Volume 8, Issue 14  
April 6, 2008

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FFW SMALL MARKETS

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

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 !!!!!

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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SPONSOR OF THE WEEK
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WAR POETRY CONTEST

Seventh year. Fifteen cash prizes totaling $5,000. Top prize $2,000.
Submit 1-3 unpublished poems on the theme of war, up to 500 lines
in all. Winning entries published online. Sponsored by Winning
Writers. $15 entry fee, payable to Winning Writers. Postmark
deadline May 31, 2008. Judge; Jendi Reiter. Include cover sheet
with contact information. No name on poems. Submit online or mail
to Winning Writers, ATTN: War Poetry Contest, 351 Pleasant Street,
PMB 222, Northampton, MA 01060. Winning Writers is proud to be
one of "101 Best Web Sites for Writers." (Writer's Digest,
2005-2007). More information www.winningwriters.com/war

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EDITOR'S PIECE OF MIND
=======================================================

NOTE:
A reader has advised that the following market has ceased
taking freelance submissions:

SHEKNOWS
http://www.sheknows.com/aboutus/for-writers/

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TRUST

"A person will not buy from you until he is convinced that
you are a friend and are acting in his best interest.
You must make this clear." -- Brian Tracy

I'm big on trust. I'm an all or nothing individual when it
comes to trust. If I've been burned by a company or a person,
I have this huge wall that goes up, and it takes a tremendous
act of God to bring it down - to reopen that door to my soul.

You never know when a customer will feel that way. Maybe not
in a traumatic or serious a level as someone stealing, lying
or conning you, but in a way that can impact whether you are
a credible writer with a worthy commodity to sell.

People have to feel you work at your craft for their best
interest. And if you are in a service business, such as writing,
your writing should be for the reader, not for you. You've seen
pieces of work, where you could sense the author patted himself
on the back. Some writers become more enthralled with their
own prowess than how the words impact the reader. That's
backwards. That's when you lose trust.

I can name you writers, businesses and people who have
betrayed me in this manner - where they wanted me to give
them my money, my attention, my time. Then I learn that my
investment was taken advantage of. I was not important.

Write like you love the reader and want to give them a
gift they can use. A selfless gift. If you are writing
because you have a story to tell, you're writing for the
wrong reason. You're supposed to be writing because there's
a need in the world. You write to make someone's life fuller.

Do not get the two confused. You'll lose trust.

    Hope Clark

OOH - THERE'S A NEW EBOOK - AGENT IN YOUR POCKET

AGENT IN YOUR POCKET is out. 72 pages and 140+ agents.
Leery about finding an agent for your book? Not only
do you find a list of agents, but you receive guidance
on how to write a query, a book proposal, and a synopsis.
You also learn what to ask agents when they show interest.

"I'm not used to flattering people. Very, very, very nice
work. Comprehensive. Readable. Clean. Honest. Writers will
think of it as a "must have"."

~E.D. Easley, Creative-Editing-Solutions@comcast.net

=====

GOT YOUR CALENDAR YET FOR ALL THOSE 2008 GOALS?

Once again FundsforWriters is offering the Bylines Calendar
for your writing needs. I've used one for going on four years
now, and I'm addicted to it. Listing a writer (like Hope)
for every week along with the writer's personal points of
wisdom makes you realize you aren't alone in this struggle
to make a living at what you love. Order yours today!

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

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THE NEWEST EBOOK UPDATES

Lots of our readers like to know when we update our ebooks.
This time of year, we update them a few at a time and announce
them each week in the newsletters. The newest updates are:

TIS THE SEASON - seasonal writing
THE NO FEE CONTEST BOOK - contests without entry fees
SHORT & SWEET: MARKETS FOR FILLERS
COOKING UP RECIPES - writing for food markets

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

===

THE BLOG, THE BLOG!

http://www.hopeclark.blogspot.com

 

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WISE WORDS TO LIVE BY
=======================================================

"I'm a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work,
the more I have of it."

