150 Award Genres
Children
- Children - Action
- Children - Adventure
- Children - Animals
- Children - Audiobook
- Children - Christian
- Children - Coming of Age
- Children - Concept
- Children - Educational
- Children - Fable
- Children - Fantasy/Sci-Fi
- Children - General
- Children - Grade 4th-6th
- Children - Grade K-3rd
- Children - Mystery
- Children - Mythology/Fairy Tale
- Children - Non-Fiction
- Children - Picture Book
- Children - Preschool
- Children - Preteen
- Children - Religious Theme
- Children - Social Issues
Christian
- Christian - Amish
- Christian - Biblical Counseling
- Christian - Devotion/Study
- Christian - Fantasy/Sci-Fi
- Christian - Fiction
- Christian - General
- Christian - Historical Fiction
- Christian - Living
- Christian - Non-Fiction
- Christian - Romance - Contemporary
- Christian - Romance - General
- Christian - Romance - Historical
- Christian - Thriller
Fiction
- Fiction - Action
- Fiction - Adventure
- Fiction - Animals
- Fiction - Anthology
- Fiction - Audiobook
- Fiction - Chick Lit
- Fiction - Crime
- Fiction - Cultural
- Fiction - Drama
- Fiction - Dystopia
- Fiction - Fantasy - Epic
- Fiction - Fantasy - General
- Fiction - Fantasy - Urban
- Fiction - General
- Fiction - Graphic Novel/Comic
- Fiction - Historical - Event/Era
- Fiction - Historical - Personage
- Fiction - Holiday
- Fiction - Horror
- Fiction - Humor/Comedy
- Fiction - Inspirational
- Fiction - Intrigue
- Fiction - LGBTQ
- Fiction - Literary
- Fiction - Magic/Wizardry
- Fiction - Military
- Fiction - Mystery - General
- Fiction - Mystery - Historical
- Fiction - Mystery - Legal
- Fiction - Mystery - Murder
- Fiction - Mystery - Sleuth
- Fiction - Mythology
- Fiction - New Adult
- Fiction - Paranormal
- Fiction - Realistic
- Fiction - Religious Theme
- Fiction - Science Fiction
- Fiction - Short Story/Novela
- Fiction - Social Issues
- Fiction - Southern
- Fiction - Sports
- Fiction - Supernatural
- Fiction - Suspense
- Fiction - Tall Tale
- Fiction - Thriller - Conspiracy
- Fiction - Thriller - Environmental
- Fiction - Thriller - Espionage
- Fiction - Thriller - General
- Fiction - Thriller - Legal
- Fiction - Thriller - Medical
- Fiction - Thriller - Political
- Fiction - Thriller - Psychological
- Fiction - Thriller - Terrorist
- Fiction - Time Travel
- Fiction - Urban
- Fiction - Visionary
- Fiction - Western
- Fiction - Womens
Non-Fiction
- Non-Fiction - Adventure
- Non-Fiction - Animals
- Non-Fiction - Anthology
- Non-Fiction - Art/Photography
- Non-Fiction - Audiobook
- Non-Fiction - Autobiography
- Non-Fiction - Biography
- Non-Fiction - Business/Finance
- Non-Fiction - Cooking/Food
- Non-Fiction - Cultural
- Non-Fiction - Drama
- Non-Fiction - Education
- Non-Fiction - Environment
- Non-Fiction - Genealogy
- Non-Fiction - General
- Non-Fiction - Gov/Politics
- Non-Fiction - Grief/Hardship
- Non-Fiction - Health - Fitness
- Non-Fiction - Health - Medical
- Non-Fiction - Historical
- Non-Fiction - Hobby
- Non-Fiction - Home/Crafts
- Non-Fiction - Humor/Comedy
- Non-Fiction - Inspirational
- Non-Fiction - LGBTQ
- Non-Fiction - Marketing
- Non-Fiction - Memoir
- Non-Fiction - Military
- Non-Fiction - Motivational
- Non-Fiction - Music/Entertainment
- Non-Fiction - New Age
- Non-Fiction - Occupational
- Non-Fiction - Parenting
- Non-Fiction - Relationships
- Non-Fiction - Religion/Philosophy
- Non-Fiction - Retirement
- Non-Fiction - Self Help
- Non-Fiction - Short Story/Novela
- Non-Fiction - Social Issues
- Non-Fiction - Spiritual/Supernatural
- Non-Fiction - Sports
- Non-Fiction - Travel
- Non-Fiction - True Crime
- Non-Fiction - Womens
- Non-Fiction - Writing/Publishing
Poetry
Romance
Young Adult
- Young Adult - Action
- Young Adult - Adventure
- Young Adult - Coming of Age
- Young Adult - Fantasy - Epic
- Young Adult - Fantasy - General
- Young Adult - Fantasy - Urban
- Young Adult - General
- Young Adult - Horror
- Young Adult - Mystery
- Young Adult - Mythology/Fairy Tale
- Young Adult - Non-Fiction
- Young Adult - Paranormal
- Young Adult - Religious Theme
- Young Adult - Romance
- Young Adult - Sci-Fi
- Young Adult - Social Issues
- Young Adult - Thriller
Illustration Award
Recommend this book:
Don't Sell Me, Tell Me
