I Need Your Advice: “For Your Award Consideration”

[EDIT:  I mistakenly said that one book had a nomination.  This was incorrect – it has a recommendation.  This was an error of ignorance, and I apologize for any confusion.]

[EDIT :  Rocky Wood of the HWA kindly took the time to point out the instructions for juried submissions for the Stokers, which I had completely missed.]

Seriously, I need your help and advice.

 This year, as Alliteration Ink, I’ve published five books which can qualify for various awards:

The Crimson Pact Volume Three – Horror/Dark Fantasy Anthology
The Crimson Pact Volume Four – Horror/Dark Fantasy Anthology
See No Evil, Say No Evil – Poetry Anthology
Dangers Untold – Horror/Dark Fantasy Anthology
Eighth Day Genesis: A Worldbuilding Codex (nonfiction/related work)

The first four could qualify for a Stoker Award, while the last qualifies for an Origins Award and an ENnie Award.  I’m also pretty sure most or all of them could also qualify for Hugos, Nebulas, and the like.  (Actually, The Crimson Pact Volume Four has already gotten one RECOMMENDATION for a Stoker.)  Not to mention that (unless I’ve read the rules wrongly) each of the short stories in those anthologies could also be nominated for a separate award.

Some of those awards have a central recommendations committee – the Origins Award and ENnies come to mind.  I simply make sure they have the books in their hands by the proper dates, and there it is!

The others…

…well, I’ve already started getting unsolicited “For your consideration for the Stoker Awards” e-mails.1  And while I don’t mind getting free stuff, I’m well aware that many (or even most?) folks in the HWA simply delete those unread.

But damn, I think these books deserve these awards.

So here’s my problem.  I want to get these books in front of people who can nominate (and vote!) on various awards.  (The Stoker awards are first up, but this applies to the rest as well.)   At the same time, I’m thinking there has to be a better way than simply sending blind e-mails to the entire mailing list of these organizations.

I want to make sure people know about these books I really think are awesome… while not being an overpromoting douchebag.

So what’s your advice?  Go ahead and e-mail people?  Just reach out to the people I know personally, who may not have had a chance to read the books in question?

What do you think?

Please leave a comment here, send me a message on Twitter (@alliterationink or @uriel1998) or send me an e-mail me [email protected]

1 The ones I’ve gotten are very, very careful to make sure they comply with the letter of the rules.