Previous Finalists

Comments from Authors/Publishers

'I entered the Wishing Shelf Book Awards with two of my children's books and was delighted to win gold in the age 9-12 category. It means so much to have feedback from children in the age group that I write for and the whole process has given my confidence a big boost. The awards are exceptionally well-run and Edward keeps all entrants informed throughout the process. I would have no hesitation in recommending the awards to other authors.'

Jemma Hatt, author of The Adventurers and The Cursed Castle

'Entering The Wishing Shelf Awards is a very rewarding experience. Unlike other rewards, after entering, the only thing an author can do is wait for the result which will come months later. Edward Trayer, the founder and organizer of this award, informs you every step along the way. He creates this wonderful community of authors on Facebook and we discuss matters related to writing and cheered for each other. I’m very glad that my book won a gold medal. I was overjoyed when I read that 16 out of 17 readers would like to read my next book. I feel so encouraged. Writing isn’t a lonely uphill battle anymore. Thank you, Edward and all the readers/judges!'

Anna Wang, author of Inconvenient Memories

'I was uncertain when I initially approached The Wishing Shelve Book Awards 2019 and wasn’t sure what it entailed. I was thinking I would not make it as a finalist. Once I submitted my book Greedy Gertie I had many questions and each time I emailed Edward he would response within a reasonable timescale. He was always professional and answered all my questions. Eventually, I was contacted by Edward and was informed I was one of the finalists. This was a great surprise even to make it this far, therefore I really appricated this gesture. As soon as I drafted the fact that I was a finalist on social media I gained a lot of attention, Friends congratulating me on my finalist success. Although, I didn’t win the award, being a finalist with The Wishing Shelve Book Awards 2019 was beneficial in many ways and a great achievement for me on a personal level. Being recognised as one of the finalists meant it added another layer of credibility to my book and it was recognised by many readers that my book was worthy of this status.

The informative written feedback provided by The Wishing Shelve Awards has been useful and I will be using it to reflect upon when preparing my books in the future. It was a great feeling to be made aware of that 16 people would in the future read another book written by me.'

Salma Zaman, author of Greedy Gertie

'Thank you so much for all of the excellent feedback! I really appreciate all of the organization and hard work it takes to provide this monumental service to writers and readers.'

Cherie Magnus, author of Intoxicating Tango

'The Awards were helpful for me mainly because of the feedback I got as a finalist. I am always searching to know what my target audience really thinks of my books. These being educational comics, I always strive to hit that sweet spot where the story is both fun and entertaining as well as educational, and I need proof that I’m getting it right! I am also very far removed from my audience in terms of age and geography, so I find it hard to keep up with what they are looking for in a book like mine. An author has above all got to know their audience, and what that audience wants. Even though I didn’t win, the Wishing Shelf Book Awards allowed me to obtain rare insight into the opinions of those who read my book. This is invaluable to me.'

Alan J. Hesse, author of The Adventures of Polo the Bear