mystery writing contests

INTELLECTUAL INK

A MAGAZINE FOR AVID READERS AND PROLIFIC WRITERS

• NOVEL CONTEST

Unveiling the 2024 Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition

In the world of literature, new voices are forever emerging, bringing fresh perspectives and gripping stories to the forefront. To nurture and celebrate these budding talents, Minotaur Books and Mystery Writers of America (MWA) proudly present the 2024 Minotaur Books/MWA First Crime Novel Competition. This prestigious event is designed to provide aspiring authors with a platform to showcase their work and potentially launch their careers in the thrilling realm of crime fiction.

Open to All Aspiring Writers

The doors of this competition swing open to writers from all corners of the globe, transcending borders and nationality. Regardless of your background, if you’re 18 years or older and have not yet published a novel (except for self-published works), you’re eligible to participate. The manuscript you submit should be your original creation, and you should not be under contract with a publisher for any forthcoming novels. This is a chance for undiscovered talent to shine.

The Submission Process

For the 2024 competition, submissions will be accepted exclusively online through an easy-to-navigate entry form. Make sure your manuscript is saved as a Microsoft Word document or PDF, double-spaced, with consecutive page numbers. The deadline for submissions is December 15, 2023, so seize the opportunity to submit your work early for a more thoughtful consideration.

Crafting the Crime Novel

The heart of this competition revolves around crime fiction, where murder or other serious crimes act as the driving force of the narrative. Entrants are encouraged to let their creativity flow within the bounds of these guidelines:

• Craft an original story with a length of no less than approximately 65,000 words.
• Ensure that the manuscript is solely your creation and has not been previously published.
• Uphold a level of integrity and avoid violating any third-party rights or spreading libel.
• Keep in mind the essence of a crime novel—develop a limited number of suspects, each with credible motives, and present a detective, preferably an amateur, who plays a central role in solving the crime.

The Path Forward

As the competition progresses, a panel of judges, along with the editorial team at Minotaur Books, will pore over the submissions. The winner will be selected based on the originality, creativity, and writing prowess exhibited in the manuscript. The chosen manuscript will be offered a publishing contract, complete with an advance against future royalties of $10,000.

Furthermore, the victorious author will be recognized at a distinguished event—either the Edgar Awards Banquet in New York City for the First Crime Novel Competition or the Malice Domestic Convention in Bethesda, Maryland for the Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Competition—depending on the specific competition.

A Launchpad for Literary Journeys

For those who have yet to see their literary dreams take flight, the 2024 Minotaur Books/MWA First Crime Novel Competition offers a rare opportunity to showcase your talent on a grand stage. Whether your manuscript is a meticulously plotted mystery or a gripping crime narrative, this competition could be your gateway to the world of published crime fiction. So, gather your words, craft your story, and seize the chance to become the next breakthrough author in the realm of crime fiction. Good luck!

2024Minotaur Books/Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Competition – Minotaur Books – Home (macmillan.com)

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Writing Contests

Winning opportunities for would-be mystery writers! Check them out.

Each issue features a Mysterious Photograph. Readers are invited to submit a 250-word (or less) flash fiction story based on the photo. The person who invents the best mystery story receives a prize of $25, and the story is published in a future issue and on our web site.   See this month’s winner.

AHMM and  The Wolfe Pack , the official Nero Wolfe appreciation society, team up each year to sponsor an annual writing contest that seeks to honor an unpublished work of fiction written in the tradition of the Nero Wolfe mystery stories by Rex Stout. Rex Stout was a master of the novella form and published dozens of novellas featuring the corpulent and irascible detective Nero Wolfe and his sidekick Archie Goodwin. Today, the novella is uncommon, though AHMM has a long tradition of publishing novellas. More information on the contest, including submission guidelines, can be found   here.

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Upcoming Meetings

June 13 meeting.

The next RMMWA monthly meeting will be held Thursday, June 13 at the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association (290 Speer Boulevard in Denver) and we’ll also broadcast a live, interactive hybrid meeting via Zoom. Please join us for a talk by Maddee James: Author Websites: The Most Important Elements, and More!

The meeting at CADA will start at 6:15 p.m. (MDT) with drinks and networking, and dinner will be served at 6:30. Zoom attendees may sign on shortly before 7:00 for the start of the program. See the full agenda below.

To register to attend in person, please use the link below. Please sign up before Sunday, June 9 to reserve your spot .

Zoom attendance is free and there is no need to register. Members will receive the meeting link via email. Non-members, please send an email to chapterpres@rmmwa.org to request access.

Dinner menu:

To be announced!

Note: Please contact our  Caterer Director  directly if you have allergies or specific food issues. We will try to accommodate you if we can. 

Meeting Agenda :

• 6:15 Networking and drinks
• 6:30 Dinner
• 7:00 Introductions and Member News
• 7:30 Mystery Minute
• 7:40 Program

Meeting Program:

“author websites: the most important elements, and more”.

While everyone has different opinions on what makes a great author site, there are some basics that are important.  We’ll go over those, including domain names, target audience, branding, design, platform, responsiveness, analytics, navigation and content, etc.!  We’ll even throw in some information on newsletters and ways to support other authors.

Speaker Bio

Maddee James is the owner of xuni.com, a small, dynamic website development company which has created, designed, and maintained author websites for over 25 years. Though xuni.com clients span across all genres, we specialize in customized WordPress sites for mystery and thriller writers. We also support author branding through print and online ads, social media design, custom newsletters and other promotional materials. While we are in the business of creating functional beauty, we are best known for our individualized attention to clients and details, along with amazing responsiveness. Check out our work, client list, and much more at https://xuni.com.

Latest RMMWA Meeting Video

Special Announcements

2023 6-word mystery winners.

The results of the 2023 Six-Word Mystery Contest sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Mystery Writers of America (RMMWA) have been announced.

