Apply for the Malice Domestic Grant by Shawn Reilly Simmons

A common question writers get is “How did you get started in your writing career?” While that question can be answered in any number of ways, thirty-five unpublished writers and counting can say they won special recognition for their writing through the Malice Domestic Grant Program.

Founded in 1993 by Beth Foxwell, and later named for the late William F. Deeck, a long-time supporter and friend of Malice Domestic, the Malice grant program awards up to two grants per year to unpublished writers who are writing Malice literature (see definition below). The purpose of the grants is to foster quality literature and to help the next generation of Malice Domestic authors on their way to publication.

The grant committee is gearing up for the 2014 submission period, which is open from September 15th – November 15th. The committee reads every submission, vets the manuscripts, and decides as a group who will be the next grant recipients.

Many Malice grant recipients have gone on to successful writing careers after receiving their awards and recognition, and several have become bestsellers. It’s a wonderful way to launch a writing career, or gain recognition for your work while still unpublished.

The grants are $1500 each and registration to the Malice Domestic convention, which takes place at the Bethesda Hyatt from May 1-3, 2015. The registration includes two nights’ lodging at the convention hotel (an additional $700 value for hotel and registration). The grant winners will be announced at the Agatha Banquet on Saturday, May 2, 2015. 

  

So, what exactly is Malice Domestic literature? We get this question a lot. Malice fans are lovers of the traditional mystery, those best typified by the work of Agatha Christie. Malice literature contains no graphic sex or violence. There are many individual styles of books contained within this loose definition. Malice was originally founded by a small group of people, including Mary Mormon as Malice Chair, who were big fans of Christie, Robert Barnard and Elizabeth Peters.

That small group of fifty fans and authors has grown to over six hundred attendees today. We gather every year in the DC area to celebrate the traditional mystery, to remember the great writers of the genre, and to discover new writers writing in the same fashion. Those of us who attend Malice on a regular basis have come to think of it as a mystery family reunion, where we come to see our good friends and make new ones every year. We truly are a “Fun Fan” convention!

Fans are what make Malice Domestic such a strong convention every year. Our fans are such avid readers of not only writers with long and wide-ranging careers, but of new authors just starting out. Malice is a great place to meet fans of the traditional mystery in a very direct and welcoming way. Our programming promotes fan-author interaction and we hold the experience of all of our attendees in the highest regard.

We as a board meet all year long, every month at the hotel, working together and discussing things that have gone well and things that we may need to improve upon. We take your evaluation forms and comments throughout the year very seriously. While we can’t please everyone every time, we work very hard to make the Malice experience the best we can for everyone who attends.

If you’re an unpublished writer, please consider sending us your manuscript for consideration. You never know, you might have a story about how your writing career got started very soon!

For more information on Malice Domestic and for submission guidelines for the grant program, please visit our website: http://www.malicedomestic.org/grants.html

                                                   Malice Domestic grant winner, Gigi Pandian,
                                            and Harriette Sackler, Malince Domestic Grants chair.