Alternative Voting for the Discerning Reader

So last week, I wrote a blog about how I had a couple stories eligible for the Hugo awards this year.

As I mentioned then, it’s not the sort of blog I like to write. But still, I wanted to let people know that they could nominate the stories. Y’know, if they were into that sort of thing….

After I posted it, folks chimed in on the comments, saying things like: “Yay!” and “I’d love to vote for you! Where can I do that?”

For those of you who are curious, the details are here.

For those of you who are curious (but too lazy to click a link) the upshot is this: If you’re an attending member of Worldcon, (Or if you attended the convention last year) you can nominate works for the Hugos.  If you’re going to the convention, you can participate in the voting after the nominees are announced. (Or you can buy a supporting membership, which gives you the right to vote.)

This is another reason I’m not fond of writing awards blog like this. It feels too much like I’m saying: “Hey everyone! Want to do a thing? Well… most of you can’t. Sorry.”

So. For those of you who can’t vote are thereby ensaddened, here are a few things you could do instead:

  • Vote Anyway

Here’s what you do: Write my book’s name on a piece of paper, then fold that paper in half and put it into one of those suggestion boxes you see all over the place.

2c2cc4dfdd99becd96b8ba29a20ef6d3

This approach has a lot to recommend it. First and foremost, you don’t have sign up for any conventions, fill out any annoying forms, click buttons, etc etc….

SuggestionBoxBig

What’s more, these boxes are all over the place, so it’s really easy to vote.

Even better, you can vote as many times as you want.

suggestion-box-spit1

Best of all, since you’re writing your own ballot, you aren’t limited to just nominating Slow Regard for a Hugo.

Notecard

(Let’s be honest, this is a little boring.)

You’re the boss of this ballot. Don’t let this opportunity go to waste.

Note3

(Better…)

Seriously. Go whole hog. You can vote for *anything.*

Notecard2

(Yeah. That’s about right.)

Remember folks, if it’s worth doing. It’s worth doing in glitter pen.

Alternately, you can always…

  • Vote for Something Real

I enjoy living in my own little world as much as the next guy. But the sad fact is that my physical body is trapped here on earth.

And here’s the thing, unbeknownst to many of you, the spring primaries are today. These elections have notoriously poor turnouts. What that means is that in practical terms, anyone who votes in them has a disproportionately large effect on the elections in question.

So if y’all did about 20 minutes of googling, then went to vote, it would have a *huge* impact on who is going to be running your local government for the next couple years.

Just sayin.

  • Stars upon Thars

I know what you’re thinking. “But Pat,” you think, “Both of those options require me to leave my house! There are bears outside!”

Believe me, I know. I too am loathe to leave the womblike security of my home.

So if you’re borderline agoraphobic, or just lazy like me, let me reassure you that any author loves reviews just as much as a vote for an award.

The nice thing about giving reviews is that you don’t need to worry about whether a work is eligible for an an award (based on when it was published) or if it’s a novella or a novelette (based on how many words it has.) All that really matters is how you feel about the story.

So. If you wish you could vote for something of mine in the Hugos, but you can’t, feel free to write a few lines of nice review somewhere. Or tell a friend. Or go splash some stars onto it over at Goodreads or Barnes and Noble.

Or don’t. It’s all good with me. I’m just giving you options….

pat

P.S. If anyone does the notecard thing, I’d love to see a picture of your self-made ballot….

This entry was posted in Arts and Crafts, awards. By Pat46 Responses

46 Comments

  1. Can't wait for doors of stone
    Posted February 16, 2015 at 11:31 PM | Permalink

    I know that you Doors of stone and by all means take your time but I’m curious how many pages do you think it’ll end up being roughly? I search for new news about your book every few days and would love any information you could give me.
    Thanks

  2. Ari
    Posted February 16, 2015 at 11:58 PM | Permalink

    I know this! Roughly, Doors of Stone will be a Good Many Pages.
    But I can answer precisely, too. Doors of Stone will be Exactly the Right Amount of Pages.

    Because this is Patrick Rothfuss we’re talking about. He knows that it’s worth doing things the proper way, even if people pester him about taking his time.

