MANHATTAN BEACH, California
,
March 29, 2024
(press release)
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In all, 171 books and audiobooks will be announced as Gold or Silver winners in 57 categories at the awards’ ceremony in Denver this April 26. See the complete list of the 36th annual IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award finalists here – https://www.ibpabenjaminfranklinaward.com/2024-winners IBPA received 1824 entries this year, making this its second best year in terms of the number of entries received in the award's 35+ year history. “Since the awards’ inception in 1985, barriers to publishing have been steadily decreasing with each passing year,” said Fleck-Nisbet. “Despite many new publishers entering the industry, it doesn’t mean that quality has suffered. Quite the opposite. We are inspired by new publishers such as CamCat Books and WaxWing who are producing amazing books with their strong focus on quality.” All finalists will win either a gold or silver in their respective categories when the winners are announced on April 26. The IBPA Benjamin Franklin award and gala dinner will take place at the Denver Hilton City Centre in conjunction with IBPA’s Publishing University conference happening at the same time. Tickets for the award dinner are open to the public and can be purchased here. The IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards, which include 57 categories recognizing excellence in book editorial and design, are regarded as one of the highest national honors for independent publishers. The awards are unique in that the verbatim judging forms are returned to all participating publishers, providing entrants with direct feedback on each submission. The awards are administered by the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), with help from over 170 volunteer book publishing professionals including librarians, bookstore owners, reviewers, designers, publicity managers, and editors. When the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award program launched in 1985, it had two goals: (1) to celebrate excellence in independent publishing and (2) to foster that excellence by sharing a written critique from each judge with the submitting publisher. Both goals continue today, and each of the nearly 1,800 entrants will receive a written critique from three individual judges—meaning more than 5,000 written critiques will be shared. These critiques include constructive feedback to help each publisher transparently understand how the book was perceived by each judge. IBPA is incredibly grateful to the volunteer judges—librarians, booksellers, design and editorial experts—who brought their decades of book industry knowledge and experience to this year's program. The 37th annual award program's call for entries for books with a copyright date of 2024 will open in June 2024. For additional information, please contact IBPA Chief Operations Office Terry Nathan at terry@ibpa-online.org. Founded in 1983 to support independent publishers nationwide, the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) leads and serves the independent publishing community through advocacy, education, and tools for success. With over 3,500 members, IBPA is the largest publishing association in the U.S. Its vision is a world where every independent publisher has the access, knowledge, and tools needed to professionally engage in all aspects of an inclusive publishing industry. For more information, visit ibpa-online.org.
“IBPA has a long history of promoting excellence in independent publishing,” said IBPA CEO Andrea Fleck-Nisbet. “No program better showcases the quality of books that indie publishers produce than the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award. We are proud of this award’s enduring and prestigious legacy and congratulate all of the finalists.”
“The diversity of books and publishers who enter IBPA’s award shows the breadth of the indie publishing industry,” said IBPA’s Chief Operations Officer Terry Nathan. “We received a high number of entries in all categories – from the broad children, fiction and memoirs, to the niche categories such as psychology, nature, and regional books.”
Four-year-old CamCat Books once again earned the distinction of having the most number of their titles, eight, recognized with an award in this year’s competition. Meanwhile, children’s book A Little More Beautiful, The Story of a Garden from new publisher WaxWing earned recognition in four award categories--Cover Design, Interior Design, Best New Voice, and the Bill Fisher Award for Best First Book--while another WaxWing book, While Everyone Is Sleeping, was recognized in three categories.
About the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award Program
About the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA)
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