Voting for the 2008 Terry Awards has ended.
This contest didn't work out for selecting individual winners but there will be future nominations for Best Story Lists. Keep an eye out for them. You never know when they'll pop up.
19 people had voted but that isn't nearly enough for a fair contest. No winners will be posted. I'm very sorry.
Thank you to all who have voted and thanks again to those who offered me sage advice to help with the awards. I really appreciate it.
- Terry
Comments
Terry Awards
Terry,
I really appreciate the effort you have put into this effort. Thank you for all the fans out there
Ummm
Can we vote 2 or 3 times, in the last hours? (Sorta to stuff the ballot box?)
Just kidding...
I am looking forward to seeing the winners... and getting suggestions on what to read next.
Annette
Failure??
Terry -
I have noted a big uptick in story hits for many of my stories that were under consideration. To me that makes your contest a winner.
Also, through the process I have had to evaluate again what it is that makes a good story. Others must have had similar thoughts. Which is good.
Thank you.
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Some Benefits
As I stated in an earlier blog post, there have been benefits to the Terry Awards. I mentioned a few in that earlier blog.
What I meant was that the awards themselves are a failure -- the end game. Voter apathy and confusion prevent me from declaring any winners. The only part that has worked is the final story nomination list.
The nominations and final nomination list are worth doing every year for sure and I plan to keep doing that part of it. I don't know if I can take the disappointment of voter apathy and confusion so I doubt I will continue to ask for votes.
So next year, look for the 2009 Best Story List. I'll leave off my name and remove any link to my ego so I won't be disappointed. I take this kind of thing way too personally.
Thanks for the encouragement.
- Terry
I saw the benefits, Terry.
I got more hits on my stories, even thought I haven't posted reciently.
I even had a couple of people comment. I assume that you did that.
I think that a lot of us see this as a win from that standpoint alone.
Thank you for all the hard work.
Sarah Lynn
Ambitious
You tackled something large and complex and you did a very good job of it. It's the first time anyone has tried this, as far as I know.
We can talk some more later but I would be well-pleased if the Terry Awards became an annual event.
Thanks and hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
I Don't Think So!
Terry like Erin said you tackled a huge job and did it mostly by yourself. You've made many of think and reflect about the stories we've read and written during the past year. You made us think! Could the voting been made a little easier and would that had increased participation? I don't know but maybe a ballot with boxes to be checked would've been doable. I do know what you've done was worthwhile, Terry!
Hugs!
grover
I'm sorry all your effort
seemed wasted. I didn't vote because I'm not sure of the value of contests and I had stories nominated.However, I commend you on trying to do something new.
Apathy is always a problem where people have to either use their brains or move a body part.
Angharad
Angharad
I'm Sorry that it did not work out the way you hoped.
Terry,
As Erin said, you tried something new and very ambitious, and I for one very much appreciate all of the work that went into it. It is unfortunate that it did not work out the way that you hoped, but the effort was still valuable.
Edison did not invent the light bulb on his first try, and I'm afraid that the light bulb did not go on for many of the community for this first try. But I think there are lessons to be learned from this when you sit back and do a post mortem on it.
If I might be bold enought to offer some suggestions for another try, which I certainly hope happens again next year. Whether you do it yourself, or someone else picks up the ball and carries it for the next attempt. (Not intended to be a super bowl reference... I don't even like football ;) ) If someone else does, I believe it should remain the Terry Awards in honor of your effort, but if you do it you should name it what you want.
1. A mega contest like this is overwhelming, both for you and the readers. Break up the nominations process into a staggered delivery for each category. I.e. Best Scary nominations due November 10, Best Romance November 17, Best Story November 24... etc. This way people will feel a little less intiminated to begin.
2. Work with Erin to see if there is any way to provide the voting as a Poll. This would be simpler for you, and for the readers as well. I found that trying to work with the list in MS Word to be very cumbersome, and persevered because of my respect for your efforts as much as anything. Find a way to make voting easier, and more people will take part.
Anyway, thanks again for all of your effort, it had benefits for many of us, and shame on us for not being more appreciative to you for it.
Hugs,
Kristy
Extra Hits—& Votes
Terry,
Please don't despair; it was the first time and I noticed rising interest in my Aunt Greta Saga with lots of extra hits and even some new votes. The first Aunt G story has now garnered 80 votes which, to me, is very gratifying.
I will admit that I did not vote as, like Angharad, I was not sure whether I should having had a story nominated.
Anyway please do not regard it as a failure—it was the first time, after all and (provided you are willing to lay your head on the block again!?) I am sure we will all enter into the spirit and vote.
Hugs,
Gabi
Gabi.
I did vote...
I asked the question... So, I was one of 19... That said, I didn't vote in every category. I also saw a renewal of interest in some of my garbage (& even the flawed story, that I think is my best work to date).
I've also looked at a few other stories I might not have because they were nominated.
So, I also thank you Terry, for the work.
Annette
I'm part of the problem
Meant to vote, had started thinking about some of the categories; then got really busy for a week, and then all of the sudden it was the end of the month.
I will say that I very much appreciated the list of nominations, and have definitely used it to find stories I had missed or read once and forgot about. Thanks for all your hard work.