This is a reprint of an article from the Wicked Authors blog by Sherry Harris. The contest closed for this year, but will reopen again next year.
There aren’t many chances in life to make a big impact on a large group of people. I was lucky enough to serve as president of Sisters in Crime (SinC), an organization that all of the Wickeds have been active in, Barb, Julie, and Edith as presidents of the New England chapter. Barb and Julie both have served on the national board and/or are serving on the board, and Julie is now the acting executive director. Liz and Jessie have been active in the New England chapter.Part of the responsibility of being president is coming up with a legacy project the year you act as the immediate past president. Legacy is a big word, and to be honest, when I first joined the board knowing that was in my future I was a bit terrified. What could I do that would be worthy of such a project?
An idea formed as I navigated being vice president and president. I wanted to do something to honor the organization’s roots as an advocacy group for women writers. Two things really impacted me along the way. The first was attending SinC into Great Writing at Bouchercon in New Orleans; this was before I had any idea I’d become national president. The topic was diversity and it was followed up with The Report for Change. Both efforts were led by then past president Catriona McPherson. Greg Herren spoke about the difficulties he’d faced as an LGBTQIA+ author.
The second thing was SinC’s Eleanor Taylor Bland Award for an Emerging Crime Writer of Color. I saw the impact it made on the authors who won the award. By combining the two things I came up with the idea for a similar award for the LGBTQIA+ community. I wrote a proposal and submitted it to the board. I felt thrilled that they enthusiastically embraced the idea and worked hard to make it happen.
The team I worked with to run the program—Valerie Burns, Marla Bradeen, and Mia Manansala—are fabulous. Julie worked hard on this, along with Vanessa Lillie, who heads the publicity for the award along with Kaye Publicity.
John Copenhaver, Cheryl Head, and Kristen Lepionka didn’t hesitate to say yes when enlisted as judges. These busy people gave up their time to read through all the submissions and pick the winner and five runners-up.
Along with the $2,000 monetary award, the winner and five runners-up also got assigned a critique partner. I’m thrilled to announce them today. Terri Bischoff, Senior Acquiring Editor at Crooked Lane Books will work with the winner. The other critique partners are authors Brenda Buchanan, Leslie Karst, Anne Laughlin, Catherine Maiorisi, and Jeffrey Marks. What an amazing group of talented authors, again willing to take time from their busy lives to help newer authors.
The award is open to all members of the LGBTQIA+ community new to the crime fiction community. You don’t have to be a member of SinC or live in the United States to enter. And you don’t need a completed manuscript. Click here for rules and submission forms.
Submissions are now closed for 2021!
While the idea for the Pride Award might have been mine, it quickly grew to a huge group effort, and I’m blessed to have so many wonderful people working on this project. Thanks to all of you for the love and time you’ve poured into the Pride Award.
Sherry Harris is the Agatha Award-nominated author of the Sarah Winston Garage Sale mystery series and the Chloe Jackson Sea Glass Saloon mysteries. Sherry is a past president of Sisters in Crime, a member of the Chesapeake Chapter of Sisters in Crime, the New England Chapter of Sisters in Crime, and Mystery Writers of America. Sherry loves books, beaches, bars, and Westies,— not necessarily in that order.
