I Said IPPY, Not Hippie, So Don't Freak Out, Man

A writer confidently storms the doors of the publishing houses, knowing his work will make the editors gasp in awe--only to discover those cretins wouldn't know great writing if it descended from heaven on chiseled stone tablets and crushed their unappreciative little skulls.

Of course I've never felt that way, but it's rumored that some have held that opinion.

Regardless of our response to rejection, the editor's decision is rendered for practical reasons. Possibly—it's a slim chance, mind you, but a still chance—our wit's not as sparkling nor our prose as stellar as Mom says. That might not be the case—Mom's usually right about these things, you know. But no matter how skillful we are at turning a phrase or how deep our knowledge of the topic, if a publisher doesn't think a book will sell, he won't buy it. No offense intended, we wish you the best of luck in your endeavors, but you're not a good fit for us. Get lost.

When your rejections spill out of the desk drawer, however, there are alternatives. Other than clearing out another drawer to make room for more. Do you write nonfiction in a specialized field? Small presses market to a variety of specific audiences, and you might find one hungering for precisely what you have to offer. Does your taste in fiction have a somewhat narrow appeal? Look into self-publication. Many fine writers have gotten their start there. This column brought that up awhile back in an article about the Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards.

This month, I sniffed out another: The Independent Publisher Book Awards, affectionately known as the IPPYs. These are given by the Jenkins Group, Inc. of Traverse City, Michigan, a self-publishing company that likes to draw attention to the fact that titles outside the mainstream often have real merit. In the same spirit of honoring excellence along the side roads, the Jenkins Group also sponsors the Moonbeam Children's Book and the Axiom Business Book Awards.

The IPPY's website bills it as "the world's largest international and regional book awards competition." Although the winners receive medals only, no monetary award, the number of entries is impressive: The 2008 awards attracted over 3,100 entries from 49 U.S. states, Washington, D.C. and the Virgin Islands, every Canadian province but the Northwest Territories, and 18 other countries around the world.

Since the inception of the awards in 1996, the presenters have seen a steady increase in the quality of the entries, with more polished writing, a wider range of subject matter and better designs. National entries are accepted in 65 categories (forgive me if I don't list them all – you'd just skim over it anyway), including Popular Fiction and Literary Fiction. Twenty titles are given recognition for the Best Regional Fiction and Best Regional Non-Fiction. And one book in each of ten special categories receives an award for Outstanding Book of the Year.

The Independent Publisher Book Awards were designed to bring independent titles to the attention of booksellers, buyers, librarians and book lovers around the world. And it would appear the scheme is working. The Millionaire Next Door, a winner in 1997, went on to sell more than 2.5 million copies and spawned off-shoots, including The Millionaire Mind. A major pharmaceutical company discovered IPPY winner Fit to Cook: Why "Waist" Time in the Kitchen? and bought 187,000 copies to use in a promotional campaign. The 2004 IPPY Fiction category winner, The Sleeping Father, by Matthew Sharpe, was a TODAY Show Book Club winner, received notices in The New York Times and Publishers Weekly, and has become a popular reading group selection.

When people hear you won in IPPY, they sit up and take notice. The award stickers on your book help convince buyers to purchase. When faced with two competing titles and a limited acquisition budget, librarians will buy the award winner over a title that hasn't a prize to its credit.

So how do you get in on this bonanza? First you have to write a book—in English, intended for a North American market—and publish it independently. ("Independent" is defined as (1) independently owned and operated; (2) operated by a foundation or university; or (3) long-time independents that become incorporated but operate autonomously and publish fewer than 50 titles a year.)

Next, go to the IPPY website at http://www.independentpublisher.com/. At the bottom of the page you'll see a place to click for "Print Entry Form and Guidelines." The 2008 awards were just presented on May 30 and entries aren't yet being taken for 2009; but mark this as favorite on your browser and come back to it.

I'm hoping to get a book out this year that I'm sure will sweep the awards, but I'm stuck on the second sentence. What sounds good after, "It was a dark and stormy night"? (Mom loves that opening line, and I wouldn't think of changing it.) Wish me luck!