Rules for Bram Stoker Award

The Bram Stoker Awards change for works published in 2011 to include a partial Jury system and new Categories. Note that these are for works published in 2011 (and have no impact upon works published in 2010, for which the Bram Stoker Rules for 2010 apply). In summary - Categories The annual Bram Stoker Awards for Superior Achievement may be presented in the following categories for specific works (* new categories marked):

Superior Achievement in a Novel

Superior Achievement in a First Novel

Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel (*)

Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel (*)

Superior Achievement in Long Fiction

Superior Achievement in Short Fiction

Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection

Superior Achievement in a Screenplay (*)

Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection

Superior Achievement in an Anthology

Superior Achievement in Nonfiction

Move to a Partial Jury system:

Prior to the start of each Awards year, HWA's President will select a Bram Stoker Awards Chairperson(s). The Chairperson(s) will then select five jurors for each of the Bram Stoker Awards categories; those jurors will be drawn from volunteers within the organization, who are also required to be Active members. A juror is allowed to sit on more than one jury; however, a juror is ineligible to compete in any category for which they sit on a jury in that awards year. Jurors are asked to commit to: 1) Reading a significant amount of work throughout the year; 2) conferring with other jurors in their category; and 3) being as objective as possible when considering works.

"Spamming" any member of a jury (i.e., an author making unsolicited requests to have their own work considered) will result in immediate disqualification of that work. Those wishing to bring their work to the attention of jury members may do so only by following the Rules established for that purpose.

At the end of each awards year, jurors in each category will select their top five works, which will then move onto the preliminary ballot; the remaining five works in each category will be those receiving the most Recommendations from the members (where a work appears on both the Jury and Recommendation it will thereafter only appear on the Jury list – see section VIIg of the Rules). In the preliminary ballot the Top Five Recommend Works and the Five Juried selections in each category will be voted on by Active Members to determine three Recommended Works and Three Juried works for a total of six works to appear on the Final Bram Stoker ballot in that category. The Final ballot will be voted on by HWA's Active members to determine category winner(s).

Authorised by Resolution of the Board of Directors, Horror Writers Association

2011 Bram Stoker Awards Rules

These Rules are enacted by vote of the Active Members of the Horror Writers Association, and are effective immediately for all works published in 2011. They supersede and replace all previous versions of the Bram Stoker Awards Rules. These Rules are established to comply with Section X of the Horror Writers Association ByLaws effective 23 March 2010, as enacted by a vote of the Active Members of the Horror Writers Association.

The section reads in full:

X. Awards

The Horror Writers Association shall present annual awards to honor outstanding creative performance in the field of Horror and Dark Fantasy. These awards shall be known as the Bram Stoker Awards for Superior Achievement.

The recipients of the Bram Stoker Awards for Superior Achievement shall be chosen, and the Awards presented, in accord with procedures established by the Bram Stoker Award Rules. The Bram Stoker Award Rules shall be enacted subsequent to the ratification of these Bylaws by a vote of the Board. The Bram Stoker Award Rules for each year shall be set by the Board no later than 31 December for the subsequent year (and no later than 31 July in 2010 for the 2011 publication year) and publicly advised to all Members no later than 14 January for the year to which they apply (and no later than 14 August in 2010 for the 2011 publication year). This Bylaw applies only to the Awards for works published in 2011 and subsequently. The previous version of this Bylaw remains in place for works published during 2009 and 2010.

In any year the Board may choose to present Bram Stoker Lifetime Achievement Awards to any individual. No more than three Lifetime Achievement Awards may be given in any one calendar year.

I. Nature of the Awards

Annual presentation: Each year the Horror Writers Association presents Awards for outstanding writing in the dark fantasy/horror/occult genre.
Superior Achievement: In recognition of the unique nature of every writer's work and the impossibility of comparing unlike stories and judging one of them "best," the HWA schews the label "Best of the Year" in favor of "for Superior Achievement."
Name: These awards are named in honor of Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula.

II. Administration of the Awards

The following ‘Plain English’ summary of the process established by these Rules as governing the Bram Stoker Awards for Superior Achievement is for informational purposes only. Any difference between this Summary and the effect of any Rule(s) is unintentional and the Rules themselves will apply in the case of any contention. Prior to the start of each Awards year, HWA's President will select a Bram Stoker Awards Chairperson(s). The Chairperson(s) will then select five jurors for each of the Bram Stoker Awards categories; those jurors will be drawn from volunteers within the organization, who are also required to be Active members. A juror is allowed to sit on more than one jury; however, a juror is ineligible to compete in any category for which they sit on a jury in that awards year. Jurors are asked to commit to: 1) Reading a significant amount of work throughout the year; 2) conferring with other jurors in their category; and 3) being as objective as possible when considering works.

"Spamming" any member of a jury (i.e., an author making unsolicited requests to have their own work considered) will result in immediate disqualification of that work. Those wishing to bring their work to the attention of jury members may do so only by following the Rules established for that purpose.

At the end of each awards year, jurors in each category will select their top five works, which will then move onto the preliminary ballot; the remaining five works in each category will be those receiving the most Recommendations from the members (where a work appears on both the Jury and Recommendation it will thereafter only appear on the Jury list – see section VIIg of the Rules). In the preliminary ballot the Top Five Recommend Works and the Five Juried selections in each category will be voted on by Active Members to determine three Recommended Works and Three Juried works for a total of six works to appear on the Final Bram Stoker ballot in that category. The Final ballot will be voted on by HWA's Active members to determine category winner(s).

Awards Committee: The Bram Stoker Awards for Superior Achievement will be overseen by the HWA Awards Committee. The Awards Committee includes the following positions:

Chairman
Compiler of Recommendations
Verifier of Eligibility
Trustee Member
At-Large Member(s) (optional)

