Fifth Year of UK Selfies Book Awards – For the Very Best in Self-Publishing – Opens for Submissions
London, 23 November 2022. For the fifth year running the hugely popular Selfies book awards – powered by UK trade journal BookBrunch and sponsored by IngramSpark® – will again reward three self-published authors for their publishing excellence. Submissions are now open for indie authors who have published an adult autobiography/memoir, adult fiction or children’s book during 2022. Supported by The London Book Fair and Nielsen Book, these awards recognise one of the fastest growing parts of the book market. Entries opened on Wednesday, 16th November 2022, and the closing date will be Tuesday 3rd January 2023. Shortlists will be announced in March, and the Selfies Award winners will be announced at The London Book Fair Author HQ in April 2023.
Originally launched in the UK in 2018, this initiative uncovers fantastic talent and rewards the very best self-published authors each year. The inaugural Selfies Award 2019 was presented to Jane Davis for her adult novel Smash all the Windows. In 2020, the winner of the adult category was Clare Flynn with her historical love story The Pearl of Penang, while Jemma Hatt took home the inaugural children’s prize for her middle-grade escapade The Adventurers and the Cursed Castle. In 2021 a third category was added to make a trio of impressive winners: Halima Khatun’s The Secret Diary of an Arranged Marriage (adult fiction), Kate Claxton’s My Mum’s a Tiger, illustrated by Angela Mayers (children’s book) and Sophie Campbell’s Breakfast at Bronzefield (memoir/autobiography). In 2022 the winner of the adult fiction category was The Other Times of Caroline Tangent by Ivan D. Wainewright, an original time travel adventure, the winner of the memoir/autobiography award was The Cactus Surgeon: Using Nature to Fix A Faulty Brain by Hannah Powell, while a diverse children’s book category saw Conker the Chameleon by Hannah Peckham, illustrated by Stephanie Jayne, “a lovely exploration of being a little bit different”, triumph.
Hannah Peckham, the winner of the children’s book category in 2022, commented: “It is wonderful that [the Selfies] are recognising self-published authors in the industry”. Hannah Powell, non-fiction winner, added: “Walking away as an award winner was pretty special. I shan’t forget the moment it was announced in a hurry”, a sentiment echoed by Ivan Wainewright, winner of the adult fiction category, who said: “I am still in shock even now that I won!”
“We were all so pleased with the quality of the submissions in 2022; the three winners were impressively well published as well as wonderfully readable and we can’t wait to see what the 2023 awards will bring.” said Jo Henry of BookBrunch.
Ben Hughes, Senior Manager of Business Development at IngramSpark, said: “IngramSpark is pleased to continue its support of the Selfies Awards for 2023. The standard of writing has improved every year and the wider community of self-published and independent authors is as vibrant, diverse, and exciting as ever. We look forward to seeing what new stories emerge in 2023 and I am confident that another worthy winner will be crowned.”
The winners in each category get £750 plus a profile in BookBrunch, banner advertising on the BookBrunch website and the option of a special publishing deal provided by sponsors IngramSpark. In addition, all shortlisted authors will receive free entry to the 2023 London Book Fair and membership of Author HQ club at the Fair. Comprising a theatre and networking area, Author HQ provides a forum for discussions on approaches to publishing and includes networking events and ‘how-to’ style panels.
What the judges are looking for:
- A fantastic story that entertains and delights the reader
- A well-produced book
- An enticing cover and blurb that successfully addresses the target audience
- An effective and creative marketing and publicity strategy that has the potential for great sales
All titles submitted need to have been published in English between January and December 2022 and entries will only be accepted from authors based in the UK who are predominantly or only self-published, i.e. where the author themselves acts as the publisher/creative director.
In order to register, authors should go to BookBrunch, click on the subscribe button and select the 6 month subscription box, using the code SELFIES2023. The fee of £35 will include a six-month subscription to BookBrunch (normal price £65). Please head to the Selfies webpage for more details.
The sister Selfies book awards in the U.S. will be opening for submissions in Spring 2023. For more information, please see www.selfiesbookawards.com.