VOLUME 23, ISSUE 38 | september 29, 2023 |
Someone asked
me why I don't have more audio books. To be honest, I lost my producer. He retired. Yes, I narrate my own books, but the accompanying task of editing them, adding music, and insuring they are appropriate for upload, takes hours and hours of work. As much or more so than the narration. My dilemma bugs me, for sure. Take time away from writing and record audio books? Or write more books? Don't worry. We aren't saying no to more audio books, but instead we are investigating options. I have someone on it. I'm on it as well. But just know that audio books aren't forthcoming anytime in
the next six months or more. Actually, I adore narrating. It's a whole different sort of enjoyment for me. We'll get there, but in the meantime, we have a book coming out in November, another half written and due out in the Spring, and another in dribbles to be started, written and released in the Fall. Bless you all for being understanding. |
C. Hope Clark
Editor, FundsforWriters
Email Hope | Visit Website | Sign up for Newsletter
Newsletter: ISSN: 1533-1326
FFW
has proudly been on the Writer's Digest's 101 Best Websites for Writers list every year since 2000
Our subscriber list is NOT made available to others. Use information listed at your own risk. FundsforWriters gives no warranty to completeness, accuracy, or fitness of the markets, contests, and grants although research is done to the best of our ability. FundsforWriters finds open
submission calls, contests, and markets from a wide variety of sources, including Erika Dreifus' Practicing Writer newsletter, Erica Verrillo's blog, Authors Publish, Poets & Writers, Duotrope, Winning Writers, Write Jobs Plus, LinkedIn Jobs, Emily Stoddard, and other newsletters and online sites. Many announcements are submitted directly to FundsforWriters from active contests, journals, magazines, publishers, residencies, and grant providers. All must be paying opportunities. Contests must pay a minimum of $200
first place. Submit potential listings to [email protected]
TWITTER - http://twitter.com/hopeclark
AUTHOR SITE - http://www.chopeclark.com
FACEBOOK - http://www.facebook.com/chopeclark
GOODREADS - http://www.goodreads.com/hopeclark
BOOKBUB - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/c-hope-clark Read the FFW Archive Got obstacles? Write Anyway!
A free summit JUST for writers struggling with obstacles and procrastination is happening October 16-19!
Join us for the Write Anyway Summit to learn from top writers, editors, publishers, and coaches about
how to keep writing and reach the potential you KNOW you have.
How would it feel to....
- Have a consistent writing practice that helps you produce books you're proud of?
- Overcome your fears of putting yourself out there?
- Be able to coach
yourself through any challenge you face to protect your writing time?
We will help you with all this and more at the Write Anyway Summit.
The best part? It's FREE!
Get your FREE ticket and join us October 16-19 at www.writeanywaysummit.com
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WAITING FOR THAT REJECTION LETTER
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I have yet to attend a writer's group of any kind without someone fussing about submitting and only hearing crickets in return. They'd prefer an acceptance, but if that's not in their cards, they want a rejection, and on top of that, they want to know why they were rejected. My questions then become: - Are you willing to pay for that critique of your work, which is what it takes for someone to give you the reasons why? - Or, on a lesser scale, are you
willing to pay a fee when you submit, in order to assure yourself of a response, whether acceptance or rejection? Nobody does. However, on the other hand, you are expecting a publication/editor/agent to take time away from time they could be spending earning an income, just to tell you they cannot use you, or you did not win, or you don't fit their needs at the moment. You are expecting them to pay an employee to reject you with no gain out of it whatsoever. With some publishers/freelance
markets/agents, considering the number of submissions they receive, that would take a fulltime employee. Let's assume this is a minimum wage employee just sending out rejections, without the reasons why. Stuffing envelopes with form letters and metering postage. That's $15,000 a year plus benefits and unemployment tax. That's also another employee for Human Resources to handle reams of paperwork. That employer is out, say $20,000 on the low side for that position. The employer gets zero
benefit from having that employee, doing what they do, except to gain the respect of writers who will probably never work for them. Now, let's assume you want feedback. Why were you rejected? Now you need a higher paid person with experience enough to make such reasoning. Maybe they only spend 10-20 percent of their time doing this task. Let's take a $50,000 salary and $10,000 in benefits/HR costs, and take 20% of that total. That's $12,000 invested in, again, delivering a letter to
writers who will likely never work or be contracted for them. But what if you want THE judge of the contest, THE literary agent, or THE editor to send you a rejection? Double that cost. That's financial outlay with zero return. When you consider sending a rejection costs money, takes time, and restricts income production, why in the world would you expect anyone to send you a rejection? On top of that, when someone takes the time to send rejections, they spend less time
processing acceptances, which could ultimately mean less acceptances, which then lowers the odds of you being considered in the first place. Be happy when submissions are open. Send in your best work. Then move on. Don't watch your rearview mirror in this job. Keep pitching. Keep querying. Keep entering. Keep submitting. The time you take away from moving forward, the time you spend worrying about what someone will say and why, is time stolen from your own writing. Don't expect
rejection. Instead be extremely thankful for even receiving it. Someone went out of their way to notify you, and it cost them to do so.
