“Killer Nashville has played an integral role in my progress as a mystery writer. Thanks for all you do for us.”
— Richard F. McGonegal
“I owe my writing career to Killer Nashville. I am grateful for all I’ve gotten from Killer Nashville and recommend it to any new writers.”
— Nina Wachsman
“I look forward to Killer Nashville every year.”
— Amy Denton
“The best conference I’ve attended.”
— Sandy Manning
“Having an opportunity to get feedback from someone who knows the industry is just amazing.”
— Lucinda Gerlitz
“Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference is devoted to writers and their desire to share their stories.”
— Margaret Fenton
“The best writer’s conference I have ever attended.”
— Anne-Marie Lacy
“As someone who hasn’t submitted to agents yet, the panel with the literary agents was one of my favorites. After attending it, I took the first pages of my manuscript to the Killer Nashville Agent / Editor Roundtable and received some great feedback, and also requests to see it once it is finished. Attending Killer Nashville helped me grow as a writer, and it inspired me to power through that first draft of my book.”
— Bonnie Bailey
“Wonderful conference! Looking forward to attending this year again and have been encouraging other writers to attend as well.”
— Jan Pippins
“Great networking and fabulous sense of camaraderie.”
— Helen Bellamy
“Killer Nashville is packed with great tips, new marketing avenues, and the networking is great. Always a boost to my motivation.”
— Tierney James
“I got my start as a professional writer from Killer Nashville. The conference was a game-changer. I am forever grateful for what Killer Nashville did for me.”
— Nina Wachsman
“This was an amazing writing experience that I would recommend to writers at any level. I learned so much at this conference, saw interesting speakers, had opportunities to meet with agents and editors, and made new friends. The people who run this are warm and hospitable. I hope I can return.”
— Faith Maria
“A great event for aspiring writers like myself.”
— Bret Whitmire
“Killer Nashville is the best writers’ conference on any continent.”
— Anne Perry
“Great speakers and panels. This conference is not only directed toward published authors but is great for the unpublished as well.”
— Opal Privette
“I was awarded the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion for Best Supernatural novel. My novel went from #90,000 on the Kindle sales list to #8,000 (and broke into the Top Ten Horror Classic category). I can only attribute that quick jump to this award. Thank you for giving my novel a bit of encouragement. A large bit, in fact.”
— Michael Cordell
“If you want a writers’ conference that helps you enrich your knowledge about writing and gives you opportunity to pitch prospective manuscripts to agents, try this one out. The hospitality is great, and you’ll always feel welcome.”
— Jason Edward Fort
“August wouldn’t be August without Killer Nashville!”
— Anne-Marie Lacy
“Fabulous conference dedicated to supporting all of us struggling authors.”
— Bryan Robinson
“Some force from somewhere in this complicated universe was kind enough to send me to this great annual writers’ conference. I went from taking notes on how to publish a novel at Killer Nashville to being on their published authors’ panels. I cannot say enough about Killer Nashville.”
— Linda Thorne
“I got home yesterday from my first Killer Nashville, and I still feel like I’m flying. Thank you so much for the FANTASTIC conference. I met so many wonderful people and learned so much.”
— Lori Roberts Herbst
“Killer Nashville is the premiere mystery conference.”
— Mary Beth Magee
“I love this conference. I went last year for the first time and can’t wait for this one. I’m excited to be on a panel and looking forward to listening to other authors and friends discuss their writing experiences and insights!”
— Susan Crawford
“I truly believe my career got its start thanks to Killer Nashville.”
— Phyllis Halt
“Being a Killer Nashville Claymore Award finalist was a game-changing event in my literary career. I had already published three books, but thanks to Killer Nashville, I landed the agent of my dreams, and my newest manuscript has received attention I never thought possible.”
— Jacob M. Appel
“My first experience at the conference was wonderful. I met so many nice people, everything ran smoothly, and I attained my goal of interesting an agent in seeing more of my work.”
— Lucinda Gerlitz
“Thank you for the support you show aspiring authors at Killer Nashville.”
— TJ Stecker
“Killer Nashville is the most worthwhile four days I have spent in forever.”
— Nancy Bruett
“The Killer Nashville Claymore Award grabs the attention that a first-time writer needs to be taken seriously within the publishing industry.”
— D. Alan Lewis
“Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference got me published a lot faster and easier than if I’d gone about it another way.”
— Margaret Fenton
“Killer Nashville has helped a lot of people along their writing path. Thank you so much!”
