In which Seanan is briefly thoughtful about awards.: seanan

In which Seanan is briefly thoughtful about awards.

This morning, I awoke to find the annual award season argument raging on my Twitter. It's a familiar dance (we dance it every year), and it goes like this:

PERSON #1: "Here are my eligible works!"
PERSON #2: "That's crass and inappropriate!"
PERSON #1: "But...how else am I supposed to make sure people know what's actually eligible?"
PERSON #2: "SILENT HATEFUL MAGIC."

(I always get Ursula from The Little Mermaid in my head right about now. "You'll have your looks! Your pretty face! And don't underestimate the importance of body language...")

This was followed by the second loop of the award argument:

PERSON #2: "I will never ever ever ever vote for or nominate someone who announces they're eligible."
PERSON #1: "But...that just penalizes the people you know about."
PERSON #2: "I KNOW ALL THINGS."
PERSON #1: "What about conversations in bars? Isn't it better to be upfront and public?"
PERSON #2: "ALL THINGS."

Cue the Sea Witch.

So here, then, is the big conundrum of authors during award season: If we say "I am eligible, and here is what I am eligible for," we get people complaining about crass, inappropriate self-promotion, no matter how gently we word it. If we say nothing at all, we get people complaining about how we didn't remind them about our eligibility, with a side order of "why didn't you make sure I knew nominations were open in the first place." In short, we cannot win for losing. So which option causes more unhappiness? Which option is more problematic, in the long run?

In this case, I'm going to say...silence. Because here's the thing: the only way a zero promotion model works is if there is genuinely zero promotion. If one person with a lot of friends makes an off-hand comment in a bar, that can change everything, especially with as narrow a margin as most fannish awards tend to have—and yes, that includes the Hugos and the Nebulas. Since zero promotion is impossible to enforce, the best option is for everyone who cares about the horses they have in the race to say, publicly, politely, and without hiding behind the veil of anonymity, "I am eligible for these things, in these categories, thank you for considering me, please remember to consider all the worthy works from this past year."

I have horses in this year's race. So do an enormous number of my friends, and an enormous number of authors and creators who are not friends of mine, but whose work I respect and admire. And I genuinely want to see the ballot reflect what we, as a community, think, not what I think, or what Bob thinks, or what Bob's fifty friends who he took out for drinks last Friday night might think. I want us to be global, and that means sometimes, creators will need to open their mouths and say "I am eligible." There's no shame in that. Saying it every day for a month, on the other hand, will get me slapping you in the back of the head with a tentacle.

Just saying.

kay_gmd

January 4 2012, 20:55:02 UTC 5 years ago

New comment

I really appreciate that you provide this information! I love your works, but wouldn't remember to nominate or vote without prodding. Also my memory while never really good on what I've read when is even less so now that I have baby as the main event in any given day, so remembering which items might be in a given year is hard.

Please keep telling us what you're eligible for!

seanan_mcguire

January 9 2012, 16:10:59 UTC 5 years ago

I absolutely will.

yellowblackhaze

January 4 2012, 21:13:58 UTC 5 years ago

It's marketing. A lot people don't see that, but a lot of people, even those who are eligible to vote, either don't remember to do so or are aware of what is or isn't eligible. I know I have problems remembering what was or wasn't published in any given year.

January 9 2012, 16:11:09 UTC 5 years ago

Me, too, quite honestly.

markbernstein

January 4 2012, 21:32:21 UTC 5 years ago

To be slightly crass about it, promoting your work is part of the job. Being an author provides a significant portion of your income. Soon, I'm guessing/hoping, it will provide all of your income. Assuming winning a major award would lead to more sales of the winning book, you'd be doing yourself a disservice by not letting people know it's out there. I have no problem whatsoever with polite (as opposed to aggressive and incessant) self-promotion. You're doing it right.

(I admit, I'm making that distinction in part because I'm struggling with a similar issue. Last year I learned, the hard way, that the "Composer's Picks" section of the Pegasus Brainstorming poll is of extremely limited utility, because items entered there aren't included on the printed Brainstorming Results list. This year there's a work of mine that fits one of the two this-year-only categories. So the question I'm pondering is, should I just go ahead and enter it as a standard brainstorming entry? Since all that's on the line is ego gratification, it feels like a grayer area.)

bunsen_h

January 5 2012, 05:03:01 UTC 5 years ago

I hope that Seanan will also be able to get some of her future income from her recording projects.

5 years ago

alicetheowl

January 4 2012, 22:11:19 UTC 5 years ago

I, for one (I haven't read the comments yet, so I'm sure I'm not alone) appreciate the reminder. Josh and I had made noises about going to Chicon this year, and we'll never go if we don't buy our memberships. Might as well buy them in time to make some nominations and be able to vote.

Generally, advertisement does bother me, but not because it's crass. I dislike the messages about how one's life is incomplete without some useless device or needlessly expensive thingy.

