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

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

• Direct all questions to: subs.deepintheheart@gmail.com
• Question subject line: QUESTION on Crider Contest

Staff

• Bouchercon Dallas LOC Chair: Carol Puckett
• Contest Coordinator: Paula Gail Benson
• Submissions Coordinator: James M. Jackson
• Prize Ceremony Host: Hank Phillippi Ryan