Of Tenterhooks

Post number 250 here, and a brief explanation of the term "tenterhooks" and how I find myself on them.
In the final preparation of woven wool in the Middle Ages, the product of the weaver's loom went to the fulling mill whose processes, some of which you would rather not know, had tightened the weave to make fabric that could be cut and sewn, it was sent to the tenter. It lay stretched on the frame to dry, held in place by tenterhooks. I now hang suspended on literary and emotional tenterhooks.

The Independent Publisher Book Awards, the IPPIES, for this year are in the final stages of judging. Only a few semifinalist categories remain to be announced... see below. The one in which my novel, AN INVOLUNTARY KING, is entered, namely Historical/Military, is one of those. I indeed feel the tension of hanging cloth-like on tenterhooks.

I wish I could be as calm as our cat MacDhui, who took all the competition in stride at the Average Joe Cat Show this past Saturday... where he took home a Best in Show purple ribbon!

Here is the latest official statement:

Greetings and thank you for entering the 2009 Independent Publisher Book Awards!

Judging continues, and the excellence of your books continues to amaze us. The independent spirit of publishing is alive and well, as demonstrated by the creativity, originality and courageous spirit these books display. It's a real privilege to experience this cutting edge of writing and publishing. You are all winners of our respect and gratitude!

Yes, getting us to announce all of the semifinalist results must seem like pulling teeth - and since I'm starting today at the dentist's office, I'm sending this update early this morning in case I don't make it...Below and online you'll find updated results now including all but three adult fiction categories (Historical, Religious and Visionary), the kid's ficton and picture book categories, and five non-fiction categories (Parenting, Mind-Body-Spirit, Self-Help, Inspirational/Spiritual and Best Book Marketing). We’ll post those results later today or Wednesday. Regional category results and the Outstanding Books of the Year will be announced by Friday, May 8th.

Note that I've added another "expanded list" of semifinalists - the Mystery/Suspense/Thriller category now lists 12 titles (120 were entered), joining the Popular Fiction and Literary Fiction categories to include expanded lists of books that the fiction judges have narrowed these large categories down to at this point. Not all of them will receive medals, but we thought we’d list all of these excellent books and wish they could all win - and we recommend them all. We’ll narrow them to 5-7 medalists by next week.

Remember, in all other cases, all of the books listed as semifinalists will become gold, silver or bronze medalists.

Here’s the updated online results article link:
http://www.independentpublisher.com/article.php?page=1294

I’ll have final entry statistics by Wednesday, and at that time the semifinalist results list will go live at www.IndependentPublisher.com. Until then, the results article can be accessed but won’t be live. So, if your book is listed with any typos or incorrect wording, please let me know. This listing will eventually become the results program for the New York event.

On Friday, May 29th, from 6-9 pm, we'll present the 13th Annual IPPY Awards in New York on the first evening of this year's BookExpo America convention. More details to follow, but the event will be held at Providence NYC, 311 W. 57th St. (Anyone who attended the 2007 event will recognize it’s the same venue, but this year we’ll be upstairs in a larger space.) Medalists will receive a medal, a certificate, and 20 awards seals. Those not attending the New York event will receive the above items by mail, in a packet including the event program, press release, etc.

Again, thanks for entering, thanks for your patience and understanding, and please let me know if you’d like any email addresses added to the update list. Congratulations to all on your efforts!

Stay tuned, Jim Barnes, Awards Director, jimb@bookpublishing.com

One thing I would dearly love is for my local library for the blind and Liberians in general to read this statement and see Mr. Barnes's comments about the quality and originality of the entrants. I continue to be told that indie books are not recorded by the library even if the author is a local not to mention a longtime patron and volunteer of tyhe library. Unless such a book gets a rebiew from one of the sources the library deems worthy, you may as well forget it. You aren't good enough, and what's more, we aren't even going to waste our exalted time reading your trash.

Sorry, I'm just really anxious that my next post will not have the news I hope to have.