Chairman of the Awards Committee: The Chairman of the Awards Committee is appointed by the President of HWA, and may be any member of HWA other than the President himself. The President may appoint co-Chairman. The Chairman is responsible for general oversight of the awards process, for ensuring that the officers and other committee members carry out their assigned duties in the awards process, and for other duties as described elsewhere in these rules. The Chairman will consult with the Chairman of the Lifetime Achievement Award Committee (described in Section V). The Chairman serves indefinitely; he may resign at any time, or may be removed by the President at any time.
Compiler of Recommendations: The Compiler of Recommendations is appointed by the President of HWA, and may be any member of HWA. The Compiler of Recommendations will receive and compile recommendations on a monthly basis. His e-mail address will appear prominently in every issue of the newsletter. His duties are further described under Section VI ("Recommendations"), below. The Compiler serves indefinitely; he may resign at any time, or may be removed by the President at any time. In the event that the Compiler resigns or is removed, he will turn over all records to his successor as soon as possible and will promptly forward any misdirected recommendations received thereafter.
verifier of Eligibility: The Verifier of Eligibility is appointed by the President of HWA, and may be any member of HWA other than the President himself. The Verifier of Eligibility is responsible for determining whether recommended works are eligible, and ensuring that no ineligible work is included on the Preliminary Ballot or Final Ballot, in accordance with the rules below, particularly Rule IVc and Rules VIj through VIm. The Verifier serves indefinitely; he may resign at any time, or may be removed by the President at any time.
Trustee Member: The Trustee Member of the Awards Committee is appointed by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and must be a current member of the Board. The Chairman may take the position himself if he chooses. The Trustee Member serves as liaison between the committee and the Board, and is responsible for whatever duties the Chairman of the Awards Committee may reasonably assign. The Trustee Member serves until the end of his term as Trustee, or he may resign at any time, or may be removed by the Chairman of the Board at any time.
f.At-Large Member: At-Large Members of the Awards Committee are appointed by the President as he may see fit, and may be any member of HWA other than Trustees, including the President himself. At-Large Members are responsible for whatever duties the Chairman of the Awards Committee may reasonably assign. At-Large members serve until the end of the current President's term of office; they may resign at any time, or may be removed by the President at any time. No At-Large Members are required, and a maximum of twenty are permitted.
Multiple Positions: The Awards Committee may consist of anywhere from one to twenty-four members, at the discretion of the President. One member may hold up to four positions within the committee. (The Trustee Member cannot be an At-Large Member. All other combinations are permissible.) The positions of Chairman, Compiler of Recommendations, Verifier of Eligibility, and Trustee Member must be filled; At-Large Member is optional. All members, regardless of status, are eligible for all committee positions. Voting within the committee will be by member, rather than position -- that is, a member holding two positions still has only one vote.
Eligibility for Awards: Members of all HWA committees and all positions on the Awards Committee remain eligible for the Bram Stoker Awards. However, members of the Awards Committee should be alert to the possible appearance of impropriety, and in the event that any committee member is under serious consideration for an award, that member should confer with the President about the advisability of resigning from the committee.
Overlapping Committees: No member of HWA may serve simultaneously on the Awards Committee and either the Lifetime Achievement Award Committee.
Committee Votes: In the event that a vote of the Awards Committee is called for on any matter, a majority of the membership of the committee will be sufficient to decide, except as under Rule Xc ("Substitution") below. If a vote ends in a tie, the Chairman shall decide the issue. Committee members who believe such a decision by the Chairman to be unwise may appeal it to the President of HWA.
Final Authority: In the event that the Awards Committee fails to carry out any of its duties or is unable to reach a decision on any matter within its jurisdiction, the President or the President's designee may act in the Committee's stead to ensure the smooth operation of the awards process. In all disputes within the committee the President shall have final authority. In any case where a member of HWA, or the author of a work under consideration, believes the committee to have acted wrongly or made an error, that member or author may appeal the decision to the President. The President's decision will be final.

III. General Eligibility

Fiction: To be eligible for the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement, a work of fiction must exhibit intrinsic story values that by general agreement identify it as a work of dark fantasy, horror, or the occult. A work need not contain any supernatural element to be considered horror.
Nonfiction: To be eligible, a work of nonfiction -- including but not limited to criticism, biography, autobiography, scholarly analysis, and reference -- must be related to one or more of the above-mentioned three facets of the horror field.
Award Year: Awards shall be given on a calendar-year basis. To be eligible for the awards in a particular calendar year, a work must be published for the first time in that calendar year, between January 1 and December 31. The awards for a given year will have that date engraved on the trophy and will be considered that year's awards, and will be presented the following year.
Book Publication Date: In the case of works first published in book form -- novels, fiction collections, anthologies, graphic novels, and nonfiction -- the original year of first release of the volume will determine eligibility. Allowances will be made for typographical errors and publisher delays in releasing material printed with earlier dates (for example, the volume is printed with 2010 as the publication year but it was not released until August 2011). If no date of publication or release is listed, the Verifier of Eligibility will make his best effort to determine the date on which the work became generally available.
Magazine Publication Date: In the case of works first appearing in magazines or other periodicals, the date of the issue of publication which appears on the magazine, commonly referred to as the "cover date" -- rather than the date of distribution -- will determine eligibility. If there is no cover date the date of first release will apply. If no date of publication or release is listed, the Verifier of Eligibility will make his best effort to determine the date on which the work became generally available.
Anthology Publication Date: In the case of stories first appearing in a hardcover or softcover anthology, the original year of publication for the entire volume, as it appears on the copyright page, will determine eligibility of the individual original works therein. Allowances will be made for typographical errors and publisher delays in releasing material printed with earlier dates (for example, the volume is printed with 2010 as the publication year but it was not released until August 2011). If no date of publication or release is listed, the Verifier of Eligibility will make his best effort to determine the date on which the work became generally available.
Network Publication Date: In the case of works first appearing in a form distributed over electronic networks, including but not limited to the World Wide Web, e-mail, or subscriber online services, the Verifier of Eligibility will use his best efforts to determine the date when the work was first accessible to the public. If the Verifier is unable to find evidence for a date, and there is any realistic question of eligibility, the date of publication will be assumed to be sixty (60) days prior to receipt by the Compiler of Recommendations of the first recommendation of the work.
Screenwriting: The date the film or television episode is first screened publicly in its final form will determine eligibility of the individual works therein. Film festivals will be regarded as the first public screening if the piece is first screened in that manner. In the case of direct to DVD films the reIease date will apply. If no date of release is listed, the Verifier of Eligibility will make his best effort to determine the date on which the film or television episode(s) became generally available to the public.
Other Publication Dates: If any work is first made available in a form other than those listed above, and the work bears a publication date on its cover or outer packaging, that date will determine eligibility. If there is no cover date, then the date of publication listed on the copyright page, in the indicia, or accompanying a copyright notice will be used to determine eligibility. If there is no cover date nor stated publication date, the date of copyright will determine eligibility. If there is no cover date, stated publication date, or copyright date, the Verifier of Eligibility will use his best efforts to determine the date when the work was first available to the public. If the Verifier is unable to find evidence for a date, and there is any realistic question of eligibility, the date of publication will be assumed to be sixty (60) days prior to receipt by the Compiler of Recommendations of the first recommendation of the work.
Serial Publication: If any work is published in instalments, whether in multiple issues of a magazine, or multiple books, or in periodic updates to an electronic work, or otherwise, eligibility will be determined by the date of the final instalment of the basic work. Revisions, commentary, and epilogues that are not essential and integral to an appreciation of the work will not be considered to be instalments of the basic work. Any instalment that presents itself as the final instalment will be considered the final instalment even if other instalments do in fact appear, and all such further instalments shall be ignored.
Withdrawal of Works: Any writer may remove their work for Bram Stoker Award consideration at any point in the Awards process up to and including the Final Ballot. Only the writer (not a publisher or agent) may issue this instruction, which should be addressed to the President of the HWA, who will immediately inform the Awards Chairman, who will take the appropriate action, which will include informing the relevant Jury if the withdrawal is prior to the Preliminary Ballot being determined. The writer may request withdrawal of their work from the recommendations list, jury consideration, the preliminary ballot, or the final ballot, or all of these.
Withdrawal of Limited Editions Allowed: Works that initially appear in limited numbered editions of fewer than 751 copies and do not receive their primary publication until the following calendar year may be withdrawn; in such case, the author may elect to withdraw the book from awards consideration in the year of its limited release and have it considered instead in the year of its general release. The writer may request this form of withdrawal of their work from the recommendations list, jury consideration, the preliminary ballot, or the final ballot.
Foreign Publication: The purpose of HWA is to promote dark fantasy/horror/occult fiction on an international basis. In this cause, and in recognition of the fact that the primary criterion for the Bram Stoker Award should be quality, work will be eligible for awards regardless of the author's country of residence, citizenship, or native language. However, in recognition of the actual composition of the membership, the work must be available in the English language to be eligible.
Translation: In the case of work translated from another language, eligibility will be determined not by the year of first publication but by the year of first publication in English.
Works Published by HWA: Publications of HWA in sum and in part, including but not limited to the HWA Newsletter, the HWA Internet Mailer, and all works whose publication HWA has paid for or authorised, are expressly ineligible for the Bram Stoker Awards.
Adaptations and Expansions: Adaptations or expansions of previously-existing works are eligible only in categories other than the category of the previously-existing work.
General Eligibility of Works: There are no requirements for eligibility other than those stated in these rules. Anonymous works are eligible. Works created by committee, by mechanical means, or by any method whatsoever are eligible. Authors need not meet any criteria whatsoever. Works need not be professionally published, but must be published in some reviewable form available to at least 33% of HWA's eligible voters (self-published works are eligible but must meet this last criterion). In the event that the facts of a case are in doubt, or the rules are subject to interpretation, the rules should be interpreted inclusively, rather than exclusively -- that is, works of uncertain eligibility should be considered eligible.

