WHAT CAN BE ENTERED?

The contest is limited to only the first 50 double-spaced pages of unpublished English-language manuscripts containing elements of thriller, mystery, crime, or suspense NOT currently under contract.

These can include Action Adventure, Comedy, Cozy, Historical, Investigator, Juvenile/YA, Literary, Mainstream/Commercial, Mystery, Nonfiction, Sci-fi/Fantasy, Short Story Collections, Southern Gothic, Supernatural, Suspense, Thriller, and Western manuscripts, and any of their derivatives. (Self-published manuscripts are considered already published and are not eligible.) If you think you’ve got a good full-length, unpublished story or collection on your hands, we want to see it!

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

Entry fee is $40 per entry.

If you’d also like feedback on your work from industry professionals, we offer critiques of the entire 50-page manuscript for an additional $100. (Please note Claymore Critiques will be assigned to be read and evaluated during the slow time following the annual conference – no Claymore critiques will be available before or at the annual conference. [Do not confuse 50-page Claymore Critiques with 10-page onsite Agent/Editor Critiques.]) Critiques are only available to paid entrants at the time of submission to the awards program (you cannot sign up for critiques later). Authors are welcome to resubmit new drafts of altered entries up until the deadline of April 1, 2023. A separate charge will be assessed for each entry. Authors may submit more than one manuscript. All manuscripts are to be submitted as .pdf files. and should be double-spaced with 12pt Times New Roman font and standard margins. All submitted files should be named in the following format:

2023Claymore_Title of Manuscript.pdf (Example: 2023Claymore_Book Title.pdf)

Please do not include any contact information on the manuscript itself, as entries are judged blindly. You may include contact information on a cover page, should you choose to include one (cover pages are not required).

WHO JUDGES?

A jury of publishing and writing professionals within each genre chooses the top manuscripts in each category that are deemed ready for professional publishing. Multiple manuscripts may be chosen in each category from the hundreds of manuscripts received. If no manuscripts shine, none may be chosen. Once categories are established, a winner is chosen by the judges in each category. Those winners then compete for the Top 3 Finalist spots.

All finalists are chosen through a blind judging process. Our team of contest judges is comprised of professors/educators, published authors, editors, book publishers, book publicists, and book reviewers.

The winners in all categories, as well as the Top 3 Killer Nashville Claymore Award Winners (second-runner-up, first-runner-up, grand winner), will be announced at the annual Killer Nashville Awards Dinner during the Killer Nashville Conference. Attendance at the event is not required to win. Media is usually present at the Awards presentation.

What Do I Win?

Probably a traditional publishing contract with a Mystery Writers of America and/or International Thriller Writers-approved publisher if the author has patience with the process. While we cannot guarantee that winners and finalists of this award will receive publication, most winners & runners-up of the Killer Nashville Claymore Award have gone on to find great success in their careers and many of them attribute that success to this award. But there’s more…

The top manuscript in each category is recognized at the Killer Nashville Awards Dinner and then is in the running for the overall Top 3 Finalists. The Top 3 Finalists receive heavily discounted admission (up to a $285 value if registered for the conference) to that year’s Killer Nashville where the winners will be announced and introductions will be made to agents and/or editors to kick-start their publishing careers. Breakouts at the conference will be attended and pitching sessions will be set up for those attending the conference.

After the conference, any manuscripts considered of exceptional merit, and if agreed upon by the authors, will be offered by Killer Nashville as suggestions to selected agents and various publishing houses for suggested representation. No guarantees, however, are made that agents or publishers will accept a manuscript simply because it is a finalist. Finalists do not have to participate in this outreach of Killer Nashville and Killer Nashville receives no monetary reward for this service other than the initial $40 to enter the conference or $140 for entering the conference and receiving a critique. It is part of Killer Nashville’s mission: to see new authors published.

Winnings are not transferable and must be redeemed in the year they are won. All entries remain eligible as long as they were not under contract at the time of submission (publication after submission does not disqualify entry). There are no refunds for any reason.