The 14 Types of Voters at a Literary Awards (CW #17)

This article was made possible by our wonderful Sponsors! If you want to contribute to essential transgender journalism like this, then please feel free to go support our work on Patreon – your contributions help us keep Academic Quality Scholarship 100% free and available to the general public.

Ah, December. When awards season rolls around, my world descends into a flurry of marketing, vote counting, and enough reading to snow me over for weeks. It’s fun! For those of you who’re living under a rock, we’re currently in the middle of the voting period for the second annual TFR Reader’s Choice Awards – and if you haven’t yet, then this article is here to give you very serious advice about all the ways that you can participate too!

Given that I spend an inordinate amount of time staring at spreadsheets this month, I become very familiar with how, when, and why people are moved to vote for their favorite transfeminine literature of 2025. Though no two ballots are the same, there are some clear patterns that emerge once you start sorting through hundreds of votes at a time.

On this fine Wednesday, I thought it would be amusing to peel back the curtain a little and give you guys a peek at what I see while I’m sorting these ballots.

Before we start, a very important clarification – if you’re voting at all, then you’re already amazing and I love you. There is no “correct” way to celebrate your favorite books. I absolutely don’t want you to read this article and walk away feeling dispirited; it’s just a fun exercise meant to show that we all have our own contributions to this thing we call trans literature. More than anything else, I’m just happy that you’re here ❤

Oh – and don’t forget to vote yourself if you haven’t already!

Vote in the 2025 TFR Reader’s Choice Awards

So without further ado, here’s my goofy take on all the ways people vote in the TFR Awards!

The Fourteen Types of Awards Voters

The Fourteen Types of Awards Voters

#1 – The Tastemakers

Unlike a lot of literary awards, which nominate books in every category, one of the primary appeals of the TFR Awards is that 95% of categories are write-ins!

But not everyone knows how they want to vote or even what books are eligible off the top of their head. For many voters, it can be useful to hear expert opinions on the best books of the year – there’s a reason that predicting the Oscars or Grammys has its own cottage industry!

That’s where the Tastemakers come in.

Tastemakers are the backbone of any successful literary awards. They’ve read everything that’s new and hot, but more importantly, they’ve got strong opinions about all of it. These are the people who can make or break a book’s success, from your traditional gatekeepers to more contemporary online critics and superfans. They won’t just vote for their personal favorites – these are the people who can mobilize dozens of others to vote too. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that without Tastemakers, the TFR Awards wouldn’t be able to reach half the people they do right now.

What does their ballot look like? A Tastemaker might not vote in every category, but they will vote in most of them. The TFR Awards allows up to three books/authors in each category, and the Tastemakers will submit three nominations whenever they can, AKA what I would call a ‘complete ballot.’ The books they champion can find literary success no matter how unknown they were at the start. Sometimes they can swing entire categories! The Tastemaker will share their voting choices with others, and might even publish their ballots for the public to see.

We salute you, Tastemakers. Thank you for being the loudest voice in the room at supporting trans authors.

#2 – The Industry Insiders

From small-press editors to anthology collaborators, literary agents to prolific authors, trans publishing industry professionals offer some of the most critical perspectives when it comes to determining the best books of the year!

Like Tastemakers, Industry Insiders are likely to submit a complete ballot, whether that means voting in every category or frequently submitting three nominations. Where they differ is in the focus of their ballot. Industry Insiders understand the business of publishing. They may nominate books that found success outside of trans publishing circles, or books that required high degrees of labor and coordination that might be invisible to the everyday reader. With an eye to both critical and commercial success, their picks often reveal a lot about the state of trans publishing over the past year – and where the industry might be heading next.

Industry Insiders are also the most likely to approach literary awards from a professional standpoint, and their voting choices reflect that.

But don’t mistake professional insight for a lack of passion. There’s not a whole lot of money in trans publishing, even for award-winning critical darlings, and most of our Industry Insiders are in it for the love of the game. These are the people who get your favorite books from manuscripts to bookstores, and it’s a great gift whenever they share their insight during the awards process ❤

#3 – The Underground Hipsters

Whether it’s experimental poetry from small presses that sold fifteen copies, or avant garde extremity novels from the depths of itch.io, the Underground Hipster isn’t afraid to be the lone vote for a book they thought was excellent. Like the first two categories, the Hipsters are likely to submit a complete ballot – but rather than aiming for breadth or popularity or critical success, their voting choices dig deep into the year’s back catalog, and highlight books that you would have never heard about without them.

I love this type of voter. While they’re hardly the most common award participants, I learn about more obscure literature from the Hipsters than anyone else at the TFR Awards. These are the folks who won’t just vote for their favorite unknown authors – they’ll also go back through the award results after voting ends, and pick the strangest stuff they can find to read next.

