The Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award: Call for Submissions

The Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award is an annual grant of $2,000 for an emerging writer of color. 

This grant is intended to support the recipient in crime fiction writing and career development activities. The grantee may choose to use the grant for activities that include workshops, seminars, conferences, retreats, online courses, and research activities required for completion of the work. 

Submissions for the 2025 award are open February 1 through March 31. 

About the Award

The Eleanor Taylor Bland grant is administered by Sisters in Crime, a 4000+ member international organization of mystery authors, readers, publishers, agents, booksellers and librarians. Sisters in Crime was founded by Sara Paretsky and a group of women at the 1986 Bouchercon in Baltimore. In 2014 the group declared its mission to members to “promote the ongoing advancement, recognition and professional development of women crime writers.” 

After contacting the grant recipient, Sisters in Crime will make an official announcement of the winner in the summer of 2024. 

A report about how the award was spent must be submitted to the Sisters in Crime president one year after receipt of the award. The 2024 recipient of the award also will be expected to serve the following year as a member of the 2025 Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award selection committee. 

Here’s a checklist to help you prepare to submit year: 

Have you published two novels OR ten or more short stories? We're sorry, that means you aren't eligible to apply. 

You do not have to be a member of Sisters in Crime to apply for this grant. 

Do you want to use a different name for your submission? 

Are there any trigger warnings about potentially distressing material in your work? If so, please list them on the form. Some examples include rape, torture, pedophilia, child abuse, assault, suicide, drug abuse. Please note work dealing with these subjects will not impact whether you're selected. It's just to let our judges know before they read. If no, please write N/A. 

AI-generated works are not eligible. 

You may upload PDFs or Word docs. Please make sure that you name the documents including your name. For example, JONES_BIO.doc, JONES_WORK.doc, JONES_STATEMENT.doc. Please make sure your materials are named appropriately.

Here are the three components of your submission:

• An unpublished work of crime fiction, aimed at readers, from children’s chapter books through adults. This may be a short story or first chapter(s) of a manuscript in-progress of 2,500 to 5,000 words.
• A resume or biographical statement.
• A cover letter that gives a sense of the applicant as an emerging writer in the genre and briefly states how the award money would be used. (How the money might be used is not a deciding factor in the judges’ decision.)

If you aren't a member of Sisters in Crime, please register for a guest membership before you submit your materials. Members, please sign in. 

SUBMIT MATERIALS HERE. 

READ MORE HERE.

2023 Eleanor Taylor Bland Award Winners

Sisters in Crime (SinC), an inclusive international community for all who write and love crime fiction, has announced the winner of the annual Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color.

The winner of the 2023 Award is Nicole Prewitt of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her winning submission, Harts Divided, follows Neema Hart, a black, bisexual thief-turned-P.I., who owns a detective agency and therapy office with her estranged wife, Genie Hart. When what should be a bread-and-butter infidelity case results in unsuspecting women getting burned, in more ways than one. The Harts are pushed to prove their commitment to their clients, their community, and each other.

“I’m honestly so excited that opportunities like this exist and feel incredibly honored to have received the 2023 Eleanor Taylor Bland Award,” says Prewitt. “Writing a novel can be such a long process, and this has provided me with encouragement to see it through to the end.”

Established in 2014, The Eleanor Taylor Bland Award is strongly aligned with SinC’s mission to promote the ongoing advancement, recognition and professional development of current and prospective members and intends to support a recipient at the beginning of their crime writing career. The grantee may choose to apply the grant toward workshops, seminars, conferences, retreats, online courses, and research activities to assist in completion of their work. Prewitt’s story was selected from over 60 submissions by 2023 judges Shizuka Otake — winner of the award in 2022 — plus novelists R. Franklin James and Andrea J. Johnson

“We couldn’t have asked for a more talented group of participants,” says Johnson. “It was an absolute pleasure to experience the captivating ways these writers have chosen to broaden and reinvent the crime genre.

Judge Shizuka Otake agrees. “Reading the entries reminded me that there are so many different voices and stories. And they can all be compelling.”

In addition to Prewitt’s 2023 achievement, SinC has also awarded five runners-up a year-long membership to the organization. Recipients were Josette Covington (Wilmington, Delaware), Ann Harris (Atlanta, Georgia), Kathryn Harrison (Bingham Farms, Michigan), Karabi Mitra (Toronto, Ontario), and Deena Short (Stonecrest, Georgia).

