FAQs
Who are the Judges?
Judges are members of the Orion Staff who show an interest in fanfiction
and an eye for good writing. You can find them on our
Staff List.
How can I become a Judge?
Just contact The White Lily, our current Judge Coordinator, who can be
easily found through the . You will be given a short survey to
fill out and then a few “test fics” to judge, so that we can get a feel
of whether you should be a Judge or not. Once you pass, you can start
Judging as a Judge Trainee!
What is a Judge Trainee?
A Judge Trainee (JT) has the same job as a regular Judge, but without
as much influence. By taking into consideration a JT's dedication and
aptitude, the Judges and the rest of the Orion Awards staff will decide
when he or she is ready to become a full-time Judge.
How will Judges decide the best fic in a given category?
What defines the "best" fic depends on the
category. For example, if it's Best Romance, the romantic aspects of the
story (obviously) will be judged. All nominees will also be judged on
basic grammar and spelling, how well the story is written, and on how
unique and interesting the writer's overall style is.
Are fics written by Judges withdrawn from the Awards? Why or why
not?
Fics written by Judges are eligible for nomination if they meet all the
other requirements. We will make sure that no Judge ends up judging his
or her own fic.
Will the Judges provide comments on works nominated?
No, but you may ask for them on the forum (in the ) and there anyone is free to
give comments on a fic or fics.
Why don't the people decide on all the Awards by vote? Wouldn't that
be fairer?
As we wish to provide the most impartial result to the Awards, we
believe that a comprehensive, conversational judging system is more
likely to give each fiction the attention it deserves, regardless of
the publicity a fic has received. That being said, we do host the
People's Choice Awards which are decided entirely by the public.
What is a shortlist?
After all the nominations are in, Judges will narrow down the choices for
the winning fic of a category selecting the best fics of each category
and placing them into a shortlist. The shortlists will be released as
specified in the schedule.
How many fics will make it onto a shortlist?
The number of fics in the shortlist will depend on both the number of
fics originally nominated and the standard of the nominated fics, but
should include roughly half the nominated fics.