NEW YORK, May 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group has named the best indie books of 2015.

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The books are winners of the 2015 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, the largest
not-for-profit book awards program for independent publishers and self-published authors. The winners and finalists will be honored in New York during BookExpo America next week.

The awards are judged by leaders of the indie book publishing industry, including many coming from long-standing careers with major publishing houses, to identify books that deserve to reach a wide audience.

"Our awards program is known as the 'Sundance' of the book publishing world," says Catherine Goulet, Chair of the 2015 Next Generation Indie Book Awards program.

In an article at CNN.com titled "If it's cool, creative, and different, it's indie," journalist Catherine Andrews wrote: "The term 'indie' traditionally refers to independent art – music, film, literature or anything that fits under the broad banner of culture – created outside of the mainstream and without corporate financing."

Independent book publishing companies are independent of the major conglomerates that dominate the book publishing industry. Indies include small presses, larger independent publishers, university presses, e-book publishers, and self-published authors.

According to Goulet, "Like other independent artists, many indie book publishers face challenges that the industry giants don't experience. The indies have to work much harder to get their best books into readers' hands."

"Authors and publishers who compete in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards are serious about promoting their books," adds Goulet. "They aim to stand out from the crowd of millions of books in print."

According to Bowker's Books in Print database, more than 2.3 million books were published or distributed in the United States alone in 2012. A majority of these were "non-traditionally" published, including print on demand and self-published titles. The number of self-published titles produced annually has increased dramatically, growing 437%.

To help indie authors and publishers reach a wider audience, the top 70 books in the 2015 Next Generation Indie Book Awards will be reviewed by New York literary agent Marilyn Allen of Allen O'Shea Literary Agency or one of Ms. Allen's co-agents for possible representation in areas such as distribution, foreign rights, film rights, and other rights.  Ms. Allen has worked with best-selling authors and served in senior positions with major publishers including Harper Collins, Simon & Schuster, and Penguin Books.

The top prize winning books in the 2015 Next Generation Indie Book Awards are:

Top Non-Fiction Books

First Place Winner ($1,500 Prize) 
Thrown, by Kerry Howley (Sarabande Books)

Second Place Winner ($750 Prize)
The Sky and Earth Touched Me, by Joseph Bharat Cornell (Crystal Clarity Publishers)

Third Place Winner ($500 Prize)
The Wild Horse Dilemma, by Bonnie U. Gruenberg (Quagga Press)

Honorable Mention ($250 Prize) 
The Beatles Encyclopedia: Everything Fab Four, by Kenneth Womack (Greenwood Press)

Top Fiction Books

First Place Winner ($1,500 Prize) 
Topeka, ma 'shuge, by Raymond Hutson (Gilliss Books)

Second Place Winner ($750 Prize) 
The Magdalene Mystery, by Christine Sunderland (OakTara Publishing)

Third Place Winner ($500 Prize) 
River Talk, CB Anderson (C&R Press)

Other Winners

In addition to the grand prize winners, top indie books were named as winners and finalists in 70 publishing categories ranging from Action/Adventure to Young Adult.

A complete list of 2015 winners and finalists is available at the Next Generation Indie Book Awards website at www.indiebookawards.com.

2016 Next Generation Indie Book Awards

Entries are now being accepted for the 2016 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. The awards are open to fiction and nonfiction books released in 2014, 2015, or 2016 from independent authors and publishers worldwide. Visit www.indiebookawards.com for information.

MEDIA CONTACT: Catherine Goulet 888-322-5621

SOURCE Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group

Related Links

http://www.indiebookawards.com