(1986-2014)
The Private Eye Writers of America (PWA) is an organization devoted to private-eye detective fiction, and are probably best known for their annual Shamus Awards. Membership is open to fans, writers, and publishing professionals. There are three levels of membership: Active, Associate, and International.
In 1986, the PWA teamed up with St. Martin’s Press, one of the largest, most prominent mystery publishers in the book industry, Â to sponsor The St. Martin’s Press/PWA Best First Private Eye Novel Contest, and it was given out more or less regularly until 2014.
It was great while it lasted, and gave some great writers a step up. The PWA is currently seeking a sponsor to continue the contest.
NOTE: There seems to have been a little confusion about the categories of the PWA’s Best First Private Eye Novel Shamus Award and Best First Private Eye Novel Contest, not just among writers, but also among a few publishers.
As PWA godfather Bob Randisi explains, “There is nothing for publishers to distinguish. The PWA/SMP contest winner is for an unpublished novel, and is only a PWA/SMP prize winner. It’s not a book, eligible for book awards, until it is published.”
1986 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST
- An Infinite Number of Monkeys by Les Roberts (Saxon)
1987 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST
- Fear of the Dark by Gar Anthony Haywood (Aaron Gunner)
1988 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST
- Katwalk by Karen Kijewski (Kat Colorado)
1989 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST
- Kindred Crime by Janet Dawson (Jeri Howard)
1990 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST
- The Loud Adios by Ken Kuhlken (Tom Hickey)
1991 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST
- A Sudden Death at the Norfolk Cafe by Winona Sullivan (Sister Cecile)
1992 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST
- Storm Warning by A.C. Ayres (Tony Lowell; eventually published as Hour of the Manatee)
1993 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST
- The Harry Chronicles by Allan Pedrazas (Harry Rice)
1994 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST
- The Heaven Stone by David Daniel (Alex Rasmussen)
1995 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST
- Diamond Head by Charles Knief (John Caine)
1996 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST
- No award given
1997 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST
- A Cold Day in Paradise by Steve Hamilton (Alex McKnight)
1998 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST
- The Losers’ Club by Lise S. Baker (Cal Brantley)
1999 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST
- Street Legal by Bob Truluck (Duncan Sloan)
2000 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST
- Catching Water in a Net by J.L. Abramo (Jake Diamond)
2001 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST
- No award given.
2002 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST
- The Sterling Inheritance by Michael Siverling (Jason Wilder)
2003 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST
- Tonight I Said Goodbye by Michael Koryta (Lincoln Perry)
2004 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST
- First Kill by Michael Kronenwetter (Hank Berlin)
2005 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST
- No award given
2006 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST
- The Last Striptease by Michael Wiley (Joe Kozmarski)
2007 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST
- Father’s Day by Keith Gilman (Louis Klein)
2008 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST
- Drink the Tea by Thomas Kaufman (Willis Gidney)
2009 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST
- In Search of Mercy by Michael Ayoob (Dexter Bolzjak)
2010 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST
- No award given
2011 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST
- No award given
2012 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST
- Cuts Through Bone by Alaric Hunt (Rachel Vasquez & Clayton Guthrie)
2013Â BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST
- Wink of an Eye by Lynn Chandler Willis (Gypsy Moran)
2014 BEST FIRST PRIVATE EYE NOVEL CONTEST
- The Red Storm by Grant Bywaters (William Fletcher)
FURTHER INVESTIGATION
- The Shamus Awards
All the finalists and winners.
So, would I still be able to enter the PWA contest even if my book ( though finished) isn’t published yet? If so, how would I go about doing it?
The point’s rather moot, since the contest is no longer being run, as I explained above. But yes, that’s how it worked.