Booksellers' Guide to the Southern Book Prize

FAQs about The Southern Book Prize

Which books can be nominated?
A book must be set in the South, or the author must be Southern, or both, and it must have been published in the current calendar year. Books must also be in print and generally available to the industry at standard wholesale terms.

Are self-published books eligible?
If they meet the above criteria.

Who can nominate a book?
Nominations must come from SIBA member booksellers. Positive reviews of eligible books submitted by SIBA booksellers to Edelweiss are also considered to be nominations. SIBA Booksellers can nominate books directly via the form link below. Only SIBA booksellers can nominate a book.

• A list of finalists is compiled from eligible books that receive the most nominations. Nominations close on October 1.

• Finalists are announced on October 2.

• Bookstores and their customers vote on the finalists between October 2 and November 6. Winners are chosen by popular vote and announced on November 16.

The Southern Book Prize, formerly known as the SIBA Book Award, has been awarded annually since 1999. It was created to:

1. Honor the rich tradition of Southern storytelling and its importance to current literary culture.
2. Highlight the vital role independent bookstores play in bringing new books to readers and in the success of new books.
3. Extend the shelf life and increase the sales of books with regional independent bookseller support.

The Southern Book Prize is a wide-scale consumer-targeted marketing program designed to underscore independent bookstores as a trusted source for book recommendations, extend the shelf life of bookseller favorites, and encourage readers to engage with and shop at their local bookstores. In 2019 SIBA launched the public ballot to encourage bookstores to engage their customers in the important question of what books deserve to be called “the best Southern book of the year.” 

Eligibility:
To be eligible, a nominated book must be published within the current year and be Southern in nature—either by a Southern author, or set in the South, preferably both. The book must be in print and available at industry standard terms to booksellers. It also must adhere to the standards set by SIBA for inclusion in SIBA programming.

Finalists:
Six finalists are selected in each of three categories: fiction, nonfiction, and young readers. They represent the books with the highest bookseller support and enthusiasm from across the entire SIBA region. The finalists are placed on the Southern Book Prize ballot.

Voting:
The SBP ballot is hosted at The Southern Bookseller Review website, and is open to every reader who loves Southern literature. Voting is open for five weeks. Readers who submit a ballot can choose to be entered into a raffle to win a collection of the SBP finalist and titles, and a $100 gift card to their local SIBA member bookstore or Bookshop.org.

Winners:
Winners are announced on Nov. 16. Authors of winning titles receive a donation in their name to the charity of their choice.

Nominating a book:
Only booksellers are allowed to nominate a book for the Southern Book Prize, but publishers can encourage nominations by getting ARCs and review copies into the hands of SIBA booksellers, and asking them to nominate books directly or post reviews on Edelweiss. Self-published books are allowed as long as they meet the criteria for eligibility.

If your book is a finalist:
SIBA encourages authors and publishers with books on the ballot to rally their readers and followers to vote. Ongoing social media and newsletter support from SIBA highlights the reviews SIBA booksellers have posted for each of the finalists. On average, anywhere between 1000-3000 ballots are cast every season. SIBA also offers discounts on reader-targeted advertising to publishers and authors with books on the ballot.

SBP Toolkit for Publishers

If your book is a winner:
Authors of Southern Book Prize winners receive an invitation to SIBA's annual fall conference.

What SBP means for bookstores: 

An important part of the Southern Book Prize is the opportunity it provides for bookstores to engage their customers. SBP winners are chosen by readers, via their local indie bookstore. When a reader submits a ballot, they have to select their favorite local bookstore and say something about why they love it.

The Southern Book Prize lends itself to in-store displays, reading group discussions, customer engagement, and is a tool for outreach to community groups and literary organizations. Bookstores can rally their customers around a local favorite on the ballot, or invite them to comment on the list of finalists. 

Southern Book Prize finalists are promoted on SIBA's social media channels, using SIBA bookseller reviews of each of the finalists, and promoting the bookstores alongside the books. Authors and publishers are tagged, which raises store visibility, and also encouraged to "get out the vote" among their own fans and followers.

To help SIBA member bookstores make the most of the Southern Book Prize, SIBA provides the following resources and programs:

• Edelweiss Collections
• Publisher-sponsored backlist ordering
• Downloadable in-store signage: posters, flyers, and shelf-talkers
• Social media marketing assets
• Digital ballot for store websites

Special promotions:

SIBA-Sponsored Raffle: Readers who vote in the Southern Book Prize ballot have the option to participate in a raffle to win a collection of the finalist books, and a $100 gift card to their local SIBA member bookstore or Bookshop.org.

Southern Book Prize Social Media Scavenger Hunt: During the voting period SIBA hosts a "scavenger hunt" on Instagram to promote the finalist titles and the bookstores that love them. Participating stores are assigned a finalist book to post about, and a tag to use to lead followers to the next store's post about the next book, and so on through all eighteen finalist titles. People who make it through every post can be entered to win a $100 gift card to their local SIBA member store.

SBP Scavenger Hunt Bookstore Form

Authors and publishers with books on the ballot will independently ask their readers and followers to vote. Ongoing social media and newsletter support from SIBA highlights the reviews SIBA booksellers have posted for each of the finalists. Readers can also enter into a raffle that awards a selection of the books on the ballot and a $100 gift card to their local indie bookstore or Bookshop.org. On average, anywhere between 1000-3000 ballots are cast every season. 

Stores that participate in the scavenger hunt receive a significant bump in traffic and followers to their social media accounts.

• Finalists Edelweiss Collections: Fiction | Nonfiction | Young Readers | All  
• SBP Toolbox (signage, graphics, and marketing materials)
• Publishers Toolkit