Guides for mystery and crime writers

Answers to the questions crime writers ask most, built from the listings on the board.

Updated Nov 1, 2026. Every entry below was checked by hand against the organizer’s own page on the date shown. Deadlines, fees and terms change, so always confirm on the official page before you submit or pay anything.

No-fee mystery and crime writing contests, 2026–2027: 10 mystery, crime and thriller writing contests, grants and awards with no entry fee, with deadlines, prizes and eligibility checked against each organizer's page.
Crime fiction magazines that pay for short stories: Mystery and crime fiction magazines that pay for short stories, with rates, word counts and submission rules checked against each magazine's guidelines.
Mystery and crime publishers accepting unagented submissions: Crime, mystery and thriller publishers that accept manuscripts directly from authors without an agent, with word counts, terms and submission rules checked against each publisher.
Mystery and crime anthologies open for submissions: Crime, mystery and noir anthology calls open for short story submissions now, with deadlines, pay, word counts and themes checked against each editor's call.
How to pick a crime writing contest: A practical checklist for choosing a mystery or crime writing contest: eligibility, fees versus prizes, rights, AI and simultaneous-submission rules, deadlines and organizers.

Questions writers ask

What guides does CrimeCalls publish?

Guides to no-fee mystery contests, crime magazines that pay, publishers accepting unagented submissions, open anthology calls, and how to pick a contest.

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