2023 Best Indie Book Award Winners Announced

Indie authors, illustrators, and book cover designers from around the world have been named as winners of the 2023 Best Indie Book Award® (otherwise known as the BIBA®). This year, BIBA® honored winners from Finland, Australia, Canada, South Africa, Germany, India, the United States, Puerto Rico, and England. In addition to being presented with a trophy, BIBA winners will be showcased on the Best Indie Book Award® website and across social media platforms.

2023 marked the 11th year of the International BIBA® contest, which consists of a literary award, an illustration award, and a cover design award.

This year’s BIBA® also included a new Book Of The Year category, with Naseem Rochette securing this top spot with her inspirational book The Unexpected Benefits of Being Run Over.

BIBA® defines Indie (Independent) authors as those who are engaged in self-publishing. This includes books published by small presses, university presses, independent partners, hybrid publishers, or self-publishing arms of major publishers.

“Authors who compete in the Best Indie Book Award contests understand the value of standing out in the crowd. With hundreds of millions of self-published books being sold every year, it’s easy for an author to drown in a sea of electronic pulp. Winning a BIBA® can go a long way to help an author’s visibility and credibility.”

“Our purpose at BIBA® is to better Indie authors and to award excellence in writing. We had so many outstanding books this year, particularly in the non-fiction categories; Indie authors really crafted some amazing work.  The competition gets fiercer every year, and we remain dedicated to our goal of creating a winning status that readers can rely on.”

The 2023 winners are:

Book of the Year

The Unexpected Benefits of Being Run Over by Naseem Rochette

Action Thriller

FNG by Benjamin Spada

Children (Age:3-6)

Maya Moves to a New Country by Pearl Gifty Alimo

Children (Age:8-12)

How To Make Your Sock Talk by Jimmy Vee

Children (Age: 5-12)

Around The World With Moby by Muzna Kazim

Children’s Middle Grade

Zapped by Prudence Breitrose

Christian Non-Fiction

Biblical Keys To Life by Latina Nichole Smith

Christian Inspirational

Beyond Belief by Kyle Campbell

Christian Young Adult

The Mental Fight of Your Life by Freddie Floyd Jr.

Fantasy

The Exile Trilogy by Hal Emerson

Supernatural Suspense

Echo From A Bayou by J. Luke Bennecke

Historical Fiction

Under a Sunburnt Sky by Bronwen Pratley

Humor/Satire

Sleeping Between Giants Book II by Dave Jaffe

LGBTQ2 Memoir

Making The Rounds by Patricia Grayhall

LGBTQ2: Non-Fiction

LGBTQ+ ABCs For Grownups by Dr. Shannon Whittington

LGBTQ2 Fiction

Disorderly Men by Edward Cahill

Literary Fiction

Life At The Precipice by R. F. Vincent

Coming of Age

Ace on the Hill by J. C. Wesslen

Mystery

Vessels of Wrath by Thomas Holland

Fiction

Sasquatch, Baby! by Bethany Browning

Novella: Mystery

Naked Came The Detective by Glendall C. Jackson III

Horror

Miracle Man by Ken Stark

Regency Romance

A Viscount’s Vengeance by Edie Cay

Contemporary Romance

Fun Lessons by Leanne Treese

Science-Fiction

The Automaton by Ian Young

Cyberpunk

Into The Beanstalk by J. Paul Roe

Poetry Collection

Pirate Love Unchained by Heriberto Figueroa Rivera

Grief and Loss in Poetry

The Ocean by Warwick McFadyen

Short Story Collection

Uncooperative Characters by Pete Simons

Crime Thriller

Chasing Money by Michael Balter

Suspense

Past Purgatory by Debbie Baldwin

Young Adult

I Fail at the Afterlife by Anni Sezate

Non-Fiction

Midnight Journey Of A Seed by Manish Srivastava

Non-Fiction: Law Enforcement

No Safe Alternative by T. C. Fuller, Ed. D.

Non-Fiction: Communication

How To Communicate Effectively With Anyone, Anywhere by Raul Sanchez and Dan Bullock

Non-Fiction: Technology

Move Over Brokers Here Comes The Blockchain by Dr. Keir Finlow-Bates

Non-Fiction: Movie History

Top Gun Memos: The Making and Legacy of an Iconic Movie by Meredith Jordan

Non-Fiction: Grandparenting/Family Relationships

Where Two Worlds Meet: A Guide to Connecting with Your Teenage Grandchildren by Jerry Witkovsky and Deanna Shoss

Non-Fiction: Acting

Making Choices for the Successful Actor: The Actor’s Preparation Guide to Creative Character Development by Price Hall

Non-Fiction: Aging

Embrace Your Age: You Can Be Better Than Ever by James B. Flaherty

Non-Fiction: Martial Arts

Breaking Through: The Secrets Of Bassai Dai Kata by Colin Wee

Non-Fiction: Conservation

The Climate Pandemic by Dennis Meredith

Non-Fiction: Ecology and Ecosystems

Ripple Effects: How To Save Yellowstone and America’s Most Iconic Wildlife Ecosystem by Todd Wilkinson

