I could do better than that.

We’ve all had the same thought, trudging through turgid prose or sighing at the ridiculous coincidences required to resolve a shaky plot. Casting books aside in frustration. For thirty years, work and family meant I was too busy to test the idea, but once I had retired it felt worth exploring.

I put in my entry for the Debut Dagger (as it was called then) when I was halfway through the second year of my MA in Creative Writing Crime Fiction at the UEA. At the time, it felt premature, but I thought it would help me to straighten a few things out – and I could always have another go the next year. No need to wait until it’s perfect. It’ll never be perfect.

Amazed to make the longlist. Thrilled to make the shortlist. Stunned to win in July 2024. Strangely enough, my book The Makoto Murders has a scene where the protagonist wins a photography award and here was life imitating art. Labour won the general election on the same evening and I’d say things have been going better for me than for them.

I was lucky enough to meet my wonderful agent, Lisa Moylett, at the awards dinner – another reason it was a good idea to show up. After some work on the manuscript, I went out on submission at the start of 2025 and was soon signed by Titan Books. Publishing date set for July 2026, which is incredibly exciting. Edits are done and a few weeks ago, Titan sent me a cover for the book which makes the whole project seem so much more real.

Here is where I’m supposed to give you some tips for winning. First, give it a try. It costs (almost) nothing to enter and you never know. Try again. Second, make sure you don’t just follow the guidelines for entry, but that your prose is as finely tuned as possible. It’s only 3,000 words. Make them shine. Third, don’t be intimidated. I had a long career as an economist, spending my days torturing data and talking nonsense on TV, and even I managed to win. The judges had some very kind comments, but it seems to me that once you are above a certain threshold, there’s a lot of subjectivity involved in picking a winner.

Of course, you have to learn to do some basic things properly – I found the structure of an academic course was helpful for that, not least for the constructive feedback from teachers and students. But it’s not for everyone. There are plenty of ‘how to’ books available. Online courses too. Some people are just bizarrely talented and can sit in their garden shed and produce a work of genius in glorious isolation, but I suspect there aren’t many of them.

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t make the longlist. Winning the CWA Dagger certainly helped me to find an agent and a publisher, but several of my old UEA classmates have book deals as well, simply (?) on the strength of their work. There are different routes to success.

Richard Jerram, Winner of the Debut (now Emerging Author) Dagger, 2024