VOLUME 24, ISSUE 3 | january 19, 2024 |
PLANNING FOR THE
UNPLANNED Anyone who knows me, understands I fight hard to write 1000 words per day on a novel. The freelance assignments are often in addition to that. That means I try to write a novel in three months, give or take a week. I rarely make it. That doesn't mean I don't write a book in four
months. Or five. That is still two novels a year. Yes, I've done three before, but that's pretty intense. That means juggling one book coming out, one in edits, and one in first draft. My spreadsheet keeps track of my progress, and I've learned to plug in the why of why I missed a day of 1000 words. That makes me look back over the last novel and see what got in my way. This week I missed two days. One having to do with grandsons. The other having to do with a hurting tooth that turned into an implant, a couple hours in a dentist's chair, then an evening of pain killers while watching True Detective. These things happen. But that's even more reason to set yourself up a timeframe in which to write. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld is considered one of the most successful
comedians ever. He takes a calendar, and marks each day that he writes with a fat red X. The point wasn't if he wrote well, but if he wrote consistently, meaning days in a row. Such consistency becomes a habit, and when you do not write, you feel lost and unachieved. The successful in any field are consistent and show up to work. Seinfeld calls it "not breaking the chain." A simple concept, worthy of trying. |
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 PITCHING A MAGAZINE A lot of freelancers make the mistake of thinking that the publication they are pitching wants to know more about the writer than the topic being pitched. Please, understand that most publications are most interested in a quality subject that strongly pertains to
their readers. Who you are matters little unless you are an expert in the matter and bring a large platform with you. In researching markets to place in FundsforWriters, I read dozens of guidelines. Some are fantastic. Others are vague, expecting you to become intimate with the publication rather than just read a submissions page. This one with The Woodlands Magazine (see pitch guidelines for Volume 3 here) gives a fantastic step by step on pitching to them. In my opinion, the template fits for most magazines. [Sentence 1] This is an attention-grabbing intro sentence that sets the stage for your story. [Sentence 2] This sentence elaborates on and explains the intro sentence. [Sentence 3-4] In this sentence, you explain the form the article will take and the main point it aims to make, like a thesis statement. You may add some other clarifying details about the main idea and why this story is interesting. [Sentence 5] You explain in this sentence why you are interested
in this story and why you have the authority to write it, as it relates to your experiences or identity. [Sentence 6] You briefly list potential sources for the story, who you will talk to, how you will conduct interviews, and/or the research that will go into the story. [Sentence 7] This sentence explains why this story fits in The Woodlands Magazine and particularly in the
HOME/BODY issue. [Sentence 8] You conclude with the form the piece will take (reported article, reported first-person essay, poem, photo essay, etc.). In addition to being a writer who pitches, I am also an editor who receives pitches. You would be amazed at how many people want to talk about themselves as much or more than the topic they
pitch. Such pitches wreak of arrogance. Just know that the editor reading your pitch cares most about their readers. Reach an editor with a well-designed story idea first and foremost. Then, maybe, you mention why you are the person to write it. And keep it very brief. Need accountability for your writing practice? Inside StoryCore, my new online writing community, you'll find a humming network of writers who are dedicated to making progress on their own work, growing their craft and helping other writers along the way. A
low-cost monthly membership gives you: - Inspirational quotes and questions
- Writing challenges
- Monthly writing craft talks
- 1-1 coaching calls to talk about your work
- Monthly Q&A sessions, where you can ask anything about your writing project or the writing craft in general
- Invitations/opportunities to join small writing groups
- Opportunities to connect with an accountability
partner
- Opportunities to receive feedback on your works-in-progress
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Join for just $37/mo (or get two months free on the annual plan of $370/year) and take your writing to the next level! Learn more and sign up at https://community.thestorycore.org/products/communities/storycore Questions? Email [email protected]. -February 12, 2024 - International Women's Writers Guild, Zoom, The Facts, Fiction, and Hope of Grants for Writers, 4 PM Eastern. -March 8,
