Who can enter? 

• Publishers, publicists, agents, authors, and illustrators.

• ​Note: There is no publication year requirement. However, to be eligible, your book must be available for purchase online and in print.

• AI Policy: We will not consider any work written/created by AI. We'd like to celebrate human-created content. By entering in the contest, you are guaranteeing your work was created by you/humans.

 

Categories:

 

Best Winter Books

• Examples: Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, Winter Solstice

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Best Spring Books

• Examples: Valentine's Day, Passover, Holi, Easter

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Best Summer Books

• Examples: Juneteenth, Fourth of July, Summer Vacation, Back-to-School

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Best Fall Books

• Examples: Halloween, Fall Festivals, Diwali, Thanksgiving, Veterans Day

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Best Silly/All Other Holiday Books

• Examples: Polar Bear Plunge Day, Umbrella Day, Pi Day, Hamburger Day, Stick Out Your Tongue Da

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Best Make-Up-Your-Own-Holiday Books

• You read that right! If your book could fit a holiday that doesn't already exist, what would it be? Create a fun or silly holiday and tell us about it.

 

Promising Manuscripts

• Submit a Picture Book or Board Book manuscript of up to 1,000 words, or the first five pages of a Chapter Book or Middle Grade work-in-progress (WIP).

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What book formats are accepted

 

Board Books, Picture Books, Early Readers, Chapter Books, & MG.

• A PDF copy of your book will need to be supplied for entry.

 

How many awards will you hand out?

 

We will select four winners, including one Grand Prize winner, in each category and book format.

We will also award Honorable Mentions stickers.

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Please note: We reserve the right to withhold any prize if the judges are unable to determine a winner.

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Can self-published authors apply? 

 

Yes! We will offer an additional prize to a self-published book in each category. As before, we reserve the right to withhold any prize in the event the judges cannot determine a winner.  

 

Cost: 

 

• Book Entry: Cost to enter. $37.00 per book, per category entered. 

• ​Promising Manuscript Entry:  $20.00 per manuscript, per category entered.​

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Publishers - special bulk pricing is available if you're submitting 8 or more titles! Email seasonsofkidlitinfo@gmail.com for more information. 

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Why charge for entry?

 

This will help the co-hosts Heather Macht and Lynne Marie pay for the yearly fees and operating expenses for #SeasonsOfKidLit.com (i.e. domain, website, newsletters, graphics, etc.). 

 

Why is it so affordable?

 

We want this contest to be affordable so anyone and everyone who desires can enter it. That's also why we are requesting PDF copies only of your book. (I mean, seriously, have you seen the price of eggs and literally everything else lately?).

 

When will the winners be announced? 

 

To make the announcement extra sweet, the winners will be announced on or about February 14th, 2027 in a Valentine's Day Post! We'll also contact you via email with your certificates, badges, write up of why you won, and ranking/placement. 

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What do I get if I win?

• A winner’s certificate and digital book seal for your book!

• A write-up of why you won (to post on social media sites, your personal webpage, etc).

• Note: Stickers can be purchased separately if desired. 

• See the sample package below!

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