Rubery International Book Award

るべりーこくさいぶっくしょう

An international literary award given annually to self-published and indie publisher works written in English.

FictionPoetryNonfictionChildren's booksYAShort StoriesIndie PublishingSelf-Publishing

Established: 2010
Organizer: Rubery Book Award (Heather Painter)
Category: Children's Literature, Fairy Tales, and Picture Books
Selection Method: Open call
Target: Open
Frequency: 1 per year
Application Deadline: around March
Announcement Period: around July
Status: Active

Description

The Rubery International Book Award (Rubery Book Award) was established in 2010 by Heather Painter as an international literary award targeting books published by self-publishers and indie publishers written in English. In the UK, it is considered one of the largest cash prizes for independent/self-published books (specific prize amount not specified in the original text). Winners are selected annually in multiple categories such as fiction, poetry, nonfiction, children's books, YA, short story collections, etc., attracting submissions from around the world. Judging is conducted by a panel of writers, publishers, agents, and others.

Prize

Main Prize: Cash prize awarded to winners along with recognition and promotion from winning (specific amount not listed in original).

Increased visibility from winning
Publishing/promotion opportunities (details depend on announcements)
Special awards such as Book of the Year available

Selection

Selection Process

Stage	Judges	Pass Rate	Announcement
First Round (application reception and text screening)	Initial selection panel (multiple judges)	—	Longlist or initial selection results may be posted on the official website (details vary by year).
Second Round (Longlist to Shortlist)	Clare Morrall, Alan Mahar, Pauline Morgan, Paul McDonald, Jeff Phelps, Gaynor Arnold, Judith Allnatt, Ann Evans, Simon Cheshire, Chris Morgan, William Gallagher, Laura Longrigg (examples of past and current judges)	—	Shortlist may be announced on the official website and related media.
Final Round (winners and Book of the Year determination)	The above judging panel (members vary by year)	—	Winners are announced on the official website, with the list of winners published online.

First Round (application reception and text screening)

Judges Initial selection panel (multiple judges)

Announcement Longlist or initial selection results may be posted on the official website (details vary by year).

Second Round (Longlist to Shortlist)

Judges Clare Morrall, Alan Mahar, Pauline Morgan, Paul McDonald, Jeff Phelps, Gaynor Arnold, Judith Allnatt, Ann Evans, Simon Cheshire, Chris Morgan, William Gallagher, Laura Longrigg (examples of past and current judges)

Announcement Shortlist may be announced on the official website and related media.

Final Round (winners and Book of the Year determination)

Judges The above judging panel (members vary by year)

Announcement Winners are announced on the official website, with the list of winners published online.

Criteria

Literary merit (quality of style and expression)
Originality and novelty of theme
Structure and plot (where applicable)
Appeal to readers
Publishing quality (editing, proofreading, binding, etc.; quality is important even for indie/self-publishing)

Application Tips

Dos

Carefully refine English expression and grammar (proofreading is essential even for self-publishing)
Check the entry requirements and categories, and apply in the appropriate category
Prepare work summary and blurb (book byline), ensuring editorial quality
Follow the submission format and form specified on the official website

Don''ts

Neglect editing or proofreading (quality is important even for self-publishing)
Submit in a format that violates the entry requirements
Apply in a language other than English (this award targets English works)
Submit incomplete metadata or contact information

From Judges

For indie or self-publishing, 'quality' is a key judging criterion (pay attention to editing, expression, and proofreading)
Emphasis on originality and appeal to readers
Check category-specific criteria and ensure the entry fits the category before applying