Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire
  • Mood: calm
  • Music: Ludo, "Skeletons on Parade."

Why a Supporting Membership to WorldCon is a great idea.

Voting for the 2012 Hugo Awards is now open for all Attending and Supporting members of the 2012 World Science Fiction Convention, ChiCon 7. ChiCon will be held this August in Chicago, Illinois, where attendees will be able to see such wonders as me tending bar for Barfleet, Amy fiddling for everyone in the known universe, and Cat and I in full-on flustered fairy tale princess mode. Super-fun!

Now, if you're not going to WorldCon, you may wonder why this is relevant to your interests. I have two words for you: voter packet.

All Supporting Members receive, in addition to Hugo voting rights, a copy of the Hugo voter packet. This includes all the nominated works for the year. Novels, novellas, novelettes, short stories, graphic stories, and yes, related works (so this year, they had to figure out how to include MP3s of an entire filk album—I am a living complication). Strictly speaking, this is well over a $50 value. I mean, the Related Works category alone would probably cost you around $80 if you bought all the physical media, and that doesn't go into the fiction categories at all. So you save a lot, while getting a neat little packet containing electronic copies of what the community thought was best about the previous year. And oh, I forgot to mention there's also samples of the Fan Writer nominees, and art, and and and and...

And here's the thing. I can't pretend that I don't have a vested interest in this year's Hugos: I said last year that no one accepts a nomination when they don't want to win, and I meant that sincerely and without embarassment. It's even worse this year, when I'm on the ballot four times and terrified of losing four times. I want to win. But even more, if I'm going to lose, I want to lose fairly. I want to lose because the community spoke, and what they said was "this one over here should be the victor." That means people need to vote.

Every year, when the Hugo ballot is announced, some people say "these things, these things are wrong." Then, after the votes are counted, some people say "these wins, these losses, they are also wrong." But the only way to change the wrongness is to participate. That means nominating, and that means casting your vote. It's never been easier, and it's never been more...balanced, for lack of a better word. $50 isn't peanuts. There have been years where I wouldn't have been able to afford that. On the other hand, you get a lot of bang for your bucks, and you get to be a part of shaping our community's history. And if you register now, you may even have time to read everything before the deadline!

If you can afford a Supporting Membership, I highly recommend it. It's a fair value, and it lets you participate. Everybody loves participation, right?

This ends today's public service announcement.
Tags: awards and stuff, con prep, reading things, shameless plea
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  • 70 comments

reedrover

April 30 2012, 18:51:23 UTC 5 years ago

Thank you for the PSA. I have just now registered, and am awaiting my voter packet. I can't wait for a Big Bundle o' Stuff (electronically) to be mineallminehahahaha!

seanan_mcguire

April 30 2012, 19:29:07 UTC 5 years ago

Yay!

priscellie

April 30 2012, 19:16:34 UTC 5 years ago

This is my first year as a Supporting member! I was delighted to be able to participate in the nomination process, and I'm even more excited to devour the nominees' works and cast my vote for the awards themselves. Yay for democracy through packets of sci-fi/fantasy awesomeness!

seanan_mcguire

April 30 2012, 19:29:19 UTC 5 years ago

It's pretty damn awesome.

mrs_norris_mous

April 30 2012, 19:21:44 UTC 5 years ago

I was a supporter last year and I am again this year, last years voter packet was excellent value for money. And I am sure this years will be as well. We also get to choose who to nominate if you are early enough and that is fun too.

seanan_mcguire

April 30 2012, 19:29:30 UTC 5 years ago

Totally. Nominating is AWESOME.

jimhines

April 30 2012, 19:25:48 UTC 5 years ago

I wondered if they were going to include any of the non-print stuff. Excellent! Now I'm even more excited about getting my packet...

seanan_mcguire

April 30 2012, 19:29:52 UTC 5 years ago

Yeah, they don't include the Dramatic Work nominees, but they do as much as they can in all the other categories.

jimhines

5 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

April 30 2012, 20:23:57 UTC 5 years ago

Yay!

themysteriousg

April 30 2012, 19:58:19 UTC 5 years ago

I do believe that's $50 I can splurge on. I had no idea it was this easy to support my favorites.

seanan_mcguire

April 30 2012, 20:33:12 UTC 5 years ago

It is! It's BUCKETS OF EASY!

