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2003 Independent Publisher Book Awards Results

IPPY Award Winners Confirm Growth and Diversity of Independent Publishing

Winners and Finalists in the seventh annual Independent Publisher Book Awards have been chosen, the Ten Outstanding Books of the Year have been named, and Awards will be presented to winning publishers at BookExpo America 2003 in Los Angeles.

The quality of the books entered this year took another quantum leap forward, and we were awed by their phenomenal creativity and craftsmanship. From our viewpoint, independent publishing continues to mature, improve, and become a more vital part of the world of books and reading. Everyone here at Independent Publisher and Jenkins Group applaud the courage of authors and publishers who aren't afraid to take chances and break new ground. This is where the innovation in the world of publishing comes from.

In all, 1545 titles were entered by 952 publishers, a 25% gain over last year's participation, which had been clearly affected by 9/11 and the subsequent budget-tightening that occurred. This year, 30 New York City publishers entered, along with entrants from all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and six Canadian provinces. This year's Awards also saw increased numbers of participants, winners and finalists in e-book and Print-on-Demand format, reinforcing the viability and growth of these new publishing technologies.

The 2003 "IPPY" Awards saw continued emergence of quality regional publishing from throughout North America, with winners and finalists coming from 41 U.S. states and six Canadian provinces. This is a testament to the abilities and resourcefulness of publishers who are able to create quality books anywhere, from South Dakota to South Carolina, from New Mexico to New Brunswick.

The state of California claimed the most award-winners with 26, followed by New York with 17. Massachusetts and Minnesota publishers each claimed eight Awards, followed by Texas (7) and Washington (5).

Congratulations to all participants for their fine work!

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The Ten Outstanding Books of the Year

Ten Outstanding Books of the Year were chosen for exemplifying courage, creativity, and independent spirit. Each will receive a $500 cash award.

Most Inspirational to Youth: Dreams To Grow On, by Christine Hurley Deriso; illus. by Matthew Archambault (Illumination Arts)

Business Breakthrough of the Year: The Personal Branding Phenomenon, by Peter Montoya (Personal Branding Press)

Most Likely To Save the Planet: Live Safely in a Dangerous World: How To Beat the Odds of Dying in an Accident, by John C. Myre (Safety Times)

Best Health Book: The John Hopkins Medical Guide to Health After 50 (REBUS Inc.)

Best Book Arts Craftsmanship: Antarctica : Explorer Series, Volume 1, by Pat & Rosemarie Keough; hand binding by Felton Bookbinding (Nahanni Productions)

Best Corporate Branding Book: Museum of Flight: 100 Years of Aviation History, by Museum of Flight, Seattle (Elton-Wolf Publishing)

Most Life-Changing: The Intersection of Joy and Money, by Mackey Miriam McNeill, CPA/PFS (Prosperity Publishing)

Most Original Concept: The High Sierra of California, by Gary Snyder (Heyday)

Story Teller of the Year: Dave Eggers, author of You Shall Know Our Velocity and founder of McSweeny's Books

Most Unique Design: Macy's On Parade, written and illustrated by Pamela Pease (Paintbox Press)

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2003 Independent Publisher Book Awards

1. Fine Art

Winner: Contemporary Chicano and Chicana Art (Bilingual Press / Editoral Bilingé)

Finalists: Whitney Biennial 2002 (Whitney Museum of American Art)

Stained Glass in Catholic Philadelphia (St. Joseph's University)

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2. Performing Arts

Winner: Debussy: Pelleas et Melisande (Andante)

Finalists: Russ Columbo and the Crooner Mystique (Feral House)

Pixerecourt: Four Melodramas (Martin E. Segal Theater Center)

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3. Photography

Winner: Abandoned America, photographs and text by Steve Gottlieb (Sleeping Bear Press)

Finalists: Quizzical Eye: The Photography of Rondal Partridge (Heyday Books)

Reefs and Rain Forests, by Murray S. Kaufman (Reefs and Rain Forests Publications)

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4. Architecture

Winner: Ralph Rapson: Sketches and Drawings from Around the World (Afton Historical Society Press)

Finalists: Architecture Canada 2002 (Tuns Press)

Prefab (Gibbs Smith, Publisher)

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5. Fiction - General

Winner: The God File, by Frank Turner Hollon (MacAdam/Cage)

Finalists: Avoidance, by Michael Lowenthal (Greywolf Press)

