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EDITOR'S THOUGHTS

THE EVE OF SOMETHING SPECIAL

I like to think of Christmas Eve and New Years Eve as the forecast, the brink of something forthcoming instead of the end of the year. We stand on the cusp of better and brighter living. Of more hope. Of more adventure. There are those of us who have suffered loss, and I wish you blessings and comfort, but they too are on the brink of something new. 

I have a friend who lost her husband this year in a tragic accident. He was not a senior in age so the loss was a shock. He was fit. He had family and friends who loved him. She struggled with his demise, and my heart pined for her to find some sort of peace.

It takes strength, after weeks of soul searching, to move forward after such a loss, and it takes way longer to find a sense of peace. But the strong find a way, and usually they wind up even stronger. 

Not to discount the loss of a loved one, but this new path can be rewarding. It's not a path of choice, but rather a path of necessity, and it is what we carve out of it that defines us and helps us to heal. I am incredibly in awe of this friend. While it's been months, and this will be her first holiday without her husband, when I saw her recently she carried a strength about her that is stunning. 

She has decided that she has a life to live. She is trying new things, listening to her heart, venturing into new realms she just now sees as enticing that she may have never tried before. She is giving new purpose to herself in this new role that's been forced upon her.

This is how we face anything new. This is how we accept that one door has closed, in whatever capacity, and we turn around and open others instead of remaining frozen in place. 

This is how we write, love, travel, investigate, study, and evolve with anything. Rejection of what we assumed was our mission is difficult . . . but it just might be an eve of something else. An eve of hope, and of more adventure. 

Be worthy of living your life. Happy holidays, and blessings on this Christmas eve and new year beginning.

SUPER SPONSOR 

HOPE'S APPEARANCES

 
SUCCESS QUOTE

SUccess Story

Dear Hope – 

I'm writing to thank you for posting info about the Storytwigs Short Contest in your newsletter earlier this year.  I found out today that I won third place for one of my 100-word stories and received honorable mention for a second 100-word story!  

I was feeling so disillusioned with the submission process and this news raised my spirits. Finding a home for my 100-word stories is so gratifying, because over the years I've learned how much that genre resonates with me. 

In appreciation for you and the efforts that go into your newsletter.
 
Sincerely,
Maria Ramos-Chertok
https://mariaramoschertok.com/

 - - - 



If you have a success story you believe was prompted by FundsforWriters, please share with us! Send to [email protected] 
 

Featured article

FundsforWriters Made My Dream Come True

By Julie Cantrell

As a published author, I always look forward to reading FundsforWriters. Not only does it deliver C. Hope Clark’s fun updates about all things books (and life!), it provides incredibly useful news about literary grants, job opportunities, industry insights, and writing retreats. 

Last year, the newsletter mentioned the Pat Conroy Literary Center’s Writer’s Residency in Beaufort, South Carolina. I never imagined I’d have a shot at earning such a once-in-a-lifetime honor, but I dared to enter at the very last minute. And guess what? All the stars aligned, and I received news that I had been selected to spend a week in the heart of Conroy’s beloved Lowcountry. Thanks to their generous sponsorship, I would spend the time writing, researching, and learning more about the gifted writer and the landscape that had inspired me in countless ways.

The residency is offered twice a year, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. For one thing, it’s located in the charming MarshSong guest cottage on St. Helena Island, approximately 15 minutes from downtown Beaufort and 15 minutes from the beach at Hunting Island State Park. The host, writer Mary Ellen Thompson, is a lovely and LIVELY soul who has become a dear friend, and I can’t imagine a person could make anyone feel more welcome. The entire community embraced my visit with kindness and support, and if you haven’t met the Center’s executive director Jonathan Haupt or the events coordinator Brooke McKinney, you’re in for a real treat. 

All the volunteers at the center are incredibly knowledgeable and generous people who believe in the power of story, and Mary Ellen’s home on the water is one of the most beautiful and serene settings I’ve ever had the luxury of experiencing (wild turkey, ducks, frogs, raccoons, and alligators included). 

I spent the week exploring miles and miles of the Lowcountry, learning the music of the marsh, the rhythm of the seabirds, and the cadence of the people who call this paradise their homeland. I took some wonderful workshops offered through the Center, and I met with students who are now making their own way as America’s next generation of writers. I mingled with the town’s literary patrons and art community, enjoyed local delicacies on the historic square, and gave my spirit a big exhale, taking time to write up a storm in the cozy comforts of Mary Ellen’s peaceful porch. 

