The Best Crime Writing Contests of 2022
Writing competitions curated by Reedsy
Writing competitions curated by Reedsy
Unleash Press
Writers are invited to submit creative interpretations on Work for an upcoming anthology and the chance of winning the editors' prize. Essays, fiction, drama, and poetry interpretations of the theme will be accepted. Submissions should have a total word count of no more than 5,000 words. All authors chosen for the anthology will receive a paperback copy of the book. Only one editor’s prize will be selected.
150
Publication in anthology
💰 Fee: $10
Deadline: December 30, 2022
Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Poetry, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller
View contestTallahassee Writers Association
The Seven Hills Literary Contest and Penumbra Poetry and Haiku Contest (collectively, “the Contest”) is sponsored annually by the Tallahassee Writers Association. The contest is open to English-language entries from around the world. For the first time, we are open to published entries as well as unpublished entries.
$300
Published in the Seven Hills Review
💰 Fee: $15
Deadline: September 30, 2022
Children's, Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult
View contestHenshaw Press
A short story on any subject up to 2000 words. Results announced by the end of October 2022. Prize winners published on the Henshawpress website and in our next Anthology. Optional Critiques a further £14. Free critiques for authors aged sixteen and under.
$237
2nd: $118 | 3rd: $60
💰 Fee: $7
Deadline: September 30, 2022
Christian, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, LGBTQ, Mystery, Suspense, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, Travel
View contestFiction Factory
We welcome previously unpublished stories (max 1,000 words) on any theme. Our judge is looking for freshness, originality and strongly drawn characters.
£200
£50, £25
💰 Fee: $7
Deadline: November 30, 2022
Fiction, Flash Fiction, Crime, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller
View contestOnyx Publications
The Fall Edition Contest is an open, mixed-category contest. In other words, we have no limitations or expectations on which types of works will win awards. Selections are based on originality, voice, and style. Last year's contest had 4 prose winners and 2 poetry winners. (An early bird entry fee of $7.50 runs till July 31)
$500
Second Prize $250 | Third Prize $100 | 3 Honorable Mentions $50 each
💰 Fee: $12
Deadline: August 28, 2022
Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Non-fiction, Poetry, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller
View contestElegant Literature
We are the first magazine to pay professional rates and only accept submissions from new writers. We don't allow pros to submit, so your work has a better chance to be selected. Each month we hold a contest based on a short fiction prompt. You write a wonderful story and enter the contest. We choose the winner who receives the grand prize. We also choose the best stories, pay the authors above-professional rates, and publish them in our magazine.
$3,000
Paid publication, 25 x $20 USD.
💰 Fee: $10
Deadline: July 31, 2022 (Expired)
Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult
View contestBest Indie Book Award
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.
Trophy
💰 Fee: $65
Deadline: October 01, 2022
Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult
View contestOxford Flash Fiction
Write yourself into history and become one of the greats with the Oxford Flash Fiction Prize. For centuries, the greats have come to Oxford to ink masterpieces. Now, in one of the oldest towns, where the history of the English language can be traced back to its ancient streets, we want to celebrate one of the newest forms in literature – flash fiction.
$1,300
2nd Prize: $243 | 3rd Prize: $122
💰 Fee: $8
Deadline: August 31, 2022
Christian, Crime, Fantasy, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, LGBTQ, Mystery, Suspense, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Travel
View contestWine Country Writers' Festival
Fire up those pens and get those unpublished stories and poems submitted to WCWF 2nd Annual Writing Contest. Three winners in each category, publication in Anthology, and your own copy. Entries: $15 or two for $25.
$150
2nd Place: $75 | 3rd Place: $50
💰 Fee: $15
Deadline: July 29, 2022 (Expired)
Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Non-fiction, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult
View contestBeagle North
The theme for Beagle North's short story competition changes quarterly. - Your story must be no longer than 2,500 words (not including the title) - Only one story permitted per person, each quarter - Stories must be in English
£20 Amazon Voucher
£10 Amazon voucher for 2nd and 3rd place
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: June 30, 2022 (Expired)
Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller
View contestSunspot Lit
Authors and artists eligible. Sunspot Lit’s Geminga contest honors the power of the small. No restrictions on theme or category. $250 cash, publication for the winner, and publication offered to runners-up and finalists. Enter as many times as you like, but only one piece per submission.