Overall winner:

Dead bookie: all bets are off..

This entry, written by David Bart of Fort Collins, Colorado, was voted the winner of Ann finalist entries, voted on by RMMWA’s members and announced at the chapter’s Mystery and Mistletoe holiday party held December 8th.

According to legend, the first six-word novel was born in the 1920s when Ernest Hemingway at New York’s Algonquin Hotel or Luchow’s restaurant (depending on whom you ask) won a $10 bet by writing a six-word story. His dark and dramatic submission was: “For sale: Baby shoes. Never worn.” Urban legend or no, memorable, heart-breaking and sublime six-word stories have been penned ever since.

As the top winner from a record 448 entries, Bart won $100 for his winning entry. All finalists will have their six-word stories featured on the RMMWA website and published in both Deadlines, RMMWA’s newsletter, and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine .

Read on for the finalists and winners in all five categories. Category winners are indicated in bold :

read more…

RMMWA Member News and Notes

Meet barb bathrick – our new rmmwa newsletter editor.

Barb was born in Houston, Texas, grew up in the Rocky Mountain regions of Wyoming and Colorado and has family ties to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is an eclectic blend of the Gulf coast, the mountain outdoors and Steeler Country’s rolling western Pennsylvania hills. From childhood she loved books and writing stories. In elementary school she wrote plays and stories for the school newspaper, but when her mother gave her the Nancy Drew Mystery, “Password to Larkspur Lane”, the mystery bug bit. From that moment on the mystery genre and the desire to write mysteries became a part of her life. Her first venture into this arena was at age eleven when she wrote a series of mysteries, “The Ruth Starc Mysteries” published on notebook paper and her following was her family. These early stories still occupy a drawer in her study. read more…

Lefty Nomination for Cynthia Kuhn

DEADLY OPTIONS by Terry Odell

Lise McClendon’s Birds of a Feather series

THE TATTOO ARTIST by Lori Lacefield

Dual Award Nominations for David Heska Wanbli Weiden’s WINTER COUNTS

A PAIRING TO DIE FOR by Kate Lansing

Leslie Budewitz’s “Coming Clean” in Alfred Hitchcock’s

ANGELS IN THE WIND by Manuel Ramos

OUR SONG, MEMENTO MORI by PG Lengsfelder

Colleen Collins “Look Your Last” anthologized

PUZZLING INK by Becky Clark

LOST IN LAVENDER by Lise McClendon

THE SOLACE OF BAY LEAVES by Leslie Budewitz

AUTOMAT by Stephanie Kane

Cover reveal: a pairing to die for.

Margaret Mizushima’s HANGING FALLS

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Fleur Bradley’s MIDNIGHT AT THE BARCLAY HOTEL

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Spring 2024 Savage Mystery Writing Contest Weekend

March 22 - march 24.

Contest starts: Friday, March 22, 5pm ET / 2pm PT

Contest ends: Sunday, March 24, 5pm ET / 2pm PT

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• Literary Contests - Mystery

Publishing, writing, and literary prizes for Mystery

Adventure Writer's Competition

The AWC accepts novels exhibiting (in whole) the general action-adventure-themed genre and style. The Adventure Writer's Competition is sponsored by the Clive Cussler Collector's Society, Braveship Books and AJM Books. It is a annual writing competition for published and non published auth...

Agatha Awards

The Agatha Awards honor the traditional, "cozy" mystery. That is to say, books best typified by the works of Agatha Christie. Agatha Awards are given for materials first published in the United States by a living author during the calendar year 2014 (January 1-December 31), either in hardc...

Anthony Awards

The Anthony Awards are literary awards for mystery writers presented at the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention since 1986. The awards are named for Anthony Boucher (1911–1968), one of the founders of the Mystery Writers of America. Among the most prestigious awards in the world of mystery w...

Audrey Jessup Award

The contest is open to Ottawa and the National Capital Region residents. The story must be unpublished and feature a crime. Maximum length 3,500 words. The judging process is blind, therefore do NOT include author’s name on the manuscript. The cover letter should include your name, address, story ...

Bath Novel Award

£2,000 international prize for unpublished or independently published writers of novels for adults or young adults. Judge: Susan Armstrong of Conville & Walsh Literary Agency. £22 entry fee per novel. First 5,000 words plus one page synopsis. ...

Blue Ridge Mountains CWC Directors Choice Awards

Past and present attendees of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference are eligible to submit their published work to this contest. ...

Book Excellence Awards

The Book Excellence Awards (www.bookexcellenceawards.com) is an international book awards competition. The Book Excellence Awards is dedicated to helping authors and publishers increase their visibility, credibility and book sales through extended support and resources on topics such as publis...

Bord Gais Energy Irish Book Awards

The Bord Gais Energy Irish Book Awards are a set of industry-recognition awards set up by a coalition of Irish booksellers in 2007. The awards are owned by Irish Book Awards Ltd, a not-for-profit company presided over by a board comprising representatives from founding members Eason & Son Ltd, A...

British Book Awards

The British Book Awards, or Nibbies, is the definitive event for honouring the commercial successes of publishers, authors and bookshops. It succeeds 2016’s British Book Industry Awards.<p>There have been many notable winners over the years. Faber was the first publisher of the year in 1990 ...

CALIBA Golden Poppy Awards

The members of CALIBA present The Golden Poppy Book Awards to recognize the most distinguished books written by writers and artist who make California their home. The Golden Poppies are given for books published in the following categories: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Cooking & Food, Mystery, Romance,...

Carol Awards

Qualifying titles shall be written f...

Christy Awards

Every year publishers are invited to submit novels written from a Christian worldview and copyrighted in the year preceding the awards.<p>To be eligible, you must submit a full-length work of fiction, including a novella published as a freestanding entity.<p> All eligible submissions ...

