The Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO) is an annual literary contest intended to bring greater visibility to self-published English-language fantasy authors.
The SPFBO has been operated since 2015 by the author Mark Lawrence. He distributes about 300 novels submitted by the authors to ten fantasy bloggers to review. Each blogger selects a finalist, which is then reviewed by all ten bloggers. The winner is the finalist with the highest average review score.
The contest has been credited with making high-quality self-published novels discoverable, and with boosting the careers of the winners. Though not the primary purpose, it has helped several authors find publishing contracts. These include Jonathan French, the 2016 winner, and Josiah Bancroft, whose book Senlin Ascends, despite losing out before the final stage of the same competition, was reviewed so positively that it gained widespread attention in the fantasy community.
In 2023, the winner of the annual "cover contest" associated with the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off withdrew the winning cover after accusations that the entry was generated by AI. The entry was later also disqualified by Lawrence, who said there was "compelling evidence that the cover was at least partly AI generated, breaking the rules of the contest". The cover contest has been discontinued.
Winners Year Winner Title Score out of 10 Notes 2015 Mike McClung The Thief Who Pulled On Trouble's Braids 8.00 2016 Jonathan French The Grey Bastards 8.65 Commercially published by Crown in 2018, 2017 Rob J. Hayes Where Loyalties Lie 8.10 2018 J. Zachary Pike Orconomics 8.65 2019 M.L. Wang The Sword of Kaigen 8.65 Commercially published as an Indigo exclusive in 2024, 2020 Justin Lee Anderson The Lost War 8.35 Commercially published by Orbit in 2023, 2021 J. D. Evans Reign & Ruin 7.70 2022 Olivia Atwater Small Miracles 8.65 2023 Morgan Stang Murder at Spindle Manor 7.85 2024 J. L. Odom By Blood, By Salt 7.70
Finalists SPFBO 1 (2015) +#TitleAuthorScore out of 101The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble's BraidsMichael McClung8.002BloodrushBen Galley7.753The Weight of a CrownTavish Kaeden7.304City of Burning ShadowsBarbara J. Webb7.15Sins of a SovereigntyPlague Jack (Simon Watts)6What Remains of HeroesDavid Benem7.007Shattered SandsW.G. Saraband6.708Under a Colder SunGreg James6.609PriestMatthew Colville6.3010A Soul for TroubleCrista McHugh6.25
SPFBO 2 (2016) +#TitleAuthorScore out of 101The Grey BastardsJonathan French8.652Path of FlamesPhil Tucker7.703PaternusDyrk Ashton7.304Fionn: Defence of Rath BladhmaBrian O'Sullivan7.205LarcoutK.A. Krantz6.706Assassin's ChargeClaire Frank6.357The Music Box GirlK.A. Stewart6.308The Moonlight WarS.K.S. Perry5.95OutpostF.T. McKinstry10The Shadow SoulKaitlyn Davis5.10
SPFBO 3 (2017) +#TitleAuthorScore out of 101Where Loyalties LieRob J. Hayes8.102Sufficiently Advanced MagicAndrew Rowe7.60The Crimson QueenAlec Hutson4Devil's Night DawningDamien Black6.705Jack Bloodfist: FixerJames Jakins6.556The Way Into ChaosHarry Connolly6.457The War of UndoingAlex Perry6.308Chaos Trims My BeardBrett Herman6.009Tiger LilyK. Bird Lincoln5.4510Pilgrimage to SkaraJonathan S. Pembroke4.35
SPFBO 4 (2018) +#TitleAuthorScore out of 101OrconomicsJ. Zachary Pike8.652Gods of MenBarbara Kloss8.05We Ride the StormDevin Madson4Sworn to the NightCraig Shaefer8.005Symphony of the WindSteven McKinnon7.406Aching GodMike Shel6.907Ruthless MagicMegan Crewe6.358Out of NowherePatrick LeClerc5.509The AnointedKeith Ward5.1010SowingAngie Grigaliunas4.55
SPFBO 5 (2019) +#TitleAuthorScore out of 101The Sword of KaigenM. L. Wang8.652Fortune's FoolAngela Boord8.353Blood of HeirsAlicia Wanstall-Burke8.204A Tale of Stars and ShadowLisa Cassidy7.755Kalanon's RisingDarian Smith7.70Never DieRob J. Hayes7Beggar's RebellionLevi Jacobs7.258Blade's EdgeVirginia McClain6.909A Sea of Broken GlassSonya M. Black5.8510Spark CityRobert J Power4.80
SPFBO 6 (2020) +#TitleAuthorScore out of 101The Lost WarJustin Lee Anderson8.352Black Stone HeartMichael R. Fletcher8.053Shadow of a Dead GodPatrick Samphire7.804Voice of WarZack Argyle7.155 Last MemoriaRachel Emma Shaw7.106 Wind From The WildernessSuzannah Rowntree6.957Darkness ForgedMatt Larkin6.608The Combat CodesAlexander Darwin6.359The Fall of ErlonRobert H Fleming6.1010Nether LightShaun Paul Stevens6.05
SPFBO 7 (2021) +#TitleAuthorScore out of 101Reign & RuinJ. D. Evans7.702Legacy of the BrightwashKrystle Matar7.603Shadows of IvoryBryce O'Connor and TL Greylock7.304Norylska Groans Michael R. Fletcher and Clayton W. Snyder7.105 Burn Red SkiesKerstin Espinosa Rosero7.056 The Mortal BladeChristopher Mitchell6.907The Forever KingBen Galley6.85The Iron CrownL.L. MacRae9We Men of Ash and ShadowsHL Tinsley6.7510Hall of Bones Tim Hardie6.45
SPFBO 8 (2022) +#TitleAuthorScore out of 101Small MiraclesOlivia Atwater8.652The Thirteenth HourTrudie Skies8.35A Song For The VoidAndrew C. Piazza4Miss Percy's Pocket Guide (to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons)Quenby Olson8.205The Umbral StormAlec Hutson8.056Scales and SensibilityStephanie Burgis7.407A Touch of LightThiago Abdalla6.958Tethered SpiritsT. A. Hernandez6.609Mysterious WaysAbbie Evans6.2510Fire of the ForebearsL.A. Buck6.00
SPFBO 9 (2023) +#TitleAuthorScore out of 101Murder at Spindle ManorMorgan Stang7.852Hills of Heather and BoneK.E. Andrews7.803The Fall is All There IsC.M. Caplan7.55The Last RangerJ.D.L. Rosell5Cold WestClayton Snyder7.356A Rival Most VialR.K. Ashwick7.20The Wickwire WatchJacquelyn Hagen8Daughter of the BeastE C Greaves6.809The Last Fang of GodRyan Kirk6.7010Master of the VoidWend Raven6.50
SPFBO X (2024) +#TitleAuthorScore out of 101By Blood, By SaltJ. L. Odom7.70*2Mushroom BluesAdrian M. Gibson7.703RunelightJA Andrews7.454The Forest at the Heart of Her MageHiyodori7.305The Oathsworn LegacyK. R. Gangi7.256By A Silver ThreadRachel Aaron7.207The Humane Society for Creatures and CryptidsStephanie Gillis7.108Gates of HopeJ E Hanford6.959The Tenacious Tale of Tanna the TenderswordDewey Conway & Bill Adams6.6010Wolf of WithervaleJoaquín Baldwin6.10 *Tiebreaker: The most blogs with the book as their top finalist score
References
External links SFPBO homepage