Winning Awards . . . and Not*

 

I’ve won a few awards. And here is what they’ve done for my book sales.

 

Nada.

 

Yes, winning awards is wonderful. I won two awards—back-to-back—at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference in 2020, and I cried buckets, hugged lots, and posed for photos with make-up smeared all over my face. Those awards are now a prized part of my brag wall. So what did they do for my sales figures and ability to sell books to editors?

 

Nada.

 

Am I thrilled I’ve won? Of course, I am. I highly recommend contests of all ilk to writers. You can get astonishing sound feedback and winning does raise your profile in the industry.

 

But let’s manage the expectations. 

 

First, more books deserve awards than get them. That’s just a fact of life. Don’t despair or fall into the trap of thinking you’re not good enough if you did not get so much as a mention from a contest. One of my favorite authors wrote more than sixty books—and made a living as an author—before winning a major award. Another had thirty under her belt before any recognition came her way via an awards committee. You are not writing for an award. Follow your heart on this.

 

Second, remember that awards are not life changing. Nor will they usually boost your sales. Only a few national awards do that and winning those is akin to capturing lightning in a bottle. After the hoopla of a win dies down, get your rear back in that chair and keep typing. And marketing.

 

Finally, there are benefits to winning, but be prepared to work hard to manifest those outcomes. There are marketing angles you can pursue if you win…working with your publisher on a press release, adding notices to your website and social media pages. If you have a relationship with a local bookstore, let the manager know you’ve picked up an award. Those are the things that may eventually boost your sales—that and continuing to produce great books.

 

But the best advice I can give to winners is to be gracious. Don’t overdo the humility (that’s a little grating) but give simple and honest thanks and appreciation to those who congratulate you. You worked hard to get there…don’t pass it off as if this wasn’t an important part of your journey. It is, and there’s no reason you shouldn’t acknowledge it.

 

Don’t dwell on it, however. You’ve won. Excellent. Celebrate! Then move on to your next project. You still have work to do!

 

And if you were nominated but didn’t win…also make use of this recognition. Believe me, no one sees you as a “loser.” Instead, you wrote a fabulous book that caught readers’ attention with the quality of the story and the craft. The same with the books that received second or third place. Embrace the acclaim, spread it around a little, then move on.

 

But what if you didn’t even get a blink from an award committee? Again, be gracious. Send kind congratulations and celebrate with your fellow authors. These are your friends. They deserve your support and happiness for them. After all…as Jesse Owens once said, “Awards become corroded, friends gather no dust.”

 

Remember: awards lift all of us up in a way, reminding readers that we’re still here and still writing. And readers will watch to see how you react to your peers’ success. They care. 

 

The bottom line is that, as nice as they are, awards do not tell you who you are. Or who you aren’t. That message only comes from One Source…and it’s not an awards committee.

~~~

 

*Adapted from my book, Tracking Changes: One Editor's Advice to Inspirational Fiction Authors.