    • Can't wait for doors of stone
      Posted February 17, 2015 at 12:18 AM | Permalink

      He can take all the time he needs but I’d just like to know if we’re gonna have a book at least over a 1000 pages. I don’t even understand how he could finish kvothe’s story in one more book he’s left so many things un answered but He is a great writer so I dunno. I’d be greatful for any information at all

      • SporkTastic
        Posted February 17, 2015 at 12:52 AM | Permalink

        Waiting is.

      • Ari
        Posted February 17, 2015 at 12:37 PM | Permalink

        I see. Your name is such an impatient thing it made the message seem pestering to me. Best be careful where names are concerned. But even so, why feel that information is needed? Perhaps you can’t understand how the story can be finished in this many pages or that many words, but perhaps you don’t need to understand. It’s to do with trust, I think. Trust that Patrick Rofthuss knows what he’s doing.
        It seems silly to me to say you don’t know how he can finish the story when you don’t know how it’s going to end.

        • Posted February 17, 2015 at 7:10 PM | Permalink

          Yeah. The name is pretty impatient. It’s absolutely gonna give a flavor of pestering to any comment made in that account.

          Sorry if that’s not what you intended, Can’t Wait, but I’m just being honesty here, that’s the impression it gives.

          • Can't wait for doors of stone
            Posted February 18, 2015 at 1:37 AM | Permalink

            Oh jeez sorry Ari, Pat I didn’t mean to pester that wasn’t my intention at all. I’ve just ran out of books to read so i’ve been rereading the two of yours and thought i’d look online for any information at all about doors of stone. But there doesnt seem to be much information so i figured i’d try to get some out of you lol sorry

          • Ari
            Posted February 18, 2015 at 1:01 PM | Permalink

            “[..] rereading the two of yours [..]”
            – “The Slow Regard of Silent Things” – go read!

            “[..] ran out of books to read [..]”

            Try…
            – Everything by Neil Gaiman
            – Everything by Diana Wynne Jones (don’t start with Islands of Chaldea. It’s published but she died before she could finish it.)
            -The Wind Singer trilogy and the Noble Warriors trilogy (William Nicholson)
            – Tamsin (Peter S. Beagle)
            – Kit’s Wilderness (David Almond)
            – Heaven Eyes (David Almond)
            – Everything else by David Almond
            – I’m assuming you’ve already read the Locke Lamora books so I wont mention those
            – I’m assuming, too, that you’ve read the Lani Taylor’s Smoke and Bone trilogy
            – The Elegance of the Hedgehog (I forget who wrote it)
            – King of Shadows (Susan Cooper)
            – Green Boy (Susan Cooper)
            – The Dark is Rising series (Susan Cooper)
            – you’ll have tried Brandon Sanderson already
            – um
            – oh, “Lirael” (Garth Nix). Don’t be put off that it’s the second in the series. It doesn’t matter and it’s much better than the first.
            – and I can’t think of anything else off the top of my head, but hopefully there is something there you haven’t read :)

          • Omar
            Posted February 18, 2015 at 1:36 PM | Permalink

            Ari
            I did read slow regard of silent things and thank you for the recommendations I’ll check them out!

          • chaelek
            Posted February 18, 2015 at 8:58 PM | Permalink

            I’d also recommend
            -Everything by Jim Butcher (a favorite of Pat’s. And mine.)
            -Terry Pratchett. All.
            -S.M. Stirling if you like knowing how long it takes to train a decent lancer
            -David Weber, especially the Prince Rodger series and Honorverse
            -Kevin Hearne’s stuff
            -John Scalzi, if you’re into scifi (If you’re not, you should be)
            -Explore your sci fi roots and read Heinlein, his stuff holds up very well
            -While we’re at it, Asimov has some really cool stuff

          • Penteryl
            Posted February 20, 2015 at 6:35 PM | Permalink

            ‘Marking Time’ by April White
            Best. Prize. Ever.

