Why choose Children's Book International?
- AWA's Children's Book International offers authors one of the most inclusive, affordable, and influential children's book competition on the planet today.
- Low-cost entry fee and electronic submission--no need to pay for printing or shipping costs or deal with the hassles of regular mail.
- A single category registration qualifies a piece for the category prize as well as "Book of the Year" consideration. Two "Book of the Year" Winners--Nonfiction and Fiction--will be awarded.
- Books can be entered into multiple categories for increased odds of winning. A full list of categories can be found below or on page 1 of the entry form.
- "Book of the Year," Category Winners, and Finalists will be sent an official AWA Children's Book International Award seal for promotional use and possible cover placement, published and promoted on our website and media channels, and referred to talent agents in New York and Los Angeles for possible manuscript review.
- Unpublished manuscripts and entries prior to publication can be submitted--a great chance to increase your book’s chances of future publishing offers. Submit an edited final manuscript (as a PDF), and if you win, add a Children's Book International seal to your book cover before publication.
- Announcements of winners are made to public libraries, booksellers, and our multiple media channels, including newspaper publications, Facebook, and more.
ALL ENTRIES MUST BE SUBMITTED ON OR BEFORE MARCH 15, 2026
- $39 per title/per category
- Winners and Finalists will be announced on April 2, 2026--INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S BOOK DAY.
- Published title entries must have a 2022-2026 publication date--with the exception of Legacy titles--and be published in English. Galley copies, unpublished manuscripts, and entries prior to publication are also welcome.
- All sales are final. Authors retain all rights to submitted work. Entry Submissions are deleted from the entry database at the conclusion of the competition.
PLEASE NOTE: Our staff will be communicating with you via e-mail--an entry confirmation email and if your title places you as a winner or finalist in the contest. Take notice that our messages may be placed in your spam folder. One way to make sure our messages reach your inbox is to add our e-mail address to your contact list. Your email will be saved in our database for all future communications.
SUBMISSION CHECKLIST
ALL ENTRIES ARE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY
Submitting your work electronically:
- Process your entry fee online.
- E-mail “info@americanwritingawards.com” a copy of your filled-out entry form as well as a PDF copy of your book. Make sure to include the cover. A full list of categories can be found below or on page 1 of the entry form.
- Attach a past Press Release or Marketing Material for each title (if available).
- Include your e-mail address that was used to process your entry fee payment online (page one of the entry form).
- “American Writing Awards” should appear on your credit card/Paypal statement.
We welcome your questions, comments, and ideas! Simply email us @ info@americanwritingawards.com for an immediate response.
