How to enter the Telegraph Harvill Secker Crime Writing Competition
All you need to know about the Telegraph Harvill Secker Crime Writing Competition - how to enter, the prize, the judges and our masterclasses to help you win.
A scene from Headhunters, based on the
book by Jo Nesbo, one of the authors who is giving a masterclass to help
apiring crime writers
7:00AM BST 12 Jul 2013
2 Comments
The competition
The new Telegraph Harvill Secker crime writing competition, launched tomorrow,
offers aspiring writers an unprecedented opportunity to be published at one
of the country’s leading literary imprints, home to authors like Jo Nesbø,
Fred Vargas, Stuart Neville and Henning Mankell, and receive a £5,000
advance for his or her novel.
Would-be crime writers must submit the first 5,000 words of their crime novel,
along with a detailed, two-page double-spaced synopsis of how the rest of
the book unfolds, including the ending. The book does not have to be
finished for you to enter, but you must have a detailed plan.
In keeping with the international nature of Harvill Secker’s profile, the
crime book must contain an international element of some sort. It’s up to
writers how they interpret this: it could be just a weapon that’s come from
abroad, a character with a connection to another country, or the whole book
could be set outside the UK. A significant international component does not,
however, mean that a book will have a greater chance of winning.
The prize
Harvill Secker, an imprint of The Random House Group Limited, which is a
Penguin Random House company and Publisher of the Year 2013, will be
offering the winner a publishing deal – either physical and digital, or
digital only – and a non-returnable advance of £5,000 for world rights in
the book. An extract from the winning entry will also be printed in these
pages next year. The final Telegraph-branded book will be published by
Harvill Secker and be available for purchase through the Telegraph Bookshop,
as well as at high street and online retailers.
How to enter
Entry is easy and online only, via here. There is a small £5 admin charge, payable to the Telegraph, and taken when writers upload their 5,000 words, synopsis and contact details to the site. Payment can be made by all major credit and debit cards using WorldPay. The closing date for entries is November 30 2013. Books do not have to be completed before entry. Entrants can be from anywhere in the world but must be over 18 and submit their book in the English language. The prize is only open to those who have not had a novel published before and are not already signed with a literary agent. See telegraph.co.uk/crimecomp for full terms and conditions.
The judges
The entries will be assessed by a panel of four judges: Alison Hennessey, senior editor at Harvill Secker; Sam Copeland, literary agent at RCW; Richard Reynolds, crime buyer at Heffers; and Jon Stock, Telegraph books desk and author of the Daniel Marchant spy thriller trilogy
Online masterclasses and videos
To help aspiring writers with their crime novel, the Telegraph will be publishing a number of masterclasses, written by a host of crime writers, on its website over the coming weeks and months. These will be accompanied by video interviews. The first comes from bestselling Norwegian crime writer Jo Nesbø, and it is available to view now at telegraph.co.uk/crimecomp.
You can read a new masterclass at telegraph.co.uk/crimecomp every Saturday: Oliver Harris will be advising on brilliant beginnings; Jason Webster on settings and atmosphere; Susan Hill on characterisation; Alice LaPlante on suspense; and Stuart Neville on thickening the plot.
We will also be publishing video advice from other Harvill Secker crime authors. These include Henning Mankell, Arne Dahl, Henry Sutton and MD Villiers, all of whom will be offering helpful tips to ensure that aspiring writers are given the best chance of winning the most exciting new prize in crime fiction.
How to enter
Entry is easy and online only, via here. There is a small £5 admin charge, payable to the Telegraph, and taken when writers upload their 5,000 words, synopsis and contact details to the site. Payment can be made by all major credit and debit cards using WorldPay. The closing date for entries is November 30 2013. Books do not have to be completed before entry. Entrants can be from anywhere in the world but must be over 18 and submit their book in the English language. The prize is only open to those who have not had a novel published before and are not already signed with a literary agent. See telegraph.co.uk/crimecomp for full terms and conditions.
The judges
The entries will be assessed by a panel of four judges: Alison Hennessey, senior editor at Harvill Secker; Sam Copeland, literary agent at RCW; Richard Reynolds, crime buyer at Heffers; and Jon Stock, Telegraph books desk and author of the Daniel Marchant spy thriller trilogy
Online masterclasses and videos
To help aspiring writers with their crime novel, the Telegraph will be publishing a number of masterclasses, written by a host of crime writers, on its website over the coming weeks and months. These will be accompanied by video interviews. The first comes from bestselling Norwegian crime writer Jo Nesbø, and it is available to view now at telegraph.co.uk/crimecomp.
You can read a new masterclass at telegraph.co.uk/crimecomp every Saturday: Oliver Harris will be advising on brilliant beginnings; Jason Webster on settings and atmosphere; Susan Hill on characterisation; Alice LaPlante on suspense; and Stuart Neville on thickening the plot.
We will also be publishing video advice from other Harvill Secker crime authors. These include Henning Mankell, Arne Dahl, Henry Sutton and MD Villiers, all of whom will be offering helpful tips to ensure that aspiring writers are given the best chance of winning the most exciting new prize in crime fiction.