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About Eleanor Taylor Bland:

Eleanor Taylor Bland (1944-2010) paved the way for fresh voices in crime fiction by showcasing complex characters that had previously been peripheral to or simply missing from the genre. Dead Time (1992), the first in her series of novels, introduced African-American police detective Marti MacAlister, an enduring and beloved heroine who overturned stereotypes that had been perpetuated in much of American popular culture. Bland also published more than 50 works of short crime fiction and edited the 2004 collection, Shades of Black: Crime and Mystery Stories by African-American Authors.

About Sisters in Crime:

Sisters in Crime (SinC) was founded in 1986 to promote the ongoing advancement, recognition and professional development of women crime writers. Today, the organization boasts 4,000 members and 59 chapters worldwide and its initiatives also include other scholarships, grants for academic research into the roles of women and underserved voices in crime fiction; cash awards to libraries and bookstores; and surveys and monitoring projects which determine visibility and representation of women and diverse voices in the genre and across the marketplace.

ELEANOR TAYLOR BLAND EMERGING CRIME FICTION WRITER OF COLOR AWARD: Sisters in Crime

Sisters in Crime (SinC) announced today that the 2022 winner of the annual Eleanor Taylor Bland Emerging Crime Fiction Writer of Color Award is Shizuka Otake of Jackson Heights, NY. Her submission, Murder in Tokyo, is a story of a Japanese American teen’s life which is shattered when her boyfriend is arrested as the prime suspect in a classmate’s murder. “I lived in Tokyo as an adult and found it painful to be viewed as different,” said Otake. “I expected to fit in and wondered how much harder that experience would have been if I was a vulnerable teen.” 

Established in 2014, The Eleanor Taylor Bland Award is strongly aligned with SinC’s mission to promote the ongoing advancement, recognition and professional development of current and prospective members and intends to support a recipient at the beginning of their crime writing career. The grantee may choose to apply the grant toward workshops, seminars, conferences, retreats, online courses and research activities to assist in completion of their work. Otake’s story was selected from several submissions by 2022 judges D.Ann Williams, Sujata Massey and Wanda Morris. 

“I’m thrilled and honored to be recognized by Sisters in Crime,” said Otake. “With this generous grant, I plan to either visit Japan to do more research for my manuscript or attend a mystery writing class at Moniack Mhor in Scotland.” 

In addition to Otake’s 2022 achievement, Sisters in Crime has also awarded five runners-up with a year-long membership to the organization. Recipients include Danielle Arceneaux (Brooklyn, NY), Amber Boothe (Crowthorne, England), Jennifer K. Morita (Sacramento, CA), Valerie Kemp (Ann Arbor, MI), and Kathy A. Norris (Los Angeles, CA). 

Eleanor Taylor Bland (1944-2010) paved the way for fresh voices in crime fiction by showcasing complex characters that had previously been peripheral to or simply missing from the genre. Dead Time (1992), the first in her series of novels, introduced African-American police detective Marti MacAlister, an enduring and beloved heroine who overturned stereotypes that had been perpetuated in much of American popular culture. Bland also published more than 50 works of short crime fiction and edited the 2004 collection, Shades of Black: Crime and Mystery Stories by African-American Authors. 

Sisters in Crime (SinC) was founded in 1986 to promote the ongoing advancement, recognition and professional development of women crime writers. Today, the organization boasts 4,000 members and 59 chapters worldwide and its initiatives also include other scholarships, grants for academic research into the roles of women and underserved voices in crime fiction; cash awards to libraries and bookstores; and surveys and monitoring projects which determine visibility and representation of women and diverse voices in the genre and across the marketplace.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: SISTERS IN CRIME 2022 Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award

SISTERS IN CRIME OPENS SUBMISSIONS FOR THE 2022 ELEANOR TAYLOR BLAND CRIME FICTION WRITERS OF COLOR AWARD

 

Emerging Writer of Color Will Receive $2000 Grant to Support Career Development 

 

Sisters in Crime is accepting applications for its ninth annual Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award, a $2,000 grant awarded to an emerging writer of color. The award honors the late, pioneering African American crime fiction author Eleanor Taylor Bland. Candidates must apply by March 31 and the winner will be announced in May.

“The award gave me the confidence I needed to keep going when my first book failed on submission and my first agent and I parted ways,” says 2018 Award winner Mia P. Manansala. “The book that won the award became my debut and has led to so many amazing opportunities.”

Established in 2014, The Eleanor Taylor Bland award intends to support a recipient at the beginning of their crime writing career. The grantee may choose to apply the grant toward workshops, seminars, conferences, retreats, online courses and research activities to assist in completion of their work. Strongly aligned with Sisters in Crime’s mission to promote the ongoing advancement, recognition and professional development of current and prospective members, “this award welcomes future crime writers of color into the mystery writing fold,” says Stephanie Gale, Pushcart Prize-nominated author and President of the National Board of Sisters in Crime. “As the former grants liaison, I know the award has inspired the winner and runners up to keep writing. There are writers of color crushing the crime writing genre and I want more of it.”

 

The 2022 recipient will join an impressive roster of winners. This year’s panel of judges includes 2021 winner D.Ann Williams, along with Sujata Massey and Wanda Morris, who is excited to participate in the search. “The Award recognizes and introduces diverse authors at a time when people are craving #OwnVoices stories,” says Morris. “The impact of this award will be felt for generations.”

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Eleanor Taylor Bland was the author of fourteen crime fiction novels published between 1992 and 2007 which featured Marti MacAlister, an African-American female police detective and an enduring and beloved heroine who went against the grain of stereotypes related to African-American women in much of U.S. popular culture. Bland also published several works of short crime fiction and edited a collection titled Shades of Black: Crime and Mystery Stories by African American Authors (2004). Sisters in Crime (SinC) was founded in 1986 to promote the ongoing advancement, recognition and professional development of women crime writers. Today, the organization boasts 4,200 members and more than 60 chapters worldwide and its initiatives also include other scholarships; grants for academic research into the roles of women and underserved voices in crime fiction; cash awards to libraries and bookstores; and surveys and monitoring projects which determine visibility and representation of women and diverse voices in the genre and across the marketplace. 

For more information on its programs and author members, visit the organization’s website at www.sistersincrime.org. Complete guidelines and the application can be found at www.sistersincrime.org/page/EleanorTaylorBland

ELEANOR TAYLOR BLAND CRIME FICTION WRITERS OF COLOR AWARD RECIPIENT: D. Ann Williams

Sisters in Crime announced that D. Ann Williams is the 2021 Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award Recipient. The award benefits an emerging writer of color in the crime fiction genre.

Williams’ novel in progress titled Murder at the Freeman Hotel is set in 1920s California and features Minnie Freeman, a woman on a mission to move to a new city, open a hotel, and stay independently wealthy. Her plan is hindered by the dead body found at the bottom of the new automatic elevator shaft and a sigil linking it to other deaths in the city. 

Eleanor Taylor Bland 2021 judges Tracy Clark, Yasmin McClinton, and David Heska Wanbli Weiden wrote Williams’ entry is “a compelling historical mystery with a wonderful, strong opening and deft use of craft elements. We all agree that we’ll be hearing much more from the writer in the very near future.” 

In response to receiving the news Williams said, “I’ve been in a state of shock ever since I received the email. I spent many years worried that I wasn’t a good enough writer and that I'd never find a home for characters that shared my identity. To win an award from such a prestigious group for a mystery is mind-boggling because I've loved the genre ever since I picked up my first Nancy Drew book.” 

The award was created in 2014 to honor the memory of pioneering African-American crime fiction author Eleanor Taylor Bland with a $2,000 grant to an emerging writer of color. The award supports SinC’s vision that the organization should serve as the voice for excellence and diversity in crime writing. In the spirit of Taylor Bland’s own books, the award supports writers creating characters that have been largely marginalized or excluded from crime fiction novels. 

Williams, a writing coach for We Need Diverse Books, Black Creatives Revision Workshop, and an authenticity reader, credits her support systems—Wordmakers and Tessera Editorial—in helping her break from the jitters around submitting her unpublished work. “Being connected with so many authors, and many of them authors of color, has helped because there’s an inherent understanding of the complexities of our lived experiences and histories,” said Williams. “With writing groups, mentorships, and even awards, like this one from Sisters in Crime, I am surrounded by people rooting for me at each step and seeing my characters for the fully realized people they are.” 

When asked about the increased need for diversity in publishing, Williams said, “Supporting diverse authors and stories is the reason why I started in the publishing industry and gave me the strength to start focusing on my own work. Seeing characters come to life that share my identities, or other historically underrepresented identities and cultures, gives me hope that the children of today will be able to see themselves reflected as their whole unique selves.” 

You can find her words on the We Need Diverse Books blog and Poets & Writers, Savvy Self Publisher series speaking on the necessity for sensitivity readers and helping breakdown the mysteries about the editing process for self-published authors. She is excited to share her work with the world to help show the complexities of Black queer characters. 

