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2026 DISTIN GU IS
INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD
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2026 W IN N
CALL FOR ENTRIES
“Book publishers have always counted on awards to highlight the best offerings in a genre or category, that’s true now more than ever.” —David Nudo, Fmr. Dir. of The New York Times Book Review
We invite all Independent Authors & Publishers
Open to mid-size and small press; self-published; independent publishers & authors.
**NOW ACCEPTING BOOKS DIGITALLY** Book Award Entry, 3 ways to enter ONLINE:
What if I miss the deadline? Enter our www.NYCBigBookAward.com program, final books must be entered and received by August 15th.
1) Complete the online form, www.independentpressaward.com/online-entry-form-1 2) Pay online 3) Email your PDF or .epub to: Gabby@IndependentPressAward.com ONLINE & MAIL (no paperwork): 1) Complete the online form, www.independentpressaward.com/online-entry-form-1 2) Pay online 3) Mail your book with NO PAPERWORK directly from Amazon, Walmart, or other retailer directly to our address OR submit your entry by mail: 1) Complete entry form, click to download. 2) Include a check or proof of payment Make checks payable to: Independent Press Award and mail to: ADDRESS FOR BOOK ENTRIES: Independent Press Award Attn: Gabby Olczak 63 Clinton Rd Glen Ridge, NJ 07028 (973) 969-1899 Last rolling deadline is November 30 and final December 15, 2025. FINAL DEADLINE: Final applications and books to be received by DECEMBER 15, 2025 Winners of the annual award program are announced every Spring. Winners are notified by late January 2026. Awards Dinner is April 25, 2026.
APPLY TODAY
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Some FAQs If I complete the online application, do I need to send a print book? Your choice to email Gabby@IndependentPressAward.com a PDF or ePub file, or have a book sent directly from Amazon or other major retailer. Is there a restriction on publication date? No, there is absolutely no restriction on the date your book was published as we are concerned with the best book. Do you take pre-publication manuscripts? Yes as long as the actual publication date is before our official date of announcement on March 20th. (Winners & Favorites will be notified in January.) How is the book judged? Judging is done by committee and point system. Although we do not provide that feedback, we offer a paid book review option at a discount. If you’d like a book review, you can order one via FALCON REVIEW, www.printedwordreviews.com/falcon-review. What is provided upon winning? As a Winner or Distinguished Favorite comes with many benefits. We want to showcase your award-winning title, and help you get in front of your audience. We help you with your award-winning book and provide a number of items including free Winner or Distinguished Favorite (2nd place) banners in two different sizes (300x250 and 728x90 are typically supplied, if you need another size is not charge, please ask, any customization is a charge.); free digital certificate of recognition which can be printed on any paper size; we list your title in our Announcement issue (50,000 digital copies, some print); free second listing of author & title in our Holiday Gift Guide or Last Minute Gifts (50,000 digital); free press release template that you can customize, and will even help you get the word out! In addition, you can purchase self-adhesive seals to put on each book you have already printed. We promote on trade sites, emarketing, social media, advertising and send press releases that often result in coverage for winners and favorites. As a result, many authors get responses, and we have been personally contacted by news outlets such as Newsday and Readers Digest. We have satisfied authors who appreciate our support. Lastly, check out our promotion page to help get additional exposure to key book buying audiences, discounted magazine and billboard advertising, and even videos and reels. Books recognized as a Winner or Distinguished Favorite of the Independent Press Award® is a celebrated honor given by industry experts, and you’ll want everyone to know!
