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SPONSOR OF THE WEEK
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OH HOW WE HAVE STRAYED

Do you read Brain Pickings? It's one of my favorite websites that is so damn smart. It digs deep and touches all the right topics to make me slow down, read, and rethink who and what I am. This one made me cry:

 

From Dream to Nightmare: John Steinbeck on the Perils of Publicity and the Dark Side of Success http://www.brainpickings.org/2015/05/13/john-steinbeck-working-days-fame-success/

 

Here is a genius author doubting himself because he became successful. He found fame with Of Mice and Men (which I'm rereading now) and suddenly found himself wanted by the world, and as like he painfully stated,

 

"People I liked have changed. Thinking there is money, they want it. And even if they don’t want anything, they watch me and they aren’t natural any more… I’m tired of the struggle against all the forces that this miserable success has brought against me. I don’t know whether I could write a decent book now. That is the greatest fear of all. I’m working at it but I can’t tell. Something is poisoned in me."

 

Half the people reading this will roll their eyes and whisper "I wish" about the fame and money. The grand majority of writers today are writing to make a buck. However, the best writing isn't for a dollar, but for the contribution of a gift to mankind. A story that puts the reader in the midst of things, steals him from reality, then leaves him wanting more. Maybe he learns a lesson, finds empathy, better understands his own journey. Maybe he has a better day.

 

When you make money, people either despise you for being a success, or want a piece of your success, with few standing in between. When you are an author, and you find some modicum of success, how do you indeed judge your talent from that point forward? Does success impact your inner editor? Does it make you assume your talent will come through naturally? Do you quit trying as hard? Does an increase in fans make you try less?

 

I've harped on this before. Too many writers these days want to write for money, want to publish quickly, and don't take the time to hone their skills. They publish quickly for self-gratification. Why do I assume it's for self? Because if it were for the reader, they'd fear a huge uncertainty of whether it's worthy. They'd obsess over its perfection. They would fear insulting the reader, or robbing him of his time and money invested in the book.Instead, today's energies are directed at how many copies can be sold in a short period of time.

 

Yes, I publish FundsforWriters, a resource to help writers find income for their work. But in no way, shape, or form do I suggest writing fast or settling for less than our personal best. Slopping words on a page for a dollar, not caring about the legacy of it, makes me just damn sad.

 

Today it's so hard to sell a book. Too many people are writing them, and the number of readers has not increased. Out of the hundreds of thousands of books published each year, a person can only read one, two or three dozen a year. The number of writers increases constantly. The number of readers doesn't. Also, readers don't read faster because writers publish faster. I know it's hard.

 

So take the time to write what's important. Look away from the commercialism of publishing for a moment to get your bearings. If money drives you as an author, I probably don't want to read your work, and I especially don't want to hear about how hard it was to write it. Neither do other readers.

 

As a reader, I want to delve into what drove your soul into the words of your story.



P.S. TOTAL FundsforWriters is the extended version of this newsletter, with 70 markets, contests, grants, etc. and still at the ten-year-old cost of $15 for 26 issues. A great way to find opportunities to make money, without the hours of searching. Some subscribers have been around since TOTAL's origin a decade ago...they swear by it that much.

 

WORDS OF SUCCESS

 

Never, ever write what you know. Instead, write what you love.

 

 ~Steve Berry

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SUCCESS STORY
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Dear Hope,

 

A few months ago, I took down my old, dated website with vague plans to work on a new one. When you commented in the newsletter that a writer without a website couldn’t be considered a serious writer, I knew I needed to get busy. Because I respect both your writing skills and your business acumen, I decided to check out your web designer, Shaila Abdullah at www.myhouseofdesign.com. This proved to be an excellent decision. Collaborating with Shaila was a surprising, thought-provoking journey. I found myself reexamining where I’ve been as a writer, where I am today and where I hope to go.When my new website, www.elainethomaswriter.com, went live, I did a happy dance. The next day, I did a second happy dance when I discovered Word Press software truly is user-friendly. I can finally exhale. Does my experience make me eligible to join the Shaila Abdullah Fan Club?

 

Elaine Thomas, La Grange, Texas    

Elaine Thomas writes about people and their lives and companies and their histories. Explore her philosophy and read her work at www.elainethomaswriter.com.

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FEATURED ARTICLE
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On Being a Travel Writer for AAA

By Sheree K. Nielsen
 
Wanderlust bit me early – as a toddler skipping stones across the Great Lakes, and as a young girl fishing with Dad in the Florida Keys. I’d often dreamed of being a travel writer.
    
After attending the 2011 Missouri Writer’s Guild conference, I had the opportunity to connect with the editor of AAA Midwest Traveler and AAA Southern Traveler. She requested writing samples I’d penned on travel. I jumped at the chance, and emailed her a feature article on horse drawn sleigh-riding published in Missouri Life, two stories on Folly Beach, South Carolina published in The Folly Current, and a personal essay on scuba diving.
The editor enjoyed my stories and mailed me a contract for a Caribbean feature article, “Inside the Bahamas Out Islands,” covering romance in Great Guana Cay, Abaco; Hopetown Elbow Cay’s history, and water sports in Eleuthera, Bahamas.

The contract recapped the story idea, provided formatting guidelines, word count, due date, contracted amount, and assignment letter. AAA article prices are preset, so there was no negotiation.

After signing and returning the paperwork, I used the assignment letter to contact tourism offices in the locale I was visiting. Sometimes perks are offered by the tourism office in the form of hotel stays, spa treatments, adventure tours, attractions, or restaurant comps. It is okay to accept perks, but never okay to ask for them. The tourism offices will forward your letter to resort marketing representatives to aid in AAA-approved accommodations.  
    
