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Job search firms report that the most experienced workers have become less optimistic about their career futures. 

What?! That's news to FLXers. 

We're thriving!

The Freelance Success writing community is the water cooler, the green room, the celebration party at the bar after the awards show. Thanks to FLX, freelancers have go-to colleagues to turn to for support and encouragement any time of the day or night.

Networking is about schmoozing and glad-handing.

Connection, on the other hand, is all about belonging.

Want to get out of the content mill rut? Want to stop feeling isolated as you break through to the next level? Tired of fretting over red flags you should have seen coming? Need new markets, fresh eyes, fewer pitch rejections? 

You belong at Freelance Success!

Freelancesuccess.com
 

EDITOR'S THOUGHTS

FROM A VERY LONG TIME FAN AND READER. . . 

"It was mental health awareness month. I was seeing a doctor for something routine and they had a checklist regarding my mental state.

One question was “Do you hear or see things other people don’t hear or see?”

I was tempted to check the “yes” box, but I didn’t want to get into a long conversation.

I’m a writer.

So do I “hear or see things other people don’t hear or see?”

All the time.

In fact. I could argue that hearing and seeing things other people don’t hear or see is what I do.

Fiction or nonfiction, poetry or songs, a writer begins literally with what is not there, and makes, out of nothing, a story, an insight, a song, or even a movie.

In short, writers, some anyway, make something memorable, even life changing, out of nothing. 

It might not be an indicator of the best mental health, but it is who we are."

~ from Morf Morford (longtime FFW reader)

8189442 © Refat Mamutov | Dreamstime.com

 

SUPER SPONSOR 

HOPE'S APPEARANCES

 
SUCCESS QUOTE

SUccess Story

Dear Hope,

I've been meaning to send this email for some time but have never found the right moment. Last year my first novel The Exile and the Mapmaker was published in June, a process that took nearly ten years of redrafts and rejections, and this month it will finally be available in the US. Your newsletter kept me going through this long process and provided many avenues for submission. I'm very grateful for the time and energy you put into it.

Meanwhile, my second novel The Bones of Barry Knight was published in the UK this year. Both deal with migration and the situation for refugees in Europe and in departure countries. I work alongside people seeking asylum every day and the subject is very close to my heart so it has meant a lot to see these books in print. 

I do believe that if you keep at it long enough and love your project enough to see it through to completion then there is always hope for a positive outcome. Of course, I have now learnt that publishing your first novel, especially during a pandemic, is only the beginning of another long road, but it is a road I am very happy and privileged to walk down.

All best wishes,
Emma Musty
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59207244-the-bones-of-barry-knight
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55409111-the-exile-and-the-mapmaker

= = = 



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

 

Featured article

Writing For Trade & Niche Magazines

By Kerrie Flanagan

As a freelance writer, you have more magazine options to pitch your ideas to than you may realize. Racks at Barnes & Noble or other newsstands show only a fraction of the publications circulating the country. Most people are familiar with general-interest consumer magazines like Better Homes & Gardens, People, and AARP The Magazine, but many more lurk in the background. Have you heard about Bee Culture, a trade magazine for professional beekeepers and those interested in the science of honeybees? Or how about The Drake, which is for fly-fishing enthusiasts? These niche and trade magazines are out there, waiting for your enlightening, entertaining, and informative articles.

The U.S. has over 7,000 print magazines, and they all have the same basic need — good content, from good writers, which is great news for you. 

I have been a freelance writer for over twenty years, and I have written for many niche and trade magazines. Niche magazines focus on special interests, hobbies, a certain group of people, or an organization. Trade magazines, on the other hand, contain news and information related to a particular trade, profession, or industry.

Because many of these magazines are not found on the newsstands, their editors aren't getting inundated with queries. This makes them more open to new writers and more responsive to emails. Initially you may think there is no way you can write for Bee Culture magazine because you don't know anything about being a beekeeper. But what if there is a teenage beekeeper in your city that you find interesting. You could pitch to write a profile of this young person.  

I have written a handful of articles for Family RVing, a magazine for members of the Family Motor Coaching Association which is targeted to RV owners. They are always looking for travel articles. The one requirement is that you include information about RV parks available near the destination. To write for them, you don't have to have an RV, but you do need to be familiar with that world. My family doesn't own an RV, but we camp a lot, and for years, we owned a pop-up camper, so I had some idea of the RV life.

