TOP SPONSOR 

EDITOR'S THOUGHTS

HOPE

Hope — and the wise, effective action that can spring from it — is the counterweight to the heavy sense of our own fragility. It is a continual negotiation between optimism and despair, a continual negation of cynicism and naïveté. We hope precisely because we are aware that terrible outcomes are always possible and often probable, but that the choices we make can impact the outcomes. ~Maria Popova, The Marginalian

This is probably the best balance I've ever read about the definition of HOPE. I love my name because it defines how I like to live. 

My mother named me Cynthia Hope and called me Cindy. I always loved the middle name, but it wasn't until I started writing seriously and wondered how I'd like to sign my work, that I chose to use Hope. I wanted it to define me and my plans of being a writer. 

But what I love about this definition is that to have hope is to defy cynicism and naivete. We refuse to be chastised into ruin. Likewise, we refuse to flap in the wind and let fate take us where it will. We can control our direction but accept the fact there are obstacles . . . but our choices, our attitude, and our motivation have the ability to overcome them. 

To have HOPE, we:

. . . don't crash and burn when we are rejected. 
. . . accept rejection is part of the journey.
. . . keep pushing forward not with random wishing but with strategy. 

HOPE is being smart at going after a dream.

SUPER SPONSOR 

HOPE'S APPEARANCES

 
SUCCESS QUOTE

SUccess Story

Dear Hope,

Thanks so much for all the information you share with your readers on "FundsforWriters."  I have been enjoying your newsletter for several years now, and have a related Success Story to share.  You had a listing once for "Psychology Today," which is a magazine I have always enjoyed.  I had a story from the training for my second career as a mediator, that I wanted to write up.  I sent a query to the editor.   She explained that they had already done that particular topic, but asked me if I'd like to write a blog for the magazine.  I enthusiastically said, "Yes," and have blogging for them ever since.  The name of my blog is, "Can't We All Just Get Along?"  The blog has now had 114,500 different views  Many of my blog posts relate to my second career as a mediator.  But I'm also trying to take some of the tools and strategies I use in mediation and apply them to our national polarization problem.  (Needless to say, I haven't solved it yet.)

Thanks again for "FundsforWriters!"

Blessings,

David Evans
Psychology Today blogger
"Can't We All Just Get Along?"
Bridge-Building.com
[email protected]

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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

Serialized Fiction

By Kerrie Flanagan

Serialized fiction is a story told in parts and unveiled in installments over a period of time. Think of a television show where a new episode is released each week, just instead with a story and a new chapter published each week.  This concept has been around for nearly two centuries.  Charles Dickens kicked off this idea of a serialized novel with 19 installments of the Pickwick Papers in 1835, and Uncle Tom’s Cabin, by Harriet Beacher Stowe published in 40 installments in a newspaper in 1851. 

Newspapers and consumer magazines like Harpers and The Atlantic Monthly were popular avenues for this type of fiction. Not so much anymore, but some literary magazines like Narrative, still accept serialized novels. 

You can serialize a story on your blog or in your newsletter, but technology has brought new options. Platforms like Radish, Wattpad and the new Kindle Vella provide opportunities for writers to publish a completed novel in serialized form. Readers read the episodes on their computer or through an app. Some are free and with others, there is a fee. 

Why serialize? 

Serialized fiction provides a different avenue for you to publish your novel. You can build your audience, reach new audiences, revive your backlist, pre-release upcoming books, or test out new ideas. One thing to keep in mind is that if you publish your novel through one of these platforms, you can’t have it available as a complete book on an ebook or print platform like KDP. Should you choose to publish it in the future, you must remove it from the serialized site. 

Writing successful serialized fiction requires you to break down your novel into “bite-sized” installments of around 1,000-2,000 words. Some platforms accept higher word counts, but remember, many readers are reading the story on a mobile device, so keeping to a lower word count makes more sense. Each episode needs to drive the story forward and end in a way that keeps the reader wanting more. 

Where to publish? 

There are a variety of places to publish serial fiction, but the top three are Radish, Wattpad and Kindle Vella. 






Wattpad has been around the longest of the three and is big on reader involvement. Anyone can post their story, and readers have the opportunity to provide feedback. For the majority of the site writers don’t get paid, but there are some opportunities for payment through their contests and their new Paid Stories (which is currently invitation only). The majority of the site is available to readers for free. 










In 2015 Radish came on the scene as another platform to offer serialized fiction. Radish authors must apply and have their stories accepted. If you receive the green light, you get 50 percent of the royalties, and you maintain rights to the work. Radish has a mix of free and paid content for readers. 






