a question for the SFWA types
As you know, Bob, the Nebula rules are a hair on the arcane side. So if somebody familiar with the process could pipe up in the comments and let me know if I’ve got this right, it would be much appreciated.
According to this Nebula report, Midnight Never Come is on the list of “recommended works.” My understanding is that this doesn’t just mean it’s eligible; it means at least one SFWA member has nominated it for the ballot. Am I correct so far?
And then it takes ten nominations to get on the Preliminary Ballot, yes? So here’s where I get confused. The whole “rolling eligibility” thing means, if I understand it, that MNC could be on the ballot for either 2008 or 2009. Does it have to get those ten recommendations before June of 2009 (one year after first U.S. publication), or before December of 2009 (end of calendar year after end of first year of publication)? The former makes more sense, but also seems like a lot more bookkeeping work for the awards folks. Then again, that would be in line with the kind of complaints I’ve heard about Nebula rules, so I’m guessing that’s the right answer.
It’s likely to be an academic curiosity, since I don’t expect to end up on the Preliminary Ballot. But this is the first time I’ve had cause to look at the Nebula rules, and I want to make sure I understand them right.