-- Thomas Jefferson

 
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ARTICLE
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Bring Me to Life

By Aline Lechaye
 
It's hard to sell fiction reprints these days. Most magazines
don't even consider previously published material, and those
that do prefer originals over second right pieces. No magazine
wants to buy something that appeared in the last issue of its
rival publication.

Our new ray of hope? Podcast magazines.

You've heard of podcasts. They're mp3s, only with people
talking on them instead of music. And, yes, there are now
people who use this "modern" technology to breathe life into
those tucked-away-on-the-top-shelf stories.

But how can you tell if your piece is right for podcast
magazines?

Check the Length

A 300,000-word story can be just as good as a 3,000-word one,
but when it's coming through your earphones....well, let's
just say even the most captivating 300,000-word story is
going to be too long for your ears and attention span. The
best length is somewhere from 450 to 700 words for flash
fiction, and about 4,000 or 5,000 for short stories.

The Pace Has To Be Right, Preferably Tight

Things should move along. As a general rule, only the very
important parts pace slower. The overall pace of the story
itself should be "tight", meaning you shouldn't waste time
on irrelevant details.

Short Descriptions

Most people skip over descriptions. Between dramatic scenes
where things happen and "boring" descriptions where nothing
happens, the reader is going to jump ahead to get to the
"good stuff". Most podcasts can't be fast forwarded, so it's
better to keep the descriptions brief.

Read It Out Loud

Listen to the way your sentences sound. Is the pace tight?
Is the story interesting? Is it possible to understand who
is saying what without dialogue tags? Are there sentences
so long that they cause confusion or misunderstandings?

And...the markets:

Escape Pod: Takes science fiction tales in two lengths:
flash (up to 1,000 words, for $20), and short stories
(2,000 to 6,000 words, $100). They buy nonexclusive rights,
and prefer humorous pieces over dark, depressing material.
( http://escapepod.org/guidelines/ ) 

Pseudopod: Dark horror magazine. Accepts flash (500 to 1,000
words, $20) and short stories (2,000 to 6,000 words, $50).
( http://pseudopod.org/guidelines/ )

PodCastle: Fantasy podcast magazine. Takes flash (up to
1,000 words, $20), and short stories (2,000 to 6,000 words,
$100). ( http://podcastle.org/guidelines )

The Drabblecast: Takes fantasy, sci-fi, and horror. Pieces
should be humorous, and, as they put it, "bizarre, gross,
and disturbing." They buy flash fiction of up to 2,000 words,
paying 3/4 cent/word.
( http://web.mac.com/normsherman/iWeb/Site/Submission%20Guidelines.html )

Dred: A webzine published three times a year. Requires dark,
character-driven fiction of up to 4,000 words. Pays a flat
fee of $25. Buys first electronic/audio rights. Does not take
reprints. ( http://www.dredtales.com/Guidelines.htm )

Clonepod: Takes fantasy and science fiction from 2,000 to
7,000 words. Pays flat fee of $25.
( http://www.clonepod.org/submission-guide-lines/ )

Well Told Tales: 2,000 to 4,000 words in the genres horror,
sci-fi, and crime/detective. Flat fee of $20/story.
( http://welltoldtales.com/content/writers/ )

Shimmery: Takes speculative fiction of up to 5,000 words.
Payment is one cent/word, with a minimum of $10 and a maximum
of $30.
( http://www.shimmerzine.com/submission-guidelines/fiction-guidelines/ )

Bio:
Aline Lechaye has written for various publications, both
online and in print. Her favorite genres are fantasy and
science fiction. She can be reached at alinelechaye@gmail.com.