Runner-ups for the 2021 Crime Fiction Writers of Color Awards are Hiawatha Bray, Lily Meade, Robin Page, Catherine Tucker, and Zoe B. Wallbrook. 

***

About Sisters in Crime Sisters in Crime (SinC) was founded in 1986 to promote the ongoing advancement, recognition and professional development of women crime writers, and continues to work broadly for equity and inclusion in the writing community. The organization boasts 4,200 members and more than 60 chapters worldwide. Its initiatives include the annual Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award and other scholarships, academic research grants for the roles of women and underserved voices in crime fiction, cash awards to libraries and bookstores and surveys and monitoring projects that determine visibility and representation of women and diverse voices in the genre and across the marketplace. For more information, visit: https://www.sistersincrime.org/ 

About D. Ann Williams D. Ann Williams (she/her) is a queer Black American writer, freelance editor, authenticity reader, Associate Agent at Emerald City Literary Agency, and writing coach for We Need Diverse Books Black Creatives Revision Workshop. She’s dabbled in writing off and on for the past twelve years and is currently taking courses at UCLA Extension to hone her craft. In addition to mysteries, she writes romance and is working on a contemporary YA. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, SCBWI, and Crime Writers of Color. Originally from SoCal, she now lives in Eugene, OR where she spends her days reading, writing, and taking photos. For more on D. Ann Williams visit: https://editsbyd.com/ or https://dawilliamsbooks.com/

2019 Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award

Sisters in Crime (SinC) announced the 2019 winner of the annual Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award: Jessica Martinez of Orcutt, CA, whose novel-in-progress features Teia Santiago, a police detective whose father-in-law blackmails her into kidnapping a textile manufacturing heiress—who also happens to be her sister-in-law.

In a joint statement, judges Cheryl Head, Mia P. Manansala, and Tonya Spratt-Williams said, “Ms. Martinez has great potential as a fresh new voice within the crime fiction community and capably displays a proficiency with humor. Her submission introduced the committee to a fun and witty protagonist and left the committee looking forward to her completed novel.”

The award, which honors the memory of pioneering African-American crime fiction author Eleanor Taylor Bland with a $2,000 grant to an emerging writer of color, was created in 2014 to support SinC’s vision statement that the organization should serve as the voice for excellence and diversity in crime writing. The grant is intended to support the recipient in such developmental and research activities as workshops, seminars, conferences and retreats, online courses, and other opportunities required for completion of their debut crime fiction work. Past recipients include Maria Kelson (2014), Vera H-C Chan (2015), Stephane Dunn (2016), Jessica Ellis Laine (2017) and Mia P. Manansala (2018).

“I was so excited to learn that I had received the 2019 Eleanor Taylor Bland Award from Sisters in Crime,” said Martinez. “It feels great for someone to recognize my work as having potential. This award is affirmation for me to continue writing and to finish fleshing out this specific story of mine.”

Eleanor Taylor Bland (1944-2010) paved the way for fresh voices in crime fiction by showcasing complex characters that had previously been peripheral to or simply missing from the genre. Dead Time (1992), the first in her series of novels, introduced African-American police detective Marti MacAlister, an enduring and beloved heroine who overturned stereotypes that had been perpetuated in much of American popular culture. Bland also published several works of short crime fiction and edited the 2004 collection, Shades of Black: Crime and Mystery Stories by African-American Authors.

Sisters in Crime (SinC) was founded in 1986 to promote the ongoing advancement, recognition and professional development of women crime writers. Today, the organization boasts 3,600 members and 50 chapters worldwide and its initiatives also include other scholarships, grants for academic research into the roles of women and underserved voices in crime fiction; cash awards to libraries and bookstores; and surveys and monitoring projects which determine visibility and representation of women and diverse voices in the genre and across the marketplace.

2019 ELEANOR TAYLOR CRIME FICTION WRITERS OF COLOR AWARD: Call for Submissions

SISTERS IN CRIME OPENS SUBMISSIONS FOR THE 2019 ELEANOR TAYLOR CRIME FICTION WRITERS OF COLOR AWARD 

Emerging Writer of Color Will Receive $2,000 Grant to Support Career Development

Sisters in Crime is accepting applications for its sixth annual Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award, a $2,000 grant awarded to an emerging female or male writer of color. The award honors the late, pioneering African American crime fiction author Eleanor Taylor Bland. Candidates must apply by June 9, 2019 and the winner will be announced by July 1, 2019.