CWA Communications Contest

Each year, the Cat Writers’ Association selects the best entries in each category and awards them with Certificates of Excellence. The highest-scoring Certificate-winning entry in each category receives a Muse Medallion at our Annual Awards Ceremony. Special Awards focus on a specific topic and co...

DWAA Annual Writing Competition

The Maxwell Medallion writing contest is open to all writers, editors, publishers, photographers, artists and others whose work falls into the designated competition categories, which include newspaper, blog postings and magazine columns or articles on canine health, training, rescue or other topics...

FAPA President’s Book Awards

Each year the Florida Authors and Publishers Association (FAPA) sponsors the FAPA President's Book Awards, which recognizes book publishing excellence and creativity in design, content, and production for authors and publishers. This contest isn't limited to Florida, it is open to anyone t...

Feathered Quill Book Awards

Feathered Quill Book Awards, a program run by Feathered Quill Book Reviews, a leader in online book review sites, awarding books with gold, silver, and bronze designations in a total of twenty-four categories. In addition, Feathered Quill also includes finalists – these are books with scores clos...

Florida Book Awards

The Florida Book Awards is an annual competition that exists for one purpose--to honor the best work written by Florida authors and about Florida culture in the previous year. Begun in 2006, the Florida Book Awards is the most comprehensive state book awards program in the United States, and the onl...

Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards

You have a great book, you’re looking for some recognition, and you want a wider audience to fall in love with it. That’s where Foreword’s annual book awards program comes in. The IndieFab Awards recognize the best in indie book publishing, and has been doing so for fifteen years. Our prestigi...

Genesis Contest

The ACFW Genesis Contest is for unpublished Christian fiction writers. With ten categories to enter, Genesis provides the opportunity for unbiased feedback on writers’ work by published authors and experienced judges, and the chance for finalists to have their work read by Christian publishing hou...

Georgia Author of the Year Award

The Georgia Author of the Year Awards celebrates the best literature by Georgia writers. Georgia Writers Association assumed responsibility for the Georgia Author of the Year Awards (GAYA) shortly after its founding in 1994. The awards were first given in 1964 by the Dixie Council of Authors and J...

Global Ebook Awards

The Global Ebook Awards are more than an honor for the best ebooks published, they offer high-profile publicity for ebook authors, publishers and ebooks....

IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award

The awards are administered by the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), with help from over 150 book publishing professionals includ...

Independent Publisher Book Awards

Conducted annually, the Independent Publisher Book Awards honor the year’s best independently published titles from around the world. The awards are intended to bring increased recognition to the thousands of exemplary independent, university, and self-published titles published each year. <p&g...

John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger

This award is for the best crime novel by a first-time author of any nationality first published in the UK in English during the judging period. It is given in memory of CWA founder John Creasey and was previously known as The John Creasey Memorial Award. ...

Maine Literary Awards

The Maine Literary Awards are open to all current Maine residents, including seasonal residents. All nominations to the Book Awards, regardless of category, must have been published during the 2017 calendar year. The editors (or lead editor) of books entered in the Anthology category must be Maine r...

Midwest Book Awards

Publishers based in the Midwest are invited to enter the annual Midwest Book Awards competition for excellence in books. The awards recognize creativity in content and execution, overall book quality, and the book’s unique contribution to its subject area. Titles accepted in Nonfiction, Fiction, P...

Mystery & Mayhem Awards - Cozy Mystery Writing Contest

Chanticleer Book Reviews is looking for the best books featuring "mystery and mayhem", amateur sleuthing, light suspense, travel mystery, classic mystery, British cozy, hobby sleuths, senior sleuths, or historical mystery, perhaps with a touch of romance or humor, we will put them to the t...

Next Generation Indie Book Awards

The Next Generation Indie Book Awards (#NGIBA) is the largest non-profit book awards program for indie authors and publishers.<p>The Next Generation Indie Book Awards was established to recognize and honor the most exceptional independently published books in over 70 different categories, for ...

Petrona Award

The Petrona Award has been established to celebrate the work of Maxine Clarke, one of the first online crime fiction reviewers and bloggers, who died in December 2012. Maxine, whose online persona and blog was called Petrona, was passionate about translated crime fiction but in particular that from ...

Shamus Awards

Eligible works must feature as a main character a person PAID for investigative work but NOT employed for that work by a unit of government. These include traditionally licensed private investigators; lawyers and reporters who do their own investigations; and others who function as hired private ag...

The Black Orchid Novella Award

The Black Orchid Novella Award offers a $1,000 prize to the best original, unpublished novella that conforms to the tradition of the Nero Wolfe series. Entries must be 15,000 to 20,000 words in length, and submitted by the deadline. ...

The Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence

The Awards are for CRIME WRITING and are not restricted to mystery writing. Crime-writing encompasses far more than the traditional whodunit. The crime genre includes crime, detective, espionage, mystery, suspense, and thriller writing, as well as fictional or factual accounts of criminal doings and...

The Dante Rossetti Awards

Chanticleer Book Reviews is looking for the best books featuring stories of all shapes and sizes written to an audience between the ages of about twelve to eighteen. Categories: Contemporary Young Adult SFF & Paranormal Dystopian/Edgy/Urban Mystery/Thriller/Suspense Historical Yo...

The Killer Nashville Claymore Award

Every year, the Killer Nashville Claymore Award assists new and rebranding English-language fiction authors get published, including possible agent representation, book advances, editor deals, and movie and television sales. ...

The Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award

The Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award seeks to discover and honor the best books of the previous year (novels, novellas, collections and anthologies, and non-fiction) that incorporate the elements of mystery, thriller, and suspense in numerous genres or, in the case of nonfiction, books that ar...