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GRANTS/AWARDS/CONTESTS
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LASTING IMPRESSIONS CONTEST
http://internetreviewofbooks.com/contest_guidelines.html
---
$5 ENTRY FEE
Is there a book that has remained front and center on your
bookshelf--or in your mind--even though you read it ages ago?
A book that made a lasting impression on you? It might be
fiction or non-fiction, something you read as a child or an
adult, but it somehow made you think, changed you, taught
you something, or otherwise has remained important to you
through the years. Write a 600- to 900-word book review that
includes the reason this book made a lasting impression on you.
Send it as plain text in your e-mail. Include a bio of 50 words
or less. Deadline April 20, 2008.

First place - $100 with publication in the May issue of IRB
Second place - $50 and possible publication
Third place - $25 and possible publication

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THE THIRD ANNUAL PORTIA STEELE CONTEST FOR POETRY AND PROSE
http://portiasteeleaward.org/contest.htm
---
NO ENTRY FEE NOTED
Each award $100. Poetry: No longer than one and one-half pages,
double spaced. Prose: 500 words maximum, with word count noted
on first page. For women 50 years of age or older. Deadline
April 15, 2008. Limit one submission per category.
 
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RAMBLE UNDERGROUND SHORT FICTION CONTEST
http://www.rambleunderground.org/
---
$6 ENTRY FEE
Deadline May 15, 2008. Short fiction story must be 2,500
words max. First and Second place short fiction stories will
be published in the Summer '08 issue along with one honorable
mention. Winner receives half of entry fees or a minimum of
$50. Last year's winner won $100.

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ADIRONDACK CENTER FOR WRITING
http://www.adirondackcenterforwriting.org/writingcontest.html
---
NO ENTRY FEE
Deadline April 11, 2008. The categories for the 2007/2008
Contest are: Short Story and Humor. The first-prize winner
in each genre and age group will receive $300 and have their
work posted on both the Adirondack Center for Writing and
North Country Public Radio Web Sites. Runners-up will receive
$150 and have their work posted on the two Web sites.

Anyone living in the Adirondack Park and/or in the NCPR listening
area who is twelve years of age or older is welcome to enter. The
submissions will be divided into two age groups (12-20 and 21+)
for each of the genres (humor & short story). Published as well
as unpublished writers are welcome to enter the contest as long
as the work submitted is unpublished. Entries must be between 500
and 2,500 words, double-spaced.

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MINIWORDS 2008
http://miniwords2008.sharedspace.org/faqs.php
---
NO ENTRY FEE
There are three categories. miniSTORIES - a narrative in prose
or verse in 50 words or less. miniVERSE - any verse form you
choose so long as the word count is between 25 and 75 words.
HAIKU - any form of haiku from traditional to contemporary
western forms including the 'zip'. Each category carries a £250
first prize winner. Second and third place, commended and highly
commended will also be awarded in each category (although there
will be no prize for this). You may enter each category up to
three times each. 14 or over on the closing date. Deadline
May 31, 2008. All entries must be in English.

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WRITE TO WIN CONTESTS - WRITERS' JOURNAL
http://www.writersjournal.com/WritetoWinContest.htm
---
$5 ENTRY FEE
Prizes: First: $150, Honorable Mentions: One-Year Subscription
Winning contest story will be published in the WRITERS' Journal.
Deadline April 20, 2008. Opening line: "They both stared at..."
Maximum 1,500 words, and stories must start with the "starter
phrase."

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JOBS/MARKETS
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WESTERN NEW YORK FAMILY MAGAZINE
http://www.wnyfamilymagazine.com/Writers/
---
Payment is made upon publication. Pays $35-$200 depending
on type and length of article. Pays $35 for up to 950 word
articles or humorous pieces. Pays $40-$60 for up to 1,500-
word non-fiction, informational or creative idea pieces.
Pays up to $100-200 for in-depth, non-fiction main theme
articles of approximately 2,500-3,000 words. Articles
submitted should address current parenting issues with a
Western New York tie-in whenever possible. Strong emphasis
is placed on how and where to find family-oriented events,
as well as goods and services for children, in Western New
York.

