CRIMEBITS 3!

We are excited to announce that Mick Herron, the creator of the best-selling Slough House thriller series (including Slow Horses which was adapted into the Emmy-nominated hit tv show starring Gary Oldman) is to judge Crimebits 3!

Mick Herron has written mystery and spy thrillers including Clown Town, The Drop, The Last Voice You Hear and Down Cemetery Road. Last year he won the Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Dagger lifetime achievement award. 

The competition – CrimeBits - Black Spring’s Best Opening for a Crime/Thriller Novel Prize - is open to anyone over the age of 18 who wants to write in the English-language and has an interest in crime, thriller or mystery novels. 

Mick Herron says: "I'm excited to follow in the footsteps of Lee Child and Val McDermid to work on Crimebits 3! I'm fond of saying there are no good bits in a novel - an aspiring writer, or any other kind, has to give equal weight to every paragraph, whether it's a long-awaited declaration of love or simply someone putting the kettle on - but it would be foolish to deny that the opening is important. This is your only chance to make a first impression, and your novel's first words can grab a reader's attention or lose it forever. So give it your best shot - make your opening paragraph ring like a bell - and send it to Black Spring Press. I'm looking forward to reading it, and who knows? It might just change your life. I'm also looking forward to working with the Black Spring team to bring Crimebits 3 to readers in 2026."

We are looking for the best 50-250 words of an ‘opening’ for a crime-mystery-thriller novel/story. The work must be never-before-published (including online), original to the author, and ideally written for this prize. It need not be connected to a completed book. Indeed, we very much hope the prize encourages people to start a novel, with this first page – and maybe go on to complete it. 

Writers can enter as many times as they want. 

To submit, please send between 50-250 words to the below email, with your name and email address - crimebitsentry@gmail.com

The contest will be open until late June 2026. 

The inaugural competition was judged by Lee Child and the top 100 entries were published in 2024 - Order here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crimebits-Opening-Gambits-Thrillers-Introduced/dp/1915406730/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.wTSl-SOO0MMktgMBKXwfHVWQLBWCovItXECl7vjfmG5h1qG5eTdw3TUmCdrD5GIucZDteozjY2MFnGcE4UcBZA.DfP3TdL2CXoozFHmMwVK7c5O8i0QCUxPWwhbYuhrNnI&qid=1719840192&sr=8-5

Rules - Mick Herron will read and judge the best final 100 entries, and leading crime writer Luca Veste will be the sifting judge for the first stage of the competition. The winner will receive £200, a one-off hour-long online mentoring session with Luca Veste and be offered a publishing contract if they ever decide to complete the novel, subject to acceptance. 

The Black Spring Crime Series was recently endorsed by, among others, giants of crime Val McDermid, Ian Rankin, Child, and Mark Billingham.

For any more information contact Luca Veste at blackspringcrime@gmail.com