Alternating Current is dedicated to nurturing and promoting the independent press and its authors. We want to see great authors get paid and recognized for their crafts. We proudly honor our authors and other authors from the independent press with six annual writing awards, sponsored by some incredible patrons of the indie arts.
The Coil Book Award recognizes an outstanding published book of merit from an independent press other than our own. All published books are eligible. The Coil Book Award annually awards a certificate, a cash honorarium, a trophy, and a full publicity package to one book of incredible merit from the indie press. FIND OUT MORE.
The Electric Book Award recognizes an unpublished manuscript of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, or hybrid work, as a full-length collection or as a full-length whole. The Electric Book Award annually awards certificates, cash honorariums, print and digital publication, complimentary copies, and full publicity packages, plus royalties, to one unpublished manuscript. FIND OUT MORE.
The Spark Book Award recognizes an unpublished manuscript of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, or hybrid work, as a full-length collection or as a full-length whole, that is geared toward young adults (yet does not talk down to the reader) and focuses on themes of science, mathematics, engineering, computing, invention, and/or history in a fresh, unique way. The Spark Book Award annually awards a certificate, a cash honorarium, print and digital publication, complimentary copies, and a full publicity package, plus royalties, to one unpublished manuscript. FIND OUT MORE.
The Luminaire Award recognizes individual pieces of prose and poetry of a general theme submitted to Alternating Current Press. The Luminaire Award for Best Prose annually awards certificates, cash honorariums, online and print publication, and complimentary anthology copies to a first, a second, and a third place, and online publication to nine notable-mention places, for the best pieces of prose submitted to us. The Luminaire Award for Best Poetry rewards the same for the best poetry submissions. FIND OUT MORE ABOUT POETRY. FIND OUT MORE ABOUT PROSE.
The Charter Oak Award recognizes individual pieces of prose and poetry of a historical theme submitted to Alternating Current Press. The Charter Oak for Best Historical annually awards certificates, cash honorariums, online and print publication, and complimentary anthology copies to a first, a second, and a third place, and online publication to nine notable-mention places, for the best piece of writing submitted to us that focuses on a person, place, idea, or event in history in a universal, personal, and non-scholarly way. FIND OUT MORE.
The Oblaye Award recognizes individual pieces of prose or poetry submitted to Alternating Current of, by, about, or for Great Plains residents and Great Plains Native Americans and their immediate surrounding neighbors or those with any ties thereof. Oblaye is a Lakota Sioux word for a prairie, a plain, or a level place. The Great Plains Native American nations and rural residential region is near and dear to our hearts and is sorely underrepresented in “non-cowboy” contemporary literature. The Oblaye Award annually awards a certificate, cash honorarium, online and print publication, and complimentary anthology copies to a first place, and online publication to eleven notable-mention places, for the best universal pieces that evoke the prairie and Plains regions. SUBMIT YOUR GREAT PLAINS WRITING HERE.
The Coil Book Award recognizes an outstanding published book of merit from an independent press other than our own. All published books are eligible. The Coil Book Award annually awards a certificate, a cash honorarium, a trophy, and a full publicity package to one book of incredible merit from the indie press. FIND OUT MORE.
The Electric Book Award recognizes an unpublished manuscript of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, or hybrid work, as a full-length collection or as a full-length whole. The Electric Book Award annually awards certificates, cash honorariums, print and digital publication, complimentary copies, and full publicity packages, plus royalties, to one unpublished manuscript. FIND OUT MORE.
The Spark Book Award recognizes an unpublished manuscript of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, or hybrid work, as a full-length collection or as a full-length whole, that is geared toward young adults (yet does not talk down to the reader) and focuses on themes of science, mathematics, engineering, computing, invention, and/or history in a fresh, unique way. The Spark Book Award annually awards a certificate, a cash honorarium, print and digital publication, complimentary copies, and a full publicity package, plus royalties, to one unpublished manuscript. FIND OUT MORE.
The Luminaire Award recognizes individual pieces of prose and poetry of a general theme submitted to Alternating Current Press. The Luminaire Award for Best Prose annually awards certificates, cash honorariums, online and print publication, and complimentary anthology copies to a first, a second, and a third place, and online publication to nine notable-mention places, for the best pieces of prose submitted to us. The Luminaire Award for Best Poetry rewards the same for the best poetry submissions. FIND OUT MORE ABOUT POETRY. FIND OUT MORE ABOUT PROSE.
The Charter Oak Award recognizes individual pieces of prose and poetry of a historical theme submitted to Alternating Current Press. The Charter Oak for Best Historical annually awards certificates, cash honorariums, online and print publication, and complimentary anthology copies to a first, a second, and a third place, and online publication to nine notable-mention places, for the best piece of writing submitted to us that focuses on a person, place, idea, or event in history in a universal, personal, and non-scholarly way. FIND OUT MORE.
The Oblaye Award recognizes individual pieces of prose or poetry submitted to Alternating Current of, by, about, or for Great Plains residents and Great Plains Native Americans and their immediate surrounding neighbors or those with any ties thereof. Oblaye is a Lakota Sioux word for a prairie, a plain, or a level place. The Great Plains Native American nations and rural residential region is near and dear to our hearts and is sorely underrepresented in “non-cowboy” contemporary literature. The Oblaye Award annually awards a certificate, cash honorarium, online and print publication, and complimentary anthology copies to a first place, and online publication to eleven notable-mention places, for the best universal pieces that evoke the prairie and Plains regions. SUBMIT YOUR GREAT PLAINS WRITING HERE.
