ELIGIBILITY

HONORING EXCELLENCE IN CHRISTIAN PUBLISHING

The Christian Book Excellence Awards exist to honor faithful, high-quality Christian writing. We believe meaningful recognition should be accessible to authors and publishers across the Christian publishing landscape, which is why our eligibility guidelines are intentionally open.

Broad entry, however, does not mean casual evaluation. Submissions are judged with rigor, discernment, and care—attending to biblical fidelity, literary craft, clarity, theological soundness, and the book’s contribution to Christian discipleship and formation.

If your work seeks to honor Christ, serve readers, and demonstrate excellence in both message and craft, we welcome you to submit.

The Christian Book Excellence Awards welcomes submissions from across the Christian publishing landscape. Our eligibility guidelines are intentionally open so that faithful, well-crafted Christian writing can be recognized whether it comes from established publishing houses or independent authors.

We accept submissions from:

traditionally published authors
self-published & independent authors
ministry-produced resources
small presses & micro-presses
non-agented writers
international authors (in English)

There are no publication year or word count restrictions.

Submissions must be provided in English, and may be submitted as:

• paperback or hardcover
• eBook (EPUB or PDF)
• audiobook (digital link)

Applications open and close on a fixed schedule throughout the year. When submissions are open, any eligible author or publisher may apply. Once submissions close for that cycle, entries must wait until the next opening.

WHO CAN APPLY?

WHY APPLY?

Awards are not merely ornamental. They influence how readers, ministries, and even retailers perceive and select books. Industry studies consistently show that recognition meaningfully affects buying and recommendation behavior

68% of readers report they are more likely to purchase a book that has received an award seal
52% of librarians and educators are more likely to acquire award-winning titles for their communities
Awarded books experience longer “shelf life” and stronger long-tail sales (beyond launch week)
Books with seals are more frequently hand-sold and recommended by bookstores, book clubs, and niche reading communities
Awards also increase the likelihood of media mentions, list placements, and newsletter features

In a market where over 4 million books are published annually across formats, distinctions like these help faithful Christian books stand out, reach their intended readers, and continue bearing fruit long after their initial release.

Christian authors labor over their work—studying, researching, praying, writing, revising, and refining—often with little visibility or affirmation. The Christian Book Excellence Awards exist to honor that labor and to help outstanding books reach the readers who will benefit from them.

Applying for the award provides several meaningful advantages for authors and publishers:

Meaningful Recognition

Award recognition affirms the quality, craft, and message of your work. It provides third-party validation that can be shared with readers, booksellers, and ministries.

Studies in publishing show that award-winning books are:

30–50% more likely to be recommended to others
seen as more credible by librarians and educators
more frequently added to curated lists and book clubs

Visibility & Discoverability

An award seal sets a book apart in a crowded marketplace. Visibility matters:

over 4 million books are published annually across formats

Which means competition for reader attention is intense—especially for Christian titles.

Award distinctions help surface faithful, high-quality books that might otherwise remain unseen.

Marketing
Advantages

Winners receive seals and recognition assets that can be used on:

product pages
book covers
websites & social media
press & media kits
launch materials

Award-winning titles are:

up to 6× more likely to be selected for media coverage
more likely to gain sustained long-tail sales

Ministry
Reach

Many Christian books find their strongest readership through:

pastors
small group leaders
discipleship groups
homeschool communities
Christian schools

Awards are often factored into ministry resource vetting as they help signal to ministry leaders that a book is theologically sound, trustworthy and fruitful for discipleship.

Encouragement for Faithful Kingdom Service

Faithful writing is slow, costly, and often unseen. For many authors, the spiritual fruit of their work may not be visible for years. Recognition honors that calling and encourages the continuation of work that builds up the Church.

THE EVALUATION PROCESS

Once your application has been received, it will be processed and you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to submit your book for review. We accept both digital and print copies depending on the category, and your confirmation will outline the specific format requirements for your submission.

After your book is received, it enters the evaluation phase. Each submission is read by evaluators with backgrounds relevant to the content of the book—including publishing professionals, writers, editors, ministry leaders, pastors, educators, and scholars. Information about the evaluation committee can be found here. Reviewers use both a scored assessment and qualitative feedback to ensure a balanced evaluation that considers biblical fidelity, literary craft, clarity, and contribution to Christian discipleship.

Evaluation times may vary, but most authors can expect a decision within 2 weeks to 1 month of submitting their book for review. Category winners are notified directly via email once a decision is finalized. At the conclusion of the calendar year, one Book of the Year winner is selected from among the eligible category winners for each active category and announced publicly.

All scoring, evaluator notes, and reviewer commentary are kept strictly confidential to protect the integrity of the process and the privacy of both authors and judges.

Print submissions are not returned, but are donated or distributed appropriately at the conclusion of the judging process.

SPECIAL DISTINCTIONS

When merited, evaluators may recommend additional special distinctions such as:
• Theological Contribution
• Literary Excellence
• Emerging Voice
• Ministry Impact

These distinctions are not guaranteed annually and are awarded solely at evaluator discretion.

Apply For The Christian Book Excellence Awards