Previous Finalists

Comments from Authors/Publishers

'Thank you for the feedback and comments. It's great to know how my book was received. Since it was my first one to be published, being in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards as a finalist has boosted my confidence about writing and promoting my work. It was a great experience. Thank you for your support.'

Lynda Jolen, author of Professor Parro and the Liars and Thieves

'The Wishing Shelf Book Awards have been an invaluable step in my self-publishing endeavor. As a middle-grade author, having children in UK schools read and judge my book is an ideal way to determine whether I am on the right track with my writing and presentation, not to mention how helpful this is in marketing my book. I will be using my award and the feedback from the readers in my efforts to get involved in readings and talks at schools, as well as in my online marketing efforts to promote my book on my website and in Amazon and other bookseller listings.
Thank you again for organizing such a wonderful award.'

A M Robin, author of Hidden Scales

'I entered the Wishing Shelf Book Awards with two of my children's books and was delighted to win gold in the age 9-12 category. It means so much to have feedback from children in the age group that I write for and the whole process has given my confidence a big boost. The awards are exceptionally well-run and Edward keeps all entrants informed throughout the process. I would have no hesitation in recommending the awards to other authors.'

Jemma Hatt, author of The Adventurers and The Cursed Castle

'Entering The Wishing Shelf Awards is a very rewarding experience. Unlike other rewards, after entering, the only thing an author can do is wait for the result which will come months later. Edward Trayer, the founder and organizer of this award, informs you every step along the way. He creates this wonderful community of authors on Facebook and we discuss matters related to writing and cheered for each other. I’m very glad that my book won a gold medal. I was overjoyed when I read that 16 out of 17 readers would like to read my next book. I feel so encouraged. Writing isn’t a lonely uphill battle anymore. Thank you, Edward and all the readers/judges!'

Anna Wang, author of Inconvenient Memories

'I was uncertain when I initially approached The Wishing Shelve Book Awards 2019 and wasn’t sure what it entailed. I was thinking I would not make it as a finalist. Once I submitted my book Greedy Gertie I had many questions and each time I emailed Edward he would response within a reasonable timescale. He was always professional and answered all my questions. Eventually, I was contacted by Edward and was informed I was one of the finalists. This was a great surprise even to make it this far, therefore I really appricated this gesture. As soon as I drafted the fact that I was a finalist on social media I gained a lot of attention, Friends congratulating me on my finalist success. Although, I didn’t win the award, being a finalist with The Wishing Shelve Book Awards 2019 was beneficial in many ways and a great achievement for me on a personal level. Being recognised as one of the finalists meant it added another layer of credibility to my book and it was recognised by many readers that my book was worthy of this status.

The informative written feedback provided by The Wishing Shelve Awards has been useful and I will be using it to reflect upon when preparing my books in the future. It was a great feeling to be made aware of that 16 people would in the future read another book written by me.'

Salma Zaman, author of Greedy Gertie