The Conferences and Conventions We Didn’t Know We Needed

The audience at Left Coast Crime 2026’s
“Short But Usually Not Sweet” panel.

With the success of ShortCon, the Premiere Conference for Writers of Short Crime Fiction, it’s obvious that some segments of the crime writing community have long been overlooked.

Additionally, having recently returned from Left Coast Crime in San Francisco, I am reminded once again of where most of the important things happen at mystery conventions.

So, I propose a new crime-writing conference and a new mystery convention.

FlashCon

ShortCon is an annual one-day conference intended to teach new and early career writers how to build and sustain a long career writing short crime fiction.

But what about writers of flash fiction? Don’t they need their own conference?

I propose FlashCon, a two-hour conference with three half-hour presentations and 15 minutes between each presentation where new and early career writers learn how to build and sustain a long career writing flash crime fiction.

HallCon

At nearly every mystery convention I’ve attended, I’ve met more people and learned more during unplanned meetings in the hallways between panels and presentations.

So, let’s flip the script for HallCon. Instead of 45-minute panels and presentations with 15 minutes between them, let’s have 15-minute panels and presentations with 45 minutes between them.

Fifteen minutes is more than enough time for moderators to introduce panelists and for panelists to say, “Buy my book!” Or, if they’re short-story writers, to say, “Read my story!”

If the conference venue is small enough and the event rooms located close together (rather than spread over multiple floors), this will enable attendees to crowd together in the hallway and have meaningful conversations that can lead to any number of positive outcomes.

BarCon

At some conventions—Bouchercon in Minneapolis was one—the bar is small, centrally located, open late, and where nearly everyone gathers after dinner.

So, how about BarCon? There’s no programming, and the non-programming doesn’t start until eight p.m. and lasts well into the night.

Your Thoughts

So, what about you? Do you see opportunities for conferences and conventions that meet needs not currently served by the mystery/crime fiction community?

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“Under the Proctor Street Bridge” was published in Time After Time (Thalia Press).

“Wealth of Knowledge” was published in Kings River Life, March 14, 2026.

Jukes & Tonks, originally released by Down & Out Books, has been rereleased by Audecyn Books.