Omit digital books and publishers from the prize lists at your peril

The more open book prizes are to new forms and unconventional means of publishing, the greater the chance of keeping literature alive and well

• Anna Baddeley - The Observer, Sunday 26 October 2014
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Does not compute: many literary prizes will not admit digital-only books or authors who have not been in print before. Photograph: Alamy

In today’s cut-throat publishing world, getting nominated for a prize is one of the only failsafe ways to ensure a book sells more than a few hundred copies. Barely a day goes by without some book prize announcement on Twitter: a shortlist here, a longlist there, judges unveiled, the latest brand new and extremely necessary award.
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