Killer Nashville. What writer doesn’t know the name of that conference? In a world filled with writers conferences, Killer Nashville and the sponsored awards have evolved into one of the world’s premier opportunities for writers to connect, learn, and change their careers.
Lois Winston is a two-time Silver Falchion Finalist. She said, “Killer Nashville falls into that Goldilocks sweet spot of mystery conferences—not too small, not too large, and with something for every attendee, no matter where you are on your writing journey.”
Writers, it’s time to polish your prose because Killer Nashville is pleased to announce that the 16th Annual Silver Falchion Award and the 14th Annual Claymore Award are open for submission.
Killer Nashville awards
Silver Falchion
The Silver Falchion Award was founded in 2008. This year, the award seeks to honor the best books of 2022; submission deadline is 6/15/23. Past entrants have ranged from NYT bestsellers to authors who have only sold a handful of books. Clay Stafford, the founder of the conference, said, “In a world where titles are being published at previously unheard-of rates, winning or placing in this contest can really help an author stand out amongst the competition. Many of the authors who enter our contests are up-and-comers. It’s important to recognize those who aren’t backed by huge publishing companies with limitless budgets. This award matters to these authors, and it also matters to publishers because they know that our choice is quality, not the size of the publisher or the history of the author entering the competition.”
Debra H. Goldstein is a two-time Silver Falchion Finalist and one of those authors the conference helped get started. She says Killer Nashville is one of her favorite craft conferences. “It offers options for skill building, agent and editor pitches and critiques, and wonderful interaction with other authors.”
Click here for submission details and categories for the 2023 Silver Falchion Award.
Claymore
The Claymore Award recognizes unpublished English-language manuscripts with elements of thriller, mystery, crime or suspense; submission deadline is 4/1/23. The award was created in 2009. The competition is open to the first fifty pages of an unpublished manuscript. Clay Stafford said, “This may be my favorite of our awards, as it’s often an author’s ‘big break’. Winners and finalists of the Claymore have gone on to get agent representation, book deals, movie deals, etc. Often, our entrants are authors who have never been published in any capacity before. This award has helped dozens of new authors find homes for their manuscripts and realize their dreams of being a professional author.”
Click here for submission details and categories for the 2023 Claymore Award.
Maggie Toussaint is another award-winning author who attended the conference. She calls Clay Stafford the ‘patron saint of writers.’ As a past attendee, Maggie has fond memories of the conference and sees it as ‘a stepping stone for many unpublished writers.’
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