The Derringer Awards are the only award in the mystery fiction community that focus exclusively on short stories. I'm listing all the finalists, which were announced earlier today. Since I'm still not very good at figuring out where I should submit my stories,  awards like this are always a good opportunity to study the markets.

To that end, I'll note the following stats:

• Nine finalist stories appeared in print magazines

• Seven finalist stories first appeared in anthologies

• Two finalist stories appeared in online magazines

• One finalist story appeared in a digital-only magazine

• One finalist story first appeared in a Kindle Worlds e-book.

• EQMM is the top publication, with six finalist stories.

• Writer John M. Floyd—who is a heck of guy, by the way—appears twice, in two different categories.

The winners will be announced March 31.

My warm congratulations to the following finalists:

For Best Flash Story (Up to 1,000 words)

• Jack Bates, "The Hard Screw" (Near to the Knuckle, August 6, 2015)

• Craig Faustus Buck, "Heavy Debt" (Mondays are Murder: Akashic Books, August 10, 2015)

• Barb Goffman, "The Wrong Girl" (Flash and Bang: A Short Mystery Fiction Society Anthology: Untreed Reads, October 2015)

• Vy Kava, "Hero" (Red Dawn: Best New England Crime Stories 2016: Level Best Books, November 2015)

• John Weagly, "Trash Pick-Up" (Near to the Knuckle, September 24, 2015)

For Best Short Story (1,001–4,000 words)

• Shelly Dickson Carr, "Words Can Kill" (Red Dawn: Best New England Crime Stories 2016: Level Best Books, November 2015)

• Nikki Dolson, "Joe Park's Little Girl" (Mystery Weekly, September 7, 2015)

• Chris Knopf, "Kill Switch" (Red Dawn: Best New England Crime Stories 2016: Level Best Books, November 2015)

• William Burton McCormick, "Pompo's Disguise" (Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, March/April 2015)

• Meg Opperman, "Twilight Ladies" (Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, March/April 2015)

For Best Long Story (4,001–8,000 words)

• Ron Collins, "The White Game" (Fiction River: Hidden in Crime: WMG Publishing, November 2015)

• John M. Floyd, "Dentonville" (Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, November 2015)

• Katia Lief, "The Orchid Grower" (Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, November 2015)

• Robert Lopresti, "Shooting at Firemen" (Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, July/August 2015)

• Elizabeth Zelvin, "The Man in the Dick Tracy Hat" (Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, June 2015)

For Best Novelette (8,001–20,000 words)

• John M. Floyd, "Driver" (The Strand Magazine, February-May 2015)

• Jane Haddam, "Crazy Cat Ladies" (Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, February 2015)

• Richard Helms, "Shooting Stars" (Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, September/October 2015)

• Gordon Hopkins, "Jack Daniels and Associates: The Whiplash Brokers" (Kindle Worlds, March 2015)

• Travis Richardson, "Quack and Dwight" (Jewish Noir: Contemporary Tales of Crime and Other Dark Deeds: PM Press, November 2015)

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