The Judging Process

Best Book Contest

Round One (Scout Pile)

The Basics

  • Timeline: 5-6 months
  • Each team receives 20-30 books
  • Each team selects two semifinalists to advance to the next round

Reading Requirements

There are lots of ways to do this reading and different teams may handle this round differently, although we have some suggestions that have worked in the past (see below). Judges should expect to read around five full books and to sample many others.

Review Expectations

  • (Required) Each team should post a review and score of each semifinalist.
  • (Preferred) Teams may also post reviews of the final books under consideration at the end of the round (colloquially known as “quarterfinalists,” though this is not an official title)
  • (Preferred) Teams may also post brief feedback about the books eliminated early in the scout phase
  • (Preferred) Individual judges may post their own reviews, separate from the full team review, on their blogs, social media, Amazon or GoodReads

Round Two (Semifinals)

The Basics

  • Timeline: Two months
  • Judging teams will be grouped in threes, and each group will read each other’s semifinalist selections.
  • Each team will score each book.
  • The top books in each group will make finals.

Reading Requirements

  • Review and score four books.

Review Expectations

  • (Required) Each team should post a review and score of each semifinalist.
  • (Preferred) Individual judges may post their own reviews, separate from the full team review.

Round Three (Finals)

The Basics

  • Timeline: 1-2 months
  • Each team will read the top selections from the other semifinal groups
  • The top score will be the winner

Reading Requirements

  • Review and score two-to-four books.

Review Expectations

  • (Required) Each team should post a review and score of each finalist.
  • (Preferred) Individual judges may post their own reviews, separate from the full team review.
  • (Preferred) Teams should choose and review a “hidden gem,” a book they thought would go further in the contest than it did.

Gcoring Guidelines/Classifications:

Possible classifications + impact on score:

  • DNA – Did Not Attempt
  • DNF – Did Not Finish
  • NMS – Not My Style

Score (0 – 10) Guidelines

  • 10 = all-time great
  • 7 = solidly enjoyable
  • 5 = average
  • 3 = flawed