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$59.00 plus tax INCLUDES SHIPPING YOU HAD ME AT ROOM SERVICE! APPLY FOR FUN, UNCONVENTIONAL WRITER’S RESIDENCY What writer wouldn’t want to attend the wildly popular Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop and spend two additional all-expenses-paid weeks at a hotel to write? Free room service. A housekeeping staff. An omelet bar. A TV remote of your own. The sun rising over the Great Miami River (aka, the Dayton Riviera). And, most importantly, a “Do Not Disturb” sign. Applications for A Hotel Room of One’s Own: The Erma Bombeck | Anna Lefler Humorist-in-Residence
Program will be accepted Sept. 5-Oct. 5. Improvisor Dion Flynn, best known as Barack Obama (and other characters) on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and comedy writer Monica Piper, longtime head writer and producer for Rugrats, will choose the two grand prize winners. Preference
will be given to emerging humor writers. The package is worth approximately $5,000, but the experience is priceless. Cash prizes for finalists and honorable mentions. Read the announcement and FAQs. Then apply here for what Forbes says “may be the best writer’s residency in the country.” Deadline: Oct. 5 Fee: $25
- October 2, 2023 - Night Harbor Book Club, Night Harbor S/D Rec Center, Chapin, SC - 7-9 PM (Hope will be moderating this night - book is One in a Million Boy by Monica Wood)
- October 5, 2023 - Richland County Cooper Library, 5317 N. Trenholm Rd, Columbia, SC - 6:30-9 PM - open to the public
- October 12, 2023 - Calhoun County Library, St. Matthews, SC - 5-7 PM - open to the public
- October 26, 2023 - Podcast - Everyone Has a Story: True Tales from Everyday Life - guest C. Hope Clark
- December 9, 2023 - Triangle Sisters in Crime Zoom - Gary W. Clark, Sr talks about crime solving and Hope's books - 1:30-2:30
PM
- June 1-8, 2024 - The Gutsy Great Novelist Retreat,
Bar Harbor, Maine - writer-in-residence
Email: [email protected] to schedule events, online or otherwise.
