TOP SPONSOR 

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

Do you know where your next client is coming from?

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.

In fact, over the last five years, I've grown my freelance writing income from $2,000 per month... to $20,000 per month. 

But it hasn't been without its challenges. 

Losing clients unexpectedly... struggling to find new clients... getting pitches ignored... getting paid less than you want to get paid...

It's tough. 

Which is why I've compiled pretty much everything I know about freelance writing into a single resource I call The Freelance Writer's Survival Kit. 

Go get it so you can stop worrying and start enjoying the freedom that freelance writing has to offer. :-)

- Mike

 

EDITOR'S THOUGHTS

THE SIMPLE WHY OF WRITING

Some of us are more logical in our writing, the thrill of publishing sitting on our shoulder like the devil, pushing us to make the words earn their keep. 

Others of us are more spiritual, the joy of creating our only drive, with publishing not a worry. 

The grand majority of us fall on the spectrum. Some would like to make money but love the creativity, that lack of material need directing us toward writing as a hobby. Others spend an hour or two a day writing solely for certain markets, payment defining the value of the work. 

I am a big fan of The Marginalian, previously Brain Pickings, and it often serves as my Sunday paper, taking in good writing about the philosophies of life. Maria Popova often talks of writers, and why they write. Recently she wrote so succinctly, that her concepts stole my breath away. 

"In the end, the measure of our strength is in how we face the fact that we. . . mortal, vulnerable creatures of uncommon creativity and courage, body-minds born to die and to make meaning of our fragile existence not by clinging to the self but by practicing our various arts of unselfing: love, creative work, (and) transcendent communion with the rest of nature."  ~Maria Popova, the Marginalian 



Whether reader or writer, words tend to give meaning to our existence. Fiction or nonfiction, historical or contemporary, adult works or children's tales, romance or science fiction, free verse or haiku, we seek words that lock into our world with meaning. We seek that a-ha moment of understanding. 

We want to read about others, their successes and failures, and the myriad of strife in between. Even the genius and the wealthy have flaws . . . or we hope. We're eager to see that we are not alone in our struggles. 

"There is something else, something subtler, about the allure of our historical heroes. We are drawn them partly because their foreclosed lives, by virtue of having been lived, are free from the uncertainty that bedevils our own; and partly because there is comfort in the knowledge that even people of staggering genius and immense public contribution were dogged by inner contradictions and private suffering not unlike our own." ~Maria Popova, the Marginalian 

So, whether you earn a living writing or not, know that there is a deep-seeded reason you wish to write. It's human, and it is to give meaning to existence, whether yours or a reader someone. 

SUPER SPONSOR 

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: 

• Freelance Writing: A 14-week course beginning on 5/5/2022
• 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.

 

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

Catching

By Vic Larson

I can't teach you a surefire way to earn money as a writer, but I can offer you hope, assuming you're willing to work hard and put yourself out there. This is my story.

The income that accompanies my journey starts at zero, goes up to $150,000 at its peak, and then back to zero when I retired. During the past year I made $180. My retirement is secure.

I wrote as a hobby for years, collecting a stack of published pieces that ranged from editorials to poetry. But my bachelor's degree was in Medical Technology and my first two jobs were as a lab technician, a career I grew to dislike. So with a meager portfolio in hand I arranged an informational interview with the manager of a newly formed writing company. That's where serendipity helped me along. Her career path was similar to mine. We connected on a personal level despite my lack of "fit."

At length she told me, "Here's what I want you to do. Go out in the lobby and write me a story."
She handed me a legal pad and a pen. 

"About what?" I asked.

She shrugged and looked up at a poster on her office wall. It was the typical image of a whale breaching. We've all seen one.

"Whales!" she said.

"How about dolphins?" I asked
            
"Sure, fine. Dolphins it is."

Unbeknownst to her I spent a month in Hawaii as a volunteer on a long running research project called "Teaching Dolphins Language." The study was fascinating on a scientific level, featured on the Nova PBS television series, and resulted in a couple of life changing experiences during my time at the marine mammal lab in Waikiki. It was about to change my life again.

I penned a story that had been rattling around in my mind since Hawaii. It just flowed out of me. Then I handed it in, like a student to a teacher.