How to use storytelling to connect with the hearts and wallets of a hungry audience
Greg Koorhan
2017 Bronze Medal
158 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Business/Finance
Don't Sell Me, Tell Me is a non-fiction business/finance book written by Greg Koorhan. Koorhan is a filmmaker and the founder of a digital marketing firm that specializes in creating marketing content for entrepreneurs and businesses. With so many businesses out there competing for the same limited market, what can a company do to stand out of the crowd? Koorhan suggests storytelling, and his argument is based on mankind's centuries-old love of stories. The public is wise to even the most inspired sales pitches and spins, he argues, so why not entertain them as you build your customer base? Stories can get your customers personally involved in your story, your product and your company, and creating that story is not nearly as difficult as most believe. Koorhan discusses the benefits of creating a story, the different basic types of stories, and how to get started with your own. He explains what structure and plot are, and shares the universal plots that most stories share. Then he shows the reader how to mine his/her personal/professional life and business experiences to create a compelling story that will get customers involved. Koorhan provides a number of downloadable worksheets as well as a workbook for working on the topics and suggested assignments within the text.
Greg Koorhan's non-fiction business/finance book, Don't Sell Me, Tell Me, is proof in itself of how a well-told story can engage and excite even the most skeptical audience. Most of us, business owners and self-employed professionals alike, love stories, but actually creating one is viewed as a totally different matter. Koorhan's story shows just how easy it can be to write that story. He breaks down every step in the process and gives convincing arguments why those pesky things like structure and plot really do have to be ironed out a bit before sitting down and creating your masterpiece. This book is a must-read not only for business owners, but for anyone who's dreamed of seeing their work published or even hoped to pass that compulsory English 101 course. Best of all, Koorhan's easy teaching style and enthusiasm for his topic make the process of story-telling seem a lot less like suffering and more of a fun, creative exercise. I had a great time reading Don't Sell Me, Tell Me and working through the author's suggestions. Don't Sell Me, Tell Me is most highly recommended.
Recommend this book:
The Start-Up J Curve
The Six Steps to Entrepreneurial Success
Howard Love
2017 Bronze Medal
288 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Business/Finance
Start-Ups are hard. The Start-Up J Curve: The Six Steps to Entrepreneurial Success by Howard Love is a comprehensive guide that speaks about a start-up’s evolution and helps readers to know what to do and what not to do, and makes the path to success efficient and smooth. The book shows the pattern in which a start-up unfolds so that entrepreneurs are aware of the pattern and their odds of success will increase. Reading this book will have a positive effect and assure you that other entrepreneurs have faced the same difficult issues. The Start-Up J Curve suggests how the value of the enterprise tends to decline over the first few phases, and the primary value creation develops during the latter stages.
The concept of The Start-Up J Curve is helpful and useful to all those who are on a start-up program and need to communicate it to a wider audience. I found the ideas and suggestions valid and valuable, and they will prepare you to meet the inevitable challenges as and when they arise. The author also speaks about the many myths that are associated with start-ups, and points out areas where the thinking patterns and beliefs need to be altered to become successful. This book will definitely help readers become familiar with the start-up path. It is a good read for all those who are planning to start up a business. The book is honest, direct, and insightful, and touches on all the topics required when it comes to start-ups.