          • Jammi Dodger
            Posted February 23, 2015 at 5:26 AM | Permalink

            Wow, Ari! That is a list that makes quite the lasso to pull one in. Thank you for the kind suggestions. You too, Chaelek, it was most appreciated. Pat, if I may ask (going on the hope that you see this) what is a book that you would recommend right off the top of your head? Not including: Name of the Wind, Wise Man’s Fear, or Slow Regard of Silent Things, if you please, since I have most definitely read and enjoyed those titles.

    • SporkTastic
      Posted February 17, 2015 at 12:51 AM | Permalink

      YESSSS

    • saurondagurl
      Posted February 17, 2015 at 9:44 AM | Permalink

      Somehow, your comment made me really really happy. (All hail to king Pat!)

      • Ari
        Posted February 17, 2015 at 12:26 PM | Permalink

        That’s me. I shed blossoms of happiness wherever I go.

        • cynrtst
          Posted February 17, 2015 at 3:26 PM | Permalink

          Keep it out of the dinner pot.

  3. SporkTastic
    Posted February 17, 2015 at 12:53 AM | Permalink

    Vote for Pat for ALL THE THINGS!

  4. EspySP
    Posted February 17, 2015 at 12:56 AM | Permalink

    The principal stood in front of the assembled students and said, “To the person who put an index card saying ‘The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss’ in the suggestion box… thank you, it was a very good suggestion.”

    • SporkTastic
      Posted February 17, 2015 at 1:42 AM | Permalink

      I wish I could convey my enjoyment of this.

  5. Quillan
    Posted February 17, 2015 at 2:07 AM | Permalink

    Do you still read new Goodreads reviews of your books or do you just get bored of them after a few years?

    • Posted February 17, 2015 at 8:52 AM | Permalink

      I occasionally read reviews. But usually only if someone draws my attention to them. I don’t go hunting them down anymore. That way lies madness.

      • Cyri
        Posted February 17, 2015 at 10:46 AM | Permalink

        “That way lies madness”. Are you a Dark Tower Junkie? I don’t know if Stephen King came up with those words or used them to reference something else, but I’m sure I’ve read them in his books (I think The Wastelands).

        • Jimsmash
          Posted February 17, 2015 at 11:31 AM | Permalink

          It’s from King Lear. That wordy Shakespeare fellow.

          • Posted February 17, 2015 at 7:04 PM | Permalink

            While I’m not above the occasional obscure reference, not everything is a quote, y’all.

            Though if I were going to quote/reference someone, it would probably be Shakespeare, not King.

        • He without a clever name
          Posted February 17, 2015 at 11:58 AM | Permalink

          Yay Dark Tower fan! Now let us hope those movies never get made in my life time.

  6. AlistairM
    Posted February 17, 2015 at 6:28 AM | Permalink

    I’m always saying people should read KKC anyway. Got my family to read it, then got my co-workers to read it. then my sister got her colleges to read it. I tried to get a friend to read it but he didn’t get on with it and is now dead to me (not really but I suspect he has no soul at least). So I quite like the idea of putting little slips through any letterbox saying stuff like. “You might want to consider reading Name of the Wind”

    I am wondering if once Doors of Stone is out Pat will ever right another series considering the problems it causes him.

    Self contained one off books seem like a healthier way to go mentally!

  7. lovelylass987
    Posted February 17, 2015 at 8:50 AM | Permalink

    :) I would completely vote in the Wisconsin primaries if I were in the state.

  8. theonlykaren
    Posted February 17, 2015 at 9:14 AM | Permalink

    Pat has unknowingly unleashed a steady barrage of index cards being inserted into various boxes and places about the US and beyond…..I would purchase stock in the index card companies at this point.

  9. JeffA
    Posted February 17, 2015 at 9:50 AM | Permalink

    Just a few days from the second anniversary of the manuscript pic https://plus.google.com/106388983874370865380/posts/FqFsojR8Tx3

    Whatever the cause of delay (perfectionist, significantly longer than WMF, writing other books/stories which probably sell better before Day 3 comes out, charity involvement), I have basically given up on waiting for book 3. If it happens it does.

    • Posted February 17, 2015 at 7:08 PM | Permalink

      Um… Thanks?

      • Kimberlyand
        Posted February 21, 2015 at 10:35 AM | Permalink

        I can’t remember the last time two words made me laugh so hard.. Classic Rothfuss.

