TOP SPONSOR 

Pity the Reader: On Writing with Style

Here is an entirely new side of Kurt Vonnegut, Vonnegut as a teacher of writing. Of course he’s given us glimpses before, with aphorisms and short essays and articles and in his speeches. But never before has an entire book been devoted to Kurt Vonnegut the teacher. Here is pretty much everything Vonnegut ever said or wrote having to do with the writing art and craft, altogether a healing, a nourishing expedition. His former student, Suzanne McConnell, has outfitted us for the journey, and in these 37 chapters covers the waterfront of how one American writer brought himself to the pinnacle of the writing art, and we can all benefit as a result. 


“Part homage, part memoir, and a 100% guide to making art with words, Pity the Reader: On Writing with Style is a simply mesmerizing book, and I cannot recommend it highly enough!”—Andre Dubus III, #1 New York Times bestselling author
 
“The blend of memory, fact, keen observation, spellbinding descriptiveness and zany characters that populated Vonnegut’s work is on full display here.”—James McBride, National Book Award-winning author


 

EDITOR'S THOUGHTS

THE WHOLE OF WHO WE ARE

"We are born without choosing to, to parents we haven’t chosen, into bodies and borders we haven’t chosen, to exist in a region of spacetime we haven’t chosen for a duration we don’t choose. As physicists know, we don’t choose the particular atoms that constellate our particular selves or the neural configurations that fire our consciousness. In consequence, as James Baldwin knew, we don’t even choose whom we love.

But amid our slender repertoire of agency are the labels we choose for our labors of love — the works of thought and tenderness we make with the whole of who we are."  

                ~Maria Popova, founder of Brain Pickings, now The Marginalian 

So much of our existence is out of our control, and if we think too hard about that, we would fret ourselves silly. And in today's current events, social chaos, and concerns for personal safety and worth, we struggle to define ourselves and what gives us not only satisfaction, but also peace.

What we create and how we impact those we come in contact with are within our control. 

We might not be able to direct how folks behave around us, but we can control our attitudes. That's terrific consolation knowing you have a grip on your reactions. Yeah, sometimes that's easier said than done, but still, we do. 

And as creators we have complete control. We decide our own stories, and we decide what to do with them. How empowering is that? 

Next time you think the world is spinning out of control, get a grip on yourself and put some words on paper. Dictate how you feel by taking charge of what you can. 

4695609 © Yanik Chauvin | Dreamstime.com
 

SUPER SPONSOR 

HOPE'S APPEARANCES

 
SUCCESS QUOTE

SUccess Story

Hope - 

Thank you for your piece on Stephen King's ON WRITING. I needed this. Having purchased King's ON WRITING as a print book, I've read it several times and learned something new each time. 

I am a huge fan of audiobooks and have a yearly membership in Audible with 1,700+ titles in my library. I listen to many books several times. I've listened to your books several times. I've spent my writing years trying to come up with an opening sentence as great as the one in LOWCOUNTRY BRIBE: "O-positive primer wasn't quite the color I had in mind for the small office...." 

I was in the bookstore looking for my next read, and the title caught my eye. I had never heard of you, but being from SC, I knew this book had to be about my state. I read that first sentence and knew by the end of the first page LCB was my next read. 

During COVID, I've lost interest in writing, but ideas are beginning to bubble in my head, and I write them down. As soon as I finish this email, I'm going to purchase King's audiobook and listen to it tonight. Your newsletter hit just the right note to get me energized and excited about writing again. Thank you for the inspiration. Now if only a great first sentence would bubble up in my mind...

Susan Harvey 


 - - - 

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

 

Featured article

Valuable Promotion: The Art of the Guest-Post

By Jessica Stilling

Half the job of writing books is promoting them. There are many ways to promote a book, but book blogs have become increasingly influential to potential readers. One of the more visible and easier-to-break-into ways to promote a book with an influential book blogger is by guest posting on their site. And double score if they will pay you to post. 

Why Guest Posting is Good for Business

Easier to Get Than a Review: When you ask a high trafficked blogger to review your book you are essentially asking someone to do a lot of work. They must read a book and then write a review. Guest-posts are the opposite. You do the work, the planning, the writing, the editing, and they get content without having to lift a finger. 

You’ll Make Connections: In the process of pitching and publication, you’ll email back and forth with this blogger. Once they know you, they know you. I have gone back to bloggers I’ve done guest-posts for and they’re always willing to work with me again. Maybe that big blogger who didn’t review your first book will review your second since you’ve worked together before. 

