Book submissions for the 2025 Awards will open January 2025.
Advantages of Entering
70+ Categories
Open to all Small Press & Independently Published Authors writing in English.
Open to both print and ebooks.
Awards include two grand prizes of $1,000 for Book of the Year going to one fiction & one nonfiction book.
Industry recognition, medals, & book stickers for Winners and Finalists in all categories.
Stand out in a crowded book market.
Book awards give your writing the recognition & credibility it deserves.
Exposure
Lifetime listing on our website. Winners and Finalists announced in email, social media, & press releases.
Entry Guidelines
WHO CAN ENTER? The Storytrade Book Awards are open to all indie authors and publishers including self-published authors, university presses, and small or independent presses.
ELIGIBLE FORMATS? We accept all book formats including ebook, paperback, and hardcover. Books may be nominated for multiple categories.
OTHER CRITERIA? Books must be written in English and currently available for purchase by the general public. Books must have a publication date between 2023-2025.
Storytrade Prodigy Book Award
In addition to the regular Book Awards, we are excited to introduce the Storytrade Prodigy Book Award recognizing the best debut book in both fiction and nonfiction published within the current award season.
Storytrade Book Awards
Craft - Excellence - innovation
Official Entry for the Storytrade Book Awards
2024 Awards are closed.
Book submissions for the 2025 Awards will open January 2025.
Fiction Entry
Nonfiction Entry
The Regular entry fee is $75. If you enter by March 1, 2025, you will benefit from the Early Bird Special fee of only $60.The Early Bird special is meant to encourage early submissions to give judges more time to review. Submitting early, however, does not increase your chances of winning. Judges will give no preference for Regular or Early Bird entrants in their final decisions.
All entry fees are non-refundable.
While both print and ebooks are eligible, at this time, we are only accepting online entries. Our system currently accepts PDF, doc, and docx files. PDF proofs are acceptable.
If you would like to submit your book as an epub or mobi please send your book as an email attachment to support[at]storytradeawards.com with the subject line "2025 Entry" along with your name, book title, and category. We'll confirm your entry with a separate link for payment.
If you should win, we will request a final image of your cover so that we can better promote your book.
You are welcome to nominate your book in more than one category. In addition to the regular entry fee for your main category,a discounted entry fee of $60 will apply to each additional category selected. Please click below to submit in an additional category.
Storytrade Book Awards
Craft - Excellence - innovation
Official Entry for the Storytrade Book Awards
Additional Category Entry
A discounted fee of $60 will apply to each additional category selected. In the "Original Category Selected" field, please include the first category you selected so that we can make sure your book is sent to the correct judge for every category you've entered.
Additional Fiction Entry
Additional Nonfiction Entry
Storytrade Book Awards
Craft - Excellence - innovation
Open to all book formats including ebooks, paperback, and hardcover. Books may be nominated for multiple categories.
Entry Fees:
Early Bird Special $60
(Enter by March 1, 2025)$75 per category
$60 per additional category
Past Winners & Finalists
Storytrade Book Awards
Awards Categories
| Fiction | Nonfiction |
|---|---|
| Action/Adventure | Animals/Pets |
| Children (ages up to 7) | Art/Music |
| Children Middle Grade (ages 8-12) | Autobiography/Memoir |
| Christian - Contemporary | Biography |
| Christian- Romance | Business/Finance |
| Christian - Historical | Children/Middle Grade |
| Contemporary | Christian Devotional |
| Fantasy | Christian Living |
| Urban Fantasy | Cooking/Nutrition |
| Graphic Novel | Crafting |
| Historical | Education |
| Horror | Environment/Ecology |
| Humor/Satire | Gardening |
| LGBTQ+ | Graphic Novel |
| Literary | Health/Fitness |
| Military | History |
| Mystery - Cozy/Amateur Sleuth | Military |
| Mystery - Detective/Police Procedural | Motivational/Self Help |
| Mystery - Traditional | Parenting |
| Mystery - Historical | Poetry |
| Paranormal/Supernatural | Politics |
| Prodigy (Debut)* | Prodigy (Debut)* |
| Regional** | Religion/Spirituality |
| Romance - Contemporary | Regional** |
| Romance - Erotica | Science |
| Romance - Fantasy/Sci-Fi | Sports |
| Romance - Historical | Travel |
| Romance - Suspense/Mystery | True Crime |
| Science Fiction | |
| Script/Screenplay | |
| Short Story Collection | |
| Suspense/Thriller | |
| Womens | |
| Young Adult - Adventure | |
| Young Adult - Contemporary | |
| Young Adults - Mystery | |
| Young Adults - Fantasy/Sci-Fi | |
| Young Adult - Romance |
* The Storytrade Prodigy Book Award recognizes the best debut book in both fiction and nonfiction published within the current year's award season.** The Regional Category for both Fiction and Nonfiction include books with a setting or focus in one of the following geographic regions: USA Midwest, USA Northeast, USA Southeast, USA Southwest, USA West, or World.
