Amazon’ s newest Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award will include a number of changes the most notable being that rather than the winners being published by Penguin, they will now be published by Amazon Publishing. The number of categories has also been expanded and, starting January 14, authors can enter the contest in one of five categories—general fiction, mystery/thriller, romance, science fiction/fantasy/horror, and young adult fiction.
A finalist will be chosen in each category, and a Grand Prize winner will be selected by Amazon customers and receive a $50,000 advance. The remaining finalists will also receive a publishing contract with Amazon Publishing, with a $15,000 advance.
This year’s ABNA contest is open to unpublished and self-published English-language novels, which can be submitted from January 14, 2013 through January 27, 2013. The five finalists will be announced on May 21, and the Grand Prize winner will be announced during a ceremony at Amazon headquarters in Seattle in June.
PW will continue its role in helping to judge the contest. Up to 10,000 eligible entries will be accepted for the ABNA contest this year.