=====

BACKYARD LIVING
http://www.backyardlivingmagazine.com/Article.aspx?ContentID=33721
---
We're eager to read your bright ideas for saving time and
money in your backyard - or tricks you've learned to make
it more enjoyable. Send them to "yard Smarts" following the
contributor guidelines. If we use your idea, we'll pay you $25.

=====

BAS BLEU
http://www.basbleu.com/basbleu/Reader-Reviews_1AJ.html
---
If you know a good book that you'd like to introduce to our
readers, send us your own Reader Review. Descriptions should
be about 150 words long and written in a conversational style.
E-mail your review to customerservice@basbleu.com and put
"Reader Review" in the subject line. (Don't worry about
sending us the book itself. We have easy access!) If we
publish your review, we'll send you a check for $25!

=====

CAPITAL GAINS
http://www.capitalgainsmedia.com
---
Capital Gains is a weekly on-line publication that focuses on
growth, development and city culture in the Mid-Michigan region.
We cover Lansing, East Lansing, Mason, Leslie, Grand Ledge,
Eaton Rapids and Williamston. Looking for fun writers
interested in talking about the art, culture and music scenes
in Mid-Michigan. Do you know about an underground art scene?
Are you a graffiti artist? Do you know young professionals in
Mid-Michigan who are also race car drivers? We want writers
who pride themselves on being "in the know," but want to
share that expertise with the rest of the area. We want
writers who can capitalize on their interests outside of
writing to develop unique, interesting articles. We like our
feature writers to produce at least one story every six weeks,
but we understand that not everyone can meet that commitment.
We want professionals who will turn in articles when they are
due. Please send a brief description of yourself, what you
like to do in your free time and why you love Mid-Michigan.
If you have clips, please send them along as well. Pays 15
cents/word.

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WRITING THAT WORKS
http://www.apexawards.com/copy&submissionguidelines.htm
---
Writing That Works covers business publication writing.
$160 - Major articles -- 500 to 800 words
$70 - Short articles -- 300 to 400 words
$35 - Quick Tips and Sites to See -- typically 100 to 250 words

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FILIPINAS
http://www.filipinasmag.com/joinourteam.html
---
We're always looking for freelancers from all parts of
North America. Send or E-mail a query letter describing
your proposed subject; enclose samples of your previous
work, if any. If we like your idea, we'll send you a
contract.

=====

ELLIPSIS
http://www.westminstercollege.edu/ellipsis/flash.html
---
During August 1-November 1, send 3-5 poems, short fiction
or other prose preferably under 5,000 words, and digital art.
We currently pay contributors $10 per published poem and $50
per story, plus two copies of the issue.

=====

ABLE NEWS
E-mail: ablenews@aol.com
http://www.ablenews.com
http://newyork.craigslist.org/lgi/wrg/620166645.html
---
Monthly print newspaper covering issues of disability seeks
writers for occasional assignments, editorial interns, people
interested in ADA, IDEA, accessibility, local laws, services
and issues. If you have a vested interest in these issues drop
us a note about yourself, include your best clip. We do not do
"feel good" stories or opinion pieces. We are a straight up
news organization. PWD's and college students are encouraged to
apply. Pays $50 per article.

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

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Presentation, professionalism and quality are everything.
Let me help you present your work in the best light possible.
Email Laura at: pencilsproofreading@yahoo.com
www.pencilsproofreading.com

=====

THE SHY WRITER

One of Hope's best performances.

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

"C. Hope Clark, in light-hearted, yet serious tone, exemplifies
a shy writer succeeding in a writing career . . . this time,
with her book The Shy Writer. And as seems a high priority
mission, Hope Clark, again, is helping other writers overcome
fears, so they, too, can succeed in the writing life, whether
shy writer or not.

I very highly recommend The Shy Writer by C. Hope Clark, for
novice or professional writers, introverts and extroverts,
and anyone, especially the shy, considering writing as a career
choice."

Patricia Spork, Author
http://www.patriciaspork.us/ 

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

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

Copyright 2000-2008, 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.

-----------------------------