[2022] Pre-Poll Voting

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

It's now time to get ready to vote for our set of pre-poll prompts! The thread will be open for at least 24 hours before the poll gets posted. This is a good opportunity to ask any question you may have regarding the prompts, do some research or ask for recommendations.

Voting will open in the morning of Tuesday, June 22 and results will be posted in the morning of Saturday, June 26 (CST time).

How it works:
- When the voting opens, follow the link to the mini-poll that will be added at the end of this post
- You have a total of FOUR votes this poll to spread across your favorite and least favorite prompts (you can also use less than 4 votes) - You can find examples of acceptable voting practices on the Introduction thread.
- The prompts with the more favorable votes (comparing top votes to bottom votes, and looking at the overall number of votes it received) will be added to the final list

We are asking people to include their Goodreads profile address when they vote. To find this, just go to your own profile and then copy the URL/web address. If for some reason you can't link to your Goodreads profile, please post your full Goodreads name with enough identifiable information that we'll be able to access your profile. We’ve introduced this for two reasons:

1. On a few occasions in each poll, people have used more than the allotted number of votes, either because they aren’t familiar with the rules or just by mistake. When this happens our only option is to disregard the vote as we can’t identify the voter to ask them to resubmit. By asking for your profile address we’ll be able to message you and ask you to vote again if you’ve accidentally used more than the allotted number of votes.

2. Unfortunately a very small number of people have voted more than once per poll and so we are asking for this information to prevent duplicate votes.

As a reminder: You have a total of FOUR votes to use among your top and bottom votes. The mods have access to each individual vote, so we can see if you use more than 4 votes. If you use more than 4 votes in this poll, your vote will have to be deleted, so please make sure to follow the directions so your voice can be heard.

Possible Prompts:
1. A winner or nominee from the 2021 Goodreads Choice Awards
2. A book published in 2022
3. A book you meant to read in 2021
4. A book that fits a suggestion that didn't make the list this year
5. A book inspired by something you read in 2021
6. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2021 or 2022

Feel free to discuss the prompts below, but please remember to be respectful to the other group members.

YOU CAN VOTE HERE: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/PVT3GX/

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Just a reminder -- This is the pre-poll, so you only have FOUR votes instead of your normal eight. Feel free to discuss the available prompts here, but if you're interested in discussion future prompt suggestions, you can head to our Wild Discussion thread. For a schedule of future voting threads, check out our Introduction thread.

[Thomas]

Wow! I was goign to suggest one fo these in the regular threads. I am plesantly suprised to find it in the pre poll

[Kendra]

I hope the ATY best book of the month prompt makes it through.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

I do too, Kendra. It's such a fun prompt and a great way to incorporate the group. I also love the "inspired by something you read in 2021" prompt.

I always vote for the GR Choice Awards prompt and every year, I end up cursing it because I save it for the last minute lol. I'm still going to vote for it again, but, ya know...

[Thomas]

Emily wrote: "I do too, Kendra. It's such a fun prompt and a great way to incorporate the group. I also love the "inspired by something you read in 2021" prompt.

I always vote for the GR Choice Awards prompt an..."

I will be voting down Goodreads chocie because I find it too restrictive. I will defintely vote for isnpired by becuase it was an idea I would ahve preposed otherwise and also unsucessfull suggestion> I bet evryone will find one idea they love that does not get voted in.

[Rachel]

I guess I don't really get the "inspired by" prompt because I don't really see how a book I read this year would inspire a choice for next year.

I like the GR Choice Awards because it often includes a bunch of newer releases that I really wanted to read but couldn't get to yet, and I also love the Best Books of the Month prompt. Those two are definite upvotes for me.

[Thomas]

I think Rachel the idea is for example:
A book by the same author
A book in a similar location
A book in the same genre
A book published the same year

[Nicole]

I really like four of the options:

1) winner/nominee from the 2021 Goodreads Choice Awards - there is such a wide selection of categories, and then there are what 12 or 15 or 20 nominees for each of those? Even if I narrowed it down to only the winners, I could probably pick something I want to read, but being able to choose from the nominees really opens it up.