Where to Guest-Post

Not all reading focused blogs are created equal. There are a few things to consider: 

Genre: Make sure the blog caters not only to readers but to readers of books like yours. A romance novel blog will not be a great place to promote science fiction. You want to connect to readers who want to read your book, not just a book. 

Up-to-datedness: You don’t want to pitch a blog that hasn’t been updated in over three months. Not only does that show that the blogger isn’t all-in, but it might mean that the blog has low readership, or the blogger isn’t promoting enough.

Traffic

You don’t want to take time writing a guest-post for a grand total of five people and so you want to make sure you’re posting on sites with high traffic. You can check the traffic of a blog by using a source like semrush.com which tracks the traffic of websites. There are also some lists that track the traffic of book bloggers - Reedsy has a good one. 

Who to Pitch and Where to Look

Effective Business Ideas has a great and up-to-date list of book blogs that accept guest posts. You can find them here: The Ultimate List Of Book Blogs That Accept Guest Posts (effectivebusinessideas.com). Another spot you might look is Guestpost.com, Huge List of Blogs That Will Pay You For a Guest Post.

What Do I Write?

Book bloggers have varying ideas when it comes to guest-posts. Most bloggers will let you pitch something and as long as it fits their general niche, they’ll be okay with it. Others might assign a topic. When it comes to specifics most guest posts should be short and sweet, between 500 and 1,000 words and most bloggers like subheadings. 

Topics to Consider Pitching

Anything Writing Related: Think nuts and bolts. Setting, character arcs, plot as mystery, plot as slice of life, your unique drafting process and how it works for you. Consider all those things about writing you don’t always think about all the time. Then write about them. 

Anything Publishing Related: Consider your author's journey when you pitch. Was it hard to get an agent? How did you do it? How well (or not) did you work with them? Did you go straight to a small press? Got any tips on how to work with a small press? Maybe you have some things to say about self-publishing. Book blog readers love to read about the publishing industry if you have something fresh to say about it. 

A Theme or Topic in Your Book: Another route, especially with nonfiction, is to discuss an important theme in your book. You can discuss your book and include a topic that is more universal. 

You, Yourself: Your life is an interesting story as well. When you’ve exhausted the above, consider your own hobbies, family, friend circles, organizations you might belong to or your profession. 
The sky's the limit!

Bio: Jessica Stilling is a Hugo nominated and two time EVVY Award winning novelist. Her literary titles include Betwixt and Between, The Beekeeper's Daughter, The Weary God of Ancient Travelers and the upcoming novel Just so Many Places. Her fantasy titles are published under the pen name JM Stephen and include the first two books in the Pan Chronicles Series and Nod, a biblical retelling of the story of Cain and Abel. She has written for John Fox Books and The Writer Magazine. Her articles have appeared in publications like Ms. Magazine, Bust Magazine and Tor.com and she has placed short fiction in literary journals such as Wasifiri, The Warwick Review and The Hawaii Pacific Review. She currently lives in Southern Vermont where she writes for the local newspaper, The Deerfield Valley News and teaches Creative Writing at The Gotham Writers Workshop. You can check out her work at jessicastilling.com.

 

13181217 © Easyshutter | Dreamstime.com

 

COmpetitions

SERVICESCAPE SHORT STORY AWARD
https://www.servicescape.com/short-story-award
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 30, 2021. For this award, any genre or theme of short story is accepted. All applicants should submit their original unpublished work of short fiction or nonfiction, 5,000 words or fewer, to be considered. Along with receiving an award for $1,000 USD, the winner will have his or her short story featured within the blog, which reaches thousands of readers per month. 



BETTY TRASK PRIZE
https://www.societyofauthors.org/Prizes/Fiction/Betty-Trask
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 30, 2021. Author must be 35 or younger. Must be a resident of Great Britain or Northern Ireland for three years prior. The author must not have had any novel published (other than the one submitted). The work submitted must be in the English language and the work of one author (not a translation). The work submitted must be a novel of a romantic or traditional nature (i.e. not experimental). If published or self-published, the work must have been published between January 1, 2021 and November 30, 2021. First prize 10,000 pounds. Total cash prizes of 20,000 pounds. 



JF POWERS PRIZE FOR SHORT FICTION
https://www.dappledthings.org/the-jf-powers-prize-for-short-fiction
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 30, 2021. First prize $500 and publication. Second prize $250 and publication. The word limit is 8,000 words.