$250
Publication in digital and print
💰 Fee: $6
Deadline: June 30, 2022 (Expired)
Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Script Writing, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult
View contestGrindstone Literary
The 2022 Grindstone International Novel Prize is open to authors from all around the world, and is aimed at discovering and elevating new and unsung authors. Authors may submit finished or part-finished manuscripts providing they are not currently represented by an agent. We forward all longlisted works to some of the best agencies in the UK such as Curtis Brown Books, Conville and Walsh, Janklow & Nesbitt, the Paper Literary Agency, the Good Literary Agency, and so many more.
£1,000
Runner Up: £500 | 4x Shortlist: £125 | Longlist: Entries forwarded to affiliated agents.
💰 Fee: $20
Deadline: October 01, 2022
Crime, Mystery, Novel, Thriller
View contestKiller Nashville
Created in 2009, the Killer Nashville Claymore Award assists new and rebranding English-language fiction authors to get published, including possible agent representation, book advances, editor deals, and movie and television sales. The contest is limited to only the first 50 double-spaced pages of unpublished English-language manuscripts containing elements of thriller, mystery, crime, or suspense NOT currently under contract.
Possible contract with Mystery Writers of America
💰 Fee: $40
Deadline: April 01, 2023
Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Novel, Science Fiction, Thriller
View contestGlobe Soup
Globe Soup are looking for the best flash fiction of no more than 800 words. The competition features a secret location in which all participants must set their story. Participants can get extensive feedback on their entry by joining Globe Soup's writing group and free entry to their monthly micro fiction contests and other opportunities to win cash prizes!
£1000
💰 Fee: $16
Deadline: December 31, 2021 (Expired)
Fiction, Flash Fiction, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult
View contestCaledonia Novel Award
Now in our ninth year of competition, we are an Edinburgh-based, international award for unpublished and self-published novelists in all genres for adults and YA. This year's judge is Charlotte Seymour, literary agent at Johnson & Alcock. On top of the £1,500 top prize, the best entry from the UK and Ireland will receive a place on a writing course at Moniack Mhor Creative Writing Centre.
£1, 500
Free place on a writing course at Moniack Mhor Creative Writing Centre.
💰 Fee: $30
Deadline: November 01, 2022
Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Novel, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, Romance, Suspense
View contestStockholm Writers Festival
SWF is proud to launch the First 5 Pages Prize to mark our 5th anniversary. Dazzle us with your brilliance. Delight us with your wit. Deceive us with your dastardly plot-twists. There will be one Grand Prize winner chosen from all entries. The winner will receive: $1000 cash, a ticket to SWF22, a pitch meeting with an agent conducted over Zoom, two night’s accommodation at a boutique hotel, and a full developmental edit donated by Reedsy, the industry’s leading platform for writing services.
$1,000
A full developmental edit donated by Reedsy & pitch meeting with an agent
💰 Fee: $20
Deadline: January 31, 2022 (Expired)
Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Novel, Novella, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult
View contestWine Country Writers' Festival
Fire up those pens and get those unpublished stories and poems submitted to WCWF 2nd Annual Writing Contest. Three winners in each category, publication in Anthology, and your own copy. Entries: $15 or two for $25. See the contest rules and enter now. Blind Judging.
$150
Publication in an anthology
💰 Fee: $15
Deadline: July 29, 2022 (Expired)
Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Non-fiction, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult
View contestDarling Axe Editing
Summarize your novel in 500 words for a chance at a $1000 CAD prize pool! Our judge, Michelle Barker, will be asking herself one question: "Does this synopsis convince me that I'm in the hands of an adept novelist with a unique and engaging story to tell?"
$560
$200 for second place, $100 for third
💰 Fee: $5
Deadline: May 31, 2022 (Expired)
Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult
View contestArizona Mystery Writers
Send in your short story in mystery, suspense, or thriller style. Entries may be up to 2500 words (about 10 double-spaced pages). It’s loads of fun and a good exercise of your writing skills.
$200
💰 Fee: $15
Deadline: August 01, 2022 (Expired)
Crime, Short Story
View contestWriterwerx University
Submit the first 1,000 words of your published book.
