Annual Book Awards 2025

Writing a manuscript is challenging.

Publishing that manuscript shows dedication.

Winning an award for that book highlights talent.

If you have written a book that was published in the last five years, even if you entered the Annual Book Awards contest last year, you are eligible to enter it in the NAIWE Annual Book Awards contest. Books can be self-published or published traditionally (or anything in between). Entries will be capped at 100 per category.

Winning books will be reviewed on the NAIWE blog, promoted on the NAIWE social media pages, and mentioned in NAIWE’s newsletter The Edge. To boost our winning authors and their books even further, we will invite the authors to be interviewed on the NAIWE podcast. In addition, all NAIWE books that were entered in the contest will also be reviewed on the NAIWE blog.

NOTE: Submissions for the 2024 Annual Book Awards contest has closed. All entries will now be entered in the 2025 Annual Book Awards.

2023 Winners

Children’s Books: Joey Benun – Pebbles and the Biggest Number
Coffee Table Books: Erin Berkery – How Not to Make Small Talk
Genre Books: Kathryn Lane – Stolen Diary
Informational Nonfiction Books: Alysia Silberg – Unemployable: How I Hired Myself
Literary Books: David W. Berner – The Islander
Narrative Nonfiction Books: Jason Fisher – To Where You Are
Poetry Books: Katy Hoover – Changing Tides
Young Adult Books: Robin Stevens Payes – Find Me in the Time Before

Congratulations! Winners (and all NAIWE member books) will receive reviews of their books on the NAIWE blog beginning in January.

Categories

• Book Cover Design
  A cover design should hint at what is to come in the book, perhaps highlighting the genre, tone, and protagonist. Typography, color, mood, imagery, and style are key in this category.
• Children’s Books
  Picture books and early readers. Characters, conflict, language, plot, point of view, reading level, resolution, setting, and theme are key in this category.
• Coffee Table Books
  Books focusing on visually sharing information.
• Genre Fiction
  This type of book easily falls within a specific genre, such as creative nonfiction, historical fiction, humor, mystery, romance, western, and women’s fiction. Characters, conflict, epilogue, language, plot, point of view, prologue, resolution, setting, and theme are key in this category.
• Graphic Novels
  This type of book typically focuses on the action of the story in a visual manner. Characters, conflict, language, plot, point of view, resolution, setting, and theme are key in this category.
• Informational Nonfiction
  This type of book is written with the purpose of informing the reader, such as biography, DIY, and guides. Language and organization are key in this category.
• Literary Fiction
  This type of book is character driven, describing how actions and situations affect the character. The purpose of this type of book is to better understand the human condition. Characters, conflict, epilogue, language, plot, point of view, prologue, resolution, setting, theme are key in this category.
• Middle Grade Books
  This type of book focuses on a character about 10 to 13 years old and their friends and family. These books target a character’s reaction, rather than self-reflection. Characters, conflict, language, reading level, resolution, setting, theme, plot, point of view are key in this category.
• Narrative Nonfiction
  This type of book focuses on telling a story. While this is nonfiction, the story takes precedence over the facts. Characters, conflict, epilogue, language, plot, point of view, prologue, resolution, setting, and theme are key in this category.
• Poetry
  Language and theme are key in this category.
• Spanish-Language Books
  Books that have been translated into Spanish or have only been published in Spanish may be entered into this category.
• Young Adult Books
  This type of book focuses on teens and their lives. Characters, conflict, language, reading level, resolution, setting, theme, plot, point of view are key in this category.

Entry Process

• Register online.
• Submit your payment via check with the signed copies of your book.
  • 1 Book – $50 (NAIWE Member Rate: $40)
  • 2 Books – $95 (NAIWE Member Rate: $75)
  • 3 Books – $140 (NAIWE Member Rate: $110)
• Mail two signed copies of your book to NAIWE: P.O. Box 412, Montpelier, VA 23192. Note: We only accept print copies; e-books will not be accepted. Package must be postmarked by July 1.

Winners will be announced in December.

In the event of low submissions in a particular category, NAIWE reserves the right to not select a winner in that particular category. In the event of high submissions in a particular category, NAIWE reserves the right to subdivide that category.