Word Awards

The Word Awards was established to encourage the pursuit of excellence in the art, craft, practice and ministry of writing and help to raise the profile of Canadian writers who are Christian.The content of eligible entries must be consistent with a Christian worldview and the historic Christian trad...

Toasted Cheese Literary Journal

The Mollie Savage Memorial Writing Contest

The Mollie Savage Memorial Writing Contest (formerly Three Cheers and a Tiger) is a 48-hour short story writing contest. The contest was renamed in 2021 in honor of Mollie Savage, the winner of the inaugural Three Cheers and a Tiger contest in 2001. Mollie later became an editor at Toasted Cheese . She passed away in 2013.

The Savage Writing Contest runs twice a year, on the weekends closest to March 21 and September 21. All entries must be composed within the contest time frame, and adhere to the topic and word range announced at the contest start.

Read the General Contest Rules first.

The savage mystery writing contest, the 2024 contest runs the weekend of march 22-24, 2024..

The spring edition of the Savage Writing Contest is a MYSTERY contest. It is held annually the weekend closest to March 21.

Entries are blind-judged by Bellman . The judge’s decision is final. Winners are announced April 30.

Winning stories are published in the June issue of Toasted Cheese . If 50 or fewer eligible entries are received, first place receives a $35 Amazon gift card & second a $10 Amazon gift card. If 51 or more eligible entries are received, first place receives a $50 Amazon gift card, second a $15 Amazon gift card & third a $10 Amazon gift card.

The March 2024 contest opens at 5 PM Eastern Time, Friday, March 22, 2024, with details posted on TC’s homepage . Send entries to: savagemystery24 [at]toasted-cheese.com Your subject line must read: Savage Mystery Contest Entry Deadline: 5 PM Eastern Time, Sunday, March 24, 2024.

The Savage Science Fiction / Fantasy Writing Contest

The 2024 contest runs the weekend of september 20-22, 2024..

The autumn edition of the Savage Writing Contest is a SCIENCE FICTION / FANTASY contest. It is held annually the weekend closest to September 21.

Entries are blind-judged by Boots & Broker . The judges’ decision is final. Winners are announced October 31.

Winning stories are published in the December issue of Toasted Cheese . If 50 or fewer eligible entries are received, first place receives a $35 Amazon gift card & second a $10 Amazon gift card. If 51 or more eligible entries are received, first place receives a $50 Amazon gift card, second a $15 Amazon gift card & third a $10 Amazon gift card.

The September 2024 contest opens at 5PM Eastern Time, Friday, September 20, 2024 with details posted on TC’s homepage . Send entries to: savagesff24 [at]toasted-cheese.com Your subject line must read: Savage SFF Contest Entry Deadline: 5PM Eastern Time, Sunday, September 22, 2024

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Read this week's magazine

Mystery Writers of America Celebrates 2024 Edgar Award Winners

The 78th annual Edgar Awards Banquet, held last night at Manhattan's Marriott Marquis, was very much in keeping with the times. Described by Mystery Writers of America President Chris Grabenstein as "the Oscars of mystery awards," Grabenstein, who emceed the evening, attempted to disclaim responsibility for any of his jokes falling flat by claiming that they had actually been scripted by ChatGPT.

On a more serious note, cozy author Katherine Hall Page, one of the two authors honored as a MWA Grand Master, told attendees that we live in "difficult times, with the November election raising fears that the outcome will threaten our democracy and the civil liberties writers cherish."

Those concerns gave added resonance to the themes of the book that took home the top prize for Best Fact Crime: Nathan Masters's Crooked: The Roaring '20s Tale of a Corrupt Attorney General, a Crusading Senator, and the Birth of the American Political Scandal (Hachette). The details the machinations of Warren Harding's unethical AG Harry Daugherty, who had a reputation for being willing to keep Harding in the White House by any means necessary. In his remarks, Masters credited mystery fiction authors with teaching him how to make a dry Congressional investigation suspenseful by the timing of reveals.

The banquet also featured progress for MWA's objective of increasing diverse representation among those it honors. Adrianna Cuevas, only the second Latina ever nominated for an Edgar, won in the Best Juvenile category for The Ghosts of Rancho Espanto (Farrar, Straus & Giroux BFYR). In her remarks, Cuevas gave a shoutout to the first nominated Latina, Christina Diaz Gonzalez, who had won for the same category in 2022, and who, in her acceptance speech that year, had accurately predicted that she would not be the last Latina to win an Edgar.

It was also a standout night for Linda Castillo, who took home two trophies: the Edgar for Best Short Story for Hallowed Ground and the G.P. Putnam's Sons Sue Grafton Memorial Award for An Evil Heart (both published by Minotaur).

The evening, as usual, offered many humorous moments. After she learned she'd won the Lilian Jackson Braun Memorial Award for Glory Be (Pegasus Crime), Danielle Arceneaux, conceded that she'd submitted a manuscript to her agent with typos, and "two spaces after every period."

Unsurprisingly, the biggest laughs came from R.L. Stine, the second 2024 Grand Master, whose selection helped inspire the evening's theme, "The Kids are All Right," which celebrated young readers. The banquet program included photos of some of the honorees being read to as children, and short essays from every nominee about their favorite book as a kid.

Stine became the first-ever MWA Grand Master who had previously won a Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award (not to mention that his work has yielded movies, TV series, lunchboxes, and amusement park rides). In his remarks, Stine revealed that his own nephew admitted to having voted for Shel Silverstein for the Nickelodeon award the year Stine won, and that Stephen King did not react favorably when he learned that Stine's oeuvre had been dubbed "a literary training bra" for King's famous works of horror. Stine continued to poke fun at himself by disclosing that, at a recent book-signing in Baltimore, a teacher asked to take a photo with him just so that she could prove to her students that he was not dead.

