The Benjamin Franklin Digital Awards (BFDAs), launched in 2013 by the Independent Book Publishers Association, has announced 2015 honorees for innovation in electronic publishing Both Gold and Silver honoree designations are awarded based on exceptional content, design, and use of technology by individuals and organizations of all sizes. The most recent honorees are:
SILVER HONOREES:
Energize Your Retirement: Stories Of Passionate Pursuits
Publisher: Via Verde Press
Energize Your Retirement: Stories of Passionate Pursuits presents retirees (ages 59 through 84) across the United States who found their passion in fun, meaningful, and stimulating activities. Enjoy entertaining personal stories, fascinating facts, and multiple resources to help you begin your new chapter in life. Meet Harriet, the mushroom hunter from Oregon; Kevin, the woodturner from Massachusetts; Voni and her husband, Paul, who leave their home in Texas and ride their motorcycles for four months of the year, and many other energized retirees involved in fascinating activities. Energize Your Retirement is the positive face of retirement.
Logan Goes To China
Author and Publisher: Janet S. Dieman
Logan Goes to China is more than a book. It’s a multi-sensory, multi-media, multi-touch, multi-fun experience. In addition to full-page photos, a finger tap launches a video of a rickshaw ride through a Hutong neighborhood. Tap again and you’re watching bamboo rafts floating down the Li River. Or learning about squat toilets. And Kung Fu weapons. You’re there doing, seeing, and hearing everything Logan encounters during his trip. His adventure comes alive. You’ll feel like you’ve been to China. No passport. No packing. No jet lag. It’ll be the easiest trip you’ve ever taken! (Available only at the Apple iBookstore. Type the title of the book in the search window.)
My Silly Dog Gus
Author and Publisher: C.K. Carter
Join the fun in this humorous tale about a silly dog named Gus, who just can’t stop barking. Gus barks at the flowers and barks at the cars. He even barks at the grass in the yard. Sometimes he sits and barks at the clouds. He barks at the silence and sounds that are loud. This dog barks at everything! In this colorful picture book filled with funny rhymes, you are sure to laugh and smile at the antics of My Silly Dog Gus!
“As a self-published book author, having my children’s picture book available as an ebook not only makes it more accessible and affordable, but parents never have to worry about the book getting ruined. It will always be in perfect condition, like the first day it was read. In addition, the illustrations are much more vibrant and true in digital format as compared to print. This makes all the difference in children’s picture books, as the quality of the presentation of the illustrations can make or break the book.”
– C.K. Carter
Netwars: The Code. A Cross Platform Project.
Publisher: Bastei Entertainment
Welcome to the Deep Web: those parts of the internet no search engine explores. It’s the place where you can buy anything — drugs, children, weapons. Anyone can do it — and get away free. Anthony Prince, head of PrinceSec, a firm which provides high-tech security for the government and major corporations, dies in a plane crash when crossing the English Channel. Responsible for Prince’s death is a hacker named Strider. His real name is Scott Mitchell and in his day job at the National Cyber Crime Unit he uses legitimate means to get the bad guys. As Strider, his means are less legal. On the same night, PrinceSec is the target of a cyber-attack. When the NCCU is called to assess the damage, a link is found between Prince and a criminal hacker group called Black Flag. The race is on for Mitchell to protect his identity as Strider and to stop Black Flag before it’s too late.
The Paris Vacation Apartment Guide: Rent With Confidence – Learn Where To Stay Without Getting Overwhelmed, Ripped-Off Or Scammed!
Publisher: Eggplant Press
The Paris Vacation Apartment Guide: Rent with Confidence — Learn Where to Stay Without Getting Overwhelmed, Ripped-Off or Scammed! by Robyn Webb is for travelers of every sort, from the wealthy to families on a budget, girlfriend getaways, jaded tourists ready for an insider’s experience, and anyone who loves Paris! Part One answers the why, who, where, and when of apartment hunting in Paris, along with cautionary tales, warnings and the what-ifs of apartment rentals: what if I lose my keys, what if the dishwasher breaks, what if no one speaks English! This chapter gives you the skill set to maneuver potential pitfalls and problems and prioritizes steps to eliminate unwanted elements of surprise. Additional information covers “Un peu de ceci, un peu de cette,” or a little of this, a little of that; tidbits to make your stay in the City of Lights très magnifique!
YESHU: A Novel For The Open-Hearted
Publisher: Quaker Heron Press
This fresh, lyrical retelling of the New Testament saga attracts readers of all ages and spiritual backgrounds. Awarded prizes in 2014 for “Printed Book – Fiction” and “E-Book – Fiction,” by the Associated Church Press, the author’s storytelling is rich and compelling, and the themes of love, compassion, inclusiveness, and open-hearted humanity are repeatedly emphasized in reviews and readers’ comments. The book offers, in fiction, a unique roadmap—not at all formulaic—for spiritual journeying towards inner growth and fulfillment, within communities of like-hearted companions. This digital version enhances the interface between the cyberworld and the internal world of the human spirit.
ABOUT THE BENJAMIN FRANKLIN DIGITAL AWARDS (BFDAs)
As a rolling awards program, Benjamin Franklin Digital Award (BFDA) submissions are accepted year-round. Entries are judged against a standard of excellence in four categories: eBook, Enhanced eBook, Book as App, and New Technology/Software.
The Benjamin Franklin Digital Awards provides both Gold and Silver Honoree awards for exceptional content, design, and use of technology. All entrants benefit from direct, constructive feedback from judges, a hallmark of IBPA’s Benjamin Franklin print book awards, now in its 27th year. Both Gold and Silver honoree awards are distributed to entries that showcase exceptional digital content and design.