I held my breath while she read my longhand reminiscence. She sighed as she put the pad down on her table. My stomach sank. Then she looked up at me and said, "You're hired. You clearly have the skills I need. We can teach you the rest." I was a writer!

When fellow lab workers asked me how to make a similar career change, I told them that I was only aware of one chance at that company, and I had pretty much snagged it. That night I recall telling my wife, "I think I just ruined a perfectly good hobby." You see, eight to ten hours a day writing technical training materials, operator manuals and newsletters was not the glamorous dream job I'd imagined. But in time that would change. 

In the years that followed, I was promoted to senior writer and then manager of the team in which I had been a member. My role later expanded to include multiple departments, all interesting creative disciplines in what eventually became an exciting in-house ad agency. As a manager of writers I often told candidates during interviews that I could no longer qualify for my old job as a writer. I had no traditional credentials. I lacked a degree in journalism, English or communications.

The lesson here is not that writing careers are impossible to acquire. I would certainly recommend starting with an appropriate college degree. A track record is great, but everyone starts somewhere. Getting your foot in the door may mean starting far short of your lofty goals. But even the wrong job can eventually lead to the right place.

As it is often said, "writers write." Always be writing! If you're being rejected, it means that you're trying. I now write daily and enjoy a ninety-eight percent rejection rate. Much like fishing, success is called "catching." And that occasional acceptance is what keeps me engaged. I am in this for the love of the game.

Rewarding careers don't come easy. I got lucky. But I also got out there, took a chance, and am still working very hard at getting my written words into people's heads. There's nothing quite like it.

BIO: Vic Larson has written professionally or as a hobby since his days as a staff writer for the University of Illinois Daily Illini. He retired after a twenty-seven-year career as a senior writer and manager within a Fortune 100 creative services in-house agency in the Chicago area. Vic is a poet, essayist and blogger with a large online portfolio of movie reviews. His work has appeared in Beatdom, SpillIt, The Mensa Bulletin and The Twin Bill. He is the 2021 winner of the Gulf Coast Writers Association fiction contest.
 

4822835 © Moonb007 | Dreamstime.com

1391129 © Robert Young | Dreamstime.com

 

COmpetitions

 - - - 



SALLY ALBISO POETRY BOOK AWARD
https://concretewolf.submittable.com/submit
$10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 16, 2022. Must be a poet living in Alaska, Oregon, or Washington State. Winner receives $2,500 and publication. Winner also receives 50 copies. Sponsored by MoonPath Press (an imprint of Concrete Wolf). Submit a manuscript of 60 to 80 pages of poetry. All entrants receive Sally Albiso's collection Moonless Grief.



LAZULI LITERARY GROUP WRITING CONTEST
https://www.lazuliliterarygroup.com/contests.html
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 22, 2022. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, essays, philosophical ruminations, experimental pieces, stage plays, fragments, and excerpts are all acceptable. We are not concerned with genre distinctions. One poetry submission may include up to five unrelated (or related) poems. Page limit for any type of submission: 150 pages. We  may choose to award the prize to all or part of each submission (that is, we might choose one poem from a submitted set or one chapter of a novella, for example). We will award as many first place prizes as the top submissions warrant - that is, if multiple pieces strike us as first place winners, each winner will receive $500. Both previously published and unpublished works are eligible, provided that potential publication in AZURE: A Journal of Literary Thought does not infringe on previously held rights. For the Spring 2022 Writing Contest, 20% of your contest fee will go to GiveDirectly, an organization that seeks to combat poverty. 



FICTION FACTORY CHAPTER NOVEL COMPETITION
https://fiction-factory.biz/chapter-novel-competition/
£18 ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 31, 2022. The winning entry will be read by literary agent Joanna Swainson of the Hardman & Swainson Agency. Joanna is looking for originality and distinctive voices. First Prize: £500 and an appraisal. All short-listed entrants will receive a free appraisal. Send a maximum of 5,000 words of your First Chapter only. (If your opening chapter is longer, send the entire chapter but clearly mark the 5,000 word point). In the same document, send a one page synopsis (not included in the word count).



MICHAEL TERENCE SHORT STORY COMPETITION
https://www.mtp.agency/competition
£7 ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 31, 2022. First Prize £1,000. Second Prize £500. Third Prize £250. Five Runners-up Prizes of £50. Prizewinning stories will be published in the MTP 2022 Anthology (print book and ebook). The Anthology title will be based on the title of the winning entry. Limit 3,000 words. Open worldwide. 