2024 - Colleton County Library, 600 Hampton St, Walterboro, SC - 1-2PM -March 22-24, 2024 - Writer's Digest Mystery/Thriller Virtual Conference - presenter - Keeping Pace in the Middle of Your Mystery -May 29, 2024 - A Moveable Feast, presenter C. Hope Clark, Restaurant TBD, Pawley's Island, SC -June 1-8, 2024 - The Gutsy Great Novelist Retreat, Bar Harbor, Maine - writer-in-residence
-June 22, 2024 - Richland County Library, Ballentine, 1200 Dutch Fork Rd, Irmo, SC - time TBD - July 9, 2024 - South Congaree-Pine Ridge
Branch Library, 200 Sunset Dr, West Columbia, SC 29172 - 5:30-7:00 PM
Email: [email protected] to schedule
events, online or otherwise. There's starting to be life out there! My real problem is a more personal one—the need of being alone. I am not anti-social; I have a deep affection for my friends and family, feel deeply for suffering humanity (also for suffering animals!) but at times I have a desperate need to be absolutely alone. Edward Weston
Letter to Ansel
Adams
3rd December 1934
<<If you have a success story you believe was prompted by FundsforWriters, please share with us! Send to [email protected] >>
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How Medical Conditions and Surgeries Can Impact Your Writing
-or-
How Illness Became Opportunity
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By Alex J. Coyne I’ve had more than twenty surgeries from my eyes to feet, and my health has become accepted as one part of my writing journey. Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (EDS) is a manageable group of connective-tissue conditions -- shared by others like actress Jameela Jamil. It hasn’t slowed the writing journey down. Actually, it’s
helped! Here’s how surgeries and medical costs can change your writing perspective, and what to do if you’re a chronically ill author, too. Selling My Own Story Lived experiences are powerful essays, which can be the right fit for many publications. My first medical story sold in 2009 as a Readers’ Digest short. Call it the writing bug, but I’ve written more about my medical experiences since. In 2018,
when doctors believed my diagnosis to be a closely related condition called Marfan Syndrome instead, I sold Spider Hands: Writing With a Deadly Genetic Disorder to Folks Magazine. Since, I’ve
realized my condition shares similar symptoms to Marfan, though is much closer to EDS. In 2021, I wrote an update about the signs of connective-tissue disorders for Bridge Base Online. Also branch out from your own story to find others worth telling: I’ve written for Alzheimer’s South Africa on the topic of cards and clinical therapy, finding that
cards could be a relaxing way to open up in a therapeutic setting. Connecting with Professionals If you’ve been through doctors’ offices and hospitals enough times, you develop a feeling for the industry. I’ve used this opportunity to interview medical professionals, and help to tell their stories too. An interview with
orthopedic surgeon Dr Jason Crane sold to People Magazine, and I’ve gone on to interview even more. There’s always a story to tell. Keep business cards on you, and write down names when you encounter them. When you meet someone, it’s always open opportunity -- sometimes it’s even a direct client. Health Copywriting Almost every surgical patient or chronically ill writer develops a knowledge of “buzzwords” and medical
terms. That education is something you’ll absorb from doctors, nurses, and others in the profession. It just happens, sometimes on the trail of your own symptoms and conditions. And do you know what? It’s an advantage. Medical copywriting has become part of my business, just for better understanding of industry language. Terms like post orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (or POTS) and Nissen fundoplication hit home once
you’ve seen them on a medical report. Even in medical situations, I’m still a writer, and usually taking notes or researching more. Other Health Work Unique perspectives within the medical field can sometimes lead to other specialised jobs, like medical transcription. Referred by another client, I assisted in transcribing interviews for a Master of Nursing Science. There’s an acknowledgment to me from Ursula Voget at the
front of Professional Nurses’ Lived Experiences of Moral Distress at a District Hospital, and I’m very proud to say I was part of a rare lifechanging educational experience. Preparation for Writers
Themselves Preparation is key. Clean your credit score, save up, and have a list of other authors who can assist when things get serious. I’ve had small surgeries, like dental extractions, and gotten back to work on the same afternoon. I’ve also had larger surgeries, like a vasectomy at twenty-one, during which I didn’t want to sit down for four days. The important thing is judging when to write and when to
rest. I’ve also learned what “pushing your luck” means. A nasty scar once turned into cellulitis, a type of severe tissue infection. Insisting on working through it, the infection worsened, and I ended up seeing a doctor after weeks -- but the depth of the scar will be a reminder: don’t push it. Always have your own emergency plan ready, even if it’s only for getting the flu. Do you have a first-aid kit, and know basic infection control?
