BY Eva Marie Everson, Contest Director @EvaMarieEverson

Established in 2011 on behalf of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference by multiple award-winning author Dr. Alton Gansky, The Selah Awards are an industry-wide contest designed to honor the best in Christian publishing from the previous year. Its proceeds are used toward BRMCWC scholarships, which has been awarded to conferee hopefuls. Since the 2012 BRMCWC, The Selah Awards have been responsible, in part, for bringing between 50 and 100 new writers to the conference.

This year’s categories are:

• Audiobooks (NEW!): We would like to acknowledge excellence in the audio versions of your work. Please mail two copies of your audiobook (or email the downloadable code to BlueRidgeCWC@aol.com with “Audiobook Entry” in the subject line). Please include the narrator’s name on your form (you can write this in the “editors” section of the Selah Award form).
• Anthologies. Entire books of short stories or works of short nonfiction. Send complete book with work clearly marked to address provided above.
• Articles Published Online (Christian or Secular). Send a copy of the article or the article’s link to BlueRidgeCWC@aol.com with Selah/Articles Online in the subject line.
• Articles Published in Print (Christian or Secular). Send one copy of the article along with a copy of the magazine or newspaper cover to the address provided above.
• Bible Studies
• Children’s Picture Books
• Children’s Literature (works beyond Picture Books to Middle Grade)
• Christian Life
• Devotionals
• Essays (NEW!): a work of nonfiction between 1,000 – 7,500 words of a true story that focuses on a central theme (example: works submitted to Chicken Soup for the Soul books).
• Fiction
• Contemporary Romance: a subgenre of romance novels generally set during contemporary times.
• Contemporary Women’s: fiction that appeals to women set from the Vietnam War forward.
• First Novel*: a novelist’s first work of published fiction
• General Fiction (NEW!): a subgenre of fiction sometimes referred to as contemporary fiction, which focuses on the everyday experiences and conflicts of a protagonist, usually an adult male or female, with detailed characterization and background. Typically written for mature audiences with mature themes.
• Historical or Biblical: a broad category fiction in which the plot takes place in a setting from the Vietnam War back.
• Historical Romance: a subgenre of romance novels set.
• Mystery/Suspense: a work of fiction in which the main character is occupied in tracking down the truth about an event, usually a murder. If the protagonist is in any danger, it is usually moderate and becomes a problem only as the detective approaches the truth, or in which the main character may become aware of danger only gradually. In a mystery, the reader is exposed to the same information as the detective, but in a suspense story, the reader is aware of things unknown to the protagonist.
• Novella: novels with a word count of between 17,000 – 50,000 words.
• Romantic Suspense: a subgenre of romance novels that involves an intrigue or mystery for the protagonists to solve.
• Short Stories in Print (NEW!): a work of fiction between 1,000 – 7,500 words. A short story usually focuses on one plot, one main character (with a few additional minor characters), and one central theme. Send entire book with your work marked by bookmark, Post-it Note, etc.
• Short Stories Online (NEW!): a work of fiction between 1,000 – 7,500 words. A short story usually focuses on one plot, one main character (with a few additional minor characters), and one central theme. Send link to the article to BlueRidgeCWC@aol.com with SELAH/Short Stories Online in the subject line
• Speculative: a genre of fiction that encompasses works in which the setting is other than the real world, involving supernatural, futuristic, or other imagined elements.
• Western: a genre of fiction primarily set in the American Old West between the late eighteenth century and late nineteenth century and tell the stories of cowboys, settlers, and outlaws exploring the western frontier and taming the Wild West.
• General Nonfiction: Christian/church topic (from history to theology to biography, etc.)
• Inspiration & Gift
• Middle Grade Novels
• Memoir
• YA Fiction
• YA Nonfiction
• * First Novels (can be entered here and in one of the fiction subcategories. there must be two books included per category to be considered for both, and payment must be sent for both.)

First, Second, and Third Places will be chosen from groups with five or more entries. Categories with less than five will only offer a first place or will be combined with a similar genre.

The Selah Book of the Year is chosen from all first-place winners based on score. This award is given to both a fiction and a nonfiction title.

Entries must be received by January 15, 2021.

Winners announced at the BRMCWC Awards Event, June 1, 2021.  

Winners need not be present to win.

For more information about The Selah Awards, go to: Contest Information – Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference | Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, Changing the world…one writer at a time (blueridgeconference.com)

Eva Marie Everson is a multiple award-winning author of both fiction and nonfiction. An award-winning speaker, Eva Marie is a frequent member of faculty at writers conferences and serves as both keynote and retreat speaker at women’s events. She is the president of Word Weavers International and the director of the Florida Christian Writers Conference. To learn more about Eva Marie and her work, visit her website: www. http://EvaMarieEversonAUTHOR.com