categories

Explore Our Award Categories

The Independent Publisher Book Awards feature over 100 categories, celebrating excellence in a wide array of publishing genres and formats. From general and regional categories to specialized eBook awards, the IPPYs recognize outstanding works in fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and more. With a category for everyone, we encourage you to submit your book and showcase your talent within the independent publishing community.

general categories

1. Fine Art Image
2. Performing Arts (Music/Dance/Cinema/Theater) Image
3. Photography Image
4. Architecture Image
5. Coffee Table Books Image
6. Popular Fiction Image
7. Literary Fiction Image
8. Short Story Fiction Image
9. Poetry – Standard Image
10. Poetry – Specialty Image
11. Anthologies Image
12. Juvenile Fiction Image
13. Young Adult Fiction – General Image
14. Young Adult Fiction – Fantasy Image
15. Fantasy Image
16. Science Fiction Image
17. LGBTQ+ Fiction Image
18. Erotica Image
19. Historical Fiction Image
20. Military/Wartime Fiction Image
21. Horror Image
22. Multicultural Fiction Image
23. Multicultural Fiction – Juv-Young Adult Image
24. Mystery Image
25. Suspense/Thriller Image
26. Religious Fiction Image
27. Romance Image
28. Novella/Short Fiction Image
29. Visionary/New Age Fiction Image
30. True Crime Image
31. Graphic Novel/Drawn Book Image
32. Humor Image
33. Children’s Picture Books (7 & Under) Image
34. Children’s Picture Books (All Ages) Image
35. Children’s Interactive Image
36. Juvenile-Young Adult Non-Fiction Image
37. Multicultural Non-Fiction – Juv-Young Adult Image
38. Multicultural Non-Fiction – Adult Image
39. Essay Image
40. Creative Non-Fiction Image
41. Autobiography/Memoir I (Celebrity/Political/Romance) Image
42. Autobiography/Memoir II (Coming of Age/Family Legacy) Image
43. Autobiography/Memoir III (Personal Struggle/Health Issues) Image
44. Biography Image
45. Aging/Death & Dying Image
46. Animals/Pets Image
47. Business/Career/Sales Image
48. Cookbooks- General Image
49. Cookbooks – Specialty Image
50. Current Events I (Political/Economic/Foreign Affairs) Image
51. Current Events II (Social Issues/Humanitarian) Image
52. Education I (Workbook/Resources) Image
53. Education II (Commentary/Theory) Image
54. Nature Image
55. Environment/Ecology Image
56. Finance/Investment/Economics Image
57. LGBTQ+ Non-Fiction Image
58. Gift/Specialty/Journal Image
59. Holiday Image
60. Health/Medicine Image
61. History (U.S.) Image
62. History (World) Image
63. History (Oversized/Coffee Table) Image
64. Inspirational/Spiritual Image
65. New Age / Mind-Body-Spirit Image
66. Parenting Image
67. Popular Culture Image
68. Psychology/Mental Health Image
69. Sports/Fitness/Recreation Image
70. Reference Image
71. Religion (Eastern/Western) Image
72. Science Image
73. Self Help Image
74. Sexuality/Relationships Image
75. Transportation (Auto/Aviation/Railroad) Image
76. Travel – Essay Image
77. Travel – Guidebook Image
78. Women’s Issues Image
79. Writing/Publishing Image
80. Book/Author/Publisher Website Image

81. Cover Design – Fiction

82. Cover Design – Non-Fiction
83. Cover Design – Non-Fiction Oversize
84. Best First Book – Fiction Image
85. Best First Book – Juv/YA Image
86. Best First Book – Non-Fiction Image
87. Book Series – Fiction Image
88. Book Series – Non-Fiction Image
89. Audiobook – Fiction* Image

90. Audiobook – Mystery/Thriller Image

91. Audiobook – N-F – Personal Image
92. Audiobook – N-F – Informational Image

regional categories

Our Regional Categories honor books where location plays a significant role. The entire book doesn’t need to take place in one setting, but the location should be a notable feature of the story or subject. These categories include awards for “Best Fiction” and “Best Non-Fiction” in each region.

Books with general topics or no identifiable location aren’t ideal for these categories. Remember, choose your category based on the book’s setting, not the author’s residence.

Northeast Image

Mid-Atlantic Image

Southeast Image

South Image

Great Lakes
Image

Asia/Australia/New Zealand-Aotearoa/Pacific Rim

Plains Image

West-Mountain Image

West-Pacific Image

Canada–East Image

Canada-West
Image

Europe

ebook categories

E1. Best Adult Fiction eBook Image

E2. Best Romance/Erotica eBook Image

E3. Best Mystery/Thriller eBook Image

E4. Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror eBook Image

E5. Best Adult Non-Fiction Personal eBook
Image

E6. Best Adult Non-Fiction Informational eBook Image

E7. Best Juvenile/Young Adult Fiction eBook Image

E8. Best Children’s Illustrated eBook Image

E9. Best Regional eBook – Fiction Image

E10. Best Regional eBook – Non-Fiction Image
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Our winning of a gold medal in the 2008 competition has greatly helped book sales. We sold nearly 2500 copies of Wild Alberta at the Crossroads last year and had to order a reprint of 1500. When we show retailers the gold medal they are always impressed and invariably order some books.

Robin White

NatureWatch Partners

MEDALIST

Explore award-winning titles and join us in recognizing the authors, editors, publishers, illustrators, and photographers who have made a lasting impact with their work. These creators push the boundaries of storytelling and design, leaving a lasting legacy in publishing.

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GUIDELINES

With entries open to books published from 2024-2026, submissions are judged on quality, originality, and design. Winners are awarded gold, silver, or bronze medals and enjoy year-long recognition and promotion. Keep reading for more details on eligibility, fees, and deadlines.

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