IV. Award Categories

Available Categories: The annual Bram Stoker Awards for Superior Achievement may be presented in the following categories for specific works:

Superior Achievement in a Novel
Superior Achievement in a First Novel
Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel
Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel
Superior Achievement in Long Fiction
Superior Achievement in Short Fiction
Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection
Superior Achievement in a Screenplay
Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection
Superior Achievement in an Anthology
Superior Achievement in Nonfiction

These categories are defined below.

Each Category Optional: Which awards are presented in a given year will depend upon the outcome of the recommendation and jury processes and the voting on the preliminary and final ballots, as described below. There is no requirement that any minimum number of awards be presented.
Determination of Category: If any question arises of which category a work belongs in, the Verifier of Eligibility will, after reviewing the relevant rules and the character of the work in question, assign the work to the category he believes most appropriate. The author of the work in question, or any other interested party, may appeal this decision to the Chairman of the Awards Committee, whereupon the Chairman will hear arguments from both sides, confer with the Compiler of Recommendations, and rule upon the dispute. This ruling may in turn be appealed to the President by any interested party, whereupon the President, after hearing and considering the facts of the case, will make his own decision. The President's ruling is final.
Novel: A novel is hereby defined as a work of prose fiction at least 40,000 words in length. While a novel may be illustrated, and may include symbols or representations other than printed letters, without being disqualified, the essential prose character of the work is required. Non-linear texts or hypertext are novels if and only if the central narrative -- that is, the shortest telling of the complete story, beginning to end -- by itself, without commentary, footnotes, alternate paths, or other optional adjuncts, would constitute at least 40,000 words of prose fiction. If the length of a work is so close to 40,000 words as to make it impractical to determine whether it qualifies as a novel or as long fiction purely on the basis of word count, works initially published in book form unaccompanied by other fiction will be considered novels, while works initially published in magazines, in anthologies, in collections, or in omnibus volumes will be considered long fiction.
First Novel: A first novel is hereby defined as a novel, as defined above in Rule IVd ("Novel"), written by an author who has never before published a novel. Any previous work meeting the definition of "novel" in Rule IVd will disqualify an author's second or subsequent novel regardless of whether the previous work met any other eligibility requirements. This includes previous novels written under other names, or as work-for-hire. "Author" is defined as the natural person who created a novel, regardless of who owns the copyright or what name or names may appear on the published work. In the case of collaborative works, a novel must be the first novel by each of the participating authors -- a previous novel by any of the authors disqualifies the work. No previous work that fails to meet the definition of "novel" in Rule Vd will disqualify an author.
Graphic Novel: For purposes of this award, a graphic novel is defined as any trade paperback or hardcover book consisting of work of fiction in comic-book form; the work may be presented in an electronic form as well, provided the total length is equivalent to at least 48 printed pages. A graphic novel may be original, or may be a collection of previously-published individual comic books. In that case the date the collection is released is the year in which it is eligible for Bram Stoker consideration. Individual comic book issues are not eligible for this award. This award will be presented to the writer(s) only.
Young Adult Novel: For purposes of this award, young adult novels are defined as novels (see clause IVd) intended for the age group 14-21, with word length beginning at 20,000 words.
Screenplay: For purposes of this award, feature-length screenplays and episodic teleplays are eligible; screenplays filmed for direct-to-DVD features are also eligible. Unproduced scripts will not be eligible, nor will scripts for short films (a feature is defined as a movie with a running time of at least 70 minutes). This award will be presented to the writer(s) only.
Long Fiction: Long fiction is hereby defined as a work of prose fiction at least 7,500 words in length but no more than 39,999 words in length. While long fiction may be illustrated, and may include symbols or representations other than printed letters, without being disqualified, the essential prose character of the work is required. Non-linear texts or hypertext are long fiction if and only if the central narrative by itself, without commentary, alternate paths, or other optional adjuncts, would constitute at least 7,500, but no more than 39,999, words of prose fiction. If the length of a work is so close to 39,999 words as to make it impractical to determine whether it qualifies as a novel or as long fiction purely on the basis of word count, the criteria given in Rule IVd ("Novel") will be used to categorize the work. If the length of a work is so close to 7,500 words as to make it impractical to determine whether it qualifies as long fiction or short fiction purely on the basis of word count, the work will be considered long fiction.
Short Fiction: Short fiction is hereby defined as a work of prose fiction no more than 7,499 words in length. While short fiction may be illustrated, and may include symbols or representations other than printed letters, without being disqualified, the essential prose character of the work is required. Non-linear texts or hypertext are short fiction if and only if the central narrative by itself, without commentary, alternate paths, or other optional adjuncts, constitutes no more than 7,499 words of prose fiction. If the length of a work is so close to 7,499 words as to make it impractical to determine whether it qualifies as long fiction or short fiction purely on the basis of word count, the work will be considered long fiction.
Fiction Collection: A fiction collection is hereby defined as at least three works of prose fiction, all by a single author working either alone or in collaboration with one or more others, offered for sale or distribution as a single package, whether in book form, on audio tape, electronically, or by other means. The aggregate length of the stories must be at least 40,000 words. The package may include additional material, such as verse, nonfiction, or illustration, in addition to the fiction. The package must be presented by the publisher or distributor as a single work; a series of chapbooks, or an on-line source that simply happens to carry three or more stories by a single author, is not eligible. Individual stories in the collection may have been published prior to the award year, but the work as a whole must be new.
Poetry Collection: A collection of at least ten individual poems, all by an author working alone or in collaboration with one or more others, offered for sale or distribution as a single package, whether in book or chapbook form, on audio tape, electronically, or by other means. The package may include additional material, such as nonfiction, fiction, or illustration, in addition to the poetry. The package must be presented by the publisher or distributor as a single work; a series of pamphlets, or an on-line source that simply happens to carry ten or more poems by a single author or group of collaborators, is not eligible. Individual poems in the collection may have been published prior to the award year, but the work as a whole must be new.
Anthology: An anthology is hereby defined as at least three works of prose fiction by different authors, selected by an editor and offered for sale or distribution as a single package, whether in book form, on audio tape, electronically, or by other means. The aggregate length of the stories must be at least 60,000 words. The package may include additional material, such as verse, nonfiction, or illustration, in addition to the fiction. The package must be presented by the editor, publisher, or distributor as a single work; a series of chapbooks, or an on-line source that simply happens to carry three or more stories, is not eligible. Individual stories in the collection may have been published prior to the award year, but the work as a whole must be new. In addition, to be eligible for this award, no less than 60% of the material (calculated by number of stories) contained in the anthology must be original, that is, unpublished prior to its appearance in this volume. Note that this category is the only one in which the Bram Stoker Award is given in recognition of editing rather than writing. The award(s) in this category is presented to the editor or editors named on the cover of the anthology; if no editor's name appears, the award will be presented to the publisher. Anthologies commissioned by HWA or for which HWA receives payment in any form are not eligible for this award, though individual stories from such anthologies remain eligible in other categories.
Nonfiction: Nonfiction is hereby defined as a work of criticism, biography, autobiography, scholarly analysis, reference, commentary, opinion, or other factual material at least 40,000 words in aggregate length, in prose form. While it must be offered for sale or distribution as a single entity, it may be composed of several shorter works, as in a collection of essays.
Multiple Categories: Works may be eligible in both the "Novel", “Young Adult Novel” and "First Novel" categories, and may receive recommendations or awards in any combination of these three simultaneously. No other multiple eligibility is permitted.