What if you can’t get to a doctor and help takes a few days? I’ve seen (and experienced) some strange emergencies. Basic medical knowledge and supplies is lifesaving. Voice transcription software is there for when you can’t type; learn to type left-handed if you’ve injured the right. Keep charged power banks and connect a small keyboard to your phone, just in case you’re typing a job on the roof of a hospital at midnight. In emergencies, I’ve asked my
cowriters to do interviews that I couldn’t, or to add last-minute changes. With some planning and sometimes needed help, even emergencies can work out just fine. About the Author: Alex J. Coyne is a journalist, writer, and proofreader. He has written for a variety of publications and websites, with a radar calibrated for gothic, gonzo and the weird. Occasionally, he also cowrites.
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Like many of us who KNOW we have lived through an experience that simply must be written, you’ve probably gotten stuck somewhere along the writing path. Most of us who long to write our memoirs do a lot of PAINFUL stopping and starting. Are you ready to get your book done? The Narrative Project’s 9-month Get Your Book Done program will give you EVERYTHING YOU NEED to complete the first draft of your memoir and prepare you for developmental edits. The Get Your Book Done program is a live tele-program, which means you get to take part virtually from the comfort of your own home. We
enroll a maximum of 24 writers per cohort. We help you create an organized writing life that is designed specifically for YOUR personality, temperament, and schedule. We provide accountability for getting your work done and support for the hard times. We teach you story-telling skills that help you craft effective narrative arc, build characters on the page, develop theme, construct scenic depiction,
establish pacing, discover voice, and create believable dialogue. And… at the end of the process you are guaranteed publication in an anthology of your peers. Get more information and apply today at https://www.thenarrativeproject.net/the-program/ OMNIDAWN 1st/2nd POETRY BOOK PRIZE
https://omnidawn.submittable.com/submit
$35 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 16, 2024. Prize $3,000 and publication. Minimum 60 pages and maximum 90 pages for submitting an 8.5 x 11 size page. There are no
citizenship requirements or limitations. THE PLOUGH PRIZE
https://www.theploughartscentre.org.uk/poetry-prize/faq
£5 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2024. An international open competition for poems in English up to 40 lines on any subject. 1st Prize: £1,000. 2nd Prize: £500. 3rd Prize: £250. THE ALPINE FELLOWSHIP POETRY PRIZE
https://alpinefellowship.com/poetry-prize
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 1, 2024. Awarded for the best poetic response on the theme of ‘Language’. The winner of the Poetry Prize will receive a cash prize, and the runners-up will receive travel expense support that must be used to attend our
2024 symposium, dates and venue to be announced soon. First place: £3,000. Second place: £1,000. Third place: £1,000. Open to all nationalities. There is a maximum of 500 words per entry. NIMROD LITERARY AWARDS
https://artsandsciences.utulsa.edu/nimrod/nimrod-literary-awards/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline
April 1, 2024. First Prize: $2,000 and publication. Second Prize: $1,000 and publication. Poetry: 3-10 pages of poetry (one long poem or several short poems). Fiction: 7,500 words maximum (one short story or a self-contained excerpt from a novel). AWP AWARD SERIES
https://www.awpwriter.org/contests/awp_award_series_overview
$20-$30 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 28, 2024. Only book-length manuscripts are eligible. Poetry: 48 pages minimum text. Short story collection or creative nonfiction: 150–300 manuscript pages. Novel: at least 60,000 and no more than 110,000 words. The AWP Award Series is open to all authors writing original works primarily in English for adult
readers. Sue William Silverman Prize for Creative Nonfiction: $2,500 and publication by the University of Georgia Press. James Alan McPherson Prize for the Novel: $5,500 and publication by the University of Nebraska Press. Donald Hall Prize for Poetry: $5,500 and publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press. Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction: $5,500 and publication by Mad Creek Books, an imprint of The Ohio State University Press. READ FLASH FICTION CONTEST
