Volume 10, Issue 40
October 3, 2010

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FUNDS FOR WRITERS

Writer's Digest's 101 Best Websites for Writers
2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

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Our subscriber list is NOT made available to others. Use
information listed at your own risk. FundsforWriters gives
no warranty to completeness, accuracy, or fitness of the
markets, contests and grants although research is done to
the best of our ability.

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PAID SPONSOR OF THE WEEK
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EDITOR'S THOUGHTS
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Read newsletter online at: http://www.fundsforwriters.com/FFW.htm
Read past issues at: http://www.aweber.com/z/article/?fundsforwriters

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WHAT IS SMASHWORDS?

Smashwords is an ebook publisher. They cater to individual
authors, traditional publishers, indie publishers and agents.
They don't consider themselves self-pub or trad pub since they
publish both.

NOTE: They are the only company out there at present that
publishes ebooks in such a wide range of multi-formats. They
distribute to B&N, Kobo, Sony, Diesel, Apple iPad, Android,
and Kindle. The contract allows them to sell it in any digital
format, so even formats not created yet are covered. However,
you are free to stop sales at any time with the simple click
of a button on the dashboard. They also distribute a catalog
to major online retailers, and you have the option of taking
advantage of that opportunity or not.

That sounds fabulous. Just realize that they are not posted in
the Amazon bookstore, the B&N bookstore, etc. When someone
buys an ebook, they buy it through Smashwords to read on
whatever style e-reader he has, so readers have to know where
to go to make the purchase. And if Smashwords does not like
your formatting, they hold the option to remove your book from
their site. Using their words: "We urge all Smashwords authors
not to waste the time of Smashwords, our retail partners or
our readers."

So we have a pro and con situation here since Kindle/Amazon
pretty much rules the roost these days when it comes to
ebook sales, but Smashwords has gained a tremendous amount
of respect in the industry. It has 10K authors and 18K books.

BIG NOTE: They pay 85% of sales to you. You set the price.

In my opinion, Smashwords is extremely user-friendly. Start at
http://www.smashwords.com/about/how_to_publish_on_smashwords
and if you don't get all questions answered (bet you will),
then go to their FAQs page. Formatting is key, and they go
to great depth training you on how to prepare a polished
product. The basic starting point is your MS Word document.
How simple is that?

They pay royalties forty days after the end of each quarter.
They pay via check or PayPal (which I love). They request
IRS ID information to withhold taxes, and if you do not
provide it, they withhold 28% for IRS - 30% for those from
outside the US.

And once you've decided to use Smashwords, using your
free styleguide ( http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/52 )
to publish your ebook, they give you a free marketing primer
in the electronic format of your choice. I downloaded mine
for Kindle. http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/305

LITTLE NOTE: The only glitch I found was when authors
published via Amazon and Smashwords at the same time. Keep
the prices the same to avoid conflict, preferably $2.99 or
more if you want to take advantage of the 70% royalty
rate offered by Amazon.

Next week . . . Kindle Publishing.

     Hope

 9TH ANNUAL FUNDSFORWRITERS ESSAY CONTEST

FundsforWriters.com and Literary Database.com team up to
co-sponsor the 9th Annual FundsforWriters Essay Contest.

Theme: Writing that made a difference.

Both entry fee and no entry fee categories. First place
winner receives $300. Six awards given. Limit 750 words.
Deadline October 31, 2010. Winners announced December 1, 2010.

 Our Tweetebook library contains 20+ niche markets. Romance
Publishers, Children's Markets, Outdoor Markets, Seniors Markets,
you name it! Purchase one or two to try them out - they're only $1.99.

=====

THE BLOG - http://www.hopeclark.blogspot.com

TWITTER - http://twitter.com/hopeclark

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

FACEBOOK - http://www.facebook.com/chopeclark

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WORDS OF SUCCESS

"My theory is, if I'm not getting a rejection
every week, I'm not working."

-A.S King in an interview in
Writer's Digest, February 2009

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ARTICLE
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Make More Money Writing About Yourself

By Dawn Colclasure

Mother may have told you, "Nobody likes a braggart." But
when it comes to being a working writer, often the best
source for story ideas is that person you see staring back
at you in the mirror: Yourself!

So what do you, basically, and you, specifically, have to
offer to the reading public? Plenty. Whether it's a topic
based on your gender, your experiences and your hobby, there
are tons of article, essay and story ideas lurking within
your life. The goal is to set out and discover what they are.

The first step in writing about yourself is making a list
of basic information about you. For me, it would be
something like this:

"I am a woman."

