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TOP SPONSOR
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Open a WorkMade account for free in 60 seconds and use it for your income and business expenses. When you get paid, the app automatically sets aside what you owe for your state and federal income taxes - both quarterly and end-of-year. When it's time to file, WorkMade handles it for you.
The app will also find your tax write-offs, saving you money and sanity.
Try WorkMade for free on iPhone
Web and Android apps are coming soon.
EDITOR'S THOUGHTS
YOU LOOK LIKE YOU LOVE WHAT YOU DO
There isn't a better compliment on the planet than this.
I was at a book signing, having just spoken to attendees about how I got to where I was with writing, and how I put some of my stories together. We got to the end, when folks bought books and came up to speak, and one woman blurted that out. "You look like you love what you do."
I get that a lot.
The other line I get is, "You are living the life."
But what amazes me is that people talk about it like it was all luck. Or that that what I do is completely outside their reach.
When I speak to writers, I tell them to embrace writing. Set goals. Study writing. Read lots of books. Live the writing life. It isn't supposed to fall into your lap. You carve your way.
You write...a lot. You edit...a lot. You seek guidance. You pitch and you cast aside rejection as nothing more than an educational step toward publication, learning from the stumbles.
Writing made me so happy that I set up a plan to write fulltime. It is not easy. Those were lean years. Luckily I had a spouse who believed in me, though I like to think I picked him out, so I can take some credit for that as well.
However, nobody successful becomes successful by pure luck. They do it with a long-range plan, a vision, and diligence in getting there.
I do not measure my success by dollars in the bank. While I can tell you every cent I've ever made per month back to the year 2000, that's not what made me happy. It was bylines, reader feedback, reviews, and the self-satisfaction that came from owning what I wanted to be.
Yes, you can do it. I didn't publish my first book until age 56, and I wear that proudly, too.
SUPER SPONSOR
Telling Our Life Stories – A FREE Webinar
Stories are all around us. We hear them. We read them. We tell them.
You're invited to "Telling Our Life Stories," a free webinar hosted by published creative nonfiction author and writing coach Kate Meadows. Explore the power of story, learn how to preserve and share memories of the past and think critically about why your stories matter. We tell stories for many reasons. From this
webinar, you'll walk away with the tools and the game plan you need to bring your story to life.
Sign up at https://event.webinarjam.com/register/27/ygg27sq5
Kate Meadows is a published writer, proven editor and passionate writing coach with an MFA in Professional Writing. Learn more at www.katemeadows.com.
HOPE'S APPEARANCES
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- May 1, 2023 - Night Harbor Book Club, Night Harbor S/D Rec Center, Chapin, SC - 7-9 PM
- June 3-10, 2023 - Writing Retreat on the Maine Coast - Special Guest - Sponsored by Joan Dempsey, author and teacher
- July 10, 2023 - Night Harbor Book Club, Night Harbor S/D Rec Center, Chapin, SC - 7-9 PM
- August 7, 2023 - Night Harbor Book Club, Night Harbor S/D Rec Center, Chapin, SC - 7-9 PM
- September 4, 2023 - Night Harbor Book Club, Night Harbor S/D Rec Center, Chapin, SC - 7-9 PM
- September 14, 2023 - Chapin Library, 129 Columbia, Ave, Chapin, SC - 1-3 PM - open to the public
Email: [email protected] to schedule events, online or otherwise. There's starting to be life out there! |
SUCCESS QUOTE
“Don't be discouraged by a failure. It can be a positive experience. Failure is, in a sense, the highway to success, inasmuch as every discovery of what is false leads us to seek earnestly after what is true, and every fresh experience points out some form of error which we shall afterwards carefully avoid.”
– John Keats
SUccess Story
Hi Hope,
I hope you are well. It totally slipped my mind to thank you for listing AuthorsPublish in your fabulous newsletter! They have published a couple of my articles and I have also read a couple of their free ebooks. So, thanks for letting us all know about them!
Keep up the good work!
Best wishes,
Dawn Colclasure
Dawn is a writer who lives in Oregon. She is a book reviewer, freelance writer and ghostwriter. She is the author of several books. Her work has appeared in magazines, newspapers, websites and anthologies. Her websites are https://dawnsbooks.com/ and https://www.dmcwriter.com/ Her Twitter: @dawncolclasure.
= = =
If you have a success story you believe was prompted by FundsforWriters, please share with us! Send to [email protected]
Featured article
Corporate Blog Writing & How It’s Different
By Alex J. Coyne
Corporate blog writing lets a writer step into the name of a company or brand, creating posts to promote or inform readers and entice possible customers. Corporate blogging isn’t sales copywriting, but instead content that keeps customers and readers coming back to a site or blog because they crave more. Here’s how corporate blog writing works.