Letting me know about stuff I'll like, or how to express appreciation for what I like, though? Hell, yeah! If someone doesn't put it in front of my eyes, I don't know, and missing out makes me sad.

January 9 2012, 20:35:41 UTC 5 years ago

That's my philosophy, too. I'd rather know and dismiss than never know. You know?

techdragon

January 4 2012, 23:04:23 UTC 5 years ago

I am very happy with authors letting me know what is actual eligible. I usually listen to only audiobooks - I get to listen at work all day long so I get so much more "read" but audio tends to have different release date so I don't always know what book came out in what year. A list of things is so much easier for me.

January 9 2012, 20:35:51 UTC 5 years ago

Awesome.

serge_lj

January 4 2012, 23:28:58 UTC 5 years ago

I want people to tell me what they've done that I might have missed. I want them to tell me when they make an older story available in places like Book View Café. One thing I also find 'amusing' is people who object to a writer being on a panel and having one book on display. I want to know about their work. Otherwise, why would I be there in the first place?

January 9 2012, 20:36:13 UTC 5 years ago

One book, no issues.

A book FORTRESS? You're starting to scare me.

ravenclawed

January 5 2012, 00:52:23 UTC 5 years ago

I see nothing wrong with promoting yourself because when it all comes down to it, who else is going to do it for you? Those who object are probably jealous.

January 9 2012, 20:36:24 UTC 5 years ago

Heh.

Word.

batyatoon

January 5 2012, 01:28:21 UTC 5 years ago

We are almost all socialized from a very young age not to speak highly of ourselves or openly solicit praise, especially if we're women. Some of us are taught this more aggressively than others; some internalize it more vehemently than others.

I think it's the ones who have internalized it the most strongly who are likeliest to object on seeing someone (again, especially a woman) engaged in anything like self-promotion. Especially if it succeeds, or looks like it might.

It is not crass, it is not inappropriate, it is not anything to be ashamed of. Or to try to make others be ashamed of.

*fistbump of solidarity*

paksenarrion2

January 5 2012, 02:38:37 UTC 5 years ago

This is a very good point.

Seanan-like other have said, if you don't promote yourself, who will. I for one appreciate knowing what is eligible, what you have written and I think you strike a very good balance between promotion and over promotion. Just enough and not too much. Kinda like Goldilocks-some writers do too little, some do too much. You do it just right in my opinion.

nimitzbrood

January 5 2012, 01:47:19 UTC 5 years ago

Frankly I think you're overthinking it.

Throw Ursula (the Sea Witch not the artist!) into the food processor and have calamari.

Oh and make some to stuff in PERSON#2's mouth while you're at it. Better off they can't talk.

Not tooting your own horn is just as silly as OVER tooting your own horn. As usual I advocate a balance.

January 9 2012, 20:51:42 UTC 5 years ago

Balance is best.

bzarcher

January 5 2012, 02:58:23 UTC 5 years ago

Y'know, I could say a big spiel, but it basically comes down to this:

Dear Seanan,

$*%@ the haters, win prizes.

Ta!

January 9 2012, 20:51:55 UTC 5 years ago

I'll do my best!

dornbeast

January 5 2012, 03:45:29 UTC 5 years ago

Since I don't have a horse in any race, and I know that unless I change my ways, I never will, my opinion probably isn't worth the value of the disk space it takes up. But here I go anyhow:

Person #2 should be dipped in butterscotch and fed to a dragon. If a dragon is not handy, any carnivore will do.

I have a long rationalization about this, but what it amounts to is that when people announce this, it broadens the pool of people who vote and the pool of nominated works. And I believe that can only make things better.

January 9 2012, 20:52:07 UTC 5 years ago

Om nom DRAGON nom.

January 5 2012, 03:47:57 UTC 5 years ago

I'm fine with a polite "here's the stuff I've done which is eligible", especially in your own blog ferFSMssake. "Please vote for MEEE!!" would be a little less happy-making. Getting the latter by E-mail from someone who's bulk-mailed every contact in his/her address book is something I've found profoundly irritating.

Spider Robinson cadging for votes for his "co-authored" novel Variable Star achieved a rather spectacular level of tackiness.

January 9 2012, 20:52:20 UTC 5 years ago

...wow. I had not seen that.

Wow.

dormouse_in_tea

January 5 2012, 04:33:14 UTC 5 years ago

Aside from thinking that rude people are rude and not-nice, I always like it when an author posts and TELLS me whether that there chunk of words is a novelette or a novella. I can never tell. :P

January 9 2012, 20:52:38 UTC 5 years ago

I had to run them through word count programs, just to be sure.

kat_merle

January 5 2012, 05:15:58 UTC 5 years ago

I have to say I absolutely loved your these works are eligible for the simple fact I had to pick my chin off the floor and say Wow you have been a busy girl! I have weird notions of time somehow and it was shocking to me to see the large volume of works that were eligible this year. My next thought was idle curiosity to see if next year's list is longer or shorter since I don't know what all makes a work eligible for each category and your usual list of things I am working on is so vast and varied. I hope you continue to post your eligibility every year just so we can see the changes in numbers and categories next year. I like strange things when it comes to seeing data and statistics.

