Celebrating the 2025 Best Indie Book Competition Winners Announced
Prestigious Indie Literary Awards Reveal 2025 Honorees
Shelf Unbound has announced the winners of its 2025 Best Indie Book Competition, a leading recognition that spotlights exceptional independent authors and small presses. The top honor this year goes to Water Finds a Way by Meghan Perry, a debut novel recognized for its cinematic style, emotional depth, and vivid sense of place. Additionally, five finalists and over 100 Notable Books across multiple genres were selected. All honorees will receive prominent visibility in the December/January issue of Shelf Unbound Magazine among readers, librarians, booksellers, and publishing professionals.
Celebrating Excellence in Independent Publishing
DALLAS, Dec. 9, 2025 — Shelf Unbound, a champion of independent and small-press authors, officially announces the 2025 Best Indie Book Competition winners, shining a spotlight on dynamic new voices and creativity thriving outside conventional publishing.
Chosen from hundreds of entries across fiction, nonfiction, poetry, memoir, and genre categories, this year’s selections stand as a vibrant testament to the innovation, diversity, and craftsmanship flourishing within the indie publishing world. The spotlight now turns to the grand champion, whose story stood out among an impressive field.
The grand champion is Water Finds Way by Meghan Perry
This year’s highest honor is awarded to Meghan Perry for her debut novel Water Finds a Way, a book that has already earned national acclaim through awards such as the IPPY Silver Medal, Foreword INDIES honors, the Eric Hoffer Award, and recognition from the National Indie Excellence Awards.
The story centers on Blake Alvares, a woman returning to her hometown on the Maine coast after her release from prison. As she attempts to rebuild her life, she confronts personal trauma while forming fragile bonds within a struggling coastal community. Judges commended Perry’s novel for its “cinematic atmosphere,” “emotional clarity,” and “evocative sense of place.”
Perry explains the book’s driving metaphor:
“Nothing on earth is more powerful than water. Yet within us are forces just as strong—guilt, fear, regret, and love—shaping us just as surely.”
This theme helped propel Water Finds a Way to the forefront of this year’s competition. The focus now shifts to recognizing other top entries and broader achievements in indie publishing.
Claim Your Free Indie Book Review from Writer Cosmos
2025 Finalists
Shelf Unbound joyfully recognizes the following titles as finalists for their originality, craftsmanship, and invaluable contribution to indie literature:
- The Last Whaler by Cynthia Reeves
- Never Dull! by Heather Sharp
- The Silver Squad by Marty Essen
- As Quick As You Will by John David Graham
- Relentless by Michael Maloof
Top 100 Notable Books
In addition to the top honors, judges selected more than 100 Notable Books representing excellence across a broad range of genres and categories. The full list of Notable 100 titles is available on the Shelf Unbound website.
A Trusted Voice in Indie Publishing
Widely recognized as a major force in independent publishing. The Shelf Unbound Best Indie Book Competition has spent over a decade elevating outstanding indie authors. Previous winners have achieved national recognition, foreign rights deals, and gained increased visibility with libraries, booksellers, and media.
“Independent publishing keeps making storytelling possible, Sarah Kloth observed. ‘This year’s winners prove it: indie writers are still needed in the literary world-bright, daring, and closely tied to their readers.’”
All winners, finalists, and Notable 100 selections will be joyfully featured in the upcoming issue of Shelf Unbound Magazine, reaching a vibrant audience of book enthusiasts and professionals eager to celebrate their achievements.
About Shelf Media Group
Shelf Media Group publishes Shelf Unbound, an award-winning digital magazine devoted to celebrating independent publishing. Through its annual Best Indie Book Competition, monthly issues, author interviews, and curated features. Shelf Media Group has spent more than ten years shining a light on independent authors, small presses, and bold new literary voices around the globe.
Get Your Writer Cosmos Indie Book Consultation Today
