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Welcome to Season 4 of The Book Marketing Action Podcast with Becky Robinson, where we give you information that you can immediately implement to increase your influence and market your books more successfully. 

This episode is all about book awards! Becky is joined by three authors—Gena Cox, Libby Hoffman, and Kevin Wilde—who have all been successful in applying for, and winning, book awards. During the episode, Gena, Libby, and Kevin talk about the process of seeking out awards for books, whether it’s worthwhile to apply for them, and what book awards have done for the life of their books. 

Key Points From This Episode:

[04:32] Gena, Libby, and Kevin discuss what their goals were when applying for book awards and what the process looked like for each of them.

[08:05] If you are not familiar with book awards and the process of applying for them, Gena, Libby, and Kevin reveal some of the key points you should know.

[13:23] All three authors share some misconceptions that other authors might have about the book awards process.

[20:57] Learn more about the different awards that Gena, Libby, and Kevin applied for and received.

[30:06] Becky believes that there is only an upside to applying for book awards, as long as the budget is available. Gena, Libby, and Kevin elaborate on this. 

[34:33] Discover the benefits of winning a book award, or multiple awards. 

[41:05] Gena, Libby, and Kevin talk about how an author can amplify the impact of awards once they have won them.

[47:54] Gena, Libby, and Kevin share their final thoughts about the book awards journey.

Action Steps:

1. Plan early for the book awards that you might apply for. Be creative about the categories into which you place your book.
2. If you don’t already have a community of author friends, seek out others who are in a similar place on the author journey. This will help with any feelings of loneliness. 

Resources:

• Order Gena, Libby, and Kevin’s books. 
• Explore Gena, Libby, and Kevin’s websites to connect with them.
• Follow Libby and Catalyst for Peace on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. 
• Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn.
• Download Gena’s free resource for conducting bold discussions. 
• Follow Gena on LinkedIn and Instagram. 

Key Quotes:

My goal was really to have the quality of the book validated in a way that traditional media outlets weren’t quite poised to be able to do. —Libby Hoffman

Start as early as you can to educate yourself about the focus of certain awards and try to figure out which are the better ones that are worthy of your reputation. —Gena Cox

I don’t think the recognition is a validation of our work or our message. It’s just helpful in this whole process of connecting and getting the word out and being a little different than the noise in the book world. —Kevin Wilde

Pay attention to both kinds of categories: The general idea categories, as well as the more focused, thematic ones. —Libby Hoffman

You’re not going to get every [award] you apply for. But it’s no reflection on the great work you’ve done. —Kevin Wilde

I think that applying for awards has an additional benefit over and above the award, which is the relationship-building aspect. —Gena Cox

It’s important to think of the awards as a strategic part of your overall book marketing. —Gena Cox

The awards have given me the opportunity to really ground myself in my writer identity in a new way. —Libby Hoffman

To connect with Becky Robinson and request a list of book awards, send her an email here!

Becky Robinson

I am the founder/CEO of the Weaving Influence team, the author of Reach: Creating the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause, and the host of the Book Marketing Action Podcast. I’m a wife and mom of three kids, and I enjoy running, reading, writing, coffee, and dark chocolate.