How to Achieve Award-Winning Status and The Christian Indie Award Winners

by Susan U. Neal RN, MBA, MHS @SusanNealYoga

We should all try to become an award-winning author through entering our books in book contests. There is nothing like sitting in the audience of an award ceremony and hearing your name called. The thrill of stepping up on stage and receiving a trophy is exhilarating. But first you have to enter your book into award contests. 

Tips to Become an Award-Winning Author

Nominations for the 2024 Christian Indie Awards opened April 1 for books published in 2022 and 2023 at ChristianAward.com. Use the discount code CIPA2021 to receive $10 off the contest fee. Enter your books into several contests until you win. After winning, add the award emblem to your book cover. The emblem alone increases your book sales. Also add the award-winning designation to the first line of your Amazon book description as seen here. This should boost book sales.

On social media, post about how your book won. Include photos of the event, book cover, and the award emblem. Denise Branco’s gift book, Rabbit at the Sliding Door, won over ten book awards in the past year. Denise posted each award on her social media pages. She is creating a bookmark with all the award-emblem logos on it. Now that’s marketing!

It is best to enter your book into smaller contest categories like gift, business/finance, and Christian education. Since fewer books are entered into this category, it is less competitive and easier to win. Avoid larger categories such as Christian living and memoir. I did not know this in 2018 when I entered 7 Steps to Get Off Sugar and Carbohydratesinto the Christian Living category of the Selah awards and won first place. I am amazed that it is still a #1 Amazon best seller today. 

To summarize the tips to achieve award-winning status:

• Enter your books into several contests (in smaller contest categories) until you win. 

• After winning, add the award emblem to your book cover.

• Add the award-winning designation to the first line of your Amazon book description.

• On social media, post about how your book won.

•  Create bookmarks with the award emblem.

If you would like additional tips, check out the blog Book Marketing through Contests.

Christian Indie Award Winners

Christian Indie Publishing Association is excited to announce the winners of the 2023 Christian Indie Awards. You can find their books listed here. The Christian Indie Awards has honored indie authors and small publishers since 2008 for their contribution to Christian life. The 2023 winners in each of the twenty-one categories include:

 

