Pimping my work, 2010-style

For the third year in a row, and stealing a notion from the redoubtable John Scalzi, I'm doing a little self-pimping. Specifically, it's Hugo award nomination time once again, so I thought I'd tell you what I published in 2009 that's eligible and how to nominate it or anything else you like.

The list is short:

Best Novel: Overthrowing Heaven

The instructions are a bit longer. To nominate a work for the Hugos, you have to be a member--attending or supporting, either will do--of the WorldCon (or of the last Worldcon) by January 31 and submit your nomination so the Worldcon folks receive it before the end of the day on February 28. You can also nominate online; it's quick and easy. You can read the con's instructions here.

Put differently, if you want to vote, it costs only $50 to buy a supporting membership.

Like any SF writer, I'd love to win a Hugo; heck, I'd be thrilled out of my gourd just to be nominated. I don't think it's likely, especially when the Worldcon is not in the U.S., but it sure would be cool.

That's the end, though, of my campaigning (and more than I'm comfortable doing).

What's more important to me, though, is that people who care about SF get out and nominate, then vote. When I was growing up, seeing "Hugo Award winner" on a book or next to an author's name made me stop and consider the book. Despite that fact, a surprisingly small number of people can make a big difference in the award. For example, it takes only around 50 nominations for a novel to make the ballot.

Many times that many people read this blog every month. The multiplier for Scalzi's blog is enormous.

If you love a book or a short story or a novel or an editor, an artist or a graphic novel, a movie or a TV show, enough that you'd like to see it as a Hugo winner, then spend the fifty bucks and nominate it.

Oh, yeah, one more bit of campaigning: If enough folks nominate Overthrowing Heaven that it makes the Hugo ballot, I promise not only to go the con (and, yes, on my own dime; no way Publisher Toni would pay for that, nor would I expect her to do so), but also to wear my tuxedo to the Hugo ceremonies and to post pictures of it afterward.

Hey, that's gotta be worth fifty bucks.