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Anthology book awards
Recognition for anthologies, where the editing is as much the work as the writing. Every anthology is read in full and measured against our published Standard of Excellence.
What this category recognizes
An anthology is a curated work. Multiple contributors, gathered around a theme by someone whose judgement about what belongs together is the thing being assessed.
The category covers themed collections, charitable and community anthologies, essay collections, collections of memoir and testimony, and multi-contributor collections of fiction, nonfiction, or both. It appears in both cohorts, and it is one category either way.
Recognition goes to the author who submits. The certificate, the emblem, and the Distinguished Author designation are issued once, in the name entered on the submission form. For anthologies that is usually the editor or compiler. Contributors are not separately recognized and additional certificates are not issued, so enter the name that should appear on the certificate.
What the standard looks like here
The ten pillars apply to every category. This is how each one is read when the book is an anthology.
The Writing
Voice, Tone and Style
Whether the collection has an editorial sensibility, and whether the range of contributor voices is a strength rather than an inconsistency.
Craft and Technical Execution
The editing. Whether contributions have been shaped to a standard rather than accepted as submitted.
Structure and Organization
The arrangement. Excellence here means an order that builds, with contributions placed rather than listed.
The Substance
Originality and Concept Strength
Whether the theme is a genuine organising idea rather than a container.
Depth of Content and Insight
Whether the collection illuminates its theme from angles a single author could not.
The Reader
Audience Impact and Purpose Fulfillment
Whether the reader finishes with a fuller understanding of the theme.
Emotional and Psychological Impact
Whether the cumulative effect exceeds any individual piece.
Overall Impact and Distinction
Whether the book justifies being an anthology rather than a single-author work.
The Finished Book
Production Quality and Presentation
Trade-standard production, with consistent formatting across contributions and clear contributor attribution.
Category Relevance
Whether it is genuinely a curated multi-contributor collection.
Poetry, Short Story Collection, or Anthology?
Poetry
A collection of poems, by one poet.
Tell: it is verse.
Short Story Collection
Short fiction, by one author or several.
Tell: they are stories, and it is fiction.
Anthology
Work by multiple contributors gathered around a theme, fiction or nonfiction.
Tell: many people wrote it, and someone assembled it.
Questions about entering an anthology
Who receives the recognition?
The author who submits the book. One certificate, one emblem, one archive entry, issued in the name on the submission form. Contributors are not separately recognized.
I contributed to an anthology. Am I a Distinguished Author?
Only if you submitted the book. Recognition is issued once, to the submitting author.
Should I enter under Fiction or Non-Fiction?
Whichever matches the content. It is the same category either way, and entering once is sufficient.
Is a charity anthology eligible?
Yes, and it is assessed on the same ten pillars as any other collection.
Related categories
Submit your anthology
Entry is $79 for your first category. Your complete manuscript is read in full and measured against the ten pillars.