The International Thriller Writers have announced its 2013 Thriller Awards Competition. Categories include:
Best Hardcover Novel – This award honors the best hardcover thriller novel of the year.
Best First Novel – This award honors our debut thriller novelists. Eligibility covers an author’s first novel, whether under the author’s name or a pseudonym, regardless of publication format. All first novels must be entered in the best first novel category.
Best Paperback Original Novel – This award honors the best paperback original thriller novel of the year.
Best Short Story – This award honors the best thriller short story (up to 35,000 words, to enable novellas to participate) of the year.
And two new categories:
Best Young Adult Novel – This award honors the best young adult thriller novel (aimed at ages 12 – 18) of the year.
Best E-Book Original Novel – This award honors the best e-book original thriller novel of the year. E-book original is defined as a book that first appeared in electronic format during 2011-2012. E-books that have been previously published in any format are ineligible.
RULES OF ELIGIBILITY
All novels FIRST published in the English language by a commercial ITW Recognized Publisher within the 2012 calendar year are eligible for the respective categories listed above. For the E-Book Original category only, eligible novels must be published during 2011-2012. Active-status ITW members may submit independently published work to the appropriate category of Thriller competition (Best Hard Cover, Best Paperback Original, Best Short Story, Best Young Adult, and Best E-Book Original). Independently published work from Associate ITW members or non-members will not be considered for competition.
ITW maintains a list of recognized traditional commercial publishers on its website. Any publisher or author may fill out ITW’s “Publisher Questionnaire,” seeking admission to the list.
ITW will solicit publishers for eligible work, but ultimately it will be the responsibility of each author who would like to be considered for an award category to contact his publisher and ensure copies reach each judge in that category by the stated deadline dates. If an entered work does not reach the judge by the deadline date, that work will be disqualified. It is solely the entrant’s responsibility to ensure copies are delivered.
Publishers are requested to submit a title to only the appropriate category: Hardcover novels must be entered in Best Hardcover Novel category (except for First Novels). Paperback Originals must be entered in Best Paperback Original category. All First Novels must be entered in the Best First Novel category. E-books that have been previously published in any format are ineligible. Any author who has been previously published in any format is ineligible for Best First Novel. Those authors are invited to check the criteria for Best Hardcover, Best Paperback Original. Best Young Adult, and Best E-Book Original to submit to the appropriate category there.
For the complete submission guidelines visit: Thriller Awards