Publisher of the Year (Trade, Children's, Academic and Professional, Specialist Consumer, Education)
In the five Publisher of the Year categories, our judges look for outstanding publishing organisations that demonstrate these qualities:
- A robust business strategy
- High quality commissioning, editing, design and production
- Successful sales and marketing
- Detailed customer and market knowledge
- High levels of customer service and satisfaction
- Commercial success
- Innovation, creativity and vision
- Commitment to sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion.
When submitting for the Publisher of the Year categories, please answer these questions in no more than 1,000 words.
- Strategy: Please summarise your business strategy in 2023.
- Operations: What have been your highlights in commissioning, editing, design and production?
- Commercial: Tell us about your successes in 2023, including total or individual book sales and your top marketing and publicity achievements.
- Customers: How have you excelled in your customer knowledge and service?
- Innovation: Tell us about any notable innovations and creativity over the qualifying period.
- Sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion: What progress have you made on these important issues?
Audio Award
The Audio Award celebrates high achievement in audiobooks and other spoken content. Entries should bring to life the journeys of audio products including production, marketing and publicity, and explain any partnerships behind them.
Judges will want to see evidence of commercial success in downloads, streaming and physical sales: not necessarily bestseller status, but relative to your resources and expectations.
They will consider everything from single titles to full audio strategies. Publishers’ podcasts and other forms of audio are also eligible if they demonstrate a positive impact.
When submitting for this category, please answer these questions in no more than 1,000 words:
- Projects: What audio project or body of work are you submitting for this Award?
- Strategy: Please summarise the strategy you adopted for this work.
- Approaches: Tell us about the work that went into the production, marketing and / or publicity of your audio project.
- Commercial: What were the commercial achievements of your work? Please share any relevant numbers about sales, downloads or streams, or any examples that demonstrate your success.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award
This Award recognises efforts to make publishing a more diverse and inclusive industry, in both its output and its workforce.
We welcome entries that reflect achievements in many aspects of diversity, equity and inclusion. These can include publishing for under-represented communities; support for those with disabilities or special needs; initiatives to promote multiculturalism through books; and efforts to make publishing a more inclusive and accessible industry to work in. Whatever the focus, entries should show evidence of success and positive differences.
When submitting for this category, please answer these questions in no more than 1,000 words:
- Aims: Please summarise the aspects of diversity, equity and inclusion you have addressed and your key aims and targets.
- Work: What have you done in the last 12 months to meet your targets?
- Evidence: Please share any evidence of your achievements in 2023, including any relevant examples and numbers.
International Award
This Award celebrates success on the global stage. It can cover the sale of rights, co-editions or exports, and may refer to a single initiative or a whole strategy. Judges look for entrepreneurial vision, strong commercial results and an ability to extract maximum value from international markets.
When submitting for this category, please answer these questions in no more than 1,000 words:
- Strategy: Please summarise your strategy for international sales.
- Commercial: Tell us about your successes in rights or export sales in 2023, including total or individual book sales and deal values.
- Operations: How have you achieved these results? Tell us about any notable tactics, initiatives, partnerships, travel or other activities that have led to success.
Impact Award
This category replaces the Marketing Award for 2024. It continues to reward marketing campaigns and initiatives that bring publishers’ content to people’s attention and generate sales, but now also welcomes evidence of impactful publicity activity, events or other initiatives. Entries should cover specific projects rather than a body of work, and include evidence of strategic planning and research, clear objectives, imaginative techniques, good execution and commercial success.
When submitting for this category, please answer these questions in no more than 1,000 words:
- Projects: What specific activity or body of work are you submitting for this Award?
- Strategy: Please summarise the strategy you adopted for this work.
- Delivery: How did you execute this work, and what channels and technologies did you use?
- Impact: What were the results of your marketing? Please share any relevant numbers or examples to illustrate your success.
Metadata Award
The Metadata Award celebrates publishers that have worked hard on the quality of their data about books and other content. Entries should show judges the strategic thinking and processes behind improvements in metadata and give evidence of how they have raised the profile and sales of titles. This Award is your chance to showcase all the ways you keep your metadata accurate, extensive and effective, regardless of your size or area of publishing.
When submitting for this category, please answer these questions in no more than 1,000 words:
- Projects: What metadata project or body of work are you submitting for this Award?
- Strategies: Please summarise the strategies you have adopted for this work.
- Approaches: Tell us about the work that has gone into your metadata and improvements over the last 12 months.
- Achievements: What were your key achievements in metadata in 2023? Please share evidence of how your work has raised the profile, discoverability and sales of your titles, and any relevant endorsements or accreditation.
Newcomer Award
This award celebrates publishers that have been set up within the last five years. Judges want to see evidence of vision, strategy and engagement with the market, and impact in sales, marketing and publicity terms. The Award is open to publishers large and small and embraces organisations at the start of their journey as well as those who are now established in their fields. As well as impact so far, our judges assess potential and strategies for growth.
When submitting for this category, please answer these questions in no more than 1,000 words:
- Background: Please tell us the story behind your business and how and when you launched.
- Strategy: Summarise your business strategy and vision.
- Customers: How have you found, engaged with and satisfied your market since you launched?
- Operations: What were your highlights in commissioning, editing, design and production in 2023?
- Commercial: Tell us about your successes in the year, including total or individual book sales and your top marketing and publicity achievements.
Sustainability Award
This celebrates publishers that have made a positive impact on the world around them. It recognises both strategic and practical work to reduce environmental impacts, through supply chain, printing, office, waste management or other initiatives and innovations. Entries may also address social and economic aspects of sustainability, such as constructive engagement with communities, employees and partners. Entries should provide firm evidence of results and inspire others to act on sustainability.
When submitting for this category, please answer these questions in no more than 1,000 words:
- Projects: What sustainability project or body of work are you submitting for this Award?
- Strategy: Please summarise the strategy you adopted for this work.
- Approaches: Tell us about the work that has gone into your sustainability activities.
- Impact: What were the main results and benefits of your work in 2023? Please share any relevant numbers about your impacts, or examples that demonstrate your achievements.
Young Independent Publisher Award
This Award is open to all people under the age of 35 at 31 December 2023. It aims to recognise outstanding achievement by the rising stars of our industry, and accomplishments from all publishing functions and at all levels will be considered. Whatever their role, entrants must provide firm evidence of their contributions and impact on their business. Nominations for this Award can be made either directly by the individual or by their colleague/s. Everyone’s journey in publishing is different, so we do not set specific questions for this Award; simply tell us why the nominated individual deserves to be recognised in no more than 1,000 words.
Services to Independent Publishers Award
This Award is open to both individuals and organisations in all areas of the industry—from booksellers to consultants to distributors to printers and beyond. It recognises those who go the extra mile to serve independent publishers.
To make a nomination, simply tell us in 300 words or less why an individual or company deserves the Award. It should be based on services and achievements in 2023 rather than a longer period. You can nominate via the Awards entry platform or simply by emailing us at [email protected].