Jig vs. Jig: Fan Writer and Other Hugo Stuff

It’s award time again, and author Catherine Schaff-Stump has written a lovely post titled Why I’m Nominating Jim Hines for the Best Fan Writer Hugo (and why you should too). I am truly flattered, and I think you should go read her post right now.

Hugo nominations are open to attending or supporting members of Worldcon in 2011, 2012 or 2013. My eligibility this year includes:

Best Fan Writer (for the blog)

Best Novel (for The Snow Queen’s Shadow)

Best Short Story

• “In the Line of Duty” from Zombiesque (Undead FBI agent vs. bioterrorists, which did not in any way start out as zombie Criminal Minds fanfic)
• “The Blue Corpse Corps” from When the Hero Comes Home (Goblins vs. zombies)
• “Epilogue” from Human for a Day (Slightly surreal piece about living stories. Yes, this one also includes zombies.)

If you’ll be voting for Hugos or Nebulas this year and want to read something of mine, just let me know.

Mary Robinette Kowal has a good post about self-promotion and some of the ways we try to approach it without coming off as self-absorbed and egotistical. The problem is that a fair number of us, myself most definitely included, are both egotistical and rather self-absorbed.

I.e., we’re writers.

My solution is to turn it over to the goblins, because they’re much more entertaining about this stuff…

	Vote for me or I’ll eat you.
	Why don’t we try to keep things positive this time? We could start by recognizing some of the wonderful books and stories that were published last year–
	John Scalzi e-mailed me personally to say his rabbit chewed up his trophy shelf, causing massive structural damage. The animals are safe, but the weight of another Hugo award could destroy his entire house! For the sake of the bunny, DON’T VOTE FOR JOHN SCALZI.
	There’s something seriously wrong with you.
	Tobias Buckell is eligible in a number of categories, including Best Related Work for Nascence, a collection of FAILED stories! If you’re going to vote for failure, vote goblin instead … wait, that came out wrong.
	Do you have any idea how many people are eligible for these things? Are you going to sling mud at them all?
	It’s the American way! John J. Adams claims to be the editor of Lightspeed magazine, but when pressed, he admitted he only edits at about Mach 3. Seanan McGuire is actually a team of hyperintelligent typing velociraptors who want to eat your puppy. Jennifer Brozek edited your mom. Cat Valente isn’t even a real cat! Lynne Thomas picks her nose with a sonic screwdriver.
	I think you used that last one in 2011.
	Shut up! Alma Alexander sparkles in sunlight! Elizabeth Bear had Snoopy fixed! Shweta Narayan had an illicit affair with R2D2! Aliette de Bodard is the 8th horcrux! Neil Clarke cancelled Firefly! N. K. Jemisin writes Veggietales/Mario Brothers porn!
	Jemisin didn’t even write a post listing her eligible work!
	Yeah, but she’s a really good writer. It’s preemptive mudslinging. Laura Anne Gilman is 1/4 Smurf! (Show us the birth certificate!) Marie Brennan wants to cast Carrot Top as the new Superman! Saladin Ahmed prefers odd-numbered Trek films! Cat Rambo greenlit another Garfield movie! Pat Rothfuss is the host body for a superintelligent alien beard. Nnedi Okorafor keeps the petrified head of H. P. Lovecraft for a trophy!
	That’s the World Fantasy Award. Just stop before you embarrass us further.
	Do you realize what we could do with a Best Fan Writer rocketship? Imagine flying that golden rocket to the moon. We could establish the first goblin colony in space!
	…
	Golaka can create new recipes for moon cheese and if anyone gives us any crap we’ll drop moon rocks on their heads! The only way for goblins to finally live in peace is to WIN ALL THE ROCKETSHIPS!
	They’re trophies! The rockets are thirteen inches high! You thought they were handing out real rockets? How exactly did you think John Scalzi was keeping his on a shelf?
	I … I just thought it was a really big shelf.

And now I want to win a Hugo so I can use my goblin miniatures to depict their efforts to reach the moon. I could even create a goblin miniatures vs. LEGO minifigs showdown…

If you’ve read something this year that you feel is award-worthy, please feel free to leave your recommendation(s) in the comments!