One Foot in Eden, by Ron Rash (Novello Festival Press) 

Cloud Cuckoo Land, by Lisa Borders (River City Publishing)

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6. Short Story Fiction

Winner: Coal Miner's Holiday, by Kiki DeLancey (Sarabande Books)

Finalists: Small Accidents, by Andrew Gray (Rain Coast Books)

McSweeny's 7, various authors (McSweeny's Books)

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7. Juvenile / Young Adult Fiction

Winners: The Raging Dragon, by Len Lamensdorf (Seascape Press)

Finalists: Partners in the Wilderness: Travis's Choice, by Ed Kienzle (Jetback Publishing)

The Hero Perseus: A Mad Math Mystery, by Robin and Tony DiTocco (BrainStorm Publications)

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8. Fantasy / Sci-Fi

Winner: an end., by Paul Evan Hughes (BookSurge, LLC)

Finalists: Enoch's Portal, by A.W. Hill (Champion Press Ltd.

Cuqui, by David L. Kilpatrick (1st Books Library)

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9. Historical / Military Fiction

Winner: Speaks the Nightbird, by Robert McCammon (River City Publishing)

Finalists: The River Is Mine, by Arian Gill (Local Color Press)

A Bloodline of Kings, by Thomas Sundell (Crow Woods Publ.)

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10. Horror

Winner: The Craving, by A.K. Sheils (LTDBooks)

Finalists: When the Autumn Moon Is Bright, by Brian Easton (Writer's Club Press / iUniverse)

Cries from the Cradle, by Bonita Wagner (Writer's Club Press / iUniverse)

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11. Multicultural Fiction

Winner: Soy la Avon Lady and Other Stories, by Lorraine López (Curbstone Press)

Finalists: Not My Bowl of Rice, by E.R. Escober (1st Books Library)

Red Thunder, by David Matheson (Media Weavers LLC)

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12. Multicultural Fiction - Juv / Young Adult

Winner: Pájaro Verde (The Green Bird), by Joe Hayes; illustrated by Antonio Castro L. (Cinco Puntos Press)

Finalists: The Hoopster, by Alan Lawrence Sitomer (Milk Mug Publishing)

Lucas and His Loco Beans, by Ramona Moreno Winner; illustrated by Nicole Velasquez (BrainStorm 3000)

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13. Mystery / Suspense / Thriller

Winner: The Holy, by Daniel Quinn (Context Books)

Finalists: Restless Spirit, by S.D. Tooley (Full Moon Publishing)

The Kokopelli Theory, by Kevin Correa (Lone Peak Press)

A Fine and Private War, by Stuart M. Van Tine (Force Books)

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14. Romance

Winner: Another Chance, Another Time, by Catherine Snodgrass (LTDBooks)

Finalists: Shyla's Initiative, by Barbara Casey (Crossquarter Publishing Group)

Scandal's Daughter, by Mallory Dorn Hart (John James Co.)

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15. Visionary Fiction

Winner: The Lapsit Chronicles, by Edith Shaw (Dealen-de Publishing)

Finalists: Sunrise At Two Lions, by Jeff Belyea, PhD (Suite One Design Group)

We Came As Angels, by Kenneth W. Brown (Waterwoods Press)

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

Winner: Sweet Dreams Douglas, by Regan Dunnick (Junior League of Houston)

Finalists: Alphabeasts, by Wallace Edwards (Kids Can Press)

Just You And Me, by P. Taylor Copeland; illustrated by Suzi Bliss Kyle (Grammy Time Books)

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

Winner: Faerie: Dragonfire Series, by Jody Bergsma (Gallery Press)

Finalists: Rip Squeak and His Friends Discover the Treasure, by Susan Yost-Filgate; illustrated by Leonard Filgate (Rip Squeak Press)

In English, of Course, by Josephine Nobisso; illus by Dasha Ziborova (Gingerbread House)

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18. Aging / Death & Dying

Winner: Remembering the Death of a Child (Sugarloaf Publishing House)

Finalists: Anna's Friends (Rogue River Books)

A Good Enough Life: The Dying Speak (Goose Lane Editions)

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19. Essay / Creative Non-Fiction

Winner: Remembrance: A Tribute to America's Veterans, by Robert A. and Robert B. Fletcher (Iron Mountain Press)

Finalists: The Story of My Typewriter, by Paul Auster and Sam Messer (Distributed Art Publishers)