"I am from a large family."

"I am a daughter."

"I am a sister."

"I am an aunt."

"I am a wife."

Then come the specific things. Here again is my info:

"I am deaf."

"I am a burn survivor."

"I have overcome depression."

"I know how to write (an article, book, etc.)."

"I can manage taking a long walk."

"I know how to make a lasagna."

Make a list of your special skills, what sets you apart
from the crowd, what unique experiences you've survived,
the lessons you've learned because of hard times and funny
stories your relatives have shared.

The point of these lists? You are narrowing down certain
aspects of yourself and your life you can share as a writer.
For example, take the statement "I am a woman." How do
certain issues related to being a woman factor into the
writing? Well, you can write about your response, as a woman,
to certain historical periods such as when women won the right
to vote, or how you, as a woman, relate to a major news item
affecting women or feminists. Come from a large family? Write
about memories of wearing hand-me-downs, how your mother
managed to cook meals for an army on a budget, or the games
you and your siblings made up.

My experiences as a deaf parent were turned into an essay I
sold to Mothering Magazine. Having a very active toddler on
my hands inspired an idea for an article on "Toddler
Tornadoes," which I sold to iParenting.

Other aspects about yourself can be turned into essay or
article ideas. If you are a certain race or a certain religion,
use this as a springboard for ideas. Married to someone of a
different religion than you? Write about it. If you have
overcome racism in the workplace, share your story with the
world. Let your obstacles, your emotions, and your skills
inspire readers and move them to ponder how they, too, can
relate to your very words.

Ultimately, you are also one thing you can always find ideas
to write about: A writer. Take your experiences as a writer
and write about them. Write about your freelancing methods,
your unique ability to land assignments, or your time-saving
strategies to write that next book, and find markets to submit
them to.

Take everything you have on the inside, as well as everything
you are on the outside, and ponder how each part of you and
your life can be turned into an article or essay you can sell.
Writing about yourself can help you turn a dinner disaster
into a funny anecdote, a religious dilemma into a thought-
provoking essay, and you'll soon be on your way to turning
everything about you and your life into your next check.

BIO:
Books by Dawn Colclasure:
BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL: How We Survive as Writing Parents (http://www.booklocker.com/books/1743.html)

365 TIPS FOR WRITERS: Inspiration, Writing Prompts and Beat
the Block Tips to Turbo Charge Your Creativity
(http://www.filbertpublishing.com/tips.htm).

Her writing-related articles have appeared in Writing World,
Writing For DOLLARS!, Worldwide Freelance Writer, Absolute Write,
Writer2Writer and The Writer Within. Being a deaf person has helped
her to land article assignments with the newspaper SIGNews, and
being a curious sort has inspired her to write and sell articles
to markets such as Succeed Magazine, American Fitness, and Home
Education Magazine. Her interests in the paranormal led her to
write the nonfiction book, Spook City, due out in October. You
can read more about Dawn on her Web site: http://dmcwriter.tripod.com/

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COMPETITIONS
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JAMES KNUDSEN EDITOR'S PRIZE
http://cola.uno.edu/cww/bayou/bonanza.cfm
---
$15 ENTRY FEE
Deadline December 31, 2010. The submission must be an original,
previously unpublished work of FICTION and no longer than 7,500
words. The reading fee includes a one-year subscription to Bayou
Magazine. We accept novel excerpts so long as the excerpt can
stand alone as a complete short story. The winner of the contest
will be published in Bayou Magazine, and all other entries will
be considered for publication. The winner will receive $500 and
publication, and the finalists will be named on our website.

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JOHN STEINBECK AWARD FOR FICTION
http://www.reedmag.org/drupal/
---
$15 ENTRY FEE
The Steinbeck Award gives $1,000 to the annual short fiction story
winner.  Runners up may also be chosen for publication (with the
author's permission). Deadline November 1, 2010. All entrants will
receive a complimentary copy of Reed Magazine. 6,000-word maximum.

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EDWIN MARKHAM PRIZE FOR POETRY
http://www.reedmag.org/drupal/
---
$15 ENTRY FEE
The Markham Prize gives $1,000 to the annual poetry winner. 
Please submit manuscripts of 3-5 poems. Runners up may be
published as well (with the author's permission). Deadline
November 1, 2010. All entrants will receive a complimentary
copy of Reed Magazine.

