Mom’s Choice Award – Is It Worth It?

/ Bonnie Ferrante

The Mom’s Choice Awards are not just for books. The site reads:

The Mom’s Choice Awards® (MCA) evaluates products and services created for children, families and educators. The program is globally recognized for establishing the benchmark of excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. The organization is based in the United States and has reviewed thousands of items from more than 55 countries.

SUBMITTING

There are two prices to enter, $500 US to $1500 US both of which are on the very high range compared to other awards. The book has to be mailed to the United States.

PROMOTION

Winners receive promotion for a short time. The product is left on the site for longer. Recipients varied widely in their opinion of the amount of promotion with “a little” being the most common.

Winners may feel there are too many winners at once making it difficult for their book to stand out.

Winners are inundated with ongoing requests for more money for more publicity.

TROPHIES, CERTIFICATES, PRIZE MONEY, SEALS, ETC.

There is no trophy.

There is no prize money.

Winners who pay $500 may use the Mom’s Choice Awards seal “for marketing and promotional purposes” BUT must pay the $1500 fee to actually put the seal on the books. Unless you purchase the stick on seals, 100 for $50.00.

Applicants are told winners receive “100 Award Seal Stickers” but when they win they find they must pay shipping. To Canada

$46.55 — USPS Priority Mail International

$120.90 — FedEx International Economy

To the US

$9.44 — USPS Priority Mail

$23.94 — FedEx Ground Home Delivery

The “free” certificate is a picture file the winner must print out.

SALES

Most winners said sales showed no increase at all with one saying it increased a little.

MY OPINION

Although my book was a silver place winner, I don’t feel it was worth the cost and will not be entering again.

The Award blog articles are based on Survey Monkey responses, emails, and comments I received on social media as well as research and some personal experience.

If you have entered any of the contests listed below and would like to share your experience, please either:

  • write to me at b.ferrante@tbaytel.net. Be sure to say if you wish to be anonymous.
  • or
  • make a comment the day the blog post is published.

The awards covered  in October will be:

  • October 18 – Kindle book awards
  • October 25 – Children’s Choice Book Awards

Reader’s Favorite Award

Bonnie Ferrante: Books For All Ages

 

11 thoughts on “Mom’s Choice Award – Is It Worth It?”

  5. Thank you so much for this article. I just got sticker shock from the Mom Choice Awards.
    Really preying on people and not in the interest of promoting quality. It looks like a deluge of “award winners” on the website.

    I suggest the Caldecott for children’s picture books. No entry fee. Historically they have been true to their mission of celebrating quality Illustrators on merit not a pricey golden ticket of hope.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  7. confused. who ever heard of “applying” for an award instead of winning it? no credible artist pays for gold stickers that say “award” we create credible art that’s critiqued, judged and valued on it’s own merit. i found out about these so called awards after discovering mike huckabee is pushing a bunch of trump crap on our kids with this nonsense award. moms across america should sue to have OUR name removed and credibility restored.

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