2023 Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America Best First Novel Competition/ Prize ($10000)

2023 Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America Best First Novel Competition

The 2023 Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America Best First Novel Competition has commenced! Mystery writers are expected to start sending in their work. The competition is sponsored by Minotaur Books and Mystery Writers of America.

 

Eligibility for the 2023 Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America Best First Novel Competition

• The competition is open to any writer, regardless of nationality.
• He/She must be aged 18 or older,
• Entrants must have never been the author of any published novel.

 

Submission Guidelines

• You may submit only one manuscript (no less than 220 typewritten pages or approximately 60,000 words) written in the English language.
• Murder or another serious crime or crimes is at the heart of the story.
• Only electronic submissions, uploaded through the online entry form, will be considered. The entry form is available here.
• To enter, you must complete this form and upload an electronic file of your Manuscript.
• Only electronic submissions, uploaded through this entry form, will be considered; do not mail or e-mail manuscript submissions to Minotaur Books.
• To be considered for the 2023 competition, all submissions must be received by 11:59pm EST on December 16, 2022.
• Before uploading, please ensure that your Manuscript is formatted as follows:

1) The Manuscript must be either a Microsoft Word document or a PDF
2) Text must be double spaced
3) Pages must be numbered consecutively from beginning to end
4) The Manuscript must be saved as “Manuscript Title_Entrant Name”

• Because of the great volume of submissions they receive and the fact that judges are volunteers with full-time responsibilities elsewhere, it is important that you submit your Manuscript as early as possible.
• Submissions will get a more careful reading if the judge does not have to contend with a flood of last-minute entries.
• All Manuscripts submitted:a) must be original works of book length (no less than approximately 65,000 words) written in the English language;b) must be written solely by the entrant, who may not be the author of any previously published mystery;

  c) must not violate any right of any third party or be libelous,

 

Prize

If a winner is selected, Minotaur Books will offer to enter into its standard form author’s agreement with the entrant for publication of the winning Manuscript. After execution of the standard form author’s agreement by both parties, the winner will receive an advance against future royalties of $10,000. On the condition that the selected winner accepts and executes the publishing contract proposed by Minotaur Books, the winner will then be recognized at the Malice Domestic Convention in Bethesda, Maryland in May 2023.