Amazon’s Kindle Vella is the newest of the platforms which launched in 2021. For all stories on Kindle Vella, the first three episodes are free. Then readers purchase tokens to unlock more episodes. Authors receive 50 percent of what readers spend on tokens for each story. There is the potential for a bonus if you are one of the top authors for that month. 

When Dickens paved the way for serialized fiction, he had no idea what the future of publishing would look like. There are so many publishing opportunities from traditional publishing to self-publishing and now with serialized fiction. Take the time to explore what is available to you and get your stories in front of readers in a whole different way, to readers who prefer to read in that whole different way. 

----
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 and get a free article, 10 Surefire Ways to Strengthen Your Fiction.


 

COmpetitions

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BACOPA LITERARY REVIEW
https://writersallianceofgainesville.submittable.com/submit
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 23, 2022. Pays $200 Award and $100 Honorable Mention in each of six categories: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Humor, Formal Poetry, Free Verse Poetry, or Visual Poetry. All contributors will receive a print copy of the issue and award/honorable mention winners will each receive three copies. 



OWL CANYON PRESS ESSAY CONTEST
https://www.owlcanyonpress.com/silver
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 31, 2022. Owl Canyon Press, Boulder, Colorado, announces an open competition for the best essay of at least 2,000 words about some aspect of Marc Jampole’s experimental literary masterpiece, The Brothers Silver.  The winner, to be selected by the final judge, David Finkle, novelist and literary critic, will be awarded an honorarium of $5,000. An additional honorarium of $1,000 will be awarded the winner if their essay is published in an eligible publication (see rules for list); authors of any other entry published in an eligible publication will receive $300. Owl Canyon will publish the best 10-15 essays as selected by the final judge in an anthology in 2023. 



LORCA LATINX POETRY PRIZE
https://ecotheocollective.submittable.com/submit/220311/lorca-latinx-poetry-prize
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 5, 2022. The Winner of the Lorca Latinx Poetry Prize for an emerging poet will receive Spanish translation and bilingual publication of their manuscript, a cash prize of $500 from Letras Latinas, and 10 copies of the chapbook. Unpublished individual poems from the winning manuscript may also be offered standard publication in EcoTheo Review. (Thanks www.erikadreifus.com)



IRENE ADLER PRIZE
https://www.lucasaykroyd.com/scholarships
Deadline May 30. With the Irene Adler Prize, they are awarding a $1,000 scholarship to a woman pursuing a degree in journalism, creative writing, or literature at a recognized post-secondary institution in the U.S. or Canada, based on an essay competition.



THE PEGGY WILLIS LYLES HAIKU AWARDS
https://theheronsnest.com/awards/awards_2022.html
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 1, 2022. Maximum number of haiku allowed: five (5) haiku in English. First Place - $150, a copy of To Hear the Rain and a miniature crystal turtle. Second Place - $75, a copy of To Hear the Rain. Third Place - $50, a copy of To Hear the Rain. 



SAPIENS PLURUM SHORT FICTION CONTEST
https://sapiensplurum.org/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 1, 2022. We’re excited to announce the eighth annual short fiction writing contest “Inventing Beautiful Futures”. The winner will receive $1,000 for first prize. Second prize is $500, and third is $300. The contest opens on Earth Day each year. Write a story that uses technology to transform something harmful into something beneficial or even beautiful. Submissions must be the original work of the submitter, 1,500-3,000 words, in English.



CONGER BEASLEY AWARD FOR NONFICTION
https://www.newletters.org/conger-beasley-award-for-fiction/
$24 ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 22, 2022. All entries will be considered for publication in New Letters.
Essay entries may not exceed 8,000 words. Award $2,500. 



PATRICIA CLEARY MILLER AWARD FOR POETRY
https://www.newletters.org/patricia-cleary-miller-award-for-poetry/
$24 ENTRY FEE. Deadline 22, 2022. All entries will be considered for publication in New Letters. A poetry entry may contain up to six poems, and those poems need not be related. The max page count for poetry entries of up to six poems is 30 pages. Award $2,500. 

 

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 

 = = = 




SUSAN KAMIL EMERGING WRITER FELLOWSHIPS
https://centerforfiction.org/grants-awards/nyc-emerging-writers-fellowship/
Deadline May 30, 2022. Offers grants, editorial mentorship, and other opportunities to early-career New York City-based practitioners who are at a critical moment in their development as fiction writers. During the one-year Fellowship period, grantees receive a grant of $5,000, the opportunity to have their manuscript revised and critiqued by an experienced editor, access to write in our Writers Studio, the opportunity to meet with editors, authors, and agents who represent new writers at monthly dinners, two public readings as part of our annual program of events, and more. 



