Sisters in Crime

Sisters in Crime is a nonprofit organization founded in 1986 by Sara Paretsky and other crime writers to advocate for gender equity in the mystery genre. Today it serves 4,500+ members in 60+ chapters worldwide, with no publication requirement — indie and self-published authors are welcome from day one.

What You Get#

• SinC LinC Community: Member-only online platform (Tradewing) with discussion groups including an Indie SinC group for self-published authors
• Monthly SinC Bulletin: Newsletter covering industry news, craft articles, and member announcements
• SinC Links: Monthly curated news digest from the mystery publishing world
• "We Love" Newsletters: Monthly outreach sent on members' behalf to librarians and booksellers, promoting new releases
• Webinar Library: ~100 recorded craft and business webinars available on demand, plus live sessions throughout the year
• Monthly Write-Ins: Online focused writing sessions
• Bouchercon Presence: SinC sponsors events, write-ins, and meetups at Bouchercon (world mystery convention) — 2025 in New Orleans; 2026 in Calgary

The Guppies: A Community Within the Community#

The Guppies chapter (sinc-guppies.org) is the most active subgroup for newer and developing mystery writers. With 900+ members, it operates largely independently with ~20 online classes per year, critique groups, beta reader exchanges, six published anthologies, and a quarterly newsletter called "First Draft." Guppies membership is included with SinC membership and is explicitly open to both traditionally and independently published authors.

Grants for Members#

SinC offers meaningful financial support that most genre organizations don't match:

• Eleanor Taylor Bland Award: $2,000 for emerging crime fiction writers of color (2025 winner: Tina Ehsanipour of San Mateo, CA, for "Between a Dream and a Curse"; awarded annually since 2014)
• Pride Award: $2,000 plus a manuscript critique for emerging LGBTQIA+ crime writers (inaugural winner: C.J. Prince; 2025 winner: Lizabeth Engelmeier; max 2 novels or 10 short works published)
• Academic Research Grants: Up to $500 for researchers studying women or underrepresented groups in crime fiction
• We Love Libraries / We Love Bookstores: Six $500 grants per category per year, awarded by lottery to US libraries and independent bookstores

Industry Research#

The Business of Books Survey is an annual industry report published by SinC tracking publishing trends, gender equity data, and self-publishing statistics within crime fiction. Members receive the full report and can participate in the survey.

Who It's For#

• Mystery and crime writers at any stage: SinC requires no publication credits — unpublished writers and indie authors join at the same membership level as career professionals
• Self-published mystery authors: The Indie SinC group in SinC LinC provides dedicated discussion of indie-specific topics; no publication gatekeeping
• Writers pursuing niche grants: The ETB and Pride awards are among the few grants in genre fiction specifically for writers of color and LGBTQIA+ authors
• Developing writers: The Guppies chapter is one of the best-resourced newer-writer communities in any genre organization

Pricing: National dues are $60/year. Most members also join a local chapter for $20–$35/year additional. Total cost is typically $80–$95/year. Bouchercon attendance and chapter events are priced separately.

Strengths#

• No publication requirement: Unlike MWA ($2,000 earned from mystery works required for Active status), any writer at any stage can join at full membership rights
• Grant programs with real dollar amounts: $2,000 awards are rare in genre organizations; SinC's ETB and Pride awards are meaningful, not token
• Guppies chapter: A full community-within-a-community for developing writers that rivals standalone critique communities in depth

Limitations#

• Genre-specific: Only for mystery, crime, thriller, and suspense writers; no value for romance, fantasy, or literary fiction authors
• US-centric chapter network: Most chapter events and conferences are in North America; international members get online community but limited in-person programming
• No award track for indie authors: SinC does not administer book awards like the Edgars (MWA). For award recognition, MWA membership is more valuable despite higher barriers
• SinC LinC activity unverified: The Indie SinC group exists on the Tradewing platform, but current engagement levels could not be verified externally

Alternatives#

Mystery Writers of America ($115/year) offers higher industry prestige, Edgar Award eligibility, and stronger agent/publisher connections — but requires $2,000 in published earnings for Active status. SinC is the better entry point for new writers and indie authors who want genre community without a publication threshold.