Diane Estill, Dave Lieber and Suzette Martinez Standring – all members of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists – are finalists in ForeWord Magazine’s 2008 Book of the Year Awards in the categories of humor, self-help, young adult/non-fiction and writing.
Diana Estill, freelance columnist and founder of Corncob Press, is a finalist in the Humor category. Her book, Deedee Divine’s Totally Skewed Guide to Life, offers amusing advice for troubling times. Exposing the truths behind everything from why women won’t read maps to the nation’s GNP (“Gross Needless Products”), the author’s alter ego Deedee Divine shares her offbeat views. Midwest Book Reviews says this book is “a must read for those who want to truly understand the irrationality of the world… utterly entertaining reading.” Visit http://www.TotallySkewed.com.
Another book edited and published by Lieber is a finalist in the Young Adult/Non-Fiction category. The book, The Best of The Black Cow: Great Writing by Great Kids, is a collection of stories by 29 students at a remarkable public charter school in Texas, Westlake Academy. Under Lieber’s guidance – he works there as a volunteer – the little school newspaper, The Black Cow, gets mailed to every household in the city. The students won 47 awards in the Texas scholastic journalism competition last year – more than any other school in the state. The book shows how the students created their business model and the stories that propelled their product to great popularity.
Dave Lieber, “The Watchdog” investigative columnist for the Fort Worth (Tx.) Star-Telegram, was a finalist in the Self Help category for his hardcover, Dave Lieber’s Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong. This crusading newspaper columnist, one of the last of a dying breed, fights for his readers. His book shares remarkable tips, tools and strategies to fight back against businesses and scammers that hurt consumers. Lieber’s Watchdog Nation offers a core set of values and techniques designed to inform American consumers of their rights and show them how to make certain no one takes advantage of them.
Suzette Martinez Standring, syndicated columnist with GateHouse News Service, is a finalist in the Writing category.Her book, The Art of Column Writing: Insider Secrets from Art Buchwald, Dave Barry, Arianna Huffington, Pete Hamill and Other Great Columnists features tips and techniques from over 50 award-winning newspaper columnists.The guide covers writing basics, specialty columns, ethics, syndication and expanded platforms. Previously, it took First Place for Educational Book in the 2008 Royal Palm Literary Awards in Florida and has been made required reading at a number of universities.
Winners will be announced at the BookExpo America at the Javits Center in New York City on May 29. Each genre will award first, second and third prizes.Two Editor’s Choice Prizes for Best Fiction and Best Non-Fiction Book will be awarded $1,500 each. ForeWord will also name the Independent Publisher of the Year.
ForeWord’s Book of the Year Awards program was designed to discover distinctive books across a number of genres.The list of finalists in all categories can be viewed at