Storytrade Book Awards
Craft - Excellence - innovation
The Storytrade Book Awards are dedicated to recognizing excellence in small and independent publishing. Our annual awards program spotlights outstanding books in a number of fiction and nonfiction categories.
BOOK ELIGIBILITY
The Storytrade Book Awards are open to all indie authors and publishers including self-published authors, university presses, and small or independent presses.
All entries must be written in English.
Eligible formats include ebook, paperback, and hardcover books.
All books published in 2023, 2024, and 2025 are eligible for the 2025 Book Awards.
We are only accepting books electronically (pdf, epub, mobi, doc, and docx). All other files/formats will not be opened and the entry fee will be forfeited. Please do not mail us physical copies. Save the postage cost and buy yourself a congratulatory drink for completing the hardest part—writing the book!
All entries are final. We will not accept additional, re-edited, or updated versions of your original book entry.
All entries are kept confidential and shared only with our judges and awards administrators. All book files are deleted at the completion of each awards cycle.
Authors retain all rights to their entries. The goal of Storytrade Book Awards is to recognize and celebrate great books—not own them.
ENTRY FEES
Payments should be made online at the time of entry. If you are having any trouble with our online entry or payment system, please email us at support[at]storytradeawards.com
The regular entry fee is $75. You are welcome to enter your book in more than one category at a discounted fee of $60 for each additional category.
If you enter before 11:59pm (CDT) March 1st, you can take advantage of the Early Bird entry fee of only $60. (The additional category fee still applies to the Early Bird special.) For example: If you enter your book in two categories before March 1st, you would pay $60 for the first category and $60 for the additional category for a total of $120. If you enter your book in two categories after March 1st, you would pay $75 for the first category and $60 for the additional category for a total of $135.
Making a payment and entering your book does not guarantee an award. Storytrade Book Awards is a competition based on literary merit (see judging criteria below). Entry fees are non-refundable.
DEADLINES
Books must be entered by 11:59pm (CDT) March 1, 2025 to take advantage of the Early Bird special entry fee.
The final entry deadline for the 2025 book awards is June 30, 2025.
Any entries after the current year’s deadline will be automatically entered for the next year’s contest.
NOTIFICATION OF WINNERS & FINALISTS
Winners and Finalists will be notified via email in August. This should ensure that Winners and Finalists have plenty of time to take full advantage of their awards status for Fall and Holiday promotions. If we receive an exceptionally high volume of entries, we may have to push back notifications into, but no later than, September.
Digital Seals for use in online book promotions will be made available immediately upon notification of Winners and Finalists. Physical Awards (medals, book stickers, cash prizes) will be mailed shortly after all Winners and Finalists have been notified.
We will only ask you for your mailing address if you are a Winner or Finalist in order to mail you your awards package.
Please add our email, support[at]storytradeawards.com, to your contacts so that award notifications do not accidentally end up in your spam folder. We will also post all Winners and Finalists on our website.
AWARDS FOR BEST BOOK, WINNERS, & FINALISTS
Often times the line between Winner and Finalist is finely drawn. This is a testament to the caliber of entries and rigorous judging process we seek to achieve with the Storytrade Book Awards. Whether your book earns Winner or Finalist recognition, both distinctions can set your book apart and capture the attention of potential readers.
One Winner and multiple Finalists will be awarded for each category. The number of Finalists will be dependent upon the number of high-quality entrants.
Book of the Year awards will go to one fiction and one nonfiction book which display exceptional literary merit, as determined by the judges. Winning books in all categories will automatically be considered for Book of the Year in their respective genres. In addition to their Winner’s awards package, Book of the Year recipients will each receive a $1,000 grand prize.
Winners and Finalists in each category will receive an awards package including a Winner/Finalist medal, 20 book stickers, a digital seal to display on your book cover or author website, permanent listing on the Storytrade Book Awards website, and additional promotion through our, social media, press releases, and Storytrade Awards Goodreads listing.
JUDGES & JUDGING
Storytrade Book Awards judges are actively involved in publishing as editors, reviewers, award winning authors of fiction & nonfiction (traditional & self-published), and book sellers.
Entries for the Storytrade Book Awards will be judged on craft, excellence, and innovation as described below:
Craft demonstrates general writing skill and quality including grammar, voice, structure, and pacing.
Excellence evokes the author's skill in crafting a compelling narrative that hooks the reader and achieves emotional impact and thematic resonance, whether exploring contemporary issues or timeless truths.
Innovation involves the originality of the book’s idea and freshness of approach. Does your book take chances and push the boundaries of the genre?
Awards are not predetermined or granted by default. If a book, even the sole entry in its category, does not meet our criteria, no winner will be declared. Our commitment is to recognizing exceptional writing and we continually work to refine our awards process.
All judges’ and entrants’ information will be kept confidential. Storytrade Book Awards will never sell or share such information with third parties. Winners and Finalists are welcome to promote their award through their own online and in-person events. Winners and Finalists will also be publicized and archived on our website as part of their awards package.
