Left Coast Crime 2026 Newsletter
December 21, 2025
Happy Winter Solstice!
Today we are celebrating another minute of sunlight and looking forward to banishing the dark a bit more each and every day.
Welcome to all our new registrants! Check out our previous newsletters for Greetings from our Special Guests and Things to See and Do Close to the Hyatt Regency.
This newsletter is going out to all registrants of Denver 2025 and San Francisco 2026. Denver registrants will remain on our newsletter list through the Lefty Nomination period which ends on January 2.
Lefty Nominations
Everyone should have already received the Lefty Nomination Form. (If you registered in the last day or so it will be arriving in your inbox soon.) Our thanks to all of you who have already submitted nomination forms.
The deadline for returning the nomination forms is January 2, 2026.
The categories are …
- Best Humorous Mystery Novel
- Best Historical Mystery Novel (The Bill Gottfried Memorial), covering events before 1970
- Best Debut Mystery Novel
- Best Mystery Novel (not in other categories)
What's Next
The deadline for Priority Panel Placement was November 30th, and the panel team has been hard at work ever since. Our goal is to send the panel invitations out on January 16th & 17th. We hope to have all the changes confirmed and posted by January 24th.
Note: There are a few panel slots open for those who registered after November 30th and also other opportunities for authors to interact with readers.)
After the Panel Schedule is announced at the end of January, information will be shared in a newsletter about how to sign up for other author opportunities like the New Author Breakfast, Speed Dating, Author-Reader Connections, and something new this year: Author's Choice.
Please save your questions about these opportunities until after they are announced.
As an all volunteer convention, Left Coast Crime can’t function without help from all of you. Watch your newsletters for information about how to sign up to help us make this a successful convention for everyone.
Book Room Information
Author, Author! specializes in online sales, special events, books for writers, and books for authors. Author, Author! will handle sales in the convention Book Room of traditionally published books — in general, titles returnable at a regular discount through major publishers or distributors — as well as consignment sales.
Traditionally Published Authors
If you would like some of your titles stocked in the convention Book Room, you MUST submit a list of up to THREE titles on this
AUTHOR BOOKROOM SURVEY.
The DEADLINE to submit the survey is January 5, 2026. (If Author, Author! cannot obtain your titles, they will let you know and you will need to use the consignment option described below.)
Consignment Sales
Author, Author! will also be handling Consignment Sales for authors who publish through alternate avenues. Consignment authors must bring or ship their own books to the convention.
Please download and fill out this CONSIGNMENT AGREEMENT, and then return by email to Author, Author! by January 12, 2026. (Email & phone number on Consignment Agreement for questions.)
Advertising in the Program Book
Attention Authors! We recently made it easier than ever to pay for ads — the ad form includes a QR code and link to pay with a credit card — or email us to pay by Venmo or PayPal. Or you can still just mail a check! Please encourage your publisher to advertise in the Left Coast Crime Program Book. There are sizes and prices for every budget. Don’t be left out! The deadline for reserving ad space is December 31, 2025.
Details and Advertising Form
Sponsorship at Left Coast Crime
THANK YOU to Sisters in Crime for sponsoring the Meet-the-New Authors Breakfast! Left Coast Crime is so grateful to Sisters in Crime for their ongoing support of Left Coast Crime.
Left Coast Crime encourages organizations to sponsor a variety of events such as the Opening Reception, the Awards Banquet, the Saturday breakfast, and the Hospitality Room. Other options include sponsoring one of our Guests of Honor or supporting Left Coast Crime by sponsoring products such as the convention book bag.
Please email Lucinda Surber if you are interested in learning more about our sponsorship opportunities.
Books for Book Bags
We are happy to accept crime fiction and non-fiction books for distribution to attendees in our book bags. There is no charge, but you will need to ship the books to arrive in San Francisco by February 15, 2026. Please email Lucinda Surber if you are interested in learning more about donating books for our book bags.
FOG: An Evening of Original Crime Short Story Readings
When: Wednesday, February 25th from 7:30-9:00 PM
Where: The Best Bookstore in Union Square, 226 Powell Street, San Francisco
What: Ten crime writers will read original stories featuring San Francisco’s most famously creeping and moody main character: FOG.
Host: Elsa Touche, beloved San Francisco Drag Queen
Author/readers: Paul Bradley Carr, John Copenhaver, James D.F. Hannah, Audrey Lee, Karen Odden, Rob Osler, Gigi Pandian, Sara Paretsky, Gary Phillips, Faye Snowden
A Cabaret of Crime
Get ready for a unique live entertainment when a four-person ensemble performs songs of crime, murder, and detection — and what it takes to write about them!
Meet the Performers
- Hal Glatzer is the author of mysteries, historical and contemporary, both in print and in audio. But he’s also an entertainer, best known in the U.S. and Europe for performing the “Great American Songbook" from Tin Pan Alley and Broadway.
- Scrumbly Koldewyn, founding member of the sexual outlaws, Cockettes, performed and wrote songs with them, and has been writing and performing in Cabaret and ‘legit’ theater for the past 55 years. He is depicted in a star role in the new headed-for-Broadway musical, Midnight at the Palace.
- Bonni Suval began performing onstage at the ripe age of 4. Since that time they have acted, sung, danced, choreographed, performance-arted, dark-burlesqued, stripped, written, and played drums in various theatre groups/bands/states/cities/situations. Wherever there is stage light and an audience to connect with, Bonni will be there.
- Kathy Frankovic returned to singing and performing after 32 years as Director of Surveys and Producer at CBS News. Now it’s theater (and Gilbert & Sullivan) in Hawaii, cabaret New York, and just singing wherever she goes.
A Cabaret of Crime will take place on Thursday evening from 8:30-9:30 PM at the Hyatt.
San Francisco Schemin’ Souvenirs
Planning ahead for the cool nights in San Francisco? Visit the
LCC 2026 store at Cafe Press to order your San Francisco Schemin’ sweatshirt or other souvenir LCC 2026 logo items.
Left Coast Crime 2027
The Big Chile Rides Again!
The 37th Left Coast Crime convention will be held April 1–4, 2027, in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Special Guests
Lifetime Achievement: Craig Johnson
Guest of Honor: Lee Goldberg
Guest of Honor: Gigi Pandian
Toastmaster: Wendall Thomas
The Convention rate at the Eldorado Hotel is $249 on the convention nights, plus three nights before and after the convention (subject to availability) so you can extend your stay. The hotel’s usual $35 nightly “Amenity Fee” has been reduced to $10 for convention registrants, and is included in the $249 room charge. Amenities include complementary valet parking and wifi, the rooftop outdoor swimming pool and hot tub, and the Spa.
Convention Registration is now open!
The Registration Price is $250 through March 1, 2026, the close of Left Coast Crime #36 in San Francisco. More information and the Registration link can be found on The Big Chile Rides Again! website.
