2004 Ennie Award Categories and Rules of Entry

[Vigilance]

Paul, when a product is submitted we don't "nominate" it for a category.

We merely send in product, then the judges decide if it merits a nomination at all, and if it does, what categories it is nominated in.

I think it works really well myself.

Chuck

 

[Vigilance]

I also agree the publisher should have no input in what categories a product goes into... seems needlessly comlplicated... with a lot of back and forth between publishers and judges involved.

Ideally once a product is submitted all contact between judges and publishers should cease about the products submitted.

Chuck

 

[Ghostwind]

Sorry Morrus, but I'm going to pick on you for a second regarding your statement about refusing awards. Do you really believe for a second that IF a publisher were to refuse an award that it wouldn't be taken as a snub to the whole awards by this community? Given the firestorm that happened over last year's post awards discussion regarding books and the categories they were placed in, I can't help but think that should a publisher refuse an award, he would instantly be thought of as an ungreatful and egotistical lout that feels he's too good for the awards. There should be a mechanism for withdrawl should the publisher desire that.

It would seem to me that should a category be eliminated or consolidated, it would be a matter of politeness with minimal effort to simply fire off an email to those publishers stating that product X has been moved to category Y and that they need to respond if they do not want the book in that category. For example, if Mongoose sent in a product, say Conan, for best licensed setting and the judges only nominated it for best cover art, Mongoose should have the right to ask the book be removed from consideration. I think this is what Mark is getting at.

Another point has to do with Chuck's comment. The judges should not be deciding what product goes to what category, that should be up to the publisher. After all, the publisher is submitting what he feels is his best product for that particular category. To move it into a different category or decide all categories period may not play to that book's strengths. This is another reason why the publisher should be able to choose the category for the submission. If the judges feel it doesn't qualify for that category, then it doesn't get nominated. My above example also works for this. If Conan doesn't look good enough for best licensed setting, then why should the judges say, "You know, it's not a good nomination for licensed product, but the cover art really rocks so let's give it a nomination there instead." You're doing the publisher an injustice. If you want to help establish the credibility, the categories need to be established and locked in and the publisher needs to have a say about where their product is headed. Otherwise, you risk damaging the overall perception of the awards to those that are a part of the industry but not a part of this community. Especially as you make plans to expand the awards in future years to become more of a Gen Con event.

 

[kingpaul]

Paul, when a product is submitted we don't "nominate" it for a category.

Alright, I'm a bit confused then. Last year, when I submitted PCGen for consideration, I also listed the award categories that we, the PCGen BoD, wanted it to be considered for. Was that not the process last year? If so, has the process changed for this year?

 

[Crothian]

Publishers do submit products for a particuliar category. Last year of the 150+ products we got submitted I remember moving 2 books. The first was M&M's Freedom City, the second was Slaine.

If I'm remembering correctly Freedom City was a better fit in one category then the one it was submitted for, so it just got moved (Best setting Suppliment to Best Setting). Slaine was entered as bast cover but we felt that it was really good so we also entered it in the category that it won the silver for; Best d20 Game.

 

[Mark]

There should be a mechanism for withdrawl should the publisher desire that.

It would seem to me that should a category be eliminated or consolidated, it would be a matter of politeness with minimal effort to simply fire off an email ... I think this is what Mark is getting at.

...

The judges should not be deciding what product goes to what category, that should be up to the publisher. ... If you want to help establish the credibility, the categories need to be established and locked in and the publisher needs to have a say about where their product is headed. Otherwise, you risk damaging the overall perception of the awards to those that are a part of the industry but not a part of this community. Especially as you make plans to expand the awards in future years to become more of a Gen Con event.

Better said than I.

 

[Morrus]

Hmmm.

OK, on the entry form I will include a check box which says "Tick here if you don't want to be considered for additional awards to the ones specified".

I can't imagine why anyone would tick that, though.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Should we have any more information for people who are interested in submitting products? I've had a few publishers ask me where they'd sent stuff. Should I refer them onwards to our own very special librarian?

 

[PosterBoy]

Should we have any more information for people who are interested in submitting products? I've had a few publishers ask me where they'd sent stuff. Should I refer them onwards to our own very special librarian?

I was wondering this myself. Is there going to be an Ennie page somewhere within information on where (and how many copies) to send stuff?

 

[jmucchiello]

Shouldn't this thread be sticky'd?