2026 Thriller Awards

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, 2025 and December 31, 2025.

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:  To allow our judging panels time to read and evaluate over 1,300 books, ITW has established staggered deadlines for submission based on publication date.  Late entries will not be accepted.

• Works published on or before June 30, 2025 must be submitted by August 31, 2025
• Works published on or before September 30, 2025 must be submitted by October 15, 2025
• Works published on or after October 1, 2025 must be submitted by November 30, 2025
• No submissions will be accepted after November 30, 2025.  If your work is set to be published in December, please submit an ARC early.  Audiobooks may not be immediately available, but the entry is required by the November 30, 2025 deadline.

Who May Submit:  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 November 30, 2025, that work will be disqualified.

 Additional Requirements & FAQs: 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 Frequently Asked Questions.

If you’re having trouble viewing the form below, please CLICK HERE to view and submit the form directly.