All deadlines / Free to enter

Free mystery writing contests & no-fee submissions

Every opportunity here charged no entry or reading fee when we last checked it. Fees can change, so confirm on the official page before you submit.

47 listings, last checked October 27, 2026. Listings whose deadline has passed are hidden automatically.

Free contests & awards (10)

Nov 1, 2026

MWA Barbara Neely Awards 2026

Mystery Writers of America

Contest
$2,000 + one-year MWA membership (two awards: unpublished and published)
No fee

300–500-word essay + 5-page mystery writing sample

Nov 1, 2026

William F. Deeck–Malice Domestic Grant for Unpublished Writers

Malice Domestic Ltd

Contest
$2,500 + full Malice Domestic registration + 2 hotel nights
No fee

First three chapters + synopsis up to 200 words

Nov 30, 2026

Minotaur Books / Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel

Minotaur Books & Malice Domestic

Contest
$10,000 advance + Minotaur publishing contract
No fee

~65,000+, complete

Dec 7, 2026

Edgar Awards 2027 (works published in 2026)

Mystery Writers of America

Award (published work)
Edgar Award (no cash)
No fee

Short story category: 1,000–22,000

Dec 14, 2026

Minotaur Books / MWA First Crime Novel Competition

Minotaur Books & Mystery Writers of America

Contest
$10,000 advance + Minotaur publishing contract
No fee

60,000+ (220+ pages), complete

Jan 30, 2027

Derringer Awards 2027 (Short Mystery Fiction Society)

Short Mystery Fiction Society

Award (published work)
Derringer award (no cash stated)
No fee

Up to 20,000

Mar 31, 2027

SinC Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award 2027

Sisters in Crime

Contest
$2,000 grant
No fee

2,500–5,000 (story or opening chapters)

Apr 30, 2027

Al Blanchard Award 2027

New England Crime Bake

Contest
$100 + publication in Best New England Crime Stories + Crime Bake admission
No fee

Up to 5,000

Jul 31, 2027

SinC Pride Award for Emerging LGBTQIA+ Crime Writers 2027

Sisters in Crime

Contest
Award (amount not stated on the award page)
No fee

2,500–5,000 (story or opening chapters)

Open anytime

AHMM Mysterious Photograph Contest

Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine

Contest
$25 prize + publication
No fee

250 or fewer

No-fee magazines & anthologies (20)

Oct 31, 2026

Punk Noir Magazine – 'NARC' November challenge

Punk Noir Press

Magazine
Not stated
No fee

500

Nov 4, 2026

Stone's Throw – December 2026 prompt

Rock and a Hard Place Press

Magazine
$25 for the single story chosen
No fee

1,000–2,000

Nov 15, 2026

Stitching Up Death (cozy anthology)

Camden Park Press

Anthology
Royalty share via PayPal
No fee

6,000–8,000

Nov 30, 2026

Black Beacon Books – Lighthouses 2

Black Beacon Books

Anthology
$30 + one print copy
No fee

3,000–9,000 preferred

Dec 15, 2026

Ominous Thrill – Valentine's 2027 spicy horror/thriller

Ominous Thrill (audio fiction anthology)

Anthology
5¢/word originals; 2¢/word reprints
No fee

2,000–6,000 (up to 8,000)

Dec 15, 2026

Secrets Worth Killing For (espionage crime anthology)

Crimson Gate Books (eds. Joe Goldberg & A.C. Frieden)

Anthology
Compensation set in the contributor agreement (amount not published)
No fee

5,500–7,500

Dec 31, 2026

Behind the Tape: Urban Crime Thriller Stories

Twisted Dreams Press

Anthology
One digital contributor copy (author-copy discount)
No fee

2,000–10,000

Dec 31, 2026

Crime Without Corpses

Level Best Books (ed. Gabriel Valjan)

Anthology
$25–50 (depends on number of stories chosen)
No fee

2,000–5,000

Dec 31, 2026

Dirty Martini: Fem Horror Noir Anthology

Grimalkin Press

Anthology
8¢/word + 1 print copy (US) or ebook (outside US)
No fee

1,000–5,000

Jan 8, 2027

SinC Desert Sleuths 2027 Anthology – SOWEST: Extreme Elements

Sisters in Crime Desert Sleuths Chapter

Anthology
$25 or two print copies
No fee

Up to 5,000

Jan 31, 2027

Lone Star Lawbreakers (SinC North Dallas Anthology Vol. 6)

