IBPA Book Awards announces the 2025 Finalists

Bloodlines named a finalist in the Parenting & Family category!

The Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) is a not-for-profit membership organization serving and leading the independent publishing community through advocacy, education, and tools for success. With over 3,500 members, IBPA is the largest publishing trade association in the U.S. If you’re an independent publisher, self-published author, hybrid publisher, university or nonprofit press, the IBPA has something for you.

Read the full release below.

I’m thrilled and honored that Bloodlines is a finalist in the Parenting & Family category. The email I received from the IBPA states that this years competition received a total of almost 1,700 entries! My dream for the book was always a hope it would reach people who need it, to help them know they are not alone.

Bloodlines is my story—and so many other women’s stories—about healing from generational trauma and learning to love and live more fully. It’s a book for anyone who’s ever struggled to find a way forward amidst the chaos of family pain. As a mom, the book also reflects the fierce love of moms everywhere who are trying to help their child while learning how to help—and heal—themselves.

This recognition means so much, not just for me, but for everyone who has walked this healing journey with me. To my readers, supporters, and the incredible community we’re building, thank you for believing in this work. Your encouragement and our connection inspire me every day, and I’m honored to share this moment with you.

Congratulations to all the nominees!

Winners will be announced in St. Paul, MN on Friday, May 16, 2025.

Mission

IBPA’s mission is to lead and serve the independent publishing community through advocacy, education, and tools for success.

See the full list of IBPA Book Award finalists for 2025 HERE.
See the other nominees in the Parenting & Family category HERE.

To see the winners in each category from past years, scroll down below the 2025 nominees.

As always, I want to thank my daughter and my husband. Without their support and encouragement Bloodlines would not have made its way into the world.

Let’s continue spreading the hope and healing that words and community can create. We all have a brain inside our head, which means we all have mental health.

37th Annual IBPA Book Award Finalists Highlight Independent Publishing’s Diversity and IBPA’s Commitment to Inclusion

(Manhattan Beach, CA – April 8, 2025) – The Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) is proud to announce the finalists for the 37th annual IBPA Book Award, honoring the best independently published books of 2024. This year’s finalists reflect a dynamic range of genres, voices, and perspectives that highlight the diversity and strength of the indie publishing community.

Formerly known as the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award, the rebranded IBPA Book Award carries forward its legacy as the premier program celebrating editorial and design excellence in independent publishing. The award recognizes publishers who exceed industry standards across a wide array of categories, publishing models, and communities.

As part of the 2024 rebrand, IBPA introduced seven new award categories focused on underrepresented communities: AAPI, Black/African American, Disabled, First Nations/Indigenous, Latina/o/e, LGBTQIA2+, and Neurodivergent. These categories spotlight voices often marginalized in the broader publishing industry and celebrate the depth of leadership and creativity within each community.

From children’s picture books like Today is Orange Shirt Day (Medicine Wheel Publishing, First Nations/Indigenous Communities) and graphic novels like Black Defender: The Awakening (Washington Comix, Black/African American Communities), to personal finance guides such as Cultura & Cash (Fast Company Press, Latino/a/e Communities) and social justice works like Transgender Justice in Schools (Rethinking Schools, LGBTQIA2+ Communities), the 2024 selections showcase the breadth of stories rising from independent publishing.

“By expanding our award categories to include underrepresented voices, IBPA is reinforcing its commitment to ensuring that all independent publishers have equal opportunity to thrive—particularly during a moment when many organizations are retreating from this work,” said IBPA CEO Andrea Fleck-Nisbet. “We’re proud to continue leading with equity at the heart of our mission.”

“We received a strong number of entries from publishers of all types,” said Terry Nathan, IBPA’s Chief Operating Officer and head of the awards program. “The volume and variety of submissions reflect the exceptional quality and innovation coming from today’s indie publishing community. We continue to see an increase in business books, memoirs, and fiction, but all of the books this year are just so darn good!”

The Collective Book Studio leads this year’s finalists with eight titles. Other standout publishers include She Writes Press and Fast Company Press, with six and five finalist titles, respectively.

Among the most recognized books are A Tree of My Own (Qilin Press), Finding Flaco (Owls of New York), and Lights, Camera, Lionel Trains! (Project Roar Publishing)—each a finalist in three categories.

Gold winners will be revealed on May 16, 2025, during the IBPA Book Award ceremony at the InterContinental St. Paul Riverfront.