Jacqueline Lambert

Award-Winning Travel Humour Writer

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Why Book Awards Matter for independent authors – and How to Choose the Right Ones!

GRAPHIC SHOWING BOOK AWARDS, THE BOOK BUILDING THE BEAST BY JACQUELINE LAMBERT AND A TROPHY

For independent self-published authors, book awards can be more than just a shiny badge for your cover – they’re a powerful tool for credibility, discoverability, and sales. In a crowded marketplace where readers often struggle to choose their next read, an award could be what tips the balance in your favour.

  1. Why Book Awards Matter
  2. How to Choose a Legitimate Book Award
  3. Where to Find the Best Book Awards
  4. Book Awards to Consider
  5. Genre Specific Awards
  6. How I Selected Which Awards to Enter
  7. Awards I’ve Had Success With
  8. Preparing Your Book to Enter – Quality Counts
  9. Tips for Strong Entries
  10. Tips for a Great Pitch
  11. Final Thoughts
  12. About Jacqueline Lambert

    In its first week of publication, Prince Harry’s memoir Spare sold over 3.2 million copies worldwide. 1.6 million copies sold in the US, while in the United Kingdom, 467,183 sales in the first week made it the fastest-selling non-fiction book since records began. The book was ghostwritten by J.R. Moehringer, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, who also worked on Andre Agassi’s memoir Open.

    An independent author couldn’t expect sales like Spare. Prince Harry (and his wife!) are A-list celebrities, who already have a following, global media coverage, a major publishing deal, and a ready-made audience – advantages few self-published authors have. However, to a degree, winning credible book awards can help bridge that gap by boosting visibility, building trust with readers, and opening doors to media attention, reviews, and sales opportunities.

    Why Book Awards Matter

    1. Credibility Boost – Awards act as a third-party endorsement, giving potential readers (and media outlets) confidence that your book is worth their time.
    2. Marketing Power – From stickers on your cover to mentions in press releases, award wins and even nominations can give you something to shout about. Yahoo! news and two local newspapers featured the press releases for my Wishing Shelf book award.
    3. Visibility – Many awards offer exposure via social media, newsletters, and showcase opportunities – getting your book in front of new audiences.
    4. Networking – Some awards lead to further opportunities like speaking events, writing groups, or publishing connections. Following my award press release in the Lancashire Telegraph, the central library in my hometown invited me to speak and host a book signing!

    How to Choose a Legitimate Book Award

    Unfortunately, not all awards are created equal. Some are little more than money-making schemes for the organiser, and offer no real recognition or promotion. Here’s how to spot the good ones:

    • Transparency – Look for awards with clear judging criteria, named judges, and a history of winners.
    • Reputation – Research past winners. Are they books and authors you respect? Have they benefited from winning?
    • Value for Money – Entry fees are common (especially for indie authors), but they should be reasonable and justified by what’s offered in return (promotion, publicity, feedback, etc.).
    • No Required Purchases – Be wary of awards that push you to buy expensive trophies, marketing packages, or anthology placements.
    • Professional Affiliations – Awards backed by writing organisations, book festivals, or publishing bodies are often more trustworthy.

    Where to Find the Best Book Awards

    Book awards focussed on independent/self publishing mean you won’t be competing against big traditional publishers, however, as I point out in Preparing Your Book to Enter – Quality Counts, to succeed, you need to expect a high bar and not compromise on quality!

    Book Awards to Consider

    Although by no means comprehensive, the list below comprises links to book awards which are open to indie authors, with various categories, including memoir (unless stated) and deadlines throughout the year. I have compiled the list through careful research, but don’t have first hand experience of most of these awards. Beneath this list are the awards in which I’ve had personal success. I urge you to investigate the suitability of an award for your book, depending on the genre and your budget.

