North Street Book Prize

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Submit a self-published or hybrid-published book in one of the following categories, up to 200,000 words in length:

  • Mainstream/Literary Fiction
  • Genre Fiction (e.g. romance, mystery, thriller, young adult, science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, etc.)
  • Creative Nonfiction & Memoir (This category includes books that tell a true story with the kind of narrative arc and literary techniques one would find in a novel or a short story collection. This can include memoirs, personal essay collections, or narrative nonfiction. Biographies and journalistic works might be eligible if they read like a novel and are written for a general audience. Not sure if you're eligible? Please email us.)
  • Poetry
  • Children's Picture Book
  • Middle Grade
  • Graphic Novel & Memoir
  • Art Book (primarily reproductions of your own art or photography)
  • Not currently accepted: books by deceased authors, anthologies with 3+ authors, history, self-help, how-to, business instruction, reference, cookbooks, education, travel guides, political tracts, philosophy, inspirational guides, religious instruction, screenplays, translations of the work of other people, or books for an academic audience. We are open to narratives with political or spiritual themes, but not books whose main goal is to stake out a position and persuade readers to adopt it.


 

PRIZES

  • ONE GRAND PRIZE WINNER WILL RECEIVE $10,000, a marketing analysis and one-hour phone consultation with Carolyn Howard-Johnson, a $500 credit at BookBaby, two blurbs from published authors as part of the Atmosphere Press Blurb Matchmaking program, a public author interview at atmospherepress.com, free lodging at the Atmosphere Press oceanside condo in Playa Flamingo, Costa Rica, free developmental editing, copy editing, and proofreading from Gatekeeper Press, three months of Pro service (a $207 value) and a $250 account credit from Book Award Pro, a book cover consultation from Laura Duffy Design (a $1,100 value, can be assigned to a future book), 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, a public author interview at atmospherepress.com, 50% off developmental editing, copy editing, and proofreading from Gatekeeper Press, three months of Pro service from Book Award Pro (a $207 value), design for a custom merchandise item based on the winner's book cover from Laura Duffy Design, and one free ad in the Winning Writers newsletter (a $175 value); the winning children's picture book author will also receive a phone consultation from April Cox at Self-Publishing Made Simple (a $289 value) and access to Authorpreneur Summit sessions (an $89 value)
  • ONE HONORABLE MENTION IN EACH CATEGORY WILL RECEIVE $500 and three months of Pro service from Book Award Pro (a $207 value); the honorable mention children's picture book author will also receive a phone consultation from April Cox at Self-Publishing Made Simple (a $289 value) and access to Authorpreneur Summit sessions (an $89 value)
  • Finalists will receive a free, full-length private critique from Winning Writers (value: $90-$240)
  • We will publish online excerpts from all entries that win a prize, along with critiques from the judges
  • Final judge: Jendi Reiter


 

ENTRY FEE

  • $85 per book (a one-time charge; you will not be signed up for any recurring subscriptions; your payment information will not be given to our co-sponsors)


 

CRITIQUE OPTION

  • At checkout, you can request a full private critique of your book at a discounted rate. We will consider your whole book as a package, including visual elements like the layout, formatting, and the cover.


 

 ALL CONTESTANTS RECEIVE

  • All entrants who submit online via Submittable can choose to receive a brief commentary from one of the judges (5-10 sentences) at no charge
  • 27 Career-Building Tips for Writers That Actually Work by Carolyn Howard-Johnson (a PDF book created especially for North Street contestants)
  • Free guides to successful publishing from BookBaby
  • The Famed Atmosphere Press Book Promotional Guide (PDF)
  • 20% off editorial services at Gatekeeper Press
  • Three months' free subscription to Book Award Pro (Essentials tier, a $57 value), so you can find more great contests for your book
  • A free mini-course, "An Introduction to Self-Publishing", at Self-Publishing Made Simple
  • A free guide to the book cover design process by professional designer Laura Duffy, with examples of successful book covers (PDF)


 

Any year of publication is acceptable. Please choose only one category for your book. You may submit a collection of short stories or essays as a single entry. You may submit multiple books (one at a time). For books with more than two authors, please email Winning Writers to determine eligibility. All themes are welcome except works portraying pedophilia, bestiality, necrophilia, and/or snuff as acceptable sexual practices. No restriction on age of author. All countries eligible except Syria, Iran, North Korea, Crimea, Russia, and Belarus (due to US government restrictions).

First time entering? We prepared this brief video to guide you. See also our FAQ and short entry checklist.

The contest accepts self-published and hybrid-published books. A self-published book is one where the decision to publish the book was the author's alone, the transaction involved the author paying any upfront costs for services, and the book is currently available for viewing and/or purchase. This includes books created through e-publishers (e.g. Amazon self-publishing, BookBaby, CreateSpace), book printers, and vanity presses. Books from hybrid publishers like Atmosphere Press and She Writes Press are eligible as long as the author paid half the costs of publication or more.


 

> PREFER TO ENTER BY MAIL?

If you wish to submit your book and entry fee by postal mail, please do not use this online submission form. Instead, please make your US$85 entry fee payable to Winning Writers and mail with your entry to:

              Winning Writers
              Attn: North Street Book Prize
              351 Pleasant Street Suite B PMB 222
              Northampton, MA 01060-3998
              USA

Include your full name, mailing address, phone number, and email address with your entry. Please also indicate the category for your entry. Only one copy of your book is needed. We accept checks and money orders drawn on US financial institutions and the US Postal Service. US currency is acceptable. You may also send your fee via PayPal to adam@winningwriters.com. Please postmark your entry by July 1.

Please note that feedback will only be provided for entries submitted via Submittable, and not those entries submitted by mail.

If you would like us to return your book at the conclusion of the contest, please request this at the time of your entry and enclose an extra $10 for postage and handling.

We use Submittable to accept and review our submissions.
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