I am humbled and honored to announce that I accepted a silver medal in the Middle Grades 6–8 category for Ghost Girl in the 2023 international competition sponsored by the Florida Association of Publishers and Authors (FAPA).
The FAPA President’s Book Awards recognize excellence and creativity in design, content, and production for authors and publishers. The awards ceremony capped the annual conference held at the Hilton Buena Vista Palace, near Orlando, on Friday, August 4, and Saturday, August 5.
Competition was tight in 37 categories that included adult and juvenile fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Separate awards were given for writing, illustration, and book design.
Finalists were chosen according to standardized criteria. Gold, silver, and bronze medals were determined by a minimum score in a medal’s range, as opposed to the top three scores winning the top three medals. It was therefore possible to have no gold or silver winner in a particular category, but multiple gold, silver, and bronze winners in another.
The complete list of winners and medals won can be found here.
FAPA accepted submissions from around the world, as long as the books were written in English.
Twenty-year-old Hermione Lee, for example, traveled from Taiwan with her father to accept a bronze medal for Where the Magic Lies, a Young Adult Sci-Fi/Fantasy novel. Following a session on “Creating the Amazon Bestseller,” she showed me where a different magic lies—that of rankings within Amazon categories.
Her assistance was one example of the camaraderie that transcended age and genres. Formal presentations and informal discussions covered marketing, social media, storytelling in the AI age, intellectual property, audiobook production, working with artists, and distribution.
While I soaked in the knowledge that the conference offered, and basked in the accolades that the awards ceremony bestowed, I took home much more than silver.
Although Ghost Girl took decades to write, I never wavered in my belief in myself, its message, or my cheerleaders’ support. For everything my shiny medallion represents, I am truly grateful.
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