The Silver Pen Seal of Approval

by Sue Babcock, Editor

Tested and approved. That's what should define a seal. I was born and bred on the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, a mark that traces its history back one hundred years, with high ideals, no compromises, careful testing, and hard data. These make the seal mean something, make it worth striving for. Thousands of items have been awarded the GH Seal's promise - they will replace or refund any defective product that has their seal. That's quite a promise. 

How does the GH Seal relate to Silver Pen? We aim to test and approve. Our testing will not be in a kitchen or lab, but will be at our computers in the shadowy confines of our homes. We won't vacuum and taste and scrub. We'll read and review and browse. Our tools will be our processors, monitors, keyboards and mice as we click, surf and type our way through website after website. We want to find the best of the best, and we want to tell the world.

Identify and award the best fantasy and science-fiction websites. A bold goal. Many sites claim this goal, but in my research very few follow through and achieve it. It's a tough, time-consuming job to search out, evaluate and select the best.

And what does "the best" mean? To us it means sites that have exceptional fantasy and science fiction; content that we want to come back to again and again. They also need to be easy to navigate and pleasing to look at. We are not looking for the most popular, for this is not a popularity contest, although sites are popular for a reason. We are not looking for big spenders, good friends, or old standbys. The sites might be so new the ink on the screen is still wet. Or they might be lost in some desolate corner of the cyberworld just waiting for a chance.

So we want to search and browse and find the sites worthy of the Silver Pen Seal. This brand will herald quality and content, ease of use and full functionality, uncluttered layout, highlighting art and stories that will rip our hearts out and stay with us long after we've moved on to other places.

The Silver Pen Seal will be a gateway to the fantastic. We will proudly display links to these sites at the Silver Pen homepage and promote these sites around the internet. We will award winning sites our logo, proclaiming their quality to all that visit them, proclaiming their content as extraordinary.

What is our promise? Silver Pen Seal of Excellence promises wonder and hints at undiscovered worlds. We promise to listen to our audience and help move internet fantasy and science fiction to levels that will astound.

What do we need from you? Recommendations. Let us know about sites you love to visit that have the elements we seek: quality, amazing science fiction and fantasy content, excellent site layout and easy navigation, and stunning visual appeal. Email your suggestions to awards at silverpen dot org