Dartmouth Book Awards

Eligibility Criteria
& Submission Requirements

Award Descriptions

The Dartmouth Book Awards Steering Committee is pleased to offer four prizes of $2,000, one to each of the winners of the following four awards:

  • Dartmouth Book Award (Fiction), awarded for an outstanding fiction book by a Nova Scotia author published in the preceding year.
  • George Borden Writing for Change Award (Nonfiction), awarded for an outstanding nonfiction book by a Nova Scotia author published in the preceding year that inspires others, challenges the status quo, and celebrates and shares the stories of recognized groups: Indigenous peoples, persons with a disability, racially visible persons, and 2SLGBTQ+ persons.
  • Margaret and John Savage First Book Award (Fiction), awarded for an outstanding debut book of fiction by a Nova Scotia author published in the preceding year that has contributed to the understanding of Nova Scotia and its peoples. To be eligible, the submitted book must be the first book-length title published by that author in any genre.
  • Margaret and John Savage First Book Award (Nonfiction), awarded for an outstanding debut book of non-fiction by a Nova Scotia author published in the preceding year that has contributed to the understanding of Nova Scotia and its peoples. To be eligible, the submitted book must be the first book-length title published by that author in any genre.

The Dartmouth Book Awards Steering Committee believes in diversity and inclusion. It encourages submissions from all writers, including Indigenous peoples, persons with a disability, racially visible persons, and 2SLGBTQ+ persons (collectively, “Recognized Groups”). The Committee will seek out jury members that include members of Recognized Groups.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible titles include the following:

  • Books written by Nova Scotians, including by individuals who have been residents of Nova Scotia for at least two years immediately prior to the submission deadline
  • Books published between November 1 (of the year prior to the submission deadline) and October 31 (of the year of the submission deadline)
  • Books whose genres are fiction or nonfiction, including history, essay, biography, politics, and drama
  • Books written for older teen readers (16+)
  • Self-published and hybrid-/partner-published books are that are professionally produced and meet all other criteria
    • For a hybrid-/partner-published title, the author and publisher will need to confer regarding who submits and pay the submission fee

Ineligible titles including the following: poetry collections; anthologies; re-issues or re-printings of earlier publications; books containing less than 40% text; books less than 49 pages; and books unavailable for sale. The Steering Committee reserves the right to reject submitted titles. Rejected titles cannot be returned.

Submission Requirements

Each eligible award entry must be submitted by the November 1 deadline and must include the components numbered below. Any eligible title may be submitted to more than one relevant award. Early submissions are strongly encouraged. Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered.

1. completed online submission form

If submitting one title to more than one award, please complete a single submission form for the title.

  • Forms must be submitted online. Click the button below for access.

2. non-refundable submission fee ($40)

If submitting one title to multiple awards, you must pay the submission fee for each award to which it is submitted.

If paying multiple submission fees, you may send a single cheque or e-transfer for the total amount.

If submitting a self-published title, you may apply for a waiver of the submission fee by contacting dartmouthbookawards@gmail.com.

  • To pay submission fees online, send an e-transfer to dartmouthbookawards@gmail.com, including the relevant title(s) in the e-transfer notes or memo section.
  • To pay submission fees submit by mail, send a cheque payable to “Dartmouth Book Awards” to Dartmouth Book Awards, c/o David Thompson, 3-44 Orion Court, Dartmouth, NS, B2Y 4W6.

3. five printed and bound copies per title per Award

If submitting one title to multiple awards, you must submit five copies of the title for each award to which it is submitted. To submit a single title to two awards, for instance, you must submit ten copies of that title.

  • Books must be submitted by mail to Dartmouth Book Awards, c/o David Thompson, 3-44 Orion Court, Dartmouth, NS, B2Y 4W6.

Shortlist Promotional Offset Fee

If a traditionally published or hybrid-/partner-published title is shortlisted for one or more awards, the publisher may be asked to pay a non-refundable promotional offset fee ($300) to the Atlantic Book Awards Society, whose annual festival includes celebration and promotion of the nominees for the Nova Scotia Book Awards. If a single title is shortlisted for more than one award, only one such promotional offset fee will be requested.

If a self-published title is shortlisted for one or more awards, the promotional offset fee is waived.

  • To pay promotional offset fees online, send an e-transfer to atlanticbookawardsfestival@gmail.com, including the the shortlisted title(s) in the notes or memo section.
  • To pay promotional offset fees by mail, send a cheque payable to “Atlantic Book Awards Society” to Atlantic Book Awards, c/o Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia, 1113 Marginal Road, Halifax, NS, B3H 4P7.

For more information, please contact the Dartmouth Book Awards Steering Committee at dartmouthbookawards@gmail.com

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