WF (Western Fictioneers) Peacemaker Award submissions for Westerns published in 2024
 

Submissions for the 15th Annual WF Peacemaker Awards are now being accepted for works originally published in the year 2024. 

 

Qualifications:

 

First publication (print or ebook) must be between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024, no reprints or revisions.  Limit of 2 entries per category.

Books and short stories may be published in any country in the world (submissions must be in English) in print or electronic format. Electronic submissions must be made with epub, PDF, or Word/text files. WF reserves the right to decline any submission for consideration of an Award.

 

Authors, agents, or publishers may submit a work for consideration of an Award.

 

At least three entrants in a category must be received during the submission period for an Award to be presented.

 

Western novels and short stories must be set in the time period between 1830-1920 to be considered Westerns under WF guidelines. Time periods beyond the 1830-1920 traditional western focus may be included in submissions as long as the periods outside of the 1830-1920 span constitute no more than 50% of the story. At least 50% of the story MUST TAKE PLACE in the 1830-1920 period. NO EXCEPTIONS.

 

Nominees for the WF Peacemaker Award will be announced on 05/15/2025 and the winners will be announced on 06/15/2025.

 

The WF Peacemaker Award will be awarded in three categories:

 

Best Western Novel – Western novel published during the award year set in the appropriate time period (1830-1920), 30,000 words and higher. There are no format requirements. The novel may be a hardcover, trade paperback, mass market paperback, or eBook.

 

Best Western Short Fiction – Western short story, novelette, or novella published during the award year set in the appropriate time period (1830-1920), 500 words to 29,999 words. There are no format requirements. The short story may be published in any publication, print or electronic.

 

Best Western First Novel – Must meet the same requirements as Best Novel, and must be the author’s first published Western novel. If the author has published novels in any other genre they will not disqualify the author from the Best Western First Novel Award competition. Submissions for Best Western First Novel may also be submitted in the Best Novel category in the same year. 

 

Procedures:

 

If sending paperbacks or hardbacks, one copy of the work must be sent to each judge (3 per category), and the Awards Chair for a total of four, accompanied with the appropriate form. The Awards Chair only needs one copy of your book if you are submitting it to best first and best novel. 

Electronic versions should be emailed to the Awards Chair, James Reasoner with the appropriate submission form. The electronic submissions will be distributed to the judges by the Awards Chair. Judges should not be contacted by any entrant concerning their entry during the consideration period. Doing so may result in disqualification of eligibility for the WF Peacemaker Award. Works submitted will not be returned after the awards have been announced. There is no fee to enter. There will be no exceptions made to the submission procedures, for any reason. 

 

Links to the forms are below. You will need 4 copies for each printed entry, one for each judge and one for the Awards Chair. Remember the Awards Chair only needs one copy of your book if you are submitting it to best novel and best first novel. The information of where to mail them is on the forms found on the links below.