Volume 10, Issue 4 
January 24, 2010

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FFW SMALL MARKETS

Writer's Digest's 101 Best Websites for Writers
2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009

Editor: C. Hope Clark
Mailto: Hope@FundsforWriters.com
Web Site: www.fundsforwriters.com

FFW Small Markets is an opt-in letter here at your leisure.
FEEL FREE TO FORWARD THIS NEWSLETTER TO YOUR FRIENDS !!!!!

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PAID SPONSOR OF THE WEEK
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THE WELL-FED WRITER

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writing for businesses, large and small and for hourly
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No, this isn't a huge course on how to get rich writing.
It's a reality story, condensed in a book that teaches
you how to do the same. For less than $20, grab the
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EDITOR'S PIECE OF MIND
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Read FFW Small Markets online at:
http://www.fundsforwriters.com/smallmarkets.htm

Read archives at:
http://www.aweber.com/z/article/?ffwsmallmarkets

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MAKING THE LEAP

I've seen several people making the leap lately from
the dreadful day job to freelancing writing. I fear for
them, but having done it, I know it can be done. It
just takes some careful attention to details and a
strategic action plan to make it happen. You don't jump
in before knowing how deep the water is or what stumps
hide beneath the surface.

Work part-time first.

Working part-time takes as much planning as full-time.
Don't think that eight hours a day will solve your time
management issues. Frankly, it makes your problems grow.
Work part-time with a set schedule, goals for income,
and benchmarks for networking and self-promotion. Once
you have a pattern after a year or more, analyze it.
Which months are good ones; which are lulls? How much
do you earn per month on the average? How many hours
did you work to earn that much? What does that convert
to in terms of dollars per hour?

Once you have a grip on those statistics, you have a
better feel for what to expect. If you work ten hours
per week and earn $2,000 in a year, you've earned a
full-time salary of $8,000. That's $2 per hour.
Put measures on your efforts to determine the possibility
of full-time success.

And no, you won't make more per hour because you have
more time. You'll be amazed at the administrative tasks
of full-time writing that will still consume your time.

Nail down health insurance.

Freelance health insurance stinks - and it stinks bad.
And don't think that government health care will happen
in time to take care of your needs. The government moves
like a slug in December.

If you don't have access to health insurance, continue
to write after hours - after you get home from the day
job. One car accident, one broken leg, one serious
bout of the flu or strep throat can set you back hundreds
to thousands of dollars.

Set your pace and keep it.

When you become full-time, embrace it like you worked
for the biggest employer in town. Report to work, put
in your hours, and clock out. There's nothing wrong
with entertaining writing after you've done your duty,
but putting bacon on the table has to come first.

On top of that, your family and friends have to understand
that. I've been writing for ten years, seven years full-time.
You'd be amazed at how many of my family members still don't
get it. Be adamant about your work hours. Close the door.
Refuse to answer the phone. Turn down social activities.
These people wouldn't interrupt you at a corporate job,
would they?

There. Those are the three main factors in making the
leap to a full-time, freelance writer. Sure there are
other details, but if you control these three, the small
stuff comes easy.

    Hope Clark

FIRST SPECIAL FOR 2010 !!!

Order TOTAL FundsforWriters, our paid subscription
newsletter containing 75 markets/grants/contests,
for only $9 through January 31, 2010.

We've featured TOTAL for six years at the rate of $12.
We are raising the regular rate beginning in February,
but to give you one last chance, we're offering this
low rate of $9 for the first month of the new year.

Now's the time to start that New Year's resolution
with a subscription to TOTAL.

www.fundsforwriters.com/total.htm

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BYLINES DAILY DESK CALENDAR IS AVAILABLE!

Many have asked when the calendars would be ready.
This year's Bylines features writers from 26 states and
4 foreign countries (Ireland, Great Britain, Australia
and Canada). This is the 7th edition.

