Frequently Asked Questions

Enter online or by mail-in entry form here. Online entry requires using a credit card and printing out entry form and mailing labels; use the printable mail-in entry form below to pay by check or money order in U.S. funds.

Authors, illustrators, publishers, and self-publishers around the world who write and publish in English may enter.

Learn more about our guidelines here. 

Learn more about our fees here. 

Gold, silver, and bronze medals will be awarded in each category. Each medal-winning book receives a packet including the medal, a certificate, and 20 foil award seals. The award is designed as a marketing tool, so we hope the most valuable aspect of the award is its promotional value and as a sales aid.

Submission requirements vary by category entered. View the “What to send” section on the guidelines page here. 

Yes, entrants can send their books directly from Amazon or any other warehouse/distributor to:

Jenkins Group
1129 Woodmere Ave – Suite B
Traverse City, MI 49686.

We will be able to match your book to your entry in our system.

Yes, we will accept a galley or Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of any book set to be published in the same year that the award takes place.

Judging will be based on content, originality, design, and production quality, with emphasis on innovation and creativity. Our judging panel includes experts from the fields of editing, design, reviewing, bookselling and library.

To view important dates, including when medalists are announced, view the guidelines.

We will confirm your entry via email and send judging updates and results announcements by email as well, so submission of a valid email address is mandatory. Please inform us of any email address changes or additional contacts you’d like added to our contest update list.

Thank you for your interest in being featured!

To get started, simply fill out our quick form here. This will help us get to know you better and showcase your work in the best possible light.

We charge entry fees to pay for administering the awards, including everything from storage space and shipping (to judges and winner’s packets) to living wages for our staff.

Yes. We strongly recommend submitting an eBook over mailing a physical book to help avoid shipping delays and additional fees.

All physical international shipments must be sent DDP (Delivered Duty Paid). Any package sent with duties or taxes due on delivery will be refused or returned to the sender.

All books are processed by hand, so please allow a few business days for processing. You will receive an email confirmation once it’s complete.