North Street Book Prize for Self-Published and Hybrid-Published Books

Advice from the final judges

Jendi Reiter has judged the North Street Book Prize since its inception in 2015. Ellen LaFleche sadly passed away this year, but her advice remains spot on!

We started this contest for the same reason that you wrote your book: We love a good story. We believe that narrative writing has a unique ability to awaken empathy and illuminate complex truths of human nature.

Rapid changes in technology and the book industry are blurring the lines between self-publishing, print-on-demand, and traditional publishing. More and more, experienced authors are choosing nontraditional routes to find readers. However, most prizes for published books still exclude the self-published, sticking them with an outdated stigma of amateurism. Through the North Street Book Prize, we hope to boost the visibility of excellent writers whose books simply didn't fit into the big conglomerates' marketing plans.

We're holding your books to the same standard as the best titles from conventional publishers: polished writing, believability, dramatic tension, a story structure that foregrounds the major plot elements, and characters worth following. "Originality" is, shall we say, not such an original thing to ask for. In any case, like happiness, it's not something you can aim at directly. That freshness we seek in a story is better described as urgency: a book that convinces us that it had to be written.

We're committed to running the most transparent and ethical contest possible. Some services marketed to self-published authors are overpriced and make inflated claims. We've carefully vetted our business partners to offer our winners a high-quality marketing support package, in addition to our sizeable cash prizes. All entrants receive a free ebook download from book publicity expert Carolyn Howard-Johnson plus other gifts. Unlike some contests that use anonymous "judging panels", the Winning Writers judges' names and credentials are up-front so you can make an informed decision about submitting your work.

Our judges appreciate storytelling that shows critical awareness of our current cultural prejudices.

The characters may have as many flaws and blind spots as you like, but the author should demonstrate a broader understanding. For example, the 1960s businessmen in the popular TV series "Mad Men" are gleefully, obliviously sexist, but the scriptwriters expect their contemporary audience to be shocked by pre-feminist corporate culture. The male characters objectify women, but the writers re-center the female characters as subjects deserving empathy and dignity.

In creative nonfiction, we seek true-life writing with a personal angle—a memoir or a collection of personal essays. We prefer nonfiction that connects the individual's story to an issue of wider cultural relevance, or gives us an inside look at an interesting subculture or historical moment.

That said, remember that the heart of your narrative is the people, not the data.

See the judges' list of favorite books in your genre for examples.

We look forward to discovering our next favorite—yours!

You may mail your entry and US$95 fee to Winning Writers, Attn: North Street Book Prize, 351 Pleasant Street Suite B PMB 222, Northampton, MA 01060-3998, USA. Please postmark your entry by July 1. US currency is acceptable, or send your fee via PayPal to [email protected].

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 US$10 for postage and handling.