We’re Celebrating Our 15th Annual Kindle Book Awards!
Each Category Winner Will Walk Away With a $600 Prize Package.
2026 Kindle Book Awards (Details):
WHEN: Official Registration Starts January 01, 2026 – Closes May 15, 2026.
WHO: Any Independent or Small Press Author.
ACCEPTED PUBLISH DATES: Books published on Amazon between May 1, 2023, and May 1, 2026 (Must have Amazon Link to qualify).
MINIMUM WORD COUNT: 25K words (to allow for novellas in all categories).
COST: $35
AWARDS: $600 in cash & prizes to 8 category winners.
HOW: Click the BIG RED “REGISTER” button or click here.
**See our Recommendation by ALLi (The Alliance of Independent Authors). There are so many awards out there, we’re so glad there’s a watchdog keeping track of the scams.
IMPORTANT: PROCESS–HOW YOU WILL BE JUDGED:
- All 2026 KBR submissions will be pre-screened by KBR staff and our amazing review team. We will initially read the “Look Inside” sample (representing 90% of your Phase 1 screening score) and the Amazon book description (representing 10% of your score). We’re looking for books with compelling descriptions, but more importantly, books that “grab us from the beginning” and make us want to continue reading. The screening process indicates your potential buyers’ experience with your book, which is subjective, to be sure. Book covers will only be judged to settle a tie, except for those who enter the “Book Cover Awards.”
- Your sample is enough for us to get a feel for the quality of writing and professionalism, and to get us excited about your book. Your book description should be compelling with zero typos. We recommend that you fix any typos on your book page and book file before submitting. We WILL NOT accept an updated file after it has already been submitted.
- If your book passes the “screening” process it will become a “Semifinalists” (20 max per category) and one of our judges will read the manuscript in its entirety.
- NOTE: Advertising on our site will NOT help you win. Our reviewers/judging team care nothing about ads. They only care about finding the best Kindle books. That’s our quest, our passion. Of course, as always, literature is subjective and we hope you understand that.
CATEGORIES: The following genres & sub-genres are welcome (Min 25K words)
- Mystery/Thriller
- Romance
- Y/A
- Sci-fi/Fantasy
- Literary Fiction
- Horror/Suspense
- Non-Fiction
- Reader’s Choice Award
- Book Cover Award (Promotional Award Only)
AWARDS: Eight Winners will receive $600 in cash & prizes.
- $200 Cash to Each Category Winner [Compliments of The Kindle Book Review ($200).
- $200 in group promotion from The Kindle Book Review (As determined by The KBR).
- $200 Reader Giveaway compliments of The Kindle Book Review to be promoted in 2027 (Group promo for winners only. Date decided by The Kindle Book Review. Great exposure!)
- Priceless: All Semi-finalists, Top-5 Finalists, and all 8 Winners will receive a custom 15th Anniversary Contest Badge. The Book Cover Award Winner receives a Winner’s badge, promotional awards, and bragging rights (*No cash prize to Book Cover Award Winner, and no semi-finalists or finalists in this category).
HOW MANY BOOKS CAN I SUBMIT?: Authors can submit up to 3 titles max.
IMPORTANT DATES (Mark on your Calendar & watch your email/spam):
- Submissions Accepted starting: January 1st, 2026
- End Submissions: May 15, 2026
- Announce Category Semi-finalists: Sept. 1, 2026
- Announce Top-5 Category Finalists: Oct. 1, 2026
- Announce 8 Winners: Nov. 1, 2026
LANGUAGE: All books must be written in the English language.
FORMAT:
All file types are accepted! If you have problems submitting with your particular file please contact amber@thekindlebookreview.net
We apologize that we cannot assist you with formatting; unfortunately, we simply don’t have the time. Please search Google or YouTube, and ask Amazon KDP support for assistance!
HOW CAN YOU HELP? GLAD YOU ASKED!
You can help us promote this contest with tweets, FB posts, and Blog posts. So please share the 2026 Kindle Book Awards with your author friends, too! The more publicity this contest gets, the better exposure YOU will receive if you are a Semifinalist, Finalist, or Winner!
Feel free to use any of the images on this page when promoting the contest.
RULES & CONDITIONS:
Any author submitting their book(s) to The 2026 Kindle Book Awards agrees that their book will be judged by the Kindle Book Review Team & Reviewers (volunteers). The author is not guaranteed an award, prize, or publicity in return for the entry fee. The author understands that awards are based upon merit and not because the author buys promotion or any goods, real or imagined, from The Kindle Book Review and/or its sponsors, and the judge’s decisions are subjective and final. Books (either print or e-book) must have a publication date within the guidelines between May 1, 2023, and May 15, 2026. We prefer the publication date on the e-book, but we can accept a print publication date that meets the guidelines, as long as we receive a digital copy at the time of submission and an e-book is published on Amazon within a reasonable time after the cut-off date. Reissued books that retain an old, out-of-specification publication date will not be accepted. The author authorizes The Kindle Book Review and their associates’ permission to read and judge his or her work and will not hold them responsible for any damages seen or imagined due to not winning an award or prize. Only semifinalists (up to 20 per category), finalists (the Top 5 per category), and category winners will be notified if they advance. All works will be judged based on the file submitted; updated files will not be accepted. The author further grants The Kindle Book Review and its sponsors permission to post their book cover, excerpts, or use the author’s name for publicity purposes during and after the contest. or “critique,” said book(s). We reserve the right to update the rules at any time.
WHAT NOT TO DO: 1. Do not email us or inquire about your status/results. We will not respond to inquiries. If you are having trouble loading your Kindle file, please refer to the notes above regarding formatting. Mark Your Calendar so you know when to check our site for results.
2. Do not worry if your file does not load. If you pass the initial screening and advance to the “Semifinals,” we will contact you if any issues are found with your file. Initial screening is based on YOUR Amazon sample and book page. This contest is initially judged on the “reader’s” experience (see above for details), so we are more concerned about the sample the reader reads while visiting your Amazon book page. Only top-20 category semifinalists will get a full reading.
Please share the 2026 Kindle Book Awards with your author friends and/or fellow reviewers. Then, confirm your subscription and check your email (including spam) for future notifications and confirmations.
It All Started in 2012….
Wool. Our First Kindle Book Award Winner! Read Hugh’s Story here.
See 2025 Winner’s Page by clicking here
See 2024 Winner’s Page by clicking here
See 2023 Winner’s page by clicking here
See 2022 Winner’s Page by clicking here
See 2021 Winner’s Page by clicking here
See 2020 Winner’s Page by clicking here
See 2019 Winner’s Page by clicking here
See 2018 Winner’s Page by clicking here.
See 2017 Winner’s Page by clicking here.
See 2016 Winner’s Page by Clicking here.
See 2015 Winner’s Page by Clicking Here.
See 2014 Winner’s Page by Clicking Here.
Thanks for visiting the 2026 Kindle Book Awards official page. Best of luck, from our staff & reviewers!