2) book published in 2022 - I am really bad about getting new books (both newly published and just new to me) and then waiting for the “right time” to read them. This will help push me to read at least one new book next year.

5) book inspired by something you read in 2021 - I read a lot of things that I think, “what a great author! I want to read more by this person,” or “I’ve never really read the classics before, but after reading that one, I think I want to try more,” or “I’ve really been in the dark about this subject. Now that I’ve read a book about it, my eyes have been opened even more, and I want to keep learning about it,” etc. There are many ways this prompt can be filled.

6) book posted in one of the ATY best book of the month threads - it’s just fun to see what other people are reading and it’s nice to see some books that have lots of recommendations or likes that aren’t just from the NYT Bestseller list or something.

I know they won’t all make it in, but I think those will be my four votes. No down votes this time.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Those will probably be my same votes, Nicole! I love your reasoning.

[Chrissy]

For me, inspired makes sense when I read a historical fiction novel set in a time and place I want to know more about, so I look for nonfiction or memoir to learn more. Just one example. I was into this prompt last year, but this year so far not as much, just because I haven’t felt so inspired by anything yet!

[Bec]

I like them all except for 'meant to read in 2021'. I don't really have books I'm meant to read in any year...so would struggle with this one.

[Beth]

I'm also with Nicole on those prompts!

I feel like the suggestion that didn't make it is the ultimate freebie so I'm not going to vote for that one. For the book you were meant to read, I would usually prioritise any books I intended to read and didn't manage in the previous year so that one I would do anyway without needing a prompt to specify it.

I wouldn't be overly disappointed if either of those prompts made it though as they're easy to fill.

[Thomas]

Beth wrote: "I'm also with Nicole on those prompts!

I feel like the suggestion that didn't make it is the ultimate freebie so I'm not going to vote for that one. For the book you were meant to read, I would us..."

Just asking, what is wrong with freebies? I understand if there were too many but is one ro two such a big deal?

[Nicole]

Thomas wrote: "Beth wrote: "I'm also with Nicole on those prompts!

I feel like the suggestion that didn't make it is the ultimate freebie so I'm not going to vote for that one. For the book you were meant to rea..."

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with freebies per se, but a lot of people want their challenge to be an actual challenge to them, whether a difficult challenge or just a slightly harder that just picking up books to read throughout the year challenge, and don’t like freebies. I agree, I like a few freebies, or at least easier-to-fill prompts, but some people feel like freebies basically equate to “read a book,” which doesn’t seem like a challenge. And if I’m going to have freebies, I’d like them to have a little more to them than just “pick a book, any book, and it could fit in this category.”

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

VOTING IS OPEN: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/PVT3GX/

Reminder: You have four total votes to split between up and down votes. If you vote for two prompts, that means you have two left over to downvote. If you vote for one prompt, you have three left over to downvote. If you go over four TOTAL votes, we will have to disqualify your vote.

[Nicole]

Voted!!! Now to wait for days to find out the results. I usually try not to vote so early because the waiting is agony, but since I definitely knew my picks, I just went for it. 🤷‍♀️
Happy voting, everyone! I’m so glad it’s that time of year again! 😊

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

It's a short voting period this week, Nicole, so hopefully that helps us ease back into the voting process haha!

[Thomas]

Nicole wrote: "Voted!!! Now to wait for days to find out the results. I usually try not to vote so early because the waiting is agony, but since I definitely knew my picks, I just went for it. 🤷‍♀️
Happy voting, ..."

Just voted too. I susepct I will be outvoted on msot of my picks but figners crossed for the inspiration prompt

[Thomas]

Emily wrote: "It's a short voting period this week, Nicole, so hopefully that helps us ease back into the voting process haha!"
Also how many can get through?

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

As many as qualifies based on the voting, just like with normal polls.

