Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project
Sunday, May 31
All day
Enter your work in the Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project contest for the opportunity to win a cash prize award and state-wide recognition. Submissions are due by May 31, 2026.
They're looking for the best adult and YA fiction and memoirs by Illinois self- and indie-published authors. Through their thirteenth annual contest, they’re helping Illinois libraries connect local authors with readers.
Judged exclusively by Illinois library staff members, the Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project contest is a powerful way for authors to elevate their careers and writing goals, powered by the library community. In addition to prizes and perks, being recognized by librarians creates credibility and visibility for authors, setting them apart in a growing marketplace of digital content and self- and indie-published books.
For the 2026 contest:
- The top three books chosen by our judges will be recognized as contest Finalists.
The overall winner of our contest will receive:
- $2,000
- Honors at the 2027 Indie Author Day Reception
- Statewide recognition by Illinois libraries as the top indie-published book
- Opportunities to promote your book at public libraries
- Opportunities to earn royalties through the IAP Select collection (ePUB format required for eligibility)
- Inclusion alongside other winners in a full-page print spread in Library Journal
To be eligible, the submitted book must be:
- Self- or Indie-published *
- Written by an Illinois resident
- English-language only
- In one of the following genres:
- Mystery/Thrillers
- Romance
- SciFi/Fantasy
- Historical Fiction
- General/Contemporary Fiction
- Memoir
- Young Adult
- Entries should be geared towards an Adult or Young Adult audience
- Available in either ePUB (strongly recommended) or PDF format
- Submissions must be original works by the author; while AI tools may be used for brainstorming or editing, entries that are primarily AI-generated are not eligible.
- If part of a series, only the first book may be submitted
- Note: Due to the volume of entries we receive, we can only accept one entry per author at this time. Be sure to submit your best current work.
Click here to submit your work to the Soon to be Famous Illinois Author Project
TAGS: | Education & Learning |
Central Library
The Schaumburg Township District Library serves in excess of 134,000 residents in portions of the municipalities Elk Grove Village, Hanover Park, Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg and Streamwood. With over 1 million visitors each year, the library circulates over 2,000,000 items annually and is the second largest public library in the state of Illinois.