DOWNLOAD THE GUIDELINES AS A PDFIPPY GUIDELINES

The "IPPY" Awards were conceived as a broad-based, unaffiliated awards program open to all members of the independent publishing industry, and are open to authors and publishers worldwide who produce books written in English and appropriate for the North American market.

We define "independent" as:

  1. Independently owned and operated (no title per year limit).
  2. Operated by a foundation or university (no title per year limit).
  3. Long-time independents that became conglomerated but operate autonomously and publish fewer than 100 titles a year. 

     


WHO MAY ENTER

Independent publishers, university presses, self-publishers and independent authors throughout North America, as well as overseas publishers and authors who publish books intended for an English speaking audience are eligible. Authors are welcome to enter their books themselves.

 


ELIGIBILITY

Books released with 2022, 2023 or 2024 copyrights are eligible. Publishers are to select the category and/or region (see category list) in which the book(s) should be judged. Regional entries do best when their subject matter reflects the region in which they’re entered. In other words, a book by an author from Quebec writing about a murder in Maine will do best in the Northeast U.S. region. Make your decision on whether a book sells best at a regional level, and which region it sells in.

 


ENTRY FEES

Submission for more than one category is acceptable, but each requires a fee. Per title, per category – see “Early-bird” entry fee schedule on order form. When entering a title into more than one category, please pay a fee and send a copy of the book for each category entered. Multiple entries can be sent in one package, and entry fees paid by check or money order can be combined into one check amount. Please include completed entry form or online registration receipt in the same package as the books. Note: Due to new banking policies, we only accept personal checks from outside the United States that are drawn from a U.S. currency account and have U.S. DOLLARS permanently printed on the check or money order.

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  or gift to digital [at] jenkinsgroupinc.com.


WHAT TO SEND

Send one copy of the book for each category and region entered, with the entry form or online receipt tucked inside the front cover. For example, when you enter two categories and one regional competition, please send three books. You will have the option to upload electronic submissions after you pay online and in a confirmation email. All books entered become the physical property of Jenkins Group and will eventually be donated to libraries and charities. E-book files are deleted after the results announcements are made. Judges only get to see the book itself, so please don’t send press kits, reviews, bookmarks, etc. as they will be discarded.

 

HOW WE COMMUNICATE

We will send a confirmation email upon receiving your books to the email address listed in your entry, as well as entry news, judging updates, and the final results announcement. Please add these email addresses to your contacts: notifier[at]independentpublisher.com, amys[at]jenkinsgroupinc.com and ippy[at]jgibookawards.com in order to receive our updates. Please make sure contact info is the address at which you would like to receive updates and announcements.

 


DEADLINES

Early-bird deadlines in September and November are designed to encourage early entries (see schedule on order form). All entries must be posted online or postmarked by the final deadline of March 16, 2024. We will confirm your entry via email and send periodic updates about judging and results announcement. Again, please add the email addresses above so we can stay in touch throughout the awards process.


JUDGING PROCESS

Judging will be based on quality of content, originality, design, and production with an emphasis on innovation and social relevance. Our judging panel includes experts from the fields of editing, design, reviewing, bookselling and library. Learn more about the IPPY judging criteria


RESULTS ANNOUNCEMENT

Three to six medalists per category will be named on about May 9th, 2024. A celebration will be planned and details will be shared as the announcement deadline approaches. 


AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Each announced medal-winning book will receive a packet containing gold, silver or bronze medal, a personalized certificate, and 20 foil seals. Related publicity includes the awards event, a print and online advertising campaign at sites such as Shelf Awareness and Publishers Weekly, and year-long exposure at IndependentPublisher.com. Learn more about the benefits of winning

 

CONTACT INFORMATION

Amy Shamroe, Awards Director 
Phone: 1-800-644-0133 x1000
Email: amys [at] jenkinsgroupinc.com