the Nebula Awards), and hybrid awards that do a bit of both (e.g. the Shirley Jackson Awards), those that operate by a nomination process (e.g. That said, there are things authors, editors, publishers, and artists can do to increase their chances of receiving award recognition, the biggest one being making people aware of your work.Īwards are not the be-all, end-all of existence, nor are they a required or guaranteed “step” in an author’s career journey, but recognition and shiny trophies are certainly are nice to have! This post won’t necessarily help you win an award, but it at least aims to provide some helpful resources and answer a few questions you may have along the way.Īwards generally fall into three categories: juried awards (e.g. Just like there’s no one true path to publication, there is no one true path to award recognition. How the heck does one become an award finalist? How do I know if I’m eligible? How do I improve my chances of winning an award? The whole process surrounding awards can be confusing, overwhelming, and anxiety-inducing, especially if you’re new to the field – and sometimes even if you aren’t. Most people are aware of the “big” awards like the Hugos and the Nebulas, but there are a whole host other of awards out there from regionally-specific awards, to genre-and-sub-genre-specific awards, to more general awards that have specific genre categories. If you’re a speculative fiction author, editor, publisher, or artist, you probably have an interest in genre awards.

The Dark House by A.C. Wise