Derringer Award
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The Derringer Award is the Short Mystery Fiction Society’s annual award honoring excellence in Short Mystery Fiction. The awards were created in 1997 and named derringer after the palm-sized handgun, chosen as a metaphor for a short Mystery or Crime story.
Awards are given in the following categories:
- Best Story 1000 words or less
- Best Story 1001 to 4000 words
- Best Story 4001 to 8000 words
- Best Story 8001 to 17,500 words
The Derringer Award is awarded by members of the Short Mystery Fiction Society (SMFS) and from Publishers and Editors of mystery and crime fiction. The author does not have to be a member of the SMFS, however, submissions for award consideration will be accepted only from SMFS members and from Editors and Publishers who publish mystery and crime fiction. To be considered, submissions must be a mystery or crime story. The publication must have been one with an editor and an established procedure for submission, acceptance and rejection. The publication may be a print magazine, an electronic magazine (Ezine) or an anthology of mystery and/or crime stories in book form. The publication does not have to pay cash.
The author does not have to be a member of SMFS to be considered. The publication does not have to be one published in the USA. It must, however, have been published in the English language. Works previously published in any language other than English are eligible based on the date of their first publication in English.