THE HG WELLS SHORT STORY COMPETITION
https://hgwellscompetition.com/how-to-enter/
£10 ENTRY FEE. NO ENTRY FEE IF UNDER 21. Deadline July 11, 2022. All entries must relate to the theme for this year’s Competition: Switch. There are two competitions: The Margaret and Reg Turnill Competition for young writers of 21 years and under, for which the prize winner receives £1,000, and a competition for the over 21s which offers The Grand Prize of £500. The length is 1,500 to 5,000 words.



THE SEAN O'FAOLAIN INTERNATIONAL SHORT STORY COMPETITION
https://www.munsterlit.ie/SOF%20Page.html
€18 ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 31, 2022. Word limit: 3,000 words. The competition is open to original, unpublished and unbroadcast short stories. The story can be on any subject, in any style, by a writer of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. First Prize €2,000, residency (one week) at Anam Cara Retreat, featured reading at the Cork International Short Story Festival,  and publication in Southword. Second Prize  €500 and publication in Southword. Four Runners-Up €250 and publication in Southword. 



ALL OUR VARIOUS VOICES
https://montpelierartscenter.submittable.com/submit/182110/writing-competition-all-our-various-voices
Deadline May 7, 2022. Montpelier Arts Center is seeking original and unpublished submissions for All Our Various Voices, an anthology celebrating the rich diversity of personal or family stories of immigration from writers who are 18 years of age and older and reside in Maryland, Virginia, or the District of Columbia. Submit up to three poems of no more than 75 lines each in three separate documents or one essay/prose based on personal experiences or family histories, limited to  1,200 words. Must be 18 years of age or older and reside in Maryland, Virginia, or the District of Columbia. Awards will be given for First Place ($200), Second Place ($150), Third Place ($100) and two Honorable Mentions ($50 each).



ABA LOURNAL/ROSS WRITING CONTEST FOR LEGAL SHORT STORIES
https://www.abajournal.com/contests/ross_essay/
Deadline May 15, 2022. Entries must be original works of fiction of no more than 5,000 words that illuminate the role of the law and/or lawyers in modern society. The winner will receive a prize of $3,000. Entrants must be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents and 21 years or older. ABA membership is not necessary to win. 



SINGAPORE POETRY CONTEST
https://singaporeunbound.org/opportunities/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 16, 2022. First prize $300, second prize $200, third prize $100. We are looking for poems that use the chiming words "time" and "regime" together or separately in imaginative ways. The words must be used as they are, although different forms of the words (pluralized, adjectival, etc.) may appear elsewhere in the poem. Submissions may be on any theme, but they will be judged for the creative use of the words "time" and "regime," as much as they will be for overall excellence. The contest is open to everyone, living anywhere.

 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

 



We're competing for readers' attention, against more sources of entertainment than ever before.

If there was ever an obligation on an audience to "give it time," it's less binding now than before. This doesn't mean that we have to compromise the quality of our writing or sell our souls to keep our readers, but it does mean that we should get our hooks into our audience quickly and keep them enthralled. 

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

Using works by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Malcolm Gladwell, David Sedaris, and other authors, writers will dissect structure, narration, and much more to transform their writing into something readers can't put down. 

For more information, access the Crowd Control course page. 

https://loft.org/classes/current-class-list 

 = = = 




WRITERS POLICE ACADEMY SCHOLARSHIPS
https://leelofland.com/writers-police-academy-online-april-tips-news-upcoming-courses-and-more
As a way of giving back to the many writers and writers organizations within the crime-writing community who’ve supported the Writers’ Police Academy over the years, we’re pleased to offer writers organizations a free registration/scholarship to the 2022 Writers’ Police Academy. For details, please ask a board member of your group to contact Lee Lofland at [email protected]. The process is simple, request a scholarship and it will be yours to award to a member of your organization. *Scholarship covers registration fee only. Hotel, travel, and banquet are not included.



