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I’m usually promoting specific books to you, but today I’m working with Winning Writers to tell you about the North Street Book Prize they’re currently running. If you’re a self-published writer you could win up to $5,000 plus expert marketing services if you submit your book!
I wanted to get behind this project because I love how inclusive it is for self-published writers, this competition gives many new authors a fantastic chance! So if you know a self-published author that you love, point them in the direction of this competition.
What kind of work can be entered?
This is a brilliant competition that I’m helping to spread the reach of. It is open until June 30th and you can submit your self-published book if it fits into one of the following categories:
- Mainstream/Literary Fiction
- Genre Fiction
- Creative Nonfiction & Memoir (definition)
- Poetry
- Children’s Picture Book
- Graphic Novel & Memoir
- Not currently accepted: books by deceased authors, anthologies with 3+ authors, history, biography, self-help, how-to, reference, cookbooks, education, travel guides, middle-grade books for ages 8-12, political or religious tracts, translations of the work of other people
Word limit: 200,000 max.
Who can enter?
In regards to location I have copied and pasted this from the host website to avoid miswording:
Due to US government restrictions, we regret we are unable to accept entries from Syria, Iran, North Korea, or Crimea. All other countries are eligible. The works you submit should be in English.
You can be any age to enter, which is awesome for any younger budding writers too!
What are the prizes?
- One grand prize winner will receive $5,000, a marketing analysis and one-hour phone consultation with Carolyn Howard-Johnson, a $300 credit at BookBaby, and 3 free ads in the Winning Writers newsletter (a $525 value)
- The top winner in each category will receive $1,000, a marketing analysis and one-hour phone consultation with Carolyn Howard-Johnson, a $300 credit at BookBaby, and one free ad in the Winning Writers newsletter (a $175 value)
- One honorable mention in each category will receive $250
- We will publish online excerpts (1,000-6,000 words) from all entries that win a prize, along with critiques from the judges
How impactful is this competition?
From what I’ve seen when looking into previous winners and how this contest is run, this looks like a fantastic opportunity. The grand prize offers a consultation, marketing help, ads as well as a cash prize. This could be a massive marketing boost for any self-published writer.
A recent winner said:
“As a recent winner, I am highly impressed about how supportive they have been: offering a detailed review of my work, a free ad, a marketing consult, and a credit for BookBaby—all of this in addition to a significant cash prize. All of this for an indie, self-published book of poetry: a category not served by many other venues. In my opinion, WW not only offers contest info, it also serves as a model of how a contest can serve the individual writer and the writing community.”
—W.R. Rodriguez, 2018 North Street poetry winner for From the Banks of Brook Avenue
What I like about this contest is it is dubbed as a contests organised for the benefit of the author rather than the profit of the organiser.
You can enter the North Street Book Prize here.
