Textys
Textbook Excellence Awards
Text
and Academic Authors created the Textbook Excellence Award in
1992 to recognize current textbooks and learning materials. To
be nominated, a work must carry a copyright date for the previous
or current year. TAA designed the award, called the Texty, because
text materials did not have awards of their own. Entries are not
limited to books but may include learning materials in all mediums.
There are eight academic subject categories for Textys:
- Accounting, business and economics.
- Communication, education and performing and visual arts.
- Computer science and engineering.
- Humanities and social sciences.
- Languages and literature.
- Life sciences.
- Math and stats.
- Physical sciences.
College and el-hi books are judged separately. If there are college and el-hi entries in all eight categories, there is the potential for 16 Textys to be awarded each year -- eight in the college division and eight in the el-hi division. If there are no entries in a category, there are fewer awards. Judges may decide no entries in a category deserve an award.
Judges are asked to rank entries on a 1-5 scale in these criteria:
- Interesting and informative.
- Well organized and well prepared.
- Up to date and appealing.
- Teachability.
Texty Awards are presented at the TAA Awards Ceremony, held during the association’s annual conference in June. Each author, including co-authors, receives a plaque, as does the editor or publisher. Those not present are mailed their award after the conference. Authors or publishers can purchase silver Texty and McGuffey seals to place on their textbooks or promotional materials for a nominal fee. Also, the Texty logo can be reproduced by the publisher for use in marketing materials.
Texty entries are nominated by publishers, not the authors. An author can make the initial inquiry and "get the ball rolling," but it must be the publisher who does the nomination. The publisher pays a $300 nomination fee to help offset TAA's costs.
- Single
Books. The publisher submits six copies of the work and
any ancillary and supplemental materials to TAA headquarters
for judging. Exceptions:
- Series. The publisher submits two copies of a sample of the series,
including two student editions and two teacher editions. If
the work spans two or more grade levels, the sample should include
two copies at a lower level and two copies at a higher level.
Nominations may include a promotional brochure or package for
the entire series to help judges under the scope of the program
and components. Nominations are limited to three ancillaries
that coincide with the grade levels that are submitted.
- Big Books. Big books may be entered only if they are stand-alone works that aren't derived from a core work. The publisher submits two copies. Big books are the oversize reproductions of pages from the core text, usually spiral bound and 24 by 36 inches for mounting on a classroom easel.
For a series,
the award is for the entire series.
Judges are veteran authors in appropriate subject areas. Entries
are judged by no fewer than three but usually five judges. Members
of their panel of judges who have a directly competing work are
asked to sit out.
TAA issues news releases on the awards to journals and publications
and to other media outlets designated by each winner.
Publishers and authors may cite the Texty in promoting winning
works.
The deadline for the nomination form and fee is November 15th.
The deadline for TAA to receive the books and any ancillaries
and supplements for judging purposes is December 15th. These deadlines
are somewhat flexible when dates fall on weekends.
There is no limit to the number of entries a publisher can submit.
Texty Awards
2009 Author Nomination Form
2009 Publisher Nomination Form
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