PSWA 2026 Writing Competition (Members Only)
Entry Requirements
The annual Public Safety Writers Association Writing Competition is open to paid members in good standing of the Public Safety Writers Association (PSWA). The competition coordinator is Barbara M. Hodges, PSWA Board Member.
All entries must meet the following criteria:
- Be the original work of the entrant.
- Have a public safety element (plot, character, etc.).
- By submitting, you confirm that AI tools have only been used in a limited, assistive capacity and that the work remains an authentic representation of the author’s creative intent and voice.
Submission Instructions.
- A completed entry form and entry fee must be submitted for each entry.
- Use the link at the bottom of this page to download the form.
- Send the entry form and entry fee to Barbara M. Hodges, 187 Alyssum Circle, Nipomo, CA 93444. Include one entry form for each submission. If doing multiple entries, one check can cover all entry fees. Checks should be made out to the Public Safety Writers Association.
- Send all published books to Barbara M. Hodges, 187 Alyssum Circle, Nipomo, CA 93444
- For all other entries send a copy of the work in its entirety, attached as a file to an email.
The Process
Awards are given at the annual PSWA conference award luncheon. We encourage you to attend, but entrants need not be present to win.
Entry fees
- $30 for your first entry
- $20 for each additional entry
All made payable to the Public Safety Writers Association.
Medallion Awards
Awards are Gold Medallion (first place), Silver Medallion (second place) Bronze Medallion, (third place) and are available in each category, although not all places in a given category will be awarded. The awarding of places is at the discretion of the judges. All winners receive a certificate and three (3) PSWA “Award Winner” labels to place on the award-winning work. Additional labels can be purchased from PSWA for $1 each.
There are two special awards. The Marilyn Meredith Award for Excellence in writing is given to the highest scoring published book and the second award is for the published book judged to have the best cover.
Competition Categories
All entries in the competition must be related to public safety subjects or issues. Both published and non-published works are eligible for entry in the competition but will be judged in separate categories. Contestants may enter in more than one category. Please note the new book categories under published fiction books.
The categories are:
Fiction:
- Published (must be copyrighted 2025)
- Unpublished
Format:
- Books
- Short Stories (under 25,000 words)
- PSWA100: Fiction and Non-Fiction…100 words exactly, not including title
- Flash Fiction: (500-word maximum, excluding title
Genres:
- Police Procedurals: A novel in which the emphasis is on the procedures used by the police in solving the crime.
- Thriller: A novel that induces strong feelings of excitement, anxiety, tension, suspense, fear, and other similar emotions in its readers or viewers—in other words, media that thrills the audience.
- Suspense including romance and paranormal: A novel with excited anticipation about the plot or conflict (which may be heightened by a violent moment, stressful scene, puzzle, mystery, etc.), particularly as it affects a character for whom the audience feels sympathy.
- Mystery including cozy mystery: A novel with the focus on a puzzling crime, situation, or circumstance that needs to be solved.
- Science Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult, Middle Grade and Children: A genre novel that can be police procedurals, thrillers, suspense, or mystery.
Non-Fiction
- Published (must be copyrighted 2025)
- Unpublished
Format:
- Books
- PSWA100: Fiction and Non-Fiction…100 words exactly, not including title
- Flash Fiction: (500-word maximum, excluding title
- Poems
- Articles
Judges have the discretion to move an entry into a different, more appropriate category. The entrant will be advised of this move.
Deadlines
All entries must be postmarked by March 31, 2026, to be eligible but may be submitted anytime after January 1, 2026.
If you have any questions, contact barbaramaehodges@gmail.com