TOP SPONSOR 

The J. Anthony Lukas Prizes Honor the Best in Nonfiction Book Writing. 

Named for the Pulitzer Prize-winning author J. Anthony Lukas, these four awards recognize the serious commitment to research, social and political concern, and literary grace that mark the best nonfiction books. Now accepting submissions through December 9, 2021, at journalism.columbia.edu/lukas--no entry fee for the Work-in-Progress Awards! 

EDITOR'S THOUGHTS

NO ONE STEALS YOUR WORK

Just a week ago, I met a young woman attempting to complete a novel. She was in a writer's group, but leery of who was reading her work, fearful of someone stealing her work . . . and her idea.

I explained to her that very few people have the guts to steal someone's work verbatim. It's too easy these days to prove who was the first one to write it. 

But as for the idea, you can have ten writers with the same idea and still wind up with ten entirely diverse books. Most of a story is not in the plotting or storyline but more about the storytelling voice of the author.

t's HOW you tell a story that matters. 

But the reality is that nobody thinks your story is very good until it is published and IS PROVEN to be good. People don't want to copy what isn't already popular. When you, as a writer, are on the same level as other writers attempting to break in, nobody sees each other's work as good . . . yet.

Also, if someone steals your work, consider this:

1) It's easy to prove you had it first.
2) The odds of them publishing it traditionally are slim.
3) The odds of them self-publishing it and doing anything with it are just as slim.
4) If they copy your idea, you can write it so much better. 

Everyone has an idea for a story, and unless the story is brilliantly written, it won't get published (and if self-published, won't sell well). It's the diligent writer who hammers away in desire of a serious career that breaks through. 

And frankly, the riskier the topic, the more diverse the idea, the less change someone will steal it anyway They'll be too afraid to dare be that different. You, however, have your heart in the piece and have that daring. That's why you have to risk others seeing it. For feedback, for querying, for publication. 

The chances are so miniscule of you losing your work to someone greedy that it's insane that you'd risk not writing or publishing because of some low-odds fear. Just do it.

2542015 © Ctacik | Dreamstime.com

SUPER SPONSOR 

HOPE'S APPEARANCES

 
SUCCESS QUOTE

SUccess Story

Hope, 

A year ago I spotted a call for entries to the Pat Conroy Literary Center's Writers Residency in your newsletter and was smitten with the fantasy of winning. One, because I've always been a big Pat Conroy fan, and two, because the setting for a fiction book I'm working on is set in coastal South Carolina, also the location of the residency. The idea of being able to spend some concentrated time there was...well, let's just say there was a lot of salivating involved! 

Being a copywriter for corporate clients by trade and a closet creative writer whenever I can sneak the time, I had only dreamed of garnering a cherished spot at a Writers Residency where I could closet my usual work for a change and live my true creative writer's life, if even just for a week.

So, I entered...and I won! In November I'm headed to a remote destination on St. Helena's Island, not far from your stomping grounds, to write for a glorious nine days as well as attend a workshop at the annual Pat Conroy Literary Festival in Beaufort. I have been walking on a cloud ever since I learned the news, and I'm eternally grateful to you and this newsletter for connecting me to this amazing opportunity. 

Thank you!
Kathy Meadows

Marketing Strategist & Copywriter by day...
Fiction Writer by night...
Lover of dragonflies, fireflies, black cats, and a good story...not necessarily in that order
c: 214-675-2786

 - - - 

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

Featured article

Five Steps to Take to Become a Freelance Writer

By Christina Nifong

Eight years ago, I started writing after a break of more than a decade. I had last worked as a features writer for a thriving mid-sized newspaper. But so much had changed! Slowly, I began finding my way through the confusing maze that is freelance writing.

Today, I have recurring writing assignments at several local and regional magazines, I review books for Publishers Weekly, and I have written personal essays for online sites such as Grown & Flown. 

These are the steps that took me from pondering to getting paid.

1. Research the kind of freelancer you want to be: content market writer, book reviewer, blogger, magazine feature writer, book author? Each path requires different experience. Take the time to choose the one that fits best with your skill-set and goals. I recommend Jane Friedman's book: The Business of Being a Writer . She gives a detailed overview of the many ways to make a living writing. 