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PUBLISHER'S LETTER Dear Book Lovers, Our cover feature story brings us an incredibly moving conversation between Gabby Olczak and acclaimed poet and author J. Chester Johnson. Johnson takes us on a profound literary journey from his award-winning historical nonfiction book, Damaged Heritage: The Elaine Race Massacre and A Story of Reconciliation, to his innovative new poetry collection, Reading Whispers: Book of Triple Haiku. Johnson’s life and work remind us that history is an active, living force. By confronting a painful family legacy tied to one of the deadliest racial attacks in American history, Johnson shows how raw honesty can pave the way for true racial healing and deep, cross-cultural friendships. Now turning back to poetry, his unique "triple haiku" format captures the quiet, sensory "whispers" of the human experience. On our cover, debut novelist Claudia Daher shares her answers in her GAB TALKS session about her award-winning young adult science fiction novel, R.A.T.S… Revolutionary Army of Teens: We Are One. Set in the year 2040, Daher’s work tackles the heavy realities of climate anxiety and artificial intelligence, placing the fate of the planet squarely in the hands of global youth. Daher reminds us that while technology advances, it is empty without ethics, empathy, and family values. Our ALA Preview has authors you can meet and whose books you can peruse at the Printed Word Reviews ALA booth #4722. From Amazon missionary and wrestling coach to celebrated author, discover Dr. Tom Latham’s incredible journey in his new historical fiction novel, Brazilian Adventures. And meet Jessica Nicole McAnelly, a public health veteran who celebrated her 50th birthday by publishing Birdie’s Picnic Party: A Tasty Take on Food Safety, turning 30 years of environmental health expertise into a rhythmic, joyful children's book. And more… Whether through the rhythmic compression of a poem, the highstakes world of young adult, sci-fi, or a colorful children's picture book, these authors prove that it is never too late to share your story, honor your heritage, and help heal the world. Until next time, keep on reading,
Ted Olczak TED OLCZAK
Publisher, Printed Word Reviews www.IndependentPressAward.com
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TABLE of CONTENTS 2
Call for the 2026 NYC Big Book Award Entries
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Publisher’s Letter
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Table of Contents / Disclaimer
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GAB TALKS Interview with J. Chester Johnson
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ALA Preview: The Art of the Sabbatical: How John Abrams Rewrote the Rules of Business and Authorship
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ALA Preview: From Public Health to Picture Books: The Heart Behind “Birdie’s Picnic Party”
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GAB TALKS Interview with Claudia Daher
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ALA Preview: Increasing Global Awareness through Language Education: Janet Skrzypek
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Call for the 2026 Childrens Bookworm Award
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ALA Preview: The Grappler’s Grace: Dr. Tom Latham’s Journey from the Mat to the Manuscript
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ALA Preview: Transforming Darkness into Light: The Healing Art of Storytelling with Debra Sawdy
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ALA Preview: Listings of books by category
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PWR / FALCON Book Reviews
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Current GAB TALKS Podcast Guests
DISCLAIMER: The Printed Word Reviews magazine has been issued the following ISSNs by the U.S. ISSN Center, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.: Format: Online Format: ISSN 3067-011X and is published 10 times per year. The title was previously published under the Independent Press Award and NYC Big Book Award Present with the following ISSNs by the U.S. ISSN Center, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.: Format: Online Format: ISSN 2836-9157; and the Print Format: ISSN 2836-9149. Any questions or comments, please contact the Publisher Ted Olczak at Ted@GabbyBookAwards.com or Ted@PrintedWordReviews.com. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced without express permission from the publisher. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system - except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine or newspaper - without permission in writing from the publisher. To submit your book for review, send to: Printed Word Reviews, 63 Clinton Rd, Glen Ridge, NJ 07028. Allow 8 -12 weeks. Unpaid reviews are not guaranteed. More details available on our website at www.printedwordreviews.com To submit your book for our award programs, visit the websites: Fall 2026: https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/ (More consumer focused; different judging; allows for all authors and publishers to participate; closes every August 15th, winners announced in October of every year.) Spring 2027: https://www.independentpressaward.com/ (Independent press and authors consideration; does not permit the big 5 publishing houses to participate; closes December 15th every year, winners announced in March of every year.) To advertise, please contact: Ted@GabbyBookAwards.com or Ted@PrintedWordReviews.com, or visit our website, https://www.independentpressaward.com/advertise
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Whispers of History and Healing:
A Conversation with J. Chester Johnson By Gabby Olczak
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he GAB TALKS recently had the privilege of sitting down with acclaimed poet and author J. Chester Johnson, whose latest work, Reading Whispers: Book of Triple Haiku, offers a strikingly original take on poetic form. The collection explores themes of love, politics, race, aging, and mortality through an innovative structure that expands the traditional haiku into something more layered and resonant. Johnson is no stranger to weighty subject matter. His widely celebrated nonfiction book, Damaged Heritage: The Elaine Race Massacre and A Story of Reconciliation, earned the 2025 Independent Press Award for Nonfiction. Blending memoir, history, and social commentary, the book uncovers the largely overlooked 1919 Elaine Race Massacre in rural Arkansas—one of the deadliest racial attacks in American history—while weaving in a deeply personal narrative of friendship and reconciliation. With a literary career spanning decades, Johnson’s work has been published internationally and translated into multiple languages. His poetry collections include Now and Then: Selected Longer Poems and St. Paul’s Chapel & Selected Shorter Poems. The latter holds particular historical significance: its signature poem remains a memento card for visitors to St. Paul’s Chapel, which famously survived the 9/11 attacks at Ground Zero. His writing, which has appeared in more than 50 journals and publications, and innumerable presentations related to his writing include venues like The New York Times, Literary Matters, Best American Poetry Blog, Poets House, Harvard College, Trinity Church Wall Street, Troubadour (London), and the BBC. Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Johnson spent his formative years in the Mississippi River Delta in Southeast Arkansas and later built his life in New York City, where he resides with his wife, Freda Stern Johnson. Beyond literature, his career includes leadership in finance and public service. Johnson owned and operated a financial advisory firm that concentrated on debt management. He served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Treasury during the Carter Administration and was educated at Harvard College and the University of Arkansas. In this candid interview, Johnson reflects on his life, his work, and the enduring power of poetry.
