Originally posted on Twitter, where I saw people fretting about it, and compiled here for posterity.
I am about to do a series of tweets about letting people know what works of yours are eligible for award consideration. PREPARE YOURSELF.
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) January 6, 2014
1. It's fine to let potential voters know what you've done they can consider. SF/F is a big field; lots of good stuff can get lost.
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) January 6, 2014
2. I have anecdotal yet compelling evidence that self-promoting does not necessarily keep people from voting for you.
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) January 6, 2014
3. HOWEVER, if your inchoate desire for recognition and/or awards swamps your decency and common sense, that WILL count against you.
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) January 6, 2014
4. So: Let people know what you've got. Be simple, direct, and pleasant. Encourage them to check out other work too. Informed voting, etc.
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) January 6, 2014
5. If you're running down other work/creators or openly asking for votes, you're being an asshole. Stop that.
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) January 6, 2014
6. In my opinion, the goal of letting people know what's out there is to make the voter pool better informed, not (just) to win.
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) January 6, 2014
7. Don't be embarrassed to let people know what you've got. You WANT people to read your stuff, remember?
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) January 6, 2014
8. But know the difference between informing people about your work and bugging people about it. If you can do that, you're fine.
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) January 6, 2014
9. In short: Do it, be pleasant about it, don't run down other people/work, don't have the stench of desperation about you. Simple.
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) January 6, 2014
10. And now I'm done.
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) January 6, 2014
