How can you tell which awards are worth the shiny seal? There are a few things you can do.
1. You can go to the Alliance of Independent Authors site and type in Book Awards. They have a long list of awards which they caution authors to avoid as well as a few that they recommend.
2. Personally, I find the fastest way is to type into Google the “award name + Year + Winners.” For example: Titan Book Award Winners 2023. If more than ten books are listed under any category, then your book award is likely just a way for the award to make money. Titan, for example has pages upon pages of winners. This is one of the easiest ways for an award to scam. Anyone who enters, wins.
3. Another thing to look for is the number of categories that are listed. Some awards have a zillion. The Purple Dragonfly Award, for example, has 70. This is a way to make authors feel special and limits the amount of people who win in each specific category. The Purple Dragon Fly does pick winners, but they pick a lot. In the children’s book category in 2020, for example, 10 people got first place and there were over 50 who received honorable mention. In comparison, the Caledcott, the most prestigious award for children’s book illustration, only has one category. Plus, they let anyone buy award seals and they cost $29 a piece! Ouch!
