The Black Orchid Novella Award

An important part of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe's opus are novellas. To celebrate this format, the Wolfe Pack and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine have partnered to sponsor the Black Orchid Novella Award.

Want to submit an entry for the this year's contest? It's important that you read the rules and follow the procedures carefully. Click here to read this year's contest flyer.

The initial announcement in 2006 was greeted with enthusiasm by the mystery community. Jane Cleland, long-term Wolfe Pack member, is the chair of the event. "At every mystery conference and event I attend, people are excited about the opportunity to write a novella—and they're excited about the great prize—$1,000 from Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine—plus, of course, publication in the magazine!"

Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine editor, Linda Landrigan, explains, "We're delighted to be associated with the Wolfe Pack. And we're thrilled to participate in this award." (Read the announcement to the media!)

Heed the words of Linda Landrigan, editor-in-chief of AHMM. She says, "We need to stress that a novella is not a padded short story. A novella needs to be as tight and fast-paced as a short story or a novel. Authors need to ensure that the story they want to tell is properly sized for whatever format they choose."

Contest Entry Qualifications  

• Each entry must be an original unpublished work of fiction that conforms to the tradition of the Nero Wolfe series.
• The mystery should be "traditional" in flavor.
• The crime must be solved using the deductive abilities of the sleuth. No coincidences.
• The killer must be known to the victim. No random psycho shootings.
• The characters (male or female) must have an engaging relationship.
• There needs to be some wit.
• The timing could be retro or current.
• There should be no explicit sex or violence.
• The detective could be a professional or amateur.
• The setting could be NYC or Boston or wherever.
• We're not looking for anything derivative of the Nero Wolfe character, milieu, etc.