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Announcing the Winners and Finalists for the Independent Publisher Book Awards 2002

Complete results, along with impressions and photos from the presentation of the IPPY Awards at BookExpo America in New York.

Winners and Finalists in the sixth annual Independent Publisher Book Awards 2002 have been chosen, the Ten Outstanding Books of the Year have been named, and Awards were presented to winning publishers during BookExpo America 2002 in New York.

As usual, judging the Book Award entries was a demanding process - the quality of independently published work gets better every year. In some categories there could have been a dozen winners, but alas, we can only choose three, so it wasn't easy. But, these difficulties also demonstrate the excellence of the entries - we are totally impressed with the state of independent publishing today - and we congratulate all of the participants for their fine work over the last year.

There are many great stories to tell about the books, authors and publishers involved in this year's IPPY Awards festivities. The celebration we threw at the Algonquin Hotel will go down in BEA party history, and I'm certain we woke up a few literary ghosts that evening. See photos from the party and BookExpo below, beginning with a group shot of IPPY Award winners and finalists taken at our press conference.

One of my favorite stories from the weekend began when I delivered one of the ten Outstanding Book of the Year prizes to the Getty Publications (a division of the J. Paul Getty Trust) booth. The award was Best Book Arts Craftsmanship for their Sophochles' ANTIGONE, a beautiful, handmade, slip-cased edition. I jokingly said we were awarding them $500 because we heard they needed the money. At the party that evening, Director of Publications Chris Hudson told me that the craftspeople in India who created the book truly DO need the money. His description of the project:

"It is, essentially, a handmade book, with no part of the production process done by machines (except for the old-fashioned guillotine they use to trim the paper). The paper consists of cotton rags and assorted waste paper. The paints are non-toxic screen printing inks, mixed by hand and the glue used in binding is a water-based resin adhesive."

"The craftspeople are young men who have migrated from their villages to the city of Chennai (Madras) in search of work, have been trained in the art of hand-bookmaking, and are now quite well recognized in the area. We at the Getty had wanted to use their work for some time, and finally found the right project, which was -- they tell me -- the most difficult and complex production they've ever done."

"We were very happy to be able to find a way to bring this craftsmanship to an American book-buying public, at a price that is competitive with commercial production runs and yet fairly compensates the craftspeople. We are turning over the prize to them and forwarding a copy of the award certificate, which will -- I think -- be the first official American recognition of their expertise."

Independent publishing spirit and expertise comes in all sizes and budgets, and there are many more stories like this one to tell. I'll be telling some of them over the next few months on these pages. Scan through this list, and visit our 2002 Book Awards Results page for contact and buying info on all of the winners and finalists.

Thanks again to all of the IPPY Awards entrants -- and for those who missed the party, I toast you now -- Here's to another great year of independent publishing for all!

The Ten Outstanding Books of the Year

For 20 years our mission at Independent Publisher has been to recognize and encourage the work of independent publishers. We applaud those out there on the front lines, exhibiting the courage and creativity it takes to get noticed and to impress readers in a world of superstores and publishing conglomerates. The Ten Outstanding Books of the Year were chosen for exemplifying that kind of independent spirit. Each will receive a $500 cash award.

Most Inspirational to Youth: Where Does God Live? by August Gold & Matthew J. Perlman (Skylight Paths Publishing)

Business Breakthrough of the Year: The Answer to How is Yes: Acting on What Matters, by Peter Block (Berrett-Koehler Publishers)

Most Likely To Save the Planet: Visionaries: People and Ideas to Change Your Life, by Jay Walljasper, Jon Spayde and the editors ofUtne Reader (New Society Publishers)

Best Health Book: The McCall Body Balance Method: Simple Concepts for Ageless Movement, by Lisa Ann McCall (Brown Books)

Best Book Arts Craftsmanship: Sophocles' Antigone, retold by Gita Wolf & Sirish Rao; illus. Indrapramit Roy; Designed by Rathna Ramanathan (Getty Publications)

Best Corporate Branding Book: Single Malt Whisky: An Italian Passion, by Umberto Angeloni (Brioni Books)

Most Life-Changing: Continuation: Honoring and Celebrating the Human Condition, by R. Scott Brooks (Continuation Publishing Group)

Most Original Concept: Flowers, the Angels' Alphabet: The Language and Poetry of Flowers, by Susan Loy (CSL Press)