And in a video clip of a prior interview aired along with the MWA presentation, Stine stated that he fell into the genre by chance. After writing jokebooks and Bazooka Joe comics, an editor had directed him to go home and write teen horror. Stine attributed his remarkable success to being lucky, and ended his speech by, self-deprecatingly, citing his all-time favorite Amazon review, a five-star one that read simply: "The packaging was great and it was easy to open."

A complete list of winners and honorees is below:

Best Novel : Flags on the Bayou by James Lee Burke (Atlantic Monthly Press)

Best First Novel by an American Author: The Peacock and the Sparrow by I.S. Berry (Atria)

Best Paperback Original: Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto (Berkley)

Best Fact Crime: Crooked: The Roaring '20s Tale of a Corrupt Attorney General, a Crusading Senator, and the Birth of the American Political Scandal by Nathan Masters (Hachette)

Best Critical/Biopgraphical: Love Me Fierce in Danger: The Life of James Ellroy by Steven Powell (Bloomsbury Academic)

Best Short Story: Hallowed Ground by Linda Castillo (Minotaur)

Best Juvenile: The Ghosts of Rancho Espanto by Adrianna Cuevas (Farrar, Straus and Giroux BFYR)

Best Young Adult: Girl Forgotten by April Henry (Little, Brown/Ottaviano)

Best Television Episode Teleplay: Escape from Shit Mountain–Poker Face by Nora Zuckerman & Lilla Zuckerman (Peacock)

Robert L. Fish Memorial Award: The Body in Cell Two by Kate Hohl , Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine , May-June 2023 (Dell Magazines)

The Simon & Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award: Play the Fool by Lina Chern (Bantam)

The G.P. Putnam’s Sons Sue Grafton Memorial Award : An Evil Heart by Linda Castillo (Minotaur)

The Lilian Jackson Braun Memorial Award: Glory Be by Danielle Arceneaux (Pegasus Crime)

Special Awards

Grand Master: Katherine Hall Page, R.L. Stine

Ellery Queen Award: Michaela Hamilton, Kensington Books

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Rock Island author receives first place prize at international writing contest for his mystery novel series

A Rock Island author's mystery novel series landed him first-place recognition at a national writing contest in his respective category. 

82-year-old Dave Ramacitti, who writes under the pen name Dave Lager , recently won a first-place prize in the Thriller/Suspense category at the Chanticleer International Book Awards ceremony held on April 20 in Bellingham, Washington. The first four books of his "Ro Delahanty" series won first place. His series follows the adventures of young deputy sheriff Ro Delahanty and takes place in the fictional, semi-rural county of Fort Armstrong, Iowa. 

The first four books that won first place are "Ro's Handle," "Hear Evil," "Losses" and "Secrets Never End," listed in their respective order. His fifth book in the series, "Sniper's Day," was a finalist in the category, and the sixth book was published earlier this year. 

According to a press release, Ramacitti/Lager has spent most of his life in the Quad Cities area. He worked at the Quad City Times before becoming a freelance marketing and public relations consultant. He has also been an adjunct teacher at multiple QCA and suburban Chicago colleges. 

“I was in eighth grade when the writing bug hit me,” he said in a press release. “I wrote short stories, poems, even tried a screenplay – they weren’t very good. But there was always the dream of someday writing a novel. Over the years I’d start one, maybe get a couple dozen chapters done, but then life would get in the way and the book was shelved and forgotten...It wasn’t until I retired about ten years ago that I committed to getting that novel written...It took two years – plus more than half a century – to get my first full-length novel, Ro’s Handle, written and published.” 

The series dominantly fits in the police procedural genre but also includes romance and a touch of supernatural storytelling, Ramacitti/Lager said. All six books are available on Amazon, with more information available on the author's website . 

Chanticleer Book Reviews and Media is a membership organization for authors that provides reviews, editorial assistance, workshops and other services to create an online writer community. In addition, the group will also host award ceremonies to recognize standout writing. 

Tune into The Current from 4 to 5 p.m. on weekdays to catch live interviews impacting you, your family and your hometown as well as all of the biggest headlines of the day.

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Best Short Story Writing Contests in 2024

Showing 128 contests that match your search.

The Reedsy Prompts Contest

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

Every Friday, Reedsy sends out five writing prompts. Enter your response within a week for a chance at $250. Winners may also be included in a future issue of Reedsy’s literary magazine, Prompted.

Additional prizes:

$25 credit toward Reedsy editorial services

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: December 31, 2024

Short Story Competition 2021

Exeter Writers

Exeter Writers runs an annual short story competition. The competition began in 2009 and is very popular, receiving entries from all over the world. The maximum word count is 3,000.

💰 Entry fee: $9

📅 Deadline: February 28, 2021 (Expired)

Parsec Short Story Contest

Parsec Inc.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Science Fiction, and Short Story

2023 Contest Theme is: Preserve or Purge. We ask that authors try and incorporate both concepts into their speculative work. This can be conveyed in the setting, plot, characters, dialogue; the only limit is your imagination. The theme must be integral to the story in some way and not just mentioned in passing.

2nd: $100 | 3rd: $50

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2024 (Expired)

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The Big Moose Prize

Black Lawrence Press

Genres: Fiction, Novel, Poetry, and Short Story

Each year Black Lawrence Press will award The Big Moose Prize for an unpublished novel. The prize is open to new, emerging, and established writers. The winner of this contest will receive book publication, a $1,000 cash award, and ten copies of the book. Prizes will be awarded on publication. The Big Moose Prize is open to traditional novels as well as novels-in-stories, novels-in-poems, and other hybrid forms that contain within them the spirit of a novel.

