BLACK SPRING CRIME SERIES

CrimeBits

MICK HERRON to judge Black Spring Press Crime Book Prize

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.

“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.”
–Mick Herron

The CrimeBits Black Spring Best Opening for a Crime/Thriller Novel Prize contest is open to anyone 18 years of age or older who writes in the English language and has an interest in crime, thriller or mystery novels. 

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 enter, fill in the form below. If you prefer to enter via email, please send your 50-250 words, with your name and email address to c[email protected].

The contest will be open until June 30, 2026. 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 winners will receive £200/$250, one hour-long online mentoring session with Luca Veste, and be offered a publishing contract if they complete the novel, subject to acceptance. 

Use the form below to enter the CrimeBits Black Spring Best Opening for a Crime/Thriller Novel Prize contest

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I agree to the official rules.
1. Eligibility: The CrimeBits Black Spring Best Opening for a Crime/Thriller Novel Contest is open to entrants who are 18 years of age or older as of their date of entry in this contest. This contest is subject to federal, state, and local laws and regulations and void where prohibited by law.


2. Sponsorship: The sponsor is Black Spring Press Group (“Sponsor”), located in the United Kingdom. Sponsor will conduct the contest substantially as described in these Official Rules.

3. Agreement to Rules: By entering this contest, the Entrant ("You”) agrees to abide by the Sponsor’s Official Rules and decisions, which are fully and unconditionally binding in all respects. The Sponsor reserves the right to refuse, withdraw, or disqualify any entry at any time at the Sponsor’s sole discretion. By entering this contest, You represent and warrant that You are eligible to participate based on eligibility requirements explained in the Official Rules. You also agree to accept the decisions of the Sponsor as final and binding as it relates to the content of this CrimeBits Black Spring Best Opening for a Crime/Thriller Novel Contest.

4. Entry Period: This promotion begins on April 20, 2026 at 12:00 GMT and ends on June 30, 2026 at 23:00 GMT. To be eligible for the contest, entries must be received within the specified Entry Period.

5. How to Enter: Eligible entrants can enter The CrimeBits Black Spring Best Opening for a Crime/Thriller Novel Contest by submitting an entry via the online form provided at https://crimebitsbook.com or emailing their entry to [email protected]. Entries must include 50–250 words of an ‘opening’ for a crime-mystery-thriller novel/story.The work must benever-before-published (including online) and original to the author. Entries created using generative AI are not permitted. As a participant, your entry must fully meet all contest requirements, as specified in the Official Rules, in order to be eligible to win a prize. Incomplete entries or those that do not adhere to the Official Rules or specifications will be disqualified at the Sponsor’s sole discretion. Entrants may enter multiple times with different text entries.

6. Prizes: The Winners of the The CrimeBits Black Spring Best Opening for a Crime/Thriller Novel Contest (the “Winner”) will receive £200/$250, one hour-long online mentoring session with Luca Veste, and be offered a publishing contract if they complete the novel, subject to acceptance. The prize(s) shall be determined solely by the Sponsor. There shall be no cash or other prize substitution permitted except at the Sponsor’s discretion. The prize is non-transferable. The Winner, upon acceptance of the prize, is solely responsible for all expenses related to the prize, including without limitation any and all local, state, and federal taxes. The Winner shall not transfer assignment of the prize to others, nor shall the Winner request the cash equivalent or prize substitution. By accepting the prize, the selected Winners grant permission for the Sponsor to use the Winners’ entries and name for inclusion in CrimeBits 3 and for purposes of advertising and trade without further compensation unless prohibited by law.

7. Odds: The total number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.

8. Selection and Notification of Winner: The Winners will be selected by the judges under the supervision of the Sponsor. The Sponsor will notify the Winners by email at the address provided in the entry. The Sponsor is not responsible for nor shall have no liability for Winners’ failure to receive notices due to email security settings that may cause notifications to be marked as spam or junk email. Nor shall the Sponsor be liable for the Winners’ provision of incorrect or otherwise non-functioning contact information. If a Winner 1) fails to claim the prize within 10 days from the time the award notification was sent, 2) is found ineligible, or 3) does not complete and return an executed declaration and release within the specified timeframe, the prize may be forfeited, and an alternate Winner may be selected. Receipt of the prize by the Winner is upon the condition of compliance with any and all federal, state, and local laws and regulations. IF THE WINNER VIOLATES ANY OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES, THE WINNER (AT THE SPONSOR’S SOLE DISCRETION) WILL BE DISQUALIFIED, AND ALL PRIVILEGES AS WINNER WILL BE IMMEDIATELY TERMINATED.

9. Rights Granted by You: By submitting an entry to this contest, You understand and agree that the Sponsor, any individual acting on the Sponsor’s behalf, and the licensees successors, and assigns of the Sponsor shall, where permitted by law, have the right to print, publish, broadcast, distribute and use in any media known now or hereafter developed, in perpetuity, worldwide, and without limitation, your submission, name, photo, portrait, voice, likeness, image, statements about the contest, and your biographical information for news, publicity, advertising, promotional purposes, trade, information, and public relations without any further notice, review, consent, compensation, or remuneration.

