Statement from SMFS Vice Presidential Candidate Patricia Harrington

I've been a SMFS member since the organization's early days, after the group was formed by Margo Power. And, a few years ago, I was fortunate to be a Derringer Flash Fiction award winner.

I have a knowledge of the history of the organization as well as a love for the short story form.

In my other writing life, I'm a consultant to nonprofit organizations, writing grants, training staff and providing assistance on organizational development. And I'm a charter member of the American Association of Grantwriting Professionals (AAGP).

My view of serving in the vice-president position includes the following:

1) Be of assistance to the president, 2) help promote SMFS, 3) listen and respond to members' desires for the organization's growth, and 4) help foster recognition of the short mystery form and its authors, past and present.

Statement from SMFS Presidential Candidate Tim Wohlforth

I believe the Short Mystery Fiction Society has the potential of being more than a email discussion group. We should be able to represent short mystery writers as effectively as MWA represents mystery writers as a whole and the Private Eye Writers of America represents a subgenre. Of course, with the Derringers, we have made progress in this direction. However, I feel we have a considerable distance still to travel.

I have been a member of SMFS since the days when Michael Bracken was president, many of us had books published by Quiet Storm, and Babs Lakey published us in her marvelous Futures magazine. I have had over 75 short stories published. These include stories in MWA's Death Do Us Part, Hardcore Hardboiled published by Kensington, and an anthology of Plots With Guns. I have participated in, and in some cases moderated, short story panels at Bouchercon and Left Coast Crime.

As President I would first and foremost promote SMFS and short mystery stories. I would pursue the suggestion of getting an anthology of Derringer winners published. Another project could be to sponsor an anthology of unpublished stories blind submitted by members along the lines of MWA collections. It might also be possible to arrange with Bouchercon, LCC, and perhaps other regional mystery conferences, to have SMFS sponsor its own short story panel and/or a short story workshop as part of a writers track.

As we speak enormous changes are taking place in publishing with the spectacular growth of e-publishing. There are now over three million Kindles and iPad sales could reach ten million by the end of the year. This could lead to a revival of the short story market. I believe SMFS can play a role in opening up this market for our members. For example we could explore how short stories can be marketed and sold through the Apple Store as well as expand access on Kindles and the new Nook.

I would also like to encourage a discussion in the SMFS group on the art and craft of short story writing.

Tim Wohlforth

Statement from Derringer Coordinator Candidate Larry Chavis

I'm Larry Chavis, and my name is on the ballot for this year's Derringer Coordinator. This isn't as much a 'campaign' post as it is an informative one.

I'm 57 years old, I teach high school physics and mathematics (my degree is in physics), and I am a lover of mystery/crime/thriller fiction in general, and the short story form in particular. I did begin writing three or so years ago, but have little to report thus far. You won't have heard of me ;-) I had two stories published in the now-defunct *Crime and Suspense* ezine (don't think there was a causal relationship), one of which placed second in a reader-judged contest, and was subsequently published in the anthology TEN FOR TEN, edited by Tony Burton and published by Wolfmont Press. Other than those, and some encouraging letters from editors, I am just one of many plugging away at it, trying to learn from my mistakes.

I have served once as a Derringer judge, and was the at-large member of this year's Golden Derringer committee. If elected, I will do my dead-level best to see that the process runs as smoothly and fairly as humanly possible. If not elected, I stand ready to help in any way I can.

Thanks for your patience.

Larry Chavis
Mississippi

Early Statement from SMFS Presidential Candidate Sandra Seamans

The Derringers are an important part of this group but they're not everything. I'm happy that they're getting the recognition they deserve but not because they're an award but because it makes people sit up and take notice of short stories. What bothers me about the submission process is that there a great many editors who don't bother to submit stories because the Derringers lean toward the more cozy friendly stories. This isn't a bad thing but we've got a
whole group of writers and editors and zines that feel they're not good enough to be included in the process. I'd like to see that change. I'd like to see every short story writer feel welcome at the SMFS, no matter if they write cozy or dark. Only the strength of the story should count.

I'd also like to see if we could get editors to post more often on the list - get them to give us insights into their selection process or maybe just do a Q & A interview that we could post. Right now, Duotrope is posting this sort of interview on their site and I've run across several other blogs that do the same thing. No reason we couldn't do that here with mystery related magazines and zines. It might also be nice if we could have one day a week where everyone
could post their BSP's with links to their stories so we can find new markets to explore and stories to read. As for stories, I'd like the members to feel free to post links to shorts they find online that they think are great, not their own, but someone else's.

Shorts are starting to come into their own via the online markets, there are more and more people talking about them and I know of several sites that actually review individual stories and collections. As a short fiction society we should be a part of this.

Well, I know I'm not supposed to be posting this before I'm asked, but the membership deserves to know where I stand so they can nominate someone to run against me if they don't agree with what I believe the SMFS should be about. And I'd really prefer that this be an election not just a put her in office because nobody else wants the job situation.

Candidacy Statement from Jim Doherty

I've been asked by several members off-line if I'm willing to run for either president or vice-president. ...[L]ike Gerald, I think it would be better for the organization if new blood were injected. If there are others willing to run for either position, I'd prefer to step back and let others take up the flag.

Also, as at least one other person has pointed out, as long as I'm an officer, I'm ineligible to compete for a Derringer myself.

If others are willing to take up the officer's positions, I am certainly more than willing (and I'm sure I speak for Gerald here, too) to make myself available to help and provide assistance to the incoming administration. Certainly I'm willing, if the new officers wish, to finish up any uncompleted tasks that are still hanging fire if and when the new officers assume their
positions.

For example, I'm in contact with folks at Bouchercon about making the Derringer presentations a part of the convention as it was in 2009. I'd be happy to follow through with that if it's still unresolved by the time my term of office ends.

I'm also more than willing to get the actual physical trophies made, as I did last year.

But as for actually serving, put me down as willing but not particularly enthusiastic.

Candidacy Statement from Gerald So

With the opening of SMFS officer nominations this past Saturday, I'd like to inform the group of my own status. I've enjoyed my time as president. I believe we've clarified much of the Derringer Award process and raised the SMFS's profile as a whole. I also believe it's important to allow for new voices and leadership styles.

I remember that several of you initially wondered how I would moderate discussion here. I hope the vast majority of members has found the atmosphere open and informative, including feeling informed and heard during every policy decision the past two years.

I prefer to give others a chance to represent the SMFS for the next two, so I invite any member up to the task to step forward.

My preference does not speak for Vice President Jim Doherty, who may choose to run on his own.

POLL RESULTS: Should author's name and publication title appear on Derringer submissions sent to judges?

By a margin of 53 AGAINST, 31 FOR, the membership has voted that author's name and publication title should not appear on stories submitted to the Derringer judges.