ARCHITECTURAL
BOOK AWARDS 2023

Rules for entry 

The 2023 Architectural Book Awards are open to books published between 1 January 2022 and 30 June 2023 

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Deadline for all entry forms: Friday 2​7 January 2023 

 

Deadline for receipt of finished works: Friday 2​7 January 2023 

 

Late entries by publishers may be accepted at the discretion of the Organiser, on receipt of an emailed enquiry

 

In all cases, by Friday 6 March 2023, publishers must have emailed to the Organiser:

1. a high-res image of the book cover (minimum 800 pixels high) 

2. colour photographs of the author (at least one horizontal and one landscape) at a minimum of 4,000 pixels wide)

3. an author bio

4. a press release for the book.

 

Entry forms are now online here: www.booklaunch.london/archisubmissions1 

 

Direct any submission queries to: book@booklaunch.london

 

ABOUT THE AWARDS

Architectural Book Awards are intended to recognise excellence in books about architecture written in the English language. Several awards may be given for what the judges consider the best book in categories that they shall determine. An overall award will be given for the book that, in the opinion of the judges, ranks as the single best architectural book of the year among all the category winners. 

 

JUDGES

Unlike other book awards, the panel of judges will be anonymous, to help avoid the conflict of interest that can exist when judges and entrants are known to each, as is often the case where the parties involved are eminent. Such discretion was once normal in publishing, with influential book reviews—in the Times Literary Supplement, for example— appearing unsigned. It is now unusual, for reasons that we find regrettable. Anonymity assists in ensuring that all parties are protected from the risk of compromise, and our judges will be required to agree to this along with all other conditions of the awards.

 

SELECTION PROCESS

The judges will read the submissions and will be responsible for compiling shortlists of up to six books in categories that they will choose. From these shortlists, we intend that category winners will be chosen, and from them, the primus inter pares—the all-over winner.

 

SUBMISSION PROCESS

There is currently no restriction on the number of submissions per publisher but this may change in future years.

 

There is no cost attached to submitting a book but if an entered book should be shortlisted, the publisher will contribute £1,000 to the awards scheme. This payment must be made within seven days by BACS on receipt of an invoice. This stipulation is subject to appeal by a publisher and may be adjusted or waived at the discretion of the Organiser.

 

PRIZE

The prize purse is £2,500 for each of the category winners, and £7,500 (i.e. the category prize plus an uplift of £5,000) for the overall winner. It will be at the discretion of the publisher how the winning monies should be distributed, between the author (and, if there is one, the translator) and the publisher itself. It is our expectation that the publisher would not be the end recipient of the prize money but we regard this as a matter beyond our surveillance.

 

ELIGIBILITY

a. Any work on architecture or any aspect of architecture, whether in print or electronic format, originally written in the English language or translated into English) and published in the UK by an imprint established in the UK is eligible. 

 

b. Only publishers may submit works. Submissions by authors will not be accepted, though queries should be emailed to the Organiser.

 

c. Publishers may include self-publishers, as long as the publisher in question can demonstrate adherence to what the Organiser considers normal publishing practice. A book will not be ineligible simply because the publisher is a company which has been specifically set up to publish the work in question, and/or because the author is the person who owns the majority shareholding or otherwise controls the company. Works published via a commercial arrangement by which the publisher is paid by the author are also not ineligible. (For the avoidance of doubt, clarification should be sought of the Organiser.)

 

d. In determining whether the work is published in the UK by an imprint formally established in the UK, the publisher must comply with all of the following:

• the imprint sells its list in pounds sterling 

• print copies are distributed through national UK retail outlets

• the imprint has its principal place of business in the UK and is subject to UK registration and regulation including primary liability to pay tax in the UK on all its trading activities as a publisher

• the work in question has had a UK International Standard Book Number allocated to its publisher.

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e. The work must be published in the UK between 1 January 2022 and 30 June 2023. The Organiser will not take into account the date of first publication of a work originally published overseas in another language.

 

f. No work will be ineligible because its author has previously won any other prize (or, in future, this prize).

 

g. Entries may include works never previously published or never previously translated in English, written by authors who are now dead. 

