Arrowhead Library System (ALS) is pleased to announce the launch of the statewide 2020 Minnesota Author Project. There are three contest categories this year — Young Adult Fiction, Adult Fiction, and Communities Create. Submissions will be accepted from April 1-May 31, 2020.
Minnesota Author Project: Adult and Young Adult Fiction (Year 3)
Link to Submit Adult and Young Adult Fiction: https://indieauthorproject.librariesshare.com/minnesota/
Each book that is submitted to the contest must be:
- Independently published
- In the category of adult fiction or young adult fiction
- Written by a Minnesota resident
- Available in either PDF or ePUB format
- Please note multiple submissions are welcome
The winners will receive:
- $1000 each in adult and young adult categories. Prizes sponsored by the Minnesota Library Foundation and BiblioLabs.
- Honors at an Indie Author Project celebration reception in 2021
- Opportunities to promote their book(s) at Minnesota public libraries
- Inclusion in a full-page print spread in Library Journal, one of America’s oldest and most renowned trade publications for library news
- If available, print copies will be purchased and made available for checkout through Minnesota’s public libraries.
- Inclusion and promotion in Indie Minnesota
Minnesota Author Project: Communities Create (Year 1)
Link to Submit Communities Create Works: https://indieauthorproject.librariesshare.com/minnesota-creates/
Brought to you by the Minnesota Library Foundation and libraries throughout the state, this contest seeks to celebrate Minnesota organizations and communities that are producing written creative works. Whether your group has a short story collection coming out of a classroom, a local history book by a team of librarians, a poetry anthology from a writers group, a cookbook crafted by a local foodie society, or anything in between, this contest is for you.
Each book that is submitted to the contest must be:
- Created by a Minnesota-based organization — Nonprofits, libraries, schools, writers’ groups, historical societies, etc. are all eligible
- One member may submit on behalf of their organization
- A recommended minimum length of 10,000 words or 20 pages
- Available in either ePUB or PDF format
There are no genre or creation date restrictions, and organizations of all types are encouraged to submit their work, including nonprofits, libraries, schools, cultural groups, historical societies, artistry guilds, and beyond.
The winning organization will receive:
- A $1000 cash prize
- Honors at the 2020 Minnesota Library Association Conference
- An honorary plaque
- Printing of the winning book and the opportunity to make the book available statewide in the Indie Minnesota collection on BiblioBoard Library
- Media promotion throughout the state
The Minnesota Author Project (combined with the MN Writes MN Reads suite of resources for writers to use to self-publish their work) provides libraries with a chance to encourage new work from this growing group. This is a trend shared by libraries across the country. Don’t miss this chance to reach thousands of new readers via Minnesota’s libraries!
Check out the free self-publishing resources at https://www.mnwritesmnreads.org/. And everyone, writers and readers alike, is encouraged to check out the indie Minnesota library. Download the Biblioboard Library app or go to https://library.biblioboard.com/module/indie-minnesota.