The inaugural 2016 Whistler Independent Book Awards announced their nominees on Monday (July 4), narrowing the field in the four represented genres of fiction, non-fiction, crime fiction, and poetry.

Established earlier this year, the WIBAs recognize excellence in the self-publishing community. Eligibility is strict: authors must have paid all production costs themselves, and must retain all copyrights.

Award hopefuls may enter from across Canada. This year’s nominee list features self-published authors from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Nova Scotia.

That list will be whittled down by Canadian Authors Vancouver (a resource association for local authors), with the three finalists for each category announced on July 18. The genres' individual shortlists are then passed on to two-person judging teams featuring one Whistler Writing Society rep and another judge with experience in the respective category.

Fiction judge will be Genni Gunn, writer of 2011 Giller Prize nominee Solitaria. Nonfiction is to be helmed by J.J. Lee, whose novelistic debut, The Measure of a Man, took a prestigious spot as a 2011 Governor General’s Award finalist. Crime novelist Linda L. Richards will handle crime fiction, and former Vancouver poet laureate and author Evelyn Lau will represent poetry.

The winners will each take home a prize of $500, with finalists receiving $250. The victors will be announced at this year’s Whistler Writers Festival during the Literary Cabaret event on October 14.

You can see the full list of nominees for each genre, as well as honourable mentions, here.