One article I did for them was about traveling the Inside Passage in Alaska via ferries along the Alaskan Marine Highway. In addition to writing about the various cities to visit in the area (which I had been to), I also included information about the RV parks in each town and the rules for taking an RV on a ferry. Not having experience with how the ferry system operated, I had to research how it all worked. I called the Alaska Visitor's Bureau and reached out to the Alaskan Marine Highway System and both provided me with great information. This resulted in the article, All Aboard to The Inside Passage.

The editors of these magazines tend to stick around longer than bigger publications making it possible to form solid professional relationships. The Family RVing editor I initially worked with twenty years ago is still there and I know can reach out to her with a pitch at any time. I am frequent contributor to The Writer magazine, and I've  worked with the same editor for the past six years. Because she knows me, I can email her a quick one paragraph pitch instead of a full query. This is definitely a benefit.

To find these markets, check out the The Writer's Market, an annual resource book containing listings for many niche and trade magazines, and FundsforWriters is also an excellent resource.

Niche and trade publications provide freelance writers many unique opportunities to pitch their ideas. If you haven't considered these magazines in the past, maybe now's the perfect time to expand your writing horizons.
 
--------

Kerrie Flanagan is an author, writing consultant, instructor with Stanford Continuing Studies, and freelance writer with 20+ years' experience in the publishing industry. She's the author of, The Writer's Digest Guide to Magazine Article Writing and creator of the Magazine Writing Blueprint. In addition, she has published seventeen other books, including ten with a co-author under the pen names, C.G. Harris and CK Wiles. Her work has appeared in publications including The Writer, Alaska Magazine, and six Chicken Soup for the Soul books. She was the founder of Northern Colorado Writers and led the group for ten years. https://www.kerrieflanagan.com. Sign up for her Monthly Newsletter.   

 

COmpetitions

Take Your Writing to the Next Level with Writer's Digest University 

 
Kelly Boyer Sagert, the sole scriptwriter of the Emmy-Award-nominated film, "Trail Magic: The Grandma Gatewood Story" and author of dozens of books, is teaching the following online courses at Writer's Digest University: 

• Copywriting Certificate Program: A 10-week course beginning on 6/23/2022
• Writing the Memoir 101: A 12-week course beginning on 6/30/2022

Classes are self-paced with ready access to the highly experienced instructor who has taught year-round with WDU since its inception in February 2000.

- - - 


IRONBRIDGE POETRY CONTEST
https://ironbridgefestival.co.uk/poetry-comp/
£4 ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 31, 2022. Ironbridge Festival of the Imagination opens its first ever poetry competition to poets from across the globe, welcoming poems on any and every subject. First prize in our competition will win £300, with a second prize of £125, and three third prizes of £25 each. In addition, poems sent in by people living in a TF postcode will also be eligible for our local prize of £50. Poems must be in English, and no more than 40 lines long.



OVACOME WRITING COMPETITION
https://www.ovacome.org.uk/the-ovacome-writing-competition
£5 ENTRY FEE. Deadline August 31, 2022. First Prize: £250. Runner up prize: £50 Waterstones book voucher. The competition is open to anyone over the age of 18 with a UK bank account. You can enter a short story with a maximum word count of 1,500 words. Theme: Perspective. Limit 1,500 words.



BEST NOVEL OPENING FOR CHILDREN OR YOUNG ADULTS
https://www.searchlightawards.co.uk/competitions/best-novel-opening-for-children-or-young-adults-2022/
£14 ENTRY FEE. Deadline August 22, 2022. Entries are invited for the opening 1,200 words of a longer novel for children aged seven to eighteen. You don’t need to have finished writing your manuscript to enter. Top ten shortlisted stories included in The Winners’ Collection, which is sent to literary agents and publishers to help your work get noticed. Winner receives £1000. Limit 1,200 words. 



WINCHESTER POETRY PRIZE
https://www.winchesterpoetryfestival.org//prize
£5 ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 31, 2022. First Prize: £1,000. Second Prize: £500. Third Prize: £250. A prize is also available for the best poem written by a Hampshire-based poet. Winning and commended poems will also be published in a competition anthology. Poems may be on any subject and in any form or style. They must be typed and not longer than 40 lines (excluding title). A number of free entries are available for poets to whom an entry fee would be a barrier. The competition is open to anyone aged 16 or over. 



BROOKLYN CARIBBEAN LITERARY FESTIVAL
https://www.bklyncbeanlitfest.com/2022-short-fiction-story-competition
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 1, 2022. Contest will award US$1750 in cash for each of the two prizes for the best piece of unpublished short fiction (3,000 words max). The two prizes are for Caribbean Americans and Caribbeans. 