Publication, 10 copies of your book

💰 Entry fee: $27

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2024 (Expired)

The Moth Short Story Prize 2024

Judged by Louise Kennedy, The Moth Short Story Prize is open to anyone over 16, as long as their story is previously unpublished. The word limit is 3,000. Winning story published as part of the summer fiction series in the Irish Times, while the 2nd and 3rd-prize-winning stories will be published in the Irish Times online.

2nd: week-long writing retreat at Circle of Misse in France plus open travel stipend | 3rd: €1,000

💰 Entry fee: $16

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2024

The International Amy MacRae Award for Memoir

Memoir Writing Ink

Genres: Memoir, Non-fiction, and Short Story

Original, unpublished works of memoir writing up to 2000 words. The winner will be interviewed and the winning story published on Alison Wearing’s website and featured in the Memoir Writing Ink program. This award was created in celebration of the life of Amy Macrae and in support of her living legacy to improve the outcomes of women with ovarian cancer. Submissions accepted between April 15 to June 30, 2024.

💰 Entry fee: $25

To Hull and Back Humorous Short Story Contest

Christopher Fielden

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Non-fiction, and Short Story

July 2022 saw the launch of the 8th To Hull And Back Short Story Competition, a biennial short story contest with a humorous twist that celebrates the most imaginative and amazing short stories from writers all over the world.

2nd Prize: £600 | 3rd Prize: £300 | 3 x Highly Commended: £150 | 14 x Shortlisted: £75

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2025

2024 Spring Prose & Poetry Contest

Onyx Publications

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Poetry, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Thriller

Our contest provides a First, Second, and Third prize for both prose and poetry. There are no themes or special requirements so just send us your best work. We recommend you read through previous editions or listen to the works and author interviews on our Story Discovery Podcast to get a sense of the range of creativity we enjoy.

$500 + publication and author interview on Story Discovery podcast

2nd: $150 | 3rd: $75

💰 Entry fee: $12

📅 Deadline: May 05, 2024 (Expired)

Indignor Play House Annual Short Story Competition

Indignor House Publishing

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult

Indignor House Publishing is proud to announce that our annual writing competition (INDIGNOR PLAYHOUSE Short Story Annual Competition) is officially open with expected publication in the fall of 2024. Up to 25 submissions will be accepted for inclusion in the annual anthology.

2nd: $250 | 3rd: $150

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: March 01, 2024 (Expired)

Hispanic Culture Review Contest 2022-2023

Hispanic Culture Review

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story, and Flash Fiction

As the Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano once said, "the best that the world has is in the many worlds that the world contains." Therefore, this year we invite you to reflect on the following questions: How do you or your community celebrate these connections? How do you value those experiences with those people who leave a mark on your life? 1 work will be awarded in each category: 1) photography & visual arts, 2) poetry, and 3) narrative/essay/academic investigation.

$100 for photography, poetry, and essay winners

Publication

📅 Deadline: February 01, 2023 (Expired)

Flying South

Genres: Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

All entries will be considered for publication. Winning submissions in each of the three categories (Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Poetry) will be awarded prizes of $400 for First Place, $200 for Second Place, and $100 for a total of $2,100 in prizes. All finalists will be accepted for publication and will receive one copy of the current issue of Flying South.

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: May 31, 2024

Writer's Digest Annual Writing Competition

Writer's Digest

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

Enter our 91st Annual Writing Competition for the chance to have your work be seen by editors and agents! Almost 500 winners will be chosen. The top winning entries of this writing contest will also be on display in the Annual Writer’s Digest Competition Collection. [$20 for a poetry entry, $30 for a manuscript entry]

2nd: $500 | 3rd: $100

💰 Entry fee: $30

📅 Deadline: May 06, 2024 (Expired)

Storytrade Book Awards

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Script Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Storytrade Book Awards recognizes excellence in small and independent publishing. Open to all indie authors and publishers including self-published authors, university presses, and small or independent presses, our annual awards program spotlights outstanding books in a number of fiction and nonfiction categories.

Medal, Book Stickers, Digital Seal

💰 Entry fee: $75

Fish Short Memoir Prize

Fish Publishing

Everyone has a memoir in them. Go for it! Write a piece of your life, send it to Fish. Qian Julie Wang, author of her memoir Beautiful Country, will select 10 short memoirs to be published in the Fish Anthology 2022, which will be launched during the West Cork Literary Festival.

2nd: Writing Course (online) + €300 | 3rd: €300

💰 Entry fee: $18

Inspiring Fiction's Special Edition Short Story Contest

Inspiring Fiction

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Thriller

Inspiring Fiction’s special edition short story contest is on the theme ‘Freedom’. We are looking for crime, speculative, and fantasy short stories. The winner and shortlisted entries will be published in a bumper crossover issue of Tangled Web Magazine and Mirk Fantasy Magazine.

Publication and published review by the editor

💰 Entry fee: $6

📅 Deadline: July 31, 2024

The Christy Award

Genres: Christian, Fantasy, Novel, Novella, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Young Adult

The Christy Award® was established in 1999 to acknowledge the value and impact of the novel of faith in contemporary culture. Since that time, the Christys have been a focal point for the writers and publishers in our community.

💰 Entry fee: $175

NOWW 26th International Writing Contest

Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop (NOWW)

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

Open to all writers in four categories: poetry, short fiction, creative nonfiction, and critical writing.

💰 Entry fee: $7

📅 Deadline: February 29, 2024 (Expired)

The Lascaux Prize in Short Fiction

The Lascaux Review

Stories may be previously published or unpublished, and simultaneous submissions are accepted. Winner receives $1,000 and a bronze medallion. Finalists receive $100. Winner and finalists are published in both the online and annual print editions of The Lascaux Review.

Publication in The Lascaux Review

📅 Deadline: December 31, 2021 (Expired)

Best Indie Book Award

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The annual Best Indie Book Award® (or BIBA®) is an international literary awards contest recognizing self-published and independently published authors from all over the world. Entries are limited to independently (indie) published books, including those from small presses, e-book publishers, and self-published authors.

