Heartland Booksellers Award

A joint celebration of two regional bookselling associations

The Heartland Booksellers Award is a reflection of handselling at its best, as all the books are selected directly by our independent booksellers and celebrate exceptional literature throughout the Greater Midwest with content either about the region or an author from our region.

Administered by the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association and the Great Lake Independent Booksellers Association, celebrating our book awards as one industry force amplifies the impact of the award for booksellers, publishers, authors, and consumers, as 12 states and 300 bookstores throughout the Greater Midwest celebrate the same set of titles. Our award-winning titles often remain on our bestseller lists for weeks, months, and even years to come.

To support the titles germane to each of our regions, both GLIBA and MIBA conduct separate submission processes with publishers, allowing books that have been popular in each of our regions to receive the attention they deserve. We celebrate the winners at an awards ceremony in October each year.

Learn more about the criteria and submission process