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Honoring Unpublished Colorado Authors-to-Be

judith@briles.com (Judith Briles) — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 20:32:36 GMT

Honoring Unpublished Colorado Authors-to-Be

Left to Right: Brittney Exline, Becky Jensen, Julia Jackson, Jillie Jennings, Janice Kerbel, Adia Reynolds, Adida Amadour
Front row: Mara Purl, Judith Briles

The Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame presented five aspiring unpublished authors with $2,000 scholarships and a 12-month mentorship each to support them in their publishing success on Monday, September 16, 2025 in a festive luncheon celebration. The ages of the scholarship winners ranged from 20 to 53.

The 2024 full Scholarship Winners are: Adida Amador, Jillie Bea Jennings, Becky Jensen, Julia Jackson, and Adia Reynolds. Two finalists will also be honored: Janice Keller and Brittany Exline were honored with $200 scholarships and the mentorship program.

Full scholarships were underwitten by Judith Briles, The Book Shepherd and Founder of the Hall and the MarLar Foundation. The other scholarships were underwritten by donations from the public. Emceed by award-winning author and Hall Board Chairman Mara Purl, speakers included Janice Carroll, manager of the Colorado Blvd Barnes & Noble and underwriter of one of the scholarships. Previous winners Vanessa Gomez and Chris Veasey shared the publishing journey with the sold out audience.

About Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame
The Hall strives to educate the people of Colorado and the country about the stories of the authors who shaped their works using their personal presence and the environment of our State with courage, leadership, intelligence, compassion, and creativity. Inductees are authors who’ve made a major impact on others with their published works. The Authors’ Hall of Fame recognition endeavors to ensure their legacies never die.

The next Induction for published authors who have achieved success to the Authors Hall of Fame will be held on September 6, 2025. Submissions for the 2026 Aspiring Authors Scholarships will be open from November 30, 2025 to March 31, 2026.

Nominations for authors to be inducted to the 2027 will be open in August of 2026. The public is invited to visit the website, read the criteria for nominations, and encouraged to nominate authors who they believe would be ideal to include in the 2027 celebration. Additional information about the upcoming events, donations, Attitudes at Altitude newsletter, board members and past inductees is also available on the website.

Judith Briles, founder of the Colorado Authors Hall of Fame

Aspiring Authors Scholarship SUBMISSIONS open to residents of Colorado

Sat, 04 May 2019 12:28:16 GMT

Submissions for the 2024 Aspiring Authors Scholarships are open until March 1, 2024.

Would money help seed your dreams of becoming a successful author?

Would you like author and publishing mentoring from seasoned authors and publishing providers?

Submissions for the 2024 Aspiring Authors Scholarships are open until March 1, 2024.

Would money help seed your dreams of becoming a successful author?

Would you like author and publishing mentoring from seasoned authors and publishing providers?

The Aspiring Authors Scholarships sponsored by the Colorado Authors Hall of Fame® will be awarded in September 2022 for up to five recipients. Each award will consist of cash and a mentorship. There are two basic elements: Qualification and Mentoring. Not only writing talent, but professional-level commitment to authorship before, during and after publication of their work. In addition, an extensive mentoring program will be part of the program, compulsory for each recipient, and designed to launch the author’s current project but also to provide training in editorial and marketing excellence.

Up to five $2,000 cash scholarships will be given to aspiring authors whose vision includes writing a book and having it published. Whether it’s published traditionally or independently, the new work will reach completion and be presented to readers in the public marketplace.

Scholarship applicants must be 16 years of age and beyond. The scholarships are not envisioned as an academic or certification type of program. This is a uniquely practical scholarship specifically designed for supporting time-off to write; for polishing a manuscript; for learning the craft; for getting professional mentoring; and to achieve success as an author. Therefore, recipients need to demonstrate an unusual degree of commitment, vision and goal-setting.

Each recipient will be included in an exclusive Aspiring Author Mentor program only for scholarship holders. It lasts for 18 months following receiving the award with publishing experts to guide them through the publishing maze as the book is developed. Most authors don’t realize that book marketing starts when book writing does. What is usually termed “marketing” is an integral part of the book’s development, as our experienced mentors will demonstrate.

Scholarship recipients will have the opportunity to participate in exclusive workshops and group functions designed for them to enhance their success as an author. They will include:

Creating their author and book platforms;
Editing and writing workshops to increase their skills;
Developing their social media infrastructure so there is a presence before the book is published;
Identifying specific book marketing strategies for their book;
Group monthly Zoom meetings; and
Individual monthly meetings with their primary Mentor.