— Brad Crattie
“The best thing about the conference was every author checked their ego at the door and came together as a writing community to share the love of writing. That’s what made it awesome!”
— TM Clark
“Fun and motivating!”
— Wendy Kendall
“Clay Stafford is the driving force behind Killer Nashville, the premiere mystery conference. If you haven’t visited the conference, you’re missing opportunities to learn, mingle, find new authors to follow, and join the KN family. Hope to see you there!”
— Mary Beth Magee
“Thank you so much for the helpful feedback on my work in progress. I appreciate the review, as well as the source recommendations.”
— Mike Williams
“It’s the BEST conference I’ve attended, and I am already looking forward to next year.”
— Lori Roberts Herbst
“A marvelous experience. I look forward to returning.”
— Carol Orange
“I have always received the most insightful critiques through Killer Nashville! They are a huge help in revising my works-in-progress.”
— Sheila Sobel
“I have been working on this book for four years with lots of feedback from tutors, even from published writers, but this was the most positive, yet—at the same time—useful feedback, even pointing out issues for the first time.”
— Don Macdonald
“With Killer Nashville, I got my money’s worth.”
— Robert Kaster
“The good news/bad news is that my schedule is packed solid with writing and coaching gigs I picked up from new connections made at Killer Nashville. It’s been a boon to my business I never dreamed of!”
— Sam Severn
“This is probably the most useful feedback I’ve gotten!”
— Jacqui Pretty
“The Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award came at just the right time to draw extra attention to the release of The Devil’s Bible trade paperback, and we were also able to use the Silver Falchion win as promotion at the launch of Book of the Just. For some readers trying to decide what to add to their to-be-read pile, seeing the validation of this award gives them the last nudge they need to buy your book.”
— Dana Chamblee Carpenter
“Killer Nashville was a runaway favorite among our readers, earning more votes than any other event on our list and attracting writers, agents, editors, fans of crime and thriller literature, and forensic experts from across the country every year.”
— The Writer
“Killer Nashville is the best!”
— Nancy Bruett
“I would be interested in engaging this Killer Nashville critique-giver for a second review after rewrites.”
— Jeannie Jackson
“After winning the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award, I’m seen by industry professionals as a serious writer. I’ve gotten several invitations to participate or lead author panels and been on several podcasts. If I were in the Mafia, I’d be what is known as a ‘Made Man.’”
— Bradley Harper
“Clay Stafford has created an epic annual event with Killer Nashville.”
— Leesa Payne
“What an exciting time!”
— Wendy Kendall
“I took advantage of having the first ten pages of my work-in-progress critiqued. Because of Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference, I now have a contract. I couldn’t be happier.”
— Judy Dailey
“Winning the Silver Falchion was the highlight of my year - I am so deeply honored.”
— Kim Taylor Blakemore
“Entering a writing competition takes a certain amount of confidence. I didn’t have it. It took a long time to work up the courage to enter the Killer Nashville Claymore Award competition. This manuscript had been my secret project for a few years, and I had only shared it with my critique group. I didn’t know if it was ready. I didn’t feel ready. Still, something told me I’d regret it if I didn’t try. When I received the email from Clay Stafford informing me that my manuscript had been chosen as a Killer Nashville Claymore Award finalist, I had to read it several times before it sank in. There was screaming involved.”
— Laura Oles
“Winning the Silver Falchion Award is one of my biggest thrills ever and that coveted Silver Falchion medal has been a huge boost to my writing career.”
— R.G. Belsky
“I owe my mystery writing career to Killer Nashville.”
— Lois Schmitt
“It was amazing.”
— TJ Stecker
“Incredible interviews, personable and high caliber featured speakers, incredible attending writers and authors, interactive and valuable panels. Mingling with the attendees was such a highlight. I’ve made friendships that I know will be lasting.”
— Wendy Kendall
“I met an editor at Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference and was able to pitch to her. She asked to see the whole manuscript, and two months later I had a contract.”
— Margaret Fenton
“An invaluable tool for any writer, Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference should not be missed.”
— Deitrich Stogner
“Defining which books become bestsellers throughout the nation’s book culture.”
— Publishers Weekly
“Killer Nashville is a godsend.”
