Why spending $50 to be eligible to vote for the Hugos is actually a really good deal

As many of you know, I’m one of this year’s finalists for the prestigious Campbell Award for best new writer. The winners will be decided by the folks that have bought voting memberships to WorldCon.  If you aren’t already attending WorldCon, you can purchase a Voting Membership for $50.

But why would you do that? (other than to vote for me, obviously…)

Howard Tayler pointed out something awesome today. There are actually some perks to buying a Voting Membership other than voting for me. (though that is by far the most important of all possible reasons).

http://www.schlockmercenary.com/blog/46-for-50-hugo-packet 

You actually get a whole mess of e-book reading material out of the deal, and at e-book prices, you’re actually getting one heck of a deal.  A few years ago they started putting together samples of all of the Hugo nominated author’s work into a big package for the voters to go over, so they could actually read the nominated stuff in question.

http://www.renovationsf.org/hugo-packet.php

All of the novels that are eligible for best novel are there to download. Blackout, Cryoburn, The Dervish House, Feed, and The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. If you were to buy just those, that would eat up most of the cost of the Voting Membership.

But wait, there’s more!

I’ve always wanted to say that… In addition, the novels of the Campbell finalists (like Monster Hunter International) are on there. Dan Well’s excellent I Am Not A Serial Killer is there too. (which I’ve plugged many times, and if I wasn’t also in the running, I’d be encouraging ya’ll to go vote for Dan).  Moxyland by Lauren Beukes is up there too, as are samples of Lev Grossman’s and Saladin Ahmed’s stuff. (the other Campbell finalists, though I am clearly the only one with a cover featuring a big dude holding a shotgun and a severed head… I’m just sayin’)

And if that wasn’t enough, you’ve also got all of the short stories, novellas, novelletes (including the story that just won the Nebula Award written by my friend Eric James St0ne).  And just when you think it can’t get any better (kind of like the Sham-Wow) all of the graphic novels are there too, like Girl Genius, Fables, a couple others that I haven’t looked at yet, and the always excellent Schlock Mercenary by Howard Tayler. (a man so awesome that John Ringo writes epic space operas starring a thinly veiled version of him… How do you know when you are the best? When John Ringo has to base the man that saves the universe on you).

So basically, that’s a ton of really good reading for only $50.  And then you can VOTE!  

And just like the Oscars, you’d be surprised how few votes actually determine the winners.

This is where you can join:  http://www.renovationsf.org/register.php   The voting is open until July.

The writers/publishers don’t get paid for this. The money goes to pay for WorldCon. Which believe me, we are all perfectly happy about.

ConDuit in Salt Lake City this weekend
How to save money, if you are complete and total idiot

7 thoughts on “Why spending $50 to be eligible to vote for the Hugos is actually a really good deal”

  1. OK, so I did this, registered online via CC. Any idea how long before they email me my ID and PIN so I can get this?

  2. OK, now I need to figure out how to make this happen. This is a great deal.
    You wouldn’t be up against my personal friends, so I don’t see a conflict.
    And, your stuff is the must buy right now stuff. This puts you in the same class as Ringo, Hamilton, Stirling & Weber for me. That should inflate your ego to match your shoe size. 😉
    That means I like your stuff. Even if you won’t come to Colorado.

  3. Any idea if the e-book stuff comes in a Nook-friendly format? Had to ask that, cuz unfortunately $50 is more than my wife will allow me to spend unless its for ammo. But you’ve got my (unofficial and non-counted) vote anyway!

    1. The formats are listed on the renovation page – it looks like most of the long fiction that’s non-graphical is in epub, except blackout, which doesn’t list its formats, so that one’s unknown. If they ever email me my ID and PIN I’ll download things and confirm it.

      1. “Blackout” is only PDF, in my copy. EPUB, PDF and RTF are the other formats I’ve seen.

        I don’t know if I got all of the downloads, but what I did get was 880mb.

        I’d read 3 of the Hugo nominees – now for the other two!

        (The number of votes necessary for a Campbell last year was…interesting.) 🙂

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