NCompass Live - April 21, 2021 http://nlc.nebraska.gov/ncompasslive/ What are the Nebraska Book Awards? How can I nominate a book? What makes a winner? The Nebraska Book Awards program, sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book (NCB), recognizes and honors books that are written by Nebraska authors, published by Nebraska publishers, set in Nebraska, or concerning Nebraska. Learn all about this Nebraska literary competition and hear from some of our judges as they share their experiences participating in the program.

1. Nebraska
Book
Awards
Sit Dolor Amet

2. What are the NCB Book Awards?
The Nebraska Book Awards program, sponsored by the Nebraska Center for
the Book (NCB), recognizes and honors books that are written by Nebraska
authors, published by Nebraska publishers, set in Nebraska, or concerning
Nebraska.
More information can be found at:
http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/awards/nebookawards.html

3. Timeline for Book Awards
March 1
Nominations are opened.
June 30
Last day to submit your
books.
September
Winners are announced.
October 23
Celebration of Nebraska
Books award ceremony is
held.

4. Rules for Nominations
• Books published in 2020, as indicated by the copyright date, are eligible for
nomination.
• They must be professionally published.
• Have an International Standard Book Number (ISBN).
• Be bound.
• Books may be entered in one or more of the following categories:
 Nonfiction
 Fiction
 Children/Young Adult
 Cover/Design/Illustration, and
 Poetry

5. How to Nominate
There is an entry fee of $40 per book and per category entered.
Enter in one of two ways:
• Complete the Online Entry Form and submit payment through PayPal.
Mail three copies of the book to the below address.
• Mail the Entry Form [pdf], three copies of the book, and the entry fee to:
NCB Book Awards Competition
c/o Nebraska Library Commission
The Atrium
1200 N Street, Suite 120
Lincoln, NE 68508-2023

6. Children/YAAwards

7. Children/Young Adult
What do we consider?
• Nebraska connection
• Quality of writing
• Sense of time & place
• Appeal to children/teens
• Unique message
• Offer of discovery
• Book design

8. Past award categories
• Children’s picture books
• Children’s fiction/chapter books
• Young adult fiction
• Young adult nonfiction

9. Children/Young Adult Winners
Simpson’s Sheep Won’t Go to Sleep!
by Bruce Arant
Publisher: Peter Pauper Press, 2013
2014 Award for Children's Picture Book
The Red Umbrella
by Christina Diaz Gonzalez
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 2010
2011 Award for Young Adult Fiction

10. Cover, Design, and
Illustration Awards

11. Cover, Design, and Illustration
What do we consider?
• Nebraska connection
• Layout and formatting
• Quality of photographs or illustrations
• Overall visual appeal
• Readability
• Cohesive design

12. Cover/Design/Illustration Winners
Rodeo Nebraska
by Mark Harris, Design by N. Putens
Publisher: Nebraska State Historical Society, 2015
2016 Award for Cover/Design/Illustration
The Fishes of Nebraska, by Robert A. Hrabik, Steven C.
Schainost, Richard H. Stasiak, Edward J. Peters
Illustrated by Justin T. Sipiorski. Design by Jim L.
Friesen
Publisher: Conservation and Survey Division of
University of Nebraska Lincoln, 2015
2016 Award for Illustration Honor

13. Nonfiction Awards
Apples, bananas, kumquats, oranges, papaya, and pineapple …

14. Nonfiction
What makes a book stand out;
• A strong Nebraska connection – author, author’s education, setting, material
• How a book is constructed – table of contents, index, bibliography and
sources cited
• Did we learn something – something new? – discovery and delight
• How many people would enjoy reading this? – what age group?
• Would this be an excellent book in a library collection – especially adding to
books on this subject area – would this be a textbook?
• How well is it written? Easily readable –accessible
• Physical appearance, beauty – aesthetics

15. Past award categories
• Autobiography
• Biography
• Culture
• Current Biography
• Essay
• Folklore
• Historical Biography
• History
• Immigration Story
• Investigative Journalism
• Memoir
• Natural History
• Nebraska as Place
• Nebraska History
• Nebraska Spirit
• Photography
• Reference
• Travel
• True Crime
• Wildlife

16. Past award winners
• Books with unique topics:

17. Other notable books

18. Other notable books

19. For more information…
• For a full list of past award winners check out
http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/awards/winners/nebook.html
• If you have questions about the nomination process or the awards please
contact:
Tessa Terry
Nebraska Library Commission Communications
Coordinator
tessa.terry@nebraska.gov
402-471-3434