GLEN ARBOR ARTS CENTER
https://glenarborart.org/artists/application-details/
Residencies are considered in the disciplines of creative writing, visual arts, photography, sculpture, fiber arts, ceramics and music. Each residency is a one person opportunity of two weeks in duration. Artists who are selected are expected to commit to the full 14-day residency. Residencies are available to solo practitioners who are able to work independently. Some of the wilderness areas and hiking trails in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore can be accessed by foot or by bicycle along State Highways. It is advised, especially if one’s residency is focused on working in the Park, to have a car. Our artist-in-residence program offer artists a unique opportunity to work in an awe-inspiring locale within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Leelanau County includes miles of spectacular Lake Michigan shoreline, wooded hills, many inland lakes, and the Crystal River. Glen Arbor, Michigan. 



LEEWAY FOUNDATION
https://www.leeway.org/images/blog/2022_LTA1_Application_Guidelines_FINAL.pdf
Deadline May 15, 2022. The Leeway Foundation supports women and trans artists and cultural producers working in communities at the intersection of art, culture, and social change. Provides unrestricted grants of $15,000 annually to women, trans, and gender-nonconforming artists and cultural producers living in Greater Philadelphia who create art for social change and have done so for the past five years or more, demonstrating a commitment to art for social change work. The Transformation Award is open to individual artists and cultural producers creating art for social change in any medium, including traditional and nontraditional and multimedia and experimental forms. To be eligible, candidates must be a woman and/or trans person who is at least 18 years of age and has lived for the past two years or more in Bucks, Camden, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, or Philadelphia County.



VIRGINIA CENTER FOR THE CREATIVE ARTS
https://www.vcca.com/apply/fully-funded-fellowships/
Deadline May 15, 2022. Since 1971, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA) has provided uninterrupted time and space for artists to produce works of literature, visual art, and music. VCCA hosts more than 400 fellows each year at Mt. San Angelo in Amherst, Virginia, and the Moulin à Nef in Auvillar, France. Applicants will be considered for a VCCA residency and as many fully-funded fellowships for which they are eligible. The VCCA residency at Mt. San Angelo includes a private bedroom with a private bath, a separate individual studio, and three meals a day in a community of cross-disciplinary artists. Fellowships currently under consideration will occur between January 2 and April 30, 2023.
 
  

FREELANCE MARKETS / JOBS

HEALTHY RICH
https://www.healthyrich.co/write-for-us
Healthy Rich has several topics in which they week pitches. Pay is $200 for articles of whatever length is needed; 1,000–1,500 words is typical.

Money rules
What’s one financial “rule” (or rule of thumb) you think we need to get rid of? Why? Do you eschew this rule in your finances? What’s the effect? Pitch deadline: May 13, 2022. Pitch email: [email protected]

Habits
What non-financial habits (e.g. meditation, yoga, therapy) have impacted your relationship with money? Pitch deadline: May 27, 2022. Pitch email: [email protected] 

Radical money moves
Have you made a radical move with your money — something that would make a financial planner’s hair stand on end? How did it pan out? Would you recommend it to others? We’re not looking for extreme moves within conventional financial advice, like risky stock picks. Instead, we’re looking for ways you’ve opted out of traditional advice to follow your intuition or values. Pitch deadline: rolling. Pitch email: [email protected]



BENNINGTON REVIEW 
https://benningtonreview.submittable.com/submit
Bennington Review is published twice a year in print form, Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter. We aim to stake out a distinctive space for innovative, intelligent, and moving fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, film writing, and cross-genre work. We pay contributors $100 for prose of six typeset pages and under, $200 for prose of over six typeset pages, and $20 per poem, in addition to two copies of the issue in which the piece is published and one copy of the subsequent issue.



VOLTEFACE
https://volteface.me/about/
Volteface is an independent research and advocacy organisation, that seeks to reduce the harm drugs pose to individuals and society, through evidence-based policy reform. We cultivate fresh thinking and new ideas through our policy reports, online magazine and an ongoing programme of private and public events. Send pitches to Katya Kowalski, Head of Operations, at [email protected]. Pays £125 to £200.



GRAND STREET MEDIA
https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Grand-Street-Media-1/jobs
Pays $70-$100 an hour. We want someone who can take a series of facts and information and work with the creative director and producers to help find the core story to tell. Collaborate with internal clients to craft their message, focus their story, and take a narrative approach to business to business marketing.
Will need to, at times, research relevant topics to develop the scripts.



