Entrants are asked to submit the first 3000 words of their crime-themed novel, plus a 500/1000 word synopsis of the rest the book.
Winning doesn't guarantee you'll get published, but since it is not only judged by leading editors and literary agents,the short-listed entries are made available to all the editors and agents who are members of the Association, it's an invaluable advantage for authors who want to jump the slush pile.
Since its inception in 1998, seventeen winning and short-listed authors have obtained publishing contracts. Whilst we are based in the UK, the competition is open to anyone writing in English and we get many entries from outside the UK. This year's competition runs from 1st November 2008 to 7th February 2009 and full details and an entry from can be found here