What Are Corporate Blogs?
Corporate blogs still promote companies or products, but is different to sales content or short copywriting. Corporate blogs have regular posts, which readers should find interesting, share, and come back for.
United Locksmith has a blog for learning about locks, keys, and mechanisms. It’s useful to readers. But actually, it also promotes the company.
The Will It Blend? YouTube series used crazy ideas to sell blenders: in controlled environments, items like iPhones went through Blendtec products - and the company paid for this.
Personally, I wrote for a credit blog, taking out a payday loan myself in order to explain the process to MyCreditStatus readers.
There’s always promotional action in corporate blogs, but the writing has to be subtle, interesting or informative to the audience.
Getting Noticed
You can’t do all your promotion and reaching out via about social media.
The corporate sphere involves businesspeople, but also trade publications and business federations. Get seen, and become memorable. Groups, often focused around specific industries, have to notice your presence if you’d like anyone to hire you.
Attend functions and meetings, join appropriate internet groups, see if there’s a Discord or Reddit for the topic. There’s a Reddit for everything, including /r/engineering and /r/copywriters. The
Society of Professional Journalists hosts conventions, and there are thousands more like it.
Cultivate a presence by linking up with contacts, and asking them what’s new. Read a lot of press releases and speak to the people mentioned in these (and often, the ones who wrote them). Build your network with constant interaction.
Moneyweb and The Investor were pivotal markets for me. Articles were syndicated elsewhere (and syndication continued). This way, I got to know
many media contacts I still keep in touch with. Without a first step, none of that would have been possible.
Most Are Ghostwritten
Most blogs are either ghostwritten or published as part of the company’s team.
As a result of the ghostwriting factor, corporate blogs might not come up first when people search your byline, if they show up at all. Instead, use testimonials or examples on your own website to prove your history as a corporate writer.
Several articles on MoneyPantry are mine, ghostwritten. Unless I said it here, would you ever have known? That’s how a lot of corporate writing works.
Writing From Interviews
Sometimes, a company’s CEO might have something to say and not know how to say it. That’s when they call writers. Ghostwritten blog posts and press releases can be based on interviews with company subjects.
A 15- to 20-minute interview can produce an 800- to 1,200-word article. Ask questions, and probe once you find something they’re passionate about. This is how you land strong corporate quotes.
Invoices for Business
Getting paid by larger companies isn’t the same as receiving your money via PayPal. Invoices have their own department, which usually ask for more specific information. International transfers, for example, need a Routing Number. Eventually, you’ll learn these numbers by heart.
All companies have their own process, and their own paperwork. Respect whatever it is.
Corporate payments are cleared by accounting departments. Always send details to the right place, or you will have Reader’s Digest make out a check to your pseudonym. Be able to give clients several payment methods, such as PayPal versus Wise.com.
Contracts
Corporate blogs aren’t once-off article sales, and writers should want to enter into longer contracts with their companies. Negotiate a rate, number of posts, and time period. Bring a long-term arrangement up in conversation and see what the client says. Sometimes this leads to a regular job, like the BBO Prime Daily Blog I wrote for several years.
When your writing contracts run out, companies don’t have an obligation to renew them. Therefore, have contracts with several companies at once, and start signing clients before your other contracts have come to an end. Just make sure they aren’t competitors.
Bio: Alex J. Coyne is a journalist, copywriter, and bridge player. Samples and exclusive content can be found at his website.
COmpetitions
THE CHILLING PEN AWARD
https://chillingpen.org/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 1, 2023. The Chilling Pen Award is a short story competition designed to unearth the hidden gems of unpublished authors and ignite their creative spark. First place $500. Second place $300. Third place $100. Theme: Betrayal. All genres and styles are welcome, including but not limited to, short stories, essays, and poetry. Submissions must be previously unpublished and not under consideration elsewhere. Each participant may submit one
entry. Submissions must not use AI. Any entries that are found to be using AI will be automatically disqualified and the author banned from all future competitions.
THE BRIDPORT PRIZE
https://thebridportprize.submittable.com/submit
£11-£24 ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 31, 2023.
Poetry. 1st Prize £5,000. Up to 42 lines.
Short story. 1st Prize £5,000. 5,000 words or less.
Flash Fiction. 1st Prize £1,000. 250 words or less.
Novel. Winner £1,500 plus package. 8,000 words and a synopsis - initially. Up to a year’s mentoring from The Literary Consultancy through their Chapter & Verse scheme (worth £2,640) and a detailed critique from the novel judge. Runner-up £750 plus package. Full manuscript appraisal and Industry Day place from The Literary Consultancy.
