Talk about an October surprise: Indie Author Project (IAP) selected my dystopian satire novel Utopia PR as a runner-up in the sci-fi/fantasy category of its annual contest!
IAP connects indie authors with public libraries and their patrons across the U.S. I’ve personally used their service, formerly known as SELF-e, to submit eBooks and audiobooks of my novels to join a growing collection of high-quality, self-published books at libraries. IAP ensures the quality of the books by vetting submissions through industry editors and librarian editorial boards.
This was my first year entering IAP’s annual contest. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I submitted Utopia PR back in April. It was long enough ago that I had almost forgot I even entered, so it was wonderful to hear the news on Nov. 1 that my book made it to the top 3 of all sci-fi/fantasy novels. (It just occurred to me that this technically means it’s a November surprise, but I don’t care! I’m not changing the lede!)
In addition, while I have won awards for my novels in the past (including a humor award for Utopia PR), this was the first one that came with a a cash prize! Not in this for the money, obviously… Did I mention I’m an indie author? Still, it sure is nice. I’m also hoping that I will get a promotional boost from this honor that will lead more readers to find my book.
In case you’re one of those fine people who haven’t picked up a copy, Utopia PR is a sci-fi satire about seeking work-life balance while doing public relations for a dystopian president. It’s available now in eBook, print and audiobook formats from all your favorite retailers and streaming services. Here’s the synopsis:
PR extraordinaire Blake Hamner (the n is silent) put off his honeymoon for his big break: joining a major political campaign for president. Now, the “Hammer” struggles to make time for his marriage as Crisis Communications Manager for Our Leader, who since taking power has become increasingly mad and totalitarian.
The Hammer starts to reconsider his career choices when one of Our Leader’s savage steel hounds attacks the Comms team at a press conference. He’d love to talk about his erratic job with his wife, Triple-N news anchor Maria Worthington, but they have a rule: the broadcast journalist doesn’t ask Blake for inside information about his work, and the spin doctor doesn’t use their relationship as leverage on what Maria reports. They say you shouldn’t keep things from each other in a marriage, but it’s OK—the only secrets between Blake and Maria are professional.
When a revolutionary levels grave allegations against Our Leader—and accuses Blake of distributing disinformation and propaganda to cover it up—the PR rep who thought he could talk his way out of any crisis finds himself utterly trapped in a dystopian job.
I guess it’s kind of funny to win an award days before the 2024 election for a book about how “weird” our presidential politics have gotten. Let’s hope that’s a good omen.
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