Reaffirming Book Marketing’s Most Appreciated Gifts

I just had to share with my #SharingwithWriters blog visitors and subscribers because it reaffirms my persistence about shouting out the importance of using blurbs liberally in the our book promotion!  Adam Cohen, one of the gurus along with Jendi Reiter sent me a message sent by a winner of WinningWriters.com’s 2025 #North Street Book Prize: 

For the partnership consulting I did with WinningWriters.com’s team of experts who won an assortment of book marketing as part of their prize: “"Cannot say enough good things about North Street Book Prize! Thrilled, of course, to receive the cash award. But more important are the fabulous and talented people behind the award. So many of them, Adam, Jendi, Annie along with Carolyn and Laura have reached out to me and provided valuable critique, promotion support, or helpful guidance. I did not expect the personal warmth and human touch—an increasingly rare occurrence in our fraying, detached, and botified world. Won me over!"
—Ben Stubenberg, 2025 North Street first prize for Creative Nonfiction & Memoir Category

Of course it makes me proud to be part of that team, but it also keep me connected with new talent in our industry.  Ben’s “Jamaican Bobsled Captain” is a book made for everyone who loves sports and loves travel as well.  Here’s a big public thank you to Ben Stubenberg and WinningWriters, too. Oh, yeah, this also reaffirms my belief that a book review or a beautiful blurb is the most welcome gift anyone can give as a thank you that stays alive and remembered for a very long time. 

MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER

This badge was a gift from #GeneCartwright, 

award-winning author, author advocate, and 

expert in film acquisitions.

 Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the multi award-winning author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTXQL27T/ ) of books for writers including "The Frugal Book Promoter" (https://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), and "The Frugal Editor" both offered in their third editions by Modern History Press. Others in that series are "How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically," and two booklets, both in their second editions also from Modern History Press. The booklets, "Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers" (https://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) and "Great First Impression Book Proposals" (https://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) are career boosters in mini doses and both make ideal thank you gifts for authors. The one on writing book proposals is also available as an Audio Book. "The Frugal Editor "(https://tinyurl.com/TheFrugalEditor), was recently released in its third edition. It is the winningest book in this series for writers. 

 Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it helps them understand what is needed to convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is "A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques" (https://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at https://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at "The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor" (https://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow it to get news on her new releases directly from Amazon at https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.

It’s Time! North Street Book Prize Welcomes New Category for Inspiration/Self-Help

WinningWriters.com is  introducing a new category for their this year's #NorthStreetBookPrize. I have always felt authors should seek out newish contests as well as highly respected ones. This will give those who write inspiration/self-help books a chance at both with one entry! Keep up with changes, value-added gifts for contestants, and guidelines at https://winningwriters.com/our-contests/north-street-book-prize.

 Jendi Reiter, poet and editor of WinningWriters newsletter is full of pre-vetted contests. Subscribe at WinningWriters.com.  And check out her newest poetry book from Word Works.  

Oh! If you will be at AWP in Baltimore in March, WinningWriters will be there for the first time in over ten years. Be sure to look for them to meet both of them and perhaps some of their past winners, too!  

PS: Be sure to check WW’s contest guidelines. Great books--some with release dates even decades old--are eligible.  It’s the most inclusive contest I know of.  

MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER 

 Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the multi award-winning author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTXQL27T/ ) of books for writers including "The Frugal Book Promoter" (https://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), and "The Frugal Editor" both offered in their third editions by Modern History Press. Others in that series are "How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically," and two booklets, both in their second editions also from Modern History Press. The booklets, "Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers" (https://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) and "Great First Impression Book Proposals" (https://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) are career boosters in mini doses and both make ideal thank you gifts for authors. The one on writing book proposals is also available as an Audio Book. "The Frugal Editor "(https://tinyurl.com/TheFrugalEditor), was recently released in its third edition. It is the winningest book in this series for writers. 

 Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it helps them understand what is needed to convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is "A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques" (https://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). 

