2013 DIY Book Festival

Registration Deadline: 06/25/13
Festival Date: July, 2013

The 2013 DIY Book Festival has issued a call for entries to its annual competition honoring the best of independent and self-published works.

The DIY Book Festival will consider self-published or independent publisher non-fiction, fiction, biography/autobiography, children’s books, young adult, how-to, cookbooks, science fiction, photography/art, comics/’zines, compilations/anthologies, unpublished stories, poetry, business and spiritual/religious works published on or after Jan. 1, 2009. All entries must be in English and have been self-published or issued by an independent publishing house.

*** Please note that print-on-demand (POD) authors with CreateSpace, iUniverse, PublishAmerica, Infinity Publishing and other outlets are eligible for the competition.

Our grand prize for the 2013 DIYBF Book of the Year is $1500 cash and a flight to the awards ceremony, held in July, 2013 as part of the annual DIY Convention: Do It Yourself in Film, Music & Books in Los Angeles.

Submitted works will be judged by a panel of industry experts using the following criteria:

  1. General excellence and the author’s passion for telling a good story.
  2. The unique use of guerilla marketing tactics to reach a wider audience. This includes innovative marketing, merchandising, publicity tactics and other innovative methods of reaching an independent audience.

ENTRIES: Please classify your book and enter it in following categories. Multiple entries must be accompanied by a separate fee for each book.

  1. Non-fiction
  2. Fiction
  3. Biography/autobiography
  4. Children’s books
  5. Young adult
  6. How-to
  7. Cookbooks
  8. Science fiction
  9. Photography/art
  10. Comics/’zines
  11. Compilations/anthologies
  12. Unpublished stories
  13. Poetry
  14. Spiritual/Religious
  15. Business

In addition to honoring the top selections in the above categories, The DIY Book Festival will award the following chosen from submissions:

  1. DIY Author of the Year-Honors the outstanding book of the competition.
  2. DIY Book Design of the Year — Honors outstanding and innovative design.
  3. DIY Independent Publisher of the Year-Honors the top publisher based on materials displaying excellence in marketing and promotional materials, as determined by our judges.

FESTIVAL RULES: DIY Book Festival submissions cannot be returned. Each entry must contain the official entry form, including your e-mail address and contact telephone number. All shipping and handling costs must be borne by entrants.

NOTIFICATION AND DEADLINES: We will notify each entry of the receipt of their package via e-mail and will announce the winning entries on our web site (www.diyconvention.com). Because of the anticipated high volume of entries, we can only respond to e-mail inquiries.

Deadline submissions in each category must be postmarked by the close of business on June 25, 2013. Winners in each category will be notified by e-mail. Please note that judges read and consider submissions on an ongoing basis, comparing early entries with later submissions at our meetings.

TO ENTER: Entry forms are available online at www.diyconvention.com or may be faxed/e-mailed to you. Please contact our office for fax requests. Applications must be accompanied by a non-refundable entry fee of $50 (see entry form drop-down menu for specific category prices) in the form of a check, money order or PayPal online payment in U.S. dollars for each submission. Multiple submissions are permitted but each entry must be accompanied by a separate form and entry fee.

Entry fee checks should be made payable to JM Northern Media LLC. We’re sorry, but entries must be mailed and cannot be delivered in person or by messenger services to the JM Northern Media offices.

Entry packages MUST include:

  1. One copy of the book;
  2. Your official entry form or a copy;
  3. The entry fee or receipt for online payment;
  4. Any marketing materials you wish to send. Marketing is used as a
    tie-breaking consideration by our judges.

Entries should be mailed to:

JM Northern Media LLC
attn: DIY Book Festival
7095 Hollywood Boulevard
Suite 864
Hollywood, CA 90028-0893
Phone: 323-665-8080

AWARDS: The DIY Book Festival selection committee reserves the right to determine the eligibility of any project.

The 2013 DIY Book Festival is part of the DIY Convention: Do It Yourself in Film, Music & Books, which also produces the DIY Film Festival and the DIY Music Festival.

Enter The Competition