I will say that deciding what to say "yes" to has been difficult for me. I have filled in for weekend news reporters, worked as a food writer, taught cooking classes, penned a free monthly newsletter, written magazine feature stories, blogged for local businesses and started a Middle Grade novel. Only in the past year have I become more discriminating in what I take on. I now ask myself: Does this work pay fairly? Is it interesting? Does it help me achieve my larger goals?

2. Follow blogs, newsletters, podcasts and social media accounts of those teaching and writing in your field. There are so many resources, the danger is that you spend all your time reading — not writing. Be sure to set boundaries and revisit your goals frequently. Here are a few recommendations: FundsforWriters, of course. Also, The Write Life, Catapult, Mandy Hofmockel, Notes, Kat Boogaard, Eat Like a Writer.

3. Build a platform to let the world know what you've done and what you can do. This can feel paralyzing in the beginning. And it can be a huge time suck. I recommend starting with social media: put together a strong Linkedin page  and set up a Twitter account (this is where editors, agents and publishers are,, so you might as well get versed in this platform). T hen decide if you want a professional presence on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or TikTok. Don't pick too many; you can't be everywhere. After a few months of thinking about how to present your writing, you'll likely be more ready to make the many decisions that building a web page requires. As for website how-tos, I recommend using SquareSpace and finding a high school or college student to build your page at an affordable rate.

4) Pitch. If you aren't emailing magazine editors or seeking work on job boards, no one is going to know what work you want to do. I recommend choosing a few outlets — blogs, newsletters, business accounts, small circulation magazines — that publish early-career writers. Spend time with them, read their submission guidelines, follow their editors on Twitter, pitch and try to have follow-up email conversations with the editors. Sometimes an editor can share a list of topics the publication focuses on  throughout the year or specific pitches they are seeking.

5) Keep pitching. It can feel disappointing to get turned down. But you've got to keep putting yourself out there. If one market is not clicking, try another. If you aren't getting the response you're hoping for, improve your skills, then try again. Each experience will teach you — either where your strengths lie or how to get better at where you aspire to publish.

If you're willing to put in the work, there's a place for you to write.

BIO: Christina Nifong is a freelance journalist and personal essayist. Find more of what she writes and sign up for her email newsletter, Nourishing Stories, at christinanifong.com.

 

COmpetitions

MSLEXIA WOMEN'S POETRY COMPETITION
https://mslexia.co.uk/competitions/single-poem-poetry/womens-poetry-competition-2021/
£10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 6, 2021. Prizes £2,000, £500, £250, and Unpublished Poetry Prize for the best poem by a previously unpublished poet: £250. The four winners, plus sixteen additional finalists will have their poems published in the March issue of Mslexia. Competition is open to unpublished poems of any length. Submit up to three poems per entry fee. 



THE SOCIETY OF CLASSICAL POETS POETRY COMPETITION
https://classicalpoets.org/2021/09/01/the-society-of-classical-poets-2022-poetry-competition/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 31, 2021. First prize $2,000 and publication. One to three poems on any topic. All together, the poems should total 108 lines or less. Poems must contain meter (beginners and students may simply count syllables). Rhyme and other traditional techniques are encouraged as well, but not required. High school prize is $200. There is a translation prize of $100. 



THE NEXT GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARDS
https://indiebookawards.com/guidelines.php
$75 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 11, 2022. The 2022 Next Generation Indie Book Awards is open to all indie book authors and publishers including independent publishers (small, medium or otherwise), university presses, self-published authors, e-book authors, seasoned authors and even first time authors in the U.S., Canada or internationally who have a book, a manuscript, or a galley proof written in English and published in 2020, 2021 or 2022 or with a 2020, 2021 or 2022 copyright date. First place in fiction and nonfiction $1,500 and trophy. Second place in fiction and nonfiction $750 and trophy. Third place in fiction and nonfiction $500 and trophy. Winner of each of the 80+ categories $100 and gold medal. Up to five finalists in each of the 80+ categories. 



THE WRITER FALL SHORT STORY CONTEST
https://www.writermag.com/contests/
VARIOUS ENTRY FEES. Deadline December 15, 2021. Grand prize: $1,000 and publication in our magazine. Other prizes: Second prize: $500 and publication on writermag.com; third prize: $250 and publication on writermag.com. Any theme, subject, or genre is fair game, as long as it falls under 2,000 words.



