Jim Barnes on Book Awards

Jim Barnes is managing editor and lead writer of Jenkins Group's monthly trade journal and newsletter Independent Publisher Online. IPO offers articles, reviews, and an array of marketing tools and educational opportunities for independent authors and publishers. Jim also coordinates the annual Independent Publisher Book Awards, sponsored each year by JGI to "recognize excellence in independent publishing."

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1. Why should a new publisher enter contests?

JB: The main thing a new publisher needs is credibility. That's the most important thing a book award brings: CREDIBILITY in the eyes of buyers, reviewers, librarians and consumers (and also your mom, who wanted you to get a REAL job). New publishers should also enter book award contests because they're very affordable, and the potential payoff is big. Winning an award is great publicity that builds buzz and leads to more attention from the press and consumers. book awards bring visibility to your book with that shiny gold sticker on the cover. In short, book awards work because everybody loves a winner!

2. There seems to be many such awards out there. In your estimation, which awards offer the most bang for the buck (in terms of sales, prestige, etc.)?

JB: We've certainly tried to make the IPPYs an effective program by 1) giving it a prestigious sounding name; 2) highly publicizing IPPY to create a huge turnout and name recognition; and 3) throwing a world-class awards ceremony at BookExpo America each year that has become a must-do event. The awards programs that are in our league are the Ben Franklin Awards sponsored by PMA, and the ForeWord Magazine Awards. Writer's Digest sponsors the best self-publishers only awards. Depending on your niche, there are genre-specific awards such as the Edgar's for mysteries, Nautilus for new age, and so on.

3. In addition to running the IPPY Awards, you're part of the Jenkins Group, Inc. Can you give us a brief run-down of your company?

JB: Jenkins Group is a custom book publishing service company founded in 1988, offering full menu of marketing and publishing services from proofreading to complete project management. We specialize in creating books that help entrepreneurs market their businesses, corporate anniversary books, and customizing books for large quantity promotions. Here's where it carries over to the IPPY Awards: we sometimes become aware of books entered in the awards that are to be appropriate for one of our corporate buyers. One of our biggest sales ever, 186,000 copies of a low-fat cookbook for Pfizer, began as an IPPY entrant. It's a bonus for entering the Awards that makes the $65 fee seem like a real bargain.

4. What is the best advice that you can offer someone considering independent publishing.

JB: My advice to anyone thinking about publishing is first to get out there and really study the market and the competition, and then write and publish in such a way that makes it easy for people to buy your book. Keep it simple and make the content obvious and the benefits irresistible. People want easy answers to their questions and simple solutions to their problems, so don't make them guess what your book is trying to do. Within three seconds of picking it up (and that's about all the time you have), the potential customer should know exactly what your book is about and what it can do for them. Find a niche that isn't being filled and fill it with a book that's well-designed, well-writing, and that makes readers feel like this might be the book that changes your life.