First Round

During the month of January, voters may nominate up to three Works, People or Publications in each category. The nominations will be tallied, and the Works, People and Periodicals receiving the most votes will be announced.

Second Round

During the month of February, voters may cast weighted votes. In each category, they will vote for their first, second and third place choices (with the option to abstain).

Fiction

Short Fiction as Part of a Larger Work

This includes stories up to 39,999 words which appeared in electronic anthologies, collections or chapbooks published in 2000.

Short Fiction in a Periodical

This includes stories up to 39,999 words which appeared in an electronic magazine (web-based, e-mail, etc.) published in 2000. A periodical need not be updated frequently, but it must accept unsolicited submissions.

Authors

To be eligible, an author must have published at least one work in 2000 which meets the requirements for one of the Fiction categories above.

Zines

To be eligible, a zine must have published at least one issue/update during 2000. (The Orphic Chronicle, which put out its last issue in February and is no longer available online, is eligible; E-scape, which is still available online but has not added new content since 1999, is not eligible.) A zine's pay status is determined by the majority of issues published in 2000. (ShadowKeep began as a small press zine, paid its contributors for several months, and then reverted back to a nonpaying market, but paid contributors for the majority of issues in 2000 and therefore counts as a semi-pro zine.)

Best Pro Zine

Electronic periodicals paying $.03 per word or more.

Best Semi-Pro Zine

Electronic periodicals paying less than $.03 per word.

Small Press Zines

Electronic periodicals which do not compensate contributors monetarily.

Editors

To be eligible, in 2000 the editor must have worked on one or more Longer Works or Periodicals meeting the requirements for one of the Fiction categories.

Winners will receive customized gifs for display. Additionally, sponsors of the contest will offer awards of their own (art prints, subscriptions, gift certificates, etc.) to winners and voters.