https://readmagazine.substack.com/p/flash-fiction-contest
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2024. First prize $250. Second prize $150. Third prize $100/. All submissions considered for general publication. READ champions work that is unpretentious, original and unexpected. READ is NOT a publication for genre fiction such as
romance, mystery, or sci-fi that tightly adheres to genre tropes. We will consider genre fiction that is fresh, pushes boundaries, and can be appreciated by many readers. Submitters must be subscribed to the free version of READ to be considered for publication. Flash Fiction - 1,000 words or less. GEMINGA CONTEST Geminga is a neutron star so small it was difficult to detect. It was named, in part, for a transcription of gh’è minga, meaning “it’s not there.” With Geminga: $500
for Tiny Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, or Art, Sunspot Lit honors the power of the small. No restrictions on theme or category. Word limit is 100 for fiction and nonfiction. Micropoetry is limited to 140 characters. Graphic novels should be 4 pages or less. Excerpts from longer works are accepted if they stand alone. Deadline
January 31, 2024 Entry fee: $12.50 Prize: $500 cash, publication for the winner, publication offered to runners-up and finalists. Guidelines: https://sunspotlit.com/contests GRANTS / FELLOWSHIP / CROWDFUNDING THE CREATIVE ENTREPRENER ACCELERATOR GRANT - PENNSYLVANIA
https://www.pittsburghartscouncil.org/grants/creative-entrepreneur-accelerator
Deadline February 16, 2024. This grant program offers $500 to $2,000 in support of creative
entrepreneurs starting a business or currently operating a micro-business with gross revenue less than $200,000 in Allegheny, Beaver, Greene, and Washington counties in the state of Pennslvania. MARYLAND GRANTS FOR ARTISTS
https://msac.org/programs/grants-artists/grants-artists
Deadline February 29,
2024. The purpose of the Grants for Artists program is to contribute to the sustainability of Maryland artists’ livelihoods by providing funds that support working or living expenses. Limit $2,500. PHOENIX SEEKING GRANT PANELISTS
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/POACpanelist
The Phoenix Department of Arts and Culture seeks
knowledgeable, fair-minded, and responsible individuals to serve as grant review panel members for the FY25 Community Arts Grants Program. Panelists are critical to the integrity of the grant process, including laypersons, artists, arts professionals, and educators, each representing different points of view and various cultural orientations. Panelists spend 10 to 12 hours reviewing grants, taking notes, and attending meetings and orientations over six to eight weeks between April and May.
Specific timelines and amounts vary depending on the program. Each panelist receives a modest honorarium of $100-$150, depending on the number of applications reviewed. All reviews and meetings will take place virtually. ASPIRING AUTHORS SCHOLARSHIPS
https://coloradoauthorshalloffame.org/scholarships.html
Deadline
March 1, 2024. The Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame Scholarship is open to applicants who are beyond age 20, are legal Colorado residents, are an unpublished author in your name or a pen name (no previous publications in “traditional,” “independent,” or “self” venues). The Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame will offer up to five $2,000 scholarships to aspiring Colorado authors or authors-to-be. In addition, they will participate in an 12 month mentorship program designed to support
tier publishing success. The mentorship program consists of a minimum of twelve 90-minute workshops, usually held in the late afternoon of a selected date chosen by the scholarship recipients.Part of the application process will include writing an essay of up to 1,000 words on the topic: “Why I Want to Write and Become an Author” along with how they intend on using the money. The winners will be invited to attend the Colorado Authors’ Hall Aspiring Authors Scholarship luncheon at the
Doubletree Hilton, Denver Tech Center on September 16, 2024, to accept their scholarship. FILM INDEPENDENT EPISODIC LAB
https://filmindependent1.submittable.com/submit/282116/film-independent-episodic-lab-2024
Regular deadline February 26, 2024. Extended deadline
March 11, 2024. The 2024 Episodic Lab is a full-time, two-week program that will take place in August 2024. The program is designed to provide story and career development for emerging television writers with an original pilot script.
