Previous Finalists

Comments from Authors/Publishers

The Wishing Shelf Book Awards are the perfect way to get to get unbiased feedback from readers of an age suited to your book.

Before the awards, whilst I found it easy to rack up positive reviews from friends and family, there was always that niggle in the back of my mind – how do I really know if they are being genuine or just too polite to speak the truth?  Also, the average age of my Amazon reviews so far is about forty!  As this was my first attempt at publishing something, and the first part of a trilogy, I had a burning desire to know how it would be received by a group of strangers.  Should I spend another five plus years working on books two and three?  Or should I put the whole thing down to experience – and another thing ticked off my list of “Things to do before I’m fifty”?

Thankfully, the specific criticism received has helped me think much more carefully about my next book.  So, rather than give up, I’ve spent the months since receiving my feedback, changing, and hopefully improving, my second book. And I’ll certainly take it on board when planning and writing book three.

The red ribbon I received looks great on the front cover, and I hope will help when it comes to making sales in the future.

Kelly Lewis, author of Matthew Jones, The Boy Who Changed Things

Entering The Wishing Shelf Book Awards has been one of the best things I have ever done as a writer. The quality of the feedback alone is worth the entry fee. It has proved to be an essential litmus test for me on my writing journey as I have gone from an ‘honourable mention’ with my first book to a finalist with my second. I encourage any aspiring writer to enter the awards, whatever stage you may be at in your journey.

Andrew Guile, author of The Mad Moon Mission

I’ve entered a number of writing contests in the last year or two, and Wishing Shelf has been one of the most helpful.  The experience was pleasant from the beginning, with clear communication, guidance, and reasonable pricing.  The number of readers for my entry and the quality of the feedback they provided have no equal.  The contest genuinely celebrates the joy of reading and promotes the best of what independent publishing has to offer.  I am certain to enter a new work in the future.

A.M. Manay, author of She Dies at the End

Truly, I am delighted in your unique award program. The mechanism in place takes my self-pubbed American book and gives it breath with schoolkids in the UK. The reactions of kids, parents, and teachers are documented and tallied and reported back to me so I can continue to learn and grow as an author. I may never meet you or those readers, but through your efforts, a little piece of me has touched them. For that, I sincerely thank you.

Jeanne Moran, author of Mikey and the Swamp Monster

WSBA is a well-run contest that uses independent readers, both male and female, as judges. I appreciated that the contest laid out and then followed an exact time table. The feedback I received was thorough and covered three important C’s: content, characters, and cover. Because the contest has no self-interest or profit-driven agenda, as many contests do, the integrity and objectivity of the comments held real value for me. While the feedback held no surprises, it did reinforce areas I know I need to improve. Thanks to everyone involved for a valuable experience.’

Karen Hasley, author of Magnificent Farewell