Story Teller of the Year: Jack Fritscher, author of What They Did to the Kid: Confessions of an Altar Boy (Palm Drive Publishing)

Most Unique Design: Vernal Equinox: Recent Photographs, by Martha Madigan (Michael Rosenfeld Gallery)

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2002 Independent Publisher Book Awards

1. Fine Art (History, Criticism, Exhibition Catalog)

Winner: Metamorphoses: The Transformative Vision of Junko Chodos (Long Beach Museum of Art)

Finalists: Transfigurations (Inner Traditions)

David Blackwood (Douglas & McIntyre)

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2. Performing Arts (Music, Dance, Theater)

Winner: Alexander Pushkin: Master Teacher of Dance (New York Public Library)

Finalists: Cootie Shots (Theatre Communications Group)

Act Right: A Manual for the On-Camera Actor (Haven Books)

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3. Photography

Winner: In Human Touch: Photographs, by Ernestine Ruben (University of Michigan Museum of Art )

Finalists: The High Himalaya (The Mountaineers Books)

Walker Evans: Cuba (Getty Publications)

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4. Architecture

Winner: The Early Louis Sullivan Building Photographs (William Stout Publishers)

Finalists: Lowcountry Plantations Today (Legacy Publications)

Minding a Sacred Place (Boulder House Publishers)

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5. Fiction - General

Winner: Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger (Grove/Atlantic)

Finalists: The Blood Remembers, by Terry Stanfill (Elton-Wolf Publishing)

The Days of the Bitter End, by Jack Englehard (ComteQ Communications)

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6. Short Story Fiction

Winner: Flesh and Bone: Stories, by Cydney Chadwick (Avec Books)

Finalists: These People Are Us, by George Singleton(River City Press)

Outrageous Tales, by Vladimir Sarkoff (Red Eye Books)

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7. Juvenile/Young Adult Fiction

Tie: Winners: Lew Wallace: Boy Writer, by Martha E. Schaaf (Patria Press) 

The Adventures of Pinocchio, by Carlo Collodi (Simply Read Books)

Finalists: Emma and the Civil Warrior, by Candy Dahl (Carolina Moon Publishing Co.)

Revenge on Rairarubia, by W. Royce Adams (Rairarubia Books)

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8. Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Winner: Angel Up My Sleeve: A Tale, by Ezra Scott (Fontanel Books)

Finalists: Children of the Lattice, by Leslie Cohen (BookSurge.com)

The Timebroker, by Nan Weizenbaum (Xlibris) 

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9. Horror

Winner: Frightening Curves, by Antony Johnston & Aman Chaudhary (Cyberosia Publishing) 

Finalists: Rash, by Charles Romalotti (Layman Books)

From Darkness Forth, by Suzon Claire (Fuzzywunkle)

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10. Multicultural Fiction

Winner: An American Sin, by Frederick Su (bytewrite LLC) 

Finalists: Dreams and Other Ailments, by Teresa Bevin (Gival Press LLC)

Pele Mā, by Frederick B. Wichman (Bamboo Ridge Press)

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11. Multicultural Fiction - Juv/Young Adult

Winner: A Movie In My Pillow (Una película en mi almohada), by Jorge Argueta (Children's Book Press)

Finalists: Blood On the Wind, by Lucille Bogue (Western Reflections) 

Through the Wormhole, by Robert J. Favole (Flywheel Publishing Co.)

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12. Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

Winner: First Lady, by Michael Malone (SourceBooks)

Finalists: Eyeball Wars, by David Meerman Scott (Freshspot Publishing)

The Catch, by Jonathan Hobbs (Elton-Wolf Publishing)

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13. Romance

Winner: Beaudry's Ghost, by Carolan Ivey (LTDBooks)

Finalists: Romancing the Holidays: Love Stories throughout the Year, Various Authors (Elan Press)

Fire, Burn! by Mallory Dorn Hart (John James Company)

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14. Visionary Fiction

Winner: Just a Couple of Days, by Tony Vigorito (Bast Books)

Finalists: A Hundred Ways to Sunday, by Robin Rice (Be Who You Are Press)

Starpeople: The Sirian Redemption, by Linda Tuck-Jenkins (Inspirational Fiction)

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15. Children's Picture Book (6 & under)

