Now's the Time to Nominate Your Handselling Favorites for Book Sense Book of the Year

The American Booksellers Association is currently accepting nominations of booksellers' handselling favorites for the 2003 Book Sense Book of the Year Awards (BSBY). All ABA member stores are eligible to vote for titles in the categories of Adult Fiction, Adult Nonfiction, Children's Literature, Illustrated Children's, Rediscovery, and -- new this year -- Paperback Book of the Year. The Paperback category is open to both fiction and nonfiction titles.

The nomination ballot, which is available online at http://www.bookweb.org/read/5937, has also been sent to Book Sense stores in the January white box. The form includes Book Sense 76 top picks in 2002 and blank spaces for write-ins in each category. Nominated titles must be published in 2002, except in the category of Rediscovery, which is not limited by a publication date and includes both children's and adult titles.

Previous finalists for the BSBY Award and the American Booksellers Book of the Year Award are not eligible.

Every current ABA-member bookstore is entitled to nominate five books in each category. The nomination period extends from January 9, 2003, to February 13, 2003.

Nomination forms returned via mail must be postmarked no later than February 7. The deadline for online ballots and for voting via fax is February 13.

The top five vote-getters in each category will be announced by March 20. All current ABA member bookstores will then have the opportunity to vote on these short lists for the winning titles. The winning titles in each category will be announced at the Celebration of Bookselling at this year's BookExpo America on Friday, May 30. The remaining four finalists in each category will be awarded the title of Book Sense Honor Book. Nominated authors and illustrators will be invited to attend the Award ceremonies and the 76 Lunch, also to be held on Friday, May 30, at BEA.