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PIFA 2026 · For indie authors who write great blurbs

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.

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.

We’ll send a single email when entries go live. No spam, no sharing.

Submissions open soon · Timeline: TBD

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Awards

What you can win

Three top prizes, seven finalist prizes, and badges + medals you can put on your book covers and author site.

  • 1st Place
    $200

    First Place

    Amazon gift card · Winner medal & badge for your book cover · Profile banner · Permanent listing on awards.pub.co

    First Place medal — preview onlyFirst Place prize — $200 Amazon gift card
  • 2nd Place
    $100

    Second Place

    Amazon gift card · Winner medal & badge for your book cover · Profile banner · Permanent listing on awards.pub.co

    Second Place medal — preview onlySecond Place prize — $100 Amazon gift card
  • 3rd Place
    $50

    Third Place

    Amazon gift card · Winner medal & badge for your book cover · Profile banner · Permanent listing on awards.pub.co

    Third Place medal — preview onlyThird Place prize — $50 Amazon gift card

Plus

7 Finalist Prizes · $10 Amazon gift cards

Every finalist also gets a Finalist badge for their book pages and an entry in the public PIFA Finalist gallery on awards.pub.co.

2026 Categories

Speculative Fiction, four ways

PIFA 2026 is open to indie books in these four genres. More categories are coming in future cycles.

  • Sci-Fi

  • Fantasy

  • Dystopian

  • Apocalyptic Speculative Fiction

Who can enter

Eligibility

PIFA exists for indie and small-press authors. Big-five traditionally-published books are not eligible. We take the “no AI” rule seriously — entries flagged by reviewers will be disqualified without refund of entry effort.

  • 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

How we judge

The PIFA rubric

Every blurb is scored on five dimensions by independent reviewers. The author’s name and pen name are hidden from reviewers to reduce bias.

  1. 25%#1

    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?

  2. 20%#2

    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?

  3. 20%#3

    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?

  4. 20%#4

    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.

  5. 15%#5

    Overall Opinion

    Would this blurb make you click “Buy” or “Look Inside”? Does it highlight unique selling points, emotional stakes, and target audience appeal?

Sponsored by

Our 2026 sponsors

PIFA exists because these companies want indie authors to succeed. Show them some love.

Sponsor Slot Open

Put your brand in front of every indie author who enters PIFA

Sponsoring PIFA gets your logo on awards.pub.co, our winner-announcement emails, every finalist’s book badge, and dedicated callouts on @atomixPub. Limited slots per cycle.

Become a sponsor

How it works

The PIFA process

  1. 01

    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.

  2. 02

    Blind review

    Independent reviewers score your blurb on the rubric. Your name and pen name are hidden to reduce bias.

  3. 03

    Winners announced

    Top 3 + 7 finalists get gift cards, badges, profile banners, and a permanent listing on awards.pub.co.

Be the first to know when entries open

Drop your email below and we’ll send a single notification when PIFA 2026 submissions go live.

We’ll send a single email when entries go live. No spam, no sharing.

Tell a writer friend on X

Questions? Email info@pub.co or hit us up on X @atomixPub.