Comments: One of the more interesting things about the WSFA Small Press Award is that is is judged anonymously - before the stories on the short list are given over to the members of WSFA to read and vote upon, the names of the authors of the stories and the publications in which the stories appeared in are removed. This means that particular authors or publications gain no benefit from any name recognition that might boost their standing, leaving the writing itself as the sole guide for the voters.
The net result of the WSFA voting system is to make it is quite possible for a lesser-known author to beat out an established "name" in the genre. In 2008, this was demonstrated quite handily as relatively new writer Tom Doyle won the award over a strong field that included works by established industry stalwarts Elizabeth Bear and Jeff VanderMeer.
WSFA Small Press Award
The Wizard of Macatawa by Tom Doyle (reviewed in The Wizard of Macatawa and Other Stories)
Other Nominees:
Bufo Rex by Erik Amundsen
Orm the Beautiful by Elizabeth Bear
Harry the Crow by John Kratman
Mask of the Ferret by Ken Pick and Alan Loewen
The Third Bear by Jeff VanderMeer
Go to previous year's nominees: 2007
Go to subsequent year's nominees: 2009
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