Indie Ink Awards 2024
Books by marginalized authors, self-published books, and books by small presses often get overlooked. The Indie Ink Awards is a unique event that brings together the writing community to celebrate books that have made an impact on us. This is our way of highlighting the future we want to see in books–by uplifting those that shine.
We have two categories: the "Best In" awards and the "Writing The Future We Need" awards. The "Best In" awards should exemplify the chosen category. We are looking for exceptional inclusion and diversity in works nominated for "Writing the Future We Need" awards.
Only self published/small press books will be considered, AND they must be on Indie Story Geek. Those published by a subsidiary of the Big 4 are not eligible. If you're an author and your book is not on Indie Story Geek, you may create an account and submit your book. You are not allowed to nominate your work, but you are encouraged to let your readers know that the Indie Ink Awards are taking place so they can nominate and vote.
The contest has four phases:
Nomination phase – Readers can nominate books for up to 5 awards they think fit. After this phase has ended, we will contact the authors to verify if the nominations make sense for their books before moving on to voting.
Voting phase – the nominated books will be listed by award for readers to vote on. The top ten in every category will move on at the end of this phase as finalists. Voting opens December 15!
Authors of finalist books are contacted and may provide a digital review copy for our judges to review if they wish, or they may opt-out of continuing in the competition.
Judges read and score finalists, utilizing a rubric for increased objectivity.
Eligibility:
Books must be either self published or published by a small press as of November 1, 2024 and must not be out of print.
A small press is considered a press that is not associated with, owned by, or considered a part or subsidiary of any large-scale publisher, such as Harper Collins, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan, Hachette, Penguin Random House, Tor, etc.
If a book is picked up by a large scale (or subsidiary of) publishing company, the press release/contract agreement must be post November 1, 2024 in order to still qualify for the Indie Ink Awards.
Finalists from any previous year are not eligible. (Other indie books by the same author are eligible, but not the one that made finalist status.)
Eligible books must be in the YA or Adult age categories. We do not have the capacity to review other age categories at the moment, but may expand in the future.
Books written using generative AI, with covers generated by AI, or with AI-generated audiobooks are not eligible.
Eligible books can be of any fiction genre category and be of novella or novel length. We do not have the capacity to consider graphic novels, memoirs, anthologies, or poetry books at this time.
Books written by WriteHive staff (board members, admin, or coordinators), Inked in Gray staff, or Indie Story Geek staff are not eligible and any nominations will be removed during the voting review phase.
Any judges for the year may not have a book in the running for that year’s awards.
For more information, see https://indieinkawards.com/
Nominations are open!
There have been 3,501 so far!
To nominate your favorite stories, search Indie Story Geek or browse for them by genre and then click on the nomination link!
If the story you want to nominate isn't in our database yet, please submit a suggestion.
Feel free to nominate as many of your favorite stories as you like - you can also change your selections for as long as the nomination phase remains open.
Once the nomination phase has ended, the top nominees will be revealed and then the final voting phase will begin!
Best audio narration
Best book cover and cover artist
Best friendship
Best light read
Best mentor character
Best morally gray character
Best setting
Best use of tropes
Prettiest book interior
Side Character MVP
This Book Made Me Hungry/Thirsty
Wittiest character
Writing the Future We Need: Asexual or Aromantic Representation
Writing the Future We Need: Asian Representation by an Asian author
Writing the Future We Need: Bisexual or Biromantic Representation
Writing the Future We Need: Black Representation by a Black author
Writing the Future We Need: Disability Representation by a disabled author
Writing the Future We Need: Gay or Lesbian Representation
Writing the Future We Need: Indigenous Representation by an Indigenous author
Writing the Future We Need: LGBTQ+ Representation
Writing the Future We Need: Latinx/Latine Representation by a Latinx/Latine author
Writing the Future We Need: Mental Health Representation
Writing the Future We Need: Neurodivergent Representation by a Neurodivergent author
Writing the Future We Need: Trans or Nonbinary Representation