    • Best Indie Book Award – Dedicated to self-published authors across multiple genres including memoir and humor, with accessible entry and decent promotional value.
    • Indies Book Awards – Judged by librarians and booksellers, this indie-focused award has categories for travel, humor, and memoir, offering real credibility and exposure.
    • Next Generation Indie Book Awards – One of the largest indie-specific awards, with multiple categories and a reputation for strong industry visibility.
    • Reader Views Literary Awards – Open to self-published authors, with feedback and diverse categories. Good for reader engagement.
    • Readers’ Favorite Awards – Very indie-friendly with helpful reviews and broad categories; offers visibility and promotional tools, especially for Amazon authors.
    • The Wishing Shelf Book Awards – UK-based, reader-judged award, you can simply enter the award, or for a small additional fee, you can receive valuable reader feedback. If you’re unsure whether your book is suitable, you can contact the organiser to ask. The Wishing Shelf raises money for charity, which I rather like!
    • The Selfies Book Awards (UK & US editions) – Exclusively for self-published authors, organized by BookBrunch and part of the London Book Fair and US equivalents.
    • IPPY Awards (Independent Publisher Book Awards) – Prestigious for indies, with a solid reputation among bookstores and libraries.
    • The North Street Book Prize – A prestigious and highly-competitive contest for self-published authors offering generous cash prizes, expert feedback, and strong recognition.
    • The Bridport Prize – A prestigious UK literary competition offering significant recognition and exposure for unpublished or self-published authors, ideal for well-written, voice-driven works with a literary edge.
    • International Book Awards (American Book Fest) – Broad range of categories and decent exposure for marketing.
    • National Indie Excellence Book Awards – Offers many genre categories and recognition for indie authors; modest prestige, good for self-promo and validation.
    • Rubery Book Award – UK-based, open to self-published and indie authors with an international judging panel; more literary-focused, but suitable if your book leans in that direction.
    • The BookLife Prize – High-visibility contest hosted by Publishers Weekly for indie books, with a memoir category; worth entering if aiming for media attention.
    • USA Best Book Awards – Open to all publishers, including indie; very broad in scope.
    • Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards – Long-standing competition offering critique and exposure, especially valuable if you’re seeking feedback and recognition from a respected writing brand.
    • The Discovery Awards (IndieReader) – Strong for discoverability and marketing support, judged by top reviewers; suitable for memoirs and personal narratives.
    • Foreword INDIEs Book of the Year Award – A respected competition judged by librarians and booksellers, ideal for independently published books, with strong visibility and credibility in the indie and library markets.
    • The Eric Hoffer Book Award – Recognizes excellence in self-publishing across all genres, including memoirs and humor, with strong literary focus.

    Genre Specific Awards

    How I Selected Which Awards to Enter

    When I commissioned the cover for Building The Beast through 100 Covers, I got a special offer of $100 for both the paperback and e book covers. I paid much more for the custom-designed covers for my previous books, so I decided to use the money I’d saved to enter a few contests which I’d seen my fellow memoir authors rank in, and which my research indicated were a good fit for my book, which is a humorous memoir.

    Awards I’ve Had Success With

    Building the Beast: How (Not) To Build An Overland Camper won bronze in the Adult Non Fiction category of The Wishing Shelf Award, reached the finals in the Page Turner Awards, and won a Readers’ Favorite 5* seal. The only award I’ve not heard back from is the Rubery Award. This may be because the paperback copy arrived late for the 2024 awards, which would mean I’m entered in the 2025 awards, however I haven’t heard anything!

    Preparing Your Book to Enter – Quality Counts

    A well-crafted and original story are obviously pre-requisite, but to give your book the best chance of success in any award, presentation is also key. Start by ensuring your manuscript is professionally edited and proofread – judges will spot errors quickly, even in great stories, and may downgrade or even not rank the book.

    A strong, eye-catching cover design is also essential; many awards receive hundreds of entries, and first impressions count.

    I received specific feedback from The Wishing Shelf Book Awards on my book, but also general feedback which covered all entries, and was a useful overview of what the judges were looking for in entries, and what they found off putting. You can read all the feedback in my post ‘Building The Beast’ Reader Feedback from the Wishing Shelf Book Award!

