FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Mailing Address for sending books:

IPPY AWARDS
Jenkins Group
1129 Woodmere Ave, Ste B
Traverse City, MI 49686

CONTACT INFORMATION

Amy Shamroe, Awards Director
Phone: 231-933-4958 x1000
Email: amys [at] jenkinsgroupinc.com

Who enters the IPPY Awards?

All independent publishers are eligible, ranging from self-published authors to major university presses. About 2,400 publishers participate in the Awards each year, from every U.S. State, Canada, and English-speaking countries overseas around the world.

The 2020 IPPY Awards attracted 4,800 total entries; winners came from 44 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia and Guam, seven Canadian provinces, and 15 countries overseas.

Are awards programs worth the money and effort?

Entering your titles in awards programs does take time, money, and effort, but the payoffs include increased visibility, credibility, P.R. value, personal satisfaction, and prestige. Awards are a great morale boost for all those involved, and they influence reviewers and buyers. An award seal on a book's cover increases retail sales.

What sets the IPPY Awards apart?

The IPPY Awards have been operating since 1996, annually recognizing the year's best independently published books.

IPPY Award entrants have four ways to win: the General, Regional, EBook and Outstanding Books of the Year (which all entrants are considered for with no extra fee). Award winners are headlined on our website, IndependentPublisher, and are featured prominently in articles in our monthly newsletter, which goes out to over 15,000 subscribers worldwide, many of whom are agents, buyers, and librarians.

If I enter the IPPY Awards online, how do you judge my books?

Once you have entered online, please send a copy of your book to the address provided above or upload one file for your ebook and email it to digital [at] jenkinsgroupinc.com.

If mailing, please send one print copy for each print category entered-- but just one ebook is required, regardless of the number of categories. We suggest (but don't require) you send a trackable package. Please include the online entry receipt with the book, or a note listing contact and category information when possible, though we can usually match match entries when books arrive without issue if it is not possible. Multiple entries may be sent in the same package.

If you would prefer to send an ebook, please send a PDF file or gift from a platform (e.g.- Amazon or Book Baby). When submitting for General or Regional categories, please email your file to digital [at] jenkinsgroupinc.com.

We do send confirmation by email when your entry is received and processed.

Do the judges read every book from cover to cover?

Every book entered is thoroughly evaluated and scored, typically by 3 to 5 judges, in various criteria such as 'design' and 'originality.' Our book awards judges are seasoned experts, with many years of experience at assessing a book's quality. Each entry has an equal chance to impress the judges, and the further a book makes it into the judging process the more likely it will be read completely.

How do I submit my audiobook entry?

Once you’ve entered an audiobook category online, please gift your audiobook to us through your chosen distribution platform (eg Audible, Librofm, Kobo) or PDF file. Use digital [at] jenkinsgroupinc.com.

How do I submit my ebook entry?

Once you’ve entered online, your ebook file must be submitted electronically. We ask all ebooks be sent as gifts from a platform (see above) or sent as a PDF to avoid format issues when sharing with our judges. You will have the option to upload your ebook after you pay online and also via an upload link that will come along with your entry confirmation email receipt. Electronic submissions will be erased at the end of the contest, after results are announced.

Do not upload Word documents, as they will not be accepted for judging.

If my book is only available as an ebook can I enter it in a GENERAL or Regional category?

Yes. Ebook entries may be submitted to any IPPY category. The ebook specific categories were created to recognize outstanding ebooks in a range of subjects, but ebooks are not limited to those categories. If you are only entering in General and/or Regional categories, you will not be prompted to upload your ebook. Please send your PDF or gift to digital [at] jenkinsgroupinc.com.

How do I choose the correct Regional category?

Regional categories seek to find books which best represent a particular region. Each region is divided into Best Fiction and Best Non-Fiction. Your regional selection should be based on the subject matter or setting of your book.

For example, a history book about Chicago belongs in Great Lakes Non-Fiction while a mystery set in Los Angeles belongs in West Pacific Fiction. A novel set in Boston written by a Florida-based author should be entered in Northeast Fiction, not Southeast Fiction.

If I pay by check , do I need to send a check for each category?

No. Books and payment arrive together, so one check covering all fees is preferred.

When do you announce the winners?

The actual date varies year to year, but it is generally 6 weeks after the final entry deadline, and typically early to mid-April.