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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

ASKING FOR FEEDBACK YOU DON'T REALLY WANT

A writer recently asked me to review her memoir. She'd been through an incredible journey in her life, and I had to admit the experience amazed me. She'd already tried self-publishing a few years ago and had gotten scammed by an editor before also learning that not all self-publishers are created equal. A mutual friend introduced her to me, assuring the lady that I was an expert and could solve all her issues. 

We held a long conversation by phone. As I predicted, she wanted to talk story, trying to validate her story and assuming publishing the easier part. She kept wanting to talk about herself. 

This is very common with new writers. 

After a long time, I offered to send her an email listing suggestions on writing and publication, and explaining the differences between self-publishing and traditional. But she wanted me to read her work. Over and over she asked. After she prodded pretty darn hard, becoming quite the pest in subsequent contacts, I offered to review two chapters. I took way more time with it than expected, but I gave her a couple hours of my time in hope it enthused her in the right direction. 

Instead, she kept reverting back to making me to understand why she wrote the book, elaborating on how this was HER story, about HER. I advised I knew that, but regardless how good the tale might be in her mind, she had to learn how to write first. She never got it. She just kept seeing in her head that this was a good story. Her writing need a ton of work, as you might guess. She wasn't open to hearing that, though.

I finally told her pointedly that she needed to learn how to write first. That it didn't matter what the story was, if she wrote poorly, it didn't matter. It went totally over her head. I wished her luck and parted ways.

A good story is one thing. Good storytelling is quite another. There isn't a person on this planet that I cannot pull a good story out of. But there are few of those who can pen the story well, and there isn't a soul who doesn't need to study craft. Serious attention to craft is grossly overlooked 

And even then, once the craft is superb, there is the obstacle of publishing. Please, if you manage to master craft, always your first goal, do not throw away all that work by not studying publishing . . . and intelligently selecting the proper method that suits you, your style, your goals.

That understanding only comes from understanding it all thoroughly. Your story deserves it.

84969355 © creativecommonsstockphotos | Dreamstime.com

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HOPE'S APPEARANCES

 
SUCCESS QUOTE

SUccess Story

Hi Hope.

When I started my writing journey many years ago, the FundsforWriters writing tips and encouragement helped keep me going in the early, lean days, for which I am greatly appreciative. Bedeviled, the fourth book in my Father Jake Austin Mystery Series, was recently released worldwide, and I've received a contract extension for two more books from my publisher.

I still look forward to each issue of FundsforWriters, especially the Competition section, which has directed me to a number of interesting opportunities. Thank you for your help and encouragement over the years. All the best. 

John A. Vanek 
JohnVanekAuthor.com 

 - - - 



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

 

Featured article

Three Things I’ve learned From Self-Publishing a Collaborative Christmas Novella Collection

By Julie Cantrell

Last year, as the pandemic zapped the joy out of the holidays, four author friends and I joined forces to pour our energy into a positive project and keep our writing flowing. What started as a small side venture has now become a big, beautiful book filled with five novellas meant to lift spirits this holiday season. IT’S A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS hit shelves October 12.

This project was a first for me in many ways. It was my first time to write a novella, my first time to self-publish, and my first time collaborating with a team of five authors. I’ve learned a lot along the way, and I’m happy to share some tips with you.

Lesson #1: Many hands make for light work. 

As a traditionally published author, I quickly learned that self-publishing involves countless steps. It was helpful to be able to divide and conquer the endless to-do list from start to finish. 

We each found our niche and focused on tasks that fit our skillset. After each of us wrote our novella, Janyre Tromp and I each took the drafts through developmental and line edits before passing it to copyeditor and proofreader. Lynne Gentry took over the creation and placement of ads, banking them on social media and making adjustments as needed. She, Kelli Stuart, and Allison Pittman also researched keywords, made branded graphics, and worked together to list the book on Amazon. Thankfully we all divided marketing and PR outreach, which helped build buzz for launch day and beyond. Tip: Find your talents and let each person focus on what brings them joy.

Lesson #2: Every crew needs a captain. 

The way I see it, good people doing good things is always a good thing. But it does help to have the right leader to keep the ship moving forward at a steady pace. I am not a good captain, as asking people to contribute makes me cringe. Thankfully, Janyre stepped up as a wonderful captain and our crew worked seamlessly together even when crunch time added a little last-minute mayhem. Tip: Find a captain who is comfortable keeping everyone in sync and who can manage in a way that encourages everyone to sing as they row.  

Lesson #3: It takes a village. 

Because this book is being sold at a low price point and divided five ways, it’s truly a passion project meant to deliver smiles. This means we’ve essentially had a marketing budget of zero. Aside from a few low-cost ads, we’ve relied on friends and readers to help us spread the word about this heartwarming collection. We’ve been amazed by the number of people who have rallied around this little engine that could. We don’t take any of that kindness for granted, and we’re thrilled to discover these stories are bringing sentimental sparks of joy to those who discover them. Tip: Never underestimate the support you might find in the writing and reading community. And be sure to pay it forward. Kindness does a soul good. 

Overall, this has been a positive project, and I’d definitely collaborate again in the future. I encourage you to find a group of like-minded writer friends and see what magic you can stir up together. 



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 or join all five authors of It’s a Wonderful Christmas at Her Novel Collective. 

 

COmpetitions

CRAFT CREATIVE NONFICTION AWARD
https://www.craftliterary.com/craft-cnf-award/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 30, 2021. Each of three winners will be awarded $1,000 and a complete set of Graywolf Press’s The Art Of series. Open to all writers. English only. Creative nonfiction only. ONE creative nonfiction piece from 1,001 to 6,000 words OR up to TWO flash creative nonfiction pieces of 1,000 words or fewer each—if submitting two flash pieces (2,000 words maximum combined/1,000 words maximum each), please put them both in a SINGLE document.



JACOBS/JONES AFRICAN-AMERICAN LITERARY PRIZE
https://ncwriters.submittable.com/submit
$10-$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 2, 2022. The competition is open to any African-American writer whose primary residence is in North Carolina. Entries may be fiction or creative nonfiction, but must be unpublished, no more than 3,000 words, and concerned with the lives and experiences of North Carolina African-Americans. Entries may be excerpts from longer works, but must be self-contained. The winner receives $1,000 and possible publication of the winning entry in The Carolina Quarterly.



SILVERFISH CHAPBOOK COMPETITION
https://silverfishreviewpress.com/
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 21, 2021. This prize is awarded annually to a book-length manuscript of original poetry by an author who has yet to publish a full-length collection. Manuscripts should be at least 48 pages in length. There are no restrictions on the kind of poetry or subject matter; translations are not acceptable. The winner will receive $1,000, publication, and 25 copies of the book.



VCU CABELL FIRST NOVELIST AWARD
https://firstnovelist.vcu.edu/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 30, 2021. The submission must be the author's first novel, published in calendar year 2021. The USA must be the country of first publication for the submission. Self-published novels are not eligible, nor any novel published (via a hybrid press or otherwise) using an author's financial investment or fundraising efforts. Prize is $3,000. The winner and two additional guest panelists (usually the winner's agent and editor) also receive lodging and travel expenses to attend the First Novelist Award event night at Virginia Commonwealth University in fall 2022. 



THE MOTH POETRY PRIZE
https://themothmagazine.com/default.asp?
€15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 31, 2021. The Moth Poetry Prize is one of the biggest prizes in the world for a single unpublished poem. The prize is open to anyone, as long as the poem is previously unpublished. There is no line limit, and the poems can be on any subject. The overall winner of €6,000 will be announced at a special award ceremony at Poetry Ireland in Dublin in the spring of 2022.



VOYAGE BEST CHAPTER CONTEST
https://thevoyagejournal.com/contests/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 15, 2021. Voyage submissions are open to all writers working in English. International submissions are allowed. Submissions must be a chapter of a Young Adult novel (full novel does not need to be completed), and from the point-of-view of a young adult, meaning through the lens of a teen protagonist. The chapter doesn’t have to be standalone. Submit 5,000-word count maximum. We’re open to any genre or style—just send us the best you’ve got. First place winner will receive $5,000 and an hour-long consultation with a literary agent. Second place will receive $300 and publication. Third place will receive $200 and publication. Finalists will also receive written feedback from a literary agent.


 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

 

WRITERS COLONY WITH HONOR AND PRIDE FELLOWSHIP
https://www.writerscolony.org/fellowships
Deadline January 31, 2022. The With Honor and Pride fellowship is for writers who are or were U.S. service members. Work may be any literary genre: fiction or nonfiction, poetry or prose.  There is no expectation that the work be of a military-themed subject, attitude, or experience. Rather, the successful applicant will demonstrate insight, honesty, literary merit, and the likelihood of publication. Prior publication is not a requirement. The fellowship winner will receive a two-week residency at the Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow. Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow fellowships provide uninterrupted writing time, a European-style gourmet dinner served on weeknights, the camaraderie of other professional writers when desired, and a community kitchen stocked with the basics. 


 
WRITERS COLONY MY TIME FELLOWSHIP
https://www.writerscolony.org/fellowships
Deadline February 28, 2022. The My Time fellowship is for writers who are parents for dependent children. Work may be any literary genre: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, screenplays, or scripts.  The successful applicants will demonstrate insight, honesty, literary merit, and the likelihood of publication or production. Prior publication is not a requirement. Two fellowship winners will each receive a one-week residency at the Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow in Eureka Springs, Arkansas and a $400 stipend. Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow fellowships provide uninterrupted writing time, a European-style gourmet dinner served on weeknights, the camaraderie of other professional writers when desired, and a community kitchen stocked with the basics. 



DEL SHORES FOUNDATION 2021 WRITERS SEARCH
https://www.ncarts.org/del-shores-foundation-2021-writers-search
The fee is determined by the submission date. Deadline December 31, 2021. Must identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Must be 18 years or older. Must be a current resident of one of 15 Southern States inclusive of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. Screenwriters or playwrights who have had previous features, full-length plays or short film produced by non-independent means are ineligible. Scripts submitted must NOT have been previously optioned, purchased or produced at the time of entry. Cash Awards will be given to a single winner in each category: Short Film/Web Series – $1,000, Screenwriting – $3,000, Playwriting – $3,000. Grants will be made available associated with each category to promote the development of each winner. Short Film/Web Series – a grant of $2,000 to the production budget of the winner if produced within one year of winning the award. Screenwriting – travel and accommodations provided to the winner for a three-day trip to Los Angeles to meet with production companies. Playwriting – a $10,000 grant to the production budget of the first professional theatre company to produce the winning play. Scripts must be an original idea, free and clear of any copyright issues.



STUDIOS AT MASS MOCA FELLOWSHIP FOR BLACK OR INDIGENOUS ARTISTS/WRITERS
https://www.assetsforartists.org/studios-at-mass-moca
Deadline January 8, 2022. Openings for Summer-Fall 2022 residencies. The Studios is MASS MoCA’s artist and writers residency program situated within the museum’s factory campus and surrounded by the beautiful Berkshire Mountains. Operated by MASS MoCA’s Assets for Artists program, the residency runs year-round and hosts up to 10 artists at a time. Artists of any nationality can apply for stays of two to eight weeks. Due to limited spaces remaining in our calendar, we will only be accepting applications from artists who qualify for one of the full fellowships, of which this is one. 



ARIZONA ARTIST OPPORTUNITY GRANTS
https://azarts.gov/grant/artist-opportunity/
Deadline February 17, 2022. As this grant is available to artists working in all disciplines and at any stage in their career, a wide array of opportunities could be considered eligible. Project must occur during January 1, 2022 – June 30, 2022. Artists may request between $500 and $1,500 in funding. The number of grants awarded is dependent upon the amount of funds available. No match is required.



SEED GRANTS - THE POLLINATION PROJECT
https://thepollinationproject.org/
The Pollination Project seeks to unleash the goodness in every person. Through a daily practice of generosity and giving, The Pollination Project makes seed grants — 365 days a year — to social-change agents who seek to spread compassion in their communities and in the world for the benefit of all. The Purpose of a Pollination Project Seed Grant is to support passionate, committed people with an early-stage social change vision. It funds individuals and community groups, and you do not need to be a registered or established organization to apply. Grants $1,000 each and every day.

  

FREELANCE MARKETS / JOBS

SOUTHERN WITNESS
https://medium.com/southern-witness
WUNC is looking for personal essays reflecting on race and culture in our region for WUNC's Southern Witness Series. We are looking for contributors to share their stories about how growing up in/moving to the South shaped a very specific facet of your personality or perspective. Southern Witness pays $150 per essay, with a preferred word count of ~800 words. Send pitches to Stacia Brown at [email protected]



PARENTS
https://www.parents.com/
This is a call for pitches from LGBTQIA journalists who can cover queer related news stories for Parents magazine. Pays $300‐400 for longer features. Pitch Amber Leventry at [email protected]



POCKET TACTICS
https://www.pockettactics.com/
Pocket Tactics is always looking for pitches, especially guides, tier lists, and the occasional Nintendo Switch feature. We cover most popular mobile games as well as Nintendo Switch, and pitches go to Ruby Spiers at [email protected] . Freelancers can be based anywhere in the world. Mainly looking for guides writers, and rates are 500 words (microguide) at £50, 1,000 words at £100, and 1,500 words at £150.



ART WORLDS
https://www.artquest.org.uk/art-worlds/want-write-art-worlds/
How do artists around the world carve out a career? What’s the best way to get an exhibition in Bogota or Brighton, and how does funding work in Canada or Carlisle? Art Worlds, written by artists for artists, explains the nuts and bolts of how individual artists make their way in the world. We’re looking for the practical and the philosophical, for artists who can be honest about how their practice works on a day-to-day level, and how their life circumstances have altered their work (or vice versa). In return, we offer up to £200 per article, display up to 4 images / audio / film of your work, and promote your current projects on our Twitter and Facebook networks and email newsletter.



GOATS AND SODA
https://docs.google.com/document/d/106mJzAxc6Wyhj3t5FzqMCL_Ky3zOdAeZqPtXHpblFBs/edit
http://npr.org/goatsandsoda
Pitch Marc Silver, lead editor of Goats and Soda, NPR’s global health and development blog, and Malaka Gharib, deputy editor - [email protected] and [email protected] .  We publish articles on NPR’s website on a wide range of health and development issues in low- and lower-middle income countries, from infectious diseases to humanitarian aid. Rate depends on the project, but between $250-$400 depending on the assignment.



PIXWINE / THE DROP 
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bXAoSdf1sQkrLZ1_fqJL3D1TV5Ug7dqKbYYlYCz6rZI/edit
Rates start at $0.50 a word. Email Erica Duecy at [email protected] . Pix is a wine discovery platform. Our mission is to connect people with the right bottle for the moment. We combine a state-of-the-art wine search engine with insightful content — via our independent publication The Drop — to yield exceptional recommendations. We’re seeking vivid writing that helps readers understand how wine fits into their life. Rates start at $0.50 a word.



BUZZFEED BOOKS
http://buzzfeed.com/books
Pitch Farrah Penn, Editor at [email protected] with CC to her at [email protected]. They are looking for Roundups, Quizzes, TV/movie + books content, and anything out of the box. The payment range is $100-$300 depending on length/format.



WOMAN & HOME
https://www.womanandhome.com/
Pitch Aoife Hanna, Junior News Editor at [email protected]. Rates are budget-dependent but £150-£200/ $200-$270. International is fine but it's a UK/US audience, 40+female. Woman & Home's mission is to keep women informed on the subjects that matter to them, so they can live smarter, healthier and happier lives. 



AWP MAGAZINE 
https://www.awallprintss.com/
Features, personal essays and investigations on the following: climate change / environment, criminal justice system, mental health, housing, women's issues and more. We pay for exclusives and investigations $90-$120 depending on word count (300-650). We're a small independent outlet but we're really keen to provide a platform to aspiring and established writers. Email [email protected]



BITTER SOUTHERNER
https://thebittersoutherner.submittable.com/submit
The Bitter Southerner covers the U.S. South from a modern perspective. Our goal is to tell surprising untold stories about people and places in the Southern United States. The Bitter Southerner is committed to amplifying a multitude of voices that make up the past, present, and future of the South. Our features typically range from 2,500 to 5,000 words. We also consider personal essays, reviews, profiles, or opinion pieces. Payment is $500 for feature writing and feature photography, $250 for personal essays and perspectives pieces.



INSIDE
https://www.businessinsider.com
Looking for original, illuminating, weird, ground-breaking stories from anywhere. We aim to be clear and conversational, precise, fair, and accurate. If you have a strong writing voice, this is a place where you can strut it. Pitch stories off the beaten path that challenge lazy assumptions (with the reporting to back it up). News isn't readily accepted, but after the dust has settled if you have a lead on what really happened, reach out! Pitch Edith Honan, Editor at [email protected]. Pay is $1/word+ for deeply reported narrative features and $500+ for photo essays. See good examples here: https://businessinsider.com/category/news-freelancer 

 

Publishers/agents

STEERFORTH PRESS
http://steerforth.com/submissions
Steerforth Press is exclusively considering works of narrative nonfiction, such as investigative or literary journalism, true crime and history for a general audience. Please send a query or proposal to [email protected].



MAGINATION PRESS
https://www.apa.org/pubs/magination/guideline
Magination Press publishes books relating to social-emotional learning, mental health and wellness, and psychological topics for children and teens. Most of our books are written by PhD or PsyD-level psychologists, school counselors, or other mental health professionals. Although doctorate-level credentials are not a requirement, the author should have expertise in the topic area.
 

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C. Hope Clark
E-mail: [email protected]
140-A Amicks Ferry Road #4
Chapin, SC 29036
http://www.fundsforwriters.com

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ISSN: 1533-1326

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