— Nancy Bruett
“I was able to meet with several agents despite my last minute enrollment and received multiple manuscript requests, but what I found most astonishing was when talking with agent Dean Krystek - whom I met at the awards dinner - was when he told me that he was hoping to meet me because you had told him about my submission and that he may be a good fit. I was blown away that you took the time to do that for me, someone you’d never met. Dean requested my manuscript.”
— TJ Stecker
“I’ve been to four Killer Nashville writers conferences. When I wasn’t even thinking about it, here comes an email with a contract offer. I really, really need to find that shrink ray I keep hearing about in movies because my head is getting way too swollen. Anyway, bottom line, the point is crystalline. What they tell us is true. Networking helps!”
— Charley Pearson
“One of my favorite conferences!”
— Lisa Jackson
“Killer Nashville is now responsible for me selling four books, writing the story that ended up as my first Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine sale, and finding an agent. Not a bad track record from a conference.”
— Debra Goldstein
“I started writing at the age of sixty-three, so I was anxious to hit the ground running as an author. The Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award has clearly advanced my career and I encourage others to reach for their dreams and to seek the recognition this award bestows. Keep writing!”
— Bradley Harper
“I always wanted to be a writer. At Killer Nashville, I began to see the tunnel, if not the light.”
— Danny Lindsey
“I’ve been sharing high praise ever since I returned home from Killer Nashville.”
— Wendy Kendall
“Toward the middle of the summer, an email from Killer Nashville popped into my inbox. Those familiar feelings of hope and dread welled up inside me, and I didn’t open it for two days. When I did, I was through the roof. I had been named one of the Killer Nashville Claymore Award Top 20 Finalists. And I won.”
— Nicholas Holloway
“Selflessly, Clay Stafford and his family work tirelessly to bring together a vast array of mystery writers at Killer Nashville.”
— Leesa Payne
“I came to Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference expecting to learn what I was doing wrong. I’d been sending out queries with no hits for months. Lost in a fog of impersonal rejection and desperate for answers, I brought my book and a sample query to the conference. In a nutshell, I heard my work was the kind of writing an agent at Killer Nashville liked. It wasn’t ready for acceptance, and I wasn’t quite ready for representation, but the agent did request a full manuscript, and six months later, after taking her excellent advice and revising the book to her liking, she took me on as a client. The manuscript is now out in hardback. Killer Nashville helped make that happen.”
— Andy Davidson
“Winning the Killer Nashville Claymore Award provided such incredible affirmation knowing this particular story (which took me on an emotional ride of its own) was so well received by different readers. It encouraged me to continue on in my pursuit of getting my name and my work to more and more readers.”
— Nicholas Holloway
“Killer Nashville provides networking opportunities galore, discussion forums, panels, and expert advice on every facet of writing and publishing.”
— Leesa Payne
“Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference is incredibly insightful and encouraging.”
— Dana Carpenter
“I have signed a three-book deal with an option of first refusal on a fourth book. This is the direct result of my attending Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference. Without Killer Nashville, I might be writing another twenty years without getting published.”
— Ernest Lancaster
“When The Devil’s Bible won the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion, I was overwhelmed with gratitude. Having a group of your peers affirm your work gives you the kind of confidence boosts that lasts—even in those darker times of self-doubt when it’s just you and your computer.”
— Dana Chamblee Carpenter
“The Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference is a whirlwind weekend.”
— Laura Oles
“There’s a lot of great writing conferences around, but none as unique and wonderful and beneficial for a writer to experience as Killer Nashville.”
— R.G. Belsky
“None of my publishing journey would have happened without Killer Nashville.”
— Lois Schmitt
“My agent, whom I met through Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference, sent my manuscript to their Hollywood co-agent and next thing I know, he has five big production companies (Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment; Dan Lin, producer of the Sherlock Holmes movies, etc.) all taking it in to their respective studios: Sony, Paramount, 20th Century Fox, etc. etc.) Then some folks we never even sent it to swooped in, made us an offer, and now have the rights - a team of two production companies – Nick Wechsler Productions (The Road, Time Traveler’s Wife, Magic Mike) and Steve Schwartz at Chockstone Pictures (The Host, Killing Them Softly, Tree of Life, etc.). Of course, a publisher made an offer two hours after the movie option deal – the tail wagged the dog! And it all got started thanks to a writing contest in Nashville! Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference.”
— Johnathan Stone
“Killer Nashville was incredibly helpful. Each panel gave me new insights into the writing, editing, and publishing process, so much so that I still keep some of my notes from the conference on hand at my writing desk! Each and every person I met there, whether author, panelist, or attendee, had some tidbit of wisdom or information to offer, and I am glad for the chance to have met so many wonderful writers.”