Truth be told, I can’t imagine a better way to spend the week or a better group of people to share time with, and I highly recommend putting your hat in the ring for the chance to do the same. I will continue to read FundsforWriters and to apply for future opportunities featured in this wonderful newsletter. The entire Pat Conroy residency was a dream for me, and I will forever consider it one of my life’s greatest blessings. 

Thank you C. Hope Clark, Mary Ellen Thompson, and the Pat Conroy Literary Center for all you do to elevate writers and to bring stories to the world. 
  
**

The fourth Pat Conroy Literary Center Writer's Residency is available to writers of all genres. Deadline to apply: January 8, 2022. Learn more.


BIO: Julie Cantrell is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, editor, story coach, TEDx speaker, and ghostwriter whose award-winning works cross multiple genres. Learn more: www.juliecantrell.com 






 

COmpetitions

THE PRISM PRIZE FOR CLIMATE LITERATURE
https://homeboundpublications.com/prism-prize/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 9, 2022. Seeking to promote and support fiction, poetry, and literary non-fiction writing in the emerging genre of climate literature, Homebound Publications proudly announces its new climate writing competition. Sponsored by The Wayfarer’s environmental editor Gail Collins-Ranadive, the prize carries an award of $1,000 and publication of the winning manuscript.



EZRA JACK KEATS FOUNDATION CONTEST FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS
https://www.degrummond.org/ezra-jack-keats-book-award-guidelin
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 31, 2021. The awards are designed to recognize and encourage authors and illustrators starting out in the field of children′s books who share Ezra Jack Keats′s commitment to children and diversity. Publishers are encouraged to submit works by writers and illustrators who have had no more than three books published; self-published books are not eligible for consideration. The award includes a cash award of $5,000 for each winner.



ANTHOLOGY SHORT STORY AWARD
https://anthology-magazine.com/awards-awards/awards/short-story-award/
€10 EARLY BIRD ENTRY FEE. Early bird deadline is April 30, 2022. This short story award is open to original and previously unpublished short stories in the English language by a writer of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. Stories submitted must be on the theme of ‘Courage’ and not exceed the maximum of 1,500 words. Writers can submit as many entries as they wish. The winner will receive a €500 cash prize and the chance to see their work published in a future issue of Anthology. The winner will also receive a four-issue subscription to Anthology.



EVESHAM FESTIVAL OF WORDS SHORT STORY COMPETITION
https://eveshamfestivalofwords.org/competition/
£5 ENTRY FEE. Early bird deadline January 31, 2022. Open to anyone over the age of 16. Open to all published and unpublished, UK and non-UK based writers. Prizes of £200, £100 and £75. Maximum of 2,500 words, excluding the title. Stories should be aimed at adult readers, rather than children. 



FABLE COMPETITION
https://www.mrrls.com/fable
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 2, 2022. Pays £500 for Winner - £100 Second. In no more than 350 words enter to write a 21st Century Fable in the style of the great master, Robert Louis Stevenson. 



ORNA ROSS GREEN STORIES NOVEL PRIZE
https://www.greenstories.org.uk/upcoming-competitions/adult-novel-deadline-dec-2021/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 30, 2021. Our mission is to create a cultural body of work that entertains and informs about green solutions, inspires green behaviour and raises awareness of the necessary transformations towards a sustainable economy. Typically novels are 70,000 – 95,000 words. Submit three chapters (minimum of 4,000 words, maximum 10,000 words) as one document. Open to all adults (18+) of any nationality, as long as the submission is in English and has not been published elsewhere. Pays £1,000 for the winner and £500 for runner up. 



THE BLACK ORCHID NOVELLA AWARD
https://www.nerowolfe.org/htm/literary_awards/black_orchid_award/Black_Orchid_award_intro.htm 
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 31, 2022. Entries must be 15,000 to 20,000 words in length, and submitted by the deadline. Each entry must be an original unpublished work of fiction that conforms to the tradition of the Nero Wolfe series. The mystery should be "traditional" in flavor. The crime must be solved using the deductive abilities of the sleuth. No coincidences. The killer must be known to the victim. No random psycho shootings. The characters (male or female) must have an engaging relationship.



WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING CREATIVE NONFICTION ESSAY CONTEST
https://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/contest.php#EssayContest
$12 ENTRY FEE. (OPTIONAL $13 CRITIQUE FEE) Deadline January 31, 2022. Seeking creative nonfiction essays on any topic (200-1,000 words) and in any style-from personal essay and memoir to lyric essay and hybrid, and more. The mission of this contest is to reward bravery in real-life storytelling and create an understanding of our world through thoughtful, engaging narratives. Open internationally. Limit 300 entries.

Prizes (20 winners):
First Place: $500, publication, interview, and gift code good for one item from CreateWriteNow's Store
Second Place: $300, publication, interview, and gift code good for one item from CreateWriteNow's Store
Third Place: $200, publication, interview, and gift code good for one item from CreateWriteNow's Store
Seven Runners Up receive $25 Amazon Gift Cards, publication, interview, and gift code good for one item from CreateWriteNow's Store.
Ten Honorable mentions receive a gift code good for one item from CreateWriteNow's Store



BOOKSIE 2022 FIRST CHAPTER NOVEL CONTEST
https://www.booksie.com/contest/booksie-2022-first-chapter-novel-contest-25
$5.95 ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 14, 2022. Grand prize: $500, one free week of exposure, and a gold contest badge. Runner-ups: $100, one free week of exposure, and a silver contest badge. Entry fee covers administrative costs, judging fees, marketing, and prize awards. Any profit derived from the contest fees will be donated to the literacy non-profit Reading is Fundamental. Have a book or a novel idea you've been noodling? Enter your first chapter into the Booksie First Chapter Contest and see how it does. You don't need to have finished the book. You don't even need more than the first chapter. We're looking for a start that will grab our attention, that is original, that is well written, and that makes us want to beg you to see what comes next. And for those we find, we'll provide some awards to inspire you to finish writing the book or, if finished, to help get it published.

 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

 

CREATIVE RENEWAL FELLOWSHIPS PROGRAM - CHARLOTTE, NC, USA
https://www.artsandscience.org/grants/grants-for-individuals/creative-renewal-fellowship/
Deadline January 24, 2022. The Creative Renewal Fellowship program serves as an opportunity to resource ASC’s belief that a continued investment in creative individuals (in arts, science and history) who make Charlotte-Mecklenburg home benefits the region’s overall cultural climate. The fellowship funds can be used for research, instruction, conferences, apprenticeships, travel, or other experiences that help the recipient explore his or her creative journey. The fellowship is distinct from professional development opportunities because it focuses on personal renewal with the belief that the entire community will benefit through investments in individuals in the creative community. It is similar to the concept of a sabbatical. Fellowship activities must occur between April 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023 as determined by the applicant. Awards are up to $15,000. 



EMERGING CREATORS FELLOWSHIP - CHARLOTTE, NC, USA
https://www.artsandscience.org/grants/grants-for-individuals/emerging-creators-fellowship/
Deadline January 24, 2022. The fellowship funds can be used for research, workspace/studio rental, conferences, apprenticeships, travel, creation of new work, materials or other experiences that help the recipients develop their creative capacity. The fellowship is an investment in Mecklenburg county’s emerging creatives, 25 years and older, who need time and resources to explore ideas, connect with professionals in their field and create new projects. Fellowship activities must occur between April 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023. ASC will award up to ten $8,000 Emerging Creators Fellowships to individuals who have lived in Charlotte-Mecklenburg for at least the past three continuous years and who have earned at least one half of their income from their creative practice over the past year. 



ARIEL RESIDENCY - FRANCE
https://ariel.univ-lorraine.fr/appelcandidatures/
Deadline December 30, 2021. ARIEL (Author in International Residence in Lorraine) sets up each year in the autumn semester an international author residency program , for a period of 4 months between the University of Lorraine (structure of home) and an international author publishing in German, English, Spanish, Italian, Arabic or Russian. For its fourth edition, ARIEL is launching a call for applications from authors publishing in English. The author receives 2000 euros in copyright each month and is accommodated free of charge in the center of Nancy. Their travel expenses and visa application within the framework of the residence are also covered. The author will have to devote about a third of his time to the service of the residence by participating in various events around his work. The rest of his time will be dedicated to his personal creative works, as well as to the production of a short text ( short story, poem, essay) inspired by his stay in Lorraine.  



