The Incipere Awards
The start
The beginning
An award for exceptional writing
There’s a big market out there. And we’ll help it find YOU.
Only $65 to enter per category.
Finally, a book award contest where you don’t have to be a millionaire to enter! And it’s not even triple digits!
All Category Winners (First Place) Will Receive
An editorial review ($289 value)
Valuable social media mentions on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
Free submission to 30+ lists to bolster KindleSelect Free Days
Bragging rights from an elite contest, where not everyone is a winner
Certificate with their award level
Unique, high-quality image of award to use on covers
Award Levels
Each category will result in a first, second, third and honorable mention award. There will be four awards per category. The contest is designed to find the very best, not simply books that are good or even excellent. Each book will be scored with a unique internal rubric based on each individual book category. These scores/results will not be shared but are for internal use only.
Each first, second, third and honorable mention award will receive a certificate of their award level.
Genre Categories
There is a wide list of categories to choose from.
Categories include:
Picture books (birth to five)
Young Children (6-8)
Children (9-12)
Young Adult/Teens
*Adventure/Action
*Christian
*Fantasy
*Historical
*Literary Fiction
*Mystery
*Paranormal
*Romance
*Science Fiction/Dystopian
*Thriller
Adults
*Adventure/Action
*Christian
*Fantasy
*Historical
*Literary Fiction
*Mystery
*Paranormal
*Romance
*Science Fiction/Dystopian
*Thriller
New Categories (starting 2022)
*Cookbooks
*Memoir/Biography
*Motivational/Inspirational
*History
*Health & Fitness
*Self-Help/Personal Development
Select the category that most closely matches your work. You can enter more than one category for each book and more than one book in the contest. For example, let’s say you have a romantic historical fiction novel for adults. You can enter once in the Romance category and once in the Historical Fiction category.
Here's where it gets really interesting. We will have a second-sub category for every category except picture books, young children, children and nonfiction for books covering "clean" content. Need a definition on clean content? Check out the contest FAQ.
Each category will have a first, second and third place as well as an honorable mention. Each work will be given a score by readers to determine if they will be a finalist. Finalists will be determined by an overall rank including plot, book and cover design, characters, etc.
Winners announed via email, social media and our site. See previous winners here.
All the Fine Print aka The Rules
The book/manuscript must have been published in 2021, 2022, 2023 or 2024.
Books that are self-published, published by small, independent or academic presses qualify. If you were published by a “big publishing house” we won’t hold that against you either. Everyone is welcome.
All work must be in English. Our readers and judges speak English as their primary language and as such, your book must be in English to participate.
Submission period for the 2024 award winners is January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024.
For clean categories ONLY:
Your work must be clean to be considered for the respective category. While this means something different to everyone, use this as a guide: no explicit sex scenes, no excessive violence. If you are graphically describing something typically covered by a bathing suit, it probably won’t cut it. Acts that take place behind bedroom doors are fine. We prefer no profanity or vulgarity but if you have one or two of the lesser words, we can probably overlook it. No F bombs. If you had to be told that, the clean writing probably isn’t for you.
The point and spirit of the award is to seek out and determine AMAZING and HIGH QUALITY content that is not only hard to put down, but clean as well. Can you have a best-selling novel without sex and swearing? I’m sure you can think of several multi-million dollar franchises right now that take advantage of those values: Harry Potter, Fablehaven, The Wheel of Time, Stormlight Archive Series, Star Wars, The Hunger Games, Maze Runner, The Alchemyst Series, Kingdom Keepers (and those are just the REALLY big ones that). There are so many talented, quality clean authors out there. We want people to be able to find YOU!
How Reviews Help You
A review helps you and your book get the credibility it deserves. You can use a professional, independent book review to help you market your book with online booksellers (such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble), through social media and even on your cover jacket. While we don't guarantee that all reviews will be positive, we do guarantee that you'll receive a honest and well written review by our quoted deadline.
Entrada Book Reviews support the author by offering book reviews that are: less expensive, faster to deliver and longer than similar Kirkus Book Reviews.
It's only a matter of time until the price goes up. Early bird pricing is in effect now.