LOVE BOOKS COMPETITION
https://www.marlboroughlitfest.org/love-books-competition/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 1, 2022. We want you to tell us why you love your favourite book, poem or play. Your response can be in the form of a piece of text of up to 750 words, or through a video of no more than four minutes. Entrants should explain what they love about their chosen read, highlighting key areas of interest, and why they think others should try it. Age groups: 13-16 years, 17-19 years, 20+ years. Winner for each age group receives £300; the runner-up in each age group receives £100. 



BOOKSIE SHORT STORY COMPETITION
https://www.booksie.com/contest/the-booksie-2022-short-story-competition-28
$5.99 ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 24, 2022. The contest is open to all genres and themes. You can enter a previously posted story on Booksie or post a new one and enter it. Grand prize winner receives $500, gold winner badge, a free week of Promote for any published content of the winner's choice (Promote features the content in front of Booksie’s millions of monthly readers), a Pro Review of the winning entry by Sol Nasisi, the publisher of WorldMaker Media. Two runners-up receive $100, silver winner badge, one free week of Promotes for any published content of the winner's choosing (Promote features the content in front of Booksie’s millions of monthly readers). Booksie is an online writing platform to help writers tell their stories and promote their written work. It is not a publisher and does not take any ownership of the writing posted to the site. All genres are welcome. The story must be less than 5,000 words. 

 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

 

The Loft Literary Center invites writers of all skill levels to sign up for Crowd Control, a virtual course that meets once a week from June 21-August 9.

sing works by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Malcolm Gladwell, David Sedaris, and a few lesser-known authors, we’ll dissect narrative voice, making promises to your readers, physical page structure, and a number of other literary decisions you may be overlooking that can help transform your work into writing readers can’t put down.

For more information, access the Crowd Control course page.



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NEW JERSEY STATE FELLOWSHIPS
https://www.midatlanticarts.org/wp-content/uploads/FINAL-2023-NJ-State-Council-on-the-Arts-IAF-Guidelines.pdf
Deadline July 14, 2022. Fellowships are awarded to practicing New Jersey artists through an anonymous, competitive application process to help them pursue their artistic goals. The State Arts Council is pleased to shift to a new, two-year category rotation schedule. Previously, each category was offered once every three years. Eligible applicants will now have the opportunity to apply to the Fellowships program more regularly. Categories offered for the 2023 Fellowships are: Choreography, Crafts, Music Composition, Photography, Poetry, Playwriting / Screenwriting, Sculpture. Fellowship awards have ranged in the past from $4,000 - $26,500. The amount of the award is determined annually by the State Arts Council based on funding provided through the New Jersey Hotel/Motel tax. Fellowships are awarded to applicants who demonstrate the highest artistic talent, with no cap or quota per artistic discipline.



MARYLAND EMERGENCY GRANTS
https://msac.org/programs/special-requests/emergency-grant-independent-artists
Must be Maryland residents. Applicants must be independent artists, defined as artists who earn income from artistic activities and are not directly affiliated with an arts organization or program that provides any form of compensation. Funding amount $2,000. Opens for applications June 8, 2022. 



MARYLAND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY GRANT
https://msac.org/programs/professional-development/professional-development-opportunity-grant
The Professional Development Opportunity Grant assists artists and arts organizations to implement best practices by embracing growth, learning, and discovery for economic sustainability. Funding amount $2,000. Opens for applications June 8, 2022. 



GEIST WRITERS-IN-RESIDENCE
https://www.geist.com/blog/wir2022/
Deadline June 15, 2022. Geist is a Canadian literary magazine of ideas and culture. We publish narrative (fiction and non-fiction), essays, poetry, reviews, photography, drawings, comix, puzzles and little-known facts of interest—with a special interest in fresh interactions between text and image. We strive to be articulate, humorous and identifiably Canadian. Our mandate is to find and encourage a wide audience for new and established Canadian writers and artists of merit. There are two positions open. The first residency will take place from July 4 to October 31 2022, and the second will take place from November 15 2022 to March 15 2023. Hours are flexible. We are able to offer each writer an honorarium of $10,000 for the duration of the residency. This Writer-in-Residence program is only open to those who self-identify as women, trans, or non-binary. Due to funding eligibility constraints, we can only accept applicants who can commit to in-person participation.



WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS
https://literary-arts.org/2022/06/apply-to-teach-for-writers-in-the-schools/
Deadline June 26, 2022. WITS hires professional writers with teaching backgrounds to lead creative writing residencies for public high school students. We are committed to building a roster of teaching artists that reflects the diversity of our schools. This is a seasonal contractor position, and residencies take place during the school day. WITS provides a mandatory orientation prior to placement, as well as ongoing paid professional development opportunities. Traditional residencies are the equivalent of 15 in-class teaching hours and are compensated at a flat rate of $1,885 each. Express residencies are the equivalent of 7 in-class teaching hours and are compensated at a flat rate of $942.50 each. WITS is a unique, immersive collaboration between Literary Arts and our partners in Portland Public Schools, the Parkrose School District, Woodburn School District, and Gresham-Barlow School District. 


