Editor Interview: Black Orchid Novella Award

short crime fiction

Mystery Scene
The New Yorker
Slightly Foxed
Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine (our sister publication)

We publish original mystery and crime fiction. We look for variety--noir and cozy, suspense and humorous, very short to novella length--so each issue is fresh and different.

Read a couple of issues before submitting so you will have a sense of what we're looking for. Read a lot of mystery short stories so that you know what's been overdone. Avoid clichés. Crime fiction is as much about character as it is about the crime. We look for character-driven plots and well-written prose.

I enjoy reading the cover letters, but in most cases they aren't necessary.

I read at least a few pages into the story, even when I know that it isn't right for us.

I read very slowly, and as we get closer to going to press my attention is focused on all the details of putting out the magazine. I do all of the copyediting, reviewing of our puzzles, columns, art, etc. I also review the material that goes up on our blog trace-evidence.net and record introductions to each of our story podcasts.

A story has to be nearly perfect before we buy it. We do copyedit and proofread, but we don't do a lot of line editing. I don't want to edit out the author's voice. Occasionally I will see a story that I love but feel needs some substantive work and I will go back to the author with my thoughts and ask for a second version. We don't send back the story for the author's approval of the copyediting.

Some. Edgars, Shamus, Agatha, and Derringers, Crime Writers of Canada.