Right, I thought I was done with the whole Hugo thing, but one last thought (with reference to this post by Elizabeth Bear). I’ve already posted it on twitter, but for the record, here goes…

My position on slates is pretty much the same as Bear’s:

I will never willingly participate in a slate. If I learn that I have been included on a slate, I will ask to be removed.
(…)
If you see my name on a slate, please assume that it’s being done by ruiners to punish me, and that whoever put it there has ignored my requests to remove it.

(Bear included some stuff about use of force: I’ve left it off because I will make reasonable attempts to get off a slate, but quite honestly I have close to zero energy currently and it’s likely to continue next year–*cough* motherhood *cough*–so I’m not going to hound people. If they fail to take me off after the first contact, I’d likely be side-eyeing them anyway).

Note that a slate isn’t a recommendations list. Those are fine, I’m very flattered and grateful to be on them (and obviously even more flattered to be on people’s ballots!). In fact, this year I’ve already started taking notes one eligible stuff I read, so that I can make sure to post my usual awards recommendation post at the beginning of the year. But slates are not fine (in case you’re wondering: by slate I mean “a list where the organiser/organisers start urging people to vote for it as a bloc”).