Ignatz Awards Submission Rules

  • You may submit an entry for any one of these six mutually exclusive categories for which a work may be eligible and a work may be submitted for more than one category:
    • Anthology
    • Comic
    • Minicomic
    • Graphic Novel
    • Collection
    • Online Comic
  • In addition to one of the above categories, you can also submit your work to any or all of the below categories:
    • Artist
    • Series
    • Stories
    • Promising New Talent

Works eligible for the 2025 Ignatz Awards have to be published between June 1, 2025 and May 31 2025. Publication date is generally determined by date of distribution.

  • Anthology – This award recognizes a book or other collection of selected writings by various writers usually in the same literary form, of the same period, or on the same subject. e.g. a book of comics by various cartoonists selected from several books by many cartoonists.
  • Collection – This award recognizes a book of selected short comics from various prior publications by the same cartoonist. The comics may constitute a single story, but as the parts were previously published, the story line would not be considered for the Graphic Novel category.
  • Comic – A comic nominated in this category should represent the best marriage of both art and story in a single issue of a comic that are professionally published in the traditional floppy comic format familiar to superhero comics.
  • Graphic Novel – A nomination for this category is for previously unpublished material of substantial length intended to be read as a single work. Graphic novels are distinguished from individual comics by being generally over 48 pages and are usually case or perfect bound.
  • Minicomic– This category includes both one-shots and series. Minicomics are defined as comics that are not “professionally” published. Minicomics are usually printed at the local copy store or via a risograph, hand stapled, and predominantly self-distributed and are not solicited through major distributors.
  • Online Comic – This category is for web based comics. A nominee in this category can be an individual comic, continuing storyline comic or strips. For a work to be eligible in this category it must be published on the web prior to appearing in print format. Nominated sites must also adhere to the same publishing timeline as the categories for print material.
    • Works posted on web pages outside the timeline are not eligible. Nominated sites can utilize animation but should still be recognizable as a comic (“If you read it, it’s a comic. If you watch it, it’s animation.” is the best guide for how much animation is too much).
  • Artist – Nominations for this category reflects the best execution of graphic skill by an individual within the comic medium.
  • Series – A nomination in this category should be for a series that the Juror feels exhibits a consistent level of quality as a whole. A good individual story does not necessarily translate into a nomination for the entire series.Graphic Novel – A nomination for this category is for previously unpublished material of substantial length intended to be read as a single work. Graphic novels are distinguished from individual comics by being generally over 48 pages and are usually case or perfect bound.
  • Story – This category is for outstanding storytelling in a comic. This may be an individual issue within a series, a one shot or a single story within an anthology.
  • Promising New Talent – A person nominated in this category should be someone new to the industry whose work deserves more recognition than it currently receives. Past nominees for the Ignatz Award cannot be nominated in this category. Nominations should include the title of the individual’s latest work.
  • A form must be filled out for each submission, the forms for all of the categories can be found in the Ignatz Awards sub-menu on the SPX web site.
  • ENTRY SUBMISSION GUIDELINES- ONLINE
    • Entries must be submitted online between April 1 and May 31st 2025.PDF file formats only
    • No file above 200meg you can submit more than one file per work but PLEASE do not submit print-ready files.
    • File naming convention for Mini-comics, Comics, Series, Story, Artist, Promising New Talent and Graphic Novels: CreatorLastName.CreatorFirstName.Comic_Title.IssueNumber.Publisher.PubMonthPubYear.pdf
      • If there is no Issue Number, then do not put one in the file nameIf it is self published, put Self as the Publisher
    • File naming convention for anthologies and collections: EditorLastName.EditorFirstName.Comic_Title..Publisher.PubMonthPubYear.pdf
  • ENTRY SUBMISSION INFORMATION FOR THE SPX COLLECTION AT THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
    • Each submission must mail a copy to be included in the SPX Collection at the Library of Congress to preserve your works for future generations.
    • If a work is submitted for more than one category, please send only one copy.
    • Please mail the copy to: Small Press Expo P.O. Box 5704 Bethesda, Maryland 20824.
PLEASE EMAIL ANY QUESTIONS TO ignatzawards@smallpressexpo.com and give us a few days to get back to you.

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