$2,000
2nd Place: $1,000 cash/prizes, 3rd Place $100 cash/prizes
💰 Fee: $20
Deadline: February 28, 2022 (Expired)
Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult
View contestTheNextBigWriter, LLC
Have a book or a novel idea you've been noodling? Enter your first chapter into the Booksie First Chapter Contest and see how it does. You don't need to have finished the book. You don't even need more than the first chapter. We're looking for a start that will grab our attention, that is original, that is well written, and that makes us want to beg you to see what comes next. And for those we find, we'll provide some awards to inspire you to finish writing the book or, if finished, to help get it published.
$500
Gold contest badge.
💰 Fee: $5
Deadline: May 14, 2022 (Expired)
Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Novel, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult
View contestNottingham Writers' Studio
We’ll be taking stories of up to 5,000 words, on the theme of the environment and the ongoing climate crisis. Entrants can write in any genre. There is no fee to take part and we’re offering cash prizes to every successful applicant plus publication in our next anthology. 1st - £250 2nd - £125 3rd - £75 Runner up - £15
£250
Publication in anthology - Earth 2.0
💰 Fee: $0
Deadline: February 28, 2022 (Expired)
Crime, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult
View contestStringybark Publishing
We are looking for great short stories that address any theme that grabs you. But to just make life not too easy, the story has two stipulations. Firstly, it is to be written for those over the age of 16 and secondly, it must have a link, no matter how tenuous, to Australia. 1500 word limit.
$1,000
Publication
💰 Fee: $14
Deadline: February 13, 2022 (Expired)
Fiction, Mystery, Short Story, Crime, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult
View contestWolfe Pack & Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine
An important part of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe's opus are novellas. To celebrate this format, the Wolfe Pack and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine have partnered to sponsor the Black Orchid Novella Award. Want to submit an entry for the this year's contest? It's important that you read the rules and follow the procedures carefully.
$1,000
Publication in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: May 31, 2022 (Expired)
Crime, Mystery, Novella
View contestMystery Writers of America & Minotaur Books
MWA is the premier organization for mystery and crime writers, professionals allied to the crime-writing field, aspiring crime writers, and folks who just love to read crime fiction. To enter, you must complete an online entry form and upload an electronic file of your Manuscript. The entry form will allow you to upload one electronic file.
Advance against future royalties of $10,000 & publishing contract
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: December 17, 2021 (Expired)
Crime, Mystery, Novel
View contestTangent Books
Welcome to the Bristol Short Story Prize – an annual international writing competition open to all published and unpublished, UK and non-UK based writers. Stories can be on any theme or subject and are welcome in any style including graphic, verse or genre-based (Crime, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Horror, Romance, Children’s etc..) .
£1,000
£500, £250, £100
💰 Fee: $12
Deadline: May 04, 2022 (Expired)
Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction, Young Adult
View contestKiller Nashville
The Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award is committed to discovering new writers, as well as superlative books by established authors and, upon discovery, sharing those writers and their works with new readers. There are a large number of both fiction and non-fiction categories you can enter.
$250
💰 Fee: $79
Deadline: June 15, 2022 (Expired)
Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Science Fiction, Script Writing, Short Story, Thriller
View contestSt. Martin's Press and Western Writers of America
Sponsored by St. Martin's Press and Western Writers of America, the Tony Hillerman Prize is awarded annually for the best first mystery set in the Southwest. The winner receives a contract with St. Martin's Press for publication of the novel and $10,000.
$10,000
Publication
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: January 01, 2022 (Expired)
Crime, Fiction
View contestRubery Book Awards
The Rubery Prize is a prestigious international book award seeking the best books by indie writers, self published authors and books published by independent presses, judged by reputable judges. Through our reputation of finding quality and outstanding books we aim to bring recognition to the works that win and heighten an author's profile.
£2000
£200, a write-up
💰 Fee: $60
Deadline: March 31, 2022 (Expired)
Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, Romance
View contestTypehouse Literary Magazine
We are pleased to announce Typehouse Literary Magazine 's third biennial Open Fiction Contest! All pieces must be between 1000-6000 words, entries must be previously unpublished and all genres are accepted.
$175
$100 for second place and $50 for third place
💰 Fee: $12
Deadline: June 30, 2021 (Expired)
Crime, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story
View contest