Thank you for your entry for
The 14th Annual Claymore Award
Hosted by Killer Nashville

We look forward to reading your submission!

So, what’s it like to win a Claymore Award?

Just ask our 2020 and 2019 winners, who recount their experiences in the articles below:

2020 Winner, Nicholas Holloway
2019 Winner, Joseph Simurdiak – Killer Nashville, Part 1: Finalist
2019 Winner, Joseph Simurdiak – Killer Nashville, Part 2: The Claymore Award

What previous winners are saying:

  • “Winning the Claymore Award is not only a great honor, it also provides a terrific confidence boost for any author. Every writer seeks approval from his or her peers, and capturing the Claymore Award rings the bell of their approval. Definitely the highlight of my professional writing career.”

    Tom Wallace, author of Gnosis

  • “Because of Killer Nashville, I now have a contract with Five Star Publishing for my cozy, Animal, Vegetable, Murder. I couldn’t be happier.”

    Judy Dailey, author of Animal, Vegetable, Murder

  • “Juried awards like the Claymore are incredible in that they are judged by publishers, agents, and authors. It’s a wonderful stamp of approval as I seek out the best home for my book. Winning the Claymore builds confidence and it looks ridiculously cool on my bookshelf! I’m stunned and grateful.”

    Michael F. Stewart, The Boy Who Swallows Flies

  • “Being chosen as a Claymore finalist gave me the confidence to push forward with my novel. It has also given me the distinction of being known as a finalist, something I am proud to include in my author credentials. For anyone who is on the fence about entering, I encourage you to go forward. See what happens.”

    Laura Oles, Daughters of Bad Men

  • “ Just being named a finalist had given me a boost of confidence, and the conference itself had been incredibly insightful and encouraging […] I wanted people who would love [my character] like I did, people who would champion Bohemian Gospel, people who would walk me through the process and treat me like a partner in that process rather than just as a product to be sold. I especially had my eye on Pegasus Books. And then, thanks to the Claymore, they had their eye on me.”

    Dana Chamblee Carpenter, Bohemian Gospel, The Devil’s Bible, Book of the Just

Previous Killer Nashville Claymore Award winners who are now published: