Kim Dovey from Book Design Ltd tells us
Last year we were lucky enough to have our design for Year 9 Graphics chosen as the Best Book Design for an Educational Book at the PANZ Book Design Awards and the design for Wonky Donkey gained a High Commended Certificate in the Picture Book category.
Apart from being totally gobsmacked , we were totally unprepared for the impact this award would have on our business. We’d received a Highly Commended in 2009 and this had certainly raised our profile, but it was nothing compared with 2010.
I’ve heard publishers say that winning awards doesn’t necessarily increase sales. Being shortlisted might, but not the big event. We found that our business became more reputable over night. It gave us credit, which helped open doors, that we had trouble previously opening.
All these have positively affected our bottom line and have given us the opportunity to grow. With more staff, better servers and more opportunities, almost 12 months later we are prepared to take an even bigger step and open another branch in Auckland.
The best bit though, is being held aloft by your peers. The fantastic comments from designers and illustrators whom we have admired for years, just makes all the hard work seem worthwhile. Design is like most service industries, you are only as good as your last book. But gee, the next great book is what makes us get out of bed each morning. Bring it on!
Thanks so much for PANZ and all the sponsors who make these awards possible for our industry. Here at Book Design, we really appreciate the opportunities you are giving us.
The PANZ Book Design Awards are run by the Publishers Association of New Zealand (PANZ) to promote excellence in, and provide recognition for, the best book design in New Zealand. The competition is judged in six categories: Best Children's Book, Best Illustrated Book, Best Non-Illustrated Book, Best Educational Book, Best Typography, and Best Cover. A winner for the highly coveted Best Book is chosen from the shortlist. A further award goes to the Young Designer of the Year. … 
The Copyright Licensing New Zealand Educational Publishing Awards were held for the first time in 2010. They have been established to recognise and reward authors and publishers for excellence in the educational publishing market. Six Awards are given to: Best Book/Series in Primary Publishing, Best Book/Series in Secondary Publishing, Best Book in Higher Education Publishing, Best Book/Series in Te Reo Māori, Best Digital Media Solution and Best Educational Resource or Programme for Export. … 
The New Zealand Post Book Awards are New Zealand's premiere literary awards. They celebrate excellence, identifying the very best books written by New Zealanders. Books are judged in four main categories: Poetry, Fiction, Illustrated Non-fiction and General Non-fiction. One Book of the Year is chosen from the finalists in each of these categories. Other awards include the Māori Language Award, Readers’ Choice Award, and NZSA Best First Book Awards.