Winner: What Does the Sky Say? by Nancy White Carlstrom; illus. Tim Ladwig (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers)

Finalists: The City ABC Book (Kids Can Press) 

Hannah and Homunculus (Sleeping Bear Press) 

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16. Children's Picture Book (7 & over)

Winner: !El Cucuy! by Joe Hayes; illus. Honorio Robledo (Cinco Puntos Press)

Finalists: The Day the Animals Lost Their True Colors (Brain Injury Association of Kentucky Press)

Hooray for You! (Waldman House Press) 

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17. Essay/Creative Non-Fiction

Winner: My Misspent Youth, by Meghan Daum (Open City Books )

Finalists: Song of Anger: Tales of Tule Lake (Oral History Program, California State Univ, Fullerton)

A Second Life (Michigan State University Press)

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18. Juv/Young Adult Non-Fiction

Winner: The Sex Book (Lobster Press)

Finalists: Teen Girlfriends (Wildcat Canyon Press)

Daily Lifelines for Teens & Preteens (Lifelines Publishing)

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19. Multicultural Non-Fiction

Winner: Romance & Ritual: Celebrating the Jewish Wedding (Skirball Cultural Center)

Finalists: Hearts and Hands: Creating Community in Violent Times (Seven Stories)

People in Transition: Reflections on Becoming Canadian (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)

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20. Multicultural Non-Fiction - Juv/Young Adult

Winner: The Thundering Years: Rituals and Sacred Wisdom for Teens (Inner Traditions/Bear & Co.)

Finalists: Blue Jean Buddha: Voices of Young Buddhists (Wisdom Publications)

A Thousand Peaks: Poems from China (Pacific View Press) 

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21. Autobiography/Memoir

Winner: A Bar on Every Corner, by Jack Erdmann with Larry Kearney (Hazelden)

Finalists: Lake Lover's Year: A Writer Learns to Paint (Beaver Island Arts)

Happening (Seven Stories)

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22. Biography

Winner: Gifford Pinchot and the Making of Modern Environmentalism (Island Press)

Finalists: Sunk Without a Sound (Fretwater Press)

Shackleton's Photographer (FrankHurley.com) 

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23. Business/Career

Winner: Side by Side Leadership (Bard Press)

Finalists: The Business of Winning (CEP Press)

In Search of Ethics (DC Press)

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24. Coffee Table Books

Winner: Cityscapes: A History of New York in Images (Columbia Univ. Press)

Finalists: Obituary Cocktail (Vissi d'Arte Books)

Colorado Rocky Mountain Wide (Keen Media)

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25. Computer/Internet

Winner: Home Page Usability: 50 Websites Deconstructed (New Riders Publishing)

Finalists: How Computers Work (Que)

Photoshop 6.0 Down & Dirty Tricks (NAPP Publishing)

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26. Cookbooks

Winner: Rob Feenie Cooks At LUMIÉRE (Douglas & McIntyre)

Finalists: California Fresh Harvest (The Junior League of Oakland-East Bay)

Austin Entertains (The Junior League of Austin)

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27. Current Events

Winner: Alcohol: Cradle to Grave (Hazelden)

Finalists: Global Uprising: Confronting the Tyrannies of the 21st Century (New Society Press)

09/11 8:48 AM: Documenting America's Greatest Tragedy (BookSurge.com)

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28. Education/Academic/Teaching

Winner: Classroom Spaces That Work (Northeast Foundation for Children)

Finalists: Getting Ready For Speech (Language Solutions, Inc.)

The Impressionist Art Game (Birdcage Books)

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29. Environment/Ecology/Nature

Winner: The Southwest Inside Out (Wild Horizons Publishing)

Finalists: Stormy Weather: 101 Solutions to Global Climate Change (New Society Press)

Tidewaters of the Connecticut River (River's End Press, LLC)

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30. Erotica/Sexuality

Winner: Tickle Your Fancy (Tickle Kitty Press)

Finalists: The Velderet (Circlet Press)

Secret Space (Long Wind Publishing)

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31. Gay/Lesbian

Winner: Warlock: A Novel of Possession (Belhue Press)

Finalists: Scared Straight (Humanity Works!)

Faith Beyond Resentment (The Crossroad Publishing Co.)