ANITA MCANDREWS POETS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS CONTEST
https://www.anitamcandrews.com/news-and-events
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 30, 2021. Theme is human rights. Familiarity with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is recommended. Submit up to three poems. Any poetic style is allowed. First prize $250, Second prize $100, Third prize $50.



BETTER THAN STARBUCKS SONNET CONTEST
https://www.betterthanstarbucks.org/sonnet-contest
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 30, 2021. PRizes $500, $100, and $50. This contest is for a metrical sonnet. Your sonnet can be shakespearean, petrarchan, spenserian, rhymed, or slant-rhymed. Blank verse is eligible, as long as the sonnet form is clearly identifiable. We’ll consider tetrameter, hexameter, etc. as well as pentameter. Some metrical variation is fine, but don’t forget the volta! (Thanks to www.erikadreifus.com)



LOVE LETTERS TO LONDON CONTEST
https://www.londonsociety.org.uk/page/loveletters
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 30, 2021. Categories are Under 18, Students, Open - all other UK entrants, International - from anyone not based in the UK, and Poetry. Each category has prizes of £400, £200, and £100. There will also be a prize for the overall winner - to be picked from the winners of each of the five prize categories - of an additional £500. We want you to tell us why you love London. Write up to 500 words (prose) or 40 lines (poetry) around the theme of “recovery and resilience.” (Thanks to www.erikadreifus.com)



TONY QUAGLIANO POETRY AWARD
http://www.tonyquaglianopoetry.com/poetry-award-competition-2021.html
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 1, 2021. The winner is featured on the Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities website and invited to give a poetry reading and workshop with Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities within six months of receiving notification of the award. Applicants must be a resident of a US state or territory. Limit 20 pages of unpublished poetry. Prize is $1,000. 

 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

 

FINE ARTS WORK CENTER - PROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS
https://web.fawc.org/program/
Deadline December 1, 2021. The Fine Arts Work Center offers a unique residency for writers and visual artists in the crucial early stages of their careers. The Work Center provides seven-month Fellowships to twenty Fellows each year in the form of living/work space and a modest monthly stipend. Residencies run from October 1 through April 30. Fellows are expected to live and work in Provincetown during the fellowship year. 



TENNESSEE FELLOWSHIPS
https://tnartscommission.org/news/fy23-annual-grant-cycle-now-open/
Deadline January 24, 2022. The Individual Artist Fellowship (IAF) provides monetary awards to outstanding professional artists (i.e. those individuals who by education, experience, or natural talent engage in a particular art form or discipline) who live and work in Tennessee. To qualify, an artist must be financially compensated for his or her work, and this compensation must be a significant source of support for their livelihood. The Commission anticipates that each fellowship will be awarded $5,000.



“MISS SARAH” FELLOWSHIP FOR BLACK WOMEN WRITERS
https://www.trilliumartsnc.org/writing-fellowships-guidelines
Deadline December 20, 2021. The “Miss Sarah” Fellowship for Black Women Writers aims to provide Black women writers a restful environment conducive to reflection and writing. It also offers uninterrupted time to plant the seed of an idea for a new writing project or to develop or complete a project underway. For 2022 the Fellowship will focus on the genre of poetry. The selected writer will receive a seven-day residency in July 2022 and can choose whether to stay at Trillium Arts’ rural “Firefly Creek” apartment in Mars Hills, NC or at E. Patrick Johnson and Stephen Lewis’s “Montford Manor” residence near downtown Asheville, NC. Participants will receive a $700 stipend and transportation to and from Asheville, NC. Additional benefits will be custom tailored to the needs of the awardee. 

  

FREELANCE MARKETS / JOBS

FANSIDED
https://fansided.com/how-to-pitch-a-story-to-fansided/
FanSided covers the world of sports from every angle and we’re always looking to build relationships with new freelance writers. We are open to pitches for opinion columns, essays, detailed analysis, interviews, reported features, cultural criticism related to the world of sports, fan fiction any anything else you might dream up related to the world of sports. We are looking for stories about the world of sports both on and off the field and are very interested in stories from voices that are historically underrepresented in sports media. In about 200 words or less, tell us what kind of piece you’re pitching. Our features run anywhere from 2,000 to 10,000 words. Rates start at $150. 