In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at https://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at "The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor" (https://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow it to get news on her new releases directly from Amazon at https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.

Winning Writers Celebrates Its 2024 #NorthStreetBookPrize Winners

As you my visitors and subscribers might know, I love to pass along resources that benefit  authors in ways beyond what the usual services and opportunities offer. As a writer with a retail background (writing books entails retailing/selling, too!), I tend to call these “extras” value-added benefits and given the scams out there that plague authors,  I can only hope that they come to rely on these #TheFrugalBookPromoterTips. 

WinningWriters.com’s #NorthStreetBookPrize is one of those.  That might seem unnecessary, but early on I followed the newsletter Jendi Reiter put out for this organization. It was (and is) primarily a list ov vetted contests and by that I mean contests judge on the prizes they offer, their prestige, the reasonable price they “charge”--even some free ones--and more! Winning Writers has built such a reliable network and they are likely to come cross anything that doesn’t fit their standards for “ethical” early in the game. 

As a poet myself, I am featuring their winning poetry book for 2024 in this post announcing the winners for 2024, a veritable launch full of books for your 2025 reading list.  Something to suit everyone in genres across the spectrum. Find the celebration on WinningWriters.com today, Feb 15.  and start your plans to enter the 2025 competition right now with your Work-in-Progress. You’ll be amazed at those “value-added benefit” the contest authors as well as a friendly, knowledgeable support system that comes to you when you subscribe to their newsletter and will also keep you informed so you don’t miss the deadlines.  Oh! and Jendi’s newsletter, too. You’ll find enough places to let your work be seen without having to worry about scams.  Read on for information on a lovely poetry book from Stephen Pollock to start the year with!  

MORE ABOUT STEPHEN POLLOCK AND HIS “EXITS"

Stephen C. Pollock is a poet, essayist, physician, academician, business executive, and inventor.  He is the author of the poetry collection Exits, which was awarded First Prize for poetry in the 2024 #NorthStreetBookPrize.  The twenty poems in Exits were written and edited over a period of twenty years.  The poems in Stephen C. Pollock’s poetry collection Exits explore the beauty and frailty of life, the cycles of nature, and the promise of renewal and formatting the book required an additional two years.

In addition the the North Street Book Prize, Exits has been honored with the Gold Medal for poetry in the 2023 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards, the Silver Medal for poetry in the 2024 Feathered Quill Book Awards, and the Bronze Medal for poetry in the 2024 EVVY Book Awards, all to accolades like this:

                 “Exits has profoundly impacted the literary world.”

                  ---Midwest Book Review

"Pollock's poetry is brilliant"
— Kristiana Reed, editor-in-chief, Free Verse Revolution

"Exits exemplifies the musicality of language"
— Camille-Yvette Welsch, Foreword-Clarion Reviews

"Full of wit, insight and provocative imagery, Exits is a masterful collection.  The formal poems are the best.  Some are sonnets as artful as any by Shakespeare or Ben Jonson."

                — Anthony Aycock, IndieReader,  

Steve’s professional career was a play in two acts.

 

Trained as a physician, eye surgeon, and neuro-ophthalmologist, he was recruited to Duke University as Chief of Neuro-Ophthalmology in 1987.  He ultimately achieved a rank of Associate Professor with tenure.  He has published 30 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters in medical literature.

 

After seventeen years in academic medicine, Steve left Duke to become chief executive of CEC, a nationwide company that provides vision benefits to individuals and their family members.  He retired from the company in 2019.

 

Though not an engineer, Steve has always had a penchant for designing novel devices.  As a medical student, he collaborated with another student in the development of a unique variable-focus lens.  Steve drafted the patent and the associated illustrations.  In 1984, the Patent Office granted U.S. Patent 4,477,158, Lens System for Variable Refraction.  