“Throughout her career, Eleanor Taylor Bland served as both advocate and inspiration to countless women and authors of color. Her legacy is still felt today,” said Sisters in Crime President Sherry Harris. “We've been thrilled with the response to the grant in her honor and are excited to expand it this year to help another writer of color follow Bland's lead and take the next steps in their publishing journey.”

The Eleanor Taylor Bland Award was created in 2014 with a bequest from Bland’s estate to support Sisters in Crime’s vision statement that the organization should serve as the voice for excellence and diversity in crime writing. The grant is intended for a writer beginning their crime writing career and will support activities related to career development including workshops, seminars, conferences, and retreats; online courses; and research activities required for completion of his or her work. This year, Sisters in Crime raised the grant amount from $1,500 to $2,000.

The 2019 winner will join past recipients Mia Manansala (2018), Jessica Ellis Laine (2017), Stephane Dunn (2016), Vera H-C Chan (2015), and Maria Kelson (2014).

Eleanor Taylor Bland was the author of fourteen crime fiction novels published between 1992 and 2007 which featured Marti MacAlister, an African-American female police detective and an enduring and beloved heroine who went against the grain of stereotypes related to African American women in much of U.S. popular culture. Bland also published several works of short crime fiction and edited a collection titled Shades of Black: Crime and Mystery Stories by African American Authors (2004). 

Sisters in Crime (SinC) was founded in 1986 to promote the ongoing advancement, recognition and professional development of women crime writers. Today, the organization boasts 4,200 members and 51 chapters worldwide and its initiatives also include other scholarships; grants for academic research into the roles of women and underserved voices in crime fiction; cash awards to libraries and bookstores; and surveys and monitoring projects which determine visibility and representation of women and diverse voices in the genre and across the marketplace. For more information on its programs and author members, visit the organization’s website at www.sistersincrime.org. 

Complete guidelines and the application can be found at SistersinCrime.org/etb.

Sisters in Crime Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award

SISTERS IN CRIME ANNOUNCES WINNER OF 2018 ELEANOR TAYLOR BLAND CRIME FICTION WRITERS OF COLOR AWARD 
The award benefits an emerging writer of color in the crime fiction genre 

Sisters in Crime (SinC) announced today that the 2018 winner of the annual Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award is Mia Manansala, who also serves as the secretary for the Midwest Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America. In a joint statement, judges Cynthia Kuhn, Tonya Spratt-Williams, and committee chair Maria Kelson said, “This was our unanimous choice. Manansala exhibits sophisticated genre awareness and playfulness with genre conventions and we believe the manuscript—which features a very funny, millennial, Filipina-American protagonist—makes a new, worthy, and worthwhile contribution to crime fiction.” 

The award, which honors the memory of pioneering African-American crime fiction author Eleanor Taylor Bland with a $1500 grant to an emerging writer of color, was created in 2014 to support SinC’s vision statement that the organization should serve as the voice for excellence and diversity in crime writing. The grant is intended to support the recipient in such developmental and research activities as workshops, seminars, conferences and retreats, online courses, and other opportunities required for completion of their debut crime fiction work. Past recipients include Maria Kelson (2014), Vera H-C Chan (2015), Stephane Dunn (2016), and Jessica Ellis Laine (2017).

“I am so incredibly thrilled and honored to receive the 2018 Eleanor Taylor Bland Award from Sisters in Crime,” said Manansala, who is represented by Janet Reid of New Leaf Literary. “I want to thank the award committee for recognizing the marginalized writers in our field. I am excited to see what the future holds, both for me and for the crime fiction genre. My deepest gratitude to you all. Salamat po!”

Eleanor Taylor Bland (1944-2010) paved the way for fresh voices in crime fiction by showcasing complex characters that had previously been peripheral to or simply missing from the genre. Dead Time (1992), the first in her series of novels, introduced African-American police detective Marti MacAlister, an enduring and beloved heroine who overturned stereotypes that had been perpetuated in much of American popular culture. Bland also published several works of short crime fiction and edited the 2004 collection, Shades of Black: Crime and Mystery Stories by African-American Authors. 

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Sisters in Crime (SinC) was founded in 1986 to promote the ongoing advancement, recognition and professional development of women crime writers. Today, the organization boasts 3,600 members and 50 chapters worldwide and its initiatives also include other scholarships, grants for academic research into the roles of women and underserved voices in crime fiction; cash awards to libraries and bookstores; and surveys and monitoring projects which determine visibility and representation of women and diverse voices in the genre and across the marketplace.