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FREE WEBINAR

CLARIFY YOUR WRITING GOALS FOR 2022

January 15, 9 a.m. MST

Set your writing road map for 2022! In this free webinar, you’ll:

• Name 2-3 writing goals that are on your radar for 2022
• Identify potential hurdles to accomplishing those goals
• Receive tools and feedback for breaking through or pushing past those hurdles
• Walk away with a step-by-step writing plan for 2022!

Your host: Kate Meadows, author, writing coach & speaker

With an MFA in Professional Writing, Kate aims in all of her work to connect people through story and expression. She is passionate about helping her clients and students communicate effectively through story. Her track record proves her expertise: she has published work in Poets & Writers, Writer’s Digest, Chicken Soup for the Soul and elsewhere, and has published two books. She leads writers groups and writing workshops, and has earned the trust of numerous writers and clients who seek direction and honest, respectful feedback on their works in progress.

Learn more about Kate’s services at www.katemeadows.com.

Register for the webinar at https://event.webinarjam.com/register/1/zgg67sx

EDITOR'S THOUGHTS

ROLLING WITH THE PUNCHES

We just released two books in a new mystery series. Murdered in Craven and Burned in Craven. A double book release which was a massive amount of work for both myself and the publisher. We held our breath that something didn't go wrong. Well, something did. 

Amazon put the Burned Kindle ebook manuscript in the Murdered ebook cover, so when folks ordered a Kindle version of both books, they in essence got two copies of Burned. Luckily my publisher caught it in a blink and contacted Amazon to correct the issue. However, there were a number of readers who caught the mistake because they were so eager to read. 

Keep in mind print was okay as were all the other ebooks in all the other venues like Apple, Google, Kobo, and B&N. If you were one of the few Kindle readers that this happened to, and you could not figure out how to correct the issue, the correction is quite simple. Make sure the settings in your Kindle are set for updates of a book, and then go to the book on Amazon and click on reloading the book. 

Admittedly, the initial feeling when this error occurred was one of fret. But we couldn't un-ring that bell. 

All is still well with the world. The two books are out . . . and readers are enjoying themselves. We can remain upset or we can move on. I think if we've learned anything about COVID, it's that we have to roll with the punches.

After two years of craziness, we've learned what's critical and what is not. Did I worry about my credibility as an author? Yes, for a little bit. But I could not change a thing and had to wait patiently for the publisher and Amazon to get together and make amends. So I tucked the worry aside. That's energy I didn't need to waste. After all, more books await.

(Note: If you are one of the few that had this issue, let me know.)

4864327 © Zolthar | Dreamstime.com

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Featured article

Three Ways to Ace Your Pitch

By Natalie Schriefer

In 2020, I wrote a personal essay that I just couldn't get published. The worst part was that I couldn't figure out why. My essay had, as far as I could tell, all the hallmarks of a publishable piece. It told a unique story (about my first same-sex crush at 25, an age when I thought I was supposed to have my sexuality figured out). I'd worked through a draft with a writing coach. I'd revised it until it shone.

But no one wanted to buy it. Editors weren't even responding to my pitches. Maybe I needed more publication credits. Maybe I needed connections, or to learn some secret handshake. Only half joking, I told one of my friends that the piece was cursed.

It wasn't cursed, though. The problem had nothing to do with the essay. The problem was the pitch. So I analyzed my pitching, and these three tactics changed my writing life.

Research (and read!) publications.

My early pitches failed for the most basic of reasons: I wasn't reading the magazines I was pitching. I looked for markets that accepted personal essays without thinking about what type of personal essay they liked to publish. One of the first venues I tried for my sexuality piece was Narratively. They like scenes (not summary), action, and high drama.

My essay was none of those things. Instead it was introspective, with minimal action. Had I taken the time to read any of Narratively's backlog, I would have quickly seen that my piece wasn't a good match and could've saved myself the heartache of rejection.

Pitch the correct editor, by name.

If you want to show an editor that you know what you're doing, familiarize yourself with the magazine's masthead. Find the section you want to pitch, and write down the editor's name. Pitches addressed to a specific person, instead of "To whom it may concern," or "Dear editor," are better received.