Learn more about the poet and his other act at:

 

Website:  exitspoetry.net

 

Universal Book Link:  https://books2read.com/u/b5qK6O

 

Buy His Book on Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Exits-Stephen-Pollock/dp/1957638680/ref=sr_1_1?crid=59QO7F4Q1KWQ&keywords=exits+stephen+pollock&qid=1688221554&s=books&sprefix=exits+step%2Cstripbooks%2C75&sr=1-1

 

MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER 

 Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the multi award-winning author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTXQL27T/ ) of books for writers including "The Frugal Book Promoter" (https://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), and "The Frugal Editor" both offered in their third editions by Modern History Press. Others in that series are "How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically," and two booklets, both in their second editions also from Modern History Press. The booklets, "Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers" (https://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) and "Great First Impression Book Proposals" (https://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) are career boosters in mini doses and both make ideal thank you gifts for authors. The one on writing book proposals is also available as an Audio Book. "The Frugal Editor "(https://tinyurl.com/TheFrugalEditor), was recently released in its third edition. It is the winningest book in this series for writers. 

 Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it helps them understand what is needed to convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is "A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques" (https://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). 

In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at https://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at "The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor" (https://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow it to get news on her new releases directly from Amazon at https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.

A Gift from WinningWriters--One for Me, LOTS FOR YOU

      I can’t resist. I just received the most lovely gift from WinningWriters.com, a clip on some blurbs for my series of books for writing and I just have to share one with you!  Regular visitors and subscribers to my blog have probably noticed that I encourage #AuthorsHelpingAuthors by reviewing our fellow authors’ book. It’s really about giving a gift--for a thank you or for no good reason at all--that is sure to be appreciated big time.  Well, the owner of WinningWriters has a talent for online graphics that we authors can learn from by just hanging out in his vicinity! So, the example’s below, but might I suggest that you go to Winning Writers  and sign up for the newsletters he and @JendiReiter produce for a dose of them every now and then. While you’re there, poke around a bit for other free opportunities they offer including frequent lists from Jendi of vetted contests (meaning you can trust them for a broad assortment of what they look for in a contest before sharing them with you!) including the #NorthStreetBookPrize that I recommend for its value-added benefits and credibility. 

      Oh! And notice the use of blurbs! Not enough artists use their reviews (and e-mail from readers) to extract praise for their books or their writing in general! And then put them to good use!  He used them to let North Street Book Prize winners know more about my the marketing consultations he offers as part of winners’ packages. 

  

     And that reminds me. Set a goal to have your next book ready to submit for this contest in 2025  Pick up the link and put it on you calendar for submission dates (Feb 15-July 1, 2025!)  so you don’t forget--in fact, make it a yearly reminder because the contest’s list of categories seems to grow every year!

  https://winningwriters.com/our-contests/north-street-book-prize

MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER 

Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the author of the multi award-winning series of HowToDoItFrugally books for writers including the flagship book of that series, USA Book News’ winner, The Frugal Book Promoter  now in its third edition. It was originally written for UCLA Extension's renowned Writers Program where she used it as a text for nearly a decade . She believes using the time before a book’s release is the most productive time for assuring its future so her WIP is a second edition of her How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically to be issued in early 2025. 

Two of her favorite awards are Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment given by members of the California Legislature and “Women Who Make Life Happen,” given by the Pasadena Weekly newspaper. She is also an award-winning poet and novelist and she loves passing along the tricks of the trade she learned from marketing those so-called hard-to-promote genres. Learn more on her website at https://HowToDoItFrugally.com. Let Amazon notify you when she publishes new books (or new editions!) by following her Amazon profile page: https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile. Her The Frugal Editor is now in its third edition from Modern History Press. Let it help you edit your work-in-process. The third book in the series, How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically will be released this fall.

Best Writing Contests Winner North Street Book Prize Nearing Deadline!

As many of you know, I am a proud associate of WinningWriters’ #NorthStreetBookPrize because of all its value-added benefits but also because of it credibility, the quality of the winners I have seen honored over the years, and that it’s a “Best Writing Contests Winner” in its own right. He as added even more to his lineup of benefits and it’s time to enter again!  How lovely it would be to see one of online friends and subscribers on the winning list this year. 

