by Zach Miller
Quick Summary
The Minnesota Book Awards require 54 dedicated judges to read and review submissions. Judges are sought from across the state of Minnesota to reflect a variety of professional credentials, educational backgrounds, lived experiences, ethnicities, ages, and genders. Preliminary Round judges receive a $750 stipend for their efforts, while Final Round judges receive $500. Applications are due by September 15.
Text courtesy of the Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library.
The competitive judging process for the Minnesota Book Awards kicks off each fall. Authors and publishers submit books for consideration across nine literary categories. That's where you come in. Each year, the Minnesota Book Awards enlists a total of 54 judges to read and review submissions. Watch the Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library's video, "Five Reasons to Become a Book Awards Judge."
Evaluation happens over two rounds. A panel of three Preliminary Round judges gets together in January to select four finalist titles for their assigned category. An equal number of Final Round judges reads these four finalist books and comes together in March to select that category’s winner.
We strive for the greatest possible diversity within each year’s judging pool. Judges come from all across the state and reflect a variety of professional credentials, educational backgrounds, lived experiences, ethnicities, ages, and genders.
Between August 1 and September 15, we invite you to put yourself forward to judge on a panel for the Minnesota Book Awards. Eligible candidates:
- Are 18 years of age or older and a resident of Minnesota
- Have professional expertise, volunteer experience, or in-depth knowledge related to the category for which they are applying
- Are available to attend a real-time judging session held over videoconference (Preliminary Round: January 27 / Final Round: March 16)
- Do not have a book in competition for the category they are seeking to judge (though judges may have titles in contention in other Book Awards categories during the same competitive cycle)
- Cannot be a member of the staff, board, or committees of The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library
- Are not employed by publishers who have titles under consideration in any Book Awards category during the same competitive cycle
All applicants will receive an automated email confirmation immediately after submitting an application, and will be notified of whether they were chosen to serve as a judge on or before Friday, October 20.