Novella-length Fiction and Nonfiction. Sunspot Lit is dedicated to supporting longform prose (literary and genre) as well as epic poetry. For a limited time during each quarter, the journal opens a call for single
works of novella-length fiction or nonfiction, including scripts and screenplays. The journal accepts all categories including memoir, literary fiction, sci-fi, historical, and academic. CNF and fiction can range from 29,001 to 49,000 words. Scripts and screenplays over 120 pages are included in this call, as are graphic novels between 51 and 100 pages. Single
poems between 86 and 105 pages are also accepted. Please note that story, essay, and poetry collections are not accepted for this particular call. Works will be published in Sunspot’s digital-only quarterly editions as well as in print
at the end of the year. The first quarter accepts novella-length works from January 1 through January 31. Send in your work through Submittable here or through Duotrope here. FACTOR FOUR MAGAZINE
https://factorfourmag.com/submissionsinfo
We publish flash fiction in the genres of speculative fiction, specifically science fiction, fantasy, supernatural, super hero, or any combination of these. Limit 1000 words. Fiction is paid at a
rate of eleven (11) U.S. cents per word. ASIMOV PRESS
https://press.asimov.com/resources/pitch-guide
We welcome pitches from writers who can make sense of biology’s impacts on climate, energy, security, agriculture, materials, and medicine. Our authors are typically researchers or policy experts with extensive knowledge in their
field or journalists with a deep background in the biotechnology beat. Our audience splits the difference between technical and popular. Confronts the complexity and profundity of biotechnology head-on. Essays (1,200-2,000 words). Deep Dives (2,500+ words). Notes & History (1,000-1,500 words). Interviews and Spec Fiction. We also commission full length book projects, in addition to edited book chapters and essays adapted from books. Pays $500 to $2000. SENTIENT MEDIA
https://sentientmedia.org/pitchguidelines/
Sentient Media is a non-profit media outlet covering factory farming and animal policy. With original reporting and key explainers, we aim to change the conversation around our food system. A successful pitch will fit within at least one of our verticals: agriculture, science, climate, health or justice. Pays $200
and up. THE NATIONAL NEWS
https://www.thenationalnews.com/contact-us/
Pitch William Mullaly, Arts and Culture Editor at [email protected]. Seeking writers who cover film, tv, music, book, art and gaming. Pays 45 cents per word and up. THE LEAD
https://thelead.uk/
The Lead is a micro-mag: a lean, mean site on politics, culture, and everything in between. We cover the sharp angles that define our life in the UK today: poverty, racism, climate change, corporate and government malfeasance, the breakdown of our healthcare system and the fracturing of the state. We accept submissions for features, long-reads, essays and op-eds. Pitch to us at [email protected].
Pays up to £400. CHEMICAL & ENGINEERING NEWS
https://cen.acs.org/
Pitch Gina Vitale, Editor of Freelance News/Features at [email protected].
Always seeking new freelancers. Rates start at $650 for news stories (+$75 if pitched), $1.70/word for Q&A's, and $2/word for multi-source features. If you're a
science writer and you're interested in/curious about writing for C&EN, please get in touch. THE WAR HORSE
https://thewarhorse.org/about/
Pitch Kelly Kennedy (Managing Editor of The War Horse) or Kristin Davis (Reflections Editor) at [email protected] or [email protected]. Freelance journalism is $1000 per assigned story. Reflections pay $300. The War Horse is an award-winning nonprofit newsroom and the most trusted source for bulletproof reporting on the human impact of military service. Our team strengthens our democracy by holding power to account and improving the public’s understanding of the true cost of military service. CONDE NAST
TRAVELER
https://www.cntraveler.com/info/how-to-pitch-conde-nast-traveler
We cover travel in a way that helps people travel better, smarter, and more safely. We are committed to telling reported and personal stories about traveling, with inclusive coverage that includes BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disabled communities. Your pitch should be no longer than a paragraph or two, and
include a suggested headline, your angle, your sources and/or characters, and why this story should be covered now. News pegs go a long way, and we especially appreciate story pitches that reflect responsible travel. Photo suggestions are always helpful, but can be discussed after the assignment is made. Rates start at $300 for 500 to 600 words. We do not accept pre-written stories on spec—even if you have already written the story, please send only the pitch.
CEMETERY GATES MEDIA
https://cemeterygatesmedia.com/submissions/
We’re looking for submissions for 40k+ word manuscripts from authors who’ve never published a novel. Paying $500 signing bonus + $500 advance upon publication, and a 60% (author) royalty share on physical and electronic
editions of the book. We’re looking for horror stories in the vein of what we’ve previously published, not dystopian science fiction nor dark fantasy, and we likely won’t publish YA. The first two books we signed were 90k-100k words, though we typically prefer stories in the 60k-80k range. BETWEEN THE LINES
https://btlbooks.com/publish-with-us
Between the Lines publishes non-fiction books in the following subject areas: politics and public policy, social issues, activism and social movements, development studies, critical race studies, Indigenous issues, history, sociology, popular education, the environment, gender and sexuality, social work, labour, globalization, criminology, technology, media, and culture. We do not publish fiction, poetry, or
children’s books. 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
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