For details, submission guidelines, and application form, please visit our SCHOLARSHIPS page.

When I first published in 1981, I would have salivated to have this kind of opportunity. If you are an aspiring author … get your submission in!

Judith Briles
CEO – Colorado Authors Hall of Fame

Are You Ready to Celebrate Amazing Authors?

Mon, 08 Apr 2019 13:14:59 GMT

NOMINATIONS OPEN IN AUGUST 2024!

Nominations for our 2025 Induction will open on August 31, 2024.

Why not NOMINATE HIM or HER for Consideration to be Inducted into the Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame?

NOMINATIONS OPEN IN AUGUST 2024!

Nominations for our 2025 Induction will open on August 31, 2024.

Why not NOMINATE HIM or HER for Consideration to be Inducted into the Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame?

Who will join the past authors already inducted into the Colorado Authors Hall of Fame (CAHF) in 2025?

Start thinking about:

What authors have impacted your life as a child and/or adult?
What authors have launched your career … or saved it?
What authors provided insight to solve a problem?
What authors effected thinking that has redirected society?
What authors became the “go to” expert in a field?
What authors delivered countless hours of entertainment via their storytelling?
What authors became a trusted source?

Nominated authors must be connected to Colorado in some way, by:

Being born in Colorado.
Lived in Colorado at some time.
Done writing in Colorado, such as at a retreat, get-away condo-site-friend’s home—you name it.
Writing about Colorado.
Using elements of Colorado in their writing.

The Hall is dedicated to recognizing and preserving the history about the accomplishments of past and present authors who have created and published books. Living and deceased authors will be inducted who have shared their words of wisdom, encouragement and entertainment. Each have impacted their readers in a variety of ways. The Colorado Author’s Hall of Fame ensures that their insight and visionary achievements will not be forgotten.

Questions? Contact us ! We would be honored to have you submit your favorite authors.

The book business is not just Black and White anymore … Now it’s FULL color!

Sat, 02 Feb 2019 01:40:35 GMT

The Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame reveal their new full color trademark.

DENVER CO. March 10, 2021. According to Inc.com, registering a name, phrase or design (known in the business as a “mark”) for trademark protection can be complicated, frustrating and costly. Knowing how the USPTO evaluates a submission can aid in creating, evaluating and ultimately selecting the mark and, crucially, save time and attorney fees.

Dr. Judith Briles, CEO and Founder of Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame knows this fact all too well. “My experience is that it doesn’t happen overnight. Yes, you can attempt the DIY route, but I’ve found working with the USPTO usually carries potholes for those who don’t have a legal background in understanding the jargon and appropriate steps in acquiring a trademark. Now, I get help.”

Inc.com states that the USPTO receives 60,000 submissions for trademark registration every year. Week in and week out 5,000 entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 firms alike request that a large and mostly faceless federal agency grant them the circle R that will help them transform their name into powerful and defensible brand.

But why was it so important to make the Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame a registered trademark one that was in color? vs. applying for the mark in black and white?

Briles explains, “Typically, when a logo is filed in black and white, it may be used in any color. When a logo is filed claiming color, it must used in the color it was filed. If another organization used our colors, as in a “knock off” of our logo, it would be easier to stop infringers.”

Defense is the operable term; one is not required to register a new brand name but in the event of any infringement it is easier to defend the mark if it is registered. In other words, your mark is no more or less valid with USPTO registration, but it is easier to protect if and when it is necessary.

About Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame ^®

Authors’ Hall of Fame ^® strives to educate the people of Colorado and the country about the stories of the authors who shaped their works using their personal presence and the environment of our State with courage, leadership, intelligence, compassion, and creativity. Inductees are authors who’ve made a major impact on others with their words. The Authors’ Hall of Fame ^® recognition endeavors to ensure their legacies never die.

The next Induction of the Hall of Fame ^® will be held September 18, 2021 at the Renaissance Denver Central Park Hotel. Nominations for authors to be inducted are now open to the public on the Hall’s website . Additional information about the upcoming Induction event, donations, events, board members and future inductees is also available on the website.

The public is invited to visit the website, read the criteria for nominations, and encouraged to nominate authors who they believe would be ideal to include in the 2021 celebration.

Press inquiries: Judith Briles, Judith@Briles.com or 303-885-2207.