Weekend Update: The Hugo Awards Need YOU!!!!
Those of you who follow this blog know that last year, I bought a supporting membership to the Hugos so that for the first time ever, I could vote on the nominees. It was, in short, quite the immersive experience. I wanted to read every nomination in the fiction categories, and that took a lot of time. I don't begrudge that time, however, because despite not having ALL of my votes turn into winners (some did, some didn't), I learned something important:
When I voted, when I made my voice heard, I wasn't so angry about the winners. Because I did my part.
But my part isn't over. My membership also bought me the ability to nominate for the 2013 Hugos, and would you believe it, it's already time to do that?!?!?! That's insane!
Today's post is not a post that talks about what I think you should nominate in each category. Hell, I'm not even sure I want to tell you what to nominate so much as I want to create an awareness of what's out there that COULD be nominated, you know? I've got to put a lot of thought into that, but in the meantime, I wanted to make a plea.
I want YOU, dear readers, to consider getting at least a supporting membership to the 2013 Worldcon, which--if bought before January 31st--lets you nominate for the 2013 Hugos. And if nominating is just too much for you, then instead, I want you to get a membership so you can VOTE.
All of the OFFICIAL details can be found HERE, but let me sum up:
1) Supporting membership is $50.00. I know for a lot of people, that isn't chump change, but if you're one of those people who really wants to have a say, whether you nominate AND vote or just vote, I'd highly encourage you to do so. Because the Hugo is a FAN award, and let's be honest, if you read the genre, you're a fan. You don't need special credentials, you don't need an official geek stamp, you don't need to be a published writer or a blogger or a big name fan who goes to conventions. You just need to be a reader.
2) If you buy the supporting membership by January 31st, this is what you get:
3) If you nominate OR vote (or do both), you don't have to nominate or vote in EVERY category. If there's a category near-and-dear to your heart, that's where you should make your voice heard. Maybe you feel like you're not getting your $50.00 worth if you do that, but be honest: very few people can keep up with the latest and greatest in ALL the categories. Beyond the fiction awards and dramatic presentation, there's really not much I can do in terms of nominations, but I'm okay with that, because I'm happy spending my energies into categories I actually care about. I know others do too.
So please, if you're a reader of this blog, consider getting a membership. I'm not going to bully anyone into nominating: it's a daunting task, but if you feel strongly about specific books, then you should. You should nominate them and campaign for them. Same goes for voting: I can't tell you how gratifying it is to have a say in something that I've spent years complaining about.
The total list of award categories can be found below, which full details available here.
• Best Novel (40,000 words or more)
• Best Novella (17,500 to 40,000 words)
• Best Novelette (7,500 to 17,500 words)
• Best Short Story (up to 7,500 words)
• Best Related Work
• Best Graphic Story
• Best Dramatic Presentation "Long Form" (more than 90 minutes)
• Best Dramatic Presentation "Short Form" (less than 90 minutes)
• Best Editor Short Form
• Best Editor Long Form
• Best Professional Artist
• Best Semiprozine
• Best Fanzine
• Best Fancast
• Best Fan Writer
• Best Fan Artist
There's also the John W. Campbell Award, which obviously isn't a Hugo but is awarded during the Hugo ceremonies. The John W. Campbell award recognizes debut writers, and eligible authors have two years of eligibility to win this award. The details for THAT are here.
Like I said earlier, I'll put together a separate post regarding my thoughts on who should be nominated in what category. It requires far more brain power than I have available to me at the moment. But for now, you've seen me talk about last year's Hugos, and you saw my process. Who's ready to follow me and take the plunge this year? Who's ready to nominate? Who's ready to VOTE?
Resources***
The Hugo Awards Official Site
Hugo Awards FAQ
LoneStar Con 3 Official Website
LoneStar Con 3 Membership Details
John W. Campbell Award Info
*** = Inspired by The Book Smuggler's wonderfully thorough post over at Kirkus Reviews.
When I voted, when I made my voice heard, I wasn't so angry about the winners. Because I did my part.
But my part isn't over. My membership also bought me the ability to nominate for the 2013 Hugos, and would you believe it, it's already time to do that?!?!?! That's insane!
Today's post is not a post that talks about what I think you should nominate in each category. Hell, I'm not even sure I want to tell you what to nominate so much as I want to create an awareness of what's out there that COULD be nominated, you know? I've got to put a lot of thought into that, but in the meantime, I wanted to make a plea.
I want YOU, dear readers, to consider getting at least a supporting membership to the 2013 Worldcon, which--if bought before January 31st--lets you nominate for the 2013 Hugos. And if nominating is just too much for you, then instead, I want you to get a membership so you can VOTE.
All of the OFFICIAL details can be found HERE, but let me sum up:
1) Supporting membership is $50.00. I know for a lot of people, that isn't chump change, but if you're one of those people who really wants to have a say, whether you nominate AND vote or just vote, I'd highly encourage you to do so. Because the Hugo is a FAN award, and let's be honest, if you read the genre, you're a fan. You don't need special credentials, you don't need an official geek stamp, you don't need to be a published writer or a blogger or a big name fan who goes to conventions. You just need to be a reader.
2) If you buy the supporting membership by January 31st, this is what you get:
- The ability to nominate for the 2013 Hugos.
- The ability to VOTE for the 2013 Hugos.
- The ability to nominate for the 2014 Hugos.
3) If you nominate OR vote (or do both), you don't have to nominate or vote in EVERY category. If there's a category near-and-dear to your heart, that's where you should make your voice heard. Maybe you feel like you're not getting your $50.00 worth if you do that, but be honest: very few people can keep up with the latest and greatest in ALL the categories. Beyond the fiction awards and dramatic presentation, there's really not much I can do in terms of nominations, but I'm okay with that, because I'm happy spending my energies into categories I actually care about. I know others do too.
So please, if you're a reader of this blog, consider getting a membership. I'm not going to bully anyone into nominating: it's a daunting task, but if you feel strongly about specific books, then you should. You should nominate them and campaign for them. Same goes for voting: I can't tell you how gratifying it is to have a say in something that I've spent years complaining about.
The total list of award categories can be found below, which full details available here.
• Best Novel (40,000 words or more)
• Best Novella (17,500 to 40,000 words)
• Best Novelette (7,500 to 17,500 words)
• Best Short Story (up to 7,500 words)
• Best Related Work
• Best Graphic Story
• Best Dramatic Presentation "Long Form" (more than 90 minutes)
• Best Dramatic Presentation "Short Form" (less than 90 minutes)
• Best Editor Short Form
• Best Editor Long Form
• Best Professional Artist
• Best Semiprozine
• Best Fanzine
• Best Fancast
• Best Fan Writer
• Best Fan Artist
There's also the John W. Campbell Award, which obviously isn't a Hugo but is awarded during the Hugo ceremonies. The John W. Campbell award recognizes debut writers, and eligible authors have two years of eligibility to win this award. The details for THAT are here.
Like I said earlier, I'll put together a separate post regarding my thoughts on who should be nominated in what category. It requires far more brain power than I have available to me at the moment. But for now, you've seen me talk about last year's Hugos, and you saw my process. Who's ready to follow me and take the plunge this year? Who's ready to nominate? Who's ready to VOTE?
Resources***
The Hugo Awards Official Site
Hugo Awards FAQ
LoneStar Con 3 Official Website
LoneStar Con 3 Membership Details
John W. Campbell Award Info
*** = Inspired by The Book Smuggler's wonderfully thorough post over at Kirkus Reviews.