I'm proud to be an indie publisher. Throughout the centuries, writers such as Emily Dickinson, James Joyce, Walt Whitman, and Virginia Woolf have taken the path of self-publishing. But being up against big publishers with big marketing budgets, it's hard to shout above the noise. A lot of the systems around the publishing industry are, at best, manipulated. I have bought many a romance book on the basis of stellar reviews, only to find that it's not that great. Or its first few chapters are excellent, written so it appears good on the Amazon "look inside" feature.
So what to do? For a long time, I have been buying books that win awards. This award, The Eric Hoffer Book award, is particularly important as it has both passed the test of time and recognizes smaller publishers and self-publishers, which is a vital part of getting good books and new authors into the hands of readers. It's independent too.
The Eric Hoffer Book Award honors the memory of the great American philosopher Eric Hoffer by rewarding exceptional writing, as well as an independent pioneering spirit. Since its inception, The Hoffer has become one of the most significant international book awards for small, academic, and independent presses, as well as self-publishers.
Eric Hoffer was a former migratory worker and longshoreman. He had no schooling and was practically blind up to the age of fifteen. When his eyesight came back, he was seized with an enormous hunger for the printed word and read indiscriminately, eventually going on to write nine books, which assured his place among the most important thinkers of the twentieth century. So the award has a strong history and high standards to maintain.
Only four books got an award in the romance category, so imagine my delight when The Refusal was one of them. I'm thrilled at how far Janus and Jo are travelling in the world and how many enthusiastic romance readers they are meeting. To help you on your quest for better romance books, here's the full list of romance books that won a Hoffer award, and you can find out more information about The Refusal here and buy it here.
Lots of love,
Eve x