Thursday 1 September 2022

Happy 6th Anniversary to Chill Awards - The Ups and the Downs

 


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.

 Take care

Pauline



2 comments:

  1. A very happy anniversary to Chill! I'm delighted to have received Chill Awards for my Roma Nova books, including Book of the Month for INSURRECTIO.When I launched my new contemporary crime thriller series, I was so pleased to receive a Chill Award for the first one. And I add rhe award badge to each book's page - with pride - on my own website. Thank you so much, Pauline and team!

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  2. well, a bit late but 'Happy Anniversary' to a very deserving award service and a very lovely lady. It is beyond me why some authors take the negative path of complaining because they didn't get the fall-over backwards praise they were expecting - not accepting that their book isn't quite the Booker Prize they think it to be, while other polite and grateful authors are thrilled to receive a Chill Award and appreciate it for what it is - impartially given honesty! Thank you Pauline - and thank you to your team of readers!

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