— Bonnie Bailey
“Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference is the one conference I won’t miss.”
— Margaret Fenton
“Killer Nashville is one of the best experiences for an aspiring writer available today.”
— Jacob M. Appel
“I ended up shelving the manuscript for 13 years. Last year, I dusted off that manuscript, made some edits, and took both novels to the Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference. This is where I met my publisher. The rest, they say, is history. It would not have happened without Killer Nashville.”
— Sandy Manning
“I got a two-book contract, both finalists for the Killer Nashville Claymore Award. The first was a finalist two years ago. Shortly after that announcement I got an agent I really wanted. Right after the announcement of my being a finalist again, my agent called to say that I had an offer for the first book. It didn’t hurt having it be a finalist for the Killer Nashville Claymore Award.”
— Terry Shames
“Killer Nashville was the source of the sale of my first book.”
— Michael Guillebeau
“Persistence pays off. So does the feedback from the Killer Nashville Claymore judges, the agents and editors at Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference, and the contacts with the other writers. An editor at Killer Nashville offered to publish my book.”
— Mark Troy
“Killer Nashville was a wonderful experience. The staff and volunteers were kind and helpful. The breakout sessions were the perfect size for meaningful interaction between the audience and the presenters.”
— Judy Dailey
“I knew I wanted to be a writer. Finding a publisher was excruciating. My agent had the novel out on submission, and folks loved it, but they were also reluctant to take a risk on a debut author, which is how the Killer Nashville International Conference’s Claymore Award changed everything. I was really wrestling with self-doubt, and I almost didn’t submit. As anyone at the Killer Nashville Awards could probably tell, I was absolutely unprepared to win. When I got home late that night, I emailed my agent to tell her that I’d won. She immediately sent the news to editors who had the manuscript but hadn’t responded yet. Thanks to the Killer Nashville Claymore Award, I got the publisher I wanted. We’ve already sold the German and the Serbian language rights.”
— Dana Carpenter
“Above and beyond the boost of confidence the Killer Nashville Claymore Finalist Award gave me, it opened the doors for many more agents. Although it’s only been six months, I’ve received requests from six New York and California-based agents for the entire manuscript and requests to send it to three others if these people don’t sign me on. I am confident becoming a finalist gave my work the legitimacy these agents sought.”
— Joan Lipinsky Cochran
“There are two classes of writers: those who write until their fingers are calloused, and those who write until their fingers are calloused and get paid for their efforts. Thanks to the Killer Nashville Claymore Award, I have advanced to the second class, and all I can say is WOW, what a feeling!”
— Jayne Ormerod
“Being chosen as a Killer Nashville Claymore Award finalist gave me the confidence to push forward with my novel. It has also given me the distinction of being known as a finalist, something I am proud to include in my author credentials. For anyone who is on the fence about entering, I encourage you to go forward. See what happens. How will you know unless you try?”
— Laura Oles
“I participated in two Killer Nashville Agent / Editor Roundtables. Although the editor didn’t feel the two pages I presented were a good fit for the line she represented, she kindly spent time with me after the session answering my questions. Two hours later, my second roundtable editor asked for the entire book from the same two pages. A few weeks later, she bought the book.”
— Debra Goldstein
“I had sent out a number of queries to publishers. After becoming a Top Ten finalist in the Killer Nashville Claymore Award, I updated the queries. Suddenly, several of these same publishers asked for manuscripts and two publishers offered me contracts within two months of Killer Nashville.”
— D. Alan Lewis
“As an aspiring novelist, I can easily say that attending Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference was a fundamental turning point in my career. I learned how to pitch my novel, how to polish my manuscript, and met my agent in a pitch session.”
— Deitrich Stogner
“What encouragement—when I most needed it!”
— Jessica Ferguson
“Winning the Killer Nashville Claymore Award is definitely the highlight of my professional writing career.”
— Tom Wallace
“In these days of publishing uncertainty and metamorphosis, there are few venues for yet-unpublished manuscripts to find recognition and praise. Thankfully, the Killer Nashville Claymore Award lives among us to fill the void.”
— Craig Faustus Buck
“I had received numerous rejections and had, in effect, moved on and started writing the next book. A writing partner told me about the Killer Nashville Claymore Award. I ended up being a finalist, which got the book in front of an editor who eventually purchased the rights.”