Memoir. 1st Prize £1,500 plus package. 5,000 to 8,000 words plus a 300 word overview - to begin with. A year’s mentoring with The Literary Consultancy through their Chapter & Verse scheme (worth £2,640) and advice from an editor at John Murray (part of Hachette) plus the option of taking part in an online seminar at the University of Exeter’s English Department with Professor Sam North. Runner up £750 plus package. Full manuscript assessment by The
Literary Consultancy with editorial feedback and the option of taking part in an online seminar at the University of Exeter’s English Department with Professor Sam North.
Young Writer Award £500. For the highest placed writer aged 16 to 25 in poetry, short story, flash fiction and novel.
Dorset Award £100. Given to the highest placed Dorset writer in poetry, short story, flash fiction and novel.
All winning poetry, short story, flash fiction and novel pieces are featured in our anthology, opening doors with literary agents and publishers and giving access to other competitions not available to the public.
BARDSY ANTHOLOGY CONTEST: FIRST CHAPTERS
https://bardsy.com/contest
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 20, 2023. Grand prize: $1000 and anthology publication. All finalists will receive $50 and anthology publication. We’re looking for first chapters that grab our attention and leave us wanting more. Your chapter should set the stage for the story to come, establishing key elements like character, world and conflict. Original, previously unpublished stories between 2,000 and 3,000 words. English only.
BLACK FOX SUMMER WRITING CONTEST
https://blackfoxlit.submittable.com/submit/259114/black-fox-summer-2023-writing-contest-secrets-unraveled
$12 ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 19, 2023. The theme is “Secrets Unraveled.” Please submit your strongest fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, and we will choose one winner that we feel interprets the theme best. The prize is $300 and publication in the Summer 2023 issue. All submissions are considered for publication in the Summer 2023 issue. Submissions should be no more than 5,000 words. For poetry, send up to three poems in the same document. For flash fiction, send
up to two stories in the same document.
GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING
MARBLE HOUSE PROJECT
https://marblehouseproject.submittable.com/submit
Deadline May 30, 2023. Marble House Project is a multi-disciplinary artist residency program that fosters collaboration & the exchange of ideas by providing an environment for artists across disciplines to live and work side by side. Each session hosts eight artists and is carefully curated to bring together a group of creative workers across various disciplines, who might collaborate and learn from one another. Applications . include but is not limited to visual arts,
writing, choreography, music composition and performance. There are six sessions that last for three weeks. The AIR season runs from early March through early November. Location Dorset, VT.
PLAYA RESIDENCIES
https://playasummerlake.org/apply-for-residency/
Deadline May 31, 2023. Supported residencies are funded opportunities available through an application process and awarded to people working at the intersection of art and science. Residents stay here free of charge and are responsible for their own travel costs and food while they are here. We are open to international and domestic applicants as long as eligibility requirements are met. Applicants may choose a 5, 12 or 26 day session. PLAYA’s residencies are open to
the global community of scientists, naturalists, biologists, musicians, designers, sustainability leaders, social practice artists, musicians, visual artists, writers, performing artists, and collaborations and individuals engaged in interdisciplinary work or other forms of creative work. Location Summer Lake, Oregon.
HEADLANDS CENTER FOR THE ARTS
https://www.headlands.org/
https://headlands.slideroom.com/#/login
Deadline June 5, 2023. Headlands’ Artist in Residence (AIR) program awards fully sponsored residencies to approximately 50 local, national, and international artists each year. Residencies of four to six weeks include studio space, chef-prepared meals, comfortable housing, and travel and living expense reimbursements. AIRs become part of a dynamic community of artists participating in Headlands’ other programs, allowing for exchange and collaborative
relationships to develop within the artist community on campus. Location Sausalito, CA.
BANFF CENTRE FOR ARTS AND CREATIVITY
https://www.banffcentre.ca/programs/emerging-writers-residency-poetry-2023/20230925
Deadline June 14, 2023. This two-week writing program supports new writers in poetry at varying levels of accomplishment, from not-yet-published writers to those with one published book. In this workshop-based residency, you will work closely with our faculty, Suzanne Zelazo, Sharanpal Ruprai, and professional guest Helen Hajnoczky, to expand your practice and focus on improving writing skills. Any new writer of poetry interested in structured feedback from faculty and
fellow participants will benefit from this program. The program is open to writers with no publications, a few publications, or even a first book. Location Banff, Alberta, Canada.
