Benjamin Franklin Award: Chris Roerden

Don't Sabotage Your Submission by Chris Roerden (Bella Rosa Books) won the 2009 Benjamin Franklin Award for Literary Criticism. In its 21st year the award is sponsored by the Independent Book Publishers Association to recognize excellence in editorial and design. Judges include librarians, book critics, retail and wholesale buyers and other industry experts.

Don't Sabotage Your Submission (Bella Rosa Books) shares insider secrets on how submissions to literary agencies and publishing houses are screened --and reveals why 90% of manuscripts are rejected almost immediately. Don't Sabotage Your Submission is the expanded edition, for writers in all genres, of the Agatha Award winner Don't Murder Your Mystery 24 Fiction-Writing Techniques to Save Your Manuscript from Turning Up D.O.A., also published (2006) by Bella Rosa Books.

Charlaine Harris says, “Roerden’s book is chock full of practical advice for the novice writer. Even seasoned writers could use a copy as a refresher course.”

In addition to the Benjamin Franklin Award™, Don’t Sabotage Your Submission also won ForeWord Magazine’s 2008 Bronze Medal for Writing Book of the Year.