The Indie Author Project
When I submitted Oil and Dust to the Indie Author Project, I hoped it would bring librarian attention to my books.
I never expected to win the Washington Author Project regional contest.
What Is the Indie Author Project?
The mission of the organization is:
In an effort to further encourage strong relationships between indie authors, local libraries, and readers, we have partnered with curators and libraries across the U.S. and Canada to find the best indie-published books. IndieAuthorProject.com
Editorial partners (e.g. Library Journal and Publishers Weekly) as well as regional library editorial boards vet the books submitted. Books selected into the program can be offered to libraries via ebook platforms including OverDrive, The Palace Project, DPLA Exchange, cloudLibrary, and Axis360.
My books are already in OverDrive via Kobo, but I’m excited for the opportunity to get them onto the other library platforms as well.
Regional Contests
The team at the Indie Author Project (IAP) has continually grown the program. The regional contests started in 2018 with 8 regions. In 2022 it had grown to 18 regions, including Washington State for the first time.
The prizes include cash, opportunities to promote books at public libraries, the ability to opt-into the IAP collection, an author interview on their website, and inclusion in a Library Journal spread highlighting indie authors.
The IAP has not announced the participating regions for 2023, but even if your region doesn’t take part, you can still submit your book. If selected by the curators, you have the chance of getting your book into libraries via the IAP Select Collection. Best of all, there is no fee to enter the contest!
Eligibility
In order to submit your book to one of the regional contests, it must be indie published, adult or young adult fiction, and written by an author living in that region. The website offers an Author Submission Rubric which provides the judging criteria used by the contest curators.
While the contest page doesn’t mention it, you’ll need distribution rights in the US or Canada. This is so libraries can purchase copies via the ebook platforms listed above. Books enrolled in exclusive programs (e.g. Kindle Unlimited) may not be able to be sold or distributed elsewhere.
They haven’t updated their website for the 2023 contest. To keep up to date, join their newsletter or follow them on socials (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter). In 2022, the contest submission period was from April 1st to May 31st. Here is the list of 2022 winners. The author interviews with the winners (including mine!) are available here.
Are your books available to libraries? Have you submitted your indie-published books to the Indie Author Project?
The Header Photo is a composite using a promotional image provided by the Indie Author Project