How to Enter the Debut Dagger

The 2010 Debut Dagger competition will open on 31st October and close on 6th February 2010. The prize money is £500, and the entry fee for both postal and online entries is £25. To stay abreast of any developments or news, including the shortlist and the 2010 winner, please sign up for the free newsletter, using the form at the foot of this page.

Before you enter, you must read the rules.

Postal Entry

To enter by post, please send:

• The first 3000 words (or fewer) of your novel
• A 500-1000 word synopsis of the rest of the novel

...both typed and double-spaced

• A completed entry form
• A cheque, postal order, or international money coupon for £25
• A self-addressed, stamped postcard if you wish us to acknowledge receipt

Please send your entry to the following PO Box.

Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger
PO Box 273
Boreham Wood
Hertfordshire
WD6 2XA
UK

Online Entry

You can now enter the competition online. To do so, please have ready the following:

• The first 3000 words (or fewer) of your novel
• A 500-1000 word synopsis of the rest of the novel

...both in the same computer file and with the line spacing set to double. We can accept entries in Microsoft Word Document (.doc or .docx) ; OpenDocument Text (.odt); Rich Text File (*.rtf); or Portable Document Format (.pdf - sometimes known as Adobe Acrobat).

• Your credit or debit card to pay the entry fee of £25. If you do not live in the UK, your credit card company will handle the currency conversion.
• Alternatively, if you have a PayPal account, you can pay us using that.
• PayPal tell us the cardholder's name and address. We do not see any other credit card details, and you don't need to sign up for a PayPal account to use your card.
• You are now ready to complete the online entry form.
• We will acknowledge receipt of your entry by email.
• Please note the closing time and date of 23:59 on 6 February 2010 is UK time. If you are in a different time zone please make the appropriate adjustment, for example on the west coast of the USA (PST) the relevant time is 15:59 on 6 February.
• If you already have a PayPal account please make sure that any associated credit card has not expired, particularly if you have not used the account for some time.