2005 GenCon ENnies

[Dextra]

Hi all,

I've just been selected as Grand Poobah (working title) for the 2005 GenCon ENnies.

I'm working on strategies to improve the visibility and sustainability of the awards, and look forward to spending a lot of time listening to publishers and addressing their concerns.

First of all, though, I'm going to write up a mission statement and get the ball rolling on the category and judge selection, and designate an official ENnie Publisher Relations person.

I hope you'll all help us make this year's ENnies the best one yet. If ever you want to contact me, my email addy is dextra@ambient.ca. If you want to do some voice, email me and I'll send you my phone number. Your opinions really are important, as is your participation and continued satisfaction.

Be well, stay warm.

 

[JVisgaitis]

Hi Denise,

Congratulations. I wish you the best in working with the Ennies this year, and if you ever need any help or ideas, just give us a yell.

Good luck,

 

[Dextra]

Issues

I just waded through a gazillion posts, and have distilled them down to a few issues. OK, there's actually more issues, but some of them I'm just not prepared to deal with right now. Let's just leave it at that I and a team assembled of ENWorlder volunteers will do our darndest to increase the visibility of the awards at GenCon, elsewhere in the industry, and at the retail level, at the same time, ensuring their sustainability. To do so, we'll need money. We'll need to reduce costs, and raise bucks. Here's what I propose (honestly, these are just my thoughts after midnight, and things are still open for discussion):

1. The creation of a mission statement/mandate for the awards.

2. The appointment of two PR people: one Public Relations/Advertising/Marketing, and one Publisher Relations person.

3. Publishers ship their products directly to each of the five judges. One judge receives two copies, one of which is autographed, suitable for auction/fundraising. This option would not only reduce the costs dramatically, it would mean that the judges could have much more time to consider each nominated product. Publishers could send out the books as soon as they were released along with their review copies. If any judge also happened to be a reviewer, the publisher just saved on shipping out a review copy!

4. Eliminate the physical trophies (except maybe for the best publisher award). Present a framed certificate instead. This is the next biggest expense and worry- making and shipping trophies, getting them engraved on time, etc. Does anyone really need another dust collector on their shelf? Sure, I like mine, but a framed certificate would've been equally acceptable in my eyes. Besides, shipping 'em home after the ceremony is scary, hoping they don't break.

5. Finally, categories. These will be finalized once the new judges are chosen, but I thought I'd bring up the (slightly modified) list I'd generated ages ago (and that seemed to receive support):

1. Best Aid or Accessory
2. Best Cartography
3. Best Art (Cover)
4. Best Art (Interior)
5. Best Graphic Design & Layout
   
6. Best Adventure
7. Best Campaign Setting or Setting Supplement
8. Best Rules Supplement
9. Best Monster Supplement
   
10. Best Free Product or Web Enhancement
11. Best Electronic Product (not free)
12. Best Fan Site
13. Best d20 Game
    
14. Best Publisher (Overall)
15. Peer Award
16. Best N00b (newcomer publisher/writer/artist/site)

I'd like to keep this discussion to the publishers only for the moment, please. I'll open up another thread in General later for all my ENWorld peeps. Thank you, and good night.

 

[JVisgaitis]

You know, I responded to this and I guess it never was posted. Grrr. . . I'm actually surprised this has sat for so long without a response. I assume everyone is busy for the Holidays.

I just waded through a gazillion posts, and have distilled them down to a few issues.

May I suggest providing links to those posts? I would do this myself, but EN World's site crawls for me. My questions/ideas:

-What do you plan on doing to increase public awareness? I have a lot of ideas, but I'm curious to know what your take is.

-Is this years Ennies open to all RPGs?

-Have you chosen the PR people? If not, are you taking resumes?

-I think a physical award should still be able to be purchased by any winner. I'd mark it up to ofset costs.

-Publishers shipping the products is going to raise some ire. To cut down on this, I would maybe suggest selling all of the products at the booth with a cut of the proceeds raised going to EN World. Might work, might not. I'm just tossing ideas.

-How do you plan on handling the Gold and Silver awards? I am of the firm opinion that there should be a People's Choice and a Judges Choice Award, but that is just me.

That's all for now.

 

[Justin D. Jacobson]

Congratulations and good luck. It looks like your already well on top of things.

My only question is why a separate category for monster book? It sticks out on that list like a sore thumb. Indeed, a monster book is merely a subset of "rules supplement". Plus, what will qualify as a "monster book?" Any book that includes monsters (e.g., Poisoncraft has a chapter with monsters, but I wouldn't call it a monster book)? Would an NPC book qualify? A book of alien species? It seems to me that trying to parse it out into its own category might make for a wealth of headaches.

Just my 2 cp.

 

[jmucchiello]

You know, I responded to this and I guess it never was posted. Grrr. . . I'm actually surprised this has sat for so long without a response. I assume everyone is busy for the Holidays.

No, it's just we're a little tired of posting about the ENnies.

May I suggest providing links to those posts?

No, don't!! Someone will respond and the threads will be return like the undead horrors they are.

My only question is why a separate category for monster book?

Likewise, why 4 presentation awards (Best layout, best art cover, best art interior, best cartography)? Where are the separate writing awards such as "Best Adventure Plot", "Best Adventure Execution" and "Best Adventure Balance"? (Note: I'm being facetious.)

At least ditch best art interior and rename cover art to just art.

 

[malladin]

...why 4 presentation awards (Best layout, best art cover, best art interior, best cartography)? Where are the separate writing awards such as "Best Adventure Plot", "Best Adventure Execution" and "Best Adventure Balance"? (Note: I'm being facetious.)

I think the idea, Joe, is to award the artist as an individual as opposed to the company, but I maybe wrong. If not, then perhaps it should be, like in the oscars the actopr gets nominated for their acting and the director/producers have separate awards for the film as a whole.

At least ditch best art interior and rename cover art to just art.

I support this point, though. Maybe call it "best peice of art" and allow the artists themselves to submit...?

Okay, just another point. I did make this point on a previous Ennie thread, but I joined late and so my idea didn't get much consideration (although it may have been that it was a crap idea, but I thought I'd repost it so that everyone can at least tell me as such as last time I got no comments).

My idea is thus; in the last threads on such topics publishers were 'complaining' that winning or being nominated for an Ennie didn't have much impact on sales as products usually only sell well for the first two months. My suggestion is that products should be submitted to judges as they are released and those of good enough quality should be added to a short list, which is notified straight away. That way a publisher can get a good hit in sales as they can advertise a product as 'Ennie Shortlisted' shortly after it is released. If they could send a PDF before the book is actually sent to the printers they might even be able to add a logo on the front of the book if they get the shortlisting. This would help both the products and the public awareness of the Ennies (and possibly ENWorld itself).

Anyway, feel free to rip that to shreads if you think its a stupid idea .

Cheerio,

Ben

 

[Klaus]

Congrats on the head-honchoness, Dextra!

 

[GMSkarka]

I think the idea, Joe, is to award the artist as an individual as opposed to the company, but I maybe wrong.

...and I think Joe's point was if you're going to award the artist as an individual, as opposed to the company, why aren't you doing the same for the writers, who do more of the work?

It doesn't make sense to do one and not the other.

 

[Red Spire Press]

Thanks for taking on the mantle.

The disclaimer to my comment is that I'm especially sensitive about art, as it is such a large focus for our company. We believe presentation is huge.

That being said, I definitely think best interior art should remain as an award category along with best cover art, as one does not necessarily reflect on the other.

I agree with the comments on best monster supplement being redundant, and a greater emphasis on writers.

Just one small publisher's feedback. Cheers.