This list of upcoming book award deadlines contains something for almost everyone. Yes, there are a lot of genre fiction awards with summer deadlines here, but many of these also offer awards for nonfiction, poetry, and literary fiction, they just have different submission periods. When this is the case, I made note so you won’t miss out.
I’ve included a brief overview and links for each to help you decide which award may be right for your book.
So, are you ready to sumbit your book for an award this summer?
Why Submit to a Book Award?
I often get asked if submitting to a book award is really worth it, and I believe it absolutely is! So much so that I include submitting to an award as part of my post-publishing marketing plans for clients. But what makes a book award worth submitting to? Well, it depends on your goals and how you choose to leverage your award. Of course, this takes some planning and preparing, as well as choosing the right award for your book.
You’ll likely find a good fit on this list of upcoming book award deadlines, and if not, look to my evergreen annual book awards list. You can also check out my latest post on book awards with winter and spring deadlines.
I cover the five big benefits of winning a book award more extensively in my post on the topic, but generally, it’s worth it to submit your book for an award because:
- They’re a big bang for your marketing buck
- It’s a networking opportunity
- Awards last a lifetime
- It exposes your book to a wider audience
- They increase your credibility
You can read this helpful post from IngramSpark to make sure your book is award-ready before submitting. This will increase your chances of winning and save you time and money on submission fees that you may otherwise waste if you’re not prepared.
There are Many Ways to Leverage a Book Award Too
Book awards offer the benefits above, and there are other ways they can give a big boost to your marketing efforts. Below is just a brief overview, but you can also read my post on the topic here.
- Add it to your bio. Yes, you can be an award-winning author!
- Include your status on your author pages like Amazon and your website.
- Add badges or stickers to your books and your promo materials.
- Use it as an opportunity to get media coverage.
On to the Upcoming Book Award Deadlines for June (Yes, these are coming up very soon!)
1. Chanticleer International Book Awards 2026: Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Paranormal
The Chanticleer Book Review Awards are not new, but they’re new to me! They offer awards for several genre categories, each with different deadlines so you’ll notice they repeat on this list of upcoming book award deadlines. But take note, each award deadline is for that specific genre.
The below awards all have the same deadline and submission fee, and the CIBAs offer an array of category prizes, as well as a cash grand prize. Chanticleer is well-known for their work offering reviews, awards, and manuscript evaluations, and more. They stand out because their focus is on genre fiction. Check for specific details on which subgenre is best for your submission. They also have a list of non-fiction categories! I highly recommend you check out their full site to see all they offer.
Sci-Fi: The CYGNUS
Fantasy Fiction: The OZMA
Paranormal: The SHELLEY
- Fee: $99
- Deadline: June 30th, 2026
2. Readers Favorite Annual Book Award
This award is for indie books as well as traditionally published. It’s highly regarded in the industry. There are over 150 submission categories and the award comes with the benefits of cash, wide exposure, and promotions via several channels. This is one of the more prestigious on this list of upcoming book awards.
- Fee: $119
- Deadline: June 1st, 2026
The Storytrade Awards are another highly-regarded award focused on literary merit. They offer over 70 categories, a cash prize and industry recognition. If you’re hoping to be recognized for your writing skill, this is the award for you.
- Fee: $75
- Deadline: June 30th, 2026
These Book Awards Have July Deadlines
July is the month for romance and intrigue! It’s also the deadline for the well-known North Street Book Prize. Is your book ready to submit?
4. Diverse Writers and Readers International Romance Book Literary Contest (DWRI)
As the title suggests this award is focused on diverse writers and the readers who enjoy their work. Because of this, awards are based on a set point system that determines if your book hits all the marks they’re looking for. You can get a peek into the criteria on their submission page.
- Fee: $60
- Deadline: July 20th, 2026
Another award, just for the Romance writers out there. The Emmas also focus on diversity and there are several subgenre categories available to submit to. They offer a cash prize and a lot of clout in the Romance community!
- Fee: $60
- Deadline: July 20th, 2026
The North Street prize is sponsored by Winning Writers and offers cash prizes of up to $10K, plus marketing services. This can mean a lot for authors trying to find something on this list of upcoming deadlines that offers a big monetary incentive. Categories include memoir, inspirational and Art books, along with many fiction categories. They’re also open to hybrid as well as self-published books.
- Fee: $95
- Deadline: July 1st, 2026
7. Chanticleer International Book Awards 2026: Thrillers and Mystery
Again, there are three categories under Thrillers and Mystery. They all have the same submission fees and deadlines.
Highstakes Thrillers: The GLOBAL THRILLER
Suspense Thriller: The CLUE
Mystery and Mayhem: The M&M
- Fee: $99
- Deadline: July 31st, 2026
Some Big Awards with August Submission Deadlines
These upcoming book award deadlines for August feature more genre-focused offerings from Chanticleer along with other well-known awards in the industry. The summer will be at its peak and it will arrive faster than you think!
8.Chanticleer International Book Awards 2026: Historical Fiction and American
Americana: The LARAMIE
Early Historical: The CHAUCER
Late Historical: The GOETHE
Wartime: The HEMINGWAY
- Fee: $99
- Deadline: August 31st, 2026
9. The Independent Author Network Book of the Year Award
The bonus of this award is that there are no publication or copyright date restrictions and they are open to fiction and nonfiction. Their criteria is the whole book, from the cover to the writing quality. This is a nice reminder of why professional publishing standards are so important!
- Fee: $59
- Deadline: August 15th, 2026
The BIBAs offer cash prizes, promotion and marketing. There are a variety of categories to submit to, including children’s books. This is a widely recognized international award.
- Fee: $75
- Deadline: August 1st, 2026
Some Upcoming Book Award Deadlines for September 2026 (This gives you a bit more time to prepare)
These upcoming book award deadlines are for awards that focus on uplifting writers and authors of books for young adults and early readers. The SFWP even takes submissions from unpublished writers!
11. The Santa Fe Writers Project Literary Awards
The SFWPs are for more than just published works. The project also accepts submissions from unpublished writers and will publish some winner’s books. There is one judge each year instead of a large panel and they look for impressive and unique writing.
- Fee: $30
- Deadline: September 15th, 2026
12. Chanticleer International Book Awards 2026: Young Adult and Early Readers
I have to note again that the Chanticleers offer a vast array of genre and subgenre fiction awards as well as non-fiction. So, please check out their full site to get an idea of all that is open to you!
YA Fiction: The DANTE ROSSETTI
Middle Grade: The GERTRUDE WARNER
Early Readers: LITTLE PEEPS
- Fee: $99
- Deadline: September 30th, 2026
13. Reader Views Literary Awards: Fiction
The Reader Views have two submission periods. One for fiction (this one) and one for nonfiction. That deadline is in the winter, so if you have a nonfiction book check it out!
- Fee: $99
- Deadline: September 30th, 2026
There are Deadlines in Every Season, So Don’t Miss Out!
Remember, these are only the upcoming book award deadlines for summer. There are many more opportunities to submit to an award all year, so check out my evergreen list and plan ahead. These are also just listed by deadlines, so most can be submitted to early. Many of these awards also offer nonfiction awards but have different submission periods so they aren’t included on this specific list.
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