2025 Thriller Awards

**SUBMISSION DEADLINES**

Works published on or before May 31, 2024
must be submitted by July 31, 2024

Works published on or before August 31, 2024
must be submitted by October 31, 2024

Works published on or after September 1, 2024
must be submitted by December 31, 2024

No submissions will be accepted after December 31, 2024

RULES OF ELIGIBILITY

(Please check our FAQs for detailed answers to your eligibility questions)

Eligibility Period: All works must be published in the English language for the first time between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024.

Eligible Novels: All novels first published in English by an ITW Recognized Publisher or from an ITW Active Member.

Eligible Short Stories: All short stories under 35,000 words and first published in English by an ITW Recognized Publisher or from an ITW Active Member. Original publication or a copy of the story published is admissible, provided it is accompanied by proof of publication (i.e., the publication’s copyright page/notice).

Eligible Audiobooks: All audiobooks first published in English by an ITW Recognized Publisher or from an ITW Active Member, which have not been submitted to the Thriller Awards in any other format (print or e-book) in a previous year.

Submission Deadline: Works published on or before May 31, 2024 must be submitted by July 31, 2024. Works published on or before August 31, 2024 must be submitted by October 31, 2024. Works published on or after September 1, 2024 must be submitted by December 31, 2024. No submissions will be accepted after December 31, 2024.

Works may be submitted by either the publisher or the author. To avoid duplicate submissions, an author should confirm with their publisher that their work has not already been submitted. If a work is not submitted by the deadline date of December 31, 2024, that work will be disqualified.

Other Eligibility Requirements: With the exception of audiobooks, each work must be submitted to only one category. ITW will accept up to three eligible works per author (for example, an author may submit one novel and two short stories, if all three were published in 2024).

Please note the following category-specific requirements:

• All first novels, except for young adult novels, must be submitted to Best First Novel. Any author who has previously published a novel in any format is ineligible to submit to Best First Novel.
• All young adult novels, including YA novels that are also first novels, must be submitted to Best Young Adult.
• The first or any subsequent novel in a series may be submitted to Best Series Novel OR any other qualified category (Thriller, Mystery, and/or Audiobook). Please choose with care, as each book may only be submitted in one category plus audiobook (if it is also in audiobook). Once submitted, the category cannot be changed.
• A novel may be submitted to both Best Audiobook and one other category, provided both submissions meet all eligibility requirements. An audiobook is not eligible if it was submitted to the Thriller Awards in any format in a previous year.

Frequently Asked Questions:  For other eligibility or submission questions, please review our Frequently Asked Questions.

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR WORK

To submit a novel, short story, or audiobook for consideration, please fill out the entry form available below. Once your submission is received, your entry will be reviewed for eligibility and assigned to the appropriate  judging panel.

Please note that novels and short stories must be submitted in .pdf format. Audiobooks must be submitted via Audible link only. If you have questions about eligibility requirement or the submission guidelines, please check our FAQs.

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