Why Submitting to Multiple Awards Matters
If you're serious about building credibility as an author, submitting to a single award is a gamble. One rejection stings. One win feels isolated. But a portfolio of submissions—across 5, 10, or even 15 awards—gives you multiple shots at recognition and creates a paper trail of validation that agents, reviewers, and readers notice.
The catch? Managing multiple submissions is a logistical nightmare if you don't have a system. Tracking deadlines, remembering which version of your manuscript you sent where, keeping cover art in different formats, managing submission fees—it all adds up fast.
The good news: you don't need expensive software or a personal assistant. A simple spreadsheet and a few deliberate habits will keep you sane while you build a serious awards strategy.
Build Your Award Submission Tracker
Start with a single Google Sheet or Excel file. This is your command center. Here's what to track:
- Award name — full official name (not abbreviations).
- Category — the specific category you're entering (e.g., "Best Debut Fiction").
- Deadline — submission deadline, formatted consistently (YYYY-MM-DD).
- Fee — entry cost in your local currency.
- Status — "Planning," "Submitted," "Awaiting Results," "Won," or "Rejected."
- Submission date — when you actually hit submit.
- Confirmation number — the receipt or ID they send you.
- Manuscript version — which draft you submitted (v1, v2, final-edit, etc.).
- Notes — anything unusual (rubric focus, judge feedback if available, or why you chose it).
Color-code by status. Sort by deadline. Update it weekly. This single document becomes your insurance policy against lost confirmations, missed deadlines, and the creeping dread of "did I already submit to this one?"
Batch Your Metadata Prep Work
Awards ask for different things: some want a synopsis, others a back-cover blurb, some both. Some need a specific format for your author bio. Rather than scrambling each time, prepare these once and save them in a dedicated folder.
Create a "Master Submission Assets" folder with:
- Author bio (short) — 50 words.
- Author bio (long) — 150 words.
- Book synopsis — 1 page (single-spaced).
- Back-cover copy — your published blurb.
- Book cover — high-res PDF and JPG versions.
- Manuscript file — PDF and Word versions, properly formatted.
- Author photo — professional headshot, 300 dpi.
You'll tweak these slightly for each award—some want 75 words, not 50—but having a baseline saves hours. Store everything in cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox) so you can access it from any device.
Create a Submission Checklist Template
Before you submit to any award, use the same checklist every time. This prevents the classic mistakes: uploading the wrong file, forgetting to fill in a required field, or submitting under your pen name when the award requires your legal name.
Your checklist might look like this:
- ☐ Read the submission guidelines twice.
- ☐ Check eligibility (publication date, word count, genre restrictions).
- ☐ Confirm the deadline and your local time zone.
- ☐ Verify manuscript format (PDF? Word? Single-spaced or double?).
- ☐ Confirm file naming convention (some awards are picky).
- ☐ Double-check author name spelling and contact info.
- ☐ Upload all files and review before final submission.
- ☐ Submit and screenshot confirmation.
- ☐ Save confirmation number and email receipt to your tracker.
- ☐ Add to calendar: expected results date.
Sounds tedious, but this checklist catches the small errors that lead to disqualifications.
How to Choose Which Awards to Enter
You can't submit everywhere. Besides the cost, you'll drown in deadlines. So be strategic. Aim for a mix:
Tier 1: High-credibility, genre-specific awards. These take longer to judge and have higher entry fees, but a win carries real weight. Examples: Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (if you're eligible), Hugo Award (sci-fi/fantasy), Rita Award (romance). Budget: $50–$150 per entry.
Tier 2: Reputable regional or niche awards. Faster turnarounds, lower fees, still meaningful. Examples: local writing associations, genre-specific contests, industry awards. Budget: $25–$75 per entry.
Tier 3: Accessible, well-run independent awards. Lower barrier to entry, faster feedback, good for building momentum. Examples: BookyAwards (AI-judged, 10-axis rubric, $39 per entry with transparent scoring) or similar platforms. Budget: $20–$50 per entry.
