Contests
This week I’ve had two contests in mind.
The first one is the Parsec awards.
“Dedicated to rewarding excellence in various aspects of Speculative Fiction Podcasting.”
It’s an annual contest judged by knowledgeable people in the podcasting and speculative fiction worlds. Generally speaking, I don’t bother to enter because there are a lot of podcasts out there that are better than mine. Entering it takes some time, because they have some very specific rules about what an entry has to look like. This year I did, because someone took the bother to nominate me. I didn’t get shortlisted, which isn’t surprising. I felt about a half a gram of regret for that moment, and moved on.
The second one is the EPIC awards.
“The EPIC’s eBook Awards (formally EPPIES) [are] given…to recognize outstanding achievement in e-publishing.”
Like the Parsecs, this is a contest judged by ebook authors, editors, and publishers. This year, “Scouts” is being entered. It doesn’t take me any time, really, but it does cost some money. I don’t think I’ll win, but hey…you can’t win if you don’t enter.
Would it be great to win these? Hell yeah. In fact, “Scouts Remastered” (which is under way) is an attempt to make a Parsec-worthy podcast. Pay attention to that phrase. “Parsec-worthy podcast”. I don’t think Scouts Remastered will win a Parsec. It may not even be shortlisted. But if it doesn’t, there are going to be at least some people who say, “Aw, man, you got screwed.” This is Because Scouts is a great book, and we’ve got some great people working on it.
Will I be angry or disappointed if it doesn’t win? No. Will I be angry or disappointed if it isn’t shortlisted? Maybe a little. But either way, I’ll know I have put together a kick-ass production.
And THAT is the value of these awards. It’s not about showing off your talent, or making better sales, or recognizing the best in the industry. The real value is inspiring people to write and produce great stories. And when that happens, all of us–authors, podcasters, readers and listeners alike–we all win.
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