From showing the accomplishments of a girl scout to identifying an officer of the law, badges have been used for centuries to distinguish positions and advertise achievements. Within the literary world, badges or seals are used to signal a book’s value to prospective readers. For example, nearly all the books that have won the prestigious Caldecott award feature a badge, seal, emblem, or sticker on their cover. With millions of books to choose from, readers often rely on recommendations from friends, literary organizations, or reviews to help them decide what to read next. Book badges are visual markings that serve to easily identify a book as being recommended by a literary group. For indie authors that have earned a book badge, using badges properly can draw attention to your book and make it stand out above the rest. This article will discuss how and where you can earn a book badge, and what you can do to get the most benefit from badges you’ve acquired.
How to Obtain Book Badges
Most book badges come in the form of award placements. Therefore, if you want a book badge, the first step is to produce a high-quality book. Nowadays, it is easier than ever for self-published authors to have a professional quality book cover and edit, even with a relatively low budget. Most readers are familiar with the more distinguished awards, such as the Newbury Award, The Pulitzer Prize and the Hugo Award, to name a few. While some of these more prestigious awards may not even consider a self-published author, there are still many options available to indie authors. Some of the more popular awards contests for indie authors are Indies Today, Readers’ Favorite, and Indie Reader, as these are industry leaders that are recognized by many readers. Besides awards contests, some editorial reviewers like Indies Today and Readers’ Favorite offer badges for five-star or other high-ranking reviews.
How to Use Book Badges
Qualifying for a book badge will not provide any benefits to you if readers never see it. Thus, many authors find it beneficial to include a badge image on their book cover, and some even have stickers of their badges printed so they can attach them to their paperback and hardcover books. Additionally, if you have an author website, you could prominently feature your badges on your site. Other popular uses for book badges include adding them to marketing materials, Amazon book pages, other retailers, and social media accounts. Book badges can be very beneficial to authors, so regardless of which ways you use yours, make sure that readers know your book is worth reading by proudly showing off your badges.
If you qualify for an Indies Today digital book badge, you can request one by contacting us.