After arriving at a resort, I meet with the Public Relations Manager or General Manager to discuss the resort’s unique features and secure quotes pertinent to the article.
    
Perks have included butlered-stays at Sandals Emerald Bay, Exuma, behind the scenes tours at Churchill Downs, an upgrade to an oceanfront beach house in the Bahamas, and an all-day fast-boat adventure in the Exuma Cays. I cherish these comps as I never know when I’ll receive them.
    
As with any story, it’s important to “Show, Don’t Tell,” a pearl of wisdom I learned as a member of my writing group Saturday Writers. The aroma of the frangipani, the cool ocean mist touching skin, the tangerine and blue violet sunset, all add to the experience. Creating visual images places the reader in the moment. Anything less cheats them. Carrying a variety of cameras helps me connect the dots at a later date, especially if I can’t remember if the hibiscus floating in the sunken tub was red-orange or magenta, or the shape of water droplets in a tide pool were round or oval.
    
I carry a small notebook with me at all times, especially when I’m writing on ocean adventures when a computer isn’t feasible. While on a 007 Thunderball adventure tour in the Exuma Cays, we stopped to feed iguanas, snorkel in the grotto where the James Bond movie Thunderball was filmed, and skip on the sand at Galiot Cay sandbar.
    
Experiences are key in travel writing. When writing about spa-cations then by all means, indulge in a massage. Note how it made you feel, what type of music was playing in the background, the technique used by the masseuse.

The query period for AAA is open from January through April. Assignments are set shortly thereafter, with deadlines the following year, unless otherwise stated.
    
Source and contact information should be supplied to your editor, whether at AAA or otherwise, which includes names, addresses, emails, websites, and phone numbers for anyone you’ve interviewed or photographed. AAA verifies source information and fact checks the article closer to the date.
    
When you add up all the adventures, people met, and land traversed, it’s not a bad gig. The fact that I’m able to combine my love of traveling with writing and photography is a blessing. And I’ve made many friends along the way.

BIO
Sheree K. Nielsen is the author/photographer of FOLLY BEACH DANCES, a 'healing’ coffee table book inspired by the sea’s rhythm – a recent 2015 Eric Hoffer Award nominee and da Vinci Eye Award finalist. An award-winning author, poet and photographer, publications include AAA Southern Traveler, AAA Midwest Traveler, Carolina Go, Missouri Life, countless anthologies, newspapers, and websites across the nation and Caribbean. When not writing, she can be found discovering new beaches, or riding around town with her goofy dogs, sipping non-fat cappuccinos. She blogs at www.shereenielsen.wordpress.com, tweets @ShereeKNielsen and @follybeachdance. The book’s official website -  www.beachdances.com


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COMPETITIONS
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TETHERED BY LETTERS SUMMER 2015 SHORT STORY CONTEST
http://tetheredbyletters.com/submissions/contest-submission
$15 ENTRY FEE.
Accepting short stories of any genre ranging from 1,000 to 7,500 words. The short story contest winner will be published in F(r)iction. Five finalists will be considered for subsequent journal publications or a TBL online monthly feature. Each finalist will also receive free professional edits on their submission. International submissions welcome. Deadline August 31, 2015. Prize: $500 and publication in the quarterly journal.



TULIPTREE'S STORIES THAT NEED TO BE TOLD CONTEST
http://www.tuliptreepub.com/contests.html
$20 ENTRY FEE.
TulipTree Publishing announces its inaugural Stories That Need to Be Told contest. We have done away with categories, so whether you consider it fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, as long as it tells a story, it fits! Prizes are 1st: $1,000; 2nd: $500; 3rd: $250. Winners will be published in a future issue of TulipTree Review. All entries considered for publication. Deadline August 29, 2015.



THE NEW GUARD MACHIGONNE FICTION CONTEST
https://thenewguard.submittable.com/submit
$20 ENTRY FEE.
Deadline August 20, 2015. $1,500 and publication for an exceptional fiction in any genre. Submit up to 5,000 words: anything from flash to the long story. Novel excerpts are welcome if the excerpt functions as a stand-alone story.  



ALFIE DOG FICTION INTERNATIONAL SHORT STORY COMPETITION
http://alfiedog.com/fiction/competitions/writing-competition/
ENTRY FEE - DOWNLOAD 5 OF THEIR SHORT STORIES.
First prize £200 and publication of a short story collection of 35,000 – 40,000 words with editorial support for completion. Second prize full critique of stories to a total maximum word count of 10,000 words. Deadline September 30, 2015.


 
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GRANTS
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THE ARCTIC CIRCLE
http://www.thearcticcircle.org
Artist and scientist led, The Arctic Circle is an annual expeditionary residency program. The Arctic Circle brings together international artists of all disciplines, scientists, architects, and educators who collectively explore remote and fascinating destinations aboard a sailing vessel.



ART FARM
http://www.artfarmnebraska.org
Art Farm is a 60-acre farm in central Nebraska. Art Farm supports families/partners with up to two children by offering approximately 2,000 square feet of studio and living space consisting of kitchen, bath, sitting and dining, two second floor private bedrooms and a fourth floor master bedroom with panoramic views of the countryside. The studio is on the third floor. Deadline in March.



OMI ARTS CENTER
http://www.artomi.org
Omi International Arts Center hosts international visual artists, writers, musicians and dancers on 300 acres in the Hudson Valley region of New York, amidst a 10-acre contemporary sculpture park, The Fields Sculpture Park. Deadlines October and November.



ARTE STUDIO GINESTRELLE
http://www.artestudioginestrelle.wordpress.com
Arte Studio Ginestrelle set in the hills of the Regional Park of Mount Subasio, near the historic town of Assisi (UNESCO World Heritage site), famous for its frescos by Giotto and Cimabue. It offers residencies to International artists from all artistic disciplines.

 

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