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Roots and Reckoning
have in their shop for sale, chose Damaged Heritage.
Gabby: Tell us about your background and how it shaped your voice as a writer.
Reconciliation and Human Connection Gabby: Your book also led to a powerful personal relationship. Chester: The second part of the subtitle, A Story of Reconciliation was extraordinarily important for me because I became close with a descendant of victims in the massacre, Sheila L. Walker. Our two families became very close as we went through the process of racial healing. After a long illness with cancer, Sheila passed away in 2021. I was asked to give the eulogy at her memorial service. I've given over a hundred presentations since that book came out in 2020 on racism and racial healing. So much of it dealt with the relationship that I had with Sheila Walker, who incidentally wrote the introduction to “Damaged Heritage.” The Shift to Poetry Gabby: Your latest book, “Reading Whispers: Book of Triple Haiku,” returns to poetry. Why make that shift? Chester: I have written poetry since I was in high school. One of my important elements in my poetry resume is that I became the poet for the retranslation of the Psalms that are part of the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church back in the 1970s.
Unearthing the Past Gabby: Your book “Damaged Heritage” reveals something deeply personal about your family. Chester: As I was doing the research for the litany when the Episcopal Church apologized for its role in slavery, I came across a document written by the iconic, Black historian Ida B. Wells, and she talked about an event called the Arkansas Race Riot of 1919. I had heard in family lore that my maternal grandfather had participated in a major race riot in southeast Arkansas. I was ultimately able to coalesce what I had heard when I was growing up about my maternal grandfather participating in this race riot and this event called the Elaine Race Massacre, which arguably is the largest attack by whites against blacks in our country's history. There's been a very positive response to the book. Recently, the Library of Congress shop, which chooses very few books to www.IndependentPressAward.com
A Conversation with J. Chester Johnson
Chester: I've had an amazingly abundant life. I've had the experience of participating in some important work during my life. I'm currently involved in a number of projects that continue to reflect the life that I've lived. I grew up in a small town on the cusp of the Mississippi River Delta. It was a very racist area. very racist community, and within a racist family. The texture of racism has been an important component of my life. I've worked in the area of racial healing for much of my life. Beginning soon after I graduated from college, I taught in an all black public school in the Mississippi River Delta, all the way up to writing the Litany of Offense and Apology when the Episcopal Church formally apologized for its role in transatlantic slavery and related evils, to my non-fiction book “Damaged Heritage, the Elaine Race Massacre and A Story of Reconciliation,” and up to my series of articles on racial healing that are distributed to thousands of people.
Reinventing Haiku Gabby: What exactly is a “triple haiku”? Chester: The traditional haiku is a three line poem. Five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the second line, and five syllables in the third line. We have incorporated this approach over time from the traditional form, a very ancient form of Japanese poetry. We've taken it and restructured it. The Japanese version doesn't use syllables. It measures sound rather than the use of syllables. Ours with syllables ends up being a little bit longer than the traditional haiku. I wrote a poem a long time ago about how poetry is a function of not just the brain 7
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