Reader Views Literary Awards

The Reader Views Literary Awards, founded in 2005, honour excellence in independent publishing. The programme is open to self-published authors and those published through small presses, hybrid publishers, or university presses worldwide, provided the submitted work is in English and carries a copyright date within the last five years. Books from major traditional publishing houses are not eligible.

The awards operate in two seasonal tracks: the Fiction Programme (open March–September 2026, winners announced late November 2026) and the Non-Fiction Programme (open September 2026–March 2027, winners announced late May 2027). Poetry and all children’s titles are evaluated within the Fiction track.

Every entry receives a full professional editorial review and a detailed 20-point evaluation, which authors may use for promotional purposes.

Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards are presented in each genre category, with additional Finalist designations based on scoring. Grand Prize cash awards, starting at $1,000 (Gold), $350 (Silver), and $150 (Bronze) are selected from category winners and may increase based on entry volume. A range of sponsored awards are also available, including prizes from Dabble, AutoCrit, and others, covering categories such as debut fiction, historical fiction, debut poetry, and children’s books.

Is this competition legit?YES! – Based on our research this event is legitimate and the organizer is well established. However, as with any event, please remember to do your own research before submitting your work.

FAQ
If you are curious how writing competitions work, or it’s your first time entering one, we recommend reading our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page first.