Since May is Mystery Month, it’s time for the second annual Stalker Awards! I created these last year so that crime fiction readers at large can nominate and vote for their favorite novels and authors without having to be on special panels or belong to certain organizations. They’re like People’s Choice Awards except none will be given to Robert Pattinson or Justin Bieber. (See last year’s winners here.)
The kind of rabid fandom those actors experience, though, is encouraged, because there can never be too much fainting around writers. The only requirement for you to nominate and vote is that you’re passionate about crime fiction. These are called Stalker Awards because they’ll be given to books you’re obsessed about and the authors who write them. They’re not called It-Was-Kinda-Interesting Awards.
How it’ll work: I’ll take nominations until 9 p.m. PST, Thursday, May 24, via the form below. Nominees must have been originally published in 2011. Please nominate THREE in each category, with #1 being your favorite, #2 your second favorite, and so on. This is to reduce the chances of a tie. If 50 respondents place 50 different titles in their #1 slot for favorite novel, for example, I’ll look to see which titles also show up as #2 and #3 on people’s lists to determine the highest vote getters.
You don’t have to fill out all categories but if some are tough for you, perhaps you can discuss ideas with fellow genre fans. I hope the process will help you revisit the outstanding crime fiction you read last year or discover books and authors you overlooked. Any questions, leave them in the comments.
I’ll announce the nominees on or around Tuesday, May 29, at which time you can vote on them and winners will be revealed first week in June. Spread the word, get your friends to participate, and let the stalking begin!
*Submissions are closed. See the nominees here.*
8 Comments
le0pard13
May 14, 2012 at 12:28 pmIs there a release date limit to novels we nominate for the 2012 version? Like, is a certain book from 1999 automatically off the table?
Pop Culture Nerd
May 14, 2012 at 12:52 pmIt doesn’t matter when you read them, but nominated books must have been originally published in the US in 2011. If you’re nominating authors for a couple of the categories, they must’ve published a book last year. Thanks, le0!
le0pard13
May 14, 2012 at 1:12 pmGot it. Thanks for the clarification.
Tea Time with Marce
May 14, 2012 at 1:21 pmI have been let down this year so far with Crime books but had 1 that I want all fans to read, definitely nominated that one. Many questions I couldn’t answer, but it makes me aware of what I should put in reviews more.
Look forward to the results.
Pop Culture Nerd
May 14, 2012 at 1:32 pmThanks for your nominations! One of the most fun things for me in doing this is getting recommendations for authors and books I might have missed.
Wyma Rogers
May 14, 2012 at 6:13 pmI see only 3 categories and no instructions on how to submit the form. It is my browser? Or am I missing something obvious?
Pop Culture Nerd
May 14, 2012 at 7:02 pmHi Wyma,
If you hover your cursor over the right border of the form and scroll down, you should see the other categories and the “submit” button. If you’re still having trouble, let me know. Thanks for participating!
Jann
May 17, 2012 at 11:08 amMy nomitees are one sided…it’s fiscal year end and I can’t think, but my fave is my fave and that’s that.