Prix du Quai des Orfèvres

The Prix du Quai des Orfèvres is an annual French literature award created in 1946 by Jacques Catineau. It goes to an unpublished manuscript written by an anonymous author for a French-language police novel. The selected novel is then published by a major French publishing house, since 1965 Fayard. The jury is led by the chief of the Prefecture of Police of Paris. The name of the award refers to the headquarters of the Paris police, located at 36, quai des Orfèvres.

From the Wikipedia article “Prix du Quai des Orfèvres”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Check the official rules of the Prix du Quai des Orfèvres for the current eligibility window, accepted formats, residency or language requirements and any entry fee. For most established prizes the publisher submits on the author's behalf, often with a limit on entries per imprint.

If you are self-published, look for an explicit statement that independently published books are accepted, and budget for entry fees and copies for judges.