 
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GRANTS
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IDEA FUND - TEXAS
http://www.arts.state.tx.us/index.php?option=com_jobline&Itemid=118&task=view&id=1919
---
The Idea Fund provides cash awards to up to 10 artists,
associations of artists and/or curators that create and
showcase new work that involves the public via process,
production, or presentation. The Idea Fund will accept
proposals from artists/curators focusing on the visual arts,
performance, film, video, new media, social practice, and
interdisciplinary projects. The Idea Fund will support
projects at levels up to $3,500. The resulting project
activities must be accessible and presented to the public
within the state of Texas. Deadline October 15, 2010.

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NEW YORK FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS IMMIGRANT MENTORING PROGRAM
http://www.nyfa.org/level3.asp?id=655&fid=1&sid=145
---
The 2011 Mentoring Program will pair approximately twenty
emerging foreign-born artists with established artists from
the 2010 NYFA Fellowship Program and the folk arts community.
The latter will act as one-on-one mentors to their immigrant
artist mentees for a period of six months, assisting them in
gaining broader access to the New York cultural community by
sharing ideas, advice, resources, and experiences. Deadline
October 15, 2010. Applicants may apply in the following artistic
disciplines: choreography; folk perfoming arts; music composition;
painting; photography; playwriting/screenwriting; and video.
All applicants must live within the New York Tri-State
metropolitan area (New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut).

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FREE SOCIAL MEDIA WORKSHOP FOR ARTISTS - TENNESSEE
http://www.arts.state.tn.us/social_media_artistsworkshops.html
---
The Tennessee Arts Commission is pleased to announce that it
will offer three statewide workshops to professional
individual Tennessee artists who are interested in utilizing
social media networks to advance their career by learning
online creativity and marketing strategies. Topics of
discussion include: networking, benefit-driven content,
building relationships vs. making sales, understanding online
goals and audiences, measuring and evaluating success, and
balancing personal and professional profiles. These free
workshops are offered to professional individual Tennessee
artists with some working knowledge of social media networks
and will NOT cover any technical aspects of beginning these
processes but instead focus on content-driven strategies.
Workshops are scheduled for: Knoxville, Tues., Oct. 26,
Knoxville Museum of Art; Nashville, Thurs., Oct. 28, W.O.
Smith School; and Memphis, Thurs., Nov. 4, Clark Opera
Memphis Center.

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THE SOLSTICE MFA IN CREATIVE WRITING PROGRAM OF PINE MANOR COLLEGE
ANNOUNCES FOUR FELLOWSHIPS FOR WRITERS
http://www.pmc.edu/mfa
---
The Solstice Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing Program of
Pine Manor College is pleased to announce the addition of four
new $1,000 fellowships for writers:

The Dennis Lehane Fellowship for Fiction; the Michael Steinberg
Fellowship for Creative Nonfiction; the Jacqueline Woodson
Fellowship for a Young People's Writer of African or Caribbean
Descent; and the Sharon Olds Fellowship for Poetry.

All fellowship awards are based on the quality of a writing
sample. Fellowship applications are due October 15, 2010 (not
a postmark date; materials must be received in our offices
before or on October 15). Fellowship applicants are strongly
encouraged to apply early. (Location Massachusetts)

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FREELANCE MARKETS
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NATURAL HEALTH MAGAZINE
http://www.naturalhealthmag.com/contact
---
Mail queries:
American Media Inc, 1 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016

Query with clips, resume and SASE. Covers natural and whole
foods, healthy cooking and dining, fitness, wellness, exercise,
holistic remedies, alternative medicine, natural beauty care,
and the environment. Pays around 50 cents/word.

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PIZZA TODAY
http://www.pizzatoday.com/AboutUs/FreelanceWritersGuidelines/tabid/164/Default.aspx
---
Pizza Today is a monthly four-color trade publication for
owners and managers of pizza-based restaurants. Subscribers
range from single-store neighborhood parlors to national and
international chains. Also read by suppliers of products and
services for the pizza industry. Topics done in the past
include conventions, types of cheeses, professional interviews,
independents to watch. Pays up to 75 cents/word. Mail or
email query with clips. SASE with postal query.

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SLAM
http://www.slamonline.com/online/contact-us/
---
Covers basketball from playground pick-up to high school,
from NCAA to NBA. Covers lifestyle, gear, music, games,
profiles, trading cards, even fashion. Readership runs
15 to 24 years of age. Pays up to 50 cents/word.

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JOBS
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ARTS COUNCIL PROGRAM SPECIALIST I
Location St. Louis, MO
https://www.missouriartscouncil.org/graphics/assets/documents/a27bf15b0460.doc
---
$33,420 to $35,316 Annually. Deadline October 12, 2010.
One or more year(s) of professional or technical experience
in performing or fine arts related activities such as theater,
dance, music, literature, or arts administration; and bachelor's
degree from an accredited four-year college or university with
specialization in theater, music, arts administration, English
literature, visual arts or a related area, e.g., sociology,
psychology, community development, public administration. 

