The first deadline for the 2018 Audie Awards are due August 22nd 2017 for audiobooks published from November 1, 2016 to July 31, 2017. The second phase is due October 17, 2017 and includes all titles issued from August 1, 2017 through October 31, 2017. Finalists will be notified February 2018 and the Audie Award ceremony will occur May 31st 2018 in New York.
How to submit your titles for consideration
FIRST: Download and read the 2018 call for entries. This document contains everything you need to know about the submission process including entry deadlines and category eligibility.
SECOND: Download an entry submission form. This is the form that tells us what titles you would like to submit into each category. If you are submitting more than 100 titles for consideration, please use more than one form.
THIRD: Email your completed submission form to audies@audiopub.org.
FOURTH: Submit your payment here. Enter the number of entries you are submitting for consideration in the “quantity” field. Entries will not be considered until payment is received in full.
The Audies Judging Process
Round A: This is a qualifying round for some categories in which experienced judges listen to samples of each audiobook to narrow the lists in high-submission categories in preparation for Round 1. Judges listen to at least 30 minutes of the audiobook before a “no” vote is given. Several judges’ combined votes determine which titles move on to Round 1.
In Round 1, judges are asked to rank their top seven titles. This is an opportunity to elevate the best the category has to offer. Note: there are two waves for Round 1: wave 1 to be delivered in early October, and wave 2 in mid-November (titles are added to existing Audible libraries, and judges are notified by email). For Round 1, judging survey links are sent in mid-November and responses are due in early January.
Round 2, the finalist round, takes place from mid-January through mid-February. Judges score their assigned titles in four areas: performance, direction, production, and content.
For Round 1 and Round 2 responses, space is provided for judges’ comments – we’re asking for constructive criticism that might be helpful to the publisher and to the Competition Chair. See page 3 for good examples of constructive criticism, positive and negative.
The Audies Judging Criteria
- 1. Performance
- Narrator presents a professional performance that is believable and convincing.
- Characters are clearly and consistently differentiated through tone, inflection, pacing, etc., avoiding condescending mannerisms and style.
- Narrator accurately pronounces all words, including proper nouns, place names, character names, and technical and foreign words and phrases, to the best of the judge’s knowledge
2. Direction
- Pace is maintained throughout and the plot flows without interruption.
- If used, music and/or sound effects are a positive enhancement, not a distraction.
- The material lends itself to audio presentation/ presentation enhances the text
3. Production
- Recording is free of blatant edits and technical flaws and is of good quality.
- Signal, voice, and music levels are conducive to audiobook listening conditions.
- Multi-voice or dramatized productions effectively project the original print material
4. Content/Overall
- The underlying content is excellent, and appropriate for the audio format.
- All elements have been integrated to provide a compelling listening experience
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