markbernstein

April 30 2012, 20:08:06 UTC 5 years ago

I have my supporting membership, I nominated, and I'm now checking the Chicon web site about once a week, watching for the announcement that the packet is available. I'll be curious to see the format(s). As I recall, the last time I got a packet, everything was in PDF. That works, but I wonder if there's a possibility of ePub, which would be even better.

gorgeousgary

April 30 2012, 20:29:40 UTC 5 years ago

The Renovation packet had both ePubs and PDFs.

markbernstein

5 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

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markbernstein

5 years ago

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mrs_norris_mous

5 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

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serge_lj

April 30 2012, 20:17:41 UTC 5 years ago

I'm reading as many of the nominees as I can while waiting for the packet. By the way, I'll also be at the Hugo Ceremonies, as a flunky... I mean, as an usher, like I did last year: http://pics.livejournal.com/serge_lj/pic/0012950h/g2

seanan_mcguire

April 30 2012, 20:33:50 UTC 5 years ago

Yay!

mbarr

5 years ago

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silvertwi

April 30 2012, 20:19:57 UTC 5 years ago

I am very, very tempted. When is the deadline for supporting member registration? I need to do some math first.

seanan_mcguire

April 30 2012, 20:34:10 UTC 5 years ago

Not sure; it's usually a week or so before voting closes, so probably early July.

silvertwi

5 years ago

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antimony_medusa

April 30 2012, 22:09:08 UTC 5 years ago

My tax return has been FLIPPING EXCELLENT this year, so I'm actually buying a membership for a broke friend as a grad present. I was mainly doing that for a "here you get to contribute to the genre by voting" present, but if there is a voting packet, suddenly I come off as an AMAZING friend. I feel awesome.

seanan_mcguire

May 1 2012, 14:34:04 UTC 5 years ago

Best friend is best.

yellowblackhaze

April 30 2012, 22:12:27 UTC 5 years ago

'Every year, when the Hugo ballot is announced, some people say "these things, these things are wrong." Then, after the votes are counted, some people say "these wins, these losses, they are also wrong." But the only way to change the wrongness is to participate. That means nominating, and that means casting your vote. It's never been easier, and it's never been more...balanced, for lack of a better word. $50 isn't peanuts. There have been years where I wouldn't have been able to afford that. On the other hand, you get a lot of bang for your bucks, and you get to be a part of shaping our community's history. And if you register now, you may even have time to read everything before the deadline!'

This! Totally this! I see comments pooh poohing the awards, and I ask myself if the people making them bothered to do any research or actually participated in the process by nominating or voting for the nominated works. For what you get $80 is rather on the conservative side, especially down here in Australia where books are regarded as a luxury item and priced accordingly.

seanan_mcguire

May 1 2012, 14:34:29 UTC 5 years ago

I didn't even think about the Australia angle. Cheese and crackers, y'all should be the majority of the voters, just for the SAVINGS.

thedragonweaver

5 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

May 1 2012, 14:34:41 UTC 5 years ago

I don't have mine yet! But ZOMG!

alitalf

April 30 2012, 23:31:09 UTC 5 years ago

I still believe you deserved to win last year. No ifs, buts, or maybes

From the one person I talked to (at the airport on the way home) who did this, I extrapolate that some people decided that FEED was horror, they didn't like horror, so they didn't read it or vote for it. I didn't feel I could have voted unless I had read *all* the entries, which I was glad to have the chance to do. Then, in my estimation, Feed was the clear winner.

We are attending members, though there is a risk that my health will not have improved enough by the con to attend (and a chance it will), but we can both vote even so.

Roll on the voter packet.

capplor

May 1 2012, 04:24:37 UTC 5 years ago

Feed IS horror, and I almost didn't read it because of that. It's also the most SF treatment of a horror story I've ever seen, and I"m eagerly awaiting book 3.

seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

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linenoise

5 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

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yellowblackhaze

5 years ago

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thedragonweaver

5 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

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smofbabe

April 30 2012, 23:40:52 UTC 5 years ago

Congrats on your nominations!

(As a member of the Chicon 7 proofreading team, thought I'd point out that neither Worldcon nor Chicon capitalize the "con" in the middle :-> )

dormouse_in_tea

May 1 2012, 01:01:09 UTC 5 years ago

*fistbump* proofreaders REPRESENT, yo.

seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

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peachtales

May 1 2012, 00:34:46 UTC 5 years ago

Squee! I, too, need to find extra fingers and toes for crossing.

