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 30 December 2022 

 

Deadline for receipt of finished works 

For works published in 2022: all copies to be received by 30 December 2022

 

For works published between 1 January and 30 June 2023: all copies to be received by Friday 27 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. a colour photograph of the author (at least one of horizontal/landscape orientation at a minimum of 4000 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 will be given for what the judges consider the best book in specified categories. 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 winners. 

 

JUDGES

Unlike other book awards, the panel of judges will be anonymous. The virtue of anonymity is that it helps to avoid the conflict of interest that can exist when judges and entrants are known to each, as is often the case where both parties are eminent. Such discretion was once normal in publishing where, for example, book reviews in the Times Literary Supplement were 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 each category. From these shortlists, 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 (plus VAT). (This compares with a total of £6,500 (plus VAT) for shortlisted submissions to the Women’s Prize for Fiction and a further £6,000 (plus VAT) for the winner.) 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 £7,500 for the overall winner, and £2,500 for each of the category winners. 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 Administrator.

 

c. Publishers may include self-publishers, as long as the publisher in question can demonstrate adherence to what the Organiser considers to be 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 in 2022 

All entry forms to be received by Friday 30 December 2022 

All copies to be received by Friday 30 December 2022

 

Deadline for works published between 1 January and 30 June 2023

All entry forms to be received by Friday 30 December 2022 ​

All copies to be received by Friday 27 January 2023

 

Where print or proof copies are already available, five copies together with a PDF of the text must be sent to the Organiser at the same time.

 

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 chair of the judges, may reject any revised proof or finished copy that differs substantially or materially from a first submitted proof, and 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 30 December 2022, 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, of why it should be considered and why it is not currently available. 

 

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, then the publisher must sign an 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:

• make the work available for sale as an e-book within 10 days of the announcement of the shortlist, where the work concerned was published before the announcement of the shortlist and was only available in print format when submitted or called in.

• have no fewer than 250 print copies available for retail sale in UK within 10 days of the announcement of the shortlist, where the work concerned was published before the announcement of the shortlist and was published only as an e-book, when submitted or called in.

• where the work concerned is published after the announcement of the shortlist, then on the publication date have a minimum of 250 print copies available for retail sale in UK and have the work also available for sale as an e-book.

• use best endeavours 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 make it a priority 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 the awards ceremony. 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 a briefing meeting that is 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 will be expected 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.

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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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WINNERS

If a work is shortlisted, its publisher will use best endeavours 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 photograph of the author, 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