Zia Book Award Contest

The Zia Book Award started in 1953 to honor an outstanding woman in New Mexico media. Each year the award rotates to one of three categories: non-fiction, fiction, and children’s literature. To accommodate this schedule, a book published in the last three years is eligible.

Zia Book Award for 2025 is for women authors of adult fiction books who have a significant connection to New Mexico are encouraged to enter the New Mexico Press Women’s Zia Book Award contest to select the outstanding nonfiction book.

The award is given each year by the New Mexican Press Women at their annual spring conference. Entries are considered on a rotating three-year cycle. Children’s books will be considered in 2026. Adult fiction books will be considered in 2027.

The 2025 Zia Award will be given to an outstanding adult fiction book published in 2022, 2023 or 2024.

Submissions can be made by the author or someone else on behalf of the author, such as a publisher. Membership in New Mexico Press Women is not required (although it provides a discounted entry fee). However, the writer must be a woman who lives in or has a strong connection to New Mexico. The book may be published anywhere.

To be eligible to receive the award, the selected finalists must be available to read at the annual award luncheon during the 2025 conference on Saturday, March 22, 2025.

To submit for consideration for the Zia Book Award pay the entry fee (see below**) and send:

• A brief cover letter including complete contact information, author’s biography (including connection to New Mexico), and a brief description of the book.
• Three physical copies of the books (or email one copy of the e-book)

To:
Jennifer Hull (ZiaBookAward@gmail.com)
Zia Book Award Chair
6400 Avenida la Cuchilla, Los Ranchos NM 87107

Entries must be postmarked no later than January 22, 2025.

**Pay the entry fee ($30 for non-members; $25 for members until December 31; thereafter $35 for members and $50 for non-members); you may also join New Mexico Press Women at the time you enter but membership is not required for eligibility. You may pay on the website: https://new-mexico-press-women.square.site, or you may send a check payable to NMPW to:
Linda Locket
NMPW Treasurer
3 Tierra Madre Road
Placitas, NM 87043

Finalists and winners of the Zia Book Award may order attractive foil stickers. The stickers do not have a date, so previous finalists and winners can use them. The cost is $25.00 for 100 stickers. Order stickers at our online store.