Ohio States: A Twentieth-Century Midwestern, by Jeffrey Hammond (Kent State University Press)

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20. Juvenile / Young Adult Non-Fiction

Winner: Ten Amazing People and How They Changed the World (Skylight Paths)

Finalists: Secrets of Space (innovative KIDS)

Exploring Chinatown (Pacific View Press)

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21. Multicultural Non-Fiction

Winner: Sun Tzu's THE ART OF WAR: Plus the Ancient Chinese Revealed (Clearbridge Publishing)

Finalists: These Hands I Know (Sarabande Books)

Ojibwe Waasa Inaabidaa (We Look in All Directions) (Afton Historical Society Press)

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22. Multicultural Non-Fiction – Juvenile / Young Adult

Winner: If the World Were a Village (Kids Can Press)

Finalists: A Mexican Christmas (Carolrhoda Books)

Juan Quezada (Norman Books) 

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23. Autobiography / Memoir

Winner: Negotiating with the Dead: A Writer on Writing, by Margaret Atwood (Cambridge University Press)

Finalists: Epicurean Simplicity, by Stephanie Mills (Island Press)

Copywriter: A Life of Making Ads and Other Mistakes (Hot House Press)

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24. Biography

Winner: First World Flight: The Odyssey of Billy Mitchell (U.S. Press)

Finalists: Dangerous Kitchen: The Subversive World of Frank Zappa (ECW Press)

The Honors Class: Hilbert's Problems and Their Solvers (A.K. Peters)

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25. Business / Career

Winner: The 9 Super Simple Steps to Entrepreneurial Success (Gatekeeper Books)

Finalists: Investigating Workplace Harassment (Society for Human Resource Management)

Due North! Strengthen Your Leadership Assets (Crystal Stairs Publishers)

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26. Coffee Table Books

Winner: Cowboy Artists of America (Greenwich Workshop)

Finalists: Masking and Madness: Mardi Gras in New Orleans (Vissi d'Arte Books)

The Wonder of American Toys 1920-1950 (Collectors Press)

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27. Computer / Internet

Winner: The Blankenhorn Effect (Trafford/A-Clue.com)

Finalists: Arc the Lad Official Strategy Guide (Working Designs Inc.)

Leonardo's Laptop (The MIT Press)

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28. Cookbooks

Winner: Into the Sauce! From Our Cucina to Your Kitchen (Buca di Beppo)

Finalists: Retro Diner (Collectors Press)

Texas on the Plate (Shearer Publishing)

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29. Current Events

Winner: The Lion's Grave: Dispatches from Afghanistan (Grove/Atlantic)

Finalists: Evidence: The Case Against Milosevic (de.MO)

Misplaced: New York City's Street Kids (Xenium Press)

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30. Education / Academic / Teaching

Winner: Jimi's Book of Japanese (PB&J Omnimedia)

Finalists: Disarming the Playground: Violence Prevention Through Movement and Pro-Social Skills (Wood ‘n' Barnes)

Expecting Good Things of All (The Blake School)

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31. Environment / Ecology / Nature

Winner: There's A Porcupine in My Outhouse (Capital Books)

Finalists: Northeastern Wilds (AMC Books)

The Sacred Balance (Greystone Books)

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32. Erotica / Sexuality

Winner: TOYGASMS! An Insider's Guide to Sex Toys and Techniques (Tickle Kitty Press)

Finalists: Nocturnal Admissions (ECW Press)

Making Love Again (Ant Hill Press)

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33. Gay / Lesbian

Winner: Black Like Us: A Century of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual African American Fiction (Cleis Press)

Finalists: Gift of the Soul (Rainbow Pride Press)

Out/Lines: Underground Gay Graphics from Before Stonewall (Arsenal Pulp Press)

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34. Health / Medicine / Nutrition

Winner: The Ultimate Healthy Eating Plan: that still leaves room for chocolate (Whitecap Books)

Finalists: The Kids' Guide to First Aid (Williamson Publishing)

The Little Big Book of Pregnancy (Welcome Books)

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35. History

Winner: PARIS: Capitol of the World (Belknap/Harvard)

Finalists: Secrets of the Magic Valley and Hagerman's Remarkable Horse (Black Canyon Communications) 

Heaven On Earth: The Rise and Fall of Socialism (Element Books)

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36. Home & Garden

Winner: Flower Arranging: The Winterthur Way (Winterthur Museum)

Finalists: The Intuitive Gardner (Fulcrum Publishing)

Wildflowers of Monterey County ( Carmel Publishing Co.)

