Pine Island teacher wins Minnesota Author Project Award for self-published novel

Pine Island high school American literature teacher and theater director Kate Laack has won the Minnesota Author Project Award for independently published novels, the Post Bulletin reported. Laack received the award in the adult fiction category for her third novel, By Any Other Name, which she self-published in April. [1]

The award marks a change in strategy for the author. Laack had published her previous two novels through traditional publishing houses before choosing to self-publish her third book, according to the Post Bulletin. [1]

Her first novel, In the Shade of Olive Trees, was published by Olive Street Publishing in 2022. Her second novel, While the Coin is in the Air, was published by Black Rose Writing in 2025, the Post Bulletin reported. [1]