The Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) has announced the finalists in its 31st Annual Benjamin Franklin Awards for excellence in book publishing. Chicago Eternal by Larry Broutman is one of three finalists in the Regional category. The highly regarded IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards, which recognize excellence and innovation in independent publishing, are one of the nation’s top honors for independent publishers. Gold and Silver winners will be announced on April 5, 2019 at the gala dinner ceremony at the Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile in Chicago. The ceremony is held in conjunction with Chicago’s IBPA Publishing University.

 

Over 1,500 entrants were thoroughly evaluated by 160 librarians, booksellers, and design and editorial experts during a seven-month judging process. IBPA CEO Angela Bole explained, "Unlike many other award programs, the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards demand both editorial and design excellence and entrants are judged independently on both." With over 3,100 members, IBPA is the largest publishing association in the US.

 

Already recognized as a finalist in American Book Fest’s Best Book Awards in Photography and praised in many national and local reviews, Chicago Eternal takes readers on a journey through Chicago’s storied past with illuminating photographs of gravestones and mausoleums from thirty Cook County cemeteries. Commentary sheds lights on the rich lives behind the tombstones.

 

To learn more about the IBPA and this prestigious award, visit:

https://www.ibpa-online.org/news/440987/31st-Annual-IBPA-Benjamin-Franklin-Awards.htm#reg

 

To get your copy of award-winning Chicago Eternal, go to:

https://www.everythinggoesmedia.com/product-page/chicago-eternal

Actually, it's pretty cool. The Fatness won a Silver in the humor category of the 30th annual IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award™

 

These awards aren’t well-known generally, but they’re quite prestigious and valuable indicators of quality. The Independent Book Publishing Association (IBPA) has more than 3,000 members, and is the largest publishing trade association in the U.S. This year’s contest had 1,500 entries.

 

Full story here, including my thanks to everyone who worked on the book. Buy the book at Amazon!

 

 

 

Some interesting things, but overall nothing that I hadn't already developed online, on several indie author's blogs, and in more details.

Review to come. Honestly, I didn't learn much from this book than I already knew about self-publishing. Some insightful tips, but it wasn't really comprehensive. I've found more indepth accounts on blog posts and in other resources. I suppose for the person new to these dimensions, it would be helpful, but if you're a veteran writer or if you've done quite a bit of research in the topic already, it may be best to skip this.

This isn’t as much a book as a compilation of articles that were previously published in Independent, the monthly member magazine of the not-for-profit Independent Book Publishers Association. It’s very short, and took less than an hour to read.The articles are:* Getting and Using Awards by Kate Bandos* Tapping Into Twitter Expertise by Kimberly A. Edwards* Let’s Hear It for the Long Tail by Joel Friedlander* Acquiring the Right Rights: Will Your Contract Keep Up with the Markets for Your Books? by Steve Gillen* A Librarian Talks About Choosing Books to Buy by Abigail Goben* Build a Powerful Platform with a Simple Brand Audit by Tanya Hall* Marketing Plans for First Books by Brian Jud* Why Authors Hate Social Networking, and How to Get Them to Promote Books Online Anyway by Stacey J. Miller* Growing Connections That Count by Kathleen Welton* E-book Conversions: Ten Pointers to Ensure Reader Enjoyment (and Minimize E-book Returns) by David WogahnOverall, they are pretty broad-brush, and probably don’t contain anything an astute small press or self-publisher hasn’t already have read before. Some are focused on authors who are self-publishing (e.g. the e-book conversion article), others are focused on traditional publishers (e.g. the article on rights, which has some interesting sample contract clauses). I think the chapter order was wrong. I would have thought it more logical to start with the high level branding advice and then move into the specifics of, how to use Twitter or how to get libraries to buy your book (and it was slightly awkward when the advice from one expert contradicts another, as happened regarding the idea of donating books to the library). One noticeable omission in the chapter on awards was a reference to Writer Beware, who maintains a list of awards and contests to watch out for (because they charge excessive fees and generally only have one entrant in each category. A contest in which everyone is a winner isn’t a contest that is going to help your marketing effort). If it’s free on Kindle, it’s probably worth downloading just to see if there’s anything new for you. Otherwise, I’ve seen most of the other information before on industry and agent blogs (e.g. Smashwords, Passive Guy, Seth Godin, Author Marketing Experts or Joe Konrath).