Trouble in Texas

The SINC/North Dallas Anthology Vol. 4

Eligibility:

Open to anyone who is a current member of National Sisters in Crime and Sisters in Crime North Dallas at the time of submitting a story and member in good standing at the time of publication.

We limit submissions to a mystery-themed story of 4,500-6,000 words between now and the deadline of 12 p.m. (noon), CT, October 31, 2024. Stories must be entirely fiction (not based on actual crimes or real-life events), the author's original work, and not previously published elsewhere. Only one story submission per person.

Submitting your story:

Because this is a mystery anthology, stories must fall into that genre. Classic detection, police procedurals, private eye, cozies, courtroom drama, suspense, cold cases, or the threat of a crime (or fear of one) are the stories these mystery-themed anthologies publish. No graphic violence or explicit sex scenes, please. (Guidelines for Content Warnings may be found here.)

Stories should be set in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and reflect the flavor of the Metroplex. Stories might feature residents, vacationers, or passers-by as long as North Texas is recognized as the setting. Whether it happens in another era is optional as long as facts are researched and confirmed as accurate. Examples: vehicles of the period, weapons, clothing, outlying towns, etc.

Place only your name, email address, story title, and word length. Note that you are a current member of both National Sisters in Crime and Sisters in Crime North Dallas on the email page.

ALL identifying information should be on the email page only. If you know the approximate date you joined National Sisters in Crime and Sisters in Crime North Dallas, including that will be helpful.

DO NOT put anything personally identifying in the story attachment.

SUGGESTION: It’s always good to have another pair of eyes look at your writing. You may have a critique partner, close friend, family member, or another author who would review your story before you submit it.

Send your story in a .doc attachment following the above guidelines of only the story itself. Send the attachment to sincndsecretary@gmail.com via email. All stories will be stripped of identifying information and sent to a panel of judges.

• The story should be in standard formatting, 4,500-6,000 words in length, double-spaced in 12-point Times New Roman, with numbered pages.

• Set one-inch margins all around.

• The first line of every paragraph should be indented one-half-inch from the left margin. Do not place extra line spaces between paragraphs.

Selection of stories:

The panel of judges evaluates and selects the top stories. A professional editor will provide two rounds of editing to the authors of selected stories to proofread for errors and polish the story to perfection for publication.

The authors of stories selected for inclusion in the anthology will be asked to sign a contract attesting that the story is the sole work of the author; that the work is original; that the work does not infringe upon anyone's copyright, trademark, proprietary, privacy or publicity rights; that the work is not defamatory, obscene or otherwise contrary to law; that the author has obtained all necessary permissions; and that "the author agrees to indemnify Sisters in Crime North Dallas, its officers, employees, and agents against all cost, expense, and damage arising from any breach by Author of these warranties, actual or claimed if sustained."

Any Advances and royalties will accrue to the Chapter.

Please send any questions you may have in an email to sincndsecretary@gmail.com.