  

FREELANCE MARKETS / JOBS

Arm Yourself. It’s Time to Kill Your Characters.

Kill Your Characters by former detective and forensic investigator Steve Rush gives you the tools you need to pass the inspection of all the armchair detectives (and more than a few real ones) out there. Discover your ultimate empowerment source for writing the page-turning inciting-incident you have always wanted to write. Become a master and save hours of research effort searching elsewhere for accurate information.

This book will help you answer: How did your character die? What were the circumstances of the murder? What weapon did the killer use? What evidence was left behind? How can you build a rock-solid case against the suspect?

When plotting the next murder scene for your story, you may run into obstacles such as how the detectives determine time of death, or the forensic evidence left by a gunshot wound. Steve Rush’s extensive experience is accumulated in a series of writing tips that will significantly improve your story. Kill Your Characters is for any author looking to elevate their murder scenes with credible and authentic details.

Order your copy here:
https://geniusbookpublishing.com/products/kill-your-characters




- - - 

OKLAHOMA TODAY
https://www.oklahomatoday.com/submissions
All of the magazine’s editorial content focuses on the best of Oklahoma’s people, places, travel, food, events, and culture. Keeping up with what goes on in our state is the best way to write stories we can use. Include a biography of yourself and clips of previous work so we can get a good idea of your experience. Stories will range in length from a few hundred words for department pieces to 3,500 words for major features. We pay .25 a word, and payment is upon publication. 



OREGON COAST MAGAZINE
https://www.oregoncoastmagazine.com/general-guidelines-for-writers-and-photographers/
Oregon Coast is a bimonthly family-oriented magazine, plus a calendar and the Mile-by-Mile Guide to the Oregon Coast. OCM features stories of regional interest, written in a clear, crisp style that is rich in anecdotes and quotes. We do not accept fiction or poetry. Prefers supporting photos with submissions. 
450-1,250 words pays $100-$250
1,250-2,500 words pays $250-$450
2,000-3,000 words pays $450-$650
1,000=word restaurant features pays $225



OUR STATE
https://www.ourstate.com/contributor-guidelines/
The editorial focus of Our State is celebrating North Carolina. We accept pitches that highlight North Carolina history, people, places, food, culture, and nostalgia. We expect thoroughly researched, original, literary-quality work from professional writers. Please research past stories on our website. We generally do not cover similar topics within a short time period. Our average feature article length is about 1,200 words. Departments run 500 to 800 words. Stories are assigned six to eight months before the issue month; please submit pitches for specific issues accordingly.



RURALITE
https://www.ruralite.com/about/reader-submissions/
Ruralite is a monthly, family-oriented, general-interest publication that rural electric cooperatives in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, California and Montana use to communicate with their members. 



SEVEN DAYS
https://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/Submissions/Page
If you want to write for Seven Days, please email a résumé, cover letter indicating your areas of interest/expertise and story proposals, if any, along with at least three published writing samples to Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Paula Routly. This is a list of individual categories if you wish to pitch specific editors. Seven Days is an independent weekly newspaper covering Vermont news, politics, food, arts and culture. New issues are published each Wednesday and distributed free at 1,000 locations in Northern and Central Vermont and Plattsburgh, N.Y.



TEXAS HIGHWAYS
https://texashighways.com/texas-highways-freelancer-guide/
The mission of Texas Highways magazine, the official travel magazine of Texas since 1974, is to inspire travel to and within the state of Texas. All pitches should be emailed to [email protected]. When sending a pitch, please attach or link to at least three published clips (bonus if they’re Texas- or travel-related). Pitches should have a travel angle or a strong sense of place and/or Texas culture. Stories with historical focus are also quite popular with our readers. Our brand is known for its focus on small towns and hidden gems, so pitches about major cities in Texas will come under more scrutiny. Pitches should be well-researched and have a timely angle. Writers should be based in Texas or have a strong connection to Texas. Print at least 50 cents/word. Web stories can vary in subject matter, but the pitch should still fit within the usual topics covered by Texas Highways—travel, culture, food, history, etc. We prefer web stories that are timely or have a nuanced angle on a newsy topic. The rate for web stories is 50 cents/word up to 500 words.