Editors are people, too! Let them know that you care enough about their magazine and their work to find and use their name. Twitter can be a great resource for this, as some editors list their contact info and article wish list in their profile or tweets. This should go without saying, but make sure you've spelled the editor's name correctly.

Write a detailed, specific pitch.

My early pitches often started with broad statements like, "I'm pitching a piece about sexuality." While that statement was true, the vagueness didn't capture editors' attention. It was a topic and not a story, giving them no reason to keep reading.

Details and specificity are key in pitches. What can you give this publication that no other writer can provide?

Contrast my early opening, above, with my later pitch: "At 25, I had my first same-sex crush. I thought the transition from ally to queer would be easy, until I caught myself thinking that my same-sex crush was 'inappropriate.' The experience taught me [...] that we have to be willing to examine not just our actions and words but our thoughts, too, who we are when no one else is around."

Specific, indeed.

We can never fully eliminate rejection. That said, using these tactics, I receive far fewer cricket rejections (a.k.a. no responses). When I am rejected, the replies are often encouraging or helpful.

The best part, though, is that I'm getting acceptances I only dreamed of a year ago—including, of course, that "cursed" personal essay, which went live in July 2021 with DAME Magazine. You can find the full piece here.



BIO: Natalie Schriefer, MFA often writes about sexuality, shame, and women in sports. She works as a freelance writer and editor, and has written for Dame Magazine, MTV, and the Journal of Compressed Creative Arts, among others. Find her on Twitter @schriefern1 or at her website, www.natalieschriefer.com.




 

COmpetitions

MEMOIR PRIZE AWARDS
https://memoirmag.com
ENTRY FEE $95. Deadline December 31, 2021. The second annual Memoir Prize awards Memoir and Creative Nonfiction book-length works of exceptional merit in the categories of traditional, self-published, and previously unpublished prose. Submit your full-length memoir on any subject matter for a chance to win cash and a feature in Memoir Magazine. The only contest of its kind dedicated exclusively to the Memoir genre, accepts full-length books of memoir or narrative creative nonfiction, essay collections, or graphic narratives for consideration. No restrictions on length, type of publisher, or year of publication. We will award the Grand Memoir Prize of $1,500 for a book of memoir in any style or sub-genre or state of publication, $500 to the First Place winner in each category, and 7 Honorable Mentions of $100 each. 



JAMES KNUDSEN PRIZE FOR FICTION
https://bayoumagazine.org/writing-contests/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 1, 2022. Winner will receive $1,000 and a year's subscription to Bayou Magazine. Finalists will be named on the website. Submissions must be original, previously unpublished work of fiction, no longer than 7,500 words.



KAY MURPHY PRIZE FOR POETRY
https://bayoumagazine.submittable.com/submit
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 1, 2022. Winner will receive $1,000 and a year's subscription to Bayou Magazine. Finalists will be named on the website. Submissions must be original, previously unpublished poetry. Limit three poems per entry. 



K. MARGARET GROSSMAN FICTION AWARDS
http://www.literal-latte.com/contests/fiction-award/
$10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 15, 2022. Send unpublished stories, 10,000 words maximum. All subjects and styles welcome. First prize $1,000. Second prize $300. Third prize $200. 



MALAHAT REVIEW NOVELLA PRIZE
http://www.malahatreview.ca/contests/novella_contest/info.html
Deadline February 1, 2022. One winner will receive a prize of CAD $1,750 and be published in the magazine's summer 2022 issue #219. The contest is open to Canadian and international writers anywhere in the world. Submit a single work of fiction per entry, with a minimum length of 10,000 words and maximum length of 20,000 words (word count must be given at the top of the first page). There are no restrictions as to form, subject matter, or aesthetic approach. CAD $35 for each entry from Canada (*early bird discount until December 31, 2021: CAD $20). CAD $45 for each entry from elsewhere (*early bird discount until December 31, 2021: CAD $30).



FISH PUBLISHING FLASH FICTION PRIZE
https://www.fishpublishing.com/competition/flash-fiction-contest/
€14 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 28, 2022. Top ten stories will be published in the FISH ANTHOLOGY 2022. First prize €1,000, second prize €300, and third prize online writing course with Fish. The Fish Flash Fiction Prize is an opportunity to attempt one of the most interesting and rewarding tasks – to create, in a tiny fragment, a completely resolved and compelling story in 300 words or less.



