Southeastern Libraries Cooperating [SELCO] is pleased to join in the announcement of a new statewide literacy contest designed to spotlight the top self-published youg adult and adult fiction in the state.

In 2016, 20 percent of the book market was composed of indie authors and as indications show that trend expected to rise, libraries are stepping up to meet the new surge.

The creation of the Minnesota Author Project combined with MN Writes MN Reads [a suite of resources for writers to use to self-publish their work] gives libraries a chance to encourage new work form this growing group.

“We know that there is incredible talent across Minnesota and libraries are the perfect place to help those talented writers create and share their work,” said SELCO Executive Director Krista Ross. “This contest is a natural extension of MN Writes, MN Reads and we hop it will encourage many writers to submit their work for a wider audience to enjoy.”

Winning authors will reach 100, if not thousands of new readers via Minnesota’s libraries, and can also leverage being an award-winning author for additional marketing opportunities.

Guidelines for submission include:

•Written by a Minnesota resident

•Self-published

•In the genre of young adult or adult fiction

•Available in either PDF or ePUB format.

Winners in each category will receive a cash prize of $1,000, inclusion in Indie Minnesota, a statewide digital collection of local indie authors, honors at the American Library Association Midwinter Conference in Seattle and opportunities to promote and have print copies of books available in Minnesota public libraries.

Writers can enter the contest at indieauthorproject.librariesshare.com/Minnesota and can check out the free self-publishing resources at mnwritesmnreads.org. Submissions are currently open and will be accepted up to June 30. A panel of Minnesota librarians, educators and booksellers will judge the submissions. Multiple submissions are welcome.