Recommend this book:
Madison Avenue Manslaughter
An Inside View of Fee-Cutting Clients, Profit-Hungry Owners and Declining Ad Agencies
Michael Farmer
2017 Honorable Mention
221 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Business/Finance
Madison Avenue Manslaughter (An Inside View of Fee-Cutting Clients, Profit-Hungry Owners and Declining Ad Agencies) by Michael Farmer is a non-fiction book on business and finance. This is a book that would appeal most to an adult audience of those who either work in or are interested in the advertising industry. Advertising agencies are facing destruction due to increased workloads and declining fees, but there is still hope for them. Michael Farmer exposes the real problems that advertising agencies face in the modern world, and shows how to overcome these problems in order to fix the advertising industry and make it sustainable. What would happen if the advertising industry collapsed on itself with no hope of revival?
As a blogger and freelance writer, I found Madison Avenue Manslaughter by Michael Farmer to be a very interesting book. Michael Farmer clearly displays both his knowledge and expertise in writing this book in such a way that those without professional advertising or marketing experience could still understand it. Prior to reading this book, I had not considered just how close the advertising and marketing industries are to collapse. I liked the way that the author not only unveiled the problem and potential problems, but offered ways to solve the crisis in a realistic manner; his writing style made the material both easy to understand and interesting. The fact that everything was backed up with clear evidence only added more proof to the author’s ability to not only recognize the problem, but also come up with real solutions. After reading the book, the only question I was left with was: why have these solutions not already been implemented?
Recommend this book:
Hire Power
Everything Entrepreneurs Need To Know To Hire Awesome People
Rikka Brandon
2017 Finalist
228 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Business/Finance
In an excellent new work by author, serial entrepreneur, recruiter and speaker Rikka Brandon, Hire Power: Everything Entrepreneurs Need To Know To Hire Awesome People is a guide that business owners will find themselves turning to time and again, as they strive to develop the teams that they want and need. This book provides an excellent set of principles for anyone in hiring, from those who are relatively inexperienced in the human resources field to seasoned professionals. The book is loaded with practical and easy to follow advice on how to attract, find, and engage the workers you need, as well as information on the very best way to conduct interviews so that you know you are getting what you truly want in a new employee.
I very much enjoyed Hire Power: Everything Entrepreneurs Need To Know To Hire Awesome People. Author Rikka Brandon has done a stellar job in imparting a wealth of information for her readers, and has certainly written a book that will be useful to anyone that takes part in the hiring process, both now and well into the future. The book is extremely well laid out and provides step by step advice in finding that perfect match for your team. Many leaders would find this book to be the exact thing they are looking for if they are struggling in any way with their hiring process. I am pleased to be able to highly recommend Hire Power: Everything Entrepreneurs Need To Know To Hire Awesome People, and will certainly be on the look out for any other helpful books written by Rikka Brandon in the future!
Recommend this book:
Evolve like a Butterfly
A Metamorphic Approach to Leadership
Mayur Ramgir
2017 Finalist
250 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Business/Finance
Mayur Ramgir's Evolve like a Butterfly: A Metamorphic Approach to Leadership is a groundbreaking work on leadership with powerful lessons inspired by the life cycle of a butterfly. A butterfly! The title of the book got me intrigued and I was wondering “Why a butterfly” when there are thousands of complex and beautiful creatures that can be used as an example. But, surprisingly, it turned out to be the most excellent and succinct metaphor I have encountered in works on leadership. Starting with an unusual definition of leadership, the author shows how the life of a butterfly can be the perfect example of the kind of leadership that brings lasting change, highlighting powerful elements of leadership that are visible in the growth process of this insect. This is a book that will change the way readers look at life, at leadership, and how they approach problem solving and their business.
Evolve like a Butterfly: A Metamorphic Approach to Leadership is written in a light, popular style, accessible to readers with different reading skills, filled with real life examples that make the concepts easily digestible. This book is replete with the wisdom that readers need to lead their lives and to lead others, and the author writes with confidence, which indicates his mastery of the subject. I particularly loved the Leadership Development Framework, modeled after the different stages of the evolution of the butterfly. Readers will understand the different stages in their growth toward effective leadership and find the tools that will allow them to grow in confidence, trusting in themselves, and taking control. There are wonderful thoughts that can accompany readers in this book and one of my favorites was: “Convince yourself that you can do it and the rest of the world will automatically be convinced.” Mayur Ramgir's book is a gift for leaders and everyone who wants to make an impact on the lives of others.
