TOP SPONSOR 

Freelance SEO Writers, Blog Writers, & Copywriters... 

Want bigger and better clients?  
My name is Mike Blankenship and for the last five years, I've been the low-profile freelance writer behind brands like...

- ClickFunnels
- Neil Patel
- SmartBlogger
- Jeff Bullas
- AdWeek

... and lots more.

And I often get asked how I find and pitch high-quality clients that'll pay me what I deserve and stick with me for years, not months.

This is my UBER DETAILED answer to that question... templates, scripts, and all.

Using these techniques I close over 70% of my pitches.

Seriously.

Go get it and never worry about where your next client is coming from again.

I'm only offering it at this price for the next couple of days -- the special price for FundsforWriters Readers ;-)

- Mike

EDITOR'S THOUGHTS

ON ACCIDENTAL PLAGIARISM

"Nothing you create is ultimately your own, yet all of it is you. Your imagination, it seems to me, is mostly an accidental dance between collected memory and influence, and is not intrinsic to you, rather it is a construction that awaits spiritual ignition."

~Nick Cave, founder of Red Hand Files, the online journal in which he takes questions from fans and answers them in miniature essays - Quote taken from https://www.themarginalian.org/2022/01/20/nick-cave-creativity/ 

He goes further to say, "Bring all your enthusiasm to bear on the development of that good and essential force. This is done by a commitment to the creative act itself. Each time you tend to that ingenious spark it grows stronger, and sets afire the ordinary gifts of the imagination. The more dedication you show to the process, the better the work, and the greater your gift to the world. Apply yourself fully to the task, let go of the outcome, and your true voice will appear."

In other words, all writers are a compilation of original thought and personal writing plus what they've read. He elaborates that the best spark is from an imagination on fire. 

My takeaway from this, a school of thought that I firmly adhere to, is that you do not accidentally plagiarize. When your imagination is lit up, it's creating, it's not copying. It yearns to spawn fresh, original material, not cheat. Your brain cannot absorb and regurgitate exact lines or sentences from someone else's work anyway, not without an effort to find them, short-cut and copy. Which means you shut your imagination off. 

When you turn on your writing spigot, when you create from your soul, you will not unconsciously write down someone else's work. Sorry. That is an excuse.

Sure, you can study how others piece together their words. I do it all the time. When I find a particularly juicy sentence, I even write it down in a notepad to study later. However, I cannot begin to remember verbatim all those notes. I'd have to turn to them and literally copy them to put them in my own work.

So feel free to read good works while you are writing your own. It opens doors in your mind to think outside the rut you currently write in. But trust me, you will not plagiarize unless you want to.

SUPER SPONSOR 

HOPE'S APPEARANCES

 
SUCCESS QUOTE

SUccess Story

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

 

Featured article

Case Study: Crowdfunding a Novel (Part 3 of 3)

By Dan Brotzel

(Read Parts 1 and 2 of this three-part series online.)

3: Production and publication 

With the book hitting its crowdfunding target, it was time to look at production and publication. We had a fantastic copyeditor, Hayley, who carried out what Unbound called a developmental edit. She spotted lots of errors, some quite structural, and did a superb job. 

We had a new editor, and Unbound decided to change the title. They felt Kitten on a Fatberg would be hard to market, and so it became Work in Progress. This was a bit of a wrench, as we were so used to the title (named after one of the character’s eccentric poems). Many supporters were fond of it too. But Unbound was confident in its decision, and we embraced it. 

With COVID, the publication date was pushed back several months, which worried us as it meant our supporters would have had to wait almost two years for their copies. (They stayed loyal and patient, but apparently people do sometimes ask for their money back.) 

When the books arrived at last, I received a couple of hundred copies which we had pre-ordered with our article payments. This turned out to be a good decision (we could have chosen to just add to the pot in the form of lump sums), as it meant we had review copies to send out (something we discovered Unbound doesn’t do) and more stock to sell. We signed COVID-friendly bookplates and arranged a couple of launch events: one outside our local book shop, and one in our local library. 

Unbound organized a blog tour and got Work in Progress onto The Pigeonhole, an online book club where readers get advance sight of new books and can comment as they read. The Pigeonholers loved the book, and many wrote reviews on their own blogs, Goodreads, Amazon, and elsewhere. 

The book has had great reviews and ratings, but not quite achieved the reach we hoped for. Disappointingly, we couldn’t get any reviews in the national papers, which still makes quite a difference in the UK. But we did appear in various book podcasts, and got lots of nice comments on Twitter. We have over 50 reviews on Amazon, where the book averages 4.7 out of 5. 

A few months after the launch of Work in Progress, my first solo novel, The Wolf in the Woods, came out with Sandstone Press (in the interim I acquired an agent and an additional publisher). So I was able to cross-promote the two titles.

We’re busy on a follow-up, about a harmless UFO cult that’s running out of members.

So is crowdfunding for you? Here are some pros and cons:

Pros

-    Unbound publishes a real mix of titles – if you can find a market for your niche idea, you have a good chance.
-    Good for people with a strong social media presence and/or marketing background.
-    Good if you have some profile or a following in your area already. Areas such as gaming and progressive political and social topics always seem to do well, too. 

Cons

-    Not ideal if you don’t like social media or the promotional hustle.
-    Harder to do if you are a complete unknown and have to build profile from scratch.
-    Can be a lengthy lead time from start to finish – requires stamina and persistence.


Read Parts 1 and 2 of this 3-Part piece at FundsforWriters.com.

Read more of Dan Brotzel’s articles on writing fiction and content at https://danielbrotzel.medium.com/

 

COmpetitions

CAROL SHIELDS PRIZE FOR FICTION
https://carolshieldsprizeforfiction.com/submissions
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadlines March 18, July 22, and November 18, 2022. It’s time for the first women’s literary award, which is designed to acknowledge, celebrate, and promote the best works of fiction written by women annually in Canada and the United States. The winner of the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction will be awarded $150,000 Canadian dollars. Four finalists will each receive $12,500 Canadian dollars. The prize is open to novels, short story collections and graphic novels written by women and non-binary writers. All books and entry forms must be submitted and filled out by the book’s publisher. Publishers may submit only two titles per imprint, per publishing house. Publishers must be American or Canadian companies. Self-published books or books submitted by authors directly are not eligible. The books must be scheduled to be published between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022. 



CUTBANK CHAPBOOK CONTEST
http://www.cutbankonline.org/genre-contests
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 31, 2022. The CutBank Chapbook Contest honors a book of original poetry, fiction or creative nonfiction by a single author. The winning author receives a $1,000 honorarium plus 25 copies of the published book. Two runners-up will be chosen for publication as well. Manuscripts should be 25-40 typed pages in length of poetry (a cohesive poetry manuscript), fiction (either a short fiction collection or novella), or creative nonfiction (one long essay or a collection of short essays). 



WRITER'S DIGEST ANNUAL WRITING COMPETITION
https://www.writersdigest.com/writers-digest-competitions/annual-writing-competition
$20 POETRY / $30 MANUSCRIPTS. Deadline May 6, 2022. One Grand Prize winner will receive $5,000, an interview in Writer’s Digest (Nov/Dec 2022 issue) and on WritersDigest.com, a paid trip to the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference, including special recognition at the keynote, a coveted Pitch Slam slot at the Writer's Digest Conference where the winner will receive one on one attention from editors or agents, and publication of their winning piece on WritersDigest.com. The First place winner in each category will receive $1,000 in cash and publication of their winning piece on WritersDigest.com. The Second place winner in each category will receive $500 cash. The Third place winner in each category will receive $250 in cash. The Fourth place winner in each category will receive $100 in cash. The Fifth place winner in each category will receive $50 in cash. The Sixth through Tenth place winners in each category will receive a $25 gift certificate for writersdigestshop.com. Nine categories. 



THE SYNOPSIS SKIRMISH - A WRITING CONTEST FOR QUERYING AUTHORS
https://darlingaxe.com/pages/the-synopsis-skirmish
$5 CAD ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 31, 2022. According to literary agent Sarah Davies, a good query submission can be described in terms of concept and craft. In other words, you want to convey an original idea or fresh take and demonstrate a mastery of narrative structure. These elements are both important in your pitch, but even more so in your synopsis. So lay out your story's chain of consequence, and demonstrate character, context, and conflict—with style but without gimmick. And may the best plot summary win! Our judge, Michelle Barker, will be asking herself one question: does this synopsis convince me that I'm in the hands of an adept novelist with a unique and engaging story to tell? First place: $700 CAD. Second place: $200 CAD. Third place: $100 CAD. All three finalists will be published on the Chopping Blog and receive complimentary access to a Darling Axe self-paced course.



KINGDOMS IN THE WILD POETRY PRIZE
https://kingdomsinthewild.com/poetryprize
NO NOTED ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 17, 2022. We are looking for emerging writers who have yet to publish a collection of poetry (not including self-published chapbooks). Submit a manuscript featuring 15 to 30 poems in standard .doc / docx or pdf document. Winner will receive $250 and publication of winning chapbook by Kingdoms in the Wild and five complimentary physical copies mailed to the author as well as the option to choose a single complimentary title from our existing catalog. Kingdoms in the Wild will also promote the winning chapbook to all our readers across our various platforms and will work to provide copies to reviewers and poet enthusiasts.



THE EMERGING WRITERS CONTEST
https://www.pshares.org/submit/emerging-writers-contest/guidelines#ffw22
$24 ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 15, 2022. The Emerging Writer's Contest is open to writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry who have yet to publish or self-publish a book. We award publication, $2,000, review from Aevitas Creative Management, and a one-year subscription for one winner in each of the three genres. The 2022 contest judges are Amelia Gray (Fiction), Chen Chen (Poetry), and Danielle Geller (Nonfiction). The winning story, essay, and poems from the 2022 contest will be published in the Winter 2022-23 issue of Ploughshares. Fiction and Nonfiction: Under 6,000 words. Poetry: three to five pages. If you are a current subscriber through our Winter 2022-2023 issue, your contest entry is free of charge. 

 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

 

FARRAR, STRAUS AND GIROUX FELLOWSHIP
https://fsgfellowship.com/
Deadline April 15, 2022. The FSG Writer’s Fellowship is a yearlong program designed to give an emerging writer from an underrepresented community additional resources to build a life around writing: funding, editorial guidance, and advice on how to forge a writing career. It offers the unique opportunity for a writer to spend time with and enjoy the support and mentorship of the FSG community. The winner will be announced in August and the Fellowship will begin in September. Pays $15,000 over two installments: half paid at the start of the Fellowship program, half paid in February 2023. A representative from each department at FSG will meet with the Fellow to discuss their field of specialty and help the writer build a broader understanding of the publishing business. The Fellow agrees to offer to FSG the Fellow’s first book-length work before submitting to, or soliciting offers from, any other publisher. 



PEN PARENTIS
https://www.penparentis.org/fellowships/guidelines/
Deadline April 17, 2022. One talented writer who is the parent of at least one child under 10 years old will receive $1000 to further their writing career, a year of mentorship, and will be offered the opportunity to read their winning story at the Pen Parentis Literary Salon on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. Submissions call for a new, never-published fiction story—any genre, on any subject—of up to 603 words. 



THE WHITING CREATIVE NONFICTION GRANT
https://www.whiting.org/writers/creative-nonfiction-grant/about
Deadline April 25, 2022. The Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant of $40,000 will be awarded to as many as ten writers in the process of completing a book-length work of deeply researched and imaginatively composed nonfiction for a general readership. It is intended for multiyear book projects requiring large amounts of deep and focused research, thinking, and writing at a crucial point mid-process, after significant work has been accomplished but when an extra infusion of support can make a difference in the ultimate shape and quality of the work. Writers must submit the original proposal that led to the contract with a publisher, up to 25,000 words from their draft, a statement of work to be completed and planned use of funds, and a signed and dated contract with a publisher.



THGM MUSE SCHOLARSHIP
https://thgmwriters.com/resources/scholarship/
Deadline May 15, 2022. For 2022, there will be a single award of US$500. If the place of study is in Canada, the award will be C$630. This scholarship is open to all who qualify. Must be a citizen or resident of the United States or Canada. Must be currently studying at the secondary level. Must be planning to study in a writing-related program. The program must be full-time studies, at the first-year level, at a recognized post-secondary institution, with instruction at least 50 percent in English. Applicants can apply by submitting an original short story of 400-600 words in prose or in script. One of the characters must be a student in your program. Please make the story grab attention. 
 
  

FREELANCE MARKETS / JOBS

NEW SCIENTIST
https://jobs.newscientist.com/about-us/
Seeks big ideas in physical science and yarns about archaeology. Pitch Joshua Howgego at [email protected]. Rates are expected for be in the 50 cents/word range. 



WHEELCHAIR LIBERTY
https://problogger.com/jobs/job/ongoing-content-writing-in-the-healthcare-and-mobility-niche/
We are an ecommerce business that produces content to assist our customers’ journey, to help us develop backlinks, and to assist our overall traffic generation strategy. The successful applicant will be required to produce researched, long-form blog posts (1,500+ words) to our style standards. Post topics and guidance/research will be provided for most posts. You will be expected to be able to write in native English for the North American market. This will be an ongoing position for the successful candidate. We expect to require two content pieces per calendar month on an ongoing basis. There will be a trial for short-listed applicants. There will be a nominal payment to recognize your participation in the trial. Our base price for this work is $300-$400 per content piece, however this is negotiable based on skill and experience.



STATESIDER
https://statesider.us/about/
Deadline April 30, 2022. The Statesider is a newsletter that curates the most interesting stories about US travel, American experiences, cultures, landscapes, regional cuisines and unforgettable characters all in one place. Think of us as a weekend travel section for America. We’re looking for a new crop of creative pitches on US travel and culture, and we’re not just looking for traditional written stories this time — we’re also interested in maps, infographics, graphic stories/comics/illustrations, and photo essays. Originals in the Statesider are typically 1,200 words or longer. Original stories: $500 flat rate for a story of 1,200+ words. Want to do something shorter, significantly longer, add complexity in some other way? Reach out. Maps & Infographics: $200 for a standalone graphic. $300 for a graphic plus a short writeup. Photo Essays: $50/photo up to $500.



THE GOOD
https://twitter.com/jamesrsowers/status/1506269872979943431
Any freelance writers out there who specialize in the topics below and have room for 2-3 pieces a month? Feel free to send me your portfolio/pitch. (DMs Open) We're pretty flexible. It's a new business, so we're conscious about total costs, but happy to pay a writer's rate if they are a good fit for the opportunity. Pays $250/post minimum, with a maximum budget (right now) of around $500/piece. TOPICS:
• Customer Research
• Customer/User Experience
• CRO
• Web Design
• Product Design



THE GREEN ROOM
https://www.fifthseasonfresh.com/blog/fifth-season-is-starting-a-recipe-blog-and-we-want-you-to-contribute
Seeking seasoned writers to provide a complete recipe (with ingredient list and steps) along with a well-told anecdote that gives the dish some life. Solid storytelling skills are required, and attention-grabbing ledes are a must. Once a pitch is greenlit, the story should be 350-600 words, not including the recipe. Pitch Ali Trachta, Editor, at [email protected]. 



SYNTHESIS SCHOOL
Link form here
Synthesis School is looking for a content writer to write ebooks and blog posts. We're on a mission to teach kids collaborative problem-solving and set them up for success in an unknown future, all while having tons of fun and making friends from all over the world. The pay is $200-$300 per 1000 words. You'll be in charge of:

- Using HARO to source quotes from subject matter experts
- Researching topics
- Interviewing our teachers or internal subject matter experts
- Reaching out to additional subject matter experts if needed 
- Writing content that is 1000 - 4000 words in length
- Handling feedback from our content marketing lead



CHICKEN SOUP: CRAZY, ECCENTRIC, WACKY, LOVABLE, FUN FAMILIES
http://www.chickensoup.com
Deadline April 30, 2022. We all have them! Those eccentric, goofy, wacky, lovable, and oh-so-fun family members — the ones we tell all the stories about. They could be a parent or grandparent, an in-law, a brother or sister, an aunt, uncle or cousin. Or grown children. Share your true stories and poems about those family members. With love and appreciation, please. No mean-spirited stories wanted. Limit 1,200 words. Pays $200 and ten copies.



SALVATION SOUTH
https://salvationsouth.submittable.com/submit
Salvation South accepts submissions in two broad categories: stories that address critical issues facing the South and stories that celebrate the culture of the South. Salvation South welcomes submissions from writers, journalists, poets, writers of short fiction. (NOTE: We confirmed they pay.)



SOLARPUNK MAGAZINE
https://solarpunkmagazine.com/submissions/
The submission window for our all-BIPOC issue, Colorful Roots, will be open from April 1-14. Other deadlines with other themes available on the website. Fiction: 500-7500 words ($.08 per word, $100 minimum). Poetry: up to five poems or five pages of poems, whichever is shorter. ($40 per poem). Nonfiction: 1,000-2,000 words ($75 per essay or article).



NARRATIVE
https://www.narrativemagazine.com/submission-guidelines
During the first two weeks of April, we do not require a reading fee for general submissions made specifically to the Open Reading category via our submissions page. However, manuscripts submitted during this period are not eligible for the Narrative Prize. Pays $150 for a Story of the Week, with $400 each for the annual Top Five Stories of the Week; $150 to $350 for 500 to 2,000 word manuscripts; $350 to $1,000 for 2,000 to 15,000 word manuscripts. Rates for book-length works vary, depending on the length and nature of the work. Pays $50 minimum for each accepted poem and audio piece. ($25 for poetry reprints.) and $200 each for the annual Top Five Poems of the Week. Pays $100 for Readers’ Narratives. Narrative is dedicated to advancing literature in the digital age by supporting the finest writing talent and encouraging reading across communities and generations, in schools, and around the globe. 



MILITARY 
https://www.military.com/
Military.com is a news and resource website for military members, veterans and their families. Submit pitches to Zachary Fryer-Biggs, Managing Editor at [email protected]. We want thoughtful, deep reporting on service members and veterans and the issues that impact their lives and are willing to pay accordingly. That could be investigative work on harms, it could be features revealing aspects of military life that aren't talked about often. The floor on this is about $250, but most stories will be much higher. Heavy emphasis on storytelling. 

 

Publishers/agents

ECW
https://ecwpress.com/pages/submissions
We proudly publish an eclectic list of nonfiction, poetry, and fiction — but we don’t publish in every category under the sun. Before sending in your proposal, please familiarize yourself with our recent titles to see if your book fits with our publishing program. For example, we do not publish books for children. We are especially seeking submissions from underrepresented voices, including Black, Indigenous, and people of colour; LGBTQ2IA+ people; people living with disabilities; and women. 



GILL BOOKS
https://www.gillbooks.ie/write-for-us/write-for-us?cl=89
Gill Books welcomes submissions from first-time and experienced authors alike. Please note that we only accept proposals for non-fiction and children’s; we are not currently accepting fiction, poetry, short stories or plays. In general, we are most interested in books of Irish interest.



HAYMARKET BOOKS
https://www.haymarketbooks.org/pg/submissions
We are interested in manuscripts that are accessible to a wide range of progressive and radical political activists, while also being useful to an academic audience. Please note that we are not accepting submissions for the following genres at this time: fiction, poetry, memoirs, cookbooks, self-help, or dissertations. 



HOHM PRESS
https://www.hohmpress.com/pages/submissions
We do not accept unsolicited manuscripts. Please address a query letter with a small representative sample of the material. Our books help you to sharpen your focus in finding the answers and direction you seek concerning your health and wellness, your inner life and the daily pressure of life's fast pace. We help educate the human spirit to instill an understanding of life’s basic questions concerning wellness, balanced psychology, mental clarity, family and matters of the heart.


 
JESSICA KINGSLEY PUBLISHERS
https://us.jkp.com/pages/write-for-us
You might already know us for our books on autism, social work and arts therapies, as we’ve been publishing in these areas since we started, in 1987. More recently, we have broken new ground in the fields of mental health, gender diversity, adoption and fostering, and special education. In 2006, our Singing Dragon imprint was born, the home to our professional books on Chinese medicine and complementary therapies, yoga therapy and nutrition. Our children’s books tackle complex or sensitive issues, like bereavement, anger, and depression, making them accessible for young readers. They’re wonderfully illustrated with a range of clearly diverse characters, so that all children can see themselves reflected in the stories that they read. We believe that establishing positive narratives about difference from an early age can help shape confident and fulfilling lives.



MEASURE PRESS
http://www.measurepress.com/measure/index.php/submissions/
Measure Press considers full-length manuscripts of poetry, criticism, and poetry instruction for publication year-round. Poetry manuscripts should contain between 50 and 100 pages of poetry (textbooks and books of criticism will, of course, vary considerably). 



MICROCOSM
https://microcosmpublishing.com/faq#submit-manuscripts
Microcosm specializes in nonfiction DIY (Do-It-Yourself) books, zines, and decks that focus on the reader and teach self-empowerment. We do not publish work that would primarily be described as cookbooks, travel writing, or memoirs unless the work is more substantially about a nonfiction topic than the author's life and experiences. If your book contains more than 20% personal stories, we are not the right publisher for you. We do not publish poetry or fiction except as part of our established Queering Consent or Bikes in Space series.



THE NEW PRESS
https://thenewpress.com/submissions
We are a book publisher with a social justice mission, a home for the nation’s leading progressive thinkers, journalists, scholars, political leaders, and activists, a publishing house where ideas and movements come together, and a small, diverse organization with a big vision: to change the world, book by book. Our goal is to publish books that promote understanding and discussion of the issues that affect us all, and to provide ideas and inspiration for the activists, teachers, policy makers, and everyday citizens who are working to refresh American democracy. 



SHAFFNER PRESS
http://www.schaffnerpress.com/submissions
All submissions to Schaffner Press must be in the English language and in the following categories:
Fiction: literary adult fiction, short fiction collection, historical with socially relevant content, crime fiction. Nonfiction–memoir, autobiography, biography. Journalistic Expose or Narrative, True Crime, Art, Culture, pop culture, World History, current events, science, arts and letters, US history, military history, music, are some of the preferred categories. No Children’s or Young Adult fiction or nonfiction. No science fiction, romance, or fantasy. We will consider manuscripts between 60,000 – 100,000 words.
 

SPONSORS

FINE PRINT

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 2000-2022, C. Hope Clark
ISSN: 1533-1326

**Note that FundsforWriters.com places paid advertising in this newsletter, ALL ads being related to writers and the business of writing, screened by FundsforWriters to make sure the information is suitable for writers and their endeavors to improve their careers. But the mailing list is not sold to third parties. You will not receive this newsletter without your permission. It's physically impossible since recipients must opt-in, giving us permission to send the newsletter. If at any time you no longer with to receive the newsletter, click the UNSUBSCRIBE link at the bottom of each newsletter. We want you to enjoy this newsletter at your pleasure, not be forced to read anything you do not wish to receive. The website is not advertised using unsolicited messages by Aweber, affiliates or other third parties. Direct any complaints, suggestions, and accolades to Hope Clark at [email protected]. We are an anti-spam site.