WRITER'S DIGEST SHORT STORY COMPETITION
https://www.writersdigest.com/writers-digest-competitions/short-short-story-competition
$30 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 15, 2021. Think you can write a winning story in 1,500 words or less? Enter the 22nd Annual Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Competition for your chance to win $3,000, get published in Writer’s Digest magazine, and land a paid trip to our ever-popular Writer’s Digest Conference! Second place wins $1,500 and publication. Third place wins $500 and publication. Fourth through tenth place winners receive $100 and publication. 



INTERACT STROKE SUPPORT'S RUTH RENDELL SHORT STORY COMPETITION
https://www.interactstrokesupport.org/ssc2020
£15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 21, 2021. The winner of the competition will be commissioned to write four further stories for InterAct Stroke Support over the course of one year, and will receive £1,000 in payment. The challenge is to write a short story in any genre, with no more than 1,000 words. We are looking for positive stories as they will be read in the sensitive environment of a hospital setting.



CRAFT CREATIVE NONFICTION AWARD
https://www.craftliterary.com/craft-cnf-award/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 30, 2021. International submissions are allowed. Limit 6,000 words. We review literary nonfiction, but are open to a variety of genres and styles including memoir, lyric essays, personal essays, narrative nonfiction, and experimental prose—our only requirement is that you show excellence in your craft. Submit one creative nonfiction piece or two flash fiction pieces. The writers of the three winning essays will receive $1,000 each, publication in CRAFT, each with an introduction by Ira Sukrungruang, publication of an Author’s Note (craft essay) to accompany the piece, and a complete set of fourteen titles of Graywolf’s The Art Of series. The two writers chosen in the editors’ choice round will receive $300 each, publication in CRAFT, publication of an Author’s Note (craft essay) to accompany the piece, and a complete set of fourteen titles of Graywolf’s The Art Of series.

 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

 

FULTON COUNTY GRANTS
http://fulton.dullestech.net/index.do
Deadline January 31, 2022. Funding will range from $1,000 to $50,000 for Fulton County based artists, arts, cultural and community based non-profit organizations and artist collectives. The Fulton County Department of Arts & Culture offers technical assistance webinars for the 2022 arts funding cycle. Sessions will include an overview of the guidelines which includes; a review of applicant eligibility, funding categories, and application submission. All workshops are free to Fulton County-based applicants.



CONROY CENTER WRITER'S RESIDENCY
Website
Deadline January 8, 2022. In March 2022, the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will offer our fourth Conroy Center Writer's Residency, available to writers of all genres. Located on a salt marsh, the residency provides an inspirational, creative space in the heart of Pat Conroy’s beloved Lowcountry for a stay of 8 days to march forth in their writing. The residency location is a guest cottage on St. Helena Island, South Carolina, approximately 15 minutes from downtown Beaufort and 15 minutes from the beach at Hunting Island State Park. The residency will begin on March 1, and conclude on March 10, overlapping with the Conroy Center's annual March Forth public events, March 4-6, commemorating the anniversary of Pat Conroy's death with author discussions of social justice, conservation, and storytelling.
 
  

FREELANCE MARKETS / JOBS

KNEEDEEP TIMES
https://www.kneedeeptimes.org/contributors/
KneeDeep Times is accepting story pitches, with a special interest in reporters covering climate resilience in their own communities around the greater SF Bay Area. Young journalists and POC strongly encouraged. Pay is generally $1/word (varies with story length and reporting effort). Pitch [email protected].



NARRATIVELY
https://narratively.submittable.com/submit
The stories we publish are defined not by topic but by style: immersive, cinematic storytelling that takes readers inside another world, another life, through vivid scenes, colorful details, and compelling narrative arcs. We pay for all stories. In addition to publishing on Narratively.com, we also develop TV, film and podcast projects inspired by the stories that run on our site, generating additional creative and financial opportunities for contributors. Please note that we only publish narrative nonfiction. We don't publish fiction, poetry, or opinion pieces. Rates start at $400. 



