This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
We were pretty thrilled to hear The Guardian is set to become the first national newspaper to champion self-publishing on a regular basis with the launch of a new monthly prize that aims to find the best DIY novels.
The prize has been launched in response to the growing presence of self-publishing within the book industry and the many excellent DIY novels that deserve recognition. No longer can the mainstream industry ignore what we the general public have been reading and enjoying for a number of years, with many self-published authors outstripping the sales of novels published traditionally.
Submissions for Self-Published Book of the Month will be open for the first fortnight of each calendar month, with authors permitted to submit one novel a year. All submissions must be submitted digitally and must be in the English Language, although translations are welcomed.Claire Armitstead, Literary Editor of The Guardian commented: “The phenomenon of self-publishing over the last couple of years has become too big for any of us to ignore. We’ve showcased some of the proven stars on the Guardian Books website. We’re confident that our partnership with Legend Times, who lead the way in industry innovation, will give us a chance to find the brightest and the best in this dynamic new sector.”
Self-publishing isn’t a new medium by any means. Beatrix Potter famously self-published The Tales of Peter Rabbit after numerous rejections. John Grisham also published 5,000 copies of his first novel, A Time To Kill, through a small private publisher after being rejected by 28 mainstream houses.
Today, far from being a dirty word, self-publishing is increasingly viewed as a viable option for authors. E. L. James has received worldwide recognition for her Fifty Shades trilogy, which she started by self-publishing on her website. Our very own Kirsty Greenwood, too, sold 100,000 copies of her debut novel, Yours Truly, and consequently achieved a book deal with Pan Macmillan. A viable option for sure.
The first round of submissions started on 8 April 2014. Will you be entering your self-published novel?