TEXAS MONTHLY
https://www.texasmonthly.com/about/story-submissions/
Every story we publish has a strong Texas focus and/or features Texans. We’re looking for well-reported stories of varying lengths, as well as visual stories, essays, and thoughtful commentary. We value great storytelling, humor, vivid characters, distinctive voices, and fresh perspectives. We’re particularly interested in stories from outside of Austin, where we’re based. Our standard print rate is $1/word. Digital rates vary based on the scope of reporting, the writer’s experience, and turnaround time.



VERMONT ARTS & LIVING
http://vermontartsliving.com/?page_id=38682
Vermont Arts & Living is a quarterly magazine chronicling the innovative culture and sophisticated country lifestyle of Southern Vermont.  It is the only glossy, full-color publication in the region—which includes towns along New York and New Hampshire’s southern borders–to cover the most engaging current work in the art world and the creative lifestyle that accompanies it. Our areas of interest are Southern Vermont arts and culture, music, theater, food and drink, architecture, innovators, cultural mavens, entrepreneurs, profiles of artists and artist couples, “the good life,” gardening and our farms. Articles range roughly from 800 to 1,500 words.



WASHINGTONIAN
https://www.washingtonian.com/writers-guidelines/
Washingtonian is the city magazine for the DC area. Our journalism includes pieces about politics, arts, and technology, but also about dining, health, and parenting. We publish long, deeply reported profiles, true-crime yarns, and pieces of narrative journalism. But we also run trend pieces, photo essays, column-length arguments and comprehensive lists. The one common denominator is that our stories are about the place we live—how Washington works, or how to get the most out of Washington.



YANKEE MAGAZINE
https://newengland.com/press-contact/submission-guidelines-writers-photographers/
ankee covers all six New England states — Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont — with an emphasis on what is happening in the region today. Yankee welcomes professional, detailed pitches for longer reported narratives (3,000–5,000 words) as well as for shorter features related to home, food, or travel. We also will consider personal essays related to the New England experience, especially essays of 600-800 words. We do not accept poetry, fiction, or cartoons.

 

Publishers/agents

 

- - - 


CRISSCROSS APPLESAUCE
https://cityoflightpublishing.com/submission-guidelines/crisscross-applesauce-guidelines/
CrissCross AppleSauce publishes picture books that inspire and educate children of all ages. Gather ‘round, sit criss-cross applesauce, and read stories.



CROSS YOUR FINGERS
https://cityoflightpublishing.com/submission-guidelines/cross-your-fingers-guidelines/
Cross Your Fingers is our middle grade and early reader imprint. Cross Your Fingers books are chapter books for young readers with engaging and educational stories that will keep them hooked on reading as a lifelong passion. These books can be nonfiction or fiction, but the manuscript must tell a great story or capture readers with fascinating information.



CROSS YOUR HEART
https://cityoflightpublishing.com/submission-guidelines/cross-your-heart-guidelines/
Cross Your Heart publishes young adult books that explore the joys and perils that every young adult can relate to as they navigate their own coming-of-age story. We want relatable characters, engaging stories, self-actualization, wild adventures, blooming teenage romance—really any and all of the wonderful aspects that a YA book can encompass. While this imprint is geared toward fiction, we will consider nonfiction submissions if it is right for the audience.



NEW IDEA PRESS
https://cityoflightpublishing.com/submission-guidelines/new-idea-press-guidelines/
New Idea Press publishes innovative nonfiction books. We call these “Books that make the lightbulb go on.” For New Idea Press, we are interested in books that explore ideas that haven’t been written about and fresh perspectives on ideas that have been written about. We’re looking for books with a well-defined target market. Although we will consider a complete manuscript, we prefer to receive queries with strong outlines and abstracts. However, if you are submitting a memoir, please submit the full manusript.  



BLACKLIGHT PRESS
https://cityoflightpublishing.com/submission-guidelines/blacklight-press-submission-guidelines/
Blacklight Press publishes innovative fiction books. This imprint is filled with stories that, like a blacklight, reveal to us things that we may not have seen before. For Blacklight Press, we are interested in stories from new perspectives, with diverse, interesting characters. We want to take readers on a journey and allow them to explore their own imagination through another’s words.



BUFFALO HERITAGE PRESS
https://cityoflightpublishing.com/submission-guidelines/buffalo-heritage-press-guidelines/
For Buffalo Heritage Press, we want Buffalo authors telling Buffalo stories. We want to celebrate the renaissance of this great city—and prove that Buffalo, New York, is more than just another snow storm. These books can be fiction set in Buffalo, but more often than not, they are nonfiction—and frequently they are great gifts for Buffalovers.

 

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

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