If an awards application ends with “add to cart,” it is not quite the same thing as simply being selected for an award.

I got an email from a popular media brand you would definitely know, Inc., saying my company might be a strong candidate for one of its business awards.

Nice!

The email talked about recognition, credibility, and all the reasons applying could be good for my business.

Funny how it skipped the part where I would eventually need to pull out my credit card.

So before I filled out the entire application, gathered client feedback, tracked down company information, and invested who knows how much time into the process, I asked one very simple question:

Is there a fee involved?

My email was then answered as a support ticket with a full breakdown of the fees.

We took the personality out of that one real quick, huh?

To be fair, an application fee does not automatically make an award meaningless.

Plenty of legitimate awards programs charge fees to cover judging, administration, promotion, events, and all the other machinery involved.

But maybe mention that in the original email?

That feels like useful information.

Because there is a big difference between:

“We think your company may be a strong candidate for this award.”

and:

“We think your company may be a strong candidate for this award, and applying will cost you money.”

This is really a lesson about transparency.

Come on, man. Stop it with the shenanigans.

I Read 109 Books Last Year

I realized I had a lot more to say about books than I could squeeze into a quick Instagram caption.

So, I dusted off this newsletter​ on Substack.​

Here’s what you can expect from me each week:

📚 The best books I’ve been reading, plus the ones I think you should absolutely skip

📖 Practical ways to read more without needing to magically find extra free time

🎧 Audiobook recommendations that are actually worth the credit

📦 Behind-the-scenes looks at publisher book mail and advance copies

✍️ Occasional updates from my own slightly chaotic publishing journey

Basically, this is where I’ll talk about books the way I talk about them with my friends: honestly, enthusiastically, and with very strong opinions.

Because life is too short to force yourself through a book you hate just because everyone on TikTok said it changed their life.

A fresh newsletter will land in your inbox every Tuesday morning.

And if your idea of self-care is canceling plans so you can finish “just one more chapter,” you’re absolutely in the right place.

​Subscribe here.​

Christina (still in Canada)

P.S. Here's my new YouTube video about underrated books I think everyone should read.