[Thomas]

Emily wrote: "As many as qualifies based on the voting, just like with normal polls."

so there's no maximum number?

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

No, we never limit it (unless it's the final poll, of course).

[Nancy]

I'm not a big fan of the inspired by prompt, I'd probably end up reading something by another author I liked. Last year had a close call where the book had to be non-fiction, so if that restriction was removed I would be ok with it. But I didn't vote for it.

[Steve]

1 up, 3 down. I don't love "inspired by" because I'm halfway through the year and nothing so far has made me say "Oh, I should read X because of this book." Same thing with "meant to read"; I've got nothing I NEED to read in 2021, just my perpetual TBR. I always feel like "suggestion that didn't make a list" is just a freebie so it's not a challenge to me (it'll inevitably make it, though).

I do like the awards prompt because usually the books I read off of the awards list are some of my favorites of the year.

[Thomas]

I wouldn’t be so sure Steve that it will make it. In fact I’d put money on it being bottomed

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

The suggestion that didn’t make it in typically doesn’t make the list in the pre-poll, but does have some iteration that makes it in later in the polls once people see all the fun prompts that don’t make the finalist.

[Samantha]

So fun to start the process! I love the book of the month one, I really enjoyed looking through the books people loved and finding one that worked for me this year. I am not big on the inspired by because it is too much of a freebie for me and I don't really mind broad categories.

[Ellie]

I think suggestion that didn't make it becomes more attractive later in the voting when we all have that prompt that we love but no one else seems to! It's less of a freebie if you pick a prompt in advance for it, which I did this year.

I'm honestly happy for any of these on the list.

[Samantha]

Ellie wrote: "I think suggestion that didn't make it becomes more attractive later in the voting when we all have that prompt that we love but no one else seems to! It's less of a freebie if you pick a prompt in..."

I like the idea of planning ahead for some of the ones that feel like freebies!

[Kendra]

I ended up doing a reject challenge this year because there were so many prompts that were suggested that I loved but that didn't end up making the list. So I'm all for having a prompt that will let me 'rescue' a prompt that I love that proves surprisingly unpopular.😉

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

I've found that choosing one prompt to use in replacement of the "suggestion that didn't get in" has helped me feel like it's less of a freebie. That being said, I don't mind a few freebies on the list!

[Hannah]

I love the "book inspired by" prompt! I tend to adda lot of books to my list every year entirely because of an association with a book I read. Just last month, for example, I added Passing because I heard it compared with The Vanishing Half and added Re: Colonized Planet 5, Shikasta because it was mentioned in the preface of Midnight's Children. And then of course, I always have new things added because I find new authors I'm interested in or new series I want to continue.

I also tend to like the Goodreads Choice Award prompt, though I know it's controversial! I have my criticisms of the awards themselves, but it is a great prompt for getting around to reading something that everyone's been talking about.

[Rae]

I agree with Ellie. There was a prompt I loved that didn't make it, so I selected it at the beginning of the year. Only 2-3 of the books I've read so far fit that prompt so it wasn't a freebie for me.

[Beth]

Thomas wrote: "Beth wrote: "I'm also with Nicole on those prompts!

I feel like the suggestion that didn't make it is the ultimate freebie so I'm not going to vote for that one. For the book you were meant to rea..."

Nothing wrong with freebies! It's just that personally I want to have prompts that help me choose what to read next. With this one you can choose pretty much any book and it will fit somehow.

I think it's the timing as well. I prefer to see how the list pans out first before voting for a 'freebie'. Once we get a few more difficult or specific prompts voted in, an easier one like this becomes more appealing. :)

[Rachel]

I voted for GR Choice Awards, published in 2022, and ATY Best Book of the Month threads. To be fair, I think I might have liked the BOTM prompt a bit better if it was limited to 2021 since I like to preplan and also seems a bit too broad to me to have 2 years of prompts to pick from, especially if I wait until closer to the end of the year.

I ended up downvoting the "inspired by" prompt because I just don't think of my book choices that way, I guess. In theory I can see how it might work, but it seems like too much of a stretch to me to find a book that I'd feel like I picked because of a specific book I read this year.

