Criminal Tendencies

Crème de la Crime’s raison d’etre is to offer a unique opportunity to previously unpublished crime novelists. Until October 31st 2008, we’re offering the same opportunity to short story writers.

CRIMINAL TENDENCIES 2009 is a short story competition which offers a writer previously unpublished in the crime genre the opportunity to see his or her work on sale in bookshops throughout the UK, in a high-profile anthology alongside household names from the crime writing world including Reginald Hill, creator of the top-selling Dalziel and Pascoe series; Sophie Hannah, whose suspense chiller Little Face was a 2007 Richard and Judy’s Book club selection; and top-selling author Peter James.

The winner of Criminal Tendencies 2009 will be selected by Mark Billingham, award-winning author of the bestselling Tom Thorne series of gripping crime novels – and also an accomplished short story writer.

The anthology, also titled CRIMINAL TENDENCIES, will be published in spring 2009, and for every copy sold, £1 will go to the Genesis Appeal, the only charity in the UK entirely dedicated to the prevention of breast cancer. Based at Europe’s first purpose-built breast cancer prevention centre, the Genesis Appeal funds vital research into prevention and early diagnosis; their aim is to create a future without breast cancer. Currently one woman in ten in the UK will develop this terrible disease; the Genesis Appeal aims to make 1 in 10, none in 10.

Criminal Tendencies 2009 invites entries in the crime genre, maximum length 3000 words, by post to the address below or on-line using the submission form.

The closing date for Criminal Tendencies 2009 is 31st Oct 2008. For on-line entry this means midnight on that date local time wherever you are.

An entry fee of £5.00 per story, which includes a donation to Genesis, should accompany each entry, by cheque if you enter by post, or by MasterCard or Visa via the secure facility on the submission form. Card payments will be processed by our sister company, Real Writers; this is the name which will appear on your statement.

Please attach a cover sheet to postal entries, with the title and length of the story, and full contact details: address, daytime phone number and e-mail address. For on-line entries, please complete the submission form.

Entrants should be previously unpublished in the crime genre.

We also offer all entrants a chance to sample Crème de la Crime’s wide range of top-class full-length crime fiction at half the bookshop price. Choose any TWO of the titles listed on the Backlist page (link), for just £8 post free. Please note your order on your submission form or cover sheet; payment will be taken with your entry fee, and your books despatched immediately. DO NOT click the Buy Now at Amazon button.

For full details of and conditions of entry for Criminal Tendencies 2009 click here.