How to Submit

Midland Authors award competition is open.

Midland Authors is now accepting submissions for its annual literary awards, which will honor books by Midwestern authors published in 2019. Please read the following rules carefully before submitting.

2019-2020 Competition Rules

Midland Authors (SMA) literary awards recognize book writing excellence by Midwestern authors.
Three judges on each committee will select one winner that is best in that category. Category winners receive $500 and a recognition award. Judges may also deem one or two honorees as worthy of recognition. Each honoree will receive a commemorative award.  All honors are given out at the awards banquet the second Tuesday in May.

For submitting, follow the directions below to pay and to send entries:

• An entry form must accompany each book that goes to each of the three judges in its category.  That means a total of three forms per title (three judges, one book and one form to each judge).  Books unaccompanied by completed entry forms will not be considered.
• Each book entry must have a 2019 publication date that corresponds with its copyright date.
• A book may be nominated by its author or publisher. But the author must either reside in, be born in, or have strong ties to one of the 12 Midland states SMA represents: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin
• Each submission requires an entry fee of $25. To pay by PayPal or credit card, please click on and complete the online entry form. (Use the “comments” box to write any additional information when paying by PayPal.)
  To pay by snailmail, send a check and a copy of the printable entry form below to Society of Midland Authors, P.O. Box 10419, Chicago, IL 60610. The payment with the form must identify the book title, author, and source of check, so SMA knows which author and book entry to confirm as a paid entry. Copy three more completed forms. One should accompany each book that you mail to each of the three judges in your category.
• For now, we do not consider e-book originals unless accompanied by a print edition.
• Books by deceased authors are eligible, providing they meet the other requirements.
• Submissions must be postmarked by January 5, 2020.  We urge early submissions.  Send entries to the appropriate judges under your category of Contest Judges below.
• To enter this year’s competition, fill out the online entry form or printable entry form. Include a completed copy with each nominated book.  Mail a copy of the form and the book to each of the three judges in the selected category.  Make sure that you enter the book in the proper category.  (For example, all children’s books go to children’s categories, rather than Poetry or Biography and Memoir, which are for adult submissions only.)  Books submitted to improper categories will be disqualified.

For comments, questions, or to confirm an entry has reached the judges, contact Marlene Targ Brill at marlenetbrill@comcast.net.

We look forward to your submissions. Thank you and good luck.

To enter the competition, fill out the online or printable entry form and send a book and entry form to each judge (see listing below) in your category.

Download printable entry form
and pay entry fee by snailmail.

Contest Judges | Contact Information

Bernard J. Brommel Award for Biography and Memoir

• Bob Remer
  5840 N. Kenmore Ave.
  Chicago, IL 60660-3721
• Jim Merriner
  604 Exmoor Rd.
  Kenilworth, IL. 60043
• Mickey Maurer
  1300 West 106th St.
  Carmel, IN 46032

Children’s Fiction

• Melinda Braun
  5708 Hawkes Dr.
  Minneapolis, MN 55436
• Helen Kossler
  614 Home Ave.
  Oak Park, IL 60304
• Joyce Zeiss
  2701 Eastwood Ave.
  Evanston, IL 60201