The 2024 edition of the Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize for quality, independently published books (fiction, poetry, and creative/narrative non-fiction) by African authors is open for submissions.
About the Prize. The Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize is an annual prize managed by Mystery Publishers, a Kenyan premier pan-African independent publisher with a bias toward African speculative fiction and genre/pop literature stories for quality, professionally self-published books.
The 2024 winner will be awarded Ksh.20,000 (might increase depending on available funding).
GUIDELINES
- Eligibility. The Prize is open to African authors on the continent or in the diaspora. An African is a citizen of any African country by birth if, on the day of the person’s birth, whether or not the person is born in any African country, either the mother or father of the person is a citizen or through naturalisation.
- Self-published authors only. (Proof of self-publishing to be provided.) A book or author is self-published if:
- It is DIY publishing (the author does all the publishing process by themselves);They engage professional author services providers/companies to provide the services for them (invoices and receipts for such services to be provided);They publish their books using self-publishing companies (a publishing agreement in addition to invoices and receipts to be provided); or
- Self-publishing companies may submit books on behalf of their authors (copies of publishing agreements, invoices and receipts issued to authors, and business registration/incorporation certificate to be provided).
- Books Eligible
- Print (hard copies) and eBooks (PDF only).
- Books submitted should be published in English or translated into English.
- Not more than three (3) years since publication (only books published in 2021 and later).
- Traditionally published books are not eligible.
- eBooks should not be a gift to download from Amazon. This is because the gift goes to just one person. Because of the judging process, the ebook may need to be read by multiple people.
- We will not accept invitations to download files from websites.
- Theme. Books submitted should tell an extraordinary story about the present or future of Africa (Afro-currency and Afro-futurism).
- Submissions close on 15 April 2024.
- Submission Fee
- Print books – Ksh.3000 or USD 20 per title.
- eBooks – Ksh.1,500 or USD 15 per title.
- Submission Guidelines
- Five (5) hard copy books for every title submitted are to be dropped at/sent to Nuria Bookstore, The Bazaar Building, Moi Avenue, 11th Floor, Suite No. 1105, Nairobi, addressed as follows:
To Mystery Publishers Limited
Tel: +254 718 429 184
Book Prize Submission
By [Your Name and Contact Details]
Once you send or drop your books at Nuria Bookstore, please let us know via email at bookprize@mysterypublisherslimited.com CC afrikaredefinedbookprize@gmail.com
- eBook submissions should be through email (bookprize@mysterypublisherslimited.com) as follows:
- subject heading: ‘Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize submission by YOUR NAME’;
- Cover email and the eBook attached.
PRIZE CRITERIA
- Selection of submitted books by Mystery Publishers. We look for professionally published books (whether a book is well presented—cover, pictures [if relevant] and layout) following industry standards.
- The selected books are then taken through public voting, where readers vote for the book with the most extraordinary story to produce a shortlist of ten books. (Public voting accounts for 10% of the overall evaluation.)
- The shortlisted books are forwarded to a judges’ panel comprising beta readers, editors, authors, and publishers. They are given Book Score Sheets to complete for every book received. In general terms, the most important aspects they will be looking for are: whether a book is well written (including structure and style), and Afro-currency and Afro-futurism in the themes.
- The winning book is announced at an award ceremony at Alliance Francaise de Nairobi, and the winner is awarded the prize money, a trophy, and a certificate.
- The first and second runners-up will be awarded a certificate.
- Mystery Publishers shall print 1,000 copies of the winning book and donate them to schools and community libraries. The winning author shall be expected to accompany MPL during these events.
