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Sports book awards
Recognition for sports writing that reaches a reader who does not follow the sport. Every book is read in full and measured against our published Standard of Excellence.
What this category recognizes
The best sports books are about something other than sport. Ambition, failure, ageing, belonging, the cost of being extraordinary at one thing.
The category covers athlete and coach memoir, sports history, books about a team or a season, coaching and performance, the business and politics of sport, and books about participation rather than competition.
The test that separates the strongest entries is whether a reader indifferent to the sport still wants to finish the book.
What the standard looks like here
The ten pillars apply to every category. This is how each one is read when the book is about sport.
The Writing
Voice, Tone and Style
Whether the writing rises above the register of sports reporting.
Craft and Technical Execution
Whether action is written so a reader unfamiliar with the sport can follow it.
Structure and Organization
Whether the book has a shape beyond the chronology of a season or a career.
The Substance
Originality and Concept Strength
Whether the book has an angle, particularly on a well-covered subject.
Depth of Content and Insight
Whether it examines cost, failure, and what happens afterwards.
The Reader
Audience Impact and Purpose Fulfillment
Whether it works for a reader who does not follow the sport.
Emotional and Psychological Impact
Whether the reader feels what was at stake for the people in it.
Overall Impact and Distinction
What the reader carries beyond the outcome.
The Finished Book
Production Quality and Presentation
Trade-standard production, with accurate sourcing and any statistics or images the reader needs.
Category Relevance
Whether sport is genuinely the subject.
Questions about entering a sports book
Is a book about an amateur or recreational sport eligible?
Yes. Level is not a factor. Books about participation are assessed on the same standard as books about elite competition.
My book is my own athletic career. Which category?
Either this or Memoir. Here if the sport is the subject, Memoir if the life is. Many authors enter both.
Are coaching and performance books eligible?
Yes, and they are assessed on how well they serve the reader they address.
Related categories
Submit your sports book
Entry is $79 for your first category. Your complete manuscript is read in full and measured against the ten pillars.