Are you ready to enter your book? Choose your categories and get started!
Review and Contest FAQs
How long does the contest last?
Submission period for the 2024 award winners is January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024.
What type of books do you accept?
We accept all different types of fiction books including subcategories such as crime, humor, thriller, biography, essay, fantasy, science fiction, romance, horror, etc. Find the category that best fits your needs.
What file types can I send in?
We can accept standard PDF, Word or .ePub files.
Can I mail you my book?
If you already have a printed copy of your book and would prefer to send it to us, that works as well. Although an electronic copy is preferred, we can accept these requests. Please keep in mind that we need to receive your book within 30 days of when you enter the award. Email us for instructions for mailing your book after you complete your order.
I don't see my category listed. Why not?
There are SO many different genres out there. If we had a subcategory for each type of romance for example (sweet, clean, paranormal, erotic, historical, regency, etc.) we would have too many winners! What does that mean? The award you win for your book should mean something, not just be given to any book that enters. We want our awards to show the best of the best in every category. Do your best to assign it where you think it fits.
If I win, where can I use my review?
The best part about your review is that you can use it anywhere and in almost any way that you want. Your review can be a part of your book page on our website, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBookstore, Goodreads, Wikipedia, your website, your blog, your press release, etc. The book review is an important and essential ingredient in your marketing plan. And if you need help making or implementing a plan, we can help with that too.
Where will my review appear?
Once your review is complete, you will be notified and emailed a copy of your review. After 10 days, your review will be automatically posted to our affiliated book sites. If you do not want your review published, you must contact us by email before that time. If you would like to speed up the process, you can always email before the 10 days confirming receipt and giving approval to publish the review.
In addition to your review being automatically posted to our affiliated book sites, we will also provide you with a tutorial on how to add the review to any existing listings or pages that may exist online.
Can I use my review in my marketing plan?
Of course! Once your review is complete, it is yours to work with! The only restriction is that you must leave the byline intact. For example, if you are quoting from the review, you'll need to include where the comment came from. It should look like:
"You'll be finding excuses to sneak off and read this book. One of the best of the year." - Entrada Book Reviews
If I win an editorial review, how does the review process work?
Your book will be assigned to one of our specialized editors and reviewers who will dive in and begin reading your book. Once complete, our reviewers will write their review, between 250-350 words. We will then make a copy of the review available to you. You can approve the review immediately, but unless we hear otherwise, your review is posted online after 10 days. If you choose to not have your review published, that is fine, but we'll need to hear from you before the 10 days are up.
How does a book review help me get discovered?
A book review is a great part of a book marketing plan. But what does that actually mean? It means that it should be a part of all the different things you are already doing to promote your book. For example, you can use quotes from the review on the cover of the book, in your signature line of your email, on a business card, on a poster at a book signing, on a flyer you provide at a book fair, in your blog, on your website, etc.
Why do we ask people we know for a book recommendation? Because we want to read something that's quality, entertaining and enjoyable. A book review gives you more credibility and makes you look more professional. A positive review will push someone who is on the fence into giving your book a try. Who knows? That could be someone that refers your book to dozens of other people.
How do I get my review?
Your review will be emailed to you.
Do you offer editing?
Yes we offer editing. However, we recommend that you complete this step BEFORE paying for a review. Our reviewers may catch typos and errors but your document should be considered print ready (as far as text goes) before ordering a review.
What is the return policy for reviews or services?
We want you to be happy and we guarantee a high quality, polished review. However, we cannot offer refunds if you are not happy with your review and there are no refunds on the contest entry fee. You do have the right for us to cancel publication of your review and not post it on our website and other media outlets.
Ready to enter?
Take advantage of your special early-bird pricing! Entering this type of contest has never been so inexpensive and easy!
“Quick and Easy”
I never thought that getting a good, quality, independent book review would be as painless and as easy.
Experienced Reviewers
Our reviewers are experienced and experts in your chosen genre. In fact, we assign reviewers based on their taste in literature.
Marketing Help
Not sure how to use your
editorial review in your
marketing? We can help!
All Genres
We accept all genres, any length for the contest. Don't worry about your book being too short or too long!