Tastemakers, Insiders, and Hipsters provide the vast majority of unique nominations on the awards slate. Though they’ve all got different approaches to reading trans literature, it’s the combined totality of their efforts that helps to paint a full picture of what the publishing field looked like in 2025. Every time I see one of these ballots come in, I fangirl a little. Y’all have my admiration and respect!

#4 – The Dedicated Fans

The final category of voters who regularly submit complete ballots (most categories, three nominations per) are the Dedicated Fans. While they may not be personally involved in the publishing or marketing process, Dedicated Fans are the sort of people whose accounts authors will know by name on social media. When a new book comes out, they might preorder it months in advance, or order an ARC to leave a review on Goodreads, Amazon, or Storygraph. They’ll go to in-person author events or book fairs, or spend a ton of time perusing their local queer indie bookstores. These are the folks who will be the first adopters when an author tries out a new publishing platform, or who’ll support authors on their Patreons when they’re trying to make writing their full-time job.

While the other three types of voters help to dictate what books are nominated at all, the Dedicated Fans ultimately help choose which books will win. With informed opinions and an eagerness to participle, these readers have the power to shape the longlist and the shortlists! But more importantly, Dedicated Fans are the cornerstone of the book market, and the reason that trans publishing is able to exist in the first place. We can only hope to match their enthusiasm and joy.

#5 – The Procrastinators

You know who you are, my fellow ADHD gremlins.

I’m not talking about the people who deliberately wait until after shortlists to vote. I’m talking about the people who have complete ballots, but procrastinate until the literal last second to submit them. We’re talking about the people – and I know you exist – who will be submitting their 2025 ballots at 11:30 PM on the 26th. The people who probably could shape the general course of the awards, if they had voted before the last possible second.

We’ve all been there. I’m just glad that you’re able to vote at all. Have a digital cookie while you wait :3

#6 – The Groupies

The publishing industry is not a monolith, and Lord knows that authors can be very clique-y at times. The Groupies are the authors, fans, and supporters of the many publishing subcultures that crop up around the world, both locally and internationally. When a bunch of authors congregate around a genre, theme, press, or anything else, there’s always going to be people who want to support their friends and favorites within those groups. And that’s awesome! I absolutely love it when authors want to support each other in their work, and wishing for their friends to succeed is the best in my mind. We’re all descended from pack bonded mammals, and I’m of the personal opinion that it’s heartwarming when people support their tribes.

Groupies may not submit a complete ballot, but they are more likely to vote for their favorite books and authors in as many categories as they can possibly justify. If they’re voting a book in for Best Fiction, you know they’ll also be voting in every genre, every author category, and probably Best Character too. They’re the reason why you’ll see ‘clusters’ of books on the results sheet – authors in likeminded spaces often get voted up together, since their fans are more likely to read both authors before anything else. Like Dedicated Fans, Groupies are the readers who help keep trans authors in business, and we salute their contributions to the industry (and their fandoms, of course).

#7 – The Casual Readers

This is the biggest contingent of awards show votes, and it definitely represents the vast majority of the people who read trans literature.

Casual Readers are people who’ll read a few transfeminine books a year – enough to vote in a few awards categories, and enthusiastically read and share the results when they come out at the end of the year. Maybe they’re trans people who just happen to enjoy reading. Maybe they’re in a book club, or follow a Youtuber who made a big #transpride reading video earlier in the year. The Casual Reader might prioritize finding books at their local library, or waiting for a Tastemaker’s recommendation to pick up their next yarn.

No matter how they ended up voting, Casual Readers make a bigger impact on the awards process than they know! In an awards format where categories can have razor thin margins, I greatly appreciate the Casual Reader for taking a few minutes out of their day to share their reading experiences with the group. It’s always great to hear about how trans fiction touches the lives of everyday readers, and we are very glad to have you here.

If you’re a Casual Reader who’s at this point in the article: I would encourage you to vote! The primary goal of the TFR Awards is to celebrate and promote trans authors, and even if you’ve just read a couple trans books this year, it means a lot to all of us if you take a moment to share your enjoyment. The link is here if you’re interested.

#8 – The Genre Purists

While this is one of the less common voters in the TFR Awards specifically, as many of our readers are here for the transgenre, I still do see the occasional genre purist cropping up in the voting results.

This one is pretty self-explanatory. The Genre Purist may not be the most widely read of the bunch, but they’ve got deep and nuanced opinions about their genre of choice. Maybe they’re a horror buff who can list off twenty trans horror novels from 2025. Or maybe they’re a poet who doesn’t read fiction or theory. No matter what the genre is, the Genre Purist always has a lot to add to whatever category suits their particular tastes, and we welcome the specificity of their insight!

#9 – The Single Issue Voters

It doesn’t matter if they read one book this year or fifty – the Single Issue Voter knows exactly what book deserves their attention or praise, and they’re going to give it as much love on their ballot as they can. Best Fiction, Author of the Year, the works. This type of voter might only have one submission to make, but they’re here to do their best to make it count!

