Contest Rules

If your book was published between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027, you may submit it to the CWA Book of the Year Awards. The contest is open to both members and non-members, as well as to authors and publishers. 

We accept submissions in five categories:

• Traditional Fiction

• Indie Fiction

• Traditional Nonfiction

• Indie Nonfiction 

• Poetry

See the guidelines on the entry page when available next year and be sure your book is submitted to the correct category.

Entries will be accepted from June 1, 2027 until August 1, 2027. Entries postmarked after midnight on August 1, 2027, will be disqualified.

Finalists will be announced in October. Winners will be announced in December.

Winners will be honored at a ceremony in January 2028.

The entry form will open June 1, 2027.

1. This page has all the pertinent details/instructions and the mailing address to send your book. 

2. CHECKS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Payment is made when submitting the electronic entry form. 

3. After submitting the entry form, send your book to the address on the form before midnight on August 1. 

4. The entry fee is $15.00 for CWA members and $25.00 for non-members (Subject to change per contest cycle).

ONE ENTRY PER AUTHOR. Publishers may submit an entry for one or more authors; each must be submitted individually.

PLEASE NOTE: Books submitted to the contest cannot be returned.

Traditional Fiction: Published by the Big Five, independent (other traditional) publishers or small presses that do not charge the author a publishing fee.)

Indie Fiction: Self-published, Social or Assisted or Hybrid (publisher charges the author publishing fees.)

Traditional Non-fiction: Published by the Big Five, independent (other traditional) publishers or small presses that do not charge the author a publishing fee.

Indie Non-fiction: Self-published, Social or Assisted or Hybrid (publisher charges the author publishing fees.)

Poetry: Full-length poetry collections published by the Big Five, independent publishers, small presses that do not charge the author a publishing fee, self-published, Social or Assisted, or Hybrid (publisher charges the author publishing fees).

Poetry Collections Eligibility: Only original full-length collections (minimum of 40 pages) written primarily in English are eligible. Translations or collections primarily in another language will not be considered. Collections that contain occasional lines or phrases in a foreign language are acceptable.

Anthologies in any genre will not be considered for this contest.

Categories based on Jane Friedman’s Path to Publishing.

Winners will be honored at a ceremony in January 2028. Exact date and location to be determined.