Awards season is here again, and we aren’t talking about movies! Here’s a look at two major book awards for independent authors with upcoming deadlines.

2008 IPPY Awards-Recognizing Excellence in Independent Publishing

Deadline: April 1, 2008

For books copyrighted or released in 2007, the 12^th Annual Independent Publisher Book Awards seek to honor the year’s best books in 65 different categories nationally and 10 categories regionally. Accepting books in every imaginable genre, the IPPYs reward those who demonstrate courage, innovation, and creativity to bring about change in the world of publishing. If you’re ready to share your independent spirit and your book was published in the last calendar year, consider participating in this long-standing competition.

Fee: $85 entry fee per category per title for the National OR Regional competition, $45 additional fee to compete in both National AND Regional categories. One copy of the book must be submitted with each completed entry. Participants may enter as many categories as appropriate.

For more information on the 2008 IPPY Awards, click here.

Writer’s Digest 16^th Annual International Self-Published Book Award

Deadline: May 1, 2008

For the 16^th year, Writer’s Digest is calling for participants in their annual awards competition with over $15,000 in prizes. Searching for the best self-published books of the past several years, authors of books published between 2003 and 2008 are invited to participate. Writers are encouraged to enter any of 9 categories, including fiction, inspiration, biography, and children’s literature, from which a grand prize winner and 9 first-place winners will be chosen. Honorable mentions will also be awarded to a few lucky participants.

Fee: $100 entry fee per category per title, $50 for each additional category entry must accompany submissions. One copy of the book must be submitted with completed entry. Participants may enter as many categories as appropriate, but judges reserve the right to recategorize entries.

For more information on the Writer’s Digest 16^th Annual Self-Published Book Award, click here.

Through triumph and tears, Melinda Josiah Geaumont has transformed her life story into a heartwarming tale of friendship and courage. Although the characters of Becoming Auma had been shaped in her mind for years, it wasn’t until Melinda was diagnosed with Thymoma, a rare form of cancer, that she really took up the pen to pursue her dream of completing her novel. Today, Becoming Auma is catching on with audiences across the country, as Geaumont shares her story of the power of true friendship inspired by true events.

As with many self-published authors, Melinda initially explored traditional publishing for Auma, but a conversation with a literary agent introduced the idea of an alternative method of publishing. Of her decision to pursue non-traditional publishing she says, “self-publishing opened a door of opportunity that might not have existed otherwise- or if it existed, I would have had to wait much longer for that door to open. I think it’s very important to be realistic, but it seems more important to know who your audience is and whether or not you have something specific to offer them.”

When her children were young, she belonged to a mother’s club that met weekly to find support in each other. “It was at the mother’s club that I originally met my group of friends, the premise behind Auma’s friends.” It was with their help that Geaumont herself overcame the obstacles that crossed her path, and it is for them that Auma is written.

Because her book appeals to a niche audience, she has targeted specific groups of women in her marketing efforts, such as mother’s clubs, women’s organizations, Bunko groups, and book clubs. Using the Internet, she reaches out to women, just like her friends and the characters in her novel, across the nation with an unassuming letter of introduction intended to spark interest in her work. From there, positive word of mouth, aided by positive reviews, has spread like wildfire. “While sales are certainly a nice perk, I wrote this story with the hope of inspiring or touching people along the way,” she says.

This spring, Geaumont will be traveling to Georgia and Tennessee to meet and read to fans who have already been touched by her message. For now, her marketing strategy centers around capturing the attention of local print and radio outlets, and as a result, her sales and reviews are impressive. “My greatest ambition is to hear from people that the book has meant something to them… then, maybe Oprah or a movie. Isn’t that what every author wants?” She may be joking for now, but the chain reaction of Becoming Auma is one that is touching hearts across the country.