SPECULATIVE LITERATURE FOUNDATION OLDER WRITERS GRANT
https://speculativeliterature.org/grants/slf-older-writers-grant/
Deadline May 31, 2022. The SLF $1,000 Older Writers Grant is awarded annually to a writer who is fifty years of age or older at the time of grant application, and is intended to assist such writers who are just starting to work at a professional level. This grant, as with all SLF grants, is intended to help writers working with speculative literature. 



PEN/HEIM TRANSLATION GRANTS
https://pen.org/pen-heim-grants/
Deadline June 1, 2022. Grants will be awarded to support the translation of book-length works of fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, or drama that have not previously appeared in English in print or have appeared only in an outdated or otherwise flawed translation. Grants typically range between $2,000 and $4,000. Works should be translations-in-progress, as the grant aims to provide support for completion.



BRASHNAR CREATIVE PROJECT
https://www.brashnarcreativeproject.org/
Deadline May 15, 2022. Brashnar Artist-in-Residence (BAiR) is an artist owned and operated urban artist residency program located in the neighborhood Hrom on the west side of Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia. BAiR is a multi-faceted residency program allowing resident artists the freedom to explore the potentials of their practice while experiencing Macedonian culture through group related activities. The residency program is open to all visual artists and writers that strongly encourage work utilizing innovative and traditional forms of art making along with collaborations, artist-led projects and socially engaged practices. Brashnar Artist-in-Residence offers work and living space for up to 6 artists/writers for stays of one month with one to two staff artists living with the residents in the Art House during the residency season.


 
SOUTHARTS INDIVIDUAL CAREER OPPORTUNITY GRANTS
https://www.southarts.org/artist-grants-fellowships/individual-artist-career-opportunity-grants
Deadline May 13, 2022. The Individual Artist Career Opportunity Grant supports a milestone opportunity in an individual artist’s career that is likely to lead to substantial and significant career advancement. Grants of up to $2,000 are available to support opportunities taking place between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023. Examples of opportunities that match the intent of this program include, but are not limited to: Accepting an invitation to exhibit, sell, screen, present, read or perform work in a significant in-person forum such as a renowned/major festival, invitational exhibit, invitational/juried showcase, etc.; participating in a residency to research/create a body of work and build network connections; or travel associated with a significant career-building activity. Must be a resident of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee.



NIGHTBOATS EDITORIAL FELLOWSHIP
https://nightboat.org/editorial-fellowship/
We’re looking for an aspiring BIPOC editor to work alongside Nightboat staff to develop a book project of their choosing over the course of two (2) years. Black and Indigenous editors are strongly encouraged to apply. Projects should not be comprised of the applicant’s original work. We hope to work collaboratively with this Editorial Fellow to foreground undervalued or little-known forms of experimental writing across a range of communities. As such, we’ll be providing the selected Fellow with the resources and mentorship necessary to acquire, edit, and guide to publication a project specific to their interests. Pays $10,000 (paid in installments—$5,000 per year of the fellowship or according to the fellow’s individual needs) for their work and participation in the program.



WORDS WITHOUT BORDERS EDITORIAL FELLOWSHIP
https://www.wordswithoutborders.org/dispatches/article/words-without-borders-fall-editorial-fellowship
Deadline May 16, 2022. The WWB Editorial Fellowship program is designed to provide training for individuals looking to build a career around the publication and promotion of international literature. The editorial fellow will gain hands-on experience with all aspects of the publication of a digital literary magazine—from issue planning to online promotion. The fellow will become familiar with the special considerations and skills required for editing literature in translation and working within the context of a nonprofit organization. (Thanks to www.erikadreifus.com ) 



ELIZA MOORE FELLOWSHIP FOR ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE
https://www.osgf.org/fellowships/eliza-moore-artistic-excellence
Deadline May 26, 2022. The Eliza Moore Fellowship for Artistic Excellence is awarded annually to one outstanding, early-career artist who is developing new works that address plants, gardens, or landscapes in the broad sense.  This is our most prestigious artist award and is open to visual artists, literary artists, dancers, and musicians. The award includes a $10,000 individual grant and requires a two- to eight-week stay at the OSGF estate. This fellowship is granted to exceptional artists who show remarkable promise to contribute to a deeper understanding of the natural world, and humankind’s place in it. Location Upperville, VA. 
 