NORTH COAST CURRENT
https://www.northcoastcurrent.com/about/
The North Coast Current, based in Encinitas and founded in 2002, is an award-winning online news journal dedicated to covering the communities of Encinitas, plus surrounding cities Carlsbad and Solana Beach. The Current also occasionally covers news and events of broader North County interest. Pay starts at 20 cents per word. Assignments average 300-500 words per story and can be a mix of stories pitched by the Current or pitched by the freelancer to the Current. 



OREGON HUMANITIES
http://oregonhumanities.org/rll/contributor-guidelines/
Deadline December 21, 2021. We're looking for nonfiction articles and essays exploring what it means to provide care and to receive it, to care about and to be cared for. Tell us how care shows up in our communities and the systems of our society. Share a fresh perspective on health care or childcare or eldercare or tender loving care. Pitch to [email protected]. We exclusively publish work by Oregon-based creators. Payment ranges from $200 to $300 for shorter online pieces and $500 to $1,000 for personal essays and features.



CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL - HOLIDAY MEMORIES
https://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/story-guidelines
Deadline May 30, 2022. We want to hear about your holiday memories and traditions. The rituals of the holiday season give a rhythm to the years and create a foundation for our lives, as we gather with family, with our communities at church, at school, and even at the mall, to share the special spirit of the season, brightening those long winter days. Please share your special stories about the holiday season with us. Be sure that they are "Santa safe" so that we don't spoil the magic for precocious readers! Limit 1,200 words. Pays $200 and 10 copies. 



THE ANIMAL MIND
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Inside-the-Animal-Mind/Pamela-Weintraub/9781951274610
Pamela Weintraub, Editor at Centennial Books, [email protected] , seeks pitches on animal behavior and consciousness for The Animal Mind from Centennial Books. These pay approximately 50 cents per word on the assigned length. NOTE: This is a book collection with Simon and Schuster. The book posted is a sample of the last book they did on this subject. 



THE ART OF EDUCATION
https://theartofed.bamboohr.com/jobs/view.php?id=47
The Art of Education University is seeking exceptional educators to write for its online magazine, which receives over 800,000 views per month. Writers submit three articles, along with three or four original photos each month. Writers must have classroom art experience, strong writing and communication skills, enthusiasm and knowledge of trends and best practices in art education, and the ability to adhere to strict deadlines. Writers earn a base stipend of $350 each month. Writers also receive additional perks including full access to the PRO Learning and FLEX Curriculum platforms and free entrance to the NOW Conferences, held twice each year. Writers can also enroll in AOEU courses for half price. 



ASK MAGAZINE
https://cricketmedia.com/ask-submission-guidelines/
Deadline January 30, 2022. Theme is Facing Fear. What are you scared of? And why? What is fear and what is it good for? Why do people fear different things? And how can we tame it? ASK® is a nonfiction magazine for children 7–10 years old who are curious about science and the world they live in. Each edition of ASK is built around a central theme or question. Pays 25 cents per word. 



CLICK MAGAZINE
https://cricketmedia.com/ask-submission-guidelines/
CLICK® introduces young children to ideas and concepts in the natural, physical, or social sciences; the arts; technology; math; and history. Each edition of CLICK is built around a central theme and features a variety of formats, including stories, articles, poems, photo essays, interviews, and activities. Articles are 200 to 500 words. Pays estimated 25 cents per word. 



MUSE MAGAZINE
https://cricketmedia.com/muse-submission-guidelines/
MUSE® is a discovery magazine for children and teens. It takes intellectual curiosity seriously, while never taking itself too seriously. The editors seek fresh and entertaining articles from the fields of science, technology, engineering, art, and math. Timeliness and trustworthiness are essential, but humor, irreverence, and atypical angles are also hallmarks of MUSE. Each edition of MUSE focuses on a central theme and open-ended organizing questions about the theme. Various size sections open to freelancers, and pay is about 25 cents per word. 



NEW SCIENTIST
https://www.newscientist.com/freelancers/
In general, we are looking for science and technology stories from around the world that will intrigue, entertain and inform the widest possible audience, be they physicists, biologists or people with no science background at all. We cover fascinating bits of pure science with no possible application as well as high-impact stories such as weapons technology and the psychology of terrorism. Besides reporting the latest research, we also try to find interesting scientific or technological angles on major news events. Can pay up to a dollar per word.

