Greetings from Jim Barnes, Awards Director at Jenkins Group, presenter of these four book Awards contests.

I'm excited to report that all FOUR of my awards contests are currently open and accepting entries. Moonbeam Awards are about to wrap up, Living Now Awards have just opened, and the IPPYs and Axioms are well underway. I send these Book Awards News Updates out periodically to all of you who've entered before or shown interest, and try and keep you informed about the latest developments.

Do you have an Award-worthy book that deserves more attention? Book Awards are an efficient, affordable marketing tool that can make a huge impact on your marketing campaign. Our longest running contest, the Independent Publisher Book Awards (aka the IPPYs), has become the world's largest book awards contest, presenting more than 3,300 medals to the year's best indie-published books since 1997. Our newer contests recognize the best in business books and the best lifestyle/homestyle books. The Moonbeam Children's Awards celebrate their 5th anniversary this year, and last year we launched a children's book festival here in our hometown of Traverse City, Michigan to showcase the Moonbeam winners.

Our contests now accept e-books in digital format if you don't print paper copies. We've added five specialized e-book categories to the IPPY Awards, covering adult fiction and non-fiction, children's and regional subjects.

More than ever, our contests reward those who exhibit the courage, innovation, and creativity to bring about change in the world of publishing. This spirit and expertise comes from publishers of all sizes and budgets, and books are judged with that in mind. Each year, medals go to both established university publishers and first-time self-published authors.

Here's what some past winners are saying:

"It's made a huge difference in my sales, and was the key factor in convincing me to go to a second printing. The IPPY gold seal looks great on the new cover, and I think it's opening some doors to publication reviews." - Ed Spivey, author of A Hamster is Missing in Washington D.C., 2010 IPPY Awards Humor category Gold Medalist.

"I can't tell you how much I value my initial Bronze IPPY award (2008), and I know it's been instrumental in drawing attention to the The Tao of Rudy! Chronicle Books just made an offer for The Tao of Rudy, and of course I accepted the initial terms a couple of weeks ago, and am currently reviewing the rest of the contract. A lot has happened in the last year, and I appreciate your efforts in making my first book a success!" – Corrine Humphreys, Publisher/Author/Illustrator
"Our winning of a gold medal in the 2008 competition has greatly helped book sales. We sold nearly 2500 copies of Wild Alberta at the Crossroads last year and had to order a reprint of 1500. When we show retailers the gold medal they are always impressed and invariably order some books." - Robin White, NatureWatch Partners

Check out information about all four contests below, along with links to guidelines and entry forms.

Need entry information about all four book awards contests? Click here to receive guidelines by email.

Need entry information about all three adult awards contests? Click here to receive guidelines by email.

Email me with any questions or comments: Jim Barnes, Awards Director - jimb@bookpublishing.com

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Here are the basics about the book awards contests conducted by Jenkins Group:

2012 INDEPENDENT PUBLISHER BOOK AWARDS - 16th ANNUAL AWARDS

"Recognizing Excellence in Independent Publishing"

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World's Largest Book Awards contest, for indies only
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72 National Categories - 22 Regional Categories, now including Australia/New Zealand
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Great Publicity & Great Awards party at BEA

Early-bird Entry Fee Deadline is October 15, 2011 - save $20 per entry.

Entry info and guidelines: http://www.independentpublisher.com/ipland/IPAwards.php

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Calling all independent authors and publishers!

The 16th Independent Publisher Book Awards, conducted annually to honor the year's best independently published titles, are now accepting entries for books with 2011 or 2012 copyrights or released between November 1, 2010 and March 15, 2012. The contest is presented by Jenkins Group and our book marketing website, IndependentPublisher.com, headquartered in Traverse City, Michigan.

Entry fee is just $75 to enter a National category and another $45 if you choose to enter the Regional or E-Book contests. All entrants are considered for the Outstanding Books of the Year Awards at no extra charge.

Launched in 1996, the Independent Publisher Book Awards are designed to bring increased recognition to the deserving but often unsung titles published by independent authors and publishers. Established as the first unaffiliated awards program (no membership fee required) open exclusively to independents, the "IPPYs" recognize hundreds of the year's best books, bringing them to the attention of booksellers, buyers, librarians, and book lovers. The IPPY Awards contest is among the largest and most recognized book awards events in the world, and all independent, university, small press, and self-publishers who produce books intended for the North American market are eligible to enter.

Click here for the complete list of categories: http://www.independentpublisher.com/ipland/IPAwardCategories.php

Visit the IPPY Awards online entry page: https://secure.independentpublisher.com/trans_entry.php?srcg=ipggl1

Download a PDF with IPPY Awards guidelines and entry form:
http://www.independentpublisher.com/IPPY_2012_Early_Application1.pdf

Click here to receive 2012 IPPY Awards guidelines by email.

