PROVO, UT~OCTOBER 23, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WHITNEY AWARDS COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES LARGE CASH AWARDS
The Whitney Awards Committee announced today that they will be offering seven large cash awards to be presented at the upcoming Whitney Awards banquet in March 2008. These cash prizes are due to the generosity of the Whitney Awards' marquis sponsor, ExclusivelyLDS.com.
Founded earlier this year, the Whitney Awards program is a non-profit organization dedicated to rewarding excellence among LDS authors. With the new sponsorship of ExclusivelyLDS.com, winning authors will receive up to $1000 along with their trophy.
The Whitneys offer a total of seven awards. The five genre awards (Best Romance/Women's Fiction, Best Mystery/Suspense, Best YA/Children's, Best Speculative Fiction, Best Historical) will each be accompanied by a $500 cash prize. The two overall winners, Best Novel by a New Author and Best Novel of the Year, will each receive $1000.
"We're very excited about the sponsorship with ExclusivelyLDS.com," Robison Wells, president of the Whitney Awards Committee, explains. "There is enormous talent among LDS authors, and every year seems to produce better and better novels. This is an exciting
time to be part of the LDS fiction industry. Our hope is that these awards will raise awareness about the high quality fiction available from LDS authors, and to draw in new readers."
Over a hundred years ago, Latter-Day Saint Apostle Orson F. Whitney declared "We shall yet have Miltons and Shakespeares of our own. . . . In God's name and by His help we will build up a literature whose tops will touch the heaven, though its foundation may now be low on the earth."
Anyone can nominate a novel published during the previous calendar year in any of seven categories, and a final academy of industry professionals will vote on the final ballot. Nominations are being taken for books published in 2007 by LDS authors at the Whitney
Awards website: www.whitneyawards.com
Josi's notes: Remember that novels can be entered into more than one catigory--for example, mystery/suspense and best novel of the year (hint, hint)
This is so incredibly exciting for me and all other writers and readers of LDS fiction. Please blog about this today, spread the word, nominate your favorite books and be a part of this amazing opportunity to be heard and sing the praises of the Milton's and Shakespeares among us.
PS--I think I'm the first to post! Go me!
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CONTACT:
Robison Wells
Whitney Awards President
robisonwells@msn.com
www.whitneyawards.com
(801) 691-9115
Whitney Awards Committee
13 West Center
Oak City, UT 84649
7 comments:
Josi,
This is great news especially for some of us hopeful wannabes. We have something to strive for when we finally get published!
Also I tagged you!
How can I help you?
Barbara picked up on my hints :-)
If you have read any book written by an LDS writer that you felt was worthy of a Whitney award, go to their website and nominate it for the respective category. books nominated for a genre category can also be entered in the Best Novel by New author or Best Novel of the year as well.
In order for the awards to keep their integrity--only enter those books you feel truly deserve the accreditation. Nominating for friendship or because you feel pressured is not what any of us are after.
I'm stoked about the Whitney's mostly for the market potential this gives us--but Sheep's Clothing is eligible to be nominated, so I have a personal interest in it as well.
Cash money! That is great news. Heading over now....
hi josi:
hope you get the good stuff. thanks for popping by and checking on me and my lame back. had about a day break from it, but it is back to killing unfortunately. i hate this. i wish it would stop acting up. i am going to see my doc again today to see if he can help again, anything. i feel like a big whinny baby, sorry, but it is sucking some of the life out of me. what is this supposed to be teaching me, i am wondering. hope your day is better than mine girlie. blessings, kathleen
I'm rooting for all LDS authors and the fine work they do. Wish I could vote for each of you and have you all win.
Go YOU!!
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