POSITIVE NEWS 
https://www.positive.news/contact-us/
When much of the media is full of doom and gloom, instead Positive News is the first media organisation in the world that is dedicated to quality, independent reporting about what’s going right. We are pioneers of ‘constructive journalism’ – a new approach in the media, which is about rigorous and relevant journalism that is focused on progress, possibility, and solutions. We publish daily online and Positive News magazine is published quarterly in print. Pitch to Gavin Haines, Digital Editor at [email protected]. Prefers 500-800 words. Debut assignments are 25p a word, rising to 30p for repeat commissions.



JUMP START PRESS
http://jumpstartpress.com
Jump Start Press is a boutique development house that provides content for publishers of preK–8 educational materials. With offices in the metropolitan New York area and a pool of professional freelancers and consultants around the country, Jump Start is uniquely flexible to meet the demands of diverse clients and projects. Contact Kimberly Murphy, Supervising Content Editor at [email protected]. We are looking for experienced elementary writers for a potential project set to begin in May. The client is seeking a wide range of voices that reflect the diversity of today's U.S. classrooms. This would be part-time work.



NM POLITICAL REPORT
https://nmpoliticalreport.com/about-2/
New Mexico Political Report is a non-profit news organization focused on promoting a greater public understanding of politics and policy in the state of New Mexico. Submit to Matthew Reichbach, Editor, at 
[email protected]. Estimated $500 and up. 



SHUTTERSTOCK
https://www.shutterstock.com/blog/
Pitch Kristina Libby at [email protected]. Shutterstock is looking for pitches on the theme, "Creative Guidance in a Changing World." Keep in mind that our blog's readers are designers, business owners and marketers. Articles are around 1,000 words and paid $350 per piece. 



APARTMENT THERAPY
https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-pitch-a-story-to-apartment-therapy-36878565
Apartment Therapy’s goal is to help our readers create homes that reflect not just their style, but who they truly are. As part of that mission, we’re always looking to work with new writers who have fresh ideas and perspectives that help our readers have a happier, more beautiful home. If an editor wants to move forward with your pitch, you will receive a follow-up email, usually within a week or two. This email will include the offered pay rate, expected deadline, brand/voice guidelines, and any adjustments to the format, length, or scope of the post. Pays $100-$500 per assignment, depending on length, amount of work (research, interviews, etc.) or if it's a big cover story.



WOODHALL PRESS - MULTIPLE OPENINGS
https://www.woodhallpress.com/team
Woodhall Press is growing. If you are an editor, copyeditor, proofreader, designer, or marketing professional seeking to join a collaborative group of creative people, contact us. We all work from home with flexible hours, clear deliverables, and plenty of support. We also offer a thriving internship program for graduate and undergraduate students. 



GRANT WRITER(S)
https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?cmp=Friedman-Associates&t=Grant+Writer+Consultant&jk=b80e0913d7a98a30
We are seeking professionals with grant writing experience for non-profit community development organizations that specialize in small business lending and affordable housing lending in underserved communities. Familiarity with CDFI Fund, SBA, EDA, and DHHS is a plus. Pays $125 per hour. 


 

Publishers/agents

​​​​​​​ = = = 


CITY LIGHTS PUBLISHERS
http://citylights.com/publishing/?fa=publishing_manuscripts
With over 200 titles in print, we publish cutting-edge fiction, poetry, memoirs, literary translations and books on vital social and political issues.



COFFEE HOUSE PRESS
https://coffeehousepress.org/pages/submissions
Coffee House Press publishes literary novels, full-length short story collections, poetry, creative nonfiction, book-length essays, and essay collections. CHP does not accept submissions of anthologies or books for children or young adults.



BANCROFT PRESS
https://bancroftpress.com/submission-guidelines-2/
We publish trade fiction and nonfiction, and we publish what we like. Virtually every genre is represented by one of our fine authors; this is owed to their individual ability to tell a good story. From classic literature to political memoirs, from illustrated picture books to gripping suspense thrillers – the key is in the quality.



BAEN PRESS
https://www.baen.com/submit
We publish only science fiction and fantasy. Writers familiar with what we have published in the past will know what sort of material we are most likely to publish in the future: powerful plots with solid scientific and philosophical underpinnings are the sine qua non for consideration for science fiction submissions. As for fantasy, any magical system must be both rigorously coherent and integral to the plot, and overall the work must at least strive for originality.

 

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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