The IPPY Awards are a long-running independent publishing award program. BookyAwards is a newer AI-judged option designed for speed, transparency, and author-ready digital assets.
IPPY fits authors and independent publishers who want a traditional medal program and are comfortable with annual deadlines. BookyAwards fits authors who want a quick screen and a public, category-specific award page. You can submit your book to BookyAwards at any time.
IPPY’s 2026 guidelines list per-category entry fees of $79, $89, and $99 by deadline. BookyAwards starts at $39 per book, with volume discounts for multiple entries.
Traditional award programs can require deadline planning, copies, and category choices. BookyAwards accepts digital manuscripts and assigns the award category based on what the book actually earns.
BookyAwards is explicit that specialist AI judges evaluate the book. That is the point: consistent rubric scoring, visible reasoning, and no pretend-human panel.
Booky winners receive a permanent page, badge, certificate, and embed snippet. The Author Bundle adds promotional graphics, audio, cover variant, and a press release draft.
BookyAwards is independent and is not affiliated with the IPPY Awards or Jenkins Group. Authors may reasonably use both if they serve different goals.
Start with the free screen, then submit for full judging when you are ready for a permanent award page and author-ready assets.
Try the Free Screen