This is the calendar Hope has used for five years.
See why so many FundsforWriters readers can't wait
for it each year. Sells for $14.95.

http://www.fundsforwriters.com/Bylines.htm

 

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EBOOKS

Just updated the following ebooks for your reading pleasure.

Funds for the Essayist
Tis the Season
No Fee Contests

If you purchased any of these in the last three months,
email hope@fundsforwriters.com for your free update.
Others can purchase these and other ebooks at

www.fundsforwriters.com/ebooks.htm

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THE BLOG, THE BLOG!
http://www.hopeclark.blogspot.com

TWITTER ME
http://twitter.com/hopeclark

CONSULT WITH HOPE
http://www.fundsforwriters.com/ConsultHope.htm

I JOINED FACEBOOK
http://www.facebook.com/chopeclark
 
 

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WISE WORDS TO LIVE BY
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In about the same degree as you are helpful,
you will be happy.

~ Karl Reiland

 

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GRANTS/AWARDS/CONTESTS
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NOTES AND GRACE NOTES MONTHLY CONTEST
http://www.notesandgracenotes.com
---
NO ENTRY FEE
Notes and Grace Notes offers a monthly contest in Poetry,
Fiction, Non-Fiction and Historical Fiction. The prize
starts at $25 (and sometimes it ends up being a bit more
depending on if we get donations). Finalists get judges
feedback, but also all entries submitted on the site can
be open for general feedback if the author chooses. The
word limit for the monthly contest is 3,500. The deadline
is the last day of each month. Entries are limited to 2
per category. No themes. All entries will also be considered
for the Literary Mag.

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NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO WRITERS WORKSHOP WRITING CONTEST
http://nowwwriters.org/?page_id=62
---
$10 ENTRY FEE (U.S. or Canadian)
The Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop seeks entries
for its 12th annual contest. Five categories: Poetry (judge
Betsy Struthers), Fiction (Lynn Coady), Memoir (Anne Coleman),
Flash fiction (Pasha Malla), and Children's story (Gordon
Korman). Prizes: $150, $100, and $75 in each category.
Deadline: March 15, 2010. Open to writers over 18.

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POETRY SOCIETY OF SOUTH CAROLINA POETRY CONTEST
http://www.poetrysocietysc.org/contests.html
http://www.poetrysocietysc.org/guidelines.html
---
ENTRY FEE - Members submit their poems for free.
Non-members must pay $5 for each poem.
Deadline February 15, 2010. Twelve separate categories
paying $50 to $200. Poems cannot exceed 36 lines. Only
one poem submission allowed.

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THE GLOBAL SHORT STORY COMPETITION
http://www.globalshortstories.net/
---
£5 ENTRY FEE
The competition runs every month with £100 for the winner
and £25 for the runner-up and is open to writers from
across the world. £250 for our end-of-year winner. Entries
are invited of no more than 2,000 words. There is no theme.
Entries must be by writers aged 17 or over.

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TELEGRAPH TRAVEL WRITING COMPETITION
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travel-writing-competition/
---
NO ENTRY FEE
Each week we offer you the chance to win £200 in the
currency of your choice in our travel writing competition.
Simply email your entry, of no more than 500 words (no
attachments), to justback@telegraph.co.uk

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JOBS/MARKETS
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WEIRD TALES
http://weirdtales.net/wordpress/contact/submission-guidelines/
---
Weird Tales has begun taking submissions for a new
flash-narrative format: ONE-MINUTE WEIRD TALES!
These are sharp little micro-stories of 20 to 150
words, presented in a quick sequence of brief one-
screen chunks -- sort of a funky hybrid of a movie
trailer, a Zen koan, and an Adult Swim between-show
bumper. They don't necessarily have to be funny -- but
they DO have to be immediately grabbing and viciously
memorable. And, of course, weird. Flat payment of $25
for video/online publishing rights. Send your scripts --
that is, your stories demarcated with individual screen
breaks -- within the body of email to weirdtales@gmail.com.

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WEIRD TALES - REGULAR SUBMISSIONS
http://weirdtales.net/wordpress/contact/submission-guidelines/
---
Accepts weird fiction of 10,000 words or less. Looking
for the well-written that is unusual and original and
fantastic, leaning toward the dark side. Accepts some
creative nonfiction of 300-800 words - third-person
journalistic vignettes. Pays 3-4 cents/word.

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WEATHERWISE
http://www.weatherwise.org/About%20Us/submission-guidelines.html
---
Weatherwise magazine shares the force of nature in
weather with engaging features and breathtaking photography.
Weatherwise articles are anecdotal, analytical, and
illuminating. They take a creative look at everyday
occurrences and are accurate, authoritative, and easily
understood by a large, non-technical audience that
includes teachers and students. Feature articles are
relatively short (1,500 to 2,500 words) and well
illustrated. Departments--including software, video,
and book reviews and essays on topics ranging from
folklore to personal experiences--should be between 800
and 1,500 words. Short news fillers (200 to 500 words)
about noteworthy people, events, or trends will also be
considered. Where appropriate, include a list of sources,
both published materials and personal interviews. Pays
up to $300.

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WASHINGTON RUNNING REPORT
http://www.runwashington.com/contact.htm
---
Seeks essays, expose, general interest, history, humor,
fiction and book excerpts on running and races in the
Washington area. Pays up to $75. Word count from 500
words to around 3,000. Query first.

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VIRGINIA GOLFER
http://www.vsga.org/contentindex.asp?ID=20
---
The VSGA ensures that member clubs and VSGA members stay
informed about VSGA activities and about the state of our
great sport throughout Virginia. Pays up to $200 and
up to ten cents/word.

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ADVERTISING FOR WRITERS
===================================================

SLOGAN WRITING CONTEST

Think you can write a slogan? Pennwriters, Inc. is running
a contest for a new slogan for its Online Courses service!
It's part of an effort to take the highly-rated service to
new heights in 2010 with even more course time, more teaching,
and more attention. 

Contest deadline is 1/31/2010. Winners will be announced to the
public through various media outlets by 2/28/2010. Add another
award to your writing resume. The contest is open to everyone,
so spread the word to your writer friends and post it on your
websites. Contest entry is easy and FREE. To enter, go to:

http://tinyurl.com/PennwritersOnlineCourses

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RESOLVE to get published in the New Year. 

Toss The Writer's Market and get the fully updated
LITERARY DATABASE 2010.  With it, you can easily tell
when and where to submit your short stories, essays,
and poetry. And LITERARY DATABASE 2010 always tells you
who pays you for your work.

Literary Database 2010 has two layers of listings:
the first are those journals and magazines that are
considered for the annual The Best American Short Stories
anthology.  The second layer is a good mix of 'step-up'
journals that will look good on your cover letter, and
journals with narrowed submission criterion where beginning
writers may more readily publish.

Literary Database 2010 is only $15.95 until the end of January. 

Discount link: http://www.literarydatabase.com/discount.html

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Winner of the 2009 Excellence in Teaching Award from
UNC Chapel Hill, Richard Krawiec has published novels,
story collections, plays, memoirs, poetry, feature articles,
and Young Adult biographies.  He's won NEA and NC Arts Council
grants, been nominated for the National Book Award and
Pushcart Prize. He was a Finalist for the 2009 Indie Book
Awards for Poetry.
 
It's hard to publish these days. 
Let someone who knows what they're doing help
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http://www.rkeditor.com/

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http://www.fundsforwriters.com/adrates.htm

 

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CONTACT FUNDSFORWRITERS
===================================================

C. Hope Clark
Hope@FundsforWriters.com
http://www.fundsforwriters.com

Copyright 2000-2010, C. Hope Clark

The information is for use at your own risk. FundsforWriters
make no warranty as to accuracy or fitness for any purpose.
Use common sense and take normal precautions in how you use
any information.

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