  

FREELANCE MARKETS / JOBS

FANTASY MAGAZINE
https://adamant.moksha.io/publication/fantasy/guidelines
For 2022, we plan to open to general submissions April 1-7, July 1-7, and October 1-7. We are open to short fiction up to 7,500 words. Prefers 5,000 or less. Flash is limited to 1,500 words. Fantasy pays eight cents per word for original short stories and flash fiction. Fantasy pays $40 per poem.



AHOY COMICS
https://comicsahoy.com/submissions
Each Ahoy Comics magazine will include at least one piece of short fiction or social commentary. We seek smart, weird, funny articles or stories, which run between 500 and 1,500 words. Mostly, we want short fiction for mature readers, pieces that uphold the story-telling legacy of comics. We will pay $200 per story. 



WIDE OPEN EATS
https://www.wideopeneats.com
Wide Open Eats is a place celebrating honest home cooks that make the most of what they have, featuring food of every kind and regional style. Our domain ranges from the kitchen to a backwoods campfire. Featuring all things food & drink, from quick snacks to full meals, from grandma's recipes to your local rib shack, we've got you covered. Currently looking for a few BBQ, Grill, Smoker, freelance writers/content creators to join the team! Please send content examples and pitches to [email protected]. Rate starts at $.15 per word. Higher based on experience and assignment. Must be US based.



CLEARSCOPE
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScfrl5JxrWjueu1iMecBoV4M-9Zt75Orl92wR21rnYRQTFUJg/viewform
General range of topics include: Technical SEO, Content Strategy, Content Marketing, Link building, Keyword / search intent research. Rates: We value quality writing and aren't afraid to spend for the right fit. Pays $500-$2,000 per article, and we can make exceptions if needed as well. 



REST OF WORLD
https://docs.google.com/document/d/19ZLDzw2II1RM_5fxD6dw658gJlggqHbtqrpYeMWqFgU/edit
The Rest of World Features section is our home for longform, narrative journalism about technology and its impact. We are looking for local stories with global implications, which focus on any country except the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Western Europe, and Australia. Our stories usually explore the human-level impact of tech internationally. We prioritize local voices (in terms of both writers and sources) and aim to connect the dots at a global scale. Features are generally 3,000 words+ in length, and are usually narrative in style. Our rates start at $1/word and the majority of our Feature stories are 3,000 words+. 



FAMILY HANDYMAN
https://www.familyhandyman.com/about-the-family-handyman/
Family Handyman is the DIYers best friend, offering a variety of print and digital resources for do-it-yourself homeowners. Our forte is accurate and complete how-to instructions for improving homes, yards and vehicles. Looking for new writers (NOT submissions, but rather writers and pitches). Pay is a flat rate that goes up with word count, proven ability to hit our mark, special projects, etc. Please direct potential writers to pitch via the [email protected] email. Pays $200 and up.



FOODPRINT
https://foodprint.org/the-latest/
Innovative strategies to increase public awareness of the critical environmental and public health issues created by our current industrial food system, and to advocate for more sustainable alternatives. Pitches should include a description of the subject matter and your take/approach, including a description of who you would talk to for it and examples of people/organizations/companies you might track/follow. Please also include a link to some of your prior work. Competitive rates (between $550-$700). Pitch Jerusha Klemperer, Director at [email protected] 



UNCANNY MAGAZINE
https://www.uncannymagazine.com/submissions/
We will be opening to Novella (17,500 to 40,000 words) submissions from May 1 to May 15. We will be opening to Short Story (750-6000 words) submissions from May 16 to May 30. Uncanny Magazine is seeking passionate, diverse SF/F fiction from writers from every conceivable background. We want intricate, experimental stories and poems with gorgeous prose, verve, and imagination that elicit strong emotions and challenge beliefs. Payment is $.10 per word (including audio rights). 

 

Publishers/agents

McFARLAND PRESS
https://mcfarlandbooks.com/becoming-an-author/faq-for-authors/
McFarland is now one of the leading publishers of academic nonfiction in the United States, offering about 6000 titles in print. McFarland publishes more than 350 new titles each year for a worldwide market. McFarland is recognized for its serious works in such popular fields as the pop culture (especially film), sports (especially baseball) and automotive history. With rare exceptions we do not publish fiction. We don’t do children’s books. As for poetry—technically, yes, but only in the scholarly realm.



ARCADIA PUBLISHING
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/ContactUs/MakeMeAnAuthor
Arcadia Publishing and The History Press review proposals on a wide variety of topics related to local and regional history, interest, and culture. We do not accept fiction submissions.

 

SPONSORS

FINE PRINT

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

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