Tag Archive for: Short Story Writers

Calling All Short Story Writers: Check Out Bouchercon’s New Bill Crider Prize!

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by Paula Gail Benson
I’m incredibly proud that Carol Puckett and Kendel
Lynn of the Bouchercon Dallas committee asked me to help with the inaugural Bill
Crider Prize for Short Fiction that will be awarded by Hank Phillippi Ryan at
Bouchercon in Dallas this October. This contest will recognize excellence for
short story writing with significant monetary and scholarship prizes. And, the
final round will be judged by Janet Hutchings (editor of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine) and Linda Landrigan (editor of Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine)!
Please see the information below and consider
entering. It’s a great way to remember a respected member of the mystery
community while giving a marvelous opportunity to talented short story writers.
Bill Crider Prize for Short
Fiction
Debuting at the 50th Anniversary of Bouchercon, Carol Puckett and
the 2019 Bouchercon Dallas committee launched the Bill Crider Prize for Short
Fiction to celebrate this treasured literary form, both the short story and the
widely-admired mystery author and reviewer, Bill Crider. Designed to encourage
writers from all over the world, these distinguished prizes award stories with
fascinating characters and twisty plots, all in the mystery genre.
Prizes
  • First Prize:
    $1000
  • Second Prize:
    $750
  • Third Prize:
    $500
  • Bill Crider
    Memorial Scholarship: Registration to Bouchercon 2020
Judging
  • Longlist
    Finalists
    • An
      anonymous judging panel of published authors will select an initial round
      of finalists (no public announcements will be made).
  • Shortlist
    Finalists
    • A
      second anonymous judging panel of published authors will select the
      shortlist finalists (no public announcements will be made).
  • Winners
    • Janet
      Hutchings, editor of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, and Linda
      Landrigan, editor of Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, will
      choose the winners from the shortlisted writers.
    • Please
      note that no automatic publication in either EQMM or AHMM is attached to
      winning or being a finalist in this contest. All contestants (whether
      they make judges cuts or not) are welcome to submit to either
      magazine—but not both at the same time.
    • Once
      the final four writers have been chosen, all shortlisted authors will be
      notified on or near October 1.
    • Bouchercon
      Dallas Guest of Honor, Hank Phillippi Ryan,
      will recognize the shortlisted authors and award the top prizes during
      Bouchercon 2019 in Dallas, Texas.
All decisions are final and
may not be contested.
Submissions
  • Deadline: Mar 1,
    2019
  • Open to all
    writers regardless of Bouchercon registration or residency
  • Stories must be
    an original work, not previously published, submitted anonymously (as
    provided in these rules), and without identifiable series characters
  • Theme: Deep in
    the Heart (relating to Texas, whether locale, characters, history, etc.)
    with an element of mystery or crime
  • One submission
    per person
  • Manuscript
    Guidelines:
    • Word
      count: 3,500 – 5000 words
    • Format:
      Standard font Times New Roman at 12 pt size; no fancy fonts
    • Denote
      scene breaks with asterisks: ***
    • Double-space
      with one-inch margins on all sides
  • Email as an
    attached Word doc to: subs.deepintheheart@gmail.com
    • Subject
      line: CRIDER CONTEST SUBMISSION
    • Contact
      info (body of email only, not in Word doc):
      • Name:
        Actual
      • Pen
        Name: If applicable
      • Mailing
        address
      • Phone
        number
      • Email
        address
      • Story
        Name
      • Word
        Count
  • No identifying
    information anywhere in the story or document
  • Entrants retain
    full copyright of her/his work with the stipulation it cannot be published
    until Bouchercon Dallas ends on Nov 3, 2019.
  • No automatic
    publication in either EQMM or AHMM is attached to winning or being a
    finalist in this contest. All contestants (whether they make judges cuts
    or not) are welcome to submit to either magazine—but not both at the same
    time.
  • There is no
    entry fee, nor will any monies be paid for stories other than the four
    prizes stated.
Questions
Staff
  • Bouchercon
    Dallas LOC Chair: Carol Puckett
  • Contest
    Coordinator: Paula Gail Benson
  • Submissions
    Coordinator: James M. Jackson
  • Prize
    Ceremony Host: Hank Phillippi Ryan