Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group (IBPPG) has named the best indie books of 2021. The books are winners of the 2021 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, the largest international book awards program for independent publishers and self-published authors. The winners and finalists will be honoured on June 25 in an online event that will stream live on Facebook at 7:00 pm (Eastern Time) and 4:00 pm (Pacific Time).
Photo – Indie Book Award ©
2021 is the 14th year of the largest international book awards program. This year’s Gold Sponsor is MindStir Media, an award-winning self-publishing company that helps people from all walks of life self-publish, distribute and market their books. Outskirts Press, an award-winning independent book publisher which provides services for self-publishing authors, returns as a Silver Sponsor of this year’s awards.
The awards are judged by leaders of the indie book publishing industry, including many with long careers at major publishing houses. Their love of a great read and experience in the publishing arena identify books deserving a wider audience.
Independent book publishing companies are independent of the major conglomerates dominating the book publishing industry. Indies include small presses, larger independent publishers, university presses, e-book publishers, and self-published authors.
According to Catherine Goulet, Founder and Co-Chair of the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, “Like other independent artists, many indie book publishers face challenges that the industry giants don’t experience. The indies have to work much harder to get their best books into readers’ hands.
“Authors and publishers who compete in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards are serious about promoting their books,” adds Goulet. “They aim to stand out from the crowd of millions of books in print.”
According to the most recent (October 2019) report by Bowker, publisher of the Books in Print database, the number of titles self-published in the United States grew to over 1.6 million in 2018, an increase of 40% over the previous year. “This trend is likely to continue as the quality of many self-published works now rivals that of traditionally published titles,” according to the report.
Worldwide, as of 2021, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) estimates more than 2.7 million books are now being published in a single year.
The top prize-winning books in the 2021 Next Generation Indie Book Awards are:
Top Non-Fiction Books
– First Place Winner ($1,500 Prize)
Anonymous Is a Woman: A Global Chronicle of Gender Inequality, by Nina Ansary, Illustrated by Petra Dufkova (Revela Press)
– Second Place Winner ($750 Prize)
New Zealand Karst – A voyage across limestone landscapes into the subterranean realm of caves, by Max Wisshak and Stefanie Wisshak (speleo-photo editions)
– Third Place Winner ($500 Prize)
Let’s Talk About It: The Art, the Artists and the Racial Justice Movement on Madison’s State Street, Editor Adam Schrager, Project Director Nyra Jordan, Designer Ian Chalgren (American Family Mutual Insurance Institute for Corporate and Social Impact)
Top Fiction Books
– First Place Winner ($1,500 Prize)
Sapphire the Great and the Meaning of Life, by Beverley Brenna, Illustrated by Tara Anderson (Pajama Press)
– Second Place Winner ($750 Prize)
Death’s Door, by April White (Corazon Entertainment)
– Third Place Winner ($500 Prize)
Seeing Ceremony, by Meera Ekkanath Klein (Homebound Publications)
Other Winners
Top books were named as winners and finalists in over 70 publishing categories ranging from Action/Adventure to Young Author. The top books will be reviewed for possible representation in distribution, foreign rights, film rights, and more.
A complete list of 2021 winners and finalists is available at the Next Generation Indie Book Awards website at indiebookawards.com.
2022 Awards
Entries are now being accepted for the 2022 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. The awards are open to books released in 2020, 2021, or 2022 from independent authors and publishers worldwide.
Next Generation Indie Book Awards is affiliated with Next Generation Indie Film Awards, a not-for-profit awards program for film. To learn more and enter the 2022 awards visit https://indiefilmawards.co.