February 15 2012, 19:00:37 UTC 5 years ago

Hee.

avahgdu

January 5 2012, 08:18:45 UTC 5 years ago

Ok, normally, with this many replies already, I would avoid beating the by now dead horse. However, I feel that a few things need pointing out.
Your journal is 1% promotion, 99% talking about writing, sharing the kitty's with us, plotting to overthrow the world, etc. As long as people respect the line of 'we have not ACTUALLY met yet', you treat us as friends.
I used to follow a lot of celebs on twitter and face book. But I had to finally unfollow the ones whose SOLE content was 'go to my page, buy my autographed photos'! If they ever had anything else to say, not just to me but in general, I might want their photo.
Sure, I read Mira Grant books cause I am a lifelong horror fan. But I keep reading here because you never call me on my comma abuse. When I said I wanted to your secret gay crippled boyfriend, you said you were proud andhonored.
There are reasons we are all here. Reasons we are proud of your successes and were sad when you did not get that Hugo.
We wanna know what you are up to, where and how we can support your work, what mag might have a story we missed-not just to read but to vote for it if it is up for something.
We...I...want to see someone who haunts toy stores, has Halloween sheets and jammies all year, thinks Jack Skellington is a dreamy dude...make it all the way to the top.
Every win you have...that is a win for all us forever kids, waiting in the pumpkin patch...just knowing that the Great Pumpkin will be here soon.

February 15 2012, 18:55:14 UTC 5 years ago

He da Squash.

And thank you. <3

biguglymandoll

January 5 2012, 12:19:56 UTC 5 years ago

Ah, the heck with all that. We just want you to win! ;-)

February 15 2012, 18:54:41 UTC 5 years ago

lots42

January 5 2012, 14:41:04 UTC 5 years ago

HATERS GONNA HATE.

PUG DOGS GONNA PREAMBULATE.

February 9 2012, 16:13:57 UTC 5 years ago

GATORS GONNA GAIT.

mythos_amante

January 5 2012, 14:54:13 UTC 5 years ago

I hear you! It's similar to the, "I only like a band until the actually get airtime on the radio, then they are sellouts and I hates them," mentality. People with goals don't often get places without putting it out there that they want to get places. The haters who don't get that and want to browbeat and control everyone seem to think silence and lack of ANY self promotion equates with honesty and integrity. But if they think people who even just SAY they are eligible are preening peacocks, then forget them. Even peacocks gotta do the spreading-tail shakem dance to have a chance of GETTING the chickies, so there.

******AND OH EM GEE HAPPY BIRTHDAY SEANAN!!!!!!!!!!!*****

Love love!!!

February 16 2012, 17:12:34 UTC 5 years ago

Peacocks are awesome.

smoooom

January 5 2012, 15:18:16 UTC 5 years ago

I like knowing who has stuff that is eligible, I often wish there was a list some place for the awards like the Hugos and stuff. It's hard to nominate if you don't know who's who.

February 9 2012, 16:12:14 UTC 5 years ago

Agreed.

ladymurmur

January 5 2012, 15:58:25 UTC 5 years ago

Happy birthday! :-)

February 9 2012, 16:12:04 UTC 5 years ago

Thank you. :)

vincentursus

January 6 2012, 01:07:24 UTC 5 years ago

That seems like a reasonable compromise.

I hope you had a good birthday and that you will continue to enjoy slapping deserving people with tentacles for many years to come.

February 9 2012, 16:11:51 UTC 5 years ago

TENTACLE DEATH PARTY!

phoenix_singing

January 6 2012, 16:38:32 UTC 5 years ago

Now that's just silly. Unless you're a HUEG NAME or you're well known for contracting for a HUEG NAME, self-promotion and doing your own marketing comes with being an author, does it not? How else would you get your name out there and ensure that you can actually make a living off your work? And in a creative field, where getting your name out there and selling your creations is vital to making said living. (And writing is hella hard work.) Plus, you often post full nominee and winner lists in your categories, which is great and not something someone who's only interested in herself would do. Why would you point people toward the "competition" if you were only out for yourself?

tl;dr: People are dorks. Marketing: you're doing it right. <3

Personally, I like when you do award posts, because then I can vote for you, support you and your work, and also just go "yay!" and celebrate your nominations and wins that I might not have even known about otherwise. So I say thanks for letting us know what you're up for, and best of luck and many wins to you! You've certainly worked hard for all of them!

February 9 2012, 16:11:24 UTC 5 years ago

I do not know, and I thank you.

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In which Seanan is briefly thoughtful about awards.

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