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Mystery & crime writing contests: FAQ

Straight answers for mystery, crime and thriller writers, drawn from the 64 listings currently on the board. Every answer links to the checked listing.

Updated November 1, 2026.

Where can I find open mystery, crime and thriller submission calls, contests and deadlines?

CrimeCalls™ (crimecalls.com) is a deadline board just for mystery, crime and thriller writers. It lists 64 current opportunities: 19 contests, 8 awards for published work, 11 anthology calls, 8 magazines and 18 publishers taking novels. 26 are open anytime. Each listing shows the deadline, entry fee, pay or prize, word count and eligibility, links to the organizer’s official guidelines and shows the date we last checked it. Start at all deadlines, or browse contests, anthologies, magazines and novel publishers.

What crime, mystery and thriller writing deadlines are coming up?

Deadlines in the next 45 days (as of Nov 1, 2026), soonest first:

See all deadlines for the full board, or get every deadline in one file with the $9 submission calendar.

Where can I find mystery short story contests?

These short story contests for mystery and crime writers are open now (all on the contests page):

Many mystery magazines also run themed issues and reading windows.

Which crime fiction awards accept indie or self-published books?

Of the awards for published crime fiction on the board:

  • CWC Awards of Excellence 2027 (published works) (Crime Writers of Canada): deadline Dec 15, 2026; fee: CA$30–55 (novel $55, novella $40, short story $30; 20% member discount); CA$200–1,000 per category ($4,950 total) — Crime Writers of Canada’s rules say self-published works are eligible (authors must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents).
  • Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award 2027 (Killer Nashville): deadline Apr 1, 2027; fee: $112 (free with a 4-day conference registration); Award recognition — for books published in 2026; the entry page we checked sets no publisher requirement, so ask Killer Nashville to confirm for your book.
  • Edgar Awards 2027 (works published in 2026) (Mystery Writers of America): deadline Dec 7, 2026; fee: See MWA; Edgar Award (no cash) — not for indie authors: MWA says self-published work is not eligible; publishers on MWA’s approved list submit.

Note that first-novel contests such as the Minotaur competitions count a self-published novel as “published”, so it can make you ineligible.

Which crime fiction and mystery contests have no entry fee?

These contests and awards charged no entry fee when we last checked:

See every no-fee magazine, anthology and publisher on the no-fee page. Fees can change, so confirm on the official page.

Which thriller, mystery and crime publishers accept unagented submissions?

These publishers say outright that they accept unagented submissions:

These take manuscripts or queries directly from authors through their own guidelines:

All of them are on the publishers page.

Are there contests for unpublished crime or mystery novels?

Yes. Novel and manuscript contests open now:

Which magazines accept mystery and crime short stories?

Magazines on the board taking mystery, crime and noir short fiction:

See the magazines page for word counts and pay.

Where can I submit to crime fiction anthologies?

Open anthology calls:

What does the $9 CrimeCalls Submission Calendar include?

Yes. The 2026–27 Crime Writer Submission Calendar costs $9 (one-time). It puts every current CrimeCalls listing (64 as of Nov 1, 2026) into a printable PDF organized month by month: 38 dated deadlines and 26 open-anytime markets. Each entry shows the entry fee, pay or prize, word count, who can enter, the official link and the date we checked it. It also includes a CSV spreadsheet and an ICS file that adds the 38 dated deadlines to Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook with a reminder a week before each one. The board itself stays open to browse at crimecalls.com.

Who runs CrimeCalls?

CrimeCalls™ is published by Continuing Education And Training, LLC, 500 Westover Drive, Suite 17707, Sanford, NC 27330. Contact: [email protected]. How we choose and check listings is set out in our editorial standards.

How do I list or feature a contest or call for submissions on CrimeCalls?

Email [email protected] with the name, the official guidelines link, the deadline, the entry fee and the pay or prize (details on Add a listing). Standard listings are added as a courtesy after we check them against the official page. To be pinned at the top with a “Featured” label until your deadline, buy a featured listing on the advertise page: $39 at the founding rate for the first 10 sponsors, then $99. Paid placement never skips the check.

How are CrimeCalls listings checked, and how often is it updated?

Each listing is checked by hand against the organizer’s official guidelines page, links to it, and shows its last-checked date. Listings were last checked October 30, 2026. Past deadlines drop off automatically. We leave out pay-to-publish and vanity schemes and calls we can’t trace to a published source page, and paid placements are always labelled. Full details: editorial standards. Always confirm details with the organizer before you submit or pay a fee.

More in-depth answers: guides for mystery and crime writers.

Answers are generated from the current listings every time the board is rebuilt. Page updated November 1, 2026; listings last checked October 30, 2026.