There's starting to be life out there! Write drunk, edit sober. ~Ernest Hemingway Hi Hope! Over five years ago your thoughts in your newsletter motivated me to enter writing contests on a regular basis. I wrote to you early on when I was a finalist and semi-finalist with my books and short stories
in the Faulkner Society Literary Contest out of New Orleans. Recently the Faulkner Society writers contest has gotten back into gear since being down during Covid and a co-founder's tragic
personal loss. They finally were able to judge the 2021 contest entries. With good luck I managed a very high spot on the 'short list' just one author below 2nd place. A very sweet zone indeed! Winning for me has always been to produce the 'good story', not just winning. Being 'one of the best' suits me just fine. Again, so glad I found your newsletter years ago. Thanks again for all the great writing support. Sincerely, Frank Johnson...Greenfield, Missouri https://williamfaulknerliterarycompetition.com/
<<If you have a success story you believe was prompted by FundsforWriters, please share with us! Send to [email protected] >>
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The Power of Personal
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By Jessica McCann A variety of skills are needed to earn a consistent income as a writer. Next to writing aptitude and business proficiency, relationship building rounds out the top three. In more than 30 years as freelance writer, I’ve grown to appreciate the power of personal. Building authentic, mutually-beneficial relationships with editors, business clients, and fellow writers has had a positive impact on my income, as well as my overall
state-of-mind. Despite the convenience and widespread use of email, text, social media, and video meetings, a significant percentage of people still feel lonely and disconnected. “Loneliness is a growing health epidemic,” wrote former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy in an article for Harvard Business Review. “We live in the most technologically connected age in the history of civilization, yet rates of loneliness have doubled since the 1980s. Over 40 percent of
adults in America report feeling lonely, and research suggests that the real number may well be higher. In the workplace, many employees – and half of CEOs – report feeling lonely in their roles.” Sometimes an email or social media shoutout just doesn’t cut it. Call your editor or send a card to congratulate him on a recent award or other professional recognition. Mail your client a handwritten note to thank her for prompt payment. Meet up with a fellow writer for coffee
to get better acquainted. Such gestures help battle loneliness and make people feel appreciated. If they’re genuine, such gestures also encourage people to reciprocate that good will. A few examples: • Twice a year, I mail my clients unique greeting cards with handwritten expressions of thanks or good wishes. It’s a treat to receive a card in the mail. We set them on counters or pin them to corkboards, as a reminder that someone was thinking of us.
Dozens of times over the years, I’ve received a call or email about a new assignment a few weeks after mailing a card – not because I asked for more work, but because someone looked at the card again and thought of me. • Getting together for coffee (or breakfast, or happy hour, or a walk in the park) with a fellow writer is a great way to ward off loneliness. I meet up one-on-one with different peers several times a year. We talk about work, and books,
and life. As a result of those relationships, I often give (and receive) referrals for new writing clients and projects. • When I receive great service somewhere, I send a handwritten note of thanks to the business owner and mention by name the person who assisted me. I have printed note cards that include my phone number, email address and website URL (vistaprint.com is just one of many inexpensive services that provide custom note cards). People
who receive these cards see that I’m a professional writer. I don’t send them to ask for work or as a ploy to gain favor. It’s a genuine sentiment. And kindness gets remembered. On several occasions, my notes have prompted businesses to contact me about freelance writing. Like many types of writing, there’s a formula to crafting a thoughtful note of thanks or congratulations. A Modern Guide to Writing Thank-You Notes by Heidi Bender is a great resource. The book is easy to thumb through and has hundreds of examples to get you started. It also helps to have a list of talking points close at hand. You should be able to speak comfortably about the writing or editing services you provide, or to be able to briefly pitch a few story ideas. Having a cheat-sheet comes in handy when
you’re making a call or receive an expected one.
BIO – Jessica McCann has written for dozens of publications and organizations, including Business Week, Phoenix, The Writer, Boyd Gaming, Allied Waste and The Phoenix Zoo. She’s also an award-winning historical novelist. Sign up for her free email newsletter and monthly giveaway for readers and writers at https://jessicamccann.com/monthly-e-news-and-give-away/ Her current book, Bitter Thaw, is available for preorder.
