Dear writers, editors and cover artists,
Please keep in mind that I respect the work you do (maybe I don’t always like the finished project, but I do respect that you work and do your best and that my tastes aren’t the same as everyone else’s). but I have to ask, as I do every time this year, but this time directly, could you please not send me a shit-ton of requests that I go vote for your work on a poll in which you nominated yourself?
I don’t mind seeing requests or alerts on blogs or Twitter feeds, but no emails, no private messages please. The thing is I don’t vote for books I haven’t read, for work I haven’t seen. Not even for my friends.
Not long ago I was asked to contribute to DarkScribe’s Quill Awards (as one of their reviewers I was involved in the recommendations that became the nominations) and I struggled to fill my ballot (despite reading 110 books last year) because I could not recommend books I hadn’t read, and honestly I didn’t read a lot of horror last year. And some of what I did read wasn’t award quality.
I understand (no, really I REALLY understand) the joy of having your work up for an award. I understand wanting to win. But having a bunch of people vote for your work because you are the loudest, most obnoxious promoter of said poll or work, is not really winning. It’s successfully stuffing the ballot box.
So with all due respect I will not vote for your work on the P&E poll. Especially if I haven’t read it. I will ignore any messages you post about it. I will delete any emails you send me about it, and if you annoy me too much I will block you or unfriend/unfollow you until the poll is over.
Thanks,
Michele
