The Romantic Novelists’ Association (RNA) is delighted to announce the shortlists for their annual Industry Awards for 2023. The awards celebrate the hard work and talent of any person, group or organisation who has championed the broad genre of romantic fiction in a positive way.

Finalists for Publisher of the Year 2023

Joffe Books

Joffe Books is one of the UK’s leading independent publishers of commercial fiction, delivering bestselling romance and crime titles by the likes of Joy Ellis, Simon Brett, Tania Crosse, Rhys Bowen and Sylvia Broady into the hands of readers across the globe. The company acquired romance publisher Choc Lit in March 2023, quadrupling sales, gaining bestseller tags and measurably increasing visibility for all Choc Lit authors in the first six months, using the same intrepid approach to marketing that has made so many Joffe Books authors household names. Joffe (which rhymes with coffee) is a flag-waving advocate of #RespectRomFic, and seeks to adopt that mindset not just in marketing campaigns, but in celebrating our authors wins (such as Katy Turner and Sally Jenkins at the RNA Conference in August 2023), driving initiatives like pitch parties to widen the reach of romantic fiction and (with luck) help to create an evermore diverse, representative and inclusive space within the genre. Joffe Books won Trade Publisher of the Year at the Independent Publishing Awards in 2023 and was shortlisted for Independent Publisher of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2023 for the fourth year in a row.

Emma Grundy Haigh, Editorial Director of Joffe Books, said, “I genuinely can’t remember the last time I felt such complete and unfettered joy and awe — I couldn’t speak for happiness, I think I just danced on the spot. I was over the moon when not one but two of my authors won gongs at the RNA Conference in August, but to follow up by being shortlisted for Publisher of the Year . . . it’s just a spectacular badge of honour. It’s a massive testament to all our hard work and our commitment not just to romantic fiction, but to all our brilliant authors.”

Boldwood Books

Boldwood is an award-winning independent, global fiction publishing house launched in 2019. The company has published over 600 titles, signed over 130 authors and sold 16 million books across the world. Boldwood was awarded the Small Press of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2023, Independent Publisher of the Year at the Independent Publishing Awards in 2022, and Publisher of the Year at the RNA Awards in 2021.

Amanda Ridout, CEO and founder of Boldwood Books, said, ‘Boldwood are so thrilled to have been shortlisted for this prestigious and important award for the fourth year running. We are huge admirers of the RNA and all that they do for this most popular and commercially successful of genres and we hope that Boldwood might be able to recapture the title of RNA Publisher of the Year (that we won in 2021) in 2023 once again.’

The winners of the ten awards will be announced during the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Winter Party and Industry Awards ceremony, which is being held at the Leonardo Royal Hotel London City, 8-14 Cooper’s Row, London EC3N 2BQ, on Monday 13th November 2023 at 6.30pm.

This year’s awards are sponsored by ProWritingAid, a manuscript editing software programme with in-app video learning for writers. Hayley Milliman, Head of Education at ProWritingAid said, ‘Congratulations to the finalists for the 2023 RNA Industry Awards! We applaud your accomplishments and hard work bringing beautiful stories to life.’