Judges' decisions are final.
Storytrade Book Awards values you, our entrants, and the important voices you add to the literary world. In the spirit of fairness and legal clarity, please understand that entrants agree to indemnify and hold Storytrade Book Awards, Storytrade LLC, our partners, and team harmless from any expenses or liabilities related to your entry. It's all part of our commitment to maintaining a fair competition. As this is a competition, no refunds are offered. By entering, you confirm your understanding and agree to the terms and conditions outlined above. Thank you for being a part of the Storytrade Book Awards program!
Storytrade Book Awards
Craft - Excellence - innovation
AWARDS
Book of the Year
Book of the Year awards will go to one fiction and one nonfiction book which display exceptional literary merit, as determined by the judges.
Winning books in all categories will automatically be considered for Book of the Year in their respective genres.
In addition to their Winner’s awards package, Book of the Year recipients will each receive a $1,000 grand prize.
Winners
The winning book in each category will receive the following award package:
A “Winner” medal
20 book stickers
A digital “Winner” seal to display on your book cover or author website
Permanent listing on the Storytrade Book Awards website
Additional promotion through our newsletter, social media, press releases, and Storytrade Awards Goodreads listing.
Finalists
Multiple Finalists may be named in each category. Finalists will receive the following award package:
A “Finalist” medal
20 book stickers
A digital “Finalist” seal to display on your book cover or author website
Permanent listing on the Storytrade Book Awards website
Additional promotion through our newsletter, social media, press releases, and Storytrade Awards Goodreads listing.
Prodigy Award
The Storytrade Prodigy Book Award recognizes the best debut book of Fiction and Nonfiction within the current award season. Eligible books must be the debut, or first, book published by an author in one of our awards categories.
For example, if you have previously published a series of adult mystery novels and have decided to embark on a new Young Adult novel or Poetry collection, your new YA or Poetry would be eligible for the Prodigy Award because it is your first book in a new category/genre. If you are entering your first book ever, it would also be eligible for the Prodigy Award. (You must select “Prodigy Award” in the category field of the Entry Form.)
Each Prodigy Award Winner will receive the same “Prodigy Award” branded awards package as regular Winners and Finalists.
Storytrade Book Awards
Craft - Excellence - innovation
About Storytrade Book Awards
The Storytrade Book Awards are dedicated to recognizing and celebrating literary craft, excellence, and innovation in small and independent publishing. Our yearly awards program shines a light on great books that might otherwise go unnoticed in an increasingly crowded marketplace. We hope to provide a platform for authors to distinguish their writing and increase their visibility to potential readers.
Books that earn the right to display the Storytrade Award seal have passed a rigorous review process by our judges, demonstrating exceptional literary achievement. Your story deserves to be heard. Gain the recognition and credibility your writing merits by entering today.
Storytrade Book Awards
Craft - Excellence - innovation
Contact Us
For questions regarding the Storytrade Book Awards, please contact us using the form below. We will respond as soon as possible.
Storytrade Book Awards
Craft - Excellence - innovation
Order Additional Stickers
Book stickers are only available to Storytrade Book Awards Winners and Finalists. Please enter your name and book title with your order so that we can verify before mailing your order.Stickers come in packs of 100. If you would like to order more than 100, please email support[at]storytradeawards.com.
Winner Stickers (100 pack) = $38
Free Shipping (within the USA)
Finalist Stickers (100 pack) = $38
Free Shipping (within the USA)
Prodigy Stickers (100 pack) = $38
Free Shipping (within the USA)
Please note, we do not accept returns or provide refunds on sticker or medal orders.
Order Additional Medals
Medals are only available to Storytrade Book Awards Winners and Finalists. Please enter your name and book title with your order so that we can verify before mailing your order.
Winner Medal = $48
Free Shipping (within the USA)
Finalist Medal = $48
Free Shipping (within the USA)
Please note, we do not accept returns or provide refunds on sticker or medal orders.
Storytrade Book Awards
Craft - Excellence - innovation
Congratulations Winners & Finalists!
You put the hard work into writing an award-winning book; now it’s time to celebrate!
Enter the mailing address where you would like us to mail your award medal and book stickers.
Upload your cover image so that we can promote your book on the main Storytradeawards.com website as well as on social media.
(If your cover image file is large, please email it as an attachment to support@storytradeawards.com)
Don’t forget to download your digital seal. As a Winner or Finalist, you are authorized to use the seal on your website, social media, advertising, or the cover of your ebook.
Storytrade Book Awards
Craft - Excellence - innovation
Congratulations to this year's Winners & Finalists!
We want to celebrate you and your book.
If you’d like us to promote your book on our website and social media,
please send us a pic of you holding your medal and book
(or just your medal and book if you’re camera-shy
or writing under a pen name).*
*By sending us your picture, you agree to allow Storytrade LLC to use the image on our website, social medial, emails, and future promotional/advertising materials.