PRAIRIE RONDE ARTIST RESIDENCY
https://prairierondeartistresidency.com/about/apply/
Deadline June 15, 2023. Prairie Ronde Artist Residency offers artists from a range of disciplines a five- to seven-week residency in the historic Village of Vicksburg, Michigan. We offer a unique environment for our artists to develop their craft: the 420,000 square foot former Lee Paper Company mill and its adjacent 80 acres of property. We’re looking for individuals who are highly independent, engaged and curious. We do not limit our residency to any specific
medium, but rather are looking for diverse artists who can creatively interact with The Mill. We host three sessions annually and accept trwo to four residents per session. Accepted residents receive a stipend of $2,000 for five to seven weeks, a $500 travel grant and private housing. We work with residents to share their work with the community (a gallery show, public workshop or other).
LEEWAY FOUNDATION TRANSFORMATION AWARDS
https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/rfps/rfp15085-leeway-foundation-invites-applications-for-transformation-award-program
Deadline May 15, 2023. The Leeway Foundation supports women and trans artists and cultural producers working in communities at the intersection of art, culture, and social change. Through its programs, the foundation promotes artistic expression that amplifies the voices of those on the margins, promotes sustainable and healthy communities, and works in the service of movements for economic and social justice. Provides unrestricted grants of $15,000 annually to women,
trans, and gender-nonconforming artists and cultural producers living in the Philadelphia area who create art for social change and have done so for the past five years or more, demonstrating a commitment to art for social change work.
BRIDPORT PRIZE BURSARIES FOR UNDERREPRESENTED WRITERS
https://bridportprize.org.uk/writers-room/bursaries-for-under-represented-writers/
Deadline May 10, 2023. Our bursary scheme gives under represented writers a free entry to the Bridport Prize competition in any category. In order to support as many writers as possible, applications are limited to one per year, per writer. Applications for poetry, short story, flash fiction and novel bursaries open 1st December 2022 and close 10th May 2023. Applications for our memoir award bursaries open 1st July 2023 and close 10th September 2023.
PILLARS ARTIST FELLOWSHIP
https://pillarsfund.org/culture-change/pillars-artist-fellowship/
Deadline May 31, 2023. The fellowship aims to champion and mentor Muslim directors and writers whose presence behind the screen will be game-changing for the film and television industries. In addition to an unrestricted award of $25,000, each fellow will receive mentorship from industry experts on navigating Hollywood's business, professional development, and creative guidance in their fields and access to a trailblazing advisory committee of award-winning Muslim
actors, directors, producers, and writers. The fund will award 10 fellows for the 2024 fellowship year. To be eligible, applicants must be directors or screenwriters who identify as Muslim; must be adults 18 years old or older; and must live in the U.S. or U.K.
FROM GROWTH TO WELL BEING THINK FUND
https://usboell.bamboohr.com/careers/53?source=aWQ9Nw%3D%3D
Deadline July 31, 2023. Successful applicants will receive a grant of up to $3,000 for discussion pieces, articles, graphics/illustrations, policy papers, or research work. We seek (preferably) Global South experts, researchers, and writers with a track record of publications who offer new perspectives on an equitable economic transformation and inclusive growth. For questions, please contact Carl Roberts at [email protected].
FREELANCE MARKETS / JOBS
THREE PENNY REVIEW
https://www.threepennyreview.com/submissions/
At present The Threepenny Review is paying $400 per story or article, $200 per poem or Table Talk piece. This payment buys first serial rights in our print and digital editions, and the copyright then reverts to the author immediately upon publication. As a rule, critical articles should be about 1200 to 2500 words, Table Talk items 1000 words or less, stories and memoirs 4000 words or less, and poetry 100 lines or less.
CAST OF WONDERS
https://www.castofwonders.org/submissions/
We’re dedicated to publishing fiction that reflects the entire spectrum of the human experience. Stories that evoke a sense of wonder, have deep emotional resonance, and have something unreal about them. We aim for a 12-17 age range: that means sophisticated, non-condescending stories with wide appeal, and without gratuitous or explicit sex, violence or pervasive obscene language. Think Harry Potter or The Hunger Games. We’re looking for fiction with strong pacing, well-defined
characters, engaging dialogue, and clear action. Genres are fantasy, science fiction, and horror. Also happy to read comedy, Steampunk, age-appropriate paranormal romance, superheroes and many other genres. All that matters is adherence to our core concept and that critical spark of wonder. We are open to submissions of up to 6,000 words.