NOWHERE MAGAZINE TRAVEL WRITING PRIZE
https://nowherepublishing.submittable.com/submit/203241/fall-2021-travel-writing-prize
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 15, 2021. Award-winning literary travel magazine Nowhere is accepting submissions for our Fall 2021 Travel Writing Prize. We are looking for novice and accomplished writers from anywhere in the world to send us stories—long-form fiction, short story, narrative nonfiction, essay or poetry—that possess a powerful sense of people, place or time. Reprints, simultaneous submissions and unpublished work are welcome. Entries must not have previously won a competition. The winner will receive US$1,000, with publication in Nowhere granted under First North American Serial Rights (FNASR). Up to ten finalists also may be published. 



LITMAG'S ANTON CHEKHOV AWARD FOR FLASH FICTION
https://litmag.submittable.com/submit/198271/litmags-anton-chekhov-award-for-flash-fiction-2021-first-prize-1-250-publi
$16 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 30, 2021. First Prize $1,250 and publication in LitMag and agency review by  Nat Sobel of Sobel Weber Associates, Erin Harris and Sonali Chanchani of Folio Literary Management, Jenny Bent of The Bent Agency, David Forrer of Inkwell Management, Monika Woods of Triangle House, and Emily Forland of Brandt & Hochman. Three finalists will receive $100 each. All finalists will be considered for possible agency review and publication. Entries must be short stories between 500 and 1,500 words. 



LILITH FICTION CONTEST
https://lilith.org/about-old/writing-for-lilith/
Deadline December 31, 2021. Lilith Magazine—Independent, Jewish & frankly feminist—seeks quality short fiction, 3,000 words or under, for our Annual Fiction Contest. First prize $250 and publication. We especially like work with both feminist and Jewish content, and are eager to read submissions from emerging writers of any age. 



LITMAG'S VIRGININA WOOLF AWARD FOR SHORT FICTION
https://litmag.submittable.com/submit/198272/litmags-virginia-woolf-award-for-short-fiction-2021-first-prize-2-500
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 31, 2021. First Prize: $2,500, publication in LitMag and agency review by Nat Sobel of Sobel Weber Associates, Lisa Bankoff of Bankoff Collaborative, Erin Harris and Sonali Chanchani of Folio Literary Management, Jenny Bent of The Bent Agency, David Forrer of Inkwell Management, Monika Woods of Triangle House, and Emily Forland of Brandt & Hochman. Three finalists will receive $100 each. All finalists will be considered possible agency review and publication. Entries must be short stories between 3,000 and 8,000 words.



THE TWO SYLVIAS PRESS 2021 WILDER SERIES POETRY BOOK PRIZE 
http://twosylviaspress.com/wilder-series-poetry-book-prize.html
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 31, 2021. The Wilder Series Book Prize is open to women over 50 years of age (established or emerging poets) and includes a $1,000 prize, publication by Two Sylvias Press, 20 copies of the winning book, and a vintage, art nouveau pendant. Women submitting manuscripts may be poets with one or more previously published chapbooks/books or poets without any prior chapbook/book publications. All manuscripts will be considered for publication. Length: 48-80 pages of poems. 


 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

 

POET-IN-RESIDENCE SOLOMON R. GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM
https://poets.submittable.com/submit/206680/2022-poet-in-residence-public-engagement/eligibility
Deadline December 5, 2021. The Poet-in-Residence will work together  with the Guggenheim Education team to design and produce a suite of poetry-related programs for adult, teen, and intergenerational audiences to take place over the 2022 calendar year. The residency will run from late January to December of 2022 and offers a $20,000 honorarium from the Guggenheim Museum, and one or more features in Academy of American Poets’s publications. Must be able to commute to the Guggenheim Museum in New York City throughout the residency. (Thanks www.erikadreifus.com)



BOCAS EMERGING WRITERS FELLOWSHIPS 2022
https://www.bocaslitfest.com/awards/emerging-writers-fellowships-2022/
Deadline December 6, 2021. The Bocas Emerging Writers Fellowships, to be awarded simultaneously in 2022, are a pair of one-time fellowships for emerging Caribbean-based writers in English, in two categories: prose (fiction or nonfiction) and poetry. The Bocas Emerging Writers Fellowships are intended to support early-career Caribbean writers whose work explores similar questions, ideas, and genre-crossing forms. Each fellowship consists of a cash award of TT$10,000; six months’ mentorship from an established author; publication of a chapbook with an excerpt from the writer’s work in progress; and participation in a one-week intensive online writing workshop hosted by Arvon (UK). (Thanks www.erikadreifus.com)



NEBRASKA ARTISTS ROSTERS
https://www.artscouncil.nebraska.gov/artists/join/
Nebraska Arts Council's Artist Roster helps nonprofit organizations and schools bring accomplished artists and performers into communities, giving people the chance to enjoy art to which they may not otherwise have access while ensuring artists get paid for their work. The roster is split between the Artists in Schools and Communities (AiS/C) program and the Nebraska Touring Program (NTP). Teaching artists in Nebraska and contiguous states may apply for the AiS/C Artist Roster. AiS/C artists may conduct programs in schools, non-profits, or other community settings. Programs may also target adult groups, engaging participants through lifelong learning and creative activities. The Nebraska Touring Program (NTP)/Exhibits Nebraska is designed to showcase artists residing in Nebraska, who provide a variety of high-quality touring performances and exhibits in various price ranges to all Nebraska communities throughout the year. It provides financial assistance to Nebraska's non-profit sponsors as well as promotes resident Nebraska artists and groups with a record of professional achievement.



NYFA FISCAL SPONSORSHIP
https://www.nyfa.org/blog/apply-now-find-new-resources-and-enhance-your-fundraising-capacity-with-nyfa-fiscal-sponsorship-2
Deadline December 31, 2021. NYFA Fiscal Sponsorship is a fundraising and administrative tool that allows your project or emerging organization to use NYFA's 501(c)(3) nonprofit status to fundraise for your own project. With this partnership with NYFA, you gain the ability to apply to government, foundation, and corporate grants traditionally restricted to 501(c)(3) organizations; the incentive of a tax deduction to attract individual donors; consultation services with NYFA staff; and more! Our next no-fee deadline to apply is December 31. 



FAY CHIANG FELLOWSHIP FOR ARTISTIC JOURNALISM
https://www.artseverywhere.ca/2022-fay-chiang-fellowship-for-artistic-journalism/
Deadline December 1, 2021. The Fay Chiang Fellowship is a year-long program of support for any individual artist, journalist, writer, musician, producer, or collective whose work integrates creative practice with rigorous journalistic research, writing and multimedia production. The theme of the 2022 Fay Chiang Fellowship for Artistic Journalism is: “Fault Lines & Fragile States.” The fellow will receive $15,000CAD as a fee and $5,000CAD for travel, equipment and other project costs. Fellows will be required to present a mid-project progress report, deliver the final project no later than December 15, 2022.  (Thanks www.erikadreifus.com)



WENDY'S SUBWAY RESIDENCY
https://wendyssubway.com/programs/residencies/residency-program-call-for-proposals-2021
The Wendy’s Subway Residency Program supports a variety of projects at the intersection of literature, the arts, and publishing. This stipended residency provides artists, writers, independent publishers, and small-scale arts organizations with focused time to research, experiment, and develop creative projects, public programs, and publications over three months. Residents receive a $600 stipend as well as an additional stipend of $1,000 to produce public programs and further funds and in-kind resources to develop a publication. Residents become key-holders at Wendy’s Subway during the course of their residency with 24/7 access to the library and workspace. Beyond this time, residents receive yearlong Supporter-level membership to Wendy’s Subway. Location Brooklyn, NY. 

  

FREELANCE MARKETS / JOBS

CAST OF WONDERS
https://www.castofwonders.org/submissions/
Deadline December 20, 2021. Cast of Wonders is a young adult short fiction market, open to stories up to 6,000 words in length. 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. Pays eight cents per word for original fiction of any length. For reprints, they offer a $100 flat rate for Short Fiction, and a $20 flat rate for Flash Fiction. 



HIDDEN COMPASS
https://hiddencompass.net/contributor-guidelines/
Hidden Compass is an award-winning online publication that showcases the frontiers of human exploration and knowledge through powerful storytelling. We publish stories that blend travel and discovery with science, culture, art, history — anything our contributors are passionate about. In other words, this is a place that celebrates the nerds of the world. And everyone is a nerd about something. Every story runs roughly between 1,500-2,500 words, and fits into one of our five unconventional themes. Photo features: $650 + 50 percent of crowdfunding proceeds. All other stories: $400 + 50 percent of crowdfunding proceeds.



THE SPILL
https://www.thespillmag.com/
Committed to amplify the voices of people who have been pushed aside for too long, we want to bring interesting content that matters to us and our readers: stories about life experiences, culture, arts, politics, the environment, and explorations of the self. Real stories written by, and relevant to, Black people, people of colour, indigenous people, people with disabilities, people who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ umbrella and beyond, people who are non-binary, Muslim people, and others attacked for their religious beliefs, and everyone at the intersection, people who have been subject to stigma and been boxed up for too long. Please note that we are now open to new pitches. If you would like to contribute to our Life, Culture, Arts, Politics, Environment, or Self categories please get in touch at [email protected]. Pays £0.15 per word.



STUDY HALL
https://studyhall.xyz/how-to-pitch-study-hall/
Study Hall reports can range widely, from deep dives into cultural phenomena to investigations of bad business practices. In general, we like to spend reporting resources on media stories that are under-covered elsewhere. Our rates are around $250 for Q&As and range from 30 to 40 cents per word for reporting and essays, depending on experience and complexity. Pitch Erin Schwartz at [email protected] or Vicky Mochama at [email protected].



CHICKEN SOUP: GRATITUDE, THANKFULNESS, MINDFULNESS, POSITIVE THINKING FOR PRETEENS AND TEENAGERS (TWO BOOKS)
http://www.chickensoup.com
Deadline December 20, 2021. We are collecting stories for TWO books — one for preteens (ages 9-12) and one for teenagers (ages 13-19). Please choose the right one when you submit your story. Both books are slated to come out in late spring 2022. We're looking for your uplifting true stories and poems about how you used the power of gratitude to change your own life while you navigated the preteen and teenage years. This callout is for ALL ages. Payment is $200 for 1,200 words plus ten copies.



BORDERLESS MAGAZINE
https://borderlessmag.org/pitch/
Borderless Magazine reports on labor, justice and advocacy issues impacting Midwestern immigrant communities. We report using a lens of equity and resilience. We welcome pitches from freelance journalists for reported feature stories, comics and as-told-to stories. Borderless welcomes personal essays from immigrants. We pay all contributors. Pays $250 and up. 



MN ARTISTS
https://mnartists.walkerart.org/submit-writing
Writers must be based in Minnesota, or the subject matter must have a connection to the local/regional arts scene: such as featuring artwork at venues in Minnesota, the work of an artist based in Minnesota, a topic relevant to the Minnesota arts community, etc. MN Artists works with emerging and experienced arts writers. Writer fees vary based on scope of work, but most range between $300-450. Word count is 500 to 2,500 words depending upon the column. Pitch Emily Gastineau, Editor, at [email protected]



LILITH MAGAZINE
https://lilith.org/about-old/writing-for-lilith/
Lilith Magazine—Independent, Jewish & frankly feminist—seeks quality short fiction, 3,000 words or under, for our Annual Fiction Contest. First prize $250 + publication. We especially like work with both feminist and Jewish content, and are eager to read submissions from emerging writers of any age. Features usually run 2,500 words, news briefs 500 words or less. Fiction should be under 3,000 words. Back-page pieces run 800 words. For poetry, please submit no more than five poems.

 

Publishers/agents

CULLEN STANLEY INTERNATIONAL
https://www.cullenstanleyinternational.com/submissions
Cullen Stanley International represents books with international appeal that will find readers in many languages around the world. Authors seeking representation are encouraged to send a query to one of our agents below via [email protected]. Please include your publication history, biographical information and a brief synopsis of your work, and attach the first ten pages of your manuscript. 



BELL, LOMAX, MORETON
https://belllomaxmoreton.co.uk/submissions
We are happy to consider most fiction, non-fiction and children’s book proposals. We specifically do not represent: poetry, short stories or novellas, educational textbooks, film scripts or stage plays. 



MIDDLE WEST PRESS
https://middlewestpress.submittable.com/submit/202883/call-for-poetry-manuscripts-intersections-with-themes-of-military-experience-or
Deadline November 30, 2021. Middle West Press LLC seeks poetry manuscripts by a single author, comprising 50 to 100 poems each, for potential publication in 2022. We are particularly seeking manuscripts that intersect in some way with military experience or service, especially those stemming from the lived experiences of women veterans, poets of color, poets who identify as LGBTQ, and other marginalized voices. Past and present military service members, family members, and others are invited to submit work.

 

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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