Shelf Unbound Magazine Launches Third Annual Contest to Discover the Best in Self-Published Books

DALLAS, June 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Book review magazine Shelf Unbound is accepting entries for its third annual competition to crown the best from independent presses, self-published authors and publishers producing five or less titles per year. The winning entry, selected by the editors of Shelf Unbound, will be featured with runners-up in the magazine's December/January 2015 issue – read by 125,000 book. This year's competition is sponsored by Bowker, the official U.S. ISBN registration agency and creator of SelfPublishedAuthor.com.

"The publishing universe is transforming, opening to many more authors and providing an extraordinary new range of books for readers," said Beat Barblan, director of Identifier Services at Bowker, a ProQuest affiliate. "Bowker has always played a key role in connecting publishers with readers. We see this wonderful competition as a way to extend that mission in a fun and exciting new way."

More than 391,000 books were self-published in 2012 – more than 400% growth in just five years, according to Bowker's renowned industry tracking. While traditional book reviewing media rarely feature titles from small presses, Shelf Unbound curates the best of independently published books, helping to connect readers with high-quality titles that might otherwise be missed. Two years ago, they founded the Shelf Unbound Writing Competition for Best Independently Published Book. Past winners include The Last Death of Tev Chrisini by Jennifer Bresnick and The Life and Times of Persimmon Wilson by Nancy Peacock.

"The quality of the best of self-published books is extraordinary, and we are thrilled to discover and promote the cream of the crop," said Shelf Unbound Publisher Margaret Brown. "The December/January issue of Shelf Unbound featuring our competition winners, finalists, and notable books has become one of our editors' and readers' favorites – a place to find the best indie books in a variety of genres."

Any independently published book or e-book in any genre with any publication date is eligible for entry and the competition is open to authors around the globe. This year the competition also introduces the Pete Delohery Award for Best Sports Book, open to fiction and non-fiction sports-related books, in honor of Pete Delohery, author of Lamb to the Slaughter.

Entry fee is $40 per book. There is no limit to the number of books an individual can enter. The deadline is midnight on October 1, 2014, with winners notified by November 2, 2014. Rules and submission details can be found at www.shelfmediagroup.com.

About Shelf Media Group
Dallas-based Shelf Media Group is the publisher of Shelf Unbound, a book review magazine that presents the best of independent publishing in a digital format. Curated by editors with their fingers on the pulse of small press, independent, and self-published books, Shelf Unbound features "must read" new fiction and nonfiction releases in a rich, visually engaging design.

Media Contact: Beth Dempsey, for Shelf Unbound

Email or 248-915-8160

SOURCE Shelf Media Group