Tricia Underwood’s debut guide has been named a finalist in the 36th annual IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards in the Teen Nonfiction category.
We’re ecstatic to share that Tricia Underwood’s Happy Grades Workbook has been named a finalist in this year’s Benjamin Franklin Awards!
“Being recognized as a finalist is an incredible honor, and I’m deeply grateful to the IBPA for this acknowledgment,” says Tricia. “Happy Grades shares a framework I tested and refined over decades to reinvent how traditional ‘student success’ strategies were taught to meet this generation’s unique challenges and needs with the power of positive psychology. I’m filled with gratitude and excitement for the opportunity to be considered alongside many talented authors.”
The Benjamin Franklin Awards are regarded as one of the highest national honors for independent publishers. Tricia has been invited to a special awards ceremony on Friday, April 26, held each year at the Independent Book Publishers Association’s (IBPA) Publishing University conference, where she and the other 171 finalists will be announced as either gold or silver winners. This year, the ceremony is being held in Denver, Colorado.
The IBPA received 1,824 entries in this year’s program, making this its second best year in number of entries received in the award’s 35+ year history.
See the complete list of the 36th annual IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award finalists here: www.ibpabenjaminfranklinaward.com/2024-winners.
About Happy Grades
The Happy Grades Workbook shows students what happens when they stop chasing good grades – and all the resulting procrastination, boredom, and burnout – and start embracing a different approach to success in school.
Teenagers have realized the old lessons on time management, study skills, and organization just aren’t cutting it anymore. Happy Grades is a new approach that shows students how to succeed without trading in on their happiness, interests, or peace of mind.
“From the moment I started writing it, I poured my passion and dedication into every word, and to see it resonate with readers and take on a life of its own is both inspiring and humbling,” says Tricia. “I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation to everyone who has supported me in taking this from an idea to a dynamic, beautiful book – the readers, my colleague-cheerleaders, and especially the women at White Deer Publishing who brought the words to life with their brilliant editing, illustration, and design. This nomination is a testament to the power of creativity and collaboration featured in the book’s research and strategies.”
Tricia originally got in touch with How2Conquer through our online submission form, where we accept unsolicited submissions from potential authors.
“We knew immediately after reading Tricia’s submission that her workbook would be a perfect fit for How2Conquer,” says Emily Owens, who was How2Conquer’s Managing Editor when we acquired Tricia’s manuscript. “As an author, she has a clear and engaging voice that balances being supportive and sometimes playful. We felt her approach to productivity and success would be helpful for both students and their parents – which of course led to Tricia’s development of a companion guide for parents and educators.
“We’re just so incredibly happy for Tricia. She’s one of those authors who has so much to offer readers in terms of expertise and guidance, and she works hard to engage with her readers through workshops, consulting, her newsletter, and more.”
The Happy Grades Workbook is How2Conquer’s first book to be named a finalist in the Benjamin Franklin Awards. “I’m also really proud of the whole How2Conquer team,” continues Emily. “They did such an amazing job editing, designing, and producing two fantastic books, led by our Managing Editor Lauren Kelliher. The workbook and Happy Grades companion guide are going to be helping a lot of people for a long time.”
About the Benjamin Franklin Awards
The IBPA’s Benjamin Franklin Awards is the premier award program for independently published books and audiobooks. The program includes fifty-seven categories recognizing excellence in book editorial and design, and it’s administered with help from over 170 book publishing professionals including librarians, bookstore owners, reviewers, designers, publicity managers, and editors.
When the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award program launched in 1985, it had two goals: (1) to celebrate excellence in independent publishing and (2) to foster that excellence by sharing a written critique from each judge with the submitting publisher. The awards are unique in that the verbatim judging forms are returned to all participating publishers, providing entrants with direct feedback on each submission.
How2Conquer Team
How2Conquer is an indie nonfiction book publisher, proudly women-owned and based in East Atlanta Village. We connect subject experts with the subject curious through empowering nonfiction books.