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My WRITEDAY is a subscription box program that delivers curated products from authors, creators, and small businesses to writers and readers in the US. It’s unique in
that many products are sourced from writers who are also crafters and artisans. Each box delivers a writing craft book of the month and 3-7 items associated with the key concepts (journaling, fitness, relaxation, nutrition, and creative play) of Writer Wellness, my flagship program and book (Headline Books, Inc. 2020.) Each box is inspired by literary themes, genres, and holidays. Every month includes access to My
WRITEDAY digital magazine filled with writing and publishing tips, writer wellness ideas, fiction excerpts, poetry, special offers, social media options such as live virtual meetings, and more. The idea behind My WRITEDAY is to help writers spend more time creating stories, engaging with like-minded book friends, and
enjoying the juicy, creative life you deserve. From craft books to office supplies to fun, writing/reading inspired décor, subscribers will discover an experience designed to offer a healthful plan for living your best writing life. = = = JOHN RIDLAND POETRY PRIZE
https://gunpowderpress.com/poetry-prizes/john-ridland-poetry-prize/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 31, 2023. The John Ridland Poetry Prize will be awarded annually for an unpublished book-length manuscript of 48-100 pages. This prize is open to poets 55 years and older. The prize includes $500, publication by Gunpowder Press, and 10 author copies. THE LETTER REVIEW PRIZE FOR SHORT
FICTION
https://letterreview.com/information/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 31, 2023. Three Winners are announced who are published and share in the $1000 USD total prize pool. Twenty writers are Longlisted. All entries considered for publication, and for submission to the Pushcart Prize and other
anthologies. Limit 5,000 words. Open to anyone in the world. There are no genre or theme restrictions. THE LETTER REVIEW PRIZE FOR NONFICTION
https://letterreview.com/information/
$20
ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 31, 2023. Three Winners are announced who are published and share in the $1000 USD total prize pool. Twenty writers are Longlisted. All entries considered for publication, and for submission to the Pushcart Prize and other anthologies. Limit 5,000 words. Open to anyone in the world. We welcome most forms of nonfiction including: Memoir, journalism, interviews, essay (including personal essay), fictocriticism, creative nonfiction, travel, nature,
opinion, and many other permutations. THE LETTER REVIEW PRIZE FOR POETRY
https://letterreview.com/information/
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 31, 2023. Three Winners are
announced who are published and share in the $1000 USD total prize pool. Twenty writers are Longlisted. All entries considered for publication, and for submission to the Pushcart Prize and other anthologies. Limit 70 lines max per poem. Open to anyone in the world. There are no style or subject restrictions. THE LETTER REVIEW PRIZE FOR BOOKS
https://letterreview.com/information/
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 31, 2023. Three Winners are announced who are published and share in the $1000 USD total prize pool. Twenty writers are Longlisted. Please submit the first 5000 words of your book (first 15 pages for poetry). Details: Open to anyone in the world. The
entry must not have been traditionally published. You may submit unpublished books, and some self published, and indie published works. We are seeking all varieties of novels, novellas, short story collections, nonfiction, and poetry collections. WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING FALL FLASH FICTION CONTEST
https://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/contest.php
$10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 30, 2023. Seeking short fiction of any genre between 250 - 750 words. The mission of this contest is to inspire creativity, great writing, and provide well-rewarded recognition to contestants. Open internationally. Limit: 300 entries. First Place: $400, publication,
interview, and $25 Amazon Gift Certificate. Second Place: $300, publication, interview, and $25 Amazon Gift Certificate. Third Place: $200, publication, interview and $25 Amazon Gift Certificate. Seven Runners Up receive $25 Amazon Gift Cards, publication and interview. Ten Honorable mentions receive $20 Amazon Gift Card. Top 10 stories are published in the WOW! Women On Writing e-zine, and contestants are interviewed on WOW's blog, The Muffin. WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING CREATIVE NONFICTION ESSAY CONTEST
https://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/contest.php#EssayContest
$12 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 31, 2023. Seeking creative nonfiction on any topic
(1000 words or less) and in any style, from personal essay and memoir to lyric essay and hermit crab, and more! The mission of this contest is to reward bravery in real-life storytelling and create an understanding of our world through thoughtful, engaging narratives. Open internationally. Limit: 300 entries. First Place: $500, publication, interview, and gift code good for one item from CreateWriteNow's Store. Second Place: $300, publication, interview, and gift code good for one item from
CreateWriteNow's Store. Third Place: $200, publication, interview, and gift code good for one item from CreateWriteNow's Store. Seven Runners Up receive $25 Amazon Gift Cards, publication, interview, and gift code good for one item from CreateWriteNow's Store. Ten Honorable mentions receive a gift code good for one item from CreateWriteNow's Store. ZOETROP SHORT
FICTION CONTEST
https://www.zoetrope.com/contests/stories-2023/
$30 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 2, 2023. First prize: $1,000. Second prize: $500. Third prize: $250. The three prizewinners and seven honorable mentions will be considered for representation by William Morris Endeavor; ICM; the Wylie
Agency; Aragi, Inc.; Regal Literary; Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary Agency; Markson Thoma Literary Agency; Inkwell Management; Sterling Lord Literistic; Aitken Alexander Associates; Barer Literary; the Gernert Company; Janklow & Nesbit Associates; and the Georges Borchardt Literary Agency. Accepts all genres of literary fiction. Entries must be: unpublished at the time of submission; strictly 5,000 words or fewer.