Recommend this book:
Predictive Analytics
The Power to Predict Who Will Click, Buy, Lie, or Die
Eric Siegel
2017 Silver Medal
368 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Business/Finance
Predictive Analytics by Eric Siegel is a detailed but readable overview of a somewhat complex math-driven prediction technique which uses sophisticated computer programs to analyse and extrapolate information from large amounts of personal data - data which is generally available from internet, social media, and company records. Writing in a non-technical, anecdotal style, the author covers a great deal of ground, providing a clear picture of the current state of the science. Predictive Analytics (PA) is used in a variety of disciplines such as stock market trading, fraud detection, policing, insurance, medicine and, probably the aspect that we are more familiar with, marketing. He explains how the algorithms work, the benefits, pitfalls and sometimes unexpected side effects of PA; for instance, how prejudice can be perpetuated by using some types of data, how predicting death can cause unwelcome complications with health insurance, how what you post on social media can have unforeseen effects on whether you will be accepted for a credit card, have your tax return audited, or cause a restaurant you may have mentioned to be inspected. There is a large section on the processes that enabled IBM to create Watson, the machine that won the quiz show Jeopardy, and also a good deal of information on machine learning and the prospects of artificial intelligence. Written primarily for the non-professional, the book also includes links and appendices for those who would like to study the subject further.
I fully expected Predictive Analytics to be a difficult read, but was pleasantly surprised at the style and accessibility of the work. It is easy to follow and should be of interest to anyone who is concerned about how the personal information which all of us supply routinely to service providers like public utilities, banks and Facebook, vendors like Amazon, and our employers is used. I am sure that we have all experienced some of the results of data mining, where adverts quickly appear on our social media pages as soon as we have looked at some item or other on the net. But some of the aspects of PA I found to be quite disturbing, like the way employers such as Hewlett Packard are using PA to analyse their employee records to predict which employee is likely to leave the company, or how health insurance companies are able to use PA to analyse their clients’ claim histories to establish who is likely to die. Eric Siegel points out that data is the new oil and that PA is gaining pace and sophistication at an unprecedented rate. He goes on to suggest that control legislation is urgently required in some areas, but in the meantime I strongly suggest you read this book - forewarned is forearmed, as they say.
Recommend this book:
The Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
Lolly Daskal
2017 Gold Medal
240 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Business/Finance
The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness by Lolly Daskal is a book that every leader needs to read, one with the advice that many growing leaders never have the chance to hear. As I read this book, I thought about all the men and women who have driven me, and the patterns outlined in this well-crafted and compelling work surface very powerfully in their lives. Drawing from popular psychology, philosophy, and professional experience, the author unearths traits in leaders who fail because they rely solely on their skills and on what has consistently worked for them — which might not be relevant anymore.
In well-crafted prose and providing wonderful insights, the author illustrates how our skills and talents can become stumbling blocks on our way to greatness. And did you know that the overconfident leader can suddenly become the imposter, that the person who builds on truth can become a master at using lies to lead others, that the explorer can become the exploiter, and that the gifts that make us rise can turn against us when we fail to discern what really makes us grow and connect more intimately with ourselves and with others? The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness is a ground-breaking work on leadership, a book that showcases the author’s leadership skills and experience so brilliantly that it will provoke a revolution in the hearts of up-and-coming leaders, and help those leading others to be more aware of the dangers that come with their skills. Lolly Daskal writes with confidence and leaves the reader in no doubt that she is a master of the subject. It’s perfect leadership psychology.
Recommend this book:
Unbarred Innovation
A Pathway to Greatest Discoveries
Mayur Ramgir
2016 Honorable Mention
232 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Business/Finance
Unbarred Innovation: A Pathway to Greatest Discoveries by Mayur Ramgir is a unique look at entrepreneurship and having confidence in yourself and your ideas. There is nothing that you cannot do. Many times, people are confused or lack confidence in their ideas. So they back off and return to their ordinary lives. However, if the most innovative people of our time had thought the same way, we might not have this amount of advancement in our time. What I really liked about this book is the fact that the advice given can be applied to anyone and any idea.
