Three Authors Receive First Place in Writer's Digest Awards

Lincoln, NE (May 5, 2005) - iUniverse is pleased to announce that three authors won first place and six authors received honorable mention in Writer's Digest 12th Annual International Self-Published Book Awards. This competition recognizes outstanding English-language books for which the authors have paid the full cost of publication, or the cost of printing has been paid for by a grant or as part of a prize.
Art Lester received first place for his religious nonfiction book, Seeing With Your Ears. Lester chose the self-publishing route after failing to "crack the code of commercial publishers," he said. "I am now very glad that I did it this way. What this has shown me is that making the effort is never really a waste of time. Hard as it may be to find markets for our ideas, it is not impossible. It has sent me back to the keyboard with renewed enthusiasm."
Digging to Indochina, Connie Biewald's novel about family relationships, won first place in the mainstream/literary category. "One of the reasons editors gave for not publishing my book was that they couldn't decide if it was mainstream or literary," Biewald said. "So I went ahead and published it myself. I think it's funny that I won in the mainstream/literary category."
Hannah Goodman's first place award for her engaging novel My Sister's Wedding, changed her career. "I now have an agent who is pitching my book to mainstream publishers. While I did feel self-publishing was a vehicle to my ultimate goal of finding a "regular publisher," I never thought the possibility could be so close, so quickly," Goodman said. "My advice to every writer is to go for it. Get your work our there in any way you can-including self-publishing and contests. It worked for me, and I'm just a regular person, out there, trying to make it in this very difficult industry!"
"iUniverse provides an easy and affordable way for authors to 'test market' their works", said Susan Driscoll, President and CEO of iUniverse. "These authors have shown that recognition and success can be achieved outside the boundaries of traditional publishing and that self-publishing is a viable first step for new authors. We congratulate these authors for their outstanding achievement."
iUniverse winners in the Writers Digest Awards include (alphabetically by author's last name):

First Place Winners

• Connie Biewald, Digging to Indochina, Mainstream Fiction
• Hannah R. Goodman, My Sister's Wedding, Children's Books
• Art Lester, Seeing With Your Ears, Inspirational

Honorable Mentions

• Bill Abler, The Copper Trader, Genre Fiction
• Bazhe, Damages, Life Stories
• Damien Hunter, Secrets of State, Genre Fiction
• Norval Rindfleisch, Standing Lessons, Mainstream Fiction
• Elizabeth Terrell, Too Close to Evil, Genre Fiction
• Robert Woutat, Dakota Boy, Life Stories

The winning authors will be included in the Writer's Digest Self-Publishing Supplement in the August issue of Writer's Digest. For more information on the Writer's Digest Annual International Self-Publishing Book Awards, or for instructions on how to qualify for next year's awards, visit Writers Digest.

About iUniverse, Inc.
iUniverse offers a variety of book publishing services to help individuals publish, market, and sell fiction, poetry, and nonfiction books. The company is one of the largest book publishers in the United States, publishing more than 5,000 new titles each year. iUniverse partners with industry leading author organizations, including the Authors Guild, the Harlem Writers Guild, and the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) to bring innovative programs to their members. The company's major investors include Warburg Pincus and Barnes & Noble. For more information, visit iUniverse, Inc.

Contact Information:
iUniverse Marketing Department
t: 1-800-AUTHORS (288-4677)
f: 402-323-7824
w. http://www.iuniverse.com/

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Twenty-Seven iUniverse Titles Selected as Finalists in ForeWord Magazine Awards

Lincoln, NE (May 2, 2005) - Twenty-seven iUniverse titles—more than any other print-on-demand publisher—have been selected as finalists in ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year Awards.
The awards program focuses on sparking the attention of librarians and booksellers by recognizing the literary achievement of independent publishers and their authors. A jury of librarians, booksellers and reviewers judge the categories and select finalists based on editorial excellence, professional production, originality and the value the book adds to its genre.
iUniverse finalists in ForeWord Magazine's 2004 Book of the Year Award include (alphabetically by author's last name):

• Ann Roscopf Allen, A Serpent Cherished, Historical Fiction
• David Balcom, The Greatest Escape, Philosophy
• Sharon Boorstin, Cookin' for Love, Romance
• Glenn Borchardt, The Ten Assumptions of Science, Philosophy
• David A. Bragen, Beginners Guide to a Successful Career, Career
• J. Broad, Observations From a Broad, Humor
• Malcolm R. Campbell, The Sun Singer, Juvenile Fiction
• Kenneth Chan, Quintessence of Dust, Performance/Drama
• Eduardo Chapunoff, M.D. Answering Your Questions about Heart Disease and Sex, Health
• Jane Dawkins, One Perfect Afternoon, Romance
• A.E. Dimond, My Country to Defend, Biography
• William J. Donohue, Filthy Beast, Short Stories
• James D. Fletcher, The Last Race, General Fiction
• Blake Fraina, King of Cats, Gay & Lesbian Fiction
• Jason Fury, Nights of Fury, Gay & Lesbian Nonfiction
• J. Denis Glover, The Smithy Miracles, General Fiction
• Nicole Hunter, Waiting for the World to End, Religious Fiction
• Laura Gower Jackson, The Velvet Box in the Attic, Religious Fiction
• R.W. Klamm, Fly Like a Bumblebee, Juvenile Nonfiction
• David Lawrence, 22 Stories, Science Fiction
• Jean D. Minton, Fireflies, General Fiction
• Frank Nelson, A Little More Luck, Travel Essays
• Deacon Bill Rich, Scattered Raindrops, Mind/Body/Spirit
• Stephen Siciliano, Vedette, Literary Fiction
• Kathy Smith, King Murray's Royal Tail, Pets
• Donald I. Templeman, The Planet of Mortal Worship, Science Fiction
• Frederick Vanpatten, In the Clear, Mystery

"Thousands of books are entered into ForeWord's competition each year," said Susan Driscoll, president and CEO of iUniverse. "We're delighted that that these twenty-seven authors have been recognized for their hard work and their commitment to editorial excellence."
Winners of the 2004 Book of the Year Awards will be announced at Book Expo America in New York City at 3:00 p.m. on June 3rd. Officials from ForeWord Magazine will name the top three titles in each category as well as the overall fiction and nonfiction winners. For more information on the finalists and winners of the 2004 Book of the Year Award, or for instructions on how to qualify for next year's awards, visit ForeWord Magazine.
About iUniverse, Inc.
iUniverse offers a variety of book publishing services to help individuals publish, market, and sell fiction, poetry, and nonfiction books. The company is one of the largest book publishers in the United States, publishing more than 5,000 new titles each year. iUniverse partners with industry leading author organizations, including the Authors Guild, the Harlem Writers Guild, and the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) to bring innovative programs to their members. The company's major investors include Warburg Pincus and Barnes & Noble. For more information, visit iUniverse, Inc.
Contact Information:
iUniverse Marketing Department
t: 1-800-AUTHORS (288-4677)
f: 402-323-7824
w. http://www.iuniverse.com/

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