As a result of the burgeoning digital age, the recent eBook explosion and the opportunity for authors to by-pass the traditional publishing route, a number of Book Awards programs have grown up over the course of the last decade. The ‘Small Business Book Awards’ is one such platform.
Launched in 2008, its central purpose is "to highlight those business books, authors and resou Ivana S. Taylorrces that offer great content and information, but may not receive major media coverage," noted Ivana S.Taylor, one of the program’s organizers.
Distinguishing themselves from the Pack. . .
Differing from other Book Award programs that require an entrance fee to be nominated, the SBBA’s has differentiated by making nominations free. "We could charge entry fees like other book awards, but keeping it an ‘open’ Awards makes sure it is widely available for business authors on tight budgets who perhaps are still living the "starving author" lifestyle," said founder Anita Campbell.
Ms. Campbell is also the CEO of Small Business Trends which is the driving force behind the SBBA’s. The Anita Campbellfirm is a popular online publication, which in collaboration with a number of sister sites, serves over 6,000,000 small business owners, stakeholders and entrepreneurs annually. Since 2007, the firm’s book review team under the leadership of Book Editor Ivana Taylor has reviewed nearly 500 small business books, with unbiased in-depth reviews. These Awards are an outgrowth of that business model.
May I Have the Envelope Please. . .
Campbell and her team have purposely chosen not to conduct an awards ceremony at a brick-n-mortar venue. "Most small-biz and entrepreneur authors can’t afford to travel to New York City, for instance, for a couple of days to receive an award," says Campbell.
Instead, this year. Campbell and Taylor have devised an innovative ceremonial platform appropriate for the digital age. This year, there will be a virtual ceremony simulcast on a number of sites including a Google Hangout. "We opted for a virtual ceremony," noted Campbell, "as we wanted (the nominees) to feel some of the excitement of winning an award, without the downsides of the expense and travel time involved."
So mark your calendars for this very unique ceremony that will be broadcast live via Google Hangout on June 4 at 2PM EST (11AM PT). And if you don’t currently have a G+ account, there will be livestreaming at the Small Business Trends Hangout page in addition to the Small Business Book Awards site.
Voting Continues
However, in the meantime, while the nominations for 2014 have come to an end, authors and interested parties can still vote for their favorite nominees in 8 categories up until May 28. At Inventorspot, I am proud to announce my blog site has been nominated in the ‘Resource’ category and easy one-click voting can be found here, with no need for sign-ups. Look forward to your participation and see you on the virtual red carpet.
