Paid-entry recognition
American Book Fest Best Book Awards
American Book Fest
In short
The Best Book Awards are a paid contest run by American Book Fest, a book marketing company. Winners and finalists get a seal and a ten-month listing on the company's site, and the recognition circulates among independent authors and their readers rather than among bookstore or library buyers. Authors and publishers may enter at $89 per title per category, with one physical copy or a digital file per category. If you publish with a trade house, ask your publicist before entering.
Deadline August 31, 2027Checked September 13, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
Every label is a fact from the official rules, never a judgment about whether the award is worth entering. How we describe awards.
The Best Book Awards are the flagship program of American Book Fest, a book marketing company that also runs the International Book Awards and the American Legacy Book Awards. The 24th annual competition is the 2027 cycle, with a long category list across business, children's books, cookbooks, fiction, health, nonfiction, parenting, religion, self-help, spirituality, and travel.
Entry is open to mainstream, independent, and self-published books in English with an ISBN or ASIN, published from 2022 through 2027, including pre-publication copies. Entered books must be human-written and human-illustrated original work copyrighted by the author. One copy per category is required, as a physical galley or finished book, or as a PDF by email or file transfer.
The fee is $89 per title per category, reduced to $77 for entries received by September 30, 2026. The entry deadline is August 31, 2027, and winners and finalists are announced in mid-November 2027.
Why it may matter
This is a marketing-oriented program. Winners and finalists get a ten-month featured listing on the American Book Fest site, social media promotion, the right to use the designation, and free digital logos, with stickers and certificates sold separately. Recognition circulates among independent authors and their readers rather than among trade buyers or review outlets, and the wide publication window (2022 to 2027) makes it an option for backlist.
2027 cycle: 24th annual Best Book Awards (2027)
- Eligible publication dates
- January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2027
- Early deadline
- September 30, 2026Checked September 13, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Final deadline
- August 31, 2027Checked September 13, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Deadline note
- Reduced fee for entries received by September 30, 2026; entry deadline August 31, 2027. Books published 2022 through 2027 are eligible, including pre-publication copies.
- Entry fee
- $77 per title per category through September 30, 2026, then $89 per title per categoryChecked September 13, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Results
- Winners and finalists announced nationally in mid-November 2027
| Tier | Deadline | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Early pricing, per title per category | September 30, 2026 | $77 |
| Standard, per title per category | August 31, 2027 | $89 |
Worth knowing
Our reading, not a rule the organization published. We judge an award on the rubric in how we describe awards.
An earlier link to a 2026 general award page now returns a not-found error; the 2027 Best Book Awards page carries the current rules. American Book Fest runs several award programs from the same company, and each has its own fee and deadline; this record covers the Best Book Awards only.
Rules and deadlines change. We last checked this information on September 13, 2026. If you see something that needs updating, please tell us.
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