GRANTS / FELLOWSHIP / CROWDFUNDING MID ATLANTIC ARTS' CENTRAL APPALACHIA LIVING TRADITIONS GRANTS
https://www.midatlanticarts.org/grants-programs/central-appalachia-living-traditions/#folk-and-traditional-arts-experiences
Deadline October 20, 2023. Folk and Traditional Arts Experiences grants fund public-facing projects and events in engaging nonprofit organizations and folk and traditional artists/practitioners in ARC-designated counties of Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia are eligible to apply for grant
amounts from $1,000 to $10,000. No match is required. The majority of project activities must take place within the designated counties. Eligible project activities include but are not limited to hands-on learning experiences, workshops where traditional artistic practices are taught or demonstrated to the public or a group of peer practitioners, public art projects, exhibitions of folk and traditional art, a performance project or series, film/video, podcast, or archival collection or fieldwork
with a significant public-facing component. RE: GENERATION 2024 GRANTS
https://monumentlab.com/projects/regeneration-2024
Monument Lab invites applications for its Re:
Generation initiative, which supports teams of two or more individuals working together to create a new or expand an existing public-facing project, with each selected team receiving a total of $100,000 in unrestricted funding towards their commemorative campaign or project. For the 2024 round of Re: Generation, the organization emphasizes selecting projects with creative representation and interpretation of erased, suppressed, or threatened stories and histories. Deadline: October 2,
2023. NATIONAL ARTS COMPETITION
https://youngarts.org/competition/
Deadline October 13, 2023. YoungArts invites applications for its 2024 National Arts Competition.
Accomplished artists between the ages of 15 and 18 (or in grades 10 through 12) are encouraged to apply for a financial award of up to $10,000 as well as professional development programs, skills-building workshops, artist residencies, and cultural partnerships to help artists advance their careers and their professional networks. Students must demonstrate excellence in classical music, dance, design, film, jazz, photography, theater, visual arts, voice, or writing. SOUTH JERSEY CULTURAL ALLIANCE
https://forms.monday.com/forms/d2b4ff45c7cc91da85882cf99fb917e3?r=use1
Deadline October 7, 2023. Offering forty $1,000 micro
artist grants to art professionals in the eight southern counties of New Jersey. Must have experienced loss of income due to financial hardships. Must be a NJ resident. AWESOME FOUNDATION MICRO GRANTS
https://www.awesomefoundation.org/
The Foundation distributes $1,000 grants, no strings attached, to projects and their creators. At each fully autonomous chapter, the money is pooled together from the coffers of ten or so self-organizing “micro-trustees” and given up front in cash, check, or gold doubloons. JENNIFER JAHRLING FORESE WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM - Location MAINE
https://www.colby.edu/academics/departments-and-programs/creative-writing/jennifer-jahrling-forese-writer-in-residence-program/
Seeking a
graphic novelist. Apply to this great fellowship we have here at Colby. Teach one class, then you are otherwise on your own to do your own project. Comes with generous stipend, two bedroom (lovely) apartment, access to the school's many impressive resources (from great gym to an island off the coast of Maine for a retreat or research) and some fantastic colleagues. Plus, inspiring students. For more information, contact Program Director Adrian Blevins ([email protected]). NEW WRITING NORTH
https://newwritingnorth.com/vacancies/
New Writing North are looking for experienced writer facilitators to run sessions with our North East Novelists group. The sessions should be focused
on the practical craft of creative writing and suitable for novelists already published or under contract to publish, and who are already represented by an agent. Starting October 2023, there will be one session on the first Wednesday evening of every month, in a central Newcastle venue. We can offer a fee of £125 per session, and up to £50 to cover travel costs. If you are interested, please send a short pitch about yourself and the session to [email protected].
