How to Submit

The Midland Authors is now accepting submissions for its annual literary awards, which will honor books by Midwestern authors published in 2020. Please read the following rules carefully before submitting. 

 2020-2021 Competition Rules

 The Midland Authors 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 up to three 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 or a substitute ceremony, if necessary. 

Follow the directions below to submit a book and pay the entry fee.

• To enter this year’s competition, fill out the online entry form or printable entry form. Include a completed copy with each nominated book. An entry form must accompany each book sent to each of the three judges in its category.  That means a total of three forms per title (three judges, three forms, three books). Books unaccompanied by completed entry forms will not be considered.
• Each book entry must have a 2020 publication date that corresponds with its copyright date. 
• A book may be nominated by its author or publisher. 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, Wisconsin. If the author lives outside these states, please indicate any connection to the Midwest on the “comments” section of the entry form.
• Each submission requires an entry fee of $25. To pay by PayPal or credit card, please click here. 
• To pay by snail mail, send a check and a copy of our printable entry form (available by clicking here) 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. (Do not mail books to the Society’s P.O. Box.)
• 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 Saturday, January 9, 2021. We urge early submissions.  Send entries to the appropriate judges under your category of Contest Judges listed below.
• Make sure your book entry goes to judges 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.  Any judge who has a conflict of interest with a submission will be recused from discussion of the entry. 

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

Contest Judges | Contact Information

SEND 1 COPY OF THE BOOK TO EACH OF THE 3 JUDGES IN THE BOOK’S CATEGORY:

Bernard J. Brommel Award for Biography and Memoir

Bob Remer, 5840 N. Kenmore Ave., Chicago, IL 60660

Emilio DeGrazia, 211 W. Wabasha St., Winona, MN 55987

Libby Hellmann,  272 Summerfield Road, Northbrook, IL 60062

Children’s Fiction

Laura Hirshfield, 3318 Noyes Street, Evanston, IL 60201

Amelia Cotter, 3130 N. Lake Shore Dr., Apt. 1806, Chicago, IL, 60657

Anne O’Malley, 8519 Karlov Ave., Skokie, IL. 60076