Previous Finalists

Comments from Authors/Publishers

'This is how a book awards program should be done. Not only was it well run and well organized, it actually provided helpful, thoughtful and constructive feedback to me as an author. The group of judges (my intended readers) clearly read the book, and their intelligent insights reflected this fact. This particular awards program is truly for authors, and it helped me become a better storyteller.'


Robin Kobayashi, author of Twelfth-Night Cake & the Rosings Ghost

'As a YA author with no more teenagers in the house, it is extremely helpful to receive feedback (both praise and critique) from readers in my target demographic, and encouraging to see that I seem to be on the right track. It was a bonus to share finalist honors with two sister authors from our publisher's Year of Publishing Women. As long as my publisher remains small enough, I plan to enter the awards again.

Thank you for making an awesome weekend even better!'

Daughter of Magic, Karen Eisenbrey

'This is just great!!! I so love getting some specific feedback from teens. THANK YOU for running such a great awards program and for all the time and personal attention you put in. It is very much appreciated by this author!
YES please post it everywhere you can! Absolutely!'

D G Lamb, author of Driven to the Hilt: The Deepest Cut

'As a first-time self-published author, I was searching for ways to promote my YA novel, Karina, and found that many paid contests were not much more than a money-grab. So I was thrilled to come across The Wishing Shelf Awards, which provided me with a chance to have my book read by a cross-section of the reading public. I not only received detailed feedback on my writing--something desired by any writer serious about improving her craft--but also demographic information about those readers, which proved invaluable in my market-researching efforts. I would recommend this contest without reservation to any writer looking to increase her exposure.'

E B Mann, author of Karina

'We can’t imagine a better way to get feedback on our YA novel than to have it read and critiqued by young adults--only The Wishing Shelf Book Awards offered such a great opportunity. The detailed reviews and statistics were enormously helpful, not to mention gratifying. We got constructive criticism and readers’ comments which will be very helpful in future marketing efforts. We’d do it again in a heartbeat. Thank you, Wishing Shelf!'

Tom Wilinsky & Jen Sternick, authors of Snowsisters