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Taking Submissions: The Best New True Crime Stories: Well-Mannered Crooks, Rogues & Criminals

September 15, 2020

Deadline: September 15th, 2020
Payment: $130, and 2 contributors copies
Theme: Well mannered criminals!

(to be published by Mango Publishing Group, USA)

What I’m looking for:

Good manners and polite behavior don’t usually spring to mind when we think of criminals. Yet some of the most beloved criminals in books and film have been the ones that broke the mold: the smooth-talking charmers, the underdogs, the rebels with a cause. Their polite manners, their adherence to a cause, their code of ethics that often makes sense only to themselves—this is what sets them apart from the rest. These are the types of criminals I’m interested in. Con artists, embezzlers, fraudsters, mobsters, burglars, garden-variety robbers and thieves, plus anything else that might fit the bill. For this third volume in my series, I’m aiming to provide a lighter and more entertaining read with less of an emphasis on violent crime and murder.

Well-known, lesser-known, and obscure subjects are welcome. Add something new to the story, a different viewpoint or angle. First-person accounts are always welcome from writers with a connection to the cases. Stories can take place anywhere in the world and during any time frame. Material must be meticulously fact-checked before submission, including dates, names, locations, etc. This is a non-fiction book, so please make sure that everything is 100% correct. No reprints accepted.

To get an idea of the quality and variety of material I accept, please refer to the previous books in this series, The Best New True Crime Stories: Serial Killers and The Best New True Crime Stories: Small Towns.

Word count: 4,000-7,000 words

One-time payment per story: USD $130, and 2 print copies of the book.

Contributor fees paid approximately 1 month after publication. (Preferred payment method: PayPal.)

For: Non-exclusive rights with one-year’s exclusivity from date of publication.

Deadline for submissions: Sept 15, 2020

Important: I’ll be selecting material on an on-going basis. Writers are strongly advised to submit their stories in advance of the final deadline date. Writers are also advised to contact me in the first instance to pitch story ideas.

Email: TheBestNewTrueCrimeStories @ gmail.com

(email address not case-sensitive)

Submission requirements:

Format: double-spaced Arial 12-point Word document (sent as attachment). Do not indent paragraphs; instead enter one space between them. No irregular spacing between words or sentences. No footnotes or endnotes. If you wish to include a bibliography (optional), please use Chicago Manual of Style. American spelling and punctuation (i.e. double quote marks, etc.). Include your legal name, postal address, and an author bio of 50-100 words written in the third person. No simultaneous submissions please.

In the subject line of your email: True Crime submission.

If you don’t receive an acknowledgement within a week of submitting your material, definitely follow up!

(For non-US-based writers, editor will not be responsible for payment of VAT, if applicable.)

Mitzi Szereto (mitziszereto.com) is an author and anthology editor whose many books encompass true crime and crime fiction, gothic fiction, cozy mystery, satire, parody, horror, sci-fi/fantasy, paranormal romance, erotic fiction, and general fiction and non-fiction. Her latest title, The Best New True Crime Stories: Small Towns, will be out in July 2020. Follow her on Twitter @mitziszereto

Via: Mitzie Szereto.

Details

Date:
September 15, 2020