Presenting a video tribute to the nominees in this year's Black Quill Awards, set to Kevin MacLeod's haunting score.  A printed list of nominees follows below.

Dark Genre Novel of the Year:

(Novel-length work of horror, suspense, or thriller from mainstream publisher; awarded to author)

• Baltimore: Or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire, by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden (Spectra)
• Heart-Shaped Box, by Joe Hill (William Morrow)
• Heartsick, by Chelsea Cain (St. Martins)
• The Dust of Wonderland, by Lee Thomas (Alyson)
• The Missing, by Sarah Langan (Harper)
• The Terror, by Dan Simmons (Little, Brown and Company)

Best Small Press Chill:

(Novel or novella published by small press publisher; awarded to author)

• Dark Harvest, by Norman Partridge (Cemetery Dance)
• Midlisters, by Kealan Patrick Burke (Biting Dog Press)
• Placeholders, by John R. Little (Necessary Evil Press)
• The Cage, by Jason Brannon (KHP Publishers)
• The Haunted Forest Tour, Jeff Strand and James A. Moore (Earthling Publications)
• Vintage: A Ghost Story, Steve Berman (Haworth Positronic Press)

Best Dark Genre Fiction Collection:

(Anthology or single author collection, any publisher; awarded to author or editor[s])

• At Ease with the Dead: New Tales of the Supernatural and the Macabre, edited by Barbara Roden and Christopher Roden (Ash-Tree Press)
• Closing Time and Other Stories, Jack Ketchum (Gauntlet Press)
• Dirty Prayers, by Gary McMahon (Gray Friar Press)
• Sparks and Shadows, Lucy A. Snyder (HW Press)
• The Book of Dead Things, edited by Tina L. Jens and Eric M. Cherry (Twilight Tales, Inc.)
• Voyeurs of Death, Shaun Jeffrey (Doorways Publications)

Best Dark Genre Book of Non-Fiction:

(Any dark genre non-fiction subject, any publisher; awarded to author[s] or editor[s])

• American Gothic: Sixty Years of Horror Cinema (Reynolds & Hearn), Author: Jonathan Rigby
• Black Prometheus: A Critical Study of Karl Edward Wagner (Gothic Press), Editor: Benjamin Szumskyj
• Frankenstein: A Cultural History (W.W. Norton), Author: Susan Tyler Hitchcock
• On Writing Horror (Writer’s Digest), Editor: Mort Castle
• Sundays with Vlad (Three Rivers Press), Author: Paul Bibeau
• The Hammer Story (Titan Books), Authors: Marcus Hearn & Alan Barnes
  

Best Dark Scribble:

(Single work, non-anthology short fiction appearing in a print or virtual magazine; awarded to author)

• Discovering Ghosts, by Tim Lebbon, Postcripts #10 (Print)
• Ghosts in the Machine, by Matthew King, Doorways Magazine #0 (Print)
• The Gingerbread Girl, by Stephen King, Esquire Magazine, July 2007 (Print)
• Longtime Gone, by Kurt Dinan, Chiaroscuro #34 (Virtual)
• The Penitent, by Kealan Patrick Burke, Horror Literature Quarterly, Issue 1/Spring 2007 (Virtual)

Best Dark Genre Short Fiction Magazine:

(Print or virtual magazine that published primarily short fiction during the eligibility period; awarded to editor[s])

• Cemetery Dance, Editor Richard Chizmar (print)
• Chiaroscuro, Editor Brett Alexander Savory (virtual)
• Dark Discoveries, Editor James Beach (print)
• Dark Recesses Press, Editors Boyd Harris, CJ Hurtt, Vincent VanAllen (virtual)
• Estronomicon, Editor Steve Upham (virtual)
• Postscripts, Editors Peter Crowther and Nick Gevers (print)

Best Dark Genre Book Trailer:

(Book video promoting any work of fiction or non-fiction; awarded to video producer)

• Lady of the Serpents / Douglas Clegg, Video Production: Circle of Seven Productions
• Mr. Hands, author / Gary A. Braunbeck, Video Production: Gary A. Braunbeck
• The Dollmaker / Amanda Stevens, Video Production: Stonecreek Media, Inc.
• The Harrowing / Alexandra Sokoloff, Video Production: Circle of Seven Productions
• The Long Last Call / John Skipp, Video Production: Leisure Books

Best Author Website:

(Any dark genre author with an active website; awarded to author and website designer)

• Kealan Patrick Burke / www.kealanpatrickburke.com, Designer: Jennifer Burke
• Barry Eisler / www.barryeisler.com, Designer: xuni.com
• J.T. Ellison / www.jtellison.com, Designer: Randy Ellison
• W. D. Gagliani / www.williamdgagliani.com, Designer: Deena Warner
• John Grover / www.shadowtales.com, Designer: cjz-design
• J.A. Konrath / www.jakonrath.com, Designer: J.A. Konrath

Best Cover Art:

(From any dark genre work of fiction, novel, novella, or anthology; awarded to artist)

• Dark Harvest (Tor edition) / Norman Partridge;  Artist: Jon Foster
• Dead Sea (Delirium Books edition) / Brian Keene;  Artist: Dave Kendall
• Heart-Shaped Box (Subterranean Press edition) /  Joe Hill;  Artist: Vincent Chong
• Just North of Nowhere (Annihiliation Press) /  Lawrence Santoro;  Artist: Alan M. Clark
• The Haunted Forest Tour (Earthling Publications) /  James A. Moore & Jeff Strand;  Artist: Glenn Chadbourne

How To Vote...

Voting in the 1st Annual Black Quill Awards has now ended. 

Winners will be announced on Tuesday, February 5th.