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32. Health/Medicine/Nutrition

Winner: Healing Images for Children (Inner Coaching)

Finalists: The Jewel in the Wound (Chiron Publications)

Post-Polio: A Guide for Survivors and their Families (Yale Univ. Press)

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33. History

Winner: Russian and the Russians: A History (Belknap/Harvard University Press)

Finalists: Affairs of Honor (Yale University Press) 

A World Made Safe for Differences (Rowman & Littlefield)

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34. Home & Garden

Winner: Logee's Greenhouses Spectacular Container Plants (Willow Creek Press) 

Finalists: Culinary Herbs for Short-Season Gardeners (NRC Research Press)

Fast Fung Shui (Lotus Pond Press)

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35. How-To (Hobby/Crafts)

Winner: Knits for Barbie Doll (Soho Publishing Co.)

Finalists: Halloween Costumes for Kids (Tikka Books)

Create Your Family Quilt (The Electric Quilt Co.)

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36. Humor

Winner: Last Trout in Venice, by Doug Lansky (Travelers' Tales)

Finalists: Laughing it Off: The Low-Calorie Poem Diet (Walnut Pond Press)

People Like Us (Squash Publications)

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37. Inspirational/Spiritual

Winner: The Little Big Book for God's Children (Welcome Books)

Finalists: Swings Hanging from Every Tree: Daily Inspirations for Foster & Adoptive Parents (Wood 'n' Barnes)

Answers to Satisfy the Soul (Quill Driver Books)

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38. New Age

Winner: God the Astrologer: Soul, Karma and Reincarnation (Torchlight Publishing) 

Finalists: In Search of Lemuria: The Lost Pacific Continent (Golden Era Books) 

Opening My Wings To Fly: What Animals Have Taught Me (Hummingbird Farm Press)

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39. Parenting

Winner: Juggling Act: Handling Divorce Without Dropping the Ball (Free Spirit Publishing) 

Finalists: Before You Forget: The Wisdom of Writing Diaries for Your Children (Red Pail Press)

How to Talk with Teens About Love, Relationships, & S-E-X (Free Spirit Publishing)

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40. Poetry

Winner: Poetry Speaks: Hear Great Poets Read their Work from Tennyson to Plath (SourceBooks)

Finalists: Zirconia (FenceBooks)

Let It Be a Dance: Words & One-Liners (Carmel Publishing Co.)

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41. Popular Culture

Winner: The Great American Paperback (Collectors Press)

Finalists: Fast-Talking Dames (Yale Univ. Press)

Supercade: A Visual History of the Videogame Age 1971-1984 (MIT Press) 

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42. Sports/Recreation

Winner: Mario Andretti: A Driving Passion (David Bull Publishing)

Finalists: Fast Company: Motorcycle Racing's Pit Warriors (Long Wind Publishing)

Hunting the Quails of North America (Willow Creek Press) 

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43. Reference

Winner: Encyclopedia of Archeology (ABC-CLIO) 

Finalists: The Holocaust Encyclopedia (Yale Univ. Press)

Encyclopedia of Urban Legends (ABC-CLIO)

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44. Religion

Winner: On Holy Ground: Images of the Old Testament (Covenant Communications)

Finalists: New Testament History (Baker Academic)

Quantum Spirituality: A Journey of Personal Discovery (Quantum Spirituality Press)

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45. Science

Winner: Inventing Modern America (The MIT Press)

Finalists: The Coldest March (Yale Univ. Press)

Dinosaurs Under the Big Sky (Mountain Press Publishing)

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46. Self Help

Winner: Are Your Parents Driving You Crazy? (VanderWyk & Burnham)

Finalists: From Now On With Passion (Cypress House)

The I of the Storm: Embracing Conflict, Creating Peace (Unity House)

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47. Travel - Essay

Winner: Where the Pavement Ends (The Mountaineers Books)

Finalists: In Transit: The Insatiable Quest (Talisman Press)

American Southwest: True Stories (Travelers Tales)

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48. Travel - Guidebook

Winner: PassPorter Walt Disney World 2001 (PassPorter Travel Press)

Finalists: Gerry Frank's New York (Gerry's Frankly Speaking)

Hiking Arizona's Geology (The Mountaineers Books)

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49. Women's Issues

Winner: Turbo Chicks: Talking Young Feminists (Sumach Press)

Finalists: Never Again a World Without Us (Epica)

The 7 Aspects of Sisterhood (Common Boundaries)

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