Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Adds YA Prize; Open to Self-Published Novels

By Jason Boog 

abna_logo-200.jpgAmazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) and Penguin Group USA are teaming up for the third annual Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award–adding a prize for best young adult novel alongside the competition’s usual grand prize for general fiction.

In another rule change, the 2010 competition will permit novels that have been previously self-published. Authors can submit their work from Jan. 25, 2010 until Feb. 7, 2010. The judges will accept up to 10,000 total initial entries–5,000 entries in each category. Winners will be revealed June 14, 2010–earning a publishing contract with Penguin and a $15,000 advance.

Here’s more about the contest’s long process: “Amazon.com editors will select 1,000 entries from each category to advance to the next round. In the subsequent round, Amazon.com editors and at least one top reviewer on Amazon.com will read excerpts of the 2,000 entries and narrow the pool to 500 quarter-finalists (250 in each category). Reviewers from Publishers Weekly will then read, rate and review the full manuscripts, and 50 semi-finalists for each category will be selected. Penguin editors will evaluate the manuscripts of the 50 general fiction and 50 young adult semi-finalists, and choose three finalists for each award. Two panels of esteemed publishing professionals will then read and post their critiques of the top three manuscripts on www.amazon.com.”

Read more about the final judges after the jump.


Here’s more: “The panel for the general fiction category includes Tana French, New York Times-bestselling author of ‘In the Woods;’ Julie Barer, of Barer Literary, LLC; and Molly Stern, editorial director and executive editor of Viking Books. The panel for the young adult category includes New York Times-bestselling authors Sarah Dessen (‘Along for the Ride’) and Nancy Werlin (‘Impossible’); Amy Berkower, president of Writers House, LLC; and Ben Schrank, president and publisher of Razorbill.”