought.”
The 2020 Edgar Awards recently announced its list of winners, and Carol Goodman and her book “The Night Visitors,” are the recipients of the Simon & Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award. The Edgar Allen Poe Awards, presented by Mystery Writers of America, honor the best in mystery fiction, nonfiction and television published or produced in the previous year.
Stephanie Raffelock tied for gold in the Aging Human Relations Indie Book category in the Human Relations Indie Book Awards. Her book, “A Delightful Little Book on Aging,” was recognized by the awards, which honor indie authors who indie authors with books “with a human relations focus related to various interactions among people in different settings such as work, organizations, school, home, family or in personal lives.”
Finally, the Junior Library Guild has selected Suzanne Park’s debut novel, “The Perfect Escape” as one of its fall titles! The JLG is one of the leading voices in the library industry, providing a range of titles to libraries throughout the year. The guild’s editors meet with publishers of children’s and YA books throughout to narrow down their selections for their spring and fall lists.
Congratulations to all these Books Forward authors! We are excited and proud to see your hard work and perseverance recognized by industry leaders!
Jennifer Vance is a publicist at Books Forward, an author publicity and book marketing firm committed to promoting voices from a diverse variety of communities. From book reviews and author events, to social media and digital marketing, we help authors find success and connect with readers.
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