For the past five years, SparkPoint Studio’s hybrid publishing imprints – She Writes Press and SparkPress – have swept the indie book awards season, taking home more book award finalist and winner accolades than any other indie publisher. As of March 2020, both imprints are on track to sweep the awards season once again for the sixth year in a row.

She Writes Press and SparkPress titles have reached the landmark of over 1000 award and finalist titles collectively with the Spring 2020 indie awards seasons.

So far, highlights from 2020 include 297 winner and finalist titles:

  • 29 Next Generation Indie Book Award winners and finalists
  • 3 winners, 13 finalists, and 1 honorable mention in the 2019 Foreword Indies
  • 1st place in the Feathered Quill Book Awards for Women’s Fiction: We Never Told by Diana Altman
  • Long-listed for the Sharpe Books / Historical Writers’ Association Unpublished Novel Awards:  House by Maggie Humm
  • 1st place winner and 3 2nd place winners for 2019/2020 Reader Views Literary Awards: (1st place- Below the Moon by Alexis Marie Chute, 2nd place- The Nine by Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg, Saturday’s Child by Deborah Burns, and Below the Moon by Alexis Marie Chute)
  • Lost in Oaxaca by Jessica Winters Mireles was chosen as the Book of the Day for Foreword Reviews
  • Suspended Sentence by Janice Morgan and Searching for Normal by Karen Meadows are finalists for The Eric Hoffer Awards’ da Vinci Eye award
  • Waking in Havana by Elena Schwolsky and You Cannot Mess This Up by Amy Weinland Daughters are finalists for The Eric Hoffer Awards’ Montaigne Medals
  • 3 finalists for the 2019 I & I Book Awards for Instruction and Insight (A Year of Living Kindly by Donna Cameron; Searching for Family and Traditions at the French Table, Book One by Carole Bumpus; and Raising The Bottom by Lisa Boucher)
  • 6 First Horizon Award finalists and 1 winner for the 2020 Eric Hoffer Awards: (Braided by Beth Ricanati, MD; Mating in Captivity by Helen Zuman; Memories in Dragonflies by Lannette Cornell Bloom; Queen of the Owls by Barbara Lynn Probst; The Red Ribbon by Nancy Freund Bills; Waking in Havana by Elena Schwolsky). Winner: When a Toy Dog Became a Wolf and the Moon Broke Curfew by Hendrika de Vries
  • 2 Sarton Gold winners: Memoir, When a Toy Dog Became a Wolf and the Moon Broke Curfew by Hendrika de Vries, and and Contemporary Fiction, The Greek Persuasion by Kimberly Robeson, and five Sarton Finalists: Memoir (Notes from the Bottom of the World by Suzanne Ada and Among the Maasai by Juliet Cutler); Contemporary Fiction (Love is a Rebellious Bird by Elayne Klasson); Historical Fiction (Shrug by Lisa Braver Moss and Guesthouse for Ganesha by Judith Teitelman)
  • 6 Nautilus Award winners: A Year of Living Kindly by Donna Cameron: Gold Award in Personal Growth and Self-Help; When a Toy Dog Became a Wolf and the Moon Broke Curfew by Hendrika Devries: Gold Award in Memoir; The Alchemy of Noise by Lorraine Devon Wilke: Silver Award in Fiction; The Same River by Lisa Reddick: Silver Award in Fiction large press; Hummingbird in the Underworld by Deborah Tobola: Silver Award in Heroic Journeys; But Not Forever by Jan Von Schleh: Silver Award in Young Adult Fiction
  • 5 Independent Press Award winners: Out of the Bronx by Irene Sardanis, Winner: Inspirational; Gillyflower by Diane Wald, Winner: Paranormal Romance; Off the Rails by Susan Burrowes, Winner: Family & Parenting AND Distinguished Favorite; A Year of Living Kindly by Donna Cameron, Winner: Self Help/Motivational; and Shrug by Lisa Braver Moss, Distinguished Favorite: Young Adult Fiction