V. Lifetime Achievement Award

Nature of Award: In addition to the category awards, on an as-deserved basis a Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement may be given to an individual whose work has substantially influenced the dark fantasy/horror/occult genre. While ordinarily this would go to an author whose body of work represents an extraordinary level of quality over an extended period of time, it may also recognize influential accomplishments in other creative fields.
Separate Procedure: The Lifetime Achievement Award is the most prestigious of all awards presented by the organization. It honors not merely the superior achievement embodied in a single work but acknowledges superior achievement in an entire career. Therefore, in order to prevent unseemly competition for this award and to prevent the impression that there are any losers in this category, this is the only award that will not be presented by a vote of the entire Active membership.
Selection of Committee: Each year, after October 1 but no later than February 1, the President of HWA shall appoint a five-member Lifetime Achievement Award Committee to be composed of Active Members drawn from widely varying geographic regions. The President will also make a reasonable effort to appoint a group of members whose writing represents the varied types of dark fantasy/horror/and occult fiction.
Restrictions on Committee Membership: No current elected officer or trustee of HWA may serve on the Lifetime Achievement Award Committee. No current member of the Awards Committee may serve on the Lifetime Achievement Award Committee. While members may serve for more than one year, without limit, each committee must be appointed by the current President, and that appointment announced in writing; no member may be assumed to stay on without presidential confirmation.
Committee Required: If for any reason the President fails to appoint a suitable committee, or fewer than five members agree to serve, or any member of the committee resigns before the committee's decision has been voted upon, then no Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement will be presented that year. No substitute mechanism may be employed.
Chairman: Upon appointing the Lifetime Achievement Award Committee, the president may name one of the five members as Chairman. If the president fails to name a chairman at the time of the initial appointment, the members of the committee may choose their own chairman by whatever means they prefer. If they are unable to select a chairman, they must petition the president to name one of them as chairman, and the president must fulfill this request in a timely fashion.
Recommendations: The Lifetime Achievement Award Committee will consider recommendations submitted by all members of HWA through the Compiler of Recommendations, but they will not be required to select a recipient from that list of recommendations. They will be encouraged only to use it as a guide.
Discussion: Through debate and mutual consultation, and ultimately by a vote that reflects the will of the majority, the members of the committee will select a Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. Any candidate must receive at least three of the five votes to receive the award; abstentions will be counted as votes against the person under consideration. The LAA committee chairman shall be responsible for ensuring that all members participate and have a chance to make their opinions known to one another, for conducting the voting, and for reporting the results of the vote to the President. Multiple rounds of voting may be employed if the committee so chooses.
Multiple Awards Possible: At its discretion, the committee may bestow two Lifetime Achievement Awards in a single year, but only if the committee is in unanimous agreement that two awards are appropriate. In this regard, members of the committee would be advised to consider that man is mortal and that the opportunities to say thank you are finite.
Award Not Required: At its discretion, the committee may choose to bestow no awards in its year if a simple majority of the committee members feel that no deserving recipient remains to be honored.
Eligibility: All Lifetime Achievement Award recipients selected by the committee must meet the criteria for the Lifetime Achievement Award as outlined in Rule Va of these rules. Furthermore, all recipients must either be at least sixty (60) years of age by March 1 of the year of the award's presentation, or must have first produced professional work in the horror/occult/dark fantasy field at least thirty-five (35) years prior to March 1 of the year of the award's presentation. All recipients must be alive at the time the President is informed of the committee's choice. In the event an intended recipient dies after selection, but before the presentation of the award, the award shall be presented to his or her heirs.
Delivery of Committee's Decision: The Chairman of the Lifetime Achievement Awards Committee will inform the Chairman of the Awards Committee and the President of HWA of the name of the chosen recipient(s) no later than April 1 (or earlier if the Bram Stoker Awards Banquet is held at a date earlier than April 1, with the deadline at the discretion of the President of the HWA).
Preparation of Award: The Chairman of the Awards Committee will then provide the pertinent information to the manufacturer of the awards no later than April 8, or sooner if the President so directs. The engraving on the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement will read, "Lifetime Achievement Award Honoring the Talent of [Recipient's Name in Its Customary Form]."
Announcement: Though the names of all other award recipients must remain confidential until the awards presentation, the name of the recipient(s) of the Lifetime Achievement Award may be announced at the President's discretion any time after the Chairman of the Lifetime Achievement Awards Committee has informed him of the committee's decision.
Dismissal of the Committee: Once the name of the recipient has been announced, the Lifetime Achievement Award Committee is disbanded, its duties ended.
Unique Honor: No one can receive the Lifetime Achievement Award twice.

