iUniverse Title Wins Top Fiction Prize in ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year Awards

A Multitude of Mercies is First Print-on-Demand Title to Win Top Honor

New York, NY (May 24, 2006) - The Editor's Choice Prize for Literary Fiction in ForeWord Magazine's Seventh Annual Book of the Year Awards was awarded to first-time author Fay Freimuth for A Multitude of Mercies, published by iUniverse. Her book, which was selected from over 1500 fiction and non-fiction entries, is the story of a young woman battling schizophrenia while at the same time looking for unconditional love.

"This is the first time a print-on-demand title has been awarded the top prize for fiction," said Victoria Sutherland, ForeWord Publisher. "This is a story with wide audience appeal: poignant and revealing about an uncomfortable subject matter."

"I am thrilled for Fay and for the other six iUniverse authors who were recognized by ForeWord Magazine for their work, " said Susan Driscoll, president and CEO of iUniverse. "The fact that iUniverse authors won more awards than any other publisher is further proof of our commitment to quality publishing and to providing the services that help authors to achieve success."

The magazine's awards program attracts the attention of librarians and booksellers by recognizing the literary achievements of independent publishers and their authors. A jury of librarians, booksellers and reviewers judge the categories and select finalists based on editorial excellence, professional production, originality and the value the book adds to its genre.

Other iUniverse winners selected from 613 finalists in ForeWord Magazine's 2005 Book of the Year Awards include (alphabetically by author's last name):

Silver Winners

• Susan Higgenbotham, The Traitor's Wife, Historical Fiction
• Carol Hoenig, Without Grace, General Fiction
• Chrissy K. McVay, Souls of the North Wind, Juvenile Fiction
• I.E. Woodward, Symmetry, Romance; Gay/Lesbian Fiction

Bronze Winner

• Renee Fisher, Joyce Kramer, Jean Peelen, Invisible No More, Mind/Body/Spirit

Honorable Mention Winner

• Donna Cousins, Landscape, Mystery

The winners were announced at a special program at Book-Expo America at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, on Friday, May 19, 2006.

For more information on the winners of the 2005 Book of the Year Awards, or for instructions on how to qualify for next year's awards, visit www.forewordmagazine.com.

About iUniverse

iUniverse offers a variety of publishing services to help individuals publish, market, and sell fiction, poetry and nonfiction books. The company is one of the largest publishers in the United States, publishing more than 5,000 new titles each year. iUniverse partners with industry-leading author organizations, including the Authors Guild, the Harlem Writers Guild, and the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA), to bring innovative programs to their members. Barnes & Noble, Inc., is one of the company's investors. iUniverse has offices in New York City, Shanghai and Lincoln.

About ForeWord Magazine

ForeWord is a trade journal published six times a year with the tagline "Reviews of Good Books Independently Published." The magazine is distributed primarily to librarians and booksellers to familiarize them with upcoming books from small, independent, and university presses, as well as self-published books, which often don't receive the media attention that books published by large houses do. The average issue of ForeWord reaches an audience of 20,000 readers.