💰 Entry fee: $65

📅 Deadline: August 15, 2024

$1000 for 1000 Words Contest

The Layla Beban Young Authors

Genres: Children's and Short Story

The $1000 for 1000 Words fiction writing contest is open to all students enrolled in grades 6-12. Each entrant may submit a fiction piece consisting of exactly 1,000 words (not including title or author’s name). The fiction piece can be on any topic, as long as it is not vulgar or offensive, does not use inappropriate profanity, and is the original work of the entrant not previously published.

📅 Deadline: February 01, 2024 (Expired)

Vocal Challenges

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Short Story

Enter themed storytelling contests to put your creativity to the test and be in with a chance of winning cash prizes and more. To submit, you'll need to sign up for a monthly fee of $9.99, or $4.99/month for 3 months.

$1,000 — $5,000

📅 Deadline: March 07, 2024 (Expired)

Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition

Hemingway Days Festival

Genres: Short Story

Writers of short fiction may now enter the 2024 Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition. The competition has a forty-three year history of literary excellence, and Lorian Hemingway and her small judging panel are dedicated to enthusiastically supporting the efforts and talent of writers of short fiction whose voices have yet to be heard. Lorian Hemingway, a granddaughter of Nobel laureate Ernest Hemingway, is the author of three critically acclaimed books: Walking into the River, Walk on Water, and A World Turned Over.

Publication on site

📅 Deadline: September 01, 2024

The Letter Review Prize for Unpublished Books

The Letter Review

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

Free to enter. Seeking 0-5000 word (poetry: 15 pgs) excerpts of unpublished books (Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction), including most self-published and indie-published works. 2-4 Winners (publication of extract is optional). We Shortlist 10-20 writers. Open to writers from anywhere in the world, with no theme or genre restrictions. Judged blind.

Optional Publication of Excerpt, Letter of Recommendation

📅 Deadline: May 01, 2024 (Expired)

Lazuli Literary Group Writing Contest

Lazuli Literary Group

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Poetry, Short Story, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Novella, and Script Writing

We are not concerned with genre distinctions. Send us the best you have; we want only for it to be thoughtful, intelligent, and beautiful. We want art that grows in complexity upon each visitation; we enjoy ornate, cerebral, and voluptuous phrases executed with thematic intent.

Publication in "AZURE: A Journal of Literary Thought"

📅 Deadline: March 24, 2024 (Expired)

Stringybark Open Short Story Award 2024

Stringybark Publishing

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Short Story, Crime, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult

Our annual flagship competition, the Stringybark Stories Open Short Story Award 2023, is now bigger than ever! Thanks to Graeme Simpson and Anne Buist, a record prize pool of over $1300 is on offer. The theme is open, the only constraint is that there must be a reference to Australia somewhere in the story. It doesn't matter how small a link there is (it could be a jar of vegemite on the counter), there just needs to be one!

2nd: $360 | 3rd: $210 | 4th: $110

📅 Deadline: February 25, 2024 (Expired)

Reader Views Literary Awards

Reader Views

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Reader Views Literary Awards program helps level the playing field for self-published authors, recognizing the most creative and exciting new books in the industry. Our awards program is recognized industry-wide as one of the top literary awards programs for independent authors.

Several marketing prizes (e.g. book review)

💰 Entry fee: $89

📅 Deadline: December 15, 2024

New Deal Writing Competition

New Deal Museum

Genres: Christian, Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, LGBTQ, Mystery, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Travel

GVCA is excited to announce the ninth annual New Deal Writing Competition! This competition challenges writers to use a painting chosen by the staff at GVCA as inspiration for a short story. This year’s painting is “Playtime” by Fred Ross.

Publication in newsletter

📅 Deadline: March 15, 2024 (Expired)

Letter Review Prize for Short Stories

Letter Review

The Letter Review Prize for Short Stories (1000-3000 words) is open to writers from anywhere in the world and has no theme or genre restrictions. Winners are published and every entry is considered for publication. 20 entries are Longlisted.

$1000 prize pool

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Expired)

Anthology Flash Fiction Award

Anthology Magazine

Genres: Fiction, Short Story, and Flash Fiction

The Anthology Flash Fiction Competition is open to original and previously unpublished flash fiction on any theme in the English language by writers of any nationality. We are looking for writing that is clever and unique, inspires us, and crafts a compelling story. Max 250 words.

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2024

Narrative Prize

Narrative Magazine

The Narrative Prize is awarded annually for the best short story, novel excerpt, poem, one-act play, graphic story, or work of literary nonfiction published by a new or emerging writer in Narrative. The submission system is open all year.

📅 Deadline: June 15, 2024

Creative Writing NZ Short Story Prize 2024

Creative Writing NZ

Open theme/subject/genre. Maximum 3,000 words. 2 runners-up prizes of $200 each and a free writing course of choice.

2x runners up: $200 | Free writing course | Publication

Annual Short Story Contest

Rotary Club of Stratford

English language submissions of original, unpublished works of up to 2,500 words will be accepted until October 31. Submissions are processed by a two-tiered system of readers and judges. Winners will be announced on December 10, 2021.

2nd prize $250, 3rd prize $100.

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2022 (Expired)

Spring Microfiction Battle

Writing Battle

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

Two days to write a 500 word short story. The peer-powered quarterly writing contest where every story receives oodles of feedback. Write one. Read ten. Win thousands.

Genre Winner (x4): $1,500

Genre Runner-up (x4): $375 | Feedback by industry professionals

📅 Deadline: May 03, 2024 (Expired)

Creative Writing Award for Short Fiction

Aesthetica Magazine

The Aesthetica Creative Writing Award celebrates outstanding writers. The Award was launched after the publication of Aesthetica Magazine, as a way to support the next generation of literary talent. The Creative Writing Award is open to Poetry and Short Fiction submissions on any theme, however, we are particularly interested in works that reflect upon our ever changing world.