    Tips for Strong Entries

    Read the Rules: Follow the Rules!

    Competition is fierce, so besides making sure your submission is top quality, you must follow the submission guidelines to the letter. This means:

    • Meeting submission deadlines
    • Submitting your work in the correct format: epub, pdf, paperback
    • Entering the correct categories – some books straddle multiple categories, e.g. humour, travel, memoir, so pick the strongest, or submit to more than one if budget allows.
    • Checking for other stipulations – e.g. on the use of AI, or acceptance of non-traditionally published work. Not all awards are open to independently published authors.
    • Budget wisely – entry fees range from $50–$150 per book/category.

    A great book with a sloppy application risks being overlooked, while a well-prepared submission can really make your work stand out.

    Tips for a Great Pitch

    Tailor your book’s blurb and synopsis specifically for the award categories you’re entering and highlight why it fits. Gather positive reviews or endorsements if you have them, and make sure your author bio reflects your experience, voice, and passion for the subject. Key tips are to:

    • Emphasise uniqueness
    • Mention audience appeal e.g. “Especially for VW enthusiasts, armchair travellers, or fans of laugh-out-loud memoirs.”
    • Use standout quotes: Consider quoting a line from the book that sums up the tone or philosophy.
    • Add reviews: If you’ve had strong Amazon/Goodreads reviews or praise from known authors or readers, include one or two.

    Final Thoughts

    Entering book awards won’t guarantee fame or fortune, but they can offer momentum – especially for self-published authors carving out a space on their own terms.

    Do your homework, choose wisely, and remember that recognition is never a bad thing. In a crowded market, an award can be the difference between being overlooked and being discovered – not just by readers, but by the wider literary world.

    Building The Beast is the comic memoir of a crazy idea. It follows the true story of how one married couple bought a 6 x 4-wheel drive, 24.5-tonne army truck blind off the internet to convert into an off-grid home-on-wheels fit to undertake an expedition to Mongolia with The Pawsome Foursome, their four dogs.

    Reviewers have described it as, “A quixotic twist (on the ‘renovating an old house’ story)”, “Hugely Inspirational!” and “So much more than the build. So far away from a ‘how to’ manual.”

    Within months of release, Building The Beast was awarded a Readers’ Favorite 5* seal and was a finalist in the Page Turner Awards 2024.

    I am pleased to say that I am working very hard on the sequel, More Manchester Than Mongolia, and hope to release it later in 2025.

    Building The Beast is Jacqueline’s seventh book. Her previous books follow the couple’s life since they quit work, rented out their house, sold most of their possessions, and set out to tour Europe full time with The Pawsome Foursome.

    All have received multiple 5* reviews. Her third book, Dogs ‘n’ Dracula: A Road Trip Through Romania won the Chill With a Book PREMIER Readers’ Award and was a finalist in the Romania Insider Awards for ‘Best Promotion of Romania Abroad.’ Sadly, the Chill With a Book Award, which was free to enter, is no longer running.

    As with all of Jacqueline’s books, Building The Beast is available to purchase as an e book or paperback on Amazon, or you can read it for FREE on Kindle Unlimited.

    About Jacqueline Lambert

    Headshot of Author Jacqueline Lambert holding her wishing shelf bronze medal and her award winning memoir, Building The Beast: How (Not) To Build An Overland Camper

    Jacqueline (Jackie) Lambert is an award-winning travel writer and blogger, pictured here with her Wishing Shelf bronze medal, awarded to her memoir Building The Beast.

    A dedicated adventurer, B.C. (Before Canines) she rafted, rock climbed, and backpacked around six of the seven continents. A passionate windsurfer and skier, she can fly a plane, has been bitten by a lion, and appeared as a fire eater on Japanese TV.

    A.D. (After Dog), she quit work in 2016 to hit the road permanently with her husband and four pooches.

    To date, they have toured more than 20 countries.

    You can find travel advice or follow their adventures on Jackie’s travel blog, www.WorldWideWalkies.com

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