Local author Ryan Ginard and his book Future Philanthropy: The Tech, Trends & Talent Defining New Civic Leadership, have been announced as the winner of the ‘social change’ category at the 2022 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, the largest international book awards program for independent publishers and self-published authors.

Ginard was thrilled that Future Philanthropy has received this international recognition, “while it’s good to be acknowledged for my work, what’s more important is that this award will expand its reach as it has something for leaders at all levels in government, higher education, for purpose entities, grassroots activism, philanthropy organisations, and more.”

“The innovative principles outlined in the book are ultimately a blueprint for Australia to use philanthropy to its full potential, ready to create the momentum required to adapt to society’s ever-changing needs.”

2022 is the 15th year of this international book awards program that has been said to be the ‘Sundance’ of the book publishing world. The Next Generation Indie Book Awards are judged by leaders of the indie book publishing industry, including many with long careers at major publishing houses.

Award judges said that Future Philanthropy is “A must read for any humanitarians and changemakers looking for novel innovative ideas. The real-world examples provide amazing insights into the philanthropic space.”

In an article at CNN.com titled If it’s cool, creative, and different, it’s indie, journalist Catherine Andrews wrote: “The term ‘indie’ traditionally refers to independent art – music, film, literature or anything that fits under the broad banner of culture – created outside of the mainstream and without corporate financing.” That definition remains true for book publishing.

Independent book publishing companies are independent of the major conglomerates dominating the book publishing industry. Indies include small presses, larger independent publishers, university presses, e-book publishers, and self-published authors.

Future Philanthropy was published by values driven publishing house Wise Ink Creative Publishing based out of Minnesota in the U.S. understanding that as societal issues constantly evolve, philanthropic systems have been slow to match, leaving our communities’ needs sorely unmet.

“What would happen if philanthropy became a progressive industry, rather than a sluggish and reactionary one? That’s why I wanted to write a book that provides insights into what the new toolbox for courageous social sector leaders will look like over the next decade and beyond, especially at a time where Australian philanthropy is fast becoming more accessible, inclusive and most importantly into the mainstream, with the incoming Government seeking to double giving by 2030.” Ginard said.

According to Catherine Goulet, Founder and Co-Chair of the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, “Like other independent artists, many indie book publishers face challenges that the industry giants don’t experience. The indies have to work much harder to get their best books into readers’ hands.”

“Authors and publishers who compete in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards are serious about promoting their books,” adds Goulet. “They aim to stand out from the crowd of millions of books in print.”

According to the most recent (October 2019) report by Bowker, publisher of the Books in Print database, In 2019, 5564 different publishing entities in Australia produced 22,634 new titles, according to figures extracted from ISBN records added to Bowker’s Books in Print. This represents a significant increase in the number of publishing entities, which had been hovering around 4000 for the past few years (in 2018 it was 3946).

Despite the increase in publishers, the number of new titles published in 2019 dropped by over 2000 titles (in 2018 it was 24,738), bringing it closer to the levels recorded in 2016–17. These figures include both print and ebook editions, which have different ISBNs,” according to the report.

Worldwide, as of 2022, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) estimates more than 2.7 million books are now being published in a single year.

To help indie authors and publishers reach a wider audience, the top 80+ books in the 2022 Next Generation Indie Book Awards will be reviewed by New York literary agent Marilyn Allen of Allen Literary Agency (formerly the Allen O’Shea Literary Agency), or one of Ms. Allen’s co-agents, for possible representation in areas such as: distribution, foreign rights, film rights, and other rights.