Helena P. Schrader

IndieReader Discovery Award

for Fiction 2026:

"The Tale of the English Templar"

The IndieReader Discovery Awards recognizes the year’s standout independent books, focusing on connecting winning authors with influential members of the publishing, media, entertainment, and literary communities. IndieReader announced the winners of its Discovery Awards May 28. You can view all of the winners here:
https://indiereader.com/irda26-winners

The 2026 awards marked the first awards ceremony presented under the ownership of Julia and Jared Drake, who acquired IndieReader in 2025 and have expanded its mission of helping exceptional independent books gain meaningful recognition. With over 1,000 submissions submitted across more than 50 categories, this year’s competition was the largest and most competitive award cycle in the program’s history.

“The quality of this year’s submissions make it clear why we believe so deeply in this community. Independent publishing has never been more vital, and these winners represent exactly the kind of bold, original work that deserves a wider stage,” said IndieReader co-owner Jared Drake.

Winning the Grand Prize for Fiction is an important milestone for Helena P Schrader. Although twelve of her titles has won literary accolades over the last decade, in the past all were genre awards recognizing her works in the categories of ‘Historical Fiction,’ ‘Military Fiction,’ ‘Christian Fiction,’ and the like. (You can find out about all her awards at: https://www.helenapschrader.com/awards.html)

About IndieReader: Founded in 2009, IndieReader has been the trusted, credible source of professional book reviews, literary awards, and marketing support for self-published, hybrid, and small press authors. Today, IndieReader continues its mission to level the playing field for independent authors—treating indie not as an alternative, but as a force: bold, vital, and impossible to ignore.