Every January, novelists announce their previous years’ releases that are eligible for awards. I don’t. The authors offer review copies to award readers. Again, I don’t. Awards give a nice warm fuzzy feeling, but the warm fuzzy feeling I prefer is “having heat and food in frozen Detroit.” I’m good. Peer recognition is great, sure, except for the part where folks notice that you exist.
Many people have designed their careers such that awards might give them a career boost. If you work through a traditional publisher and you win a Hugo or whatever, their marketing team will get you on radio and TV and in big newspapers. People Magazine might notice you exist. That might sell books! Your future books will all get “Award-Winning Author” slapped on the cover.
As I say elsewhere, I lack the infrastructure to leverage awards and have no interest in building that infrastructure on the minuscule chance that I win one. Sign on with a trad publisher? Forget the exploitative contracts and the loss of control; in the time it would take me to sell a book to, say, Tor, I can write, publish, and get paid for four novels (see above re: heat and food).
Sometimes, however, art overtakes reality.
I published one novel in 2025. It demands an awards eligibility declaration.
Go ahead. Nominate it for a big award. I dare you. I double-dog dare you.
The reviews have all been positive (Goodreads) (Amazon). A uniform five stars.
I triple-dog dare you.
Oh, and because someone will ask: nonfiction book awards? I’ve won one. Others exist, but they don’t help build writing careers. They do help build technical careers, though, so give them to someone they will help and don’t nominate me.