Hugs,

Carolyn

North Street Book Prize More Than Just Cash While our North Street Book Prize will award $20,400 in cash prizes, we're also pleased to provide other valuable benefits from our co-sponsors Carolyn Howard-Johnson, BookBaby, Book Award Pro, Laura Duffy Design, and Self-Publishing Made Simple. They have a wealth of marketing, design, and publishing knowledge to share.   OUR GRAND PRIZE WINNER WILL RECEIVE $10,000, a marketing analysis and one-hour phone consultation with Carolyn Howard-Johnson, a $500 credit at BookBaby, three months of Plus 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)   EACH CATEGORY WINNER WILL RECEIVE $1,000, a marketing analysis and one-hour phone consultation with Carolyn Howard-Johnson, a $500 credit at BookBaby, three months of Plus 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 Summitsessions (an $89 value)   ONE HONORABLE MENTION IN EACH CATEGORY WILL RECEIVE $300 and three months of Plus 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)   New! One finalist in each category 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 The deadline is July 1. Submit your self-published or hybrid-published book for $79. Books published on all self-publishing and hybrid-publishing platforms are eligible. Any year of publication is eligible. Free gifts for everyone who enters. New this year: All entrants who submit online will receive a brief commentary from one of the judges (5-10 sentences). Winning Writers is one of the "101 Best Websites for Writers" (Writer's Digest, 2024), and this contest is recommended by Reedsy. Click to learn more about our contest.   Submit online     Prefer to enter by mail?   You may mail one copy of your book and the $79 entry fee to Winning Writers, Attn: North Street Book Prize, 351 Pleasant Street Suite B PMB 222, Northampton, MA 01060-3998, USA. Please note that feedback will only be provided for entries submitted online, 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 $5 for postage and handling.

MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER 

Great 3D Book Images by @GeneCartwright 

 Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the multi award-winning author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTXQL27T/ ) of books for writers including "The Frugal Book Promoter" (https://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), and "The Frugal Editor" both offered in their third editions by Modern History Press. Others in that series are "How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically," and two booklets, both in their second editions also from Modern History Press. The booklets, "Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers" (https://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) and "Great First Impression Book Proposals" (https://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) are career boosters in mini doses and both make ideal thank you gifts for authors. The one on writing book proposals is also available as an Audio Book. "The Frugal Editor "(https://tinyurl.com/TheFrugalEditor), was recently released in its third edition. It is the winningest book in this series for writers.  

Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it helps them understand what is needed to convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is "A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques" (https://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at https://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. 

Carolyn also blogs all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at "The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor" (https://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow it to get news on her new releases directly from Amazon at https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.

Wow! When I Say I Recommend Writing Contests with Benefits This Is What I Mean!

My dear #SharingwithWriters subscribers and visits:

I couldn’t resist this when it landed in my email box today. It illustrates perfectly why I recommend #WinningWriters #NorthStreetBookPrize and why I support them. But this issue of their letter tells it so distinctly, so specifically, so, well...awesomely! And it is so important for writers out there to know that though there ARE spammy contests out there, there are some truly reputable ones.  I mean, frugal me hates as much as anyone to have to pay for my award labels after I’ve paid $80 to more than a $100 to enter that contest!  So, read every bullet below. Each of them is one more good reason for me to continue to love working with Winning Writers! They are so credible I can vouch for each and every one of them. In fact, you might bookmark this one to give you a precise list to compare any contest you enter against their benefits. Each is different, of course, but you could ask for a better gauge. 

Successful writing in 2024 to you all,

Hugs,

Carolyn 

PS: Please share this post with all your writing friends. I’d love to hear about it.

