Sci-fi and Heroic Fantasy discussion

The new year is always a good time to think about changes.

Before I start asking for nominations for our January, 2016, book discussion topics, I thought I'd ask if anyone wanted to suggest changes or alternatives to our current scheme.

For the last two years we've had three discussions per month, with the start day staggered throughout the month: We read two different SF/F novels and one short SF/F work each month: One is a "Classic" SF/F novel which was written before 2000; that discussion starts on the 1st of each month. One is a "Contemporary" SF/F novel, which was written after 2000; that discussion starts on the 21st of each month. We also read one short stories/novella/anthology each month; that discussion starts the 11th of each month.

I request nominations for upcoming discussion topics roughly seven weeks before the discussion would begin. After a week of collecting nominations, I open a poll to vote on the nominees, which is also open for one week. (If no nominee has a majority, or at least a clear victory, I open a second runoff poll among the top two nominees.) That lets us determine an upcoming book discussion topic one month before the discussion is scheduled to begin.

By default, I suppose I just continued doing that next year. So, the floor is open to suggestions, debate, and questions.

I wouldn't change a thing.

The only thing disturbing me is the low voting rate which seemed to get ever lower the last two years. On the other hand, discussions are very good - better than in many other groups.

I like the setup, but often don't participate. Too many books & groups, too little time.

I'm with Jim. My participation will have everything to do with time and nothing to do with how the procedures work.

A friend of mine at church once said that you should only serve to the extent that you can serve joyfully. I try to apply that throughout my life. Maybe you should evaluate which parts of the process you enjoy and keep them, and ditch the parts that you don't enjoy.

If you wanted to simplify, then maybe doing one book a month and alternating between classic and contemporary would slim things down.

First, thanks for the explanation about how the group functions--good info. I joined this past summer and like how much is going on. I was on summer vacay from teaching during June and July, so I had plenty of time for one book and one short story each month. I like that this group has two book options, so if I don't particularly wish to read one, the other is likely to suit me. Having said that, I have yet to see an option to vote or a call for nominations, so I have done neither to date. I must not have checked in enough, nor signed up for notifications properly (both would be my own fault) as I'm missing those opportunities.

April wrote: "Having said that, I have yet to see an option to vote or a call for nominations, so I have done neither to date. I must not have checked in enough, nor signed up for notifications properly (both would be my own fault) as I'm missing those opportunities. ..."

The Nomination Topics appear in the Current Nominations Folder . I also announce the opening of the polls in those Topic, as well as announcing the winner. (I only keep the more recent nominating topics there. Older nomination topics get archived in the Past Nominations folder.) You can always check on current polls by clicking the "polls" button in the Group navigation box to the upper right on most Group screens.


I don't send out private messages to every Group Member when I open nominations or polls. (I know there are a number of groups that do that. I have a personal aversion to bulk e-mail.)


Goodreads has a couple of ways of keeping track of what's going on in a group. One is through several types of Notifications, which you can control in the e-mails section of your user profile:

Select Edit Profile from your icon's pull-down.




Select the Emails tab.
On this screen you can indicate how you want to receive notifications, if any, for each Group in which you are Member.



Once you've been notified of a new Topic or Message, you can set your preferences for notifications individually on each Topic.
(Goodreads doesn't let you break down the notifications by Folder.)


On the same page, off to the right, you can indicate how many days before a book discussion is scheduled to begin you want to be notified.





Alternatively, you can keep track of what's going on in the group by simply visiting https://www.goodreads.com periodically and checking the Discussions tab, which will show you all your Groups and what's new in each:

I think you should do it the way ya want to G33...I like the current method, but you are the one doing the heavy lifting here, and the piper calls the tune...my taking part is mostly if I have time to fit in another book in my 'currently reading' pile, or if I can find the book in time if I don't currently have it.

You do a good job G33, and you don't get nearly enough thanks for it.

:-D

BTW folks, it's not easy leading these book discussions...G33 is good at it, he makes it look easy...don't belive me, get G33 to let you do one

Spooky1947 wrote: "... get G33 to let you do one"

"Let"? "let"? I don't "let". I demand. You nominate it, you own it! I keep a Dragon and a squad of genetically-enhanced Krogan on staff to make it so.

LOL

G33z3r wrote: "April wrote: "Having said that, I have yet to see an option to vote or a call for nominations, so I have done neither to date. I must not have checked in enough, nor signed up for notifications pro..."

Thanks for the info, G33z3r. :)