Publication in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual | A five-day course from Arvon | Consultation with Redhammer Management | Six-week writing short stories course from Curtis Brown Creative

💰 Entry fee: $22

📅 Deadline: August 31, 2024

CWA Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition

Crime Writers' Association

Genres: Mystery and Short Story

Every year since 2014, the CWA and the Margery Allingham Society have jointly held an international competition for a short story of up to 3,500 words. Our mission is to find the best unpublished short mystery, and not only that, but one which fits into Golden Age crime writer Margery Allingham’s definition of what makes a great story. Entries are invited from all writers, published or unpublished, writing in English.

Two weekend passes to CrimeFest

Discover the finest writing contests of 2024 for fiction and non-fiction authors — including short story competitions, essay writing competitions, poetry contests, and many more. Updated weekly, these contests are vetted by Reedsy to weed out the scammers and time-wasters. If you’re looking to stick to free writing contests, simply use our filters as you browse.

Why you should submit to writing contests

Submitting to poetry competitions and free writing contests in 2024 is absolutely worth your while as an aspiring author: just as your qualifications matter when you apply for a new job, a writing portfolio that boasts published works and award-winning pieces is a great way to give your writing career a boost. And not to mention the bonus of cash prizes!

That being said, we understand that taking part in writing contests can be tough for emerging writers. First, there’s the same affliction all writers face: lack of time or inspiration. Entering writing contests is a time commitment, and many people decide to forego this endeavor in order to work on their larger projects instead — like a full-length book. Second, for many writers, the chance of rejection is enough to steer them clear of writing contests. 

But we’re here to tell you that two of the great benefits of entering writing contests happen to be the same as those two reasons to avoid them.

When it comes to the time commitment: yes, you will need to expend time and effort in order to submit a quality piece of writing to competitions. That being said, having a hard deadline to meet is a great motivator for developing a solid writing routine.

Think of entering contests as a training session to become a writer who will need to meet deadlines in order to have a successful career. If there’s a contest you have your eye on, and the deadline is in one month, sit down and realistically plan how many words you’ll need to write per day in order to meet that due date — and don’t forget to also factor in the time you’ll need to edit your story!

For tips on setting up a realistic writing plan, check out this free, ten-day course: How to Build a Rock-Solid Writing Routine.

In regards to the fear of rejection, the truth is that any writer aspiring to become a published author needs to develop relatively thick skin. If one of your goals is to have a book traditionally published, you will absolutely need to learn how to deal with rejection, as traditional book deals are notoriously hard to score. If you’re an indie author, you will need to adopt the hardy determination required to slowly build up a readership.

The good news is that there’s a fairly simple trick for learning to deal with rejection: use it as a chance to explore how you might be able to improve your writing.

In an ideal world, each rejection from a publisher or contest would come with a detailed letter, offering construction feedback and pointing out specific tips for improvement. And while this is sometimes the case, it’s the exception and not the rule.

Still, you can use the writing contests you don’t win as a chance to provide yourself with this feedback. Take a look at the winning and shortlisted stories and highlight their strong suits: do they have fully realized characters, a knack for showing instead of telling, a well-developed but subtly conveyed theme, a particularly satisfying denouement?

The idea isn’t to replicate what makes those stories tick in your own writing. But most examples of excellent writing share a number of basic craft principles. Try and see if there are ways for you to translate those stories’ strong points into your own unique writing.

Finally, there are the more obvious benefits of entering writing contests: prize and publication. Not to mention the potential to build up your readership, connect with editors, and gain exposure.

Resources to help you win writing competitions in 2024

Every writing contest has its own set of submission rules. Whether those rules are dense or sparing, ensure that you follow them to a T. Disregarding the guidelines will not sway the judges’ opinion in your favor — and might disqualify you from the contest altogether. 

Aside from ensuring you follow the rules, here are a few resources that will help you perfect your submissions.

Free online courses

On Writing:

How to Craft a Killer Short Story

The Non-Sexy Business of Writing Non-Fiction

How to Write a Novel

Understanding Point of View

Developing Characters That Your Readers Will Love

Writing Dialogue That Develops Plot and Character

Stop Procrastinating! Build a Solid Writing Routine

On Editing:

Story Editing for Authors

How to Self-Edit Like a Pro

Novel Revision: Practical Tips for Rewrites

How to Write a Short Story in 7 Steps

Reedsy's guide to novel writing

Literary Devices and Terms — 35+ Definitions With Examples

10 Essential Fiction Writing Tips to Improve Your Craft

How to Write Dialogue: 8 Simple Rules and Exercises

8 Character Development Exercises to Help You Nail Your Character

Bonus resources

200+ Short Story Ideas

600+ Writing Prompts to Inspire You

100+ Creative Writing Exercises for Fiction Authors

Story Title Generator

Pen Name Generator

Character Name Generator

After you submit to a writing competition in 2024

It’s exciting to send a piece of writing off to a contest. However, once the initial excitement wears off, you may be left waiting for a while. Some writing contests will contact all entrants after the judging period — whether or not they’ve won. Other writing competitions will only contact the winners. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind after you submit:

Many writing competitions don’t have time to respond to each entrant with feedback on their story. However, it never hurts to ask! Feel free to politely reach out requesting feedback — but wait until after the selection period is over.

If you’ve submitted the same work to more than one writing competition or literary magazine, remember to withdraw your submission if it ends up winning elsewhere.

After you send a submission, don’t follow it up with a rewritten or revised version. Instead, ensure that your first version is thoroughly proofread and edited. If not, wait until the next edition of the contest or submit the revised version to other writing contests.

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