Here’s the link: ttps://sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com/2024/05/wow-when-i-say-i-recommend-writing.html  

A Great Contest for Your Self-Published or Hybrid-Published Book Sponsored by Winning Writers There are lots of contests for indie books. You can find them listed at the Alliance of Independent Authors and BookBub among other places. Here is what makes our North Street Book Prize one of the best: Large cash prizes: $10,000 for the grand prize, $1,000 for each category winner. Bonus awards: Winners receive additional services from Book Award Pro, BookBaby, Carolyn Howard-Johnson, Laura Duffy Design, Self-Publishing Made Simple, and Winning Writers to help market their books. Free gifts: All contestants receive five free gifts from our co-sponsors. Reasonable entry fee: $79 per book. Many other contests charge $85, $95, even $100+. No need to enter multiple categories: Choose one category for your book. If our judges feel it will do better in another category, they will reassign it. Flexible criteria: Submit books published in any year, on any self-publishing or hybrid-publishing platform. Pro-author attitude: Submit a non-qualifying book by mistake? A duplicate entry? We'll refund your fee. Transparent: We have four judges. Read about them on our guidelines page. Lasting, in-depth publicity: With some contests, it's hard to find out much about past winners beyond the author's name and the book title. At Winning Writers, we publicize our winners through our website, in our newsletter (50,000+ subscribers), and in our social media channels (including 135,000+ Twitter followers). Our North Street contest archives feature critiques of the winning entries, excerpts from the books, and bios of the winners going back to the first contest in 2015. No nickel-and-diming: Some contests charge winners for things like award seals. We provide those for free. Recommended by industry leaders: The North Street Book Prize is recommended by Reedsy and the Alliance of Independent Authors. Winning Writers itself is one of the "101 Best Websites for Writers" (Writer's Digest, 2023). New this year: Everyone who enters online will receive a brief commentary from one of the judges (5-10 sentences). Submit online via Submittable or by mail. Click to learn more about our contest.   Submit by July 1

MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER

 Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the multi award-winning author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTXQL27T/ ) of books for writers including "The Frugal Book Promoter" (https://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), and "The Frugal Editor" both offered in their third editions by Modern History Press. Others in that series are "How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically," and two booklets, both in their second editions also from Modern History Press. The booklets, "Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers" (https://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) and "Great First Impression Book Proposals" (https://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) are career boosters in mini doses and both make ideal thank you gifts for authors. The one on writing book proposals is also available as an Audio Book. "The Frugal Editor "(https://tinyurl.com/TheFrugalEditor), was recently released in its third edition. It is the winningest book in this series for writers.  

Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it helps them understand what is needed to convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is "A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques" (https://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at https://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at "The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor" (https://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow it to get news on her new releases directly from Amazon at https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.

Winners of One of the World’s Most Generous Contests for Self-Published Books

I am so pleased to be working with Winning Writers’ winners of their North Street Book Prize again this year!  Founded in 2001, Winning Writers is a partner member of the Alliance of Independent Authors. In addition to the North Street Book Prize, Winning Writers also sponsors the Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest, the Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest, and the Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest (no fee). All of these contests are recommended by Reedsy. Winning Writers has also been named one of the "101 Best Websites for Writers" (Writer's Digest, 2023). Here are their winners for 2023 were just announced! 

You’ll also find more about this year’s new contest announcement below and at twitter.com/winningwriters! Knowing more about last year’s selected winners will help authors evaluate the kinds of books (very diverse!) that have won in the past.  And see below for more about WinningWriters, the #NorthStreetBookPrize, what the generous prizes consist of and details for the becoming part of the next round of winners!  

Daniel Victor of New York, New York won this year's Grand Prize across all genres for The Evil Inclination, a tragicomic literary novel about an Orthodox Jewish man and an Italian Catholic woman who fall in love as students at Brooklyn College. Fearing that both families would be horrified, the lovers carry on an affair whose secrecy intensifies their lust but strains their relationship. In an ironic twist, she feels drawn to explore Jewish observance while he is losing faith in it. Victor received $10,000, a marketing analysis and one-hour phone consultation with Carolyn Howard-Johnson, a $300 credit at BookBaby, three months of Plus service (a $207 value) and a $500 account credit from Book Award Pro, and 3 free ads in the Winning Writers newsletter (a $525 value).

