The Crime List

Objective

Submissions Open: October 6, 2025. The Crime List recognizes scripts, books, short stories & stage plays in any genre that feature a crime story (murder, gangsters, fraud, corruption, missing persons, kidnappings, revenge, heist, etc.)

Deadline/Entry Fees

Extended Deadline 03/22/2026 $75

Notification: June 15, 2026

Eligibility

Rules

• Feature film screenplays - up to 160 pages
• Television scripts - up to 90 pages
• Short scripts - up to 25 pages
• Stories in any genre
• Produced or unproduced

• Fiction or narrative nonfiction
• Any length
• Stories in any genre
• Published or unpublished

• Any length
• Stories in any genre
• Produced or unproduced

• Title
• Name(s) of writer(s)
• Include the title & writer(s) of the source material
• If a true story, also include the name of the person or the event the story is based on or inspired by

• Entrant(s) must be 18 years of age or older.
• All entries must be in English.
• All entries must be submitted in PDF format. No exceptions.
• Scripts/manuscripts/plays must be in standard format. No exceptions.
• Both produced and unproduced scripts/plays are eligible.
• Both published and unpublished books/manuscripts are eligible.
• Both represented and non-represented writers are eligible.
• Teams of writers are eligible.
• Stories that have previously won a competition are eligible.
• Substitutions of corrected pages, revised material, or new drafts require a new entry and payment.
• We DO NOT offer deadline extensions.
• We DO NOT offer fee waivers or discounts.
• WE DO NOT RESPOND TO REQUESTS FOR FEE WAIVERS, OR DISCOUNTS, OR DEADLINE EXTENSIONS.
• We DO NOT offer individual feedback on submissions.
• All submission payments are final. We do not provide refunds.
• By submitting a story you confirm that you own the rights to the material submitted.
• By submitting an adapted story, you confirm that you have permission from the copyright-holder or the material is available in the public domain.
• By submitting a story you confirm that you have read and agree to our eligibility and rules.
• Judges decisions are final.

Awards

• $3,500 cash prize
• Winner Laurel
• Winner Listing on the showcase website

• Official Selection Laurel
• Official Selection Listing on the showcase website