Need-To-Know Tips for Entering a Literary Awards Program

• October 17, 2020
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With the autumn season here already, the deadline for our annual literary awards program gets closer and closer.  As the submissions roll in, I thought this would be the perfect time to share some need-to-know tips for entering a literary awards program!

Read the Guidelines

Every literary awards program has different guidelines, categories, and submission requirements. When submitting to various contests, it is always a good idea to keep a log that not only keeps track of when you sent each one but also shows the guidelines, fees, categories submitted to, etc. Doing this will help to keep track of the current submissions, and it will also create a chart with information about each contest, which will be helpful for your next books.

Consider the Best Genre for your Title

The genre of the title should be the main category to enter in the contest. Does this mean there must be only one? The answer is no. A literary novel, for example, could also be historical fiction, mystery, thriller, or all of the above! Consider submitting the title in a few categories, or even submitting the title in different categories for different contests to improve the chances of scoring an award!

Keep the Reader in Mind

Choosing which category to enter in a literary awards program is important. Mostly because the category selected determines who will read the book. If an author of a Christian fiction title chooses to enter the general fiction category, it will be reviewed by a judge who prefers to read general fiction. A better fit for the title would be the judge that reads Christian fiction titles. It is essential to choose the category that is the best fit for the book’s genre.

Overlook the Popularity of a Genre

As some categories are more generalized, they will have more submissions than the more specific ones. The number of titles in a category, along with the number of categories entered, improves the chances of being picked as finalist or winner.

Of course all authors want their title to make a good show. When striving to win, competitors need to make sure they give their submission the best possible chance. In my opinion, the key is to categorize the book correctly, and even submitting in different categories applicable to the book’s topic. Keeping all this information straight and organized will also help when strategizing submissions and make the process easier for your next title.

Need help categorizing your book? Shoot us an email – we can help. For more information on our program visit our Literary Awards page. Do you have any need-to-know tips for entering a literary awards program? Share it here!