MASHABLE
https://mashable.com/contact-us
Looking for pitches in the digital culture space for Mashable (TikTok, influencers, memes, internet subcultures, fandom). Think trend pieces, explainers, features. Rates $250-$400. Gen Z/Millennial audience. Pitch Crystal Bell at [email protected]. They also have fulltime job openings at https://www.ziffdavis.com/careers/jobs/?brand=Mashable 



IMPACT
https://lesglorieuses.fr/les-newsletters/impact-eng/
Impact is the new monthly newsletter by Les Glorieuses on gender and politics. Subscribe to find about everything you need to know about private and public policies that have an impact on women’s lives. Looking for stories about feminist movements and women's rights and pays €300 for 800 words. Stories are published in English and French. Pitch to Megan Clement at [email protected]



POPULAR SCIENCE
https://www.popsci.com/
Seeks tech critics with experience covering: TVs, phones, smart home (cameras, doorbells, etc.), PCs, monitors, etc. Rate for reviews, explainers, and product roundups is $500. Email Mike Epstein, Reviews Editor at [email protected]. Explain your qualifications with clips, please.



POPULAR INFORMATION
https://popular.info/
Web form
The newsletter focuses on accountability journalism, with a particular interest in corporate power. Fees will be subject to negotiation, but the minimum fee for accepted pitches will be $1,000. 



HEALTHLINE
https://www.healthline.com/
Healthline covers all facets of physical and mental health openly and objectively because we’re here for the whole person — for your whole life. Pitch to Elinor Hills, Associate Editor at [email protected]. Seeks  writers living with breast cancer, IBD or type 2 diabetes to write perspective pieces. Rates start at $200 for ~800-1200 words.



BANKRATE
https://www.bankrate.com/
We're looking to expand our pool of credit card-focused freelance writers and editors on Bankrate and CreditCards.com. Potential assignments include card benefits and rewards program guides, credit card comparison pieces, updates and more. Pitch Claire Dickey, Product Editor at [email protected] Pays up to $1/word. 



CRANNOG
https://crannogmagazine.com/submit/
Send no more than three poems, each under 50 lines. Send one story, under 2,000 words. Pays €60 per poem and €100 per story, plus a contributor’s copy. Writers receive an invitation to attend/read at the launch of Crannóg in ‘The Listeners Club’ at The Crane, Galway, Ireland. Three contributors will be nominated for the Forward Prize for best single poem. Six contributors will be nominated for a Pushcart Prize, (poetry and fiction). Selected contributions may be posted on the magazine’s website and on our social media platforms. Submissions only accepted in November for the March issue, and in May for the September issue.



CATAPULT
https://catapult.co/
Looking for sharp, sometimes funny, personal essays and short stories about the things that move you. Examples of topics are pop culture artifacts that changed your life, writing about writing, columns that examine a familiar topic in a new way, short stories that are a little strange, essays that blend personal narrative with cultural/arts criticism, and more. Read the site for ideas of the voice we prefer. Pitch Leah Johnson at [email protected]. Rates start at $200 but can vary. 


 

Publishers/agents

SPEILBURG LITERARY AGENCY
https://www.speilburgliterary.com/agents
Speilburg Literary Agency represents authors in traditional publishing. See each agent to determine what they desire. In Adult Fiction, Eva represents Romance (all subgenres but inspirational) and Science Fiction/Fantasy. She also represents all subgenres of Young Adult Fiction and select Middle Grade. Lindsey is interested in cookbooks, lifestyle, health, pop culture, gender issues, self-help, true crime, and current events. She is especially interested in podcast-to-book ideas, journalists who specialize in specific research, and cookbooks that have a niche and/or narrative voice. Please do not send diet books. Saint is interested in representing adult novels and graphic novels in the genres of romance, science fiction, fantasy, and horror. In romance, she's most interested in representing queer and polyamorous love stories of all kinds, especially historicals that read like KJ Charles or Cat Sebastian, or high heat, high angst contemporary romances that feel like Sierra Simone or Tiffany Reisz books. 



DARLEY ANDERSON LITERARY
https://www.darleyanderson.com/about-us
The Darley Anderson Literary, TV and Film Agency specialises in bestselling commercial fiction. Our lists include: thrillers, mysteries, pyschological suspense, crime, horror, fantasy, accessible literary, romantic comedy, chick-lit, women in jeopardy, sagas and historical. Our UK literary agents have a long history of producing commercial success for our authors in a broad variety of genres. 
 

SPONSORS

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C. Hope Clark
E-mail: [email protected]
140-A Amicks Ferry Road #4
Chapin, SC 29036
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ISSN: 1533-1326

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