President's Book Award

Recognizing book publishing excellence and creativity in design, content, and production.

Each year, the Florida Authors and Publishers Association (FAPA) sponsors the FAPA President’s Book Awards, which recognizes book publishing excellence and creativity in design, content, and production for authors and publishers. This contest isn't limited to Florida, it is open to anyone throughout the world, as long as the book is written in English. We hope to encourage entries from all who share our complex and wonderful language. Finalists are chosen by publishing professionals, librarians, and educators from within and outside of Florida and are announced at the President’s Book Awards Ceremony held in conjunction with FAPA's annual conference on August 1 and 2, 2025.
FAPA membership is not required for entry, although FAPA members receive discounts on submissions. Not a member? Join FAPA here.

EARLIEST BIRD SPECIAL! Rates for entries received between October 1 & midnight December 31 are $75 for FAPA Members and $95 for nonmembers.

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL! Rates for entries received between January 1 and midnight February 28 are $80 for FAPA Members and $105 for nonmembers.

REGULAR REGISTRATION rates for entries received between March 1 and midnight April 30 are $85 for FAPA Members and $110 for non-members.

IMPORTANT! To receive the FAPA member discount, you must be logged in to the FAPA website as a member. You will need to enter your FAPA Member ID# and expiration date when submitting your entry. To get your FAPA Member ID# and expiration date, log in to the FAPA website, click on the arrow next to your name in the upper right-hand corner, and underneath, click on profile. Once in your profile, click on Membership Card & Badges in the left-hand column to open your membership card. Take note of your Member ID# and expiration date. Then click on the Book Awards tab to read the instructions and scroll to the bottom of the guidelines to submit.

If you are not a FAPA Member and would like to receive the member discount, please join FAPA before submitting your entry. No refunds are available once a submission is processed.

All contest categories will close at Midnight EST on April 30,2025.

Award Winners Receive

Gold, Silver, or Bronze medal
Ten free award seal stickers
Digital download of the FAPA President’s Book Awards medallion with permission to use on eBooks
Certificate of Achievement
Recognition at the FAPA President’s Book Awards ceremony on August 2, 2025 in Orlando
Winning books added to the FAPA Bookstore online

GUIDELINES

Please read these guidelines carefully. Submitting an entry that is incomplete or does not meet our criteria may delay the judging process or disqualify your entry.
No refunds are available once a submission is processed.
Before you submit, compile all the required information, including the author’s address, phone number, and email, as well as the email addresses of coauthor(s), publisher, illustrator, and cover designer, if applicable.
To help you prepare, you may view and download the application instructions and questions here.
Books are submitted digitally. A complete PDF file of your book's manuscript and a PDF or JPG digital image of the full spread (including the front cover, spine, and back cover) consistent with the industry, are required.
You will also need to enter the ISBN, the Publisher (the 'Published by' name as it is officially registered with the
ISBN agency, including any entity or LLC, if applicable, or your name), and the year published.

Entries must have a valid ISBN and include the year published within the book.
Publication dates eligible for entering this year’s awards are 2023, 2024, or 2025.
Books must be submitted in PDF format only; no other format is acceptable.
Cover Art is required for all entries, including front, back, and spine.
Cover art must be the full spread of your book’s press-ready art, submitted in PDF or Professional JPG only. Photos and other image formats are not acceptable.
eBooks are not being accepted at this time. eBooks submitted in PDF, ePub, Mobi, html, or other eBook file formats will not be assigned to judges or reviewed.
Previous titles entered in FAPA President’s Book Awards may not be reentered.
FAPA board members may enter books in the awards competition.
Entries close at Midnight EST on April 30, 2025.

Application Instructions

JUDGING

Judges are librarians, educators, and professionals from the publishing industry. Each entry is scored by three judges who volunteer their time to ensure that the FAPA Award represents excellence in writing and publishing. The goal of the award is to recognize outstanding books and to provide appropriate recognition of authors, illustrators, cover designers, and publishers. Therefore, medals are awarded based on the rating of the individual book. For example, if multiple entries in a category score high enough to qualify for a gold medal, multiple golds will be awarded. Likewise, if no book in a category warrants a gold, multiple silver or bronze medals could be awarded, or it is possible that no medal would be awarded in that category.

View the scoring rubrics and assessment questions for entries in book categories and cover design above.

Books

View Judging Rubrics:

Children's Books

Cover Design

AWARDS CEREMONY

Winners will be announced in our June newsletter and on our website. Additionally, each winner will receive a congratulatory email from the president in the first week of June. However, the specific award, gold, silver, and bronze, will not be revealed until our awards ceremony, which is held immediately following FAPA’s annual convention in August.

In the event a winning author or their designee does not attend the awards ceremony, the medal will be mailed to the author’s address listed on the submission form. If you change addresses before the end of August 2025, please notify the president to ensure that your medal is sent to the correct address.

Submit A Book