=====

WRITER-EDITOR
Location Throughout the US
Job Announcement Number: PERM-OCR-1082-09-WRITER-DP
Agency: Forest Service
http://www.usajobs.opm.gov
---
Deadline February 28, 2011. Writes and edits materials for
content, such as reports, regulations, news, newsletters,
magazines, news releases, training materials, brochures,
interpretive handbooks, pamphlets, guidebooks, scholarly
works, reference works, speeches, or scripts.

=====

DC MAGAZINE FREELANCE COPY EDITOR
http://www.ed2010.com/jobs/whisperjobs/2010/09/d-c-magazine-freelance-copy-editor
---
DC magazine, owned by Modern Luxury, is looking for a freelance
copy editor who can be available for a week and a half every
month to help with copy editing and inputting changes, as well
as last minute captioning, crediting and even some blurb
writing at the close of each issue. The copy editor will work
in the office during that time, for the most part. The November
close dates would be October 4-12, December close dates would
be November 4-15, Jan/Feb close dates would be December 1-13.
An hourly rate will be commensurate with experience.

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PUBLISHERS/AGENTS
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ARCTURUS PUBLISHING
http://www.arcturuspublishing.com/
---
Non-fiction publishing that covers reference, practical art,
new age, classics, puzzles and children's books.

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PRESS 53
http://www.press53.com/Submissions.html
---
Press 53 is a small independent publisher that publishes books
of literary fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Does not publish
books for children or young adults, nor do they venture into
picture/coffee table books, graphic novels, religious/political
testimonials, and how-to guides.

=====

BELLE BOOKS
http://www.bellebooks.com/writers.htm
---
BelleBooks is based in Atlanta, Georgia with additional offices
in Memphis, Tennessee and Saltillo, Mississippi. The company
motto is "Southern Fried Fiction At Its Finest." Quality,
integrity, and innovation-- both as publishers and as writers--
guide the company's four dedicated directors.  BelleBooks
specializes in upbeat, sentimental, traditional fiction about
life in the South. Think "Mayberry" and "Chicken Soup" more
than "Mitford." We are not looking for genre fiction at this
time. (No romance, science fiction, fantasy, or mystery.)
Nor are we seeking literary fiction or non-fiction at this
time. No essays, Civil War novels, Civil Rights novels, poetry,
or how-to books, please. Though we will consider historical
fiction, we are primarily interested in gentle, wholesome
stories about contemporary Southern life from the 1930s onward.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SPONSORS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AWARD-WINNING WRITER, PUBLISHER
WILL EDIT YOUR NOVEL, MEMOIR, POETRY

Have your writing edited by an award-winning, professional
writer, editor, and publisher, one who knows how to help
you prepare your writing for publication.  Richard Krawiec
has published novels, biographies, text books, plays, and
a story and poetry collection.  He won the 2009 Excellence
in Teaching Award from UNC Chapel Hill. His essays, feature
articles, and reviews have appeared in major newspapers and
magazines across the US. The NY Times, LA Times, Publishers
Weekly have reviewed his work. Awards include National
Endowment for the Arts and NC Arts Council grants, as well
as nominations for the National Book Award, Best American
Short Stories, and Pushcart Prize. He is founder of Jacar Press.

Contact [email protected], www.rkeditor.com

 

THE BOOK TRAILER MANUAL:
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=> 8 specific ideas on types of content
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=> 5 case studies
=> Recommendations for hardware and software

The possibility of Viral is within your reach.
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Are you one of those people who never submits your writing for
publication because you think it isn't good enough? What if there
were someone you could show it to -- someone who would be both
objective judge and supporter?
 
I'm Nancy Wick, a Seattle-based writer, editor and writing coach.
Send me your manuscript for a developmental edit that will help you
make the next draft better or a copyedit that will polish a finished
piece for submission. Let me be your partner in prose.

 

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.enlightenededits.com

Today's leading online contest database ranks and profiles
over 750 poetry contests, plus 300 of the best prose contests.
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MARKETS PLUS: 2500 WRITING MARKETS

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BUSINESS STUFF
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C. Hope Clark
E-mail: [email protected]

140-A Amicks Ferry Road #4
Chapin, SC 29036

http://www.fundsforwriters.com

Copyright 2000-2010, C. Hope Clark
ISSN: 1533-1326

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