Category winners include:

Michael Bracey of Maywood, Illinois, and Ruth Goring of Chicago, Illinois won First Prize in Art Book for Caras Lindas de Colombia/Beautiful Faces of Colombia, a bilingual book of photojournalism celebrating Colombia's African-descendant communities.

Steve Wolfson of Regina, Saskatchewan won First Prize in Children's Picture Book for Aunty Jane Knits Up a Storm, a dynamic and effective tale about how a community supports one of its beloved elders when she is widowed.

Karen Glinski of Albuquerque, New Mexico won First Prize in Middle Grade for Badge of Honor, a lively and well-researched adventure story in which a tween boy and his plucky dachshund rescue Navajo cultural treasures from a gang of thieves.

Dmitri Jackson of Ballwin, Missouri won First Prize in Graphic Novel & Memoir for Blackwax Boulevard Is Listening, the second installment of his comic strip about the staff of an urban record store who contend with unrequited love, addiction, and fallen idols in a compelling storyline inspired by the #MeToo movement. This is Jackson's second win in this category.

Irene Cooper of Bend, Oregon won First Prize in Genre Fiction for Found, a psychological thriller about a grieving mother with a preternatural ability to help the police find missing children.

Lucy May Lennox of Seattle, Washington won First Prize in Mainstream/Literary Fiction for Flowers by Night, an immersive historical novel that explores cultural mores around class and gender in early 19th-century Japanthrough the same-sex love story of a low-ranking samurai and a blind masseur.

Mark S. Robinson of Ridgefield, Connecticut won First Prize in Creative Nonfiction & Memoir for Black on Madison Avenue, a compendium of high points and anti-discrimination battles from the 40-year career of a trailblazing Black advertising executive.

Geof Hewitt of Calais, Vermont won First Prize in Poetry for Only What's Imagined, a meditative collection rooted in the rugged landscape and working-class culture of Vermont.

WHAT CATEGORY WINNERS RECEIVE:

 

The category winners each received $1,000, a marketing analysis and one-hour phone consultation with Carolyn Howard-Johnson, a $300 credit at BookBaby, three months of Plus service from Book Award Pro (a $207 value), and one free ad in the Winning Writers newsletter (a $175 value). See what the grand prize #NorthStreetBookPrize wins above in the section on Daniel Victor.

Ten Honorable Mentions of $300 each and three months of Plus service from Book Award Pro (a $207 value) went to Russel Ray, Phyllis Schwartz, Sally Hinkley, Ned Gannon, J.H. Mann, Lee Call, Anne Calcagno, Lin Haire-Sargeant, Sarah Birnbach, and Rick Lupert.

MORE ON WINNING WRITERS AND THE  North Street Book Prize

This contest recognizes the best books being self-published or hybrid-published today. 1,862 books were received from around the world.  

The judges' remarks and excerpts from the winning entries are published at winningwriters.com. $21,000 was awarded in all, making this one of the world's most generous contests for self-published and hybrid-published books.

The tenth North Street competition opens today with a deadline of July 1, 2024. The entry fee is $79 per book. All entrants will receive free gifts from the contest's co-sponsors—Carolyn Howard-Johnson, BookBaby, Book Award Pro, Self-Publishing Made Simple, and Laura Duffy Design.

MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER

 Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the multi award-winning author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTXQL27T/ ) of books for writers including "The Frugal Book Promoter" (https://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), and "The Frugal Editor" both offered in their third editions by Modern History Press. 

Others in that series are "How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically," and two booklets, both in their second editions also from Modern History Press. The booklets, "Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers" (https://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) and "Great First Impression Book Proposals" (https://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) are career boosters in mini doses and both make ideal thank you gifts for authors. The one on writing book proposals is also available as an Audio Book. "The Frugal Editor "(https://tinyurl.com/TheFrugalEditor), was recently released in its third edition. It is the winningest book in this series for writers. 

 Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it helps them understand what is needed to convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is "A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques" (https://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at https://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at "The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor" (https://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow it to get news on her new releases directly from Amazon at https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.