We promote our members’ work within Canada,
and beyond, in many ways.

The CWC Website: this receives an average of 5000 visitors per month, and is the online portal for Canadian crime fiction; it presents a unique promotional opportunity for our members. The public uses the website to access the following: member Bio pages; a calendar of events featuring our members, day-by-day, across Canada and around the world; a unique searchable database of our members’ works (by author, title, year, category or region); Cool Canadian Crime – our digital catalogue of our members’ works, updated quarterly. Our Homepage features the cover art of new releases by our members on our moving “scroll of honour”, updated monthly.

Cool Canadian Crime:  this is the digital catalogue produced by CWC for use by readers, libraries and bookstores across Canada, and around the world. It’s the best single source of information about Canadian crime books and novella. Our members provide information about their works to us, and we make that information available to the world.

Crime Beat: CWC’s monthly public e-newsletter is sent to an impressive mailing list of almost 2000 people across Canada and around the world. Crime Beat contains the following: notifications of new releases by our members; events being held across the nation, and around the world, featuring our members; the entire, up-to-date version of the Cool Canadian Crime catalogue.

Participation in Regional, National & International Events: including, When Words Collide, TIFA's MOTIVE Crime and Mystery Conference, Maple Leaf Mystery Conference, Word on the Street (various cities across Canada), WORD Vancouver, Left Coast Crime, and Bouchercon, where our members can benefit from being part of a larger, recognizable group. We have a long-time relationship with the Ontario Library Association and participate in their SuperConference (pandemic permitting).

The Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence

The Awards: Originally known as the Arthur Ellis Awards, the Awards of Excellence have acknowledged distinction in Canadian crime writing since 1984. Celebrating the best in Canadian crime fiction with a juried annual competition, they draw readers’ and critics’ attention and the Unpublished category has launched several careers. Judges are drawn from a pool of award-winning writers, reviewers, booksellers, librarians, and academics across Canada. Finalists, as well as winners, recognize their exceptional promotional value.

Awards Gala:the annual gala event held in Toronto at the end of each May at which the finalists are recognized and the winners are announced. The Grand Master Award or the Derrick Murdoch Award (each is a biennial award) is also presented. This prestigious banquet is open to all, and is usually attended by publishers, reviewers, authors, and the press. When we have been unable to hold the award, we have premiered the Award Presentation video on YouTube.

For more information about the Awards of Excellence click here.

We promote professional connections and development for our members in various ways

Regional Representatives: each region nominates a director from the Board who becomes the main point of contact for members in that region. Regional Representatives (RRs) are there to support members in whatever way they can; many give advice on setting up local events, and are able to pass on their experience in many ways.

Webinar Series: We source guests from inside and out of CWC to share their knowledge on the business and creative sides of writing with the aim of offering something to new writers and established authors. The webinars are monthly, ten months a year, with occaisional bonus Meet & Greet events with special author guests.

The Inside Scoop members’ newsletter:  We have an informative quarterly newsletter for members; it contains articles and information relevant to crime writers in Canada, and around the world. Members contribute to the newsletter, sharing their experience and experiences.

“Members Only” area of website:  This private area of our website offers the following services just for members: an archive of Member Marketing Memos to help members understand how to better market their work, including a reviewer directory; a private online discussion forum where members can connect; access to CWC archives containing past members’ newsletters, Board minutes, AGM documents, bylaws, etc; direct access allowing members to upload their events into the events calendar; direct access allowing members to create and update their Bio pages; direct access allowing members to upload information about their new releases into our Cool Canadian Crime catalogue; database where those members who wish to do so share their email contact details so members can connect with each other.  

Professional Affilliations:

	The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) is the premier membership association for self-publishing authors. They work with authors, publishing services and author organizations, globally, and advocate for indie authors within the literary, publishing and creative industries.
	Access Copyright is a collective voice of creators and publishers in Canada. A non-profit, national organization, it represents tens of thousands of Canadian writers, visual artists and publishers, and their works.