Sisters in Crime North Dallas

Anthology
No author pay stated; any advances and royalties accrue to the chapter
No fee

4,500–6,000

Feb 28, 2027

The Fifth Black Beacon Book of Mystery

Black Beacon Books

Anthology
$30 + one print copy
No fee

3,000–9,000 preferred

Mar 31, 2027

The Killing Spree (Dragon Soul Press anthology)

Dragon Soul Press

Anthology
30% royalties for the first year from publication (per the publisher's guidelines checklist)
No fee

3,000–20,000

Open anytime

Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine

1 Paragraph, Inc.

Magazine
Paid (rate not stated on guidelines page)
No fee

Up to 12,000 (most much shorter)

Open anytime

Cold Caller

Cold Caller Magazine (Substack)

Magazine
$125 flat per story
No fee

2,000–6,000 sweet spot; up to 10,000

Open anytime

Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine

Must Read Books Publishing

Magazine
6–8¢/word (fiction); $25–50 per poem; 7¢/word nonfiction
No fee

2,500–8,000 preferred (700–20,000 considered)

Open anytime

Guilty Crime Story Magazine – Flash Series

Guilty Crime Story Magazine

Magazine
Unpaid (web flash). Print magazine pays $10 but print is currently CLOSED
No fee

500–1,000 (firm)

Open anytime

Mystery Tribune

Magazine
Honorarium for print-edition fiction (amount discussed on acceptance); web/flash unpaid
No fee

No fixed limit; most 3,000–6,000; they rarely read past 10,000

Open anytime

The Strand Magazine

Magazine
$100–150 per story
No fee

2,000–6,000 preferred (occasional 1,000-word shorts or short novellas)

Open anytime

Uncharted Magazine – Thriller & Mystery

Uncharted Magazine

Magazine
$200 for original fiction
No fee

See guidelines (1,000–5,000 per category)

No-fee novel publishers (17)

Open anytime

Blue Beech Press – Murder Mysteries

Blue Beech Press

Publisher taking novels
Royalty share, no advance
No fee

50,000–115,000

Open anytime

Bookouture – Crime, Thriller & Cozy

Bookouture (Hachette UK)

Publisher taking novels
Digital-first royalties
No fee

Full-length

Open anytime

Close To The Bone – Press

Close To The Bone

Publisher taking novels
Case-by-case contracts
No fee

Novels, novellas, collections

Open anytime

Crimson Gate Books – Crime Novel Submissions

Crimson Gate Books

Publisher taking novels
Terms on offer
No fee

50,000–100,000 (ideally 60,000–75,000), complete

Open anytime

Crooked Lane Books

Publisher taking novels
Advance + royalties (terms not published)
No fee

60,000–100,000

Open anytime

Down & Out Books

Publisher taking novels
Terms on offer
No fee

50,000+ (send first 10,000)

Open anytime

Dundurn Press – Mystery & Thriller

Dundurn Press

Publisher taking novels
Terms on offer
No fee

Full manuscript (no partials for fiction)

Open anytime

Harlequin Intrigue

Harlequin (HarperCollins)

Publisher taking novels
Advance + royalties (category romance contract)
No fee

55,000–60,000

Open anytime

Hera Books

Hera Books (sister of Canelo)

Publisher taking novels
Royalties on net receipts
No fee

80,000+

Open anytime

Inkubator Books

Publisher taking novels
45% of net receipts
No fee

Full-length

Open anytime

Joffe Books

Publisher taking novels
Terms on offer
No fee

Minimum 60,000

Open anytime

Level Best Books – Novel Submissions

Level Best Books

Publisher taking novels
Royalties (terms not published)
No fee

70,000–90,000

Open anytime

Love Inspired Suspense

Harlequin (HarperCollins)

Publisher taking novels
Advance + royalties (category contract)
No fee

55,000

Open anytime

Lyrical Press (Kensington)

Kensington Publishing

Publisher taking novels
Terms on offer
No fee

Mysteries 75,000–100,000

Open anytime

Severn House (Joffe Books imprint)

Severn House / Joffe Books

Publisher taking novels
Terms on offer
No fee

Minimum 60,000

Open anytime

Storm Publishing – Crime, Thriller & Mystery

Storm Publishing

Publisher taking novels
No advance; 50% of net digital receipts
No fee

Full-length

Open anytime

The Wild Rose Press – Crimson Rose (mystery & thriller)

The Wild Rose Press

Publisher taking novels
Royalties (no fees to authors)
No fee

15,000–100,000 (45,000+ for print)

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