MINOTAUR BOOKS

MINOTAUR BOOKS

is looking for debut authors!

Adult crime fiction imprint Minotaur Books is proud to co-sponsor two separate debut novel competitions. The winner of each will receive a paid contract with Minotaur Books and become a published author! See below for more information, and find out which competition is the best fit for your manuscript.

MINOTAUR BOOKS/MWA FIRST CRIME NOVEL

Awarded to the best crime novel of any sub-genre or setting

MALICE DOMESTIC FIRST TRADITIONAL MYSTERY NOVEL

Awarded to the best traditional mystery
(must not contain explicit sex or excessive gore/violence)

 

Some of our previous winners!

Murder with Peacocks
The Vanishing Season
Murder Once Removed
Pay Dirt Road
In The Bleak Midwinter
Hearts of the Missing
Bad Country
Murder In Old Bombay
The Man on the Washing Machine
In the Shadow of Gotham

 

If appropriate, you may submit to more than one competition. For complete rules and guidelines, please visit: https://bit.ly/MinotaurWritingCompetitions

FAQ Sheet

Can you enter your manuscript into more than one competition?

Yes.

Can you enter more than one manuscript to a competition?

No. One manuscript per competition.

What is the prize?

Each winner will receive a contract with Minotaur Books to publish their book, and receive an advance against future royalties of $10,000.

Do you have to be a U.S. citizen?

MWA: No, all nationalities are eligible, regardless of citizenship or place of residence.

MALICE: No, all nationalities are eligible, regardless of citizenship or place of residence.

I self-published a book. Am I still eligible?

MWA: Yes, as long as the self-published work is not the manuscript you submit to the competition.

MALICE: Yes, as long as the self-published work is of another genre.

I have a published novel in a different genre, am I still eligible?

MWA: No.

MALICE: Yes.

What constitutes a published novel?

MWA: For the purpose of this Competition, a “Published Novel” means a work of fiction of at least 60,000 words in length that has been published or distributed, in part or whole, in paper or electronic format or in any other medium, excluding, however, self-published works (if you received any compensation for your novel, you are ineligible).

MALICE: For the purpose of this Competition, a “Published Novel” means a work of fiction of at least 40,000 words in length that has been published or distributed, in part or whole, in paper or electronic format or in any other medium.