My absolute favorite type of this ballot is when the Single Issue Voter has clearly come to vote for one specific book, but then halfway down the ballot, usually in one of the genre categories, they go, Oh! I also read that! And then they vote for a second book, and it’s incredible. My favorite part is that the second book often comes with an exclamation point, like you can tell how excited they were to realize they had more things to vote for!!

Whether you’re voting in every category or just one, your ballot helps build the best awards show we possibly can. Collective action means we all do our part, no matter how big or small. So keep on voting, Single Issue Voters! You’re doing the most out here.

#10 – The Proud Dads

While this is mostly a subset of the Single Issue Voter, there are times where you can tell that a voter is a family member or friend or relative of the book they voted for, and it’s very sweet. Usually these votes come in clusters, like a shortlist got shared around on Facebook for all your relatives, and now they all want to vote to support, even if Grandma has never filled out a Google Form before. Unlike the Single Issue Voter, the Proud Dad will basically never vote for more than one book. If they vote in the down-ballot categories at all, they’re the most likely to miscategorize a book. It can be apparent that they’re cis and have no idea what’s going on.

The Proud Dad is incredibly precious and must be protected at all costs. We stan a supportive family.

#11 – The Oddballs

It’s a big world out there, and millions of books get published every year. While the trans publishing industry can be a great place for authors to network and find their audience, there will always be transfeminine authors who are eligible in the TFR Awards, but who don’t have the slightest idea that ‘trans publishing’ is even a thing in the first place. These authors might work in total obscurity, entirely disconnected from any sense of literary community. They’re often self-published, or live in countries beyond the US, UK, and Canada, or both.

When such obscure authors get nominated for contention in the TFR Awards, it’s usually in an oddball ballot that seems completely disconnected from the rest of the competition. Typically, this will be the only ballot that even mentions the book, and nobody I know has heard of it before. You might think this is a rare occurrence, and it is to some degree, but there have already been two Oddball submissions this year alone!

If you want to find the most bizarre, peculiar, and obscure transfeminine literature of the year, look to the Oddballs. I guarantee you that there will be books and authors you’ve absolutely never heard of before.

#12 – The Joke Voters

Whichever one of you goobers that voted for The Sisters of Dorley in literally every category last year – I hope you know that I’m still giving you the stink eye.

#13 – The Cryptids

This isn’t any one category in particular, but there’s always someone who submits the most indecipherable gibberish text for their responses. The absolute worst is when some submits only a book title with no author’s name, and the title of the book is something like “Going Home,” or some other devastatingly generic nothingburger that’s literally impossible to decipher without knowing the author.

On the complete opposite end, and this is usually the fault of the Underground Hipster, is when someone nominates a book that’s so obscure that it doesn’t show up in search engine results at all! And so I go off doing investigative journalism to try and figure out what extremely niche publication that exclusively exists in bathroom stall graffiti at a Portland dive bar or a limited edition zine that was only marketed by carrier pigeon the person is trying to refer to, and it eats up twenty minutes of my life.

I love y’all for digging up underground literature, but sometimes you don’t make my job easy lol.

#14 – The Judge

And lastly there’s, well, me!

As the person responsible for tabulating all the votes and writing up the final results, I spend most of December reading as many eligible books as I possibly can so that I can blurb all of the eventual winners. I’m the last person who votes before voting closes, and then there’s nothing left to do but count everything up and share it with my wonderful readers ❤

Is it a little painful at times to watch the votes roll in knowing that I can’t throw my personal hat in the ring until everyone else has their say? Yeah, absolutely. Part of my soul died when Autumnal Conductor by Lhuzie Fénix missed the longlist by one vote this year. But ultimately, as the one person who can see the results in real time, I feel it’s my duty to stay impartial while others are voting, and it’s all worth it at the end of the day to have the immense privilege of sharing the results.

At the end of the day, no matter what kind of voter you are, I still think that you should vote in the 2025 TFR Awards! It takes a village, as they say, and every single vote no matter how big or small helps to build the legitimacy and credibility of the awards, and contributes to giving trans authors the recognition and critical praise they both need and deserve.

So, what kind of voter are you? There’s only one way to find out!

Vote in the 2025 TFR Reader’s Choice Awards

If you enjoyed this list and want to help the TFR Awards succeed, the best thing you can do is vote! The second best thing you can do is reach out to your friends, coworkers, and publishing circles that enjoy trans lit and ask them to vote too! Give us a share on social media, especially if you’ve got a presence on a platform other than Bluesky or Tumblr.

I appreciate you all, Beth

LAST WEDNESDAY: #16 – 12 Chilling Books by Transfemmes to Read This Halloween

SUPPORT OUR WORK ON PATREON | OUR SPONSORS

The Transfeminine Review