VI. Recommendations

Who May Recommend, and When: From January 1 of each calendar year through January 15 of the following year, the Compiler of Recommendations will accept recommendations for the preliminary ballot from all HWA members regardless of status, that is, Active, Associate, Academic, Supporting and Affiliate, for works published during that year.
Unlimited Recommendations: No limit will be placed on the number of recommendations a member may make in any category. However, no member may recommend the same work in the same category more than once.
Required Information: The Compiler will accept a recommendation only if it is submitted with the following information: 1) the title of the work that is being recommended; 2) the author of said work; 3) the publisher of said work (either the book publisher, the name of the magazine, the name of the anthology, the name of the site where the work can be found, or the equivalent, whichever best applies); 4) the date of publication, as defined in Rules IIId through IIIi; 5) the name of the member recommending the work.
Electronic Publication: For works published electronically, if possible the recommender must provide the Compiler with the URL. If it is not possible, for example if the work was distributed on diskette or over a proprietary system, the recommender must provide the Compiler with a brief explanation of why it is impossible.
Authentication: The recommendation must be signed by the member making the recommendation. If recommendations are submitted electronically, the Compiler must receive authentication by some method other than e-mail, such as a password, agreed upon by phone, by street mail, or in person. All recommendations must be in writing.
Documentation: To prevent disputes, the Compiler will keep on file all recommendations sent to him by the members until the awards for that calendar year have been presented, at which time he will dispose of them according to the instructions of the President. If the recommendations are not destroyed, they should eventually be turned over to the HWA Archivist.
Presentation Upon Demand: The Compiler will be prepared to present to the other members of the Awards Committee or to the President copies of all recommendations received, at the President's or the committee chairman's request. He will likewise be prepared to produce the original recommendations to those same authorities if so required by them. No other officer, trustee, or member may require this except through the President or the Chairman of the Awards Committee.
Recommendations for Lifetime Achievement: The Compiler will keep recommendations for the Lifetime Achievement Award in a separate file. Recommendations for Lifetime Achievement will not be published in the newsletter or anywhere else, but will be presented to the Lifetime Achievement Awards Committee for its consideration.
Recommending One's Own Work: The Compiler will accept no recommendation from an author for that author's own work. In the case of an anthology or other collaborative work, all contributors are considered to be authors of that work, and are therefore barred from recommending it. Further, the Compiler will accept no recommendation from an editor or publisher for any work acquired or published by that editor or publisher.
Accuracy: The Compiler will attempt to determine that the dates of first publication and other information provided by members making recommendations are, in fact, accurate, and that each recommended work is eligible and has been listed in the appropriate category. If any question arises that the Compiler cannot readily handle, the Compiler shall notify the Verifier of Eligibility, who will pursue the matter as necessary. The Compiler will maintain a record of every case referred to the Verifier, and will present copies of this list to the Verifier, the Chairman of the Awards Committee, and the President of HWA as soon as humanly possible after the close of recommendations on January 15, and under no circumstances later than February 1. Removal of Ineligible Works: While the Awards Committee and other parties involved will make their best efforts to ensure that all works on the preliminary and final ballots are eligible and in the correct categories, errors may still occur. The President and the Chairman of the Awards Committee will have the authority, jointly or separately, to remove any work determined to be ineligible, or to order votes for an ineligible work to be ignored, at any point in the process prior to February 15. If this removal materially affects the composition of the preliminary or final ballot or the outcome of the voting, every reasonable effort must be made to minimize the damage by whatever means the elected officers deem appropriate -- additional mailings, replacement ballots, or other methods. However, once the voting has been completed, the votes counted, and the winners determined, the results will stand, no matter how incorrect. No Bram Stoker Award, once announced, will ever be withdrawn, declared to be in error, or otherwise invalidated, although additional awards will be made should it be discovered that, under the rules, another work tied with the announced recipient.
Verifier May Act Independently: In addition to acting when called upon, the Verifier of Eligibility will review the lists of recommended works whenever it is convenient for him to do so, and will investigate any listing that seems questionable, regardless of whether the Compiler or any other member has requested such an investigation. The Verifier will inform the Compiler of any corrections, deletions, or other changes that may be called for, and the Compiler will make any such changes as soon as possible. In the event that the Compiler and the Verifier disagree, the Chairman of the Awards Committee will decide how or if a work should be listed.
Questions from Members: If any member, upon reading the published list of recommendations, believes a work to be ineligible or miscategorized, that member should contact the Verifier of Eligibility as soon as possible, so that the matter may be investigated. If any other member of the Awards Committee, any officer, or any trustee is informed of a question of eligibility or categorization, that person must inform the Verifier at once.
Removal of Ineligible Works: While the Awards Committee and other parties involved will make their best efforts to ensure that all works on the preliminary and final ballots are eligible and in the correct categories, errors may still occur. The President and the Chairman of the Awards Committee will have the authority, jointly or separately, to remove any work determined to be ineligible, or to order votes for an ineligible work to be ignored, at any point in the process prior to release of the Final Ballot. If this removal materially affects the composition of the preliminary ballot or the outcome of the voting, every reasonable effort must be made to minimize the damage by whatever means the elected officers deem appropriate -- additional mailings, replacement ballots, or other methods. However, once the voting has been completed, the votes counted, and the winners determined, the results will stand, no matter how incorrect. No Bram Stoker Award, once announced, will ever be withdrawn, declared to be in error, or otherwise invalidated, although additional awards will be made should it be discovered that, under the rules, another work tied with the announced recipient.
Publication of Recommendations: The Compiler of Recommendations will publish the complete list of Recommendations to date for publication on the HWA website monthly through June, and twice monthly at a minimum through 15 January of the following year. This list must include at least the title of each work that has been recommended; the author's name for each work; the original venue of each work (either the book publisher, the name of the magazine, the name of the anthology, the name of the site where the work can be found, or the equivalent, whichever best applies); the date of publication; and the number of recommendations each work has received to date; but not the names of the members recommending the work.
As names of members recommending the work are no longer published the Compiler of Recommendations will confirm the receipt of each Recommendation by return email (or other agreed process for any member who does not have email).

