The Power of Magical Women Wins a 2026 Next Generation Indie Book Award — and Takes the Stage at the ALA’s 150th Anniversary Conference in Chicago
“I never set out to write an award-winning book. I set out to make sure seventy-plus incredible women stopped being magic’s best-kept secret.”
The Power of Magical Women just won the Women’s Literature Non-Fiction category at the 2026 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. This is the world’s largest book awards program for independent publishers and self-published authors. I honestly couldn’t process the win. It’s my first book, and I’m wildly passionate about the content. It took first place in a literary category against dozens of other nonfiction titles. As far as I know, it’s the first magic book to ever win this award; a mind-boggling achievement right out of the gate.
The ceremony took place at the beautiful Newberry Library in Chicago. There, Awards co-founder Marilyn Allen presented me with the award.
The story at a glance:
- 🏆 3 major literary awards, including several first-ever wins
- ✨ 70+ trailblazing women profiled
- 🎥 300+ videos and 1M+ views documenting their stories
Now in its 20th year, the Next Generation Indie Book Awards program spans more than 80 categories. Publishing industry leaders judge every entry, and they champion books that deserve a wider audience. I accepted this honor with enormous enthusiasm and awe, on behalf of Vanish Press, book designer Paul Romhany and editor Marianne Ward. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention that the legendary Gay Blackstone wrote the foreword.
A Goal Bigger Than the Magic Community
From the moment I conceived this book, I wanted to carry magical women — and magic itself — beyond the borders of the magic community and into the wider world. I used this same strategy years ago while booking my own magic shows and competing in the global entertainment market. Back then, I sought directly entertainment directors, TV producers, the cruise ship industry, and convention authorities. My goal was to prove that theatrical magic could stand toe-to-toe with any other form of entertainment.
This time, I submitted the book for review instead. As a result, The Power of Magical Women has now earned its third major accolade:
- Critically Acclaimed Best Seller Label, Los Angeles Tribune (2025)
- Gold Medal, Arts Category, Reviewer’s Choice at Reader Views
- Gold Medal, Women’s Literature Non-Fiction, 2026 Next Generation Indie Book Awards
The book has also earned praise well beyond those three wins: strong reviews in Genii Magic Magazine (Michael Claxton) and The Magic Circular (Todd Karr), a 5-star review from Readers’ Favorite, and a review from Reedsy’s Jason Munoz — the platform includes Reese Witherspoon’s Celebrity Book Club.
“The Power of Magical Women is a valuable resource for those interested in magic, gender studies, or entertainment history. It offers a rich trove of original interviews, historical research, and contemporary insights that celebrate the resilience and creativity of female magicians.” — Jason Munoz, Reedsy
More Than a Magic Book
I truly believe the seventy-plus women profiled in this award-winning anthology offer something rare: real, inspiring stories of under-represented people achieving remarkable things. No matter your age or gender, these stories will uplift and motivate you to chase your own dreams and goals.
Like so many good things, the book began as a pandemic project. In 2020, the shutdown brought my career producing magic shows for global luxury cruise lines to a sudden halt. So I launched Magical Women instead — a YouTube channel and a monthly column for VANISH International Magic Magazine documenting female magicians around the world. What started small has since grown into more than 300 uploads and over a million views. Eventually, VANISH founder Paul Romhany told me I already had enough material for a full book.
After many rewrites and edits, a story emerged that reaches far beyond magic itself. Readers who have never picked up a deck of cards still connect with these profiles. Resilience, reinvention, and barrier-breaking sit at the heart of every story, and those themes resonate with anyone who has ever rebuilt a life or a career against the odds.
Celebrating 150 Years with the American Library Association Conference
Thanks to the Next Generation Indie Book Award win, the American Library Association invited The Power of Magical Women to its Annual Conference, celebrating the ALA’s 150th anniversary. We were honored to be featured at the Meet the Author stage, the Podcast Booth, and the Zoom into Books Booths (#4044–4045).
The conference drew 14,801 registrants, including 2,567 first-time attendees, and featured 641 exhibit booths. That makes it one of the largest gatherings in the ALA’s history. As a first-time author, watching my book earn recognition from the Next Generation Indie Book Awards and a place on that stage has been nothing short of unbelievable.
IngramSpark, Ingram Content, and Amazon were also well represented at the conference. These are the indie publishing companies we work with to print and sell our books, and we’re proud to be part of their community.
Watch the highlights:
Let’s Keep the Momentum Going
From the start, we set out to prove that magic — and the women who perform it — deserve a spotlight far beyond the magic community, and every award, review, and invitation since has confirmed we were right. Our story is powerful, our content is magical, and I am happy to participate in whatever it takes to expand our footprint and make future promotions memorable.
We’re actively looking to grow our reach through reviews, podcast interviews, and television appearances — if you know a host, producer, or outlet who’d love this story, we want to hear from you.
Interested in interviewing the author? Connie Boyd would love to hear from you: thepowerofmagicalwomen@gmail.com
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