Are You Illinois’ next Soon To Be Famous Author?

The eighth annual Soon To Be Famous Illinois Author contest is now open and accepting entries!

Sponsored by the Illinois Library Association, RAILS and member libraries throughout the state, the Soon To Be Famous Illinois Author Project contest recognizes the best in Adult and  Young Adult fiction by Illinois self-published authors. This year, there’s also a new contest for self-published Adult and YA fiction originally written in Spanish, De la Página a la Fama.

The contests opened April 1, and will accept entries through May 31, 2021. Winners will receive:

  • Statewide recognition by Illinois libraries as the top indie-published books in adult and young adult categories
  • Cash prizes for each winner
  • Opportunities to promote your book(s) at Illinois public libraries
  • Inclusion in a full-page print spread in Library Journal
  • Print book sales to Illinois’ public libraries
  • Inclusion in Popup Picks, a mobile media curation service offered by Reaching Across Illinois Library System, for three months
  • Opportunity to compete with other Indie Author Project (IAP) contest winners for the Indie Author of the Year award
  • Honors at the 2022 spring IAP reception
  • Opportunities to earn royalties through the IAP Select collection

To be eligible for either contest, participating authors must be over 18, and live in Illinois. The book being submitted must be self/independently published by the author, who must hold the copyright. The book must be between 50,000 and 200,000 words, and not have received any previous awards. Books must be entered in either a PDF or ePUB format. Books entered in De la Pagina a la Fama must have been written originally in Spanish.

Click learn more and submit your work to the Soon To Be Famous Illinois Author Project contest or the De la Pagina a la Fama contest.