  • 16 IPPY Medal winners
    • 6 Gold Medal winners: The Restless Hungarian by Tom Weidlinger, Memoir: Gold; Shrug by Lisa Braver Moss, Young Adult Fiction: Gold; Saturday’s Child by Deborah Burns, Autobiography/Memoir (Coming of Age/Family Legacy/Travel): Gold; Guesthouse for Ganesha by Judith Teitelman, Europe-Best Regional Fiction: Gold; Quest for Eternal Sunshine by Mendek Rubin & Myra Goodman, Autobiography/Memoir (Personal Struggle/Health Issues): Gold; Among the Maasai by Juliet Cutler, Multicultural Non-Fiction: Gold
    • 6 Silver Medal winners: Beyond the Ghetto Gates by Michelle Cameron, Historical Fiction: Silver; The Art of Regret by Mary Fleming, Europe-Best Regional Fiction: Silver; Searching for Family and Traditions at the French Table (Book One) by Carole Bumpus, Europe-Best Regional Non-Fiction: Silver; Adult Conversation by Brandy Ferner, Humor: Silver; You Cannot Mess This Up by Amy Weinland Daughter, Popular Fiction: Silver; We Got This! by Marika Lindholm, Cheryl Dumesnil, Domenica Ruta, and Katherine Shonk, Women’s Issues: Silver.
    • 4 Bronze Medal winners: From Page to Stage by Betsy Graziani Fasbinder, Writing/Publishing: Bronze; The Blue Witch (Witches of Orkney, Volume One), by Alane Adams; Cover illustration by Jonathan Stroh, Cover Design-Fiction: Bronze; The Pelton Papers by Mari Coates, Historical Fiction: Bronze; Queen of the Owls by Barbara Linn Probst, Popular Fiction: Bronze
  • 12 winners, 4 Gold and 8 Silver, in the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards
    • 4 Gold winners: Your Turn by Dr. Tyra Manning, Gold: Self Help; A Veil Removed by Michelle Cox, Gold: Fiction, Mystery & Thriller; Among the Maasi by Juliet Cutler, Gold: Best New Voice/Nonfiction; Bowing to Elephants by Mag Dimond, Gold: Cover design, small format, nonfiction.
    • 8 Silver winners: The Alchemy of Noise by Lorraine Devon Wilke, Silver: Multicultural; Echoes of War by Cheryl Campbell, Silver: Science Fiction & Fantasy; After Kilimanjaro by Gayle Woodson, Silver: Romance; Hippie Chick by Illene English, Silver: Autobiography/Memoir; Guesthouse for Ganesha by Judith Teitelman, Silver: Audiobook/Fiction; Headstrong by Joanne Silver Jones, Silver: Best New Voice/Nonfiction; Mani/Pedi by Krista Beth Driver, Silver: Biography; Shrug by Lisa Braver Moss, Silver: Fiction.
  • 7 winners, runners up, and honorable mentions in the 2020 Eric Hoffer Awards
    • General Fiction, 1st Runner-Up: Queen of the Owls by Barbara Linn Probst; Culture, Winner: When a Toy Dog Became a Wolf and the Moon Broke Curfew by Hendrika de Vries; Home, 1st Runner-Up: Braided by Beth Ricanati, MD; Memoir, 1st Runner-Up: Mating in Captivity by Helen Zuman; Honorable mentions: The Red Ribbon by Nancy Freund Bills and Waking in Havana by Elena Schwolsky; Self Help, 1st Runner-Up: Memories in Dragonflies by Lannette Cornell Bloom
  • 2 winners in the IndieReader Discovery Awards: Paranormal, A Dream to Die for by Susan Z. Ritz, and and Women’s Issues, All the Silent Spaces by Christine Ristaino
  • 10 winners and 15 Finalists in the 14th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards
  • 2 winners in the 14th Annual Indie Excellence Juror’s Choice Awards: The Nine by Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg, and Once a Girl, Always a Boy by Jo Ivester
  • 2 finalists in the 2019 Chanticleer Somerset Book Awards: The Nine by Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg, and The Same River by Lisa Reddick
