While offering dazzling ceremonies and Santa Monica, this contest lacked updates. I paid my fee and never heard another word. To this day I have no idea who won.

As the years went by more competitions popped into my inbox. Google searches revealed a growing plethora with wide-ranging categories, cash prizes, and ever increasing fees. They beckoned, and I succumbed too frequently. There were trophies, you see.

One award stood out – though it had no cash reward and the entry cost seemed modest.

The Wishing Shelf Book Awards is run by an author for other authors. Edward Trayer, pen name Billy Bob Buttons, started it as a hobby. He just celebrated his tenth year.

Edward writes children’s books. An indie author with 16 titles to date, he does very well both in sales and accolades—such as the 2014 UK People’s Book Prize for I Think I Murdered Miss. His own experience suggested that many book awards weren’t actually interested in books so much as selling entries and prize stickers.

So he architected the Wishing Shelf Book Awards.

It began as a hobby, and morphed into an opportunity for indie authors to get readers’ perspectives and valuable feedback on their work. He has a legion of devoted followers, and changed my own perspective on contests in general.

“It’s a very honest award, compared to a few of the other ones,” he smiles. “We’re judged by readers. If you enter category 2, Six to Eight Year Olds, the judges are 6 to 8 year old children.

“And they’re very honest. They really say what they think.”

Edward has observed that authors who write for children often write books that are far more enjoyed by parents. Those books frequently have strong messages, for example anti-bullying. The book is all about the message. He labels them ‘Message Picture Books’.

These may go down well with parents—but kids judge them boring most of the time. Children actually prefer adventure, humour, excitement and suspense. Fun. ‘Exploding underpants,’ Trayer says.

Sounds a bit like us adults, does it not?

A similar dynamic may be true for adult book judges. A prestigious retired publisher from a large house may view the book with an eye to how it fits with her own promotion skills; a literary agent reads a book with a mind to whom in his contact list he can sell it.

For an indie author, getting feedback from our actual audience may be more valuable. That’s what struck me— authentic reader feedback. A genuine opportunity to up my game.

The Wishing Shelf takes a different approach to judging. As a contestant, you can choose to get the detailed feedback or simply enter and find out where you place. The first option costs a little more, to cover the expense of collating the quantity of information. It’s worth it.

• Children’s books are categorized in 4 age groups, with 11 schools currently participating. The kids—with help from their teachers—do the initial judging by choosing the books they enjoy the most, and noting why. A select group then choose the top books and winners.

• Adult books are categorized by fiction and non-fiction. Reading groups serve as judges, picking what they read based on the descriptions. Thus someone preferring urban dystopia isn’t saddled with a period romance. A minimum of 15 people read each book.

• Judging has a star rating of 1 to 5, with marks for editing, content, writing style, and book cover. Anyone scoring over 25 (out of a possible 35) becomes a finalist. Those finalists go through a second round to select gold, silver, and bronze books.

• Roughly 30% of the entrants achieve Finalist.

The Wishing Shelf is very communicative. They have active Facebook and X (Twitter) feeds. From personal experience, I can say that if you email a question, you get an answer quickly and from someone who knows. As far as finding out who won, the Winners List for every year is listed on the website.

For me, I limit myself to entering my new book when it’s released, and I spend time researching the options carefully. You might want to check out The Alliance of Independent Authors book, Book Prizes & Awards for Indie Authors (available on their website), or become a member and get the book—and a lot more—for free.

And definitely enter the Wishing Shelf Book Awards. The price for the feedback alone is a bargain.