On the 1st September 2016 I started Chill Awards. Little did I know back then it would rapidly turn into an internationally recognized Award for Independent Authors.
During the last six years a few things have changed, but the ethos I started out with has not. Chill Awards has always been, and still is, to help shine a light on great books written by Independent Authors.
One of the changes over the years is that there is no fee to submit a book. Another change is that due to the Awards being popular the early years of having to wait for around six weeks has changed to at least three months for a result. This is due to the volume of books submitted – each book submitted is read by three Chill readers. Of course, I could close submissions so there are fewer books in the Award programme, but I simply don’t want to do that. Instead, I continue to canvass for more readers – there can never be enough readers to read all the submissions. If you would like to read for free and find new authors, then please contact me.
I cannot express my thank enough to ever single Chill reader who has given their time to read and evaluate the hundreds of books that have been submitted. Sadly, not all books receive an Award, though many do.
Chill Awards takes up many hours of my time. From submission to an Award and all that it entails both in admin and processing readers’ feedback and Award promotion banners to promoting the author’s award on social media. It is vital too that I make sure every reader has plenty of books to choose from and that they receive the correct files and forms of the books they want to read - readers like authors are scattered all over the world. It is a 24/7 operation.
Sadly, there is a downside to running Chill Awards, one I had naively not expected. It seems, that some authors, feel there is no need to say thank you - what has happened to these two words? Some completely ignore all the information I send to them for their Award. I would like to say this is rare, but of recent it is common! And, worse, there are those who demand to know why their book hasn’t been read in a timely manner. One author even suggested what I was running a scam! It is beyond me, that trying to help others, at no cost to them and plenty to me, can create such unkindness.
I do hope, in the coming years, I will be announcing more anniversaries, but unfortunately, it will depend on how authors treat me!
In the
meantime, please raise a glass to the sixth Anniversary of Chill Awards and to helping
Independent authors shine a light on their hard work.
Cheers!
Until we
talk again, I hope the sun is shining on your face and in your heart.
Pauline
2 comments:
Thank you Pauline, I know from my own running of Discovering Diamonds how hard it is and how much time it takes. (DDRevs is now sadly closed because it WAS too much work and I too got fed up with the lack of thank yous and the rudeness from some authors!)
How on earth can Chill be a scam when you're not making money out of it? *words fail*!
So again, thank you, I think you're marvellous!
Hello Helen, thank you for your kind words. Also a big thank you for all your support. Authors have lost a huge supporter in you and your DDRevs, but sadly, though it is not all, authors have created a situation that makes you stop and think about helping them. Thank you again.
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