A balanced portfolio might be: 2–3 Tier 1, 4–6 Tier 2, and 5–10 Tier 3. Spread submissions across 12 months to avoid cash-flow spikes and to keep results coming in steadily.
Stagger Your Submissions by Deadline
Don't submit to everything at once. Instead, cluster submissions by month. This keeps you from burning out, spreads costs, and gives you time to incorporate any feedback between submissions.
Example rhythm:
- January: Submit to 3 awards with Feb–Mar deadlines.
- February: Submit to 2–3 awards with Apr–May deadlines.
- March: Check results from January submissions; submit to next batch.
- Repeat.
This approach also means you're not waiting 6 months for all results to come in at once. You get wins and rejections throughout the year, which keeps you motivated and gives you material for your author platform.
Manage Submission Fees Without Breaking the Bank
Entry fees add up. A $39 submission × 10 awards = $390. That's real money for most indie authors.
A few ways to manage cost:
- Use coupon codes. Many awards offer discounts in January or during promotional periods. Sign up for their newsletters.
- Look for bundle deals. Some platforms (like BookyAwards) offer entry bundles—buy 5 or 10 entries at once and save per-submission cost.
- Prioritize by ROI. A $39 entry to a prestigious award with 5,000 entrants might have lower odds than a $50 entry to a smaller, niche contest. Know the numbers.
- Set an annual budget. Decide upfront: "I'll spend $500 on awards this year." Stick to it. This forces you to choose carefully instead of submitting reactively.
Track Results and Celebrate Wins (Big and Small)
Update your tracker religiously. When results come in, move the award to "Won" or "Rejected" and note the date. Over time, you'll see patterns: which types of awards favor your work, which judges' feedback resonates, which categories suit your book best.
Even a rejection with feedback is valuable. Some awards provide scoring details. If you see a low score on "Dialogue" across multiple judges, that's actionable. You now know to revise dialogue in your next manuscript.
And celebrate wins, even small ones. A win at a Tier 3 award is still a win. Add the badge to your Amazon listing, mention it in your author newsletter, include it in your media kit. Each award compounds. Five wins look better than one. Ten wins look like a pattern.
Automate Where You Can
Some platforms make bulk submissions easier. For example, if you're submitting to multiple awards on the same platform (like BookyAwards), you can upload your manuscript once and submit to different categories or tiers without re-uploading. Look for platforms that support this.
You can also use email filters and labels to organize award confirmations. Create a Gmail label "Award Submissions" and filter all award-related emails there. Then, when you need to reference a confirmation number, search that label instead of digging through your inbox.
The Long View: Building Your Awards Portfolio
Submitting to multiple awards isn't about winning all of them. It's about building a credible, visible track record. After 12 months of strategic submissions, you'll have:
- A portfolio of wins (even if it's 3–5 awards from a field of 15).
- Feedback from multiple judges on your craft.
- Badges and certificates for your website and social media.
- Ammunition for query letters, book descriptions, and author bios.
- A sense of which awards and judges align with your work.
This is how indie authors build credibility in a crowded market. Not through one lucky win, but through consistent, strategic participation.
Final Checklist: Your Submission System
- ☐ Create a master tracker spreadsheet with deadline, fee, status, and confirmation info.
- ☐ Prepare and store your submission assets (bio, synopsis, cover, manuscript) in one folder.
- ☐ Build a reusable submission checklist to use before every entry.
- ☐ Identify 10–15 awards across three tiers (prestige, regional, accessible).
- ☐ Map out a 12-month submission calendar; aim for 2–3 submissions per month.
- ☐ Set an annual budget and stick to it.
- ☐ Update your tracker weekly; celebrate wins and learn from rejections.
- ☐ Use award badges and results in your marketing materials.
Submitting to multiple awards doesn't have to be chaotic. With a simple system in place, you can submit strategically, stay organized, and build the kind of award portfolio that gets noticed.