So this is just me being curious - the mp3 copy of the entire filk cd is Wicked Girls? Just trying to make sure I'm awake here.

seanan_mcguire

May 1 2012, 14:38:34 UTC 5 years ago

Yup. Well, MP3s. I believe they were sensible, and broke things into tracks.

peachtales

5 years ago

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dormouse_in_tea

May 1 2012, 01:00:40 UTC 5 years ago

I tend to be very invested in nominating, and then only spottily invested in voting. The Voter's packet is what has been consistently tipping the scales for me.

In the interests of vague disclaimers being nobody's friend, you may wish to disclose that frequently books in the related works category are only available in excerpts? I was...taken aback, my first year. :P

seanan_mcguire

May 1 2012, 14:39:03 UTC 5 years ago

That's been changing, though. Most years, the books are complete, or added in packet updates.

calico_reaction

May 1 2012, 01:25:06 UTC 5 years ago

If you don't mind me asking, as I've tried to find this online and didn't come up with anything: does the supporting membership also give you the right to nominate for the next Hugo awards?

Just wondering. If you don't know, that's cool, or if someone else wants to point me in the right direction, just give me the link. Thanks!

dornbeast

May 1 2012, 01:44:56 UTC 5 years ago

Hugo Voting Process

The Hugo Awards voting process has two stages: a nomination period and a final voting period. During the nomination period ballots may be cast by current Worldcon members (who join by January 31) and members from the previous year’s Worldcon.

calico_reaction

5 years ago

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kevin_standlee

5 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

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calico_reaction

5 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

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mbarr

May 1 2012, 02:18:16 UTC 5 years ago

The packet isn't online yet.. but it's being worked on now, according to the Hugo site.

seanan_mcguire

May 1 2012, 14:40:12 UTC 5 years ago

Yup.

snobahr

May 1 2012, 05:02:41 UTC 5 years ago

I had no idea about supporting membership. It took you to slap me in the face with it (figuratively speaking, of course). I've now registered as a Supporting Member, and our household will continue to have at least one supporting membership from here on out, just for the Hugos.

seanan_mcguire

May 1 2012, 14:40:39 UTC 5 years ago

It's pretty awesome, both as a matter of "being part of the process" and as a matter of "look at all these books!"

biguglymandoll

May 1 2012, 15:18:25 UTC 5 years ago

Yay for om-nom-nom-nominations! I actually became a supporting member in time to nominate (you), and I'm very much looking forward to the voter packet! I was checking this weekend - it wasn't out yet, but I guess it should be out pretty soon. Looking forward to reading and reading and listening and voting! (For you.) (A lot.)

(Also, seriously - congrats on being nominated 4 times! You really are that awesome, and that feat really is all that. The quiet majority is quietly impressed.)

seanan_mcguire

May 2 2012, 04:18:56 UTC 5 years ago

Thank you. Enormously.

<3

ironed_orchid

May 2 2012, 08:57:20 UTC 5 years ago

I am still finding fun things to read in my 2010 voter packer, and was already thinking about it this year on account of all the cool stuff, plus I really enjoyed voting and having my say.

I did have a neat method for getting through the material in time to vote, which was to read at least one chapter (or chapter length section) of each novel and novella, rather than attempting to read them all. I figured if a book didn't grab me enough to want to finish it in that first chapter, then it was unlikely to get my vote.

seanan_mcguire

May 2 2012, 14:50:54 UTC 5 years ago

That makes a lot of sense, and I appreciate it a lot more than the "I will force myself to read ALL THE BOOKS and then HATE THEM FOREVER for not becoming something I would like after I hated the first chapter."

ironed_orchid

5 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

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laffingkat

May 5 2012, 00:54:34 UTC 5 years ago

Woohoo! That is so exciting! I didn't know about the Supporting Membership option, but I have now acquired one for myself and can't wait to dive in!

Thank you for posting about this, and good luck!

seanan_mcguire

May 5 2012, 17:09:04 UTC 5 years ago

Thank you!

antinomic

May 7 2012, 16:24:42 UTC 5 years ago

I can attest that you will get at least one vote in each category, as I just voted. Good luck!

seanan_mcguire

May 8 2012, 17:32:53 UTC 5 years ago

Aw, thank you. :)