Nautilus Book Awards 15th Year Deadline: Feb. 21

The Nautilus Awards celebrates its 15th Anniversary this year, with the deadline for award registration this Friday, Feb. 21.

Marilyn McGuire, founder of the Nautilus Book Awards, “Changing the World, one book at a time.”

The Nautilus Awards is an outgrowth of the NAPRA Review, a publication founded by Orcas Islander Marilyn McGuire. Since 1999, Nautilus Awards have “created a Library of Knowledge that will Change the World,” according to Gregg Braden, author.

The awards feature books “that promote spiritual growth, conscious living and positive social change; and…that stimulate the imagination and offer the reader new possibilities for a better life and a better world,” according to the awards’ website nautilusbookawards.com

Authors recognized by winning Nautilus Awards include Deepak Chopra, Barbara Kingsolver, Marianne Williamson, Thich Nhat Hanh, Julia Cameron, Eckhart Tolle, Naomi Wolf, the Dalai Lama, Riane Eisler, Matthew Fox and Christiane Northrup, among many others.

McGuire says: “I was always interested in getting good information out to the world,” but she saw that the explorations in human consciousness had not gained the respect and recognition they are awarded today. So she launched the trade organization, “New Alternatives for Publishers, Retailers and Artists” (NAPRA). “I saw a lot of good in these books about positive social change, spiritual understanding and conscious living,” says McGuire, “but they were being criticized and invalidated.” For example,she describes the label “New Age” as overused and without definition.

The 2014 Nautilus Book Awards accepts entries in 33 subject categories and six categories for Children, Teens and Young Adults. Any book (printed) in English and copyrighted, published or released in 2012 or 2013 will be eligible. Books are accepted from traditional publishers, small presses and self-publishers.

Gold, Silver and Grand awards are given to “books of exceptional merit that make a literary and heartfelt contribution to the fields of high-level wellness, green values and responsible leadership, as well as to the worlds of art, creativity and inspiration.”

The awards offer:

• a Cash Prize for the Grand Winner
• Exhibit Opportunities at National and International Trade Shows (including Book Expo America, London Book Fair, American Library Annual, Frankfort Book Fair – and more
• Announcements & Online Listings of Winning Titles for One Year

Cash Prizes will be given to Grand Winners selected from each of three areas :

I. Core Categories
II.Children / Teen / Young Adult
III. Small Press

All print books entered in the Nautilus Awards by small presses or that are self-published in any category will be eligible for the Honorary Small Press awards and will be entered by Nautilus judges as contenders in the Small Press or the Self-Published category for no additional fee. All books must have an ISBN number.

McGuire says, “The shell of the chambered nautilus contains the Golden Mean, a sacred symbol in nature. The configuration of the chambered nautilus shell represents the continual evolution into one’s highest self as we move to ever more vaulted ceilings until at last we’re free. And as we evolve we become better, kinder, more loving …

“With mass global communication, political upheaval, depletion and destruction of our natural resources along with religious and secular fanaticism all growing at an alarming rate, we believe the need for books that promote viable options for positive social change is vast, and the phrase, “Changing the World One Book at a Time” is more meaningful than ever before. Authors and publishers and their books CAN and ARE making a difference.”

McGuire says, “We provide space in our [exhibit] booths … for these inspirational and life-changing books where many of the authors of Silver- and Gold-Winning titles exhibit and sign their books.” With the Nautilus Award, a book gets more attention and often second notice from major publishers such as National Geographic and others, who have come to the Nautilus Book Awards booth and made arrangements to purchase the copyrights from the author or small publishers of the winning titles.

For more information and registration, go to https://www.nautilusbookawards.com/ or email marilyn@nautilusbookawards.com