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37. How-To (Hobby / Crafts)

Winner: Folded Flowers (Breckling Press)

Finalists: Carving Found Wood (Fox Chapel Publishing)

Handpaint Country (XRX Books)

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38. Humor

Winner: Growing Up Simple…in Texas, by George Arnold (Eakin Press)

Finalists: Red Meat Cures Cancer, by Starbuck O'Dwyer (Midnight Books) 

The Harmon Chronicles, by Harmon Leon (ECW Press)

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39. Inspirational / Spiritual

Winner: Sins and Needles: A Story of Spiritual Mending (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill)

Finalists: Words of Common Sense (Templeton Foundation Press)

Consider the Butterfly (Gibbs Smith, Publisher)

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40. New Age

Winner: Prince of Dharma: The Illustrated Life of the Buddha (Mandala Publishing)

Finalists: You're Every Sign! (Health Communications)

Healing the Fisher King (Art Tao Press)

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41. Parenting

Winner: Talking To Your Kids About Sex (Nomad Press)

Finalists: Together: Creating Family Traditions (Nine Twenty Press) 

Our Family Meeting Book (Free Spirit Publishing)

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42. Poetry

Winner: Ebbing and Flowing Springs, by Jeff Daniel Marion (Celtic Cat Publishing)

Finalists: No Sign of Ceasefire: An Anthology of Contemporary Israeli Poetry, Edited and translated by Warren Bargad and Stanley F. Chyet (Skirball Cultural Center)

Either/Ur, by Shawn Sturgeon (River City Publishing)

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43. Popular Culture

Winner: Trailer Travel: A Visual History of Mobile America (Gibbs Smith, Publisher)

Finalists: Analog Days: The Invention and Impact of the Moog Synthesizer (Harvard University Press)

Hal Foster: Prince of Illustrators (Vanguard Productions)

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44. Psychology / Mental Health

Winner: The Science of Romance: Secrets of the Sexual Brain (Prometheus Books)

Finalists: The Illusion of Conscious Will (MIT Press)

The Road to Malpsychia (Element Books)

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45. Sports / Recreation

Winner: Fighting Finish: The Volvo Ocean Race – Round the World 2001-2002

Finalists: Barney Oldfield: The Life and Times of America's Legendary Speed King (Brown Fox Books)

Castwork: Reflections of Fly Fishing Guides and the American West (Willow Creek Press)

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46. Reference

Winner: Encyclopedia of North American Sporting Dogs (Willow Creek Press)

Finalists: On My Own: The Ultimate How-To Guide for Young Adults (Silly Goose Productions, LLC)

Religions of the World (ABC-CLIO)

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47. Religion

Winner: Mystics and Miracles: True Stories of Lives Touched By God (Loyola Press)

Finalists: Girl Meets God: On the Path to a Spiritual Life (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill)

Sacred Stone: The Temple at Nauvoo (Covenant Communications, Inc.)

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48. Science

Winner: That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles (ECW Press)

Finalists: Our Molecular Future (Prometheus Books)

Copper and Bronze in Art (Getty Publications)

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49. Self Help

Winner: Tips & Tools to Speak with Confidence: Keys to Finding Your Voice (Fingertip Solutions)

Finalists: The Courage to Be Brilliant (Vittorio Media)

Answering Your Call: A Guide for Living Your Deepest Purpose (Berrett Koehler Publishers)

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50. Travel - Essay

Winner: American Countryside (Blake & King Publishers)

Finalists: Ireland's Eye (House of Anansi Press) 

Holmespun: An Intimate Portrait of an Amish and Mennonite Community (Eaglemont Press)

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51. Travel - Guidebook

Winner: Napa Valley Expedition Guide (TravelBrains)

Finalists: Paddling in Paradise: Sea Kayak Adventures in Atlantic Canada (Goose Lane)

Yellowstone Treasures: The Traveler's Companion to the National Park 

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52. Women's Issues

Winner: Vermont Farm Women (Silver Print Press)

Finalists: Monster Lies: A Woman's Guide to Controlling Her Destiny (Beagle Bay Books)

Tales from the Boom-Boom Room (Bloomberg Press)

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See upcoming issues of INDEPENDENT PUBLISHER ONLINE www.independentpublisher.com for articles and more info on this year's IPPY Awards.
 

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