2024 Baby Hearts Press People’s Choice Award
Baby Hearts Press is excited to announce that nominations are open for the 4th Baby Hearts Press People’s Choice Award!Books can be nominated by authors, publishers, illustrators, or editors in two categories: CHD Books for Adults and CHD Books for Children.
What’s New This Year?
We’ve revised our voting forms based on your feedback. Our goal is to better understand how readers feel about the books they’re voting for. This year, we’re introducing drop-down menus and checkboxes for more objective feedback, while still allowing space for short-answer comments. Baby Hearts Press enjoys sharing this valuable feedback with the winners.
Important Dates:
Nominations Open: September 30 - October 14
Voting Period: October 17 - November 1
Readers can vote for their favorite book in each category but may only vote once. Each voter will have the opportunity to provide feedback, making this contest a meaningful way to recognize the books that impact our readers' lives. For the nomination form, visit our website: 2024 Baby Hearts Press Award.
New Anthology Submissions
Baby Hearts Press is thrilled to announce the opening of submissions for the following anthologies:
The Heart of a CHD Angel — Essays by parents, grandparents, siblings, or others in the CHD bereaved community.
The Heart of a CHD Sibling — Essays by siblings of individuals with congenital heart defects, focusing on stories of resilience and hope.
The Heart of a Mother 2 — A compilation of essays by mothers and grandmothers of children with congenital heart defects.
The Heart of a Father 2 — Essays by fathers and grandfathers affected by CHD.
The Heart of a Heart Warrior 4 — Essays by adults with CHDs reflecting on resilience.
To submit an essay, visit our website: Submissions. All essays should be no more than 1200 words. Poetry is also accepted. For guidelines and tips on submitting, please check our website.
Check out Volumes 1-3 of the Anthology The Heart of a Heart Warrior.
Writer’s Tip
Writing can feel like a solitary task, but it doesn’t have to be! Joining writing groups—either in-person at local libraries or bookstores or online—can provide valuable support and feedback. Scribophile is a platform that Anna Jaworski, owner of Baby Hearts Press, highly recommends. She has even started a group called Heart to Heart for members of the CHD community.
Why Join a Writing Group?
Improve your writing skills through contests and workshops.
Gain constructive feedback from peers.
Find groups that align with your genre or audience for tailored advice.
One effective way to enhance your skills is by critiquing others’ work. In the Heart to Heart Scribophile group, Anna encourages using the TIDES method for providing strengths-based feedback. This approach promotes meaningful and uplifting critiques that foster growth for both writers and reviewers.
Writer’s Prompt
Many aspiring writers feel overwhelmed when starting an essay for one of our anthologies, mistakenly thinking they need to write their entire life story. Instead, focus on a specific memory or scene that resonates with others.
Prompt: Resilience in the Face of a Medical Crisis
Reflect on a pivotal moment in your journey with congenital heart disease (CHD) that tested your resilience. Consider these guiding questions:
Identifying the Challenge: What specific medical crisis or hurdle did you face? How did it impact your life?
Emotional Response: Describe your initial feelings during this crisis. What fears or unexpected emotions arose?
Finding Strength: What sources of strength did you rely on—internal determination, support from loved ones, or inspiration from the CHD community?
Turning Point: Was there a moment that shifted your perspective or gave you new courage?
Lessons Learned: What insights did you gain about yourself through this experience?
Message to Others: What advice would you offer someone facing a similar crisis?
As you write, focus on specific details and personal insights that illustrate your journey of resilience. Your story has the power to inspire and connect with others in the congenital heart defect community.
Submit an Essay for our Upcoming New Anthologies
Featured Author: Lori Morrison Jones
Plato wrote, “Our need will be the real creator,” and this sentiment inspired Lori M. Jones’ book, Riley’s Heart Machine. Last year marked the first time Baby Hearts Press had separate categories for children’s and adult books; Lori’s book was the runaway winner.
Lori is no stranger to writing children’s literature; she also authored “Confetti the Croc” and “Freaky Heart.” Her deep sense of empathy resonates through her work, particularly as she addresses complex topics in ways children can understand.
Since 2019, Lori has been actively involved with The Children’s Heart Foundation. Through her books and interactive assemblies like “Writing With Heart,” she educates students about CHDs while encouraging them to share their own stories.
When asked if Lori had any advice for other nominees, here’s what she said, “My advice is to take the time to make creative posts letting people know about the contest and provide a link so it is easy to vote. Use your book characters to create fun posts so the characters are asking for votes, not you. Use all forms of social media - don’t forget to post in your story. Reach out to your audience who you know loved your book and would be happy to support you and speak positively about the book. This is also a great time for book publicity so have fun and be excited for your book!”