LEON LEVY FELLOWSHIPS FOR BIOGRAPHY
https://llcb.ws.gc.cuny.edu/fellowships/biography-fellowships/
Deadline January 4, 2022. The Leon Levy Center for Biography offers four resident fellowships at the Graduate Center for the academic year beginning each September. Awards include writing space, full access to research facilities, research assistance and a stipend of $72,000. Fellows devote their time to their projects and participate in monthly seminars and the public events of the Leon Levy Center for Biography, including the annual lecture and the annual conference, and they are encouraged to join in the dynamic intellectual community of the Graduate Center. Applications require a brief CV or resume (3 pages max), a narrative account of the applicant’s career (250 words), a project description (750 words), a sample of the proposed biography (maximum 2,500 words), and two letters of reference. 



DISCOVERIES 2022
https://www.curtisbrowncreative.co.uk/discoveries-2022/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 17, 2022. The Women’s Prize Trust, Audible, Curtis Brown Literary Agency and Curtis Brown Creative writing school have partnered to run the Discoveries writing development programme for a second year. Discoveries is more than a traditional writing prize, it is a pioneering development initiative which offers practical support and encouragement to aspiring female novelists of all ages and backgrounds, from across the UK and Ireland. The programme culminates with awarding the Discoveries Prize for an unpublished novel-in-progress by unpublished women writers from the UK or Ireland. The prize will accept novels in any genre of adult fiction and entrants will be required to submit only the first 10,000 words of their novel with a synopsis of up to 1,000 words (but if you can, keep it shorter than that – 500 words is plenty). The winner will be offered representation by Curtis Brown Literary Agency and a cash prize of £5,000, plus have the opportunity to workshop their manuscript with an Audible commissioning editor, who will be specifically matched to their writing style and genre. One promising writer from the shortlist of six will be named the Discoveries Scholar, this writer will win a free scholarship place to attend a three-month Writing Your Novel course with Curtis Brown Creative (worth £1,800). All six shortlisted writers will be offered a mentoring session with a Curtis Brown agent plus free enrolment on a Curtis Brown Creative six-week online course (worth £210).



NEW JERSEY ARTISTS IN EDUCATION RESIDENCY GRANT PROGRAM
http://njaie.org/
The Artists in Education Residency Grant Program (AIE) places highly qualified professional artists in schools for 20 days or more. The residencies occur during the school day and are designed to enhance arts education for students and faculty. Any New Jersey public, private, charter, or parochial school serving grades Pre-K through 12 is eligible to apply. AIE has been dedicated to bringing teaching artists and educators together in powerful, long-term residencies to help students and teachers engage in and learn about the creative process. Schools who are awarded the AIE grant and do not have an existing relationship with an AIE-approved teaching artist will be led through an interview process. They will meet with several teaching artists in order to find the right fit for your school. If a school wants to work with a teaching artist not already affiliated with AIE or its partners, please contact the AIE Manager for more information about the interview process for new AIE teaching artists. Contact Michael Roberson Reid, AIE Manager | 609-243-9000 Ext. 219 |  [email protected]
 
  

FREELANCE MARKETS / JOBS

BUDGET TRAVEL
https://www.budgettravel.com/general/pitch-a-story
We are currently focusing (mostly) on US domestic travel, and "Vacations for Real People". If you interested in pitching us a story about that, or you simply want to become part of our freelancer writer pool, please fill out this form and we'll get back to you when the opportunity arises. Average rate is $.25/word. Email Laura Brown, Publisher with a writing sample at [email protected]



AETLA MAGAZINE
https://aetlamagazine.com/submissions/
Deadline February 22, 2022. We are looking for content that probes the relationship between humans and nature, unearthing stories that explore how to be a modern human in a wild world. Through written and visual storytelling, we share adventures, ideas and people who are immersed in enjoying the planet while also protecting it. Our audience expects engaging, beautiful images and stories that you can disappear into. Any pitches should focus on the following ideals: sustainable travel and adventure, conscious and slow living. We publish articles of varying lengths, but most commonly around 800 to 2,000 words, or between 6 and 12 images. Rates up to £150 per 1,000 words. 



