Not the Booker prize, but something to B.R.A.G. about?

BRAG gold logoSelf-publishing is expanding exponentially; it has long ceased to be a minority interest. But along with the glorious freedom of writing any genre, mixed genres or no genre and the ability to control every aspect of a book’s production comes responsibility to the readers.

Some authors write books purely for their own pleasure and that’s great fun and personally very satisfying, but today self- or independent publishing is a serious option for career writers. However, not everybody is conscientious in producing a well-rounded, page-turning book with impeccable production values. How is a reader able to distinguish the dross from the diamonds in today’s avalanche of self-published work?

SUCCESSIO at SaturnaliaThis is where the B.R.A.G. Medallion comes in. Based in the US, but rapidly becoming recognised in the world of self-publishing as a seal of excellence, IndieBRAG’s selection process is rigorous, rejecting 90% of applicants.

When INCEPTIO, the first of the Roma Nova thrillers, was awarded a Medallion, I was delighted; my writing had passed one of the highest bars around. In February this year I heard that the second book in the Roma Nova series, PERFIDITAS, had also been selected. Silly grins all round and bubbly opened.

And yesterday, SUCCESSIO leapt the 90% barrier. Extremely silly grins all round and double ration of bubbly.

IMG_0599Around 150,000 (conservative figure) new book titles are published in the UK alone each year, plus goodness knows how many self-published books. Most readers browsing for a book spend about 5 seconds looking at the cover. Having the B.R.A.G. gold medallion on your books grabs a reader’s attention and indicates to them it will be a quality assured read, whatever its genre.

And who am I to disagree? Cheers!

 

Alison Morton is the author of Roma Nova thrillers, INCEPTIO, and PERFIDITAS. Third in series, SUCCESSIO, is now out.

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2 comments to Not the Booker prize, but something to B.R.A.G. about?

  • Well done, Alison. An award to be proud of for a cracking trilogy that is fast becoming a series.

  • Alison

    Thank you, Ms Bavaria. It’s based on evaluation by readers who judge the book on plot, writing style, characters, copy editing, dialogue and cover/interior layout.