Entries must be original work and not violate anyone’s proprietary or intellectual property rights. Entries that infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others will be disqualified, and You shall defend or settle against such claims at your sole expense, and You shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Sponsor from any suit.

10. Terms & Conditions: In its sole discretion, the Sponsor reserves the right to modify, suspend, cancel, or terminate the CrimeBits Black Spring Best Opening for a Crime/Thriller Novel Contest should non-authorized human intervention, a bug or virus, fraud, or other causes beyond the Sponsor’s control, impact or corrupt the security, fairness, proper conduct, or administration of the CrimeBits Black Spring Best Opening for a Crime/Thriller Novel Contest. The Sponsor, in the event of any of the above issues, may determine the Winners based on all eligible entries received prior to and/or after (if appropriate) the action taken by the Sponsor. Individuals who tamper with or attempt to tamper with the operation or entry process of the CrimeBits Black Spring Best Opening for a Crime/Thriller Novel Contest or website or violates these Terms & Conditions will be disqualified by the Sponsor in its sole discretion.

11. Limitation of Liability: Your entry into this contest constitutes Your agreement to release and hold harmless the Sponsor and its subsidiaries, representatives, affiliates, partners, advertising and promotion agencies, successors, agents, assigns, directors, employees, and officers against and from any and all claims, liability, illness, injury, death, litigation, loss, or damages that may occur, directly or indirectly from participation in the contest and/or the 1) Winner accepting, possessing, using, or misusing of any awarded prize or any portion thereof; 2) any type of technical failure; 3) the unavailability or inaccessibility of any transmissions, phone, or Internet service; 4) unauthorized intervention in any part of the entry process or the Promotion; 5) electronic error or human error in the Promotion administration or the processing of entries.

12. Disputes: THIS CONTEST IS GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, WITHOUT RESPECT TO CONFLICT OF LAW DOCTRINES. The Entrant agrees, as a condition of participating in this promotion, that if any disputes cannot be resolved between the Entrant and the Sponsor, and if causes of action arise out of or are connected with this contest, they shall be individually resolved exclusively before a court located in the United Kingdom having jurisdiction, without resorting to any form of class action. Under no circumstances in any such dispute shall the participant be permitted to obtain awards for, and hereby waives all rights to, punitive, incidental, or consequential damages, including reasonable attorney’s fees. The participant waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased.

13. Winners List: You may obtain a copy of the Winners names or a copy of these Official Rules by sending your request via email to [email protected].

CrimeBits 1: Selected and with an introduction by Lee Child

A unique anthology series of best first pages of thrillers, and more, including Lee Child‘s judge’s notes, and his introduction, discussing how to create great openings for thrillers.

Long ago people would say, “This is a great book, but you need to give it fifty pages.” That's crazy now, in our hyper-fast world. Now readers give you fifty words. Your first paragraph, basically. That's where you win or lose. It doesn't always need to be slam-bam, but it does always need to give the reader absolutely no choice but to race ahead.

-Lee Child

CrimeBits 2: Selected and with an introduction by Val McDermid

CrimeBits is back with a collection of 100 first pages of thrillers, selected by best-selling ‘Tartan Noir’ author Val McDermid. Includes an exclusive introduction from McDermid, alongside linked mystery logic puzzles. Find more writing challenges, crime trivia, brain-teasers, and editor’s notes inside. 

I started my writing career in journalism, first in local papers then in national newspapers. One of the earliest lessons I learned from my first news editor was the importance of grabbing readers from the first paragraph. "There's always competition for your readers' attention," he'd say. "It's your priority to make them read on, so you need to give them a reason to do that."

It's the same with novels. That opening has to do one of three things—intrigue them, shock them or make them question their world view.

-Val McDermid

CrimeBits 3: Selected and with an introduction by Mick Herron

A unique anthology series of best first pages of thrillers, and more, including Lee Child’s judge’s notes, and his introduction, discussing how to create great openings for thrillers.

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.

-Mick Herron

OUT IN NOVEMBER

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Founded on July 25, 1984, The Black Spring Press has published literary classics and major figures, including Leonard Cohen, Orson Welles, Anaïs Nin, Momus, Carolyn Cassady, Charles Baudelaire, Nick Cave, and many more. 

Our name comes from a collection of stories by Henry Miller, entitled Black Spring, published in 1963, by Grove Press in New York. It is dedicated to Anaïs Nin. We wanted it to be clear in the identity and vision of our press that we celebrate outsider, underground, outlaw, radical and avant-garde voices and styles, and are unafraid of exploring taboo subjects and expressing the truths about human lives.

The Black Spring Crime Series has been endorsed by, among others, giants of crime Val McDermid, Ian Rankin, Lee Child, and Mark Billingham. It is led by best-selling crime writer Luca Veste.