This advice is not restricted to one industry, so to speak. Mayur Ramgir gives sound advice on how your idea can be the next big thing too, if only you give yourself the chance to explore it. There is nothing too complicated or technical in this book that you cannot understand. You will not find anything that will confuse you. It is the best motivational book I have ever read. It has a constant uplifting theme backed by good word choice.
I feel that Mayur Ramgir did a phenomenal job by providing the general public with a confidence boost. His use of real innovators' success stories also helps to back up the whole theme of the book. I would highly recommend this book to people who are lost and need direction in their careers. This will definitely help them with very good, sound advice.
Recommend this book:
How I Sold 80,000 Books
Book Marketing for Authors (Self Publishing through Amazon and Other Retailers)
Alinka Rutkowska
2016 Bronze Medal
156 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Business/Finance
How I Sold 80,000 Books: Book Marketing for Authors (Self Publishing through Amazon and Other Retailers) is a business/finance self-help book written by Alinka Rutkowska. The author writes children's books and has been an independent publisher as well as a coach for authors seeking to do the same. She introduces her topic with a word most of the non-business savvy world cringes from: marketing. And she discusses how marketing should begin almost before an author starts writing and certainly before selecting a title. Rutkowska presents the four Ps that are the ingredients to success in marketing an indie book. They are Product, Place, Price and Promotion. She thoroughly discusses each of these aspects of marketing, and illustrates each topic with examples from her experiences and useful links. In the section on Product, Rutkowska discusses the editing process and the three types of editors needed for any text before publication. In Promotion, she discusses giveaways and other promotional tools designed to make your book sell. She also includes a list of recommended readings and a bonus section containing six interviews with established authors who discuss their marketing strategies and their paths to success.
Alinka Rutkowska's business/finance self-help book, How I Sold 80,000 Books: Book Marketing for Authors (Self Publishing through Amazon and Other Retailers) is a veritable textbook for aspiring indie authors. The material presented within is densely packed and loaded with ideas, strategies and essential tips that are neatly organized, packaged and imparted in a conversational and highly accessible manner. And that's no mean feat for a book that has so much to offer. Rutkowska suggests that readers read this book several times, especially when they're preparing a book for publication, something she herself does, and I would have to agree.
I was very impressed with Rutkowska's coverage of her topic. While I've read a number of books on independent publishing, I've not encountered as complete and user-friendly a work on the marketing aspect. I found her presentation of her subject to be enthusiastic and entertaining. Rutkowska manages to infect her readers with the joy she takes in tackling the challenges of marketing a publication and making it into a best-seller. She even simplifies the intricacies of Amazon's publishing options and discusses the pros and cons of those somewhat arcane and complicated schemes. How I Sold 80,000 Books: Book Marketing for Authors (Self Publishing through Amazon and Other Retailers) is now my go-to book on the subject and it's most highly recommended.
Recommend this book:
Strategy-In-Action
Marrying Planning, People and Performance
Thomas D. Zweifel,Edward J. Borey
2016 Silver Medal
252 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Business/Finance
Strategy-In-Action: Marrying Planning, People and Performance by Thomas D. Zweifel and Ed Borey presents ten chapters of business advice including questioning whether strategy is dead, being the change, sustaining momentum, and measuring performance and results through a dashboard. Aimed at senior or executive-level management employees, the book’s goal is to teach the reader how to be a dynamic leader with a strategic process. The three core principles of Strategy-In-Action are (1) Strategy and execution go together; (2) Each phase of the process is equally important, and (3) The strategists in the company include the alignment of the company’s decision makers and stakeholders. A brief history of strategy starting back in the 6th century BCE is provided. Zweifel and Borey also put forth seven facts of the new landscape: speed, globalization, internet/virtual organizations, new technologies, democratization, empowerment, and complexity.
As a business professor, I am drawn to books like Strategy-In-Action: Marrying Planning, People and Performance by Thomas D. Zweifel and Ed Borey. Strategy-In-Action would make a great supplement to or even a textbook for a graduate-level business course on Strategic Management. I like the debunking of the linear fallacy where people believe that strategy can be broken down into tasks to be performed. As Zweifel and Borey make clear, it doesn’t always work that way. I appreciated the chapter on “The Art of Measurement,” What’s on the Dashboard?” and the case studies and graphics included to help grasp this complex topic. The Strategy-In-Action Worksheet at the end of the book was a nice way to sum up the process in a takeaway that readers can use.