VII. Preliminary Ballot

Composition of Preliminary Ballot: Following the close of the Recommendations process on January 15, the Compiler of Recommendations will prepare a preliminary ballot.
This ballot will include five (5) works selected by the Jury for each category (see Section VIII – Jury System); along with the five (5) works in each category that have accumulated the most recommendations -- though no work that has received fewer than five recommendations shall be listed on the Preliminary Recommendation sub-ballot under any circumstances.
Ties: In the event that there are two or more works with five or more Recommendations apiece tied for fifth place in a given category, then all works receiving that same number of recommendations will be included, unless this would result in more than ten Recommended entries in that ballot category. If including all tied works would result in more than ten Recommended entries listed in a category, then none of the tied works will be listed.
Dropped Categories: Any category in which no works receive five or more recommendations in a given year will have no Recommended sub-ballot for that year. Any category in which only one work receives five or more recommendations in a given year will be have no Recommended sub-ballot that year. Any category in which fewer than five members submitted recommendations will be have not Recommended sub-ballot for that year, regardless of how many recommendations were received or how many works received five or more recommendations. However, the Jury for that category will continue to provide a Jury sub-ballot for the category, which will then become the Final Ballot, with no need for Preliminary balloting.
Preparation of the Preliminary Ballot: The Awards Committee is collectively responsible for the preparation, production, and mailing of the preliminary ballot. The Chairman of the Awards Committee, in consultation with the President of HWA, will determine who on the committee is responsible for these duties; At-Large Members, as described in Rule IIf ("At-Large Members"), may be appointed for this purpose. The President may appoint any Board Member an At-Large Member for this purpose.
The Chairman of each Category Jury is responsible for delivering the details of the five (5) works selected by each Category Jury to the Compiler of Recommendations no later than January 15.
If a Work is chosen by both the Jury and the Recommendation processes the Work will appear on the Jury sub-ballot. As far as possible and taking into account Rule VIId the Chairman of the Awards Committee and the Compiler or Recommendations shall replace works that were so moved to the Jury sub-ballot with the work that has the next highest number of Recommendations, and so on in the case of more than one work also being selected by the Jury. It is accepted this process may result in less than five works on the Preliminary Sub-Ballot – in the case of four (4) works the ballot will proceed; in the case of one (1), two (2), or three (3) works the ballot is redundant and that nominee or those nominees proceed automatically to form part of the Final Ballot.
The Compiler of Recommendations will deliver the complete list of works qualified for the preliminary ballot to whoever the Chairman has named as the responsible party or parties.
Form of the Preliminary Ballot: The list of qualified works will be arranged into categories (Novel, First Novel and so on). The preliminary ballot for each category will consist of two portions, the sub-ballot for Recommended Works; and the sub-ballot for Juried Works. Within each sub-ballot the qualified works will be listed alphabetically by author's surname, and no indication of the number of recommendations received, nor any other ranking, will appear. The spaces to indicate votes will be included on the list of qualified works; the name of the Active Member so voting must not be required anywhere on the ballot. The ballot must include the date by which it must be returned, and the manner or address to which it should be electronically delivered or mailed. The ballot must include clear instructions for how it is to be used. The form of the ballot must make it very clear to each voter they are requested to vote on both the Recommended and Juried sub-ballots for each category. However failure to do so does not invalidate that voter’s category ballot or the entire ballot.
Mailing: The complete preliminary ballot will be sent to all Active members by February 1. The complete list of qualified works will be posted on the HWA website for the information of all Members, by February 5.
Release of Contents: The content of the preliminary ballot is not secret, but no official effort need be made to publicize that content. Works on the preliminary ballot are not "nominees," nor have they been "nominated," and efforts should be made to discourage any such mislabeling. Any writer making the claim that a work appearing on the preliminary ballot is “nominated” is subject to having their work disqualified from the ballot. Said disqualification is the sole province of the HWA Board of Trustees, their decision is final, and may not be appealed.
Voting: Only Active Members are permitted to vote on the preliminary ballot. To vote in any category, the member selects up to three works in each sub-category (Recommended and Juried sub-ballots) and ranks them as "first choice," "second choice," and "third choice," marking them clearly. A member may make a selection for "second choice" or "third choice" without indicating any higher choice; however, if only one selection is made, and the mark is in any way ambiguous, the single choice will be interpreted as "first choice." If two or more items in a category are marked without clear ranking, no vote will be counted in that category. Members need not vote in every category or sub-category. Members may vote for their own work. The Active Member’s right to vote must be verified by any process determined by the Awards Committee.
Returned Ballots: Completed preliminary ballots will be returned to the Chairman of the Awards Committee, or to another member of the Awards Committee designated by the Chairman, by February 15.
Tabulation of Votes: The Chairman of the Awards Committee or his designee from among other members of the committee will first verify that each ballot has been submitted by an Active member, disposing of any ballot that is not. The results of the preliminary ballot voting for each Category sub-ballot (eg, Novel Recommended; and Novel Juried) will be tabulated according to the following formula:

First-place votes will count as six points.
Second-place votes will count as four points.
Third-place votes will count as three points.
The top three (3) works with the highest point totals from each sub-ballot will be placed on the final ballot (eg, Three Recommended Works for Novel and Three Juried Works for Novel will appear on the final ballot).
In the event that two works are tied for third place in a given category, the work with the most First Place votes will be placed on the final ballot in that category. If the two works are still tied at that point both will be placed on the final ballot in that category.
In the event that three or more works are tied for third place in a given category, the work with the most First Place votes will be placed on the final ballot in that category. If two works are still tied at that point both will be placed on the final ballot in that category. If three works are still tied at that point none of them will be placed on the final ballot in that category.

On any ballot that is marked improperly or unclearly in a given category, the votes in that category will not be counted, but votes in other categories, if otherwise valid, will be counted.

Records: The Chairman of the Awards Committee or his designee will keep safe all preliminary ballots until thirty days after the awards are presented, at which time he may destroy said ballots, or dispose of them as directed by the President.
Presentation on Demand: The Chairman of the Awards Committee or his designee will provide copies of all ballots to other members of the committee upon request. Subsequent to the presentation of the awards, the Chair will likewise be prepared to present copies of the preliminary ballots to the President upon request, though not until after the awards are presented. The chairman also will be prepared to produce the original ballots for those same authorities' inspection.
Secrecy: The Awards Committee will in all good faith take whatever measures are necessary