SCALAWAG
https://scalawagmagazine.org/submissions/
Scalawag is interested in untold stories, fresh perspectives, and original thought covering the nuances of life,
politics, and culture in the American South. Beasts of the Southern Wild turned 10 last year for Scalawag, we'd like to publish a retrospective from a Black Southern writer during this hurricane season. Pitch to [email protected]. Feel free to join our contributors' email list, where we periodically send around topics we're hoping to see covered. Pays professional rates. CHICKEN SOUP: MIRACLES
http://www.chickensoup.com
We are looking for powerful, astounding stories that will make people say "wow" or give them chills. This book is for everyone, whether religious or non-religious. Payment is $250 and ten copies of the book. Submit no more than 1,200 words in first
person. AUDUBON'S FIELD NOTES
https://www.audubon.org/
Audubon’s front-of-book news section seeks lean and mean pieces about the issues and ideas our conservation-minded and bird-loving readers need to be
aware of. At the moment wants pieces for the spring issue, but also stories that will be ripe for later issues, as well as evergreen ideas. They should have an interesting peg but not be so time-sensitive that they’ll feel outdated in a few months. The format is better suited to introducing new topics and perspectives than to definitive deep-dives. Think in the 600- to 800-word ballpark. Pays $1 per word. Let us know if your idea has strong potential for infographics or other data viz. [email protected] ROBERT SCHALKENBACH FOUNDATION
https://schalkenbach.org/blog/
Deadline October 10,
2023. Looking for writers to produce 500-800 word blog posts to compliment and and supplement the original public policy-focused research we conduct and fund. Our areas of focus are property taxation, land use, economic resource rent collection and redistribution, affordable housing, and climate change. Pays $350 per published blog post. Writers must be based in the U.S. Email [email protected] with three writing samples (preferably published) and use the subject line: Freelance
Writing Opportunity. HARLEQUIN
https://harlequin.submittable.com/submit
Harlequin is always on the lookout for talented writers—from established authors to those just starting their writing
careers. We publish a wide range of stories and welcome writers from all backgrounds, cultures and communities to submit to the romance line best suited to their unique voice and story. Please submit to only one series at a time, with only one submission at a time. Imprints include:
Afterglow Books - 65-70K words
Harlequin Heartwarming - 70K words
Harlequin Historical - 70-75K
words
Harlequin Intrigue - 55K words
Harlequin Medical Romance - 50K words
Harlequin Presents (M&B Modern) - 50K words
Harlequin Romance (M&B True Love) - 50K words
Harlequin Romance Suspense - 70K words
Harlequin Special Edition - 70-75K
words
Love Inspired - 55K words
Love Inspired Suspense - 55K words ANNICK PRESS
https://www.annickpress.com/Submission-Guidelines
Annick Press is currently accepting submissions of picture books, middle grade fiction, YA fiction, and non-fiction for kids of all ages. Our stories feature contemporary themes (even if the setting is historical) and aim to instill kids with the joy of reading. Please forward the newsletter in its entirety. To reprint any editorials, contact [email protected] for permission. Do not assume that acknowledgements listed in your publication is considered a valid right to publish out of ours.
C. Hope Clark
E-mail: [email protected]
140-A Amicks Ferry Road #4
Chapin, SC 29036
http://www.fundsforwriters.com Copyright 2000-2023, C. Hope Clark
ISSN: 1533-1326 **Note that FundsforWriters.com places paid advertising in this newsletter. ALL ads are related to writers and the
business of writing, screened by FundsforWriters to make sure the information is suitable for writers and their endeavors to improve their careers. While the mailing list is not sold to third parties, other parties do advertise in the newsletter, to include the occasional solo ad. You will not receive this newsletter without your permission. It's physically impossible since recipients must opt-in, giving us permission to send the newsletter. If at any time you no longer wish to receive the
newsletter, click the UNSUBSCRIBE link at the bottom of each newsletter. We want you to enjoy this newsletter at your pleasure, not be forced to read anything you do not wish to receive. Direct any complaints, suggestions, and accolades to Hope Clark at [email protected]. We are an anti-spam site. | |
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