Follow the IPPY Awards on Facebook.
Become a fan, and tag photos of yourself at awards ceremonies.

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4th Annual Living Now Book Awards - "Books for Better Living" - www.LivingNowAwards.com

"Honoring books that help readers attain healthier, more fulfilling and productive lives."

First call for entries! Early-bird entry deadline is December 17, 2011.

People all over the planet are sensing the ever-quickening pace of technology and consumerism, and realizing the need to slow down, see and feel the natural world around them, and to find balance in their lives. We need to work, play, and spend time with family and friends. We need good nutrition, exercise, and relaxation. We need to keep ourselves healthy, and need to keep the Earth healthy – today, and for future generations. The Living Now Book Awards recognize books that help readers help themselves, to learn about enriching their lives in wholesome, Earth-friendly ways.

Lifestyle publishing categories such as home, health, family and personal development are the fastest-growing segments of book publishing today, and the Living Now Book Awards help demonstrate the importance of these books to readers and their vitality in the marketplace. The Living Now Award seal on a book's cover is a symbol that says, "This book will improve and enrich your life!"

Entry fee is $75 per category until the early-bird deadline of December 17, 2011.
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Visit the Living Now Awards online entry page: https://secure.independentpublisher.com/secure/livingnow/entry.php
Download a PDF with Living Now Awards guidelines and entry form:
http://www.livingnowawards.com/Living_Now_2012_Guidelines_Early1.pdf

Click here to receive the Living Now Awards guidelines and entry form by email.

Visit the Living Now 2011 Award results page: http://www.independentpublisher.com/article.php?page=1435

Follow the Living Now Awards on Facebook: www.facebook.com/livingnowawards

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2011 AXIOM BUSINESS BOOK AWARDS - "Success Through Knowledge" - www.AxiomAwards.com

Now in their 5th year, the Axiom Business Book Awards are designed to celebrate excellence in business book writing and publishing by presenting gold, silver and bronze medals in 21 business categories. Business people are always looking for new ideas and solutions to their problems, and award-winning business book authors and publishers fill a niche with their informative and innovative books.

An early-bird entry fee of $85 per category is good through October 15, 2011.

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The Axiom Business Book Awards are intended to bring increased recognition to exemplary business books and their creators, with the understanding that business people are a very well-read and informed segment of the population, eager to improve their careers and businesses. Newly published business books contain the newest, most innovative, and creative ideas that can make us think and act differently -- they probably even hold the keys to our economic recovery.

Click here to visit the entry page: https://secure.independentpublisher.com/secure/axiom/entry.php

Download a PDF with Axiom Awards guidelines and entry form:

http://www.axiomawards.com/Axiom_Guidelines_2012_Mid1.pdf

Click here to visit the Amazon Axiom Award Winners page: http://www.axiomawards.com/bookstore.php

Click here to visit the Axiom 2011 Award results page:

http://www.independentpublisher.com/article.php?page=1428

Follow the Axiom Awards on Facebook: www.facebook.com/axiomawards

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2011 MOONBEAM CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARDS

"Celebrating youthful curiosity and discovery through books and reading"

5th Annual Contest - Honoring the Year's Best Children's Books

25 Days Left to Enter - Deadline is September 17th

Enter the world's most comprehensive children's book contest:

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38 categories, including Spanish Language
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12 Fiction categories/age groups
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Book with Music and Book with Merchandise categories
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Best Illustrator and Best First Book categories
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Health and Environmental issues categories

Now is the time to enter your award-worthy children's books into the fifth annual Moonbeam Children's Book Awards honoring the year's best children's books, authors, and illustrators. The program accepts entries with 2010 or 2011 copyrights or release dates in 2010 or 2011. Entry is open to authors, illustrators, and publishers of children's books written in English or Spanish and intended for the North American market. These awards bring an opportunity for recognition to deserving authors and publishers who have a hard time breaking through to win library association awards like the Newbery and Caldecott.

Entry fee is $95 per title, per category. The final entry deadline is September 17, 2011. Gold, silver and bronze medals are presented in each category. Medalists will be named on about October 15th and the awards ceremony will take place during the Traverse City Children's Book Festival on November 12, 2011.

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To learn more about the awards, visit these links:

Categories and eligibility requirements:
http://www.moonbeamawards.com/catagories_eligibility.php

Online entry form:
https://secure.independentpublisher.com/secure/moonbeam/entry.php

Print out guidelines and entry PDF:
http://www.moonbeamawards.com/Moonbeam_2011_Guidelines_Final1.pdf

See last year's Moonbeam Awards results and photos:
http://www.independentpublisher.com/article.php?page=1386

Follow the Moonbeam Awards on Facebook: www.facebook.com/moonbeamawards
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Questions? Contact Jim Barnes, Awards Director, jimb@bookpublishing.com

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