Get More Involved in SMFS

• (Updated 10/10/2024) 
  
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• Run for SMFS Office. Here are the job descriptions:
  
  PRESIDENT
  VICE PRESIDENT
  DERRINGER AWARDS COORDINATOR
  ASSISTANT DERRINGER COORDINATOR
  
  For practical insight on the jobs, feel free to contact our current officers, Derringer Coordinator, or Assistant Derringer Coordinator.

• Anyone who joins the SMFS by December 31  may submit, judge, and vote for the  Derringer Awards for the next year:
  
  DERRINGER JUDGE
  DERRINGER VOTER
  
  Important Dates

• Help plan our next member anthology, Derringer presentation, or live reading.
  
• Want to donate money for the Derringer medals presented each year at Bouchercon? Email our current Derringer Awards Coordinator. An email link can be found on the right sidebar.
  

PRESIDENT (Two-year term, limited to two consecutive terms) - The president most prominently represents the Society and genre to the public. S/he moderates the group's discussion and membership roll at Shortmystery and has editorial control of The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog, where the public goes for information about the group.

Each year, the president organizes the Golden Derringer committee, deciding who should receive the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement, and the Hall of Fame committee, deciding who should be inducted into the Short Mystery Fiction Hall of Fame.

The president holds no eligibility or authority over the regular Derringer process.

The president confers with the vice president regularly, so that, should the president be unavailable, the vice president can seamlessly continue day-to-day operations.

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VICE PRESIDENT (Two-year term, limited to two consecutive terms) - Along with the president, the vice president prominently represents the Society and genre to the public, moderates Shortmystery, has editorial control of the blog, and consults on any group business. The vice president assumes all of the president's duties when the president is unavailable (other business, vacation, etc.).

The vice president serves with the president on the Golden Derringer committee and the Hall of Fame committee, and like the president, holds no eligibility or authority over the regular Derringers.

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DERRINGER AWARDS COORDINATOR (One-year term) - Independent of the officers, the coordinator oversees the proper execution of regular Derringer procedure: collecting submissions (January 1–30), coordinating the judging (February 1–March 30), announcing the finalists (April 1), conducting the group vote (April 1–29), and announcing the winners (May 1).

The coordinator serves with the president and vice president on the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer selection committee and the Hall of Fame committee and, like them, has no personal Derringer eligibility.

ASSISTANT DERRINGER COORDINATOR (One-year term) - The assistant works with the Derringer Awards Coordinator so that, if the Coordinator is unable to complete the process, the assistant can do so as seamlessly as possible. The assistant has authority over the Derringer process in the Coordinator's incapacity, and like the Coordinator, has no personal Derringer eligibility.

Ineligibility rules extend to editors/publishers seeking either coordinator office: Stories edited or published by a Derringer Awards Coordinator or Assistant Coordinator are not eligible for Derringer consideration.

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DERRINGER JUDGE (4 for each of the following categories, 16 total, serve one submission and judging period - January 1–March 30):

• Flash (Up to 1,000 words)
• Short Story (1,001–4,000 words)
• Long Story (4,001–8,000 words)
• Novelette (8,001–20,000 words)

Any member may judge by volunteering with the Derringer Awards Coordinator. Our author/editor members may judge categories that do not include stories they wrote/edited.

The deadline to volunteer is December 31. Submissions are distributed to all judges by February 1. Judges must score all stories in their category and report their scores to the coordinator by March 30.

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DERRINGER VOTER - Anyone who joins Shortmystery prior to January 1, may vote on the Derringer finalists announced April 1 to determine the winners. Members who join between January 1 and April 30 cannot participate in the Derringer judging or voting process. During the month of April, these Members may read the finalist manuscripts, but will not be able to vote or post to the SMFS list.

 
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Important Dates

• Derringer Submissions Period (January 1–30)
• Derringer Judging Period (February 1–March 30)
• Derringer Voting Period (April 1–29)
• Nomination of Officials (May 15–30): Members may nominate themselves or other members via post to Shortmystery for the following year's Awards Coordinator and the following two years' President and Vice President (if applicable). Nominees must be seconded to become candidates.
• Campaign Statements (May 31–June 4): Candidates are allowed one campaign statement each to Shortmystery.
• Election of Officials (June 5–15): SMFS members use Shortmystery's Polls section to elect the following year's Awards Coordinators and the following two years' Officers if applicable.
• Transition (June 16–30): The outgoing officials coordinate with the newly elected to ensure a smooth transition.
• Elected Officials' Term (July 1–June 30)
• Membership Deadline for Derringer Eligibility (December 31)
• Derringer Judge Volunteer Deadline (December 31)

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