BookCAMP

WHAT IS THE AGE REQUIREMENT FOR TOP 40 UNDER 40 CANDIDATES?

To be eligible for consideration in the Top 40 Under 40 in Publishing - Class of 2025, nominees must be over the age of 18 and UNDER the age of 40 on July 31, 2025. Candidates who turn 40 between the nomination deadline and July 31, 2025 are NOT eligible.

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HOW DO I NOMINATE SOMEONE FOR TOP 40 UNDER 40?

Nominations for the class of 2025 are open until March 15, 2025. You can enter a nomination here. You just need your nominee’s name, job title, phone number, e-mail address and a brief explanation of why you think they should be named to the Top 40 Under 40 in publishing. Then we send the nominee acceptance form directly to the nominee and get all the information we need from them.

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CAN I NOMINATE MORE THAN ONE PERSON?

Yes. You can nominate as many people as you’d like— including yourself—and you can nominate colleagues, friends, family members or someone you know through their work in the publishing community.

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CAN I NOMINATE A GROUP OR A PAIR OF PEOPLE AS CO-NOMINEES?

Yes. We know that many people’s success is as part of a team. That said, the intention of the Top 40 Under 40 is to recognize the outstanding work of people, so typically groups of two or three are the most likely to make it through our process. For example, two people who have started and run a business together, or a Editor-Publisher team that has really grown a company. All of the co-nominees must be over 18 and under 40 on July 31, 2025 and must have a strong tie to publishing. To co-nominate people, fill out a nomination form for each individual. In order for each candidate to be eligible we must receive a separate form for each person.

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WILL THE NOMINEES BE TOLD WHO NOMINATED THEM?

No, they remain anonymous. The nominees will only be told that they were nominated and that they need to fill out a second form, the nominee acceptance form, but we won’t tell them who nominated them (but feel free to tell them yourself if you’d like).

 

WHAT MAKES SOMEONE A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR TOP 40 UNDER 40?

Top 40s are the best and brightest in publishing. They are uniquely different from one another but they are all high achievers. They include editors, designers, agents, marketing, publicity, digital/social media, etc. and more. They give back to the community and elevate publishing through their work, whether it be in their career or volunteer work. They inspire us through everything they do.

 

DOES BEING NOMINATED MULTIPLE TIMES HELP MY NOMINEE? DOES IT SHOW THAT MANY PEOPLE WANTED THEM ON THE LIST?

No. The judges look mainly at the nominee acceptance form that has been filled out by the nominees themselves. While you may want to ensure that your nominee was considered and nominated, it won’t make a difference. Nominee only get one notice of nomination.

 

THE PERSON I WANT TO NOMINATE LIVES OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES. CAN I STILL NOMINATE THEM?

Yes. All Top 40s will have a strong connection to publishing. They can live outside of the United States.

 

WHY DO I HAVE TO COMPLETE A NOMINEE ACCEPTANCE FORM IF I WAS ALREADY NOMINATED?

We have found that often the people who nominate someone for Top 40 don’t have enough information to give us a clear picture of who the nominees are and what they have accomplished. So, we go straight to the source and ask the nominees to tell us themselves what they’ve done. Your nomination is judged mainly on what you put in the nominee acceptance form — the information you provide and how clear it is.

 

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF I DON'T COMPLETE THE NOMINEE ACCEPTANCE FORM?

If you have been nominated but you do not complete the nominee acceptance form you will not be eligible for the Top 40 Under 40 in publishing and your information will not be sent to our judges for consideration.

 

HOW ARE THE TOP 40 SELECTED?

From the nominations sent in, our editorial staff will create a short list of nominees who have demonstrated the highest levels of achievement, whether in their career or community work. We also look for well-rounded candidates who have achieved high levels in both career and volunteer work.

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The short list is sent to our BookCAMP judging panel. The panel goes through these nominations with a fine-toothed comb and debates the merits of the candidates, weighing their achievements until they find the Top 40 Under 40 for the year.