ELIGIBILITY

  • Self-published English-language books (worldwide): fiction, non-fiction, poetry and children’s books
  • The author must have paid the costs associated with the production of their book
  • All entries must be available for purchase in physical form (ebook-only publications not eligible)
  • Submissions must be human-authored; books that consist primarily of AI-generated content are not eligible
  • The book must be copyrighted within the last five years

ENTRY FEE

  • All submissions must be made and paid for via the online submission form, with digital books either uploaded or physical copies then mailed. Authors choosing to pay via cheque must complete the online entry form first before mailing their book.
  • CA$75.00 plus GST per fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and children’s book entry (Credit card or cheque made payable to Vivalogue)
  • CA$50.00 plus GST for each additional entry

BOOKS SUBMITTED

  • Books entered should be mailed to:
    Whistler Independent Book Awards,
    PO Box 2194,
    Garibaldi Highlands,
    BC V0N 1T0
  • Books may also be submitted as PDFs (the file used to print copies of the book)  via the Submission Form
  • Books must be received by April 30, 2025. Late entries cannot be accepted.
  • Copies submitted will not be returned to the author
  • It is the author’s responsibility to ensure that WIBA receives an acceptable version of their book

NOTE: If selected for the WIBA longlist, a physical copy of the book will be required.

IMPORTANT DATES

  • Submissions accepted from March 1—April 30, 2026
  • Copies of the book must be received by April 30, 2026
  • Longlist (12 in each category) announced May 13, 2026
  • Shortlist (6 in each category) announced June 17, 2026
  • Finalists (3 in each category) announced August 5, 2026
  • Winners announced at the Whistler Writers’ Festival, Nov 5—8, 2026

PRIZES AND BENEFITS

Longlisted authors receive:

  • Digital stickers for promotional and marketing purposes, confirming nomination
  • Announcement and social media promotion, including links to the author’s preferred website

Shortlisted authors receive the above, plus:

  • A written evaluation from the Whistler Writing Society judges
  • Digital stickers for promotional and marketing purposes, confirming nomination
  • Announcement and social media promotion, including links to the author’s preferred website

Finalists receive all the above, plus:

  • A written evaluation from each of the Finalist Judges in their category
  • Invitation to attend WIBA Finalists celebratory luncheon at the Whistler Writers Festival
  • Invitation to participate in the WIBA Reading Event at the Whistler Writers Festival
  • Complementary ticket to attend the Festival event, where winners will be announced
  • Opportunity to sell your books at the Whistler Writers Festival
  • Paid promotion on BookRiot.com

Winners receive all of the above, plus:

  • Participation as a speaker in a peer panel event at the Whistler Writers Festival
  • A commemorative, personalized gift
  • Full-page advertisement in Write, the quarterly magazine published by The Writers’ Union of Canada
  • Feature promotion on BookRiot.com

Eligibility FAQs

I used a hybrid publisher – is my book eligible?
Yes, if you paid the publisher for services to create your book.

Is Young Adult (YA) considered fiction or children’s?
YA is judged in the Fiction category. However, if our assessors consider its audience to be middle-grade readers or younger, they will consider it in the children’s category (pre-teen or younger, illustrated books, board books).

Do you accept novellas?
Yes. Novellas of 20,000 words or more are accepted. Novellettes of a minimum of 15,000 words might be considered, if of exceptional quality.

What qualifies as non-fiction?
The Non-Fiction category is intended to recognize literary treatment of factual material. Creative non-fiction that uses imagined dialogue or description to enhance a true story is eligible. Manuals and catalogues intended to provide factual information only are not eligible as the judges would have no basis to assess the literary merit of the submission.

Is my book eligible if I received grant funding or I crowd-sourced?
Yes, as long as your grant was not specifically intended to cover the costs of publication. If you received grant funding after your book was published, or if your grant was awarded for research/writing purposes, your book is eligible. If you received grant funding in order to pay for printing or other publication costs, your book is not eligible as you did not assume the financial risk normally associated with independent publishing.

Book Submission FAQs

Can I send you a copy of my book directly from Amazon/Lulu/IngramSpark?
Yes, you can send a print copy of your book to us from your publishing platform. Amazon may allow you to send an ebook, but international restrictions may apply.

Can I upload my Word doc or manuscript via the online form?
No. Only print PDFs are accepted.

What is a print PDF?
This is the PDF file that is used to print the book. It allows our assessors to accurately evaluate the digital equivalent of your book. Printers’ marks or watermarks are acceptable on the PDFs.

How are the entries assessed?
The Selection Committee assesses each book on the quality of the writing and narrative, based on substantial opening, middle and closing sections of each entry. Design and production values are also considered. All shortlisted and finalists’ books are read in full and are evaluated on a standardized set of criteria, including structure, content, character development, setting, writing, themes and design/production values.