Local indie publisher sweeps DPA awards for book design

Byzantium Sky Press has received three awards for book design in the 2022 Delaware Press Association Professional Communications Contest.

The Ellendale-based publisher was awarded first place in Best Book Design for “Wanderlust: A Wartime Search for Hope and Home,” by Kathleen L. Martens; second place, Best Book Design for “Before the Sky: A Reason for Hope: Poems,” by Barbara Ryder Levinson; and third place, Best Book Design for “Rising Women Rising Tides: Stories of Women, Water and Wisdom,” by Kathleen L. Martens.

Martens also took two awards for her books published by Byzantium Sky Press in 2021, winning first place for her novel, “Wanderlust: A Wartime Search for Hope and Home,” and second place in the Short Story Collection for “Rising Women Rising Tides: Stories of Women, Water and Wisdom,” featuring stories set in, on and around water, with several taking place in Rehoboth Beach.

“BSP’s mission is to share the voices of women authors from all walks of life. I have always wanted to publish stories that celebrate strong yet vulnerable women,” said Crystal Heidel, owner of Byzantium Sky Press. “And I’m thrilled that not only has my design work been recognized for these amazing books, but that Kathleen’s novel and stories, both of which put women at the center of the stories, have been recognized in two categories.”

As a first-place winner, “Wanderlust” will progress to the National Federation of Press Women’s national contest to compete in the Best Book Design and Best Novel categories.

Founded in 2013, Byzantium Sky Press LLC is open for submissions through Saturday, April 30, for stories about women charting new paths, fighting for what is right and finding the courage to make their lives better. “I want stories that enlighten me and give me hope. I want stories that teach me something new, show me places I’ve never been, and experience the world through another’s eyes,” said Heidel.

To learn more, go to ByzantiumSkyPress.com.