What is the Filipino Readers’ Choice Awards (FRCA)?
The FRCA is the popular choice award of, by, and for the Filipino readers. Established in 2012, it is now organized by the Book Development Association of the Philippines (BDAP). Check out our About FRCA page to know more about FRCA’s history and background!
What books are eligible for the FRCA?
All books published in the Philippines within the period specified by each FRCA run are eligible. In the case of FRCA 2022, books published within 2015-2021 are eligible.
You mean even ebooks or self-published books are eligible?
Yes. As long as they’re published in the Philippines from 2015-2021.
How are the winners for the FRCA determined?
The FRCA has three cycles: nominations, voting, and judging. The nominations have two kinds: publishers’ nominations and public nominations. To streamline nominations, we open nominations first from publishers/self-publishers. Soon after this, we post the list of all publishers’ nominations online and invite the public to nominate their favorite books. Once the public nominations period ends, we launch the public voting. Anyone can place their votes using a survey platform. At the end of the voting process, we tally all valid votes and shortlist the top three titles or finalists for every category. We then request publishers/self-publishers for copies of the finalist books and send these to our panel of judges. The judges, usually comprised of three individuals in each category, will then deliberate on the shortlisted books and choose only one winner per category.
What do the winners get after winning?
Winning authors and publishers receive a trophy during the awarding ceremony. Winning titles may also include the FRCA medal on their book covers. But we hope the most important prize is the acknowledgment that the book is beloved by Filipino readers. :)
Where can I find the previous winners of the FRCA?
You can view the lists on the old FRCA blog with these links for the 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 winners! We’re currently working on transferring the content from there to here so you can find everything in one place!
What are the categories under the FRCA 2022?
We currently have 15 categories: Fiction in English, Fiction in Filipino or Taglish, Romance in English, Romance in Filipino or Taglish, Fiction Anthology, Young Adult Fiction, Children’s Picture Book, Comics & Graphic Novels, Poetry, Inspirational / Religious, Humor, Food & Cookbook, Nonfiction, History, Translated Work.
How is FRCA 2022 different from the previous FRCAs?
The original run of the FRCA was organized by volunteers of the Filipino ReaderCon. Now, the FRCA is under the Book Development Association of the Philippines as part of its regular program, thereby securing its continuity. Also, because FRCA was on hiatus for 7 years, unlike before when we awarded annually, FRCA 2022 will be handing out two batches of awards that cover the following years:
Batch 1: 2015-2018 published works
Batch 2: 2019-2021 published works
Since BDAP is an org with member publishers & authors, and the FRCA is now under BDAP, does it mean that the members of BDAP get an advantage over other publishers?
No, because the FRCA committee within BDAP is composed of non-local publishers and non-authors to avoid conflict of interest, and for the most part, FRCA is an award judged by readers. However, we do encourage publishers and authors to apply for membership in BDAP to get news of book fairs and other selling opportunities for their books.
NOMINATIONS
Who can nominate books for the FRCA?
Anyone can nominate books for the FRCA. The committee begins the nominations process by soliciting nominations from publishers. After this period, nominations are opened to the public, in the event that there are titles not nominated during the publisher nominations.
How do I know if I can nominate my favorite book for the 2022 FRCA?
If the book is…
Published in the Philippines
Within 2015-2021
Has not been nominated in the FRCA before
…you can nominate it.
You can also check if the book has already been nominated here. If it’s already on the nominations list, you do not need to nominate it again.
What happens if a book is nominated in more than one category?
For books nominated in more than one category, we will consult with the publisher or author to determine which category they prefer their book to be placed.
I'm a publisher/self-publisher and I missed the period for the publishers' nominations. Can my book still be nominated in the public nominations?
First, do join our mailing list! (found at the bottom of this page) Second, yes, your books can still be nominated in the public nominations by fans or any individual.
What if the book is already out of print or isn’t easily available? Can I still nominate it?
Yes!
Can I nominate more than one book?
Yes! But you will have to submit separate entries per book you nominate.
Where can I find the current nominee list for FRCA 2022?
Here!
VOTING
When is the public voting period?
The voting period for FRCA 2022 is from September 2-25, 2022. The voting form will be shared here once the link is available.
Can anyone vote at FRCA 2022?
Anyone with an email address can vote at the FRCA.
Can I send multiple votes?
No, we only accept one vote per email address. Should we receive multiple votes from one email address, we will take only the latest entry and delete the rest.
I don’t want to vote in all categories. Can I just vote for books in categories that I know?
Yes, you may skip categories in the voting form and vote only for the titles or categories you want.
Does the top title after the voting period automatically win FRCA?
Not automatically. The top three titles are named finalists, and the finalists will enter into the final phase of the FRCA, which is the judging phase.
Where can I vote?
Come back here once the link to the voting platform is available!
JUDGING
Why is there even a judging period?
The FRCA is a reader award, but we wanted to distinguish it from a purely popular choice award. This is why the top three finalists enter a judging period, where judges from different reading communities (book clubs, bookstagrammers/booktokers, etc.) read, deliberate, and choose the winner.
Who are the judges?
Historically, judges are selected from the reading and book communities, i.e. book club members, reading groups, bloggers, bookstagrammers, reading advocates, librarians, etc. The identities of the judges are confidential until after the winners are announced.
Can I be a judge?
You can apply! If you are interested in becoming a judge for any of the categories in FRCA 2022, send us a message at filipinoreaderschoice@gmail.com with the subject line: INTERESTED IN JUDGING FOR #FRCA2022 and include a short background of yourself, why you want to be a judge for the award, and what category you’d like to judge.
When will the winners be announced?
Winners of the 2022 FRCA will be announced at the Philippine Book Fair in November.
OTHERS
Why are there only these 15 categories for FRCA 2022?
For now, we are limited by our budget and the ability to source judges. But it is our hope to expand the award categories in the next few years. Hopefully with the help of friends, stakeholders, and other partners.
I’m an individual/organization and am interested in partnering with or helping the FRCA. Are you open to this kind of connection?
We certainly are! Kindly send us an email at filipinoreaderschoice@gmail.com with your proposal. Thank you!
How do we get direct updates on the FRCA?
Just enter your details below and we’ll add you to our mailing list!
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