The Seventeenth Annual Scribe Awards (2023)
How To Enter
The IAMTW will present awards (explained below) for books published in later 2022 and early 2023.
Award Categories:
BEST ORIGINAL NOVEL – GENERAL
A licensed, original novel using pre-existing characters or worlds from a movie, television series, game (video game, computer game, rpg), play, or an existing series of novels (i.e., new novels extending a literary franchise, i.e. Murder She Wrote, Leverage, James Bond, etc.)
BEST ORIGINAL NOVEL – SPECULATIVE
A licensed, original novel using pre-existing characters or worlds from a movie, television series, game (video game, computer game, rpg), play, or an existing series of novels (i.e., new novels extending a literary franchise, i.e. DUNE, Star Wars, Star Trek, etc.)
BEST ADAPTATION (All Genres)
A licensed novelization based on an existing screenplay, whether a feature film, episodic teleplay, game (video game, computer game, rpg), script, or play.
BEST YA (All Genres, Original or Adapted)
For young adults: A licensed novelization based on an existing screenplay, whether a feature film, episodic teleplay, game (video game, computer game, rpg), script, or play OR a licensed, original novel using pre-existing characters or worlds from any of the above.
BEST AUDIO (All Genres)
A licensed audio play, not a staged reading of published work, using characters or worlds from a movie, television series, game (video game, computer game, rpg), play or an existing series of novels.
BEST SHORT FICTION (All Genres and Ages)
A licensed, original story appearing in a magazine, collection or anthology and using pre-existing characters or worlds from a movie, television series, game (video game, computer game, rpg), play, or an existing series of novels (i.e., new novels extending a literary franchise, i.e. DUNE, James Bond, etc.) (Wordcount: 17,500 or under; anything over that belongs in novel category.)
How The Scribes Are Judged
Any member of IAMTW may be a judge. The judging committees are made up of your peers from within the organization, writers who know the unique obstacles and restrictions that tie-in writers face, because they are tie-in writers themselves. The judges will read all the submissions in their category and select both the nominees and the winners.
Rules for Submission
- The author does not need to be an IAMTW member.
- Authors can submit multiple titles, but only ONE BOOK PER CATEGORY/ONE CATEGORY PER BOOK (i.e. you can’t submit the same book in two different categories or multiple titles in one category. Authors who’ve done several books in any one category need to pick the one title that seems strongest and submit only that). This applies to every work that the author has written OR co-written.
- Only authors can submit their books for consideration but we encourage you to have your editors/publishers send the actual books on your behalf so you don’t have to raid your author’s copies or pay the postage.
- Judges can submit their work, but obviously not in the categories they are judging.
- The entry must be a licensed work published for the first time between March 1, 2022 and February 28, 2023. Only books with a copyright between those dates will be eligible for consideration. Entrants with books published in late February 2023 are required to get copies of eligible work into the hands of the category judges no later than March 15, 2023 to allow adequate time to review the titles. Galleys are acceptable.
- eBook-only titles are also accepted and should be sent to the judges via email.
- For Audio Books, the entries must be full-cast radio-style plays, not readings of short stories or novels. They must be first released on CD or MP-3 and not first broadcast on radio (if, after released, the audio was picked up and aired, that is considered a secondary market). Audio entries must be forty minutes or more in length.
- All entrants MUST include a cover letter with each book or audio. The cover letter must include the following information: the Category you are entering, Title of the Book, Name of the Author, Publication Date, Editor & Publisher, and email & “snailmail” addresses and phone numbers for the author and editor. PLEASE DO NOT IGNORE THIS. THE CONTACT INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT.
- All electronic entries MUST be send as an accessible file. If a link is sent, it MUST be to the entry itself. It must not be to a service a judge needs to sign up for or log in to. There have been issues in the past. It is the responsibility of the author to ensure that judges are able to read or listen to your work.
- A copy of all submissions—the book or, in the case of audio books, the CD or MP-3 as marketed, and cover letter—should be sent to each judge in the category you are entering and to the IAMTW c/o D. J. Stevenson. Please send an email to tieinwriters@gmail.com for the list of judges and their mailing addresses. IAMTW members can find the list in the MEMBERS ONLY section of this site.