The nonrefundable entry fee for all submissions is $99.
Each entry receives a publishable assessment by a Publishers Weekly reviewer and a chance to win the $5,000 grand prize or the $1,000 category prize.
The BookLife Prize is an annual writing contest sponsored by BookLife and Publishers Weekly that seeks to support independent authors and discover great books.
The BookLife Prize has two Contests:
Fiction Contest
Entry period April 1, 2021 through August 31, 2021
Five categories: Romance/Erotica, Mystery/Thriller, Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror, General Fiction, YA/Middle Grade
Nonfiction Contest
Entry period October 1, 2021 through January 31, 2022
Four categories: Memoir/Autobiography, Self-Help, Inspirational/Spiritual, and Business/Personal Finance
Both contests are judged by PW reviewers, editors, acclaimed authors, and publishing veterans.
Prizes
The grand-prize winner for both the Fiction and Nonfiction Contest of the BookLife Prize will receive $5,000 as well as an author profile in Publishers Weekly.
All finalists will receive a blurb from a best-selling/award-winning author or professional editor serving as a guest judge for the contest, as well as mention in Publishers Weekly. Plus they each receive $1,000 worth of BookBaby’s Facebook + Instagram for Authors.
All entrants receive a critic’s report, which includes a score as well as a brief written critical assessment of their book by a Publishers Weekly reviewer. Click here to see sample reviews.