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style=”mso-tab-count: 1″>  This year we tried something new with the Benjamin Franklin Awards
program. After years of listening to our judges say that each year the
entries were getting more difficult to judge and required much more time
than we allowed, we decided to go out with two calls for entries. In July,
we mailed the first call for entries for those books published January
through June. Then we mailed these to our judges in August and they began
the tedious task of judging. The second call for entries was sent in late
November for all books published from July through December. These were
then mailed to the same judges in January for a completion of each
category’s judging process.

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style=”mso-tab-count: 1″> With approximately 1,700 entries this year, the Benjamin Franklin
Awards reached an all-time high. Though we never disclose the specific
category they judge, we would like to publicly thank and have you all
recognize the people who donate so much of their time to help you both get
applause for and improve your product.

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style=”mso-tab-count: 1″> This year’s judges are:  Shirley H. Adkins, Womack Publishing/Star-Tribune; Tracy Aquino;
Eladio Jose Armesto, El Nuevo Patria; David C. L. Bauer, Daily News; Henry
Berry, The Small Press Book Review; Barbara Bibel, Oakland Public Library;
Helen Blanchard, Sentinel-Standard; Shannon Bodie, Lightbourne; Gene
Booth, Boothmark Books; Shirley Branden, Univ. of Delaware Library; Jim
Bray, Escondido Public Library; Joanne Brown, Storey Communications, Inc.;
Evelyn Cairns, News Herald Newspapers; Alan Caruba, Bookviews; Sharon
Galligar Chance, Wichita Falls Times Record News; Janice Chavers, The
Herald Bulletin; Leigh Cohn, Gürze Books; Carol Colaizzi, New Castle News;
Gail Colure, Kearny Public Library; Kim Cool, Venice Gondolier; Heidi
Cotler; Dr. Brian E. Coutts, Western Kentucky Univ. Libraries; Millie
Duran, La Prensa; Jennifer M. Einwater, Matheson Memorial Library; Bob
Erdmann; Eleanor Fanicase, Baker & Taylor; Elaine Farrand, Tri-County
Advertiser; Kim Fiori, Kim Fiori Design; Alzada Forbes, The Avid Reader;
Dianne Fortune, Prime Time Newspapers; Dorothy Fritz, All About Books;
Viviane Gilbert Stein, Tri-City Herald; Jack Gingold, Pomona Valley News
Agency, Inc.; Bill Gladstone, Waterside Productions, Inc.; Howard
Goldstein, Howard Goldstein Design; Susan Gustafson, Whole Person
Associates; Fran Halpern; Darlene Hayes, Union City Daily Messenger; Gwen
Henson, SageBrush Publications; Karen Herberman, The Bisbee Observer;
Michelle Hines, Asheboro Courier-Tribune; Norman Hines, Jr., Randolph
Community College; James Hitchcock, Battlecreek Shopper News; Kay Ikuta,
Inglewood Public Library; Rebecca Jackson-Clause, Bedford Bulletin;
Rosemary Jones, Healing Pages Book Store; Beverly Kane, Saugerties Public
Library; Craig M. Kibler, The Bryan-College Station Eagle; Inga Kimple;
Henry Kornman, HK Marketing Services; John Kremer, Open Horizon
Publishing; Mary Lang, White Mountain Publishing Co.; Tom Lewis, Tehabi
Books; Ron Liggett; Kathy Lilje, Sandusky Register; Donna Linn, The
Rainbow Within; Jerry Marino, The Marino Group; Donna Markarian, Poplar
Creek Library; Denise Martin-Adolfson, Chicago County Press; Fran Mason,
Portland Community Library; Curt Matthews, Independent Publishers Group;
Linda Matthews, IPG/Chicago Review Press; Laura McCaffery, Allen County
Public Library; Leslie McClure, 411 Video Information; Peggy McCracken,
Pecos Enterprise; Beth McIntyre, Escondido Public Library; Scott
McKechnie; Cindy McKechnie; Barbara J. McKee, Streetsboro High Library;
Colleen McSpirit, The Mother Is Me Magazine; Lyn Milano, Quality Books;
Amanda Moore, Torreyson Library, Univ. of Central Arkansas; Debbie Morris,
New Castle News; Jackie Musgrave, Anchorage Municipal Libraries; Shawn
Neudauer, Press Publications; Andrea Nickles; Christine Nolt, Cirrus
Design; Carolyn Olson, Quality Books; Mitchel Olszak, New Castle News;
Barbra Pace Sears, LaVida News/The Black Voice Newspaper; Bill Parton,
Arkansas Tech University; Robert Paul, Sequoyah High School; Dolores
Payne, Ocean County Library — Headquarters; Lisa Peet, OCV Architects;
Hugh Penton, Penton Overseas; Lorene Popiel; Michael Powell, Powell’s
Bookstore; Jamie Lee Pricer, The Desert Sun; Lori Qualls, Midland Daily
News; Cathy M. Quimby, New Castle News; Ellen Rigante, West Islip Public
Library; LuAnn Roberto, 411 Graphics; Scott Rodas, Ocean County Library;
Maryangela Roman, Catholic Herald Newspaper; David Rosen, Soundelux/Mind’s
Eye Audio Publishing; Sherie Fox Schmauder, The Recorder Publishing
Company; Robert E. Schnare, US Naval War College Library; Maryhelen
Schnetker, Quality Books; Cathy S. Schreima, Evening Leader Publishing
Co.; Eugene G. Schwartz, Consortium House; R. N. Sharma, Ph.D., West
Virginia State College; Shirley Shick Learn, Sampson-Livermore Library;
Joanne Silva, Chester County Press (Brandywine.Net Business Report); Pat
Sledge, Tangipahoa Parish Library System; Les Smith; Marcella Smith,
Barnes & Noble; Lois Mark Stalvey, Sedona Red Rock News; Bryan
Stevens, Herald and Tribune; Crindalyn Stevens, The Daily Astorian;
Miranda Sulikowski, Burlington County Library – Youth Services; Patricia
Sullivan, Glendora Public Library; Harold Sweet, Media Dimensions; Kevin
Tankersley, McLennan Community College; Mike Tribby, Quality Books;
Katherine Tufts, Gazette Newspapers; Amy Tuttle, XYZ Group/Little Tiger
Press; Earlene Viano, Interlibrary Loans/Hampton Public Library; W. Curt
Vincent, The New Albany Tribune; Kathy Wagoner, Sta-Kris, Inc.; Rosemerry
Wahtola Trommer, Telluride Magazine; John R. Webster, Abacus Graphics;
Nancy Welch, Statesboro Herald; Dennis P. Wilken, Sound Publishing –
Kitsap Week; Gayle Wilkinson, Travis Jr. High; Lisa Williams, MLS, Moline
Public Library; Jennifer Y. Wilson, Librarian; Deborah Wingert, Terra
Community College; Jeanette Wolff, Latrobe Bulletin; Tom Woll, Cross River
Consultants; Elizabeth Woll; Margie Wuebker, The Sidney Daily News; Ilene
Zaleski, North Miami Public Library; Floyd M. Zula, Pollak Library, CSU –
Fullerton.