[Thomas]

I’m beginning to think the word inspired is a turn off. If it isn’t bottomed in this poll I may suggest in a later poll with “ has a connection to”

[Joan]

I upvoted inspired by, Goodreads Choice Awards and a book you meant to read in 2021.

I downvoted a book published in 2022 - just because I hate reading hardbacks. I usually read them older than a year. It doesn't bother me if it gets in though because there is usually one I'm interested in reading. This year though I had a hard time finding a book I wanted to read that was published in 2021 but that isn't usually the case.

[Hannah]

Thomas wrote: "I’m beginning to think the word inspired is a turn off. If it isn’t bottomed in this poll I may suggest in a later poll with “ has a connection to”"

That's not a bad idea. "Inspired by" suggests to me that you decided you wanted to read it sometime the previous year, which I think is what many people are turned off by - it feels like cheating to retroactively choose a book to fit if you weren't inspired by anything at the time. "Connected to" suggests that you could make the connection when you're choosing the book, perhaps by looking back over your list from the previous year.

[ladymurmur]

Like Rae & Emily, I picked a specific prompt for the "prompt that didn't make it". In fact, the instant I saw that prompt made the list, I knew which one that DIDN'T make it that I wanted to use (the author that you are no more than six degrees away from). Really enjoyed coming up with my list of possibles for that one.

[ladymurmur]

VOTED! But realized I have a question - Why do we call this the "pre-poll"?

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Because it's the poll that we do before the polls officially begin!

[Robin P, Orbicular Mod]

The categories in this one are chosen by the Mods. After this, the categories will be nominated and seconded by the members.

[Kendra]

Emily wrote: "I've found that choosing one prompt to use in replacement of the "suggestion that didn't get in" has helped me feel like it's less of a freebie. That being said, I don't mind a few freebies on the ..."

You know, it never occurred to me to NOT choose the prompt before the start of the challenge.

[Kat]

For the suggestion that didn't make it prompt I always pick a specific suggestion before the year starts. It's usually one I suggested that didn't make it.

[Irene]

Rachel wrote: "I voted for GR Choice Awards, published in 2022, and ATY Best Book of the Month threads. To be fair, I think I might have liked the BOTM prompt a bit better if it was limited to 2021 since I like t..."

I agree about the BOTM prompt! I'm a pre-planner so I wouldn't have access to any of the 2022 posts while finalizing my list. Plus there's probably dozens if not 100+ posts from 2021 alone.

[NancyJ]

Hannah wrote: "I love the "book inspired by" prompt! I tend to adda lot of books to my list every year entirely because of an association with a book I read. Just last month, for example, I added [book:Passing|34..."

Rachel wrote: "I guess I don't really get the "inspired by" prompt because I don't really see how a book I read this year would inspire a choice for next year.
.."

Me too. When I read a book I really love, it inspired me to start looking for others that are similar in some way. I loved the nature in Where the Crawdads Sing, and then I found Lab Girl and Migrations (all of these books are about female biologists). Migrations was my favorite book this year, so I'll be looking for more from Ireland, about climate change, the ocean, or extinction. I already put in a preorder for the author's next book.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

My thoughts behind the BOTM prompt is that 2021 would allow for the pre-planners to… pre-plan, while letting the more spontaneous of us use 2022 as well.

[Robin P, Orbicular Mod]

Kat wrote: "For the suggestion that didn't make it prompt I always pick a specific suggestion before the year starts. It's usually one I suggested that didn't make it."

Interesting, I have used it more as a freebie. When I have read a book that doesn't seem to fit anywhere in this year's prompts, I start looking through the rejects and can always find something. Why would I read a book that doesn't fit any prompts? Because I belong to too many groups, both online & off, and other people have the nerve to pick books that weren't on my list.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

lol I'm the same Robin. I make a beautiful list and then throw it by the wayside as soon as a shiny new book comes along.