Category	Place	Title	Author/Publisher
Anthology	1st	Keeping Christmas: Volume One	Cathe Swanson, Chautona Havig, Olivia Talbott, Kathleen J. Robison, Denise L. Barela, Marguerite Martin Gray, Naomi Craig / Celebrate Lit Publishing
Bible Study	1st	Nobody Sees This You: How to Live as a Spirit in the Unseen Realm	Paul Renfroe / Paradigm Lighthouse
Bible Study	2nd	She - Volume 3: Delighting in the Examples of the Women of the Bible	Delight Thyself Design Ministries
Bible Study	3rd	Bible Briefs: God’s Will, Unraveling the Mystery	L. G. Westlake / Elk Lake Publishing
Business Finance	1st	How to Be a Great Investor: Investment Techniques for Christians	R. Richard Everett / Intelligent Design Press
Business Finance	2nd	Worship Songs and the Law	Stephen R. Cass / Songs4God.net Media
Children’s Picture Books	1st	Our God is Bigger Than That	Michelle Medlock Adams, Eva Marie Everson / End Game Press
Children’s Picture Books	2nd (Tied)	Mr. Winter	Peter Andriet / WestBow Press
Children’s Picture Books	2nd   (Tied)	Sunday Morning Chaos	Kristen Schroder / Good & True Media
Children’s Picture Books	3rd	Do Your Best, Tess	Janet Morris Grimes / Elk Lake Publishing
Children’s 8-12	1st (Tied)	A Bellwether Christmas	Laurel Guillen / Fidelis Publishing
Children’s 8-12	1st  (Tied)	No Bones About It	Annette O'Hare / Elk Lake Publishing
Children’s 8-12	2nd	Into the Great Marinara	Nicolas C. Day / Elk Lake Publishing
Children’s 8-12	3rd	I Want a Water Buffalo for Christmas	Judy DuCharme / Ambassador International
Christian Education	1st	Voting Christian Values	Steve Feazel / Vision Word
Christian Education	2nd	Speaking for God: How to Preach and Speak with Power, Passion and Purpose	Pam Barnett / Springs of Water Publications
Christian Education	3rd	The 5 Steps to Get Your Songs Heard	Stephen Robert Cass / Songs4God.net Media
Christian Living	1st	Oh God, Why Can’t I Stop?	Jason K. Ritchie / Stellar Communications Houston
Christian Living	2nd	An Unnatural Beauty: Rediscovering the Beauty of Holiness	M. Esther Lovejoy / Cross River Media
Christian Living	3rd	Living for His Glory	Kim S. Kinney
Devotional	1st	Day-votionsⓇ with Your Faithful Father: 90 Days with the One Who Wants to Meet All Your Needs	Rebecca Barlow Jordan
Devotional	2nd (tied)	PURSUE Jesus, OBEY Jesus, LIVE for Jesus	Ann L. Knopp / Christian Faith Publishing
Devotional	2nd  (tied)	Seeking Joy through the Gospel of Luke: A Christmas to Calvary Advent Countdown	Christine Trimpe / Redemption Press
Devotional	3rd	The Plans He Has for Me	Rose Ann Forte / Ignite Press
General Fiction	1st	Deep End of the Lake	Carol Grace Stratton / Iron Stream Media
General Fiction	2nd	Tears in a Bottle: Hearts Crying Out for Hope	Cheryl Gerou
General Fiction	3rd	Summer Up!	Tom Leihbacher / Christian Faith Publishing
Gift	1st	Rabbit at the Sliding Door	Denise Lee Branco / Strolling Hills Publishing
Historical Fiction	1st	Pericope	Jeff Keene II / Wordcrafts Press
Historical Fiction	2nd	Saint Francis: Religion of Love	Lisa Monde
Historical Fiction	3rd	Mary - Mother of Grace and Mercy	Dan Willis
Memoir / Biography	1st (tied)	Savage Marriage: Triumph over Betrayal and Sexual Addiction	Phil & Priscilla Fretwell / Savage Marriage Ministries
Memoir / Biography	1st (tied)	My Promise to Alex	Jody Hudson
Memoir / Biography	2nd	Nettles and Roses: A Story of Resilience and Redemption	Judith Elaine Hankes, Ph.D. / As the Crow Flies Publishing
Memoir / Biography	3rd	God’s Rock and Roll Army	Leslie Turner / Encourage Publishing
Mystery / Suspense	1st	Stolen Blessing	Jim Sano
Mystery / Suspense	2nd	HIDDEN HUMANITY: A Trafficking Rescue Novel	D.I. Telbat / In Season Publications
Novella	1st	You are a Bird	Breezy Van Lit / Shimmer Tree Books
Novella	2nd	Awakened	T.E. Bradford / Elk Lake Publishing
Personal Growth	1st	The Path of Loneliness: Finding and Fostering Connection to God, Self, and One Another	Dr. Mark Mayfield / NavPress
Personal Growth	2nd	Knitted Faith	Karen E Chin / CLM Publishing
Personal Growth	3rd	Grow by Design: A 60-Day Devotional to Help Unlock your God-Given Potential	Jean Mpi / Kharis Publishing
Poetry	1st	Flying Free: Poems for Pilgrim Hearts	Ruth Fanshaw / Original Text Publications
Poetry	2nd	Curtains	John Anderson / Covenant Books
Relationships / Family	1st	The 6 Pillars of Intimacy: The Secret to an Extraordinary Marriage	Alisa DiLorenzo with Tony DiLorenzo
Relationships / Family	2nd	In My Father’s Wake: How an Anxious Boy Learned to Love a Difficult Dad	Dave Gibson
Romance	1st	Night Songs	Jennifer Sienes /  Celebrate Lit Publishing
Romance	2nd	The Monarch Fields	Donnah M Cole
Romance	3rd	Love Reunited	Tara Taffera / Winged Publications
Speculative	1st	Forbidden	Gina Detwiler / Vinspire Publishing
Speculative	2nd	Beneath the Deep	Andrea Chatman / Elk Lake Publishing
Theology	1st	Torahism: Are Christians Required to Keep the Law of Moses? (2nd ed.)	R. L. Solberg
Theology	2nd	After Armageddon	John Tressel / Encourage Publishing
Young Adult	1st	Collapse: The Death of Friendship	Angela D Shelton / Two Oaks Publishing
Young Adult	2nd	The Stars in April	Peggy Wirgau / Iron Stream Media
Young Adult	3rd	Legends of the Donut Shop	Terry Overton

 

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How to Achieve Award-Winning Status and The Christian Indie Award Winners By @SusanNealYoga on @EdieMelson (click to tweet)

Susan U. Neal, RN, MBA, MHS: Susan’s mission is to improve the health of the body of Christ. She has her RN and MBA degrees, as well as a master’s in health science. She is a CERTIFIED HEALTH AND WELLNESS COACHwith the American Association of Christian Counselors. She published five books, the Selah award winner 7 STEPS TO GET OFF SUGAR AND CARBOHYDRATES, CHRISTIAN STUDY GUIDE FOR 7 STEPS TO GET OFF SUGAR AND CARBOHYDRATES, HEALTHY LIVING JOURNAL, SCRIPTURE YOGAa #1 Amazon best-selling yoga book, and YOGA FOR BEGINNERSwhich ranked #3. She published two sets of Christian Yoga Card Decks and two Christian Yoga DVDs that are available at CHRISTINAYOGA.COM. Her digital product HOW TO PREVENT, IMPROVE, AND REVERSE ALZHEIMER’S AND DEMENTIA is a great resource. To learn more about Susan visit her website SUSANUNEAL.COM You can also connect with Susan on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, and INSTAGRAM.