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style=”mso-tab-count: 1″> As you can see, they come from all areas of our industry. Many of
the judges have been helping us for many years, and they look forward to
seeing the improvement in our entries. When the Benjamin Franklin awards
first began, it was conceived not only to recognize good publishing. It
was also hoped that by receiving comments from people who influence the
buys in our industry, publishers would learn what was (and wasn’t) working
with their titles.

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style=”mso-tab-count: 1″> As an observer from the beginning of these awards, I have to admit
that the publishers are definitely paying attention to the comments made
on the judging forms. Each year, I have noticed a marked improvement over
the previous year. And then about four years ago, I walked into the room
that was the repository for the awards that year, unbeknownst to me, and I
said, “Hey, where did we get all these fantastic books from?” only to have
my staff reply, “They’re this year’s entries.”

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style=”mso-tab-count: 1″> I have always been a proponent of the fact that the general public
doesn’t buy a book because it is produced by a conglomerate publisher. The
general public, however, wants a well-designed and well-edited book. And
they tend to make their decision in the bookstores based on title, cover
design, and cover copy. No one buys a book based just on who the publisher
is.

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style=”mso-tab-count: 1″> It was a joy to have the judges tell us that they needed more time.
It meant that the quality of the books were getting so much better that
instead of just spending a brief time with some of the books and a more
intense time with a select few, these judges were having to comb through
most of the entries in a very time-consuming fashion. I congratulate
everyone who entered this. Now watch your mail next month for the 2001
Call for Entries and get your best from January through June of this year
ready for entry into next year’s competition!

 This article is from thePMA Newsletterfor June, 2000, and is reprinted with permission of Publishers Marketing Association.