Send in your books! The submission period for the 2019 Washington State Book Awards — for 2018 books — just opened. These are our state's quintessential awards: specifically for Washington authors (the guidelines have changed this year to focus even more finely on writers who have a strong connection to the state) and with more than 50 years under their belts. You can see last year's finalists above — maybe your book could be in next year's photo?

The awards honor books in a sweeping eight categories, from fiction to memoir to children's lit. Judges are carefully selected: librarians, booksellers, writers; people who not only know their stuff but care deeply about choosing books that represent this literary community's best. The submission period runs now through December 1, but it's not too early to submit; books are reviewed on a rolling basis, and getting in ahead of the rush can't be a bad idea. Check out our sponsorship page for guidelines and details.

And if you're not a writer — put a note on your calendar now to come out for the fall awards ceremony for the 2018 awards, October 13 at the Central Library. Both submitting a book and attending the ceremony are free; the Washington Center for the Book (a partnership of the Seattle Public Library and the Washington State Library), which administers the awards, is committed to making the process and the celebration open to all.

We're so grateful to sponsors like the Washington Center for the Book for supporting this site and helping us publish great writing about books every day. Thanks to them, and our other amazing sponsors, 2018 sponsorships are almost sold out. We'd love to see your book, event, or service for writers promoted here — so reserve a slot fast, before they're gone!