 

Publishers/agents

BLYDYN SQUARE BOOKS
https://blydynsquarebooks.com/how-to-submit/
Blydyn Square Books is always eager to discover the work of new authors, people who might think they have no shot at getting a contract from a bigger publishing house but who have true talent and something interesting to say. We’re looking for writers who can make us—and our readers—think. Blydyn Square Books accepts submissions in the following genres only: Fiction (including literary, historical, and women’s fiction), and  Nonfiction (including memoir, biography, history, science/health/medicine, psychology/self-help, spirituality, business/success). In general, we don’t publish romance, fantasy, science fiction, short-story collections, or poetry. We also don’t publish novellas or works under about 65,000 words.



DIVERTIR PUBLISHING
https://www.divertirpublishing.com/forauthors.html
Seeks Fiction: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Historical, Alternate History, Mystery and Suspense, Paranormal, Short Stories, and Young Adult. Also needs Nonfiction: Political/Social Commentary, Current Events, Humor, and Satire. For novels and nonfiction manuscripts Divertir Publishing uses a sliding royalty scale which is dependent on the total number of copies sold, starting at 12.5% of net sales and going up to 17.5%. We do not pay advances and do not make exceptions to this policy.



FAT DOG BOOKS
http://fatdogbooks.com/working-with-authors/
We prefer literary or mainstream fiction over genre fiction, however if your story is captivating and the characters are vivid and fascinating, we will certainly consider genre manuscripts. Fat Dog Books will also consider manuscripts aimed at the middle grades and young adult readers, mainstream stories that may involve sports, young love/friendship or coming of age issues. We do not accept submissions for poetry. And please, no children’s or picture books. Your target audience should be 13 years or older. Fat Dog Books favors the following categories when reviewing nonfiction submissions: self-help, how-to, health, lifestyle, entertainment, social media, business, politics, journals, biographies, and memoirs. Fat Dog Books is not interested in reviewing history, religion, academic, comic, science, art, photography, or travel books.



HOLLAND PARK PRESS
https://www.hollandparkpress.co.uk/about-us/submissions/
We accept literary fiction in the form of a novel, novella, memoir or collection of short stories. We also welcome poetry collections. We accept submissions in English and Dutch.



HOMEBOUND PUBLICATIONS
https://homeboundpublications.com/submissions/
Homebound Publications seeks work from both emerging and established authors. Homebound Publications accepts submission of creative non-fiction (including essays, memoir, and travel writing.) As a rule, we accept unsolicited submissions of fiction and poetry only through our annual contests: The Homebound Publications Poetry Prize and the Landmark Prize for Fiction.



OWL HOUSE BOOKS
https://owlhousebooks.com/
Owl House Books specializes in genre fiction. We seek works of science fiction, fantasy, mystery, and thriller.



LANTERN FISH PRESS
https://lanternfishpress.com/submissions
Seeks novel- and novella-length fiction. Tales on the border of literary and speculative, including magical realism. Fresh takes on gothic horror. We love to see a rich variety of gothics. Well-researched historical fiction that breathes life into its material and cultural milieu. Bonus points if that milieu would be at home in a colorful oddities shop (e.g. Victorian circuses; old-timey New Orleans apothecaries) or doesn’t see enough representation in American fiction (e.g. BIPOC-focused historical events; midcentury mental health care systems). We are open to a broad range of memoir, focusing on the theme of being caught between a “here” and a “there”: immigrant stories, family sagas, experiences generating transformation. We look for strong descriptive writing that deeply roots the narrative in its setting.



LEGACY BOOK PRESS
https://legacybookpress.com/submission-guidelines/
We are essentially seeking to publish legacy stories, widely defined. It must be book-length [at least 25,000 words for prose and 100 pages for poetry total, including all front and back matter], but can take the form of poetry, non-fiction, fiction, or any combination thereof. It could be your autobiography, memoir, or family history. It could be a novel heavily based on your personal experience. It could be a collection of poetry written as you navigated a significant period of your life. It could be the story of your business to use as a marketing tool. Any book that will help tell your story or share your experience as a member of the human race qualifies. It can be a children's book or targeted to young adults or adults. 

 

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