The Incipere Awards are Entrada Publishing's annual book award contest, open to self-published, indie, and traditionally published authors alike, with entry starting at $65 per category and every category winner receiving a free editorial review, social media promotion, and a submission boost for Kindle Select free days. It's designed to be accessible in a way most book award contests aren't, and it's one of the more underused ways to build credibility and discoverability for a finished book.
Entering costs $65 per category, and you can enter more than one category with the same book, or enter multiple books, if your work genuinely fits more than one category. A romantic historical novel, for instance, could reasonably enter both the Romance and Historical Fiction categories. Each category is scored by readers using an internal rubric covering plot, cover and book design, characters, and other elements, and results in a first, second, third, and honorable mention award.
Categories span age range and genre broadly: picture books, young children (6-8), children (9-12), young adult, and adult, with adult and YA further split by genre (adventure/action, Christian, fantasy, historical, literary fiction, mystery, paranormal, romance, science fiction/dystopian, thriller). Newer categories added since 2022 include cookbooks, memoir/biography, motivational/inspirational, history, health & fitness, and self-help/personal development.
Most categories also have a "clean content" subcategory, a distinct award track for books without explicit content. See What Does "Clean" Mean in Book Award Categories? for the specific standard.
Books published in the current and prior three years (2023 through 2026, for the 2026 award cycle) are eligible, whether self-published, published through a small or academic press, or traditionally published by a major house. All work must be in English. The current submission period runs January 1 through December 31, 2026.
A book award functions similarly to a professional review: it's independent, quotable credibility you can put on your cover and in your marketing, but it also carries the specific appeal of "award-winning," which signals a level of distinction a review alone doesn't. See What Winning a Book Award Can Actually Do for Your Book.
Ready to Enter Your Book?
Entry is $65 per category, and every category winner receives a free editorial review, social promotion, and more. Early-bird pricing is in effect now.
$65 per category. You can enter the same book in more than one category, or enter multiple books, if your work genuinely fits.
Every first-place category winner receives a free professional editorial review (a $289 value), social media promotion, submission to 30+ promotional lists, a certificate, and a high-quality award image for marketing use.
Fiction and nonfiction across a wide range of genres and age categories, published within the current award year and the prior three years. Self-published, small-press, and traditionally published books are all eligible.
Yes, most genre categories have a parallel clean-content subcategory. See What Does "Clean" Mean in Book Award Categories? for the specific standard used.