 

h. In all matters, the decision of the Organiser as to whether a work is eligible will be final and binding. 

 

KEY STAGES OF THE AWARD

Deadline for works published between 1 January 2022 and 30 June 2023

All entry forms to be received by Friday 27 January 2023 

All copies to be received by Friday 27 January 2023

 

Where print or proof copies are already available, five copies must be sent to the Organiser, as well as a PDF of the text.

 

If final proofs are sent initially, five print copies of the finished work must be sent to the Organiser as soon as they are available.

 

E-books are accepted on condition that the publisher will send five bound print copies to the Organiser by 26 April 2023. (Publishers should inform the Organiser in advance of the date of the printed book’s availability.)

 

Unless published only as an e-book, at least 150 copies of the work must be available for retail in the UK at the date of publication.

 

The Organiser, in consultation with the judges, may reject any revised proof or finished copy that differs substantially or materially from a first submitted proof, in which case the work concerned will not be considered further.

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(Full details of where to submit are in the NEXT STEPS section towards the end of this document.) 

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CALL-IN NOMINATIONS

Each imprint may also provide, by Friday 27 January 2023, a list of up to five further eligible works. This should be accompanied by the first chapter of the book, plus a justification (in no more than 250 words) for each work, explaining why it should be considered and why it is not currently available. 

 

Following the closing date, the judges may themselves call in as many works as they consider appropriate that have not been submitted or nominated for call in by their publisher. If the publisher agrees that the work may be considered, the publisher must then submit the online entry forms, thereby signing the undertaking to comply with all the rules of the awards. The work will not be further considered without this signed undertaking.

 

SHORTLISTING

If a work is shortlisted, its publisher will:​

• have no fewer than 150 print copies available for retail sale in the UK within 10 days of the announcement of the shortlist.

• where the work concerned is published after the announcement of the shortlist, have no fewer than 150 print copies available for retail sale in the UK by the publication date.

• use best efforts to ensure that, where references to the shortlisting are included on the front or back cover, the awards’ shortlisted branding will be used, and that this requirement will be brought to the attention of the literary agent and to counterpart(s) elsewhere.

MARKETING AND EXPECTATIONS

It is a strict condition of entry that publishers agree to use their best efforts to ensure that UK-based authors whose works are submitted or called in make themselves available for publicity and events as required and that, if shortlisted, authors will participate in such awards ceremony as may be arranged. If there is any problem over the author’s availability, the Organiser must be informed immediately.

 

The publisher, publicist and agent of a shortlisted author are strongly advised to attend any briefing meeting that may be convened by the Organiser shortly after the shortlist is announced.

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At any time following the announcement of the shortlist, but before the awards ceremony, publishers should use their best efforts to arrange a speaking event for the author (if UK-based) of their shortlisted book, to take place in London, at a place and time likely to attract the largest audience (and, should they wish, anywhere else) in liaison with the Organiser.

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None of the print copies required as part of the submissions process or as call-ins will be returned to the publishers.

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AWARD WINNERS

If a work is shortlisted, its publisher will use their best efforts to ensure that, where references to the work’s having won an Architectural Book Award are included on the front or back cover, the scheme’s award branding will be used, and that this requirement will be brought to the attention of the literary agent and to counterpart(s) elsewhere.

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EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE

Booklaunch reserves the right to revise the Rules, and to publish all such changes and updates here, without wider notification.   

 

NEXT STEPS

1. Complete our online submission form

(please submit one form for each submitted title)

 

2. Send five physical copies of each submitted book, together with name and contacts details of the individual making the submission, to the address below:

 

    Dr Stephen Games

    Architectural Book Awards

    Booklaunch

    12 Wellfield Avenue

    London

    N10 2EA

 

3. Email a PDF of each submitted book, plus a high-res image (at least 1mb/300dpi) of the book cover and colour photographs of the author (at least one horizontal and one landscape), an author bio and a press release for the book to Booklaunch via: book@booklaunch.london

 

4. Email a first chapter of each submitted call-in, plus the justification (no more than 250 words) written and signed by the editor to Booklaunch via: book@booklaunch.london

 

QUERIES

Please send all submission queries to Architectural Book Awards at: book@booklaunch.london