Reader Views Literary Awards (for fiction) – Sept. 30

#ReaderViews
The Reader Views Awards honor excellence in independent publishing. The program recognizes authors who self-publish or publish through small presses, hybrids, or university presses. Today, the awards operate in two seasonal tracks for Fiction and Nonfiction, spotlighting impactful indie books across all genres and topics, and celebrating both new and established voices within the literary community.

Deadline (Fiction): September 30, 2026
Prizes: All entries are eligible for recognition, including finalist, winner, and grand prize designations based on merit and final scores.
For More Info: Reader Views Literary Awards
Final Deadline: September 30, 2026
Winners Announced: Late November 2026

The Reader Views Fiction Awards recognize outstanding independently published fiction across a wide range of genres, honoring work by independent authors and small presses. The program is designed to spotlight quality storytelling through professional evaluation, review coverage, and award recognition.

About the Readers View Literary Awards

The Reader Views Literary Awards are an annual program established in 2005 to honor excellence in independent, self-published, and small-press publishing.

Key Details of the Awards

Eligibility: Open worldwide to independent authors, self-published writers, small presses, university presses, and hybrid publishers, provided the books are written in English and geared toward North American readers. Major traditional publishing houses are excluded.
Seasonal Tracks: The program is split into two distinct tracks: a Fiction Program (running March 1 – September 30) and a Non-Fiction Program (running September 1 – March 31).
Included Review: Every book entered into the contest receives a professional editorial review from the Reader Views team, regardless of whether it wins an award.
Selection Process: Winners and finalists are chosen through editorial evaluation by experienced reviewers rather than sales numbers or algorithms. [1]

Reader Views was established to honor writers who self-published or had their books published by a subsidy publisher, small press, university press, or independent book publisher geared for the North American reading audience.