THE MARTIAN
https://themartianmagazine.com/submissions
Deadline April 30, 2023. What we want more of: Cyberpunk, Sci-fi horror, Stories with Tech, Starships, Holograms, Stories involving other planets, Dark sci-fi, Characters making a decision. Martian magazine publishes drabbles, stories of exactly 100 words (excluding title). Stories submitted of greater than or less than 100 words will be rejected. We publish science fiction. Every subgenre of science fiction is acceptable but the science fiction element must be present. We
pay .08 per word for original fiction, paid on publication of the selected work.
CEMETERY GATES
https://cemeterygatesmedia.com/submissions
We will be looking for submissions for 40k+ word manuscripts from authors who’ve never published a novel. Paying $500 signing bonus + $500 advance upon publication, and a 60% (author) royalty share on physical and electronic editions of the book. You’re welcome to submit one complete, original, and unpublished 40k+ word manuscript to [email protected] if you have at least two paid horror writing credits and have never
published a novel. If you have novellas and short story collections in print, you’re still eligible. We’re looking for horror stories in the vein of what we’ve previously published, not dystopian science fiction nor dark fantasy, and we likely won’t publish YA.
BREVITY
https://brevitymag.com/submissions/
Brevity publishes well-known and emerging writers working in the extremely brief (750 words or fewer) essay form. We have also featured numerous previously-unpublished authors, and take a special joy in helping to launch a new literary career. Authors are paid a $45 honorarium for featured essays and craft essays.
REST OF WORLD
https://docs.google.com/document/d/19ZLDzw2II1RM_5fxD6dw658gJlggqHbtqrpYeMWqFgU/edit
The Rest of World Features section is our home for longform, narrative journalism about technology and its impact. We are looking for local stories with global implications, which focus on any country except the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Western Europe, and Australia. Our stories usually explore the human-level impact of tech internationally. We prioritize local voices (in terms of both writers and sources) and aim to connect the dots at a global scale. Features are generally 3,000 words+ in
length, and are usually narrative in style. Rates start at a dollar a word.
NINTENDO LIFE
https://www.nintendolife.com/
Looking for unique pitches and perspectives on Nintendo topics (naturally). Retro or current, nothing is too niche with the right angle. Rates start at ~£100 and can scale to £250+ depending on scope. Please send pitches to Gavin Lane at [email protected]
INSIDEHOOK
https://www.insidehook.com/about-us
Send queries to Bonnie Stiernberg, Managing Editor at [email protected]. Rates vary depending on length, how much reporting is involved, etc. but typically start around $350. Seeks culture pieces (especially music and TV, but open to everything) pitches as well as beer pitches. With a team of editors, writers and contributors spread across the globe, InsideHook features both short, digestible takes on the most relevant topics of the
day, as well as longer reads that give you a deep look at the various facets of culture, wellness and leisure.
Publishers/agents
TK EDITING
Do you write with purpose? With love? With fervor? If so, then you're my kind of author. Like any editor, I have my favorite genres and story types. Adventure stories with dragons will always have a special place in my heart. But after editing everything from fiction to educational material, I've found that a manuscript's place in the author's heart is much more important. So if you've got a story that you
absolutely have to tell or knowledge that must be shared, I would be delighted to help you on that journey.
In thanks to the wonderful resources that Hope continues to provide for us week after week, I'm extending a special offer to each of her readers: 10% off any editing project. Just let me know how you found me.
TK Editing - Editing with passion what has been written with passion.
Email [email protected]
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BLUE RIVER PRESS
https://brpressbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Formal_Proposal.pdf
A one page summary of the books contents. If the submission is fiction, the write-up should contain an overview of the plot, sketches of the main characters, and a breakdown of the major themes of the novel.
If the submission is nonfiction, the write-up should contain an explanation of the book’s topic, what it hopes to achieve, and a description of the tone of the book. Today we have more than two hundred books and eBooks in print on the subjects of sports, health, fitness, education, games, popular culture, travel, regional interest, young adult and more. Our books have been recognized with awards and national and regional review attention.
FARRAGO BOOKS
https://farragobooks.com/contact/
Farrago’s purpose is simply to help readers find fiction that makes them smile. They want to introduce readers to books that will tickle a funny bone. Please send your submissions to [email protected] including a one page synopsis, two to three sample chapters, or better yet the completed manuscript, and your CV outlining your writing experience.
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FUNDSFORWRITERS CONTACT INFO
FINE PRINT
Please forward the newsletter in its entirety. To reprint any editorials, contact [email protected] for permission. Please do not assume that acknowledgements listed in your publication is considered a valid right to publish.
C. Hope Clark
E-mail: [email protected]
140-A Amicks Ferry Road #4
Chapin, SC 29036
http://www.fundsforwriters.com
Copyright 2000-2023, C. Hope Clark
ISSN: 1533-1326
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