PIFA Award
The Pay It Forward Award
Distilling your novel down to 150–250 words is genuinely hard. PIFA exists to celebrate indie authors who pull it off — the ones whose blurbs make us stop scrolling and click buy.
Submissions open soon · Timeline: TBD
We read every entry. We score every blurb. And we pay it forward with Amazon gift cards, badges for your book pages, and visibility to readers actively browsing for their next speculative fiction read. PIFA exists for indie and small-press authors — and it’s free to enter.
Get notified when submissions open
We’ll send a single email when entries go live. No spam, no sharing.
Awards
What you can win
The top prizes plus seven finalist prizes for indie authors who craft the best blurbs.
- 1st Place$200
First Place
- Amazon Gift Card
- Badges for your books
- Permanent listing
- 2nd Place$100
Second Place
- Amazon Gift Card
- Badges for your books
- Permanent listing
- 3rd Place$50
Third Place
- Amazon Gift Card
- Badges for your books
- Permanent listing
Plus
7 Finalist Prizes · $10 Amazon gift cards
Every finalist also gets a Finalist medal & badge for their book pages and an entry in the public PIFA Finalist gallery on awards.pub.co.
2026 Categories
Genres
PIFA 2026 is open to indie books in these four genres.
Sci-Fi
Fantasy
Dystopian
Apocalyptic Speculative Fiction
How it works
The PIFA process
- Step 1
Submit your blurb
Sign in, link your pub.co book (or fill in the entry form), confirm eligibility, and submit. You'll get a branded email receipt.
- Step 2
Blind review
Independent reviewers score your blurb on the rubric. Your name and pen name are hidden to reduce bias.
- Step 3
Winners announced
Top 3 + 7 finalists get gift cards, badges, profile banners, and a permanent listing on awards.pub.co.
Who can enter
Eligibility
PIFA exists to help indie and small-press authors. Traditionally-published books are ineligible. We take the “no AI” rule seriously. Entries flagged for either will be disqualified.
Read the Official Rules- Small-press and self-published authors
- Both published and pre-order books
- Blurb must be in English
- Entrants must be 18 or older
- No AI used to write the book or the blurb
- Free to enter — no fee, no charge
Scoring
How we’ll judge
Your blurb will be scored in five categories. Your name/pen name will be hidden from reviewers.
- 25%
Hook
Does the blurb grab attention in the first 1–2 sentences? Is there strong intrigue, tension, or curiosity that makes you want to read the book?
- 20%
Clarity & Readability
Is the blurb easy to understand? Clear language, logical flow, no confusing sentences or jargon. Can a new reader quickly grasp the premise?
- 20%
Genre Fit & World-Building
Does it clearly signal Speculative Fiction (Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Dystopian, Apocalyptic, etc.)? Does it tease the world, magic system, technology, or stakes without info-dumping?
- 20%
Writing Quality & Voice
Strong, professional prose? Distinctive author voice? Compelling tone that matches the genre (dark, hopeful, thrilling, mysterious, etc.). No clichés or awkward phrasing.
- 15%
Overall Opinion
Would this blurb make you click “Buy” or “Look Inside”? Does it highlight unique selling points, emotional stakes, and target audience appeal?
Be the first to know
Drop your email & we’ll send you a notification when submissions go live.
No spam. No sharing.
Questions? Send us a message or hit us up on X @wwwPUBco.