VIII. The Bram Stoker Jury Process

Reason for Jury: We must acknowledge that no matter how good our intentions or how diligent we are in our reading, we will sometimes overlook works of merit that deserve a spot on the preliminary and/or final ballot. Therefore, the Membership agreed by Referendum to establish a Jury process to supplement the Bram Stoker Award process.
Contacting the Jury: Authors, editors, publishers or any person acting as agent promoting a writer of a work should not contact the Jury or its members directly under any circumstances. If an author or publisher wishes to have a Work considered they may contact the Awards Committee Chairman for details of how to send one copy of that work to each Jury member for consideration. Copies may be provided in hard or soft copy. The process for this contact will be published by the Awards Committee Chairman to the entire membership no later than 28 February each year.
Spamming the Jury: "Spamming" any member of a jury (eg, an author, publisher or promotional agent of either making unsolicited requests to have their own work considered) will result in immediate disqualification of that work from Jury consideration. Jury members will report said spamming to the Chairman of the Awards Committee, who will immediately disqualify the work. The only avenue of appeal will be to the Board of HWA, whose decision will be final.
Prior to the start of each awards year, HWA's President selects the Awards Committee Chairperson(s).
The Chairperson(s) then select five jurors for each of the Bram Stoker Awards categories; those jurors are drawn from volunteers within the organization, and are required to be Active members.
A juror is allowed to sit on more than one jury; however, a juror is ineligible to compete in any category for which they sit on a jury in that awards year.
Jurors are asked to commit to: 1) Reading a significant amount of work throughout the year; 2) conferring with other jurors in their category; and 3) being as objective as possible when considering works.
The Jurors are asked to determine five (5) works, which in their opinion, deserve to be listed on the Preliminary Jury sub-ballot in their category. If, in the opinion of the Jury, no five Works are deserving of being listed on the Jury sub-ballot for their category they may recommend either: i) four (4) works, which shall proceed to form the Jury Preliminary sub-ballot; ii) one, two or three works, which shall proceed to for the Jury component of the Final Ballot in that category; or iii) decline to list any works for the Jury sub-ballot. The Jury should make every effort to list five works but only if, in their opinion, each work is worthy of listing on the Jury Preliminary sub-ballot.
Overlapping Committees: No member of HWA may serve simultaneously on a Bram Stoker Awards Jury and the Lifetime Achievement Award Committee.
Chairman of each Jury: One member of each category jury will be identified as the chairman by a vote of the jurors for that category. The Chairman of the each category Jury is responsible for leading discussion of works under consideration by the jury, and for conducting votes on works under consideration and reporting the results of those votes to the members of the jury and to the Awards Committee Chairman (no later than January 15). Furthermore, it is the responsibility of the Chairman to ensure, in consultation with the Verifier of Eligibility, that each work proposed for inclusion on the preliminary sub-ballot is, in fact, eligible for the award and correctly categorized.
Duties of Members: It is the responsibility of each member of the jury to remain in contact with the other members, whether by phone, e-mail, or other means, and to participate in discussion and voting. It is the responsibility of each member to read as many of the works under consideration as possible. Members who find themselves unable or unwilling to carry out these duties should resign, and in the event of such resignation the Awards Committee Chairman may appoint replacements, or may ask the remaining members to carry on short-handed.
Voting within the Jury: Members of each Jury, including the chairman, will have an equal vote in all decisions. In any vote an abstention shall be counted as a vote against any motion or proposal. In the case of tied votes, the vote is lost.
Works Eligible for Consideration: Any eligible work in the category may be considered by the jury. Jurors are reminded that their choices will result in being listed as the Jury sub-ballot for their category. Any work that may otherwise also have appeared on the Recommended sub-ballot for their category will only appear on the Jury ballot.
Jury May Vote Externally: Members of the Bram Stoker Additions Jury may participate in the normal Recommendation process, like any other HWA members, and are in fact strongly encouraged to do so. Members serving on the jury may vote on the preliminary and final ballots.
Works by Jury Members: No Jury may add to the Jury sub-ballot any work written, edited, or purchased for publication, in whole or in part, by any of its members. However, works by members of each Category Jury are eligible for recommendation and award consideration in other Categories, through either the Jury or Recommendation process.
The Chairman of each Jury is responsible for delivering the details of the five (5) works selected by each Category Jury to the Awards Committee Chairman no later than January 15.
Dissolution of Jury: Once the Preliminary Ballot for an award year has been sent to Active members each Jury for that year is dismissed.

IX. Final Ballot

Contents of Final Ballot: The Chairman of the Awards Committee or his designee from among other members of the Awards Committee will oversee the preparation of the Final Ballot. Said Ballot will include the aforementioned preliminary winners in each sub-category as determined in accordance with Rule VIIn ("Tabulation of Votes").
Form of the Final Ballot: The Final Ballot will list the finalists (“Bram Stoker nominees”) with a ballot for each Category. Within each Category the finalists will be listed alphabetically by author's surname, with no indication of the number of recommendations or votes received, no indication which works were originally listed by the Bram Stoker Jury (if any), no indication of which works were originally listed by the Recommendation Process (if any), nor any other ranking.
Each category will contain, at the end of the list of finalists, a listing of "No Award This Year." The ballot must include the date by which it must be returned, and the address to which it should be mailed or the process to be used. The ballot must include clear instructions as to how it is to be used. These instructions must include an explanation that "second place" or "tiebreaker" votes are only counted in the event of a three-way tie.
Verification: The Awards Committee shall use the same method to verify that only Active Members vote; and that those Active Members are eligible to vote, as used for the Preliminary Ballot.
Mailing: The final ballot will be sebt only to Active Members. Final ballots must be mailed by the Awards Committee no later than February 28. The committee will make every effort to ensure the timely distribution and receipt of the ballots, in particular those sent to members outside the United States. The list of finalists will be e-mailed to members to allow more time for consideration.
Contents Publicized: Once the final ballot has been issued, the Secretary of HWA, or such other person as the President designates, will prepare and issue a press release listing the finalists. The contents of the ballot will be reported in the HWA newsletter, and by any other means convenient to the organization, including but not limited to e-mail bulletins and a listing on the World Wide Web.
Notifying Finalists: The Chairman of the Awards Committee will ensure that the authors of those works on the final ballot are notified promptly, in writing, of their inclusion, and that all finalists are invited to attend the awards ceremony. Whether or not the finalists' costs for attending the ceremony will be reduced or defrayed by HWA will be determined by the Board on a year-by-year, case-by-case basis, taking into consideration the organization's current financial circumstances.
Voting: Active members will have approximately thirty days to read whatever works are on the final ballot that they have not already read. They must vote for one "first place" and for one "second place" or "tiebreaker" in any category in which they vote, unless the "first place" vote is for "No Award," in which case the "second place" or "tiebreaker" vote may be omitted. Voting members need not vote in every category. Choices must be clearly marked. Finalists may vote for their own work.
Receipt of Ballots: In order to be counted, final ballots must be received no later than March 31.
In years where the Bram Stoker Awards Banquet is scheduled to be held on a date that precludes the use of the Timetable for Recommendations, Jury listings, Preliminary Ballot, Final Ballot and Awards Manufacturing processes listed in these Rules; then and only then, the HWA Board may issue alternate Timetables for any or all steps in the process.
Tabulation of Votes: The Chairman of the Awards Committee and two other members of the Awards Committee will tabulate the results and determine the winners in every category according to the following rules:

No person nominated on the Final Ballot for any Category Award may Tabulate votes for any Category that year (even if that person is the Chairman of the Awards Committee – in that case he should nominate a replacement from the Awards Committee or another Active Member agreed by the President).
With but one exception, to be explained below, only first-place votes will be counted.
The work with the greatest number of first-place votes in each category will be declared the award's recipient. If "No Award" receives more first-place votes than any single work, then no award will be given and that category will be dropped for the year. Rules 4 through 7 below do not apply if "No Award" receives more first-place votes than any finalist.
In the event that "No Award" and a finalist receive exactly the same number of first-place votes, the finalist will receive the award and no mention will be made of the "No Award" votes. Rules 4 through 7 below do not apply in this case.
In the event that each of two works receives at least 30% of the vote in a category, both will be declared award recipients; no revelation will be made of the exact numerical count, and both recipients will be listed as if they had in fact received precisely the same number of votes. If "No Award" receives at least 30% of the vote but places second, this has no effect; a single award is given and no mention is made of the "No Award" votes.
In the unlikely event that each of three ballot entries receives more than 30% of the vote in a category, the issue will be decided on a strictly numerical basis, and the two works with the most first-place votes will be award recipients. In the event that "No Award" is the second-place entry, only one award will be given, and the third-place entry eliminated.
In the even more unlikely event that each of the three works receives more than 30% of the vote in a category and two of those works tie for the runner-up position in the numerical count, "second-place" or "tiebreaker" votes will now be counted to determine which of the two runner ups will also receive an award in that category. (This is the only instance in which "second-place" or "tiebreaker" votes will be counted.) Of those two works having the same number of first-place votes, the one with the greatest number of "second-place" or "tiebreaker" votes will be the only additional award recipient. If those two works have the same number of second-place votes, as well, then neither will win, and only one award will be presented in that category.
In the extremely unlikely event that three entries on the ballot receive more than 30% of the vote apiece, and one of these is "No Award," and there is a numerical tie between "No Award" and the second-place entry, the "No Award" vote will be ignored, and Rule 6, describing the use of "tiebreaker" votes, will not apply. The two works receiving more than 30% of the vote will both receive awards.
In no event will there be more than two awards in any category in any one year, and then only if both recipients received more than 30% of the votes cast for the five nominated works.

Informing Manufacturer: The Chairman of the Awards Committee or his designee from among other members of the committee will present a list of the award winners, complete with all necessary information, to the manufacturer of the awards or other party responsible for the engraving of the trophies no later than April 10, in order that the awards can be prepared in time for the public ceremony at which they will be presented.
Reporting Results Elsewhere: The Chairman of the Awards Committee will inform the other members of his committee as to the identities of the award recipients no later than the day on which he informs the manufacturer of the awards. He will be prepared to provide copies of all ballots to other committee members at their request, prior to the awards ceremony and to the President subsequent to the awards ceremony up to a period of thirty days thereafter. At the end of said thirty-day period, the Chairman of the Awards Committee may destroy the final ballots, or otherwise dispose of them.
Secrecy: All members of the Awards Committee will strive to keep secret the results of the final ballot until the awards are presented. Advance revelation of the winners' names or the names of the winning works in any category other than the Lifetime Achievement Award to anyone not on the Awards Committee and who has no legitimate need to know the results (this particularly includes Final Ballot nominees) will be considered grounds for expulsion from the Horror Writers Association.
Vote Counts: The exact vote counts are purely the concern of the Awards Committee, and need not be published or released in any form; however, should any question arise, the Awards Committee may release the counts to the officers of HWA. However, the Awards Committee cannot be required to release the information.

X. The Physical Awards

Recipients: The Bram Stoker Awards are presented to the writers of those winning the final ballot (as per the Rules in Section IX), with the following possible exception: The Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in an Anthology is presented to the editor whose name appears on the anthology's cover, or if no editor's name appears then to that person the Awards Committee determines to be responsible for assembling the anthology.
Trophy: All recipients, including those who are presented Lifetime Achievement Awards, will receive the same award. In the event a collaborative work is chosen, each collaborator will receive his own trophy. Normally, this will be the traditional haunted-house sculpture, as designed for the HWA by Steven Kirk. Only the inscription on the affixed brass plate and the inevitable minute variations inherent in manufacture will differentiate one award from another.
Substitution: If the traditional sculpture becomes unavailable or impractical, another appropriate award may be substituted by unanimous vote of the elected officers, the Awards Committee, and the Board of Trustees. This vote must be unanimous; abstentions will count as votes for retaining the traditional sculpture, and any such vote requires that the traditional sculpture be used.
Recognition of Finalists: Every author of any work listed on the final ballot but failing to receive a Bram Stoker Award will receive a scroll, certificate, plaque, or other token indicating his status as a finalist. It is the responsibility of the Chairman of the Awards Committee and the Secretary of HWA to ensure that these tokens are prepared and delivered.

XI. The Awards Ceremony

Presentation: The Bram Stoker Awards of the Horror Writers Association will be presented at a public ceremony, open to all members -- Active, Associate, Affiliate, Academic and Supporting -- and their invited guests. This ceremony will, if feasible, be in conjunction with a formal awards banquet. The form and content of the awards ceremony will be determined by the President, or by HWA members working under the President's direction. Whether non-members other than invited guests will be admitted to the ceremony will be determined by the President. It is hereby recognised that any such Ceremony will be held in a venue which inevitably will have limited capacity. Tickets should be offered to all Members and once the capacity of the venue is ‘sold-out’ no other tickets will be made available.
Location: The awards ceremony will be held at whatever time and place the President may deem appropriate, except as noted below. This may be in conjunction with the annual meeting of the members of HWA required by Article IV of the HWA Bylaws, but this is not mandatory. The President must choose the date and location and inform the membership of his choice no later than March 1; it is strongly recommended that the decision be made and announced much earlier. If the President does not choose a site, then the ceremony will be held in conjunction with the annual meeting.
Limitations on Site Selection: In recognition of the fact that the Horror Writers Association is primarily a professional writers' organization, the president may not without the consent of the HWA Board hold the Bram Stoker Awards annual ceremony in conjunction with any convention or other event that can reasonably be considered either a fan or academic function. The Board may vote to approve the President's decision to hold the awards ceremony in conjunction with another event or may, if they choose, put the issue to a vote of the membership -- either the Active membership or all of Active, Associate and Affiliate, as the Board sees fit. Furthermore, even with the consent of the trustees or members, no President of HWA can compel his successor to hold the ceremony in conjunction with any convention or other event.
Site Considerations: In selecting a site for the awards ceremony, the President is required to weigh the following considerations before making his decision:

Convenience of the membership: The location should be accessible to a large portion of the membership, and not excessively remote.
Appropriate to the event: The location should be somewhere with a connection or association with writing, publishing, horror, the occult, or other matters of interest to HWA. This ceremony is an opportunity for HWA to display itself, and an attempt should be made to present itself as professionally and appropriately as possible.
Cost: The awards ceremony should not cause undue financial hardship for HWA or for members who wish to attend.
Independence: The awards ceremony is HWA's premiere annual showcase, and must remain under the organization's control.

XII. Modification of these Rules:

a.See clause X 2 of HWA’s ByLaws as listed at the header of these Rules.