  10. Robo
    Posted February 17, 2015 at 9:54 AM | Permalink

    Pat, do you ever consider doing a “discoveries” blog? You do so much to help people already, but you could easily direct a ton of attention to some struggling young author a la Oprah. You could be the Oprah of Sci-fi fantasy. Well…without the billions. And Steadman. Steadman clearly has something going’ on.

    • Posted February 17, 2015 at 7:01 PM | Permalink

      I review books on Goodreads, and I talk about new books here during the fundraiser and in our Novelties posts.

      I think that base is pretty well covered…

      • chaelek
        Posted February 18, 2015 at 8:59 PM | Permalink

        You’ve steered me to several new favorite authors, aye.

      • SporkTastic
        Posted February 18, 2015 at 11:24 PM | Permalink

        True story. I’ve bought a book or two solely based on Pat’s review. Haven’t been steered wrong yet.

  11. Gunner
    Posted February 17, 2015 at 10:06 AM | Permalink

    Are you saying you want me to vote for you in the spring primaries? Because I’m not sure you want that much responsibility… ;)

  12. ryan7273
    Posted February 17, 2015 at 12:49 PM | Permalink

    A write-in campaign being triggered by this blog would be amazing. For the first time, I wish I lived in Wisconsin.

  13. Mazrimne
    Posted February 17, 2015 at 8:29 PM | Permalink

    I am curious why people decided to visit dickitude on Pat today? Sorry PR, they don’t represent most of us. Do your thing, and at whatever pace you need to.

    • Bames Jond
      Posted February 17, 2015 at 11:21 PM | Permalink

      I concur.

      Pat, you’re freaking awesome. You’re a great writer and an even better human being. Keep doing your thing.

      Bames out.

  14. Posted February 17, 2015 at 11:51 PM | Permalink

    I really feel for y’all in Wisconsin, as someone who lived there for 15 years. Not for the current cold weather, that’s just par for the course. It’s Wisconsin.

    It’s the politicians. I just can’t understand where they are coming from!

    It’s not totally why I moved, but I have to say it was a factor in our move from Wisconsin to Portland, Oregon. (The dismaying turn in the politics, the loss of Russ Feingold, as just one example of that.) Here in Portlandia we have our own crazy governor, but he seems crazy in the blinded-by-love category. But hey, we’re about to have the country’s first openly bisexual governor!

    That’s something.

    I hope lots of people voted today in Wisconsin who would have skipped it without a little shove. I always did, if only to cancel out one of my crazier neighbors.

  15. guessingo
    Posted February 18, 2015 at 4:14 PM | Permalink

    We could create a White House petition asking that Patrick Rothfuss’s birth be a national holiday. You don’t have to leave the house to do that.

    • Chatles
      Posted February 19, 2015 at 12:49 AM | Permalink

      Better yet the date “Name of the wind” got published, and then again for “Wise Man’s Fear” and in the future same for “Doors of Stone”.

  16. Chatles
    Posted February 19, 2015 at 12:52 AM | Permalink

    I personally must admit I am easy to satisfy with a book, but your work goes far beyond that, should i see any of the boxes you shall have mine vote. I have gotten a number of my friends that curse my name for introducing your work to them, the bunch of ungrateful impatient wretches. I on the other hand am a reader and i will find something to keep myself occupied in the meantime. (currently reading “The Line of Polity” by Neal Asher.

  17. April
    Posted February 19, 2015 at 6:20 PM | Permalink

    This isn’t related… but I seem to remember that you love Girl Genius, Pat. Are you aware of this?
    https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/killer-robot-games/legendary-showdown-machines-and-magic

  18. katie
    Posted February 20, 2015 at 9:31 PM | Permalink

    I just needed to pass this along in case you had not seen it. A wind map of the US. Very pretty, hypnotizing and…well…flow-y. Not voting related :(

    http://hint.fm/wind/?utm_source=of+a+kind&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=10+things+newsletter

  19. Dore
    Posted February 26, 2015 at 12:29 AM | Permalink

    For some reason, those notes makes me think of this clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lzS8yW8INA

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