  • 7 winners and 35 finalists in the International Book Awards
    • Winners: We Got This by Marika Lindholm, Cheryl Dumesnil, Domenica Ruta, and Katherine Shonk, Winner in Women’s Issues; The Elegant Out by Elizabeth Bartasius, Winner in Best Cover Design; A Dream to Die For by Susan Z. Ritz, Winner in Fiction: New Age; Gillyflower by Diane Wald, Winner in Fiction: Novella; Rachael’s Return by Janet Rebhan, Winner in Fiction: Visionary; Saving Bobby by Renée Hodges, Winner in Parenting & Family; All of Us Warriors by Rebecca Whitehead Munn, Winner in Heath: Cancer
  • 9 winners and 7 finalists in the American Fiction Awards
    • Winners: Boop and Eve’s Road Trip by Mary Helen Sheriff, Winner in Coming of Age; The Moon Always Rising by Alice Early, Winner in Cross-Genre Fiction; Don’t Put the Boats Away by Ames Sheldon, Winner in Family Saga; After Kilimanjaro: A Novel by Gayle Woodson, Winner in Multicultural Fiction; A Child Lost: A Henrietta and Inspector Howard Series by Michelle Cox, Winner in Mystery/Suspense: Historical & Winner in Myster/Suspense: Romantic Suspense; Life and Other Shortcomings by Corie Adjmi, Winner in Short Story; Lost in Oaxaca by Jessica Winters Mireles, Winner in Women’s Fiction; The Takeaway Men by Meryl Ain, Winner in Historical Fiction
  • 10 winners in the Living Now Book Awards
    • Winner of the Living Now Mind Award: Headstrong by JoAnne Silver Jones
    • 5 Gold winners: The Expedition by Chris Fagan (Relationships/Marriage); Quest for Eternal Sunshine by Mendek Rubin & Maya Goldman (Inspirational Memoir-Male); All the Silent Spaces by Christine Ristaino (Inspirational Memoir-Female); All Of Us Warriors by Rebecca Whitehead Munn (Health/Wellness); I’m Still Here by Martina Reaves (Grieving/Death & Dying)
    • 2 Silver winners: Out of Love by Marianne Ingheim and Big Wild Love by Jill Sherer Murray (tied in Personal Growth/Self-Help)
    • 1 Bronze winner: Broth from the Cauldron by Cerridwen Fallingstar (Inspirational Memoir-Female)
  • 27 honorees in the Readers’ Favorite Book Awards
    • 14 winners, 15 finalists, 8 honorable mentions
    • That’s Not a Thing by Jacqueline Friedland won a Wild Dancer Films Award
  • 2 finalists in the Canadian Book Club Awards
    • The Takeaway Men by Meryl Ain and What’s Not Said by Valerie Taylor are finalists in the Fiction category.
  • 5 winners in the New York City Big Book Awards
    • 5 Winners: The Buddha at My Table by Tammy Letherer (Divorce/Marriage); Out of the Bronx by Irene Sardanis (Inspiration); A Year of Living Kindly by Donna Cameron (Self Help: Motivational); Gobbledy by Lis Anna-Langston (Holiday); and Child Bride by Jennifer Smith Turner (Women’s Fiction)
  • 4 winners and 27 finalists in the Best Book Awards
    • 4 Winners: Appearances by Sondra Helen (Fiction: Women’s Fiction); Stepping Stones by Marilea C. Rabasa (Health: Addiction & Recovery); All of Us Warriors by Rebecca Whitehead Munn (Health: Cancer); and The Takeaway Men by Meryl Ain (Fiction: Historical)
    • 27 finalists
  • 1 finalist and 1 long-listed in the Shelf Unbound Best Indie Book Awards
  • 1 winner in the Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards: Joyful, Delicious, Vegan by Sherra Aguirre
  • 4 Kirkus Indie Books of the Year: Handsome by Holly Lorka, The Laundress by Barbara Sapienza, The Pelton Papers by Mari Coates, and One a Girl, Always a Boy by Jo Investor
  • 9 finalists in the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards