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Fix, Grist’s solutions lab, opens submissions for Imagine 2200 climate fiction contest

$8,700 IN PRIZES AND PUBLICATION by Fix, Grist's solutions lab

Deadline: May 5, 2022 / No entry fee

Submissions are now being accepted for Imagine 2200: Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors, the annual climate fiction contest from Fix, Grist's solutions lab. There is no fee to enter. Submit your short story by May 5, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. PST. 

Imagine 2200 seeks unpublished short stories of 3,000 to 5,000 words that envision the next 180 years of clean, green, and just futures. Judges include Hugo Award-winning writer Arkady Martine, esteemed editor and author Sheree Renee Thomas, and professor Grace L. Dillon, who coined the term "Indigenous futurism." Imagine 2200 draws inspiration from Afrofuturism, as well as Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, disabled, feminist, and queer futures, and the genres of hopepunk and solarpunk. 

While we're looking for hopeful stories, we also don't expect you to be overly optimistic or naïve. One hundred and eighty years of equitable climate progress will require hard work, struggle, and adaptation, and we invite you to show those as well. 

In addition, we're especially interested in cultural authenticity (a deep sense of place, customs, cuisine, and more), rich characters with intersecting identifies, and stories that challenge the status quo in which wealthy and power are built on extraction, oppression, and violence. 

The top three winners will be awarded $3,000, $2,000, and $1,000, respectively, and nine finalists will receive a $300 honorarium. Those 12 authors will be published in an immersive digital collection this fall. Conjure your wildest dreams for society - all the justice, resilience, and abundance you can imagine - and put those dreams on paper.

There's no fee to enter, so if you're ready to get writing, you can find our submissions portal here. If you'd like to get in touch, you can reach us at [email protected]. 


About Grist

Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Our goal is to use the power of storytelling to illuminate the way toward a better world, inspire millions of people to walk that path with us, and show that the time for action is now. 


Fix, Grist's solutions lab, amplifies bold, equitable ideas for our climate future, and the people working towards them, in an effort to shift the climate narrative toward possibility. Through creative storytelling, network-building, and events, Fix explores the paths to a clean, green, just future, and brings together a growing community of climate visionaries - we call them Fixers - who are leading the way to a planet that works for everyone. 

EDITOR'S THOUGHTS

THE VALUE OF YOUR TIME

Work every day. No matter what has happened the day or night before, get up and bite on the nail.

~Ernest Hemingway

For months, maybe years, you write on a project. Then you publish it. We won't get into the pros and cons of self-publishing versus traditional, but let's just say you have some say-so into how much your books are sold to the public. You price it down, in hopes of snaring eager readers for whom that matters.

A few months go by, and you get impatient at your book sales and decide you need to offer something for free. After all, so many blogs out there talk about the catalyst of a bait sale, where you entice someone for free so that they'll buy your other work. Since you have more than one book for sale, you hope it balances out . . . give away one to sell one, or two, or three if you have a series.

But you have forgotten the impact of a sound first impression. 

You started out with a lower priced book. You followed up with a free one. The first impression of a reader, bookstore owner, or librarian is that you are cheap. 

Ouch, you might say. That was harsh, Hope.

Tough love, baby. Tough love. Now, to be fair, you might prefer to cater to the market of those readers who only read when they land a deal. Just know that what attracts a reader to you paints you in a certain light.

If you attract people with price or free, that's the readership you land. Keep in mind that these people will often not pay a higher price for a subsequent book, and since you've offered freebies in the past, they wait for you to offer them again in the future, or move to another author who does. After all, there are a zillion writers like you out there.  

But if you attract people with story, that's the readership you land. They'll usually pay anything for your story, because price isn't what they care about. They care about entertainment and escapism. Will they appreciate the occasional discount? Maybe. But you can maintain quality by explaining they can read for free at the library. 

You spend so much time writing these words. The words matter most. You entered this business, hopefully, because you appreciate storytelling. The words have to matter most for the quality to occur. However, like Stephen King says in his book On Writing, if you are writing solely to make a dollar, you might be in the wrong business.

Charge in relation to the love you poured into the story. You'll respect yourself more as a writer.

109907038 © creativecommonsstockphotos | Dreamstime.com

SUPER SPONSOR 

HOPE'S APPEARANCES

 
SUCCESS QUOTE

SUccess Story

I first learned about FanStory on FundsforWriters a few years ago. In November, 2020, needing something to occupy my mind during pandemic lockdowns, I decided to pay the fee and start posting some nonfiction personal stories. In January, on a whim, I decided to try turning my one fiction story into a novel. I posted my first chapter. It took me another month to figure out the direction I wanted to go with it and post the second chapter. I was encouraged by the excellent reviews that included tips and suggestions from some of the top writers. At the end of 2021 I was amazed to find myself in 8th spot of the top ten novelists! I’d also continued writing memoirs. In January 2021 I received the award of writer of the month! What a high! I doubt I’ll ever get the novel published, but the fact that I will finish it makes me proud. I’ve also learned how to be a better reviewer.

Thank you, Hope.

Judy Lawless
Writer/Blogger
http://Judylawless.com
Contributing Author in award-winning anthology series Tales of Our Lives

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

 

Featured article

The Three-Pronged Approach To Getting Paid Projects

By Bhuvana Rajaram

It's difficult providing estimates and proposals for creative writing services. As writers, we often sound vague when walking the client through the scope of our writing work. It seems sketchy to tell them that we curate, create, collate, read, mull over, write, rewrite a million times, edit vigorously and then only reluctantly submit.

While reality plays in the back of your mind, you find it a daunting task to quote the right price and obtain quick client approval. Invariably from the client side there are negotiations, promises for future work, repeat orders, and similar such.  Hear them out and heed them but make your own decision.  As an independent writer for the last six years, I have had countless good and bad incidents when it comes to 'quoting well and getting paid.'

Here's a three-pronged approach that helps you get more projects that pay, if not handsomely, at least decently.

Cement the Work Scope

Everything starts and ends here. In your initial client informational call ask probing questions to understand what exactly he or she means when they seek writing support. Is it editing, rewriting, creating, or just collating? You must nail this, because when a client says 'improve this article' they could well expect you to create content afresh while you assume the job is editing. 

Once, a client requested me to edit 50 medical articles, and I provided a quote. There was swift approval, and I completed the editing, only to find that the client was unhappy. She was under the impression I would use the article as a base and beef it up thoroughly with new ideas and concepts. It was a nightmare by the time I redid the whole set.

Document Every Single Detail

Conversations are great for clarity, but if they are not documented, you run the risk of miscommunication and misunderstanding. Clients are preoccupied with business and work commitments. It is your responsibility to shoot a follow-up email to any discussion with the  points made in that call. I suggest going a step further in sending a Letter of Understanding (LOU) that summarizes the project details signed by you requesting a counter client signature.

Once I was neck deep in a project for several months working alongside a bunch of writers and graphic designers. Suddenly the client's client reneged and had to cancel some stages of the big project, which made my client abruptly remove me from the equation. Thankfully I had a signed contract, so I was able to exit with payment, though less than the full amount, my client citing their client as the reason. 

Discuss Payment Immediately

There are instances when high-profile leaders reach out to you for your esteemed work. You may find yourself honored and excited. Rightly so. But that's that. Put on your professional hat and assess the work scope, write back to him or her, and don't hesitate to bring up the payment part.

I recall an example of an industry leader who I had always looked up to. When he wrote requesting content for his newly launched startup, I jumped. In the melee I completely forgot to address payment, though there was some vague mention of it being rewarding. I toiled on, wanting to make the best impression, and I produced one of my best content assignments. He complimented me, thanked me profusely, and disappeared promptly.

How we move the coin from the first discovery to the final delivery lies with us. Wearing a collaborative partner and consummate professional hat will establish you as a dependable and talented writer.

BIO: Bhuvana Rajaram is a blend of corporate professional and creative writer penning content for B2B audiences while being a lifestyle blogger. She has her own Content and Communications boutique outfit: Beautiful Times. http://beautifultimes.in/
 

1786343 © Timothy Boomer | Dreamstime.com





 

COmpetitions

GUTSY GREAT NOVELIST CHAPTER ONE PRIZE
https://gutsygreatnovelist.com/chapter-one-prize/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Submissions open Feb 1 – Mar 1, 2022. The Gutsy Great Novelist Chapter One Prize is awarded for an outstanding first chapter of an unpublished novel. First prize is $1,000; 2nd is $500; and 3rd is $250. The prize is open internationally to anyone over 18 writing a novel in English in any genre for adult or YA readers.

 - - - 



EATON LITERARY AGENCY SHORT STORY/ARTICLE AWARD
http://www.eatonliterary.com/submissions.htm
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2022. A $500 prize will be awarded to the winner of our short story and article program, open to any unpublished short story or nonfiction work less than 10,000 words. 



BLUE LYNX PRIZE FOR POETRY
https://lynxhousepress.submittable.com/submit
$28 ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 16, 2022. The annual Blue Lynx Prize for Poetry awards $2,000 plus publication for a full-length poetry collection. The prize is awarded for an unpublished, full-length volume of poems by a U.S. author, which includes foreign nationals living and writing in the U.S. and U.S. citizens living abroad.



CWA MARGERY ALLINGHAM SHORT STORY COMPETITION
https://thecwa.co.uk/awards-and-competitions/margery-allingham-short-mystery-competition
£12 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 28, 2022. Our mission is to find the best unpublished short mystery, and not only that, but one which fits into Golden Age crime writer Margery Allingham’s definition of what makes a great story. Entries are invited from all writers, published or unpublished, writing in English. The winner receives a generous cash prize of £500 plus two weekend passes to CrimeFest 2023. Limit 3,500 words. 



NELLIGAN PRIZE
https://coloradoreview.colostate.edu/nelligan-prize/
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 14, 2022. The winner receives a $2,500 honorarium and the story is published in the fall/winter issue of Colorado Review. Stories must be 10-50 pages. All stories are considered for publication.



THE HUDSON PRIZE
https://www.blacklawrence.com/submissions-and-contests/the-hudson-prize/
$27 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2022. The Hudson Prize is for an unpublished collection of poems or short stories. The prize is open to new, emerging, and established writers. The winner of this contest will receive book publication, a $1,000 cash award, and ten copies of the book. Prizes awarded on publication. Manuscripts should be 45-95 pages in length (poetry) or 120-280 pages in length (fiction), not including front and back matter (table of contents, title page, etc.). 



HENSHAW SHORT STORY COMPETITION
https://www.henshawpress.co.uk/
£6 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2022. First prize £200, second prize £100, third prize £50. Entries must be a fictional short story of up to 2,000 words on any theme. Winning entrants will be offered the opportunity to have their stories included in an Henshaw anthology. 

 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

 

MASSACHUSETTS FESTIVAL GRANTS
https://massculturalcouncil.org/communities/festivals/application-process/
The Festivals Program provides funding and resources designed to help festival programmers meet the needs of producing, promoting, and developing festival audiences. Festival producers may apply for a grant for producing an online, hybrid or in-person festival OR for festival audience development and engagement. For Festivals happening March 1 – August 31, 2022, deadline March 1, 2022. 



NEBRASKA ARTIST INNOVATIONS GRANTS
https://www.maaa.org/grants/artistic-innovations/
Deadline February 15, 2022. The Artistic Innovations Grant Program encourages the spirit of experimentation and exploration, exclusively engaging in-region artists (Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas) in the creation of new, original works for audiences in the M-AAA region. These grants are open to both individual artists and nonprofit arts and culture organizations. Artistic Innovations offers up to $15,000 in support of expenses incurred in the art-making process and premiere of these endeavors. In an effort to make the process more efficient for applicants, the program no longer requires a Letter of Intent. Applications are now open for the FY23 grant year for projects taking place between July 1, 2022–June 30, 2023. 



MEG HUNT RESIDENCY - ALASKA
https://www.wrangells.org/residencies/
Deadline March 14, 2022. The Wrangell Mountains Center (WMC) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is connecting people with wildlands through art, science, and education in the Wrangell Mountains. The Wrangell Mountains Residency Program aims to support artists of all genres, writers, and inquiring minds. The organization and community will provide a rustic workspace located in heart of the nation’s largest national park. One goal of the residency program is for artists and writers to share their work with the community. Examples of such outreach include giving a slide lecture, teaching a short workshop, and/or having a public performance or exhibit. Each resident will be provided with a private and furnished live/work space. The smaller of the two is a cozy 12’ x 12’ standalone cabin with a small wood burning stove, desk, and twin size bed. The slightly larger studio is located on the second floor above a small workshop and includes a small propane heater, work tables, and queen size bed. There is an outhouse located just a few paces from both spaces. The studios are not equipped with electricity, but the long Alaskan summer days provide ample natural light for many hours and small electronics can be charged on the solar power system at the main facility.



REGION VASTERNORRLAND RESIDENCIES - SWEDEN
https://www.rvn.se/sv/Utveckling/Vara-projekt/airy---artist-in-residence/
Deadline March 20, 2022. Every year, AIRY - Artist in residence Västernorrland invites a ceramic artist, a sound artist and an author to stay at three inspiring rural locations in Region Västernorrland. All three residencies are located at Folk High Schools with arts courses. The organisers also provide accommodation, food, a grant to cover travel and other expenses, and a host at each location to support the residence artist. There is no requirement for artistic production during the residency. You should expect to do a presentation about you as an artist and to spend some time (1-2 days) with the students at Hola during your stay. 



MISSISSIPPI PROJECT GRANTS 
https://arts.ms.gov/grants/grants-for-individuals/project-grants-for-individuals/
Deadline March 1, 2022. Individual Project Grants award up to $2,000 to individuals to support their project ideas. No cash match is required, however additional outside sources of funded are allowable to supplement the success of the Individual Project. Individual Project Grants award up to $2,000 to individuals to support their project ideas. You may apply for an Individual Project Grant if you are a professional artist living in Mississippi or if you are an individual who is using the project to organize other professional artists in Mississippi. 



MISSISSIPPI ARTIST FELLOWSHIPS
https://arts.ms.gov/grants/grants-for-individuals/artist-fellowships/
Deadline March 1, 2022. MAC’s Artist Fellowship program is focused on honoring Mississippi artists who demonstrate the ability to create exemplary work in their chosen field. The agency awards fellowships of up to $5,000 in several categories each year.

  

FREELANCE MARKETS / JOBS

THE OBJECTIVE
https://objectivejournalism.org/pitch/
Our budget currently allows us to pay between $100 to $400 per piece, depending on the length and story type. The Objective is a nonprofit newsroom holding journalism accountable for past and current systemic biases in reporting and newsroom practices. We are written by and for those underrepresented in journalism.



MIT TECHNOLOGY REVIEW
https://www.technologyreview.com/
Our rates vary, but generally start at $1/word, for journalists who haven't written for the magazine before. I'm open to pitches from journalists and experts on a variety of subjects, so long as the idea has some kind of technology or innovation angle. Query Rachel Courtland, Commissioning Editor at [email protected]



CHICAGO READER
https://chicagoreader.com/reader-freelance-information/
The Reader maintains a small core of dedicated freelancers and accepts pitches on an ongoing basis from new voices. If you’ve never written for us before, we recommend that you start by pitching a short story—one that is 300 to 1,000 words that you can report and write in a day or two—as opposed to a lengthy feature that might take weeks or months to report and write. Please answer our questions in a 500-word pitch. Starts paying at $250 for reported news articles that typically run about 800-1,200 words. More for longer pieces.



MOUNTAIN GAZETTE
https://mountaingazette.com/pages/submissions
Mountain Gazette publishes stories, essays, poetry, photography, art, comics, and more twice-per-year. We welcome new writers and photographers as well as veterans of the game. Pays $500-$800 for shorter stories, $1500-$5,000 for features. Through social media, podcasts, email, and, yes, print, Mountain Gazette aims to deliver tales straight from the hearts of mountain town people to your inbox, feed, and mailbox. 



SOFREP
https://sofrep.com/pages/contact/
Our writing staff is unlike any group of journalists. We're all former American and US Coalition Military Veterans. Real world experience from around the globe combined with unbiased journalism produces a much needed source of accurate reporting in an era of fake news. SOFREP is the world’s leading military news and entertainment site. Freelance work pays $75-200 per piece of 500-1,000 words.



CHICKEN SOUP - HOLIDAYS
http://www.chickensoup.com 
Stories and poems for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa & New Year's. We want holiday stories that share your traditions and memories of normal times — pre-pandemic. We want your holiday stories that share how your traditions and celebrations changed because of the pandemic. All stories and poems need to be true — we do not publish fiction. Stories should be no longer than 1,200 words. Payment is $200 and ten copies. Deadline May 1, 2022. 



BEING PATIENT
https://www.beingpatient.com/
Alexandra Marvar, Managing Editor, seeks pitches on Alzheimer's, dementia, cognitive health (research, policy, news, caregiving, all of it) for beingpatient.com from freelancers with experience in health/science writing. Direct message her on Twitter (https://twitter.com/alexmarvar) with a 150-word idea. Pay is 30 cents/word. 



WIRED IDEAS
https://www.wired.com/about/how-to-pitch-wired-ideas/
The Ideas section publishes argument-driven essays on WIRED-related topics, written by journalists, academics, and other subject-matter experts. Ideas pieces are complex and analytical, run anywhere from 1,200 to 1,800 words, and often include reporting. These are not op-eds or takes on a specific news event. Do connect your essay to the news if it’s relevant, but the news should be a jumping-off point to discuss bigger implications and themes. Essays should be forward-looking instead of purely historical. Pay starts at $500.
 

Publishers/agents

TOR BOOKS
https://nightfire.moksha.io/publication/tortor-teen/guidelines
Tor may occasionally hold an “open door” period, during which time they will consider novels by unagented authors. You must watch the website for those short open periods. The Tor Books and Tor Teen teams are novels for adults and young adults across the breadth of speculative fiction, from Science Fiction to Fantasy and every subgenre in between.



WORKMAN PUBLISHING
https://www.workman.com/work-with-us/author-submissions
The Workman imprint publishes exclusively nonfiction books for children and adults, as well as calendars. We do not publish novels, short stories, or poetry. We also do not accept unsolicited picture book submissions.



STOREY PUBLISHING
https://www.workman.com/work-with-us/author-submissions#storey
The books we select include nonfiction titles for adults and children on gardening, home reference, crafts, cooking, beer & wine, nature, raising animals, horses, building, farming, homesteading, and mind/body/spirit. We are always pleased to review new proposals on these topics directly from authors and from agents. (Note: no fiction, poetry, or children’s picture books, please.)



5 PRINCE PUBLISHING
http://www.5princebooks.com/submissions.html
5 Prince Publishing is an Independent Publishing House specializing in bringing fresh voices to romance, fantasy, YA, and other popular fiction genres. We are currently seeking:

Contemporary Romances, both stand alone titles and series. Manuscripts must be 50,000-65,000. Stories must include an HEA ending. Open all year to submissions. 

Contemporary Valentine's Day Romances. Manuscripts must be 50,000-65,000. Stories must be based around Valentine's and include Valentine's Day in the story. Stories must include an HEA ending. Deadline AUgust 5, 2022. 

Contemporary Spring Romances. Manuscripts must be 50,000-65,000. Stories must be based in the spring, or have an HEA that happens in the spring. Stories must include an HEA ending. Deadline September 5, 2022. 

Contemporary Christmas Romances. Manuscripts must be 50,000-65,000. Stories must be based around Christmas and include Christmas Day in the story. Stories must include an HEA ending. Deadline June 5, 2022. 

Fantasy ( High Fantasy, Lit RPG, General Fantasy). Manuscripts must be 50,000-80,000. Open all year.



RED ADEPT PUBLISHING
https://redadeptpublishing.com/submissions/
We are currently only accepting the following genres: Women’s Fiction, Romance (General, Clean, Paranormal, Suspense), Chick-Lit, Mystery (General, Police, Cozy), and Thriller-Suspense. We do not accept erotica, non-fiction, short story collections, or poetry. We do not accept previously published works, including self-published works. We do not accept mid-series books, only first books in a series. Minimum length is 50,000 words.



APRIL GLOAMING
https://aprilgloaming.com/submit/
April Gloaming Publishing is a nonprofit independent press based in Nashville, TN that aims to capture and better understand the Southern soul, Southern writing, and the Southern holler. Interested in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and graphic novels. 

 

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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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