OBSERVER
https://observer.com/about/
Erin Taylor, Arts Editor at [email protected] seeks arts pitches (for features, interviews/profiles, reviews, even essays if relevant). Rates are usually around $200-$300 with lowest typically at $180 for small small pieces. PItches shoujld cover the arts, meaning fine arts. galleries, museums, artist profiles, arts labor, theater/dance/performance/opera, books (author interviews/ profiles are fun), the arts market/auctions, digital art/NFTs, and what's hot/up and coming.



ROOM MAGAZINE - THE AUDACITY ISSUE
https://room.submittable.com/submit
Deadline January 15, 2022. Room publishes fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and art by folks of marginalized genders including, but not limited to, women (cisgender and transgender), transgender men, Two-Spirit, and nonbinary people. Submit only work that has not been previously published, in print or online. Fiction and creative nonfiction up to 3,500 words. Poetry up to five poems. Art up to five images. All contributors will be paid upon publication: $50 CAD per page (up to a maximum of $200). We want you to show us what “Audacity” means to you. Maybe it stirs up some negative emotions, like the way a politician has the audacity to inflict harm, or a man has the audacity to explain kickboxing to the woman about to teach the class. But the writing we’re most interested in explores transformative audaciousness: the unapologetic embracing of the self, warts and all. 



LOOK2 ESSAY
https://www.pshares.org/submit/look2-essay
Deadline January 15, 2022. This series seeks to publish essays about underappreciated or overlooked writers. The Look2 essay should take stock of a writer’s entire oeuvre with the goal of bringing critical attention to the neglected writer and his or her relevance to a contemporary audience. The writer can be living or dead and from anywhere in the world (if there are good English translations available). Essays should make note of biographical details that are pertinent to the writer’s work. Payment $45/printed page, $90 minimum per title, $450 maximum per author. 



ORPHEUS + EURYDICE UNBOUND
http://www.aanpress.com/submissions.html
Deadline February 15, 2022. We are seeking stories for an anthology to be titled Orpheus + Eurydice Unbound (O+EU) which will collect reinterpretations of the Orpheus/Eurydice myth in a variety of genres. To be published in the summer of 2022 by the Air and Nothingness Press. Ideal story lengths are 1,000 to 3,000 words. We pay eight cents/word for the stories we publish. All of our books are limited editions of between 100 and 125 copies and we prefer to print physical books over creating ebooks.

 

Publishers/agents

WORKMAN PUBLISHING
https://www.workman.com/work-with-us/author-submissions#workman
The Workman imprint publishes exclusively nonfiction books for children and adults, as well as calendars. We do not publish novels, short stories, or poetry. We also do not accept unsolicited picture book submissions. Note: If you are submitting to the Children’s Department, please specify “Workman Publishing Co., Children’s Dept.”



GIBBS SMITH
https://www.gibbs-smith.com/submissions
Our main emphasis is on interior design, architecture, children's, and cookbooks. Additionally, we accept submissions in the following subjects: arts and crafts, western humor with general appeal, general humor, and gift books.



TIMBER PRESS
https://www.workman.com/work-with-us/author-submissions#timber
Timber Press is devoted to sharing the wonders of the natural world by publishing books from experts in the fields of gardening, horticulture, and natural history. Our list includes gardening how-to, garden design, popular science, nature, garden literature, and both regional and national field guides. We consider new book ideas from authors and agents.



CAMCAT BOOKS
https://camcatbooks.com/For-Our-Authors
We publish adult (over 18) and YA (9th-12th grades), novel-length genre fiction. We’ll look at any good tale, but what we want to see most urgently revolves around these genres:

Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Romance
Historical
Paranormal
Horror
Adventure
We’ll even look at Westerns
We’re looking for polished, edited, and properly formatted manuscripts.

At this time, we’re not interested in:

Stories for children, middle-grade and younger
Poetry
Erotica
Fiction with strong religious or political slants
Previously published works (This includes titles published with another company and self-published titles. Please do not submit to us if your title has ever been for sale anywhere).
Titles in a series that has previously published titles (see this article for clarification)
Anthologies
ANYTHING COVID/pandemic related, we see too many of these

 

SPONSORS

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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 2000-2021, C. Hope Clark
ISSN: 1533-1326

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