FAQs.

What is The People’s Book Prize?
The People’s Book Prize is the unique literary competition that is judged by the nation and open to all UK publishing companies. Patrons Frederick Forsyth and The Publishers Association.  Founding Patron:  Dame Beryl Bainbridge DBE.

Why was The People’s Book Prize created?

• to give authors a better chance of being read
• to create a unique space where publishers can showcase their authors' work
• to give the British public the opportunity to choose Britain's next Bestsellers and discover new talent
• to support libraries and encourage community interaction
• to celebrate reading
• to get people reading: anybody and everybody can be part of the People's Book Prize and take an active role

Our Constitution  

• To champion new authors and showcase new and undiscovered works.
• To secure a transparent democratic process, empowering the public to vote with confidence for the nation’s next bestsellers and writers of tomorrow.
• To engage the community and raise the profile of publishers, libraries and new writers, forming an alliance with retailers to sell and distribute winners’ books.
• To support literacy within schools and by working with The People’s Book Prize writers to visit schools and conduct community workshops within libraries and bookshops.
• To foster a love of reading and inspire the next generation of Britain’s best untapped writing talent.
• To invest in a writing competition across three age groups. 
• To eradicate illiteracy. The Special Achievement Award 2011 recognised this and demonstrates how The Prize can make a difference.

How are the books chosen?
Every three months publishers are asked to enter one title in each of the three categories, fiction, non-fiction and children’s books for the Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring Collections.

Can I submit my book?
Only registered publishers can submit Titles. 

How many collections of books in a year?
Four from 1 June  to 20 May

- Summer collection from 1 June 'till 31 August 
- Autumn collection from 1 September 'till 30 November 
- Winter Collection from 1 December 'till 28 February
- Spring collection from 1 March 'till 20 May

How does it work?
TPBP website lists three-months’ chosen titles, registers people’s votes, monitors which books are winning the public’s votes and links to the different websites. 

The Voting
Seasonal voting takes place across 3 categories each quarter.
Members of the public can vote once in each of the three categories per calendar quarter.
  
Top three books x 3 categories x 4 quarters = 36 finalists.  

The votes received by the 36 finalists are carried forward and the public vote again from 21 May 2012 to 29 May 2013  

The 4 winners are announced at the Award Ceremony on 29 May 2013 at Stationers Hall click here to see video

The Categories
- Fiction | Non-Fiction | Children's Literature (voted for exclusively by the public)
- The Beryl Bainbridge Award for a First Time Author (from the 36 finalists - voted for exclusively by the public)
- Special Achievement Award (from the 36 finalists - voted for exclusively by the public - discretionary)

Once you have registered on line...

Voting for the New collection: To vote for the new collection:  Summer - June/July/August (finishes 31st Aug ) and subsequently for future collections (see above), follow the following procedure: 
- Click on the category of your choice: fiction, non-fiction, children’s
- Click on the book cover of your choice
- You can vote for three different books in each category during each period - One book from fiction, one from non-fiction and one from children's (3 in a season - Summer etc) You cannot vote for the same book twice - it will be rejected

Browse all previous collections:
You can read about past featured titles, comment, borrow and/or buy these books.  However, you can no longer vote for the titles featured in the past

Do you provide POS?
Yes.  The quarterly collection is  accompanied by free point of sale material.  If you wish to download TPBP A4 poster. Click here

Who chooses the winners?
Members of the public will vote for their favourite books on this website or at their local library. There will be no other judges involved in the selection of winners. TPBP has no judges.

How many times can I vote for a book?
For the quarterly collections:  You can vote for three different books in each category but you cannot vote for the same book twice - it will be rejected

For the overall winners:  You can vote for one different book in each category

Why is The People’s Book Prize unique?
This is a project in which EVERYBODY can get involved, and where all gain something.  Join and help spread the word so The People’s Book Prize becomes the No. 1 Book competition in Britain!

In the words of our Founding Patron, Dame Beryl Bainbridge DBE “I look forward to the time when we mention this particular prize as the greatest”.