Lefty Awards (Left Coast Crime)

れふてぃしょう

A group of mystery novel awards (Lefty Awards) selected by participant voting during the Left Coast Crime conference period.

Best Humorous Mystery NovelBest Historical Mystery Novel (Bill Gottfried Memorial, for books covering events before 1970)Best Mystery NovelBest Debut Mystery Novel

Established: 1996
Organizer: Left Coast Crime
Category: Genre Fiction
Selection Method: Vote
Target: Newcomer
Frequency: 1 per year
Application Deadline: around January
Announcement Period: around February–April
Status: Active

Description

Lefty Awards is the collective term for multiple categories of mystery awards selected by participant voting during the Left Coast Crime conference. It began in 1996 with the humor category, later adding historical mystery (Bruce Alexander Memorial), best mystery, debut award, regional wildcard awards, etc. Primarily for honor and recognition, cash prizes are not typically included. Winners are announced during the conference, providing opportunities for authors and publishers to increase visibility.

Prize

Main Prize: Recognition (trophy/commemorative items) and honor/visibility

Increased visibility and promotional effects from winning
Recognition at Left Coast Crime conference (announced during the conference)
Increased media and industry attention

Selection

Selection Process

Stage	Judges	Pass Rate	Announcement
Nomination (pre-conference)	Left Coast Crime organizers or selection committee (varies by year)	—	Nominations may be published pre-conference or during the conference
Final selection (during conference)	Voting by Left Coast Crime conference participants (decided by participant votes)	—	Announced at award ceremony/session during the conference

Nomination (pre-conference)

Judges Left Coast Crime organizers or selection committee (varies by year)

Announcement Nominations may be published pre-conference or during the conference

Final selection (during conference)

Judges Voting by Left Coast Crime conference participants (decided by participant votes)

Announcement Announced at award ceremony/session during the conference

Criteria

Appeal to readers (entertainment value)
Quality as a mystery (plot intricacy)
Writing style and expression
Originality and setting appeal
Support from conference participants (popularity)

Application Tips

Dos

Left Coast Crime会議に参加して読者・参加者と接点を持つ
書籍を参加者に周知する（サイン会や販売ブースでの露出）
出版社・エージェント経由でノミネート情報があるか確認する
会期中のイベント・セッションに積極的に参加して支持を集める

Don''ts

金銭目的での応募を期待しない（多くの場合賞金はない）
会期前の告知を怠らない（参加者投票が重要）
公式ルールや締切を守らない

From Judges

読みやすさとプロットの完成度を重視する傾向がある
会議参加者の好みが反映されやすい（エンタメ性や親しみやすさが有利）
独創性と登場人物の魅力が支持を得やすい

Related Awards

Mystery Writers of America Raven Award
Edgar Awards (organized by Mystery Writers of America)
Left Coast Crime conference (opportunities for participation, speaking, networking)
Mystery awards in various countries (e.g., Dagger Awards, etc.)