Non-Fiction: Stem Equality

The Shuri Effect: Bridging the Gap for Young Black Women in STEM by Lauryn Mwale

Non-Fiction: Humanitarianism

The Unseen People of Bali by David Alan Bardwick

Non-Fiction: Academics/Teaching

Your New Journey by AJ Cade

Non-Fiction: Teaching

Crisis In Our Schools by David Locke

Non-Fiction: Science/Astronomy

Secrets of the Moon by Andrew Osiow

Non-Fiction: Biography

Unbelievable! The Life Journey of Art Williams by Dr. Audie Williams

Non-Fiction: Family Biography

The Butcher, the Embezzler, and the Fall Guy by Gretchen Cherington

Non-Fiction: Business

Reinvent: Navigating Business Transformation in a Hyperdigital Era by Faisal Hoque

Non-Fiction: Leadership

Staying in the Game by Pamela Meyer

Non-Fiction: Business Marketing

The Age of Customer Equity by Allison Hartsoe

Non-Fiction: Investing

Don’t Retire…Graduate! by Eric D. Brotman, CFP

Non-Fiction:Cooking/Cookbook

For The Love of the Land II by Jenny Jefferies

Non-Fiction: Ice Cream Crafting

Stop Screaming! A Beginner’s Guide to Homemade Ice Cream by Benjamin M. Weilert

Non-Fiction: How-To

Unlocking the Novella-in-Flash by Michael Loveday

Non-Fiction: Crafting

Treasure Found: An Art Journey by Cinthia James

Non-Fiction: Health/Fitness

Hair Loss: Options For Restoration & Reversal by Gustavo J. Gomez, Ph.D.

Non-Fiction: Stress Management

The Stress Book: Forty+ Ways to Manage Stress & Enjoy Your Life by D. Terrence Foster, MD

Non-Fiction: Health

Rehabit Your Life by P. L. Bandy, MD

Non-Fiction: Senior Fitness

Give Me Strength: Strength and Conditioning Training for Seniors Over 60 by Matthew Case

Non-Fiction: Cancer

The Cancer Resolution? by Mark Lintern

Non-Fiction: History

The Borinqueneers: A Visual History of the 65th Infantry Regiment by Noemí Figueroa Soulet

Non-Fiction: History/Ancient Civilizations

Ancient Illyricum by Jeremy Schwendiman

Non-Fiction: Motivational

Maniacal Fanaticism: Success Slightly Different by Imamu Osei Tomlinson, MD, MBA

Non-Fiction: Business Professional Memoir

Black On Madison Avenue by Mark S. Robinson

Non-Fiction:  Memoir

May Cause Side Effects by Brooke Siem

Non-Fiction: New Age/Spirituality

Calling the Daughters by Judy Bekker

Non-Fiction: Metaphysical

Dream It to Do It by Howard Eisenberg, M. D.

Non-Fiction: Parenting

Raising Tech-Healthy Humans by Daniel Sih

Non-Fiction: Economics

Leading Through Inflation by Ram Charan and Geri Willigan

Non-Fiction: Politics

America: Underwater and Sinking by James B. Lockhart III

Non-Fiction: Sociology

The Future Normal by Rohit Bhargava and Henry Coutinho-Mason

Non-Fiction: Psychology

Legacy of Darkness and Light by Michael Gellert

Non-Fiction: Caregiving

Caregiving With Confidence by Pamela C. Reynolds

Non-Fiction: Religion

Torahism: Are Christians Required to Keep the Law of Moses? by R. L. Solberg

Non-Fiction: Spirituality

Living Love: The Yoga of Yama & Niyama by Maetreyii Ma Nolan Ph.D.

Non-Fiction: Self Help

The Legendary Quest by Dr. Ketan Kulkarni & Dr. Francis Yoo

Non-Fiction: Self Help/Relationship

How to Have a Healthy Relationship in an Unhealthy World by Laura Streyffeler PhD, LMHC

Non-Fiction: Travel Memoir

Unlost: Roaming Through South America on a Spontaneous Journey by Cory Mortensen

Non-Fiction: Travel/Pilgrimage

Inner Trek: A Reluctant Pilgrim in the Himalayas by Mohan Ranga Rao

Children’s Book Cover

Happy Halloween Monsters by Charles Kaufman

Book Cover

An Ancient Evil by Author: Russell Cornhill

Cover Artist: Donika Mishineva

Graphic Novel

Ananke: The Prologue by Natalie Raffaele

Children’s Illustration

Maya Moves to a New Country by Author: Pearl Gifty Alimo

Illustrator: Sayani Mukherjee

Illustrations

There Will Be Nonsense by Leah Ode Kiser

A complete list of winners is available on the Best Indie Book Award® website: BestIndieBookAward.com

2024 Best Indie Book Awards

Submissions are now open for the 2024 Best Indie Book Award® contest, the 2024 BIBA® Illustration contest, and the 2024 BIBA® Book Cover Design contest. Entries are accepted online at BestIndieBookAward.com/submit/

About Best Indie Book Award

The annual Best Indie Book Award® (or BIBA®) is an international literary award contest recognizing independent authors. BIBA® is a legitimate writing competition. Entrants compete against other book entries. Entries are limited to independently (indie) published books, including those from small presses, e-book publishers, and self-published authors. Submissions are accepted from around the globe, but the books must be written in English.