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HOW DARING ARE YOU?

"If failure is not an option, then, most of the time, neither is success." ~Seth Godin

There's daring, which is taking a genre and turning it on its head, and there's daring, where you ignore grammar rules and write what you wish, like Charles Frazier's book Cold Mountain and its lack of quotation marks and use of dashes in dialogue. You may choose to sell books through an entirely ingenious way like billboards or a bullhorn on a busy street corner or writing only novellas for your series. Failure is a higher probability when you take such chances. 

People who make the big bucks, big sales, and big splashes decided to throw caution to the wind and give their innovation a voice. There is no sticking the toe in the water. They leap in ready to sink or swim. It's exciting and thrilling. . . but these folks do experience failure at a higher degree than the rest of us. The thing is they are the type to jump up once they've fallen, study WHY they failed, and start over again. They usually aren't chagrined in the least. Sometimes they become known for one or more of those failures, but they are fine with that.

But not all of us enjoy that sort of behavior. Most watch what everyone else is doing, take measure of what those others have done, and implement what parts of those successful moves feel best for them. They try to avoid the failure parts. The methods are somewhat tried and tested, so the degree of risk is much less. They usually make less or sell less in the long run, basically because the original risk taker made the biggest splash and took the original dare.

Be truthful with yourself. Either method above, and many stages in between, can provide success. However, like dealing in funds in the stock market, you may choose one that travels the highs and lows or decide you prefer one that stays as close to middle-of-the-road as possible. 

You can walk that fine line between crazy and genius. . . or straddle the fence and remain safe. The point is to own whichever you choose and stick to it. But accept the fact that your choice can make you rich, make you poor, or make you average money. . . because of the methods you chose.

SUPER SPONSOR WORTH NOTING

When it comes to literary success (legacy) and financial literary success (money), some gurus, experts, and other writers and authors will try to lead you to believe that it's either or . . . that you can only strive for or set out to achieve one or the other.

Well, the truth is that you can have them both, and wanting to learn how to achieve them both doesn't make you desperate. It makes you someone who wants to achieve your own personal measure of success.

So, join us at the "Act Like an Author, Think Like a Business" 2019 Conference whether it's literary success or financial literary success that you desire . . . or both! 
 

HOPE'S APPEARANCES

 


SUCCESS QUOTE

SUccess Story

One of the high points of my week — and a great kickoff for the upcoming weekend — is the arrival of FundsforWriters in my mailbox. I've read it for years and have gained so much — tips, encouragement and a few residencies. But, most importantly, Hope has reminded me that not only do I write, I am a writer. She's taught me to treat writing with a serious attitude and, for me, to regard it as a business with all that it entails. Hope inspires me to keep going, to enter contests, to apply for another residency and to honor the writing profession.

FundsforWriters — thank you!

Read FundsforWriters
Learn, enjoy, create, be your best
Hope is there to help

Ann Dallman
Cady and the Bear Necklace
Sam English: The Life, Work and Times of An Artist
The Hannahville Poets

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If FundsforWriters has helped your writing efforts, please, let us know and we'll share with others! Email [email protected] 
 

Featured article

Five Pro Tips for Killer Email Subject Lines 
 

By Dan Brotzel

When you email an agency or editor to query new work or chase a submission, the subject line is almost as important as all the other elements of your email put together.

Here, based on 20 years of working with email agencies and the CRM teams of big brands, are my tips for writing a subject line (SL) that will help your email to stand out from a noisy inbox and have the best chance of being opened and responded to. 

Avoid being cryptic 

Let’s say, for example, that you have written a new sci-fi saga called The Dragons of Jupiter. You might be tempted to write an intriguing SL such as: "Why did the Dragons move to Jupiter?" Out of context, alas, this won’t make much sense, and your intended recipient is likely a very busy person who is not looking for intrigue from their crowded inbox. This is even more the case if your sender name is unfamiliar to them.

Make instant sense  

Instead, craft SLs that work even out of context, are easy to understand and give the recipient a very clear idea of what the message is about even if they don’t open it there and then. E.g. Query: New Sci-Fi saga | The Dragons of Jupiter | Dan Brotzel. Here at a glance the recipient can see exactly what’s coming, and they’ll thank you for making their life easier. They can easily file this with other queries to read as a batch too.  

Use the multi-element approach 

Studies repeatedly show that longer SLs score better than shorter ones for engagement, even on mobile devices. This doesn’t mean that you should elongate unnecessarily, but the more info and context you can provide, the more your SLs will stand out. Use pipes (the | character) to turn your SL into a horizontal menu or expand on the content of your message. E.g.:

Article ideas | Pro tips for email SLs | Getting started in content | Dan Brotzel  

Author news | Dan Brotzel | Competition win! | New stories out

Only 99c till May 31! | Dragons of Jupiter by Dan Brotzel | ‘Dark and disturbing sci-fi’ | Amazon sale

You can use the multi-element approach to showcase different items in your email, or to expand on one message. Don’t worry about the line cutting off in different views – just make sure you order your elements from the most important (left) across to the least (right). 

Work nudges into your SLs

Nudges are little psychological levers that we find it hard to resist. "Only 99c till May 31" plays to our fear of missing out, aka loss aversion. The dark and disturbing quote above implies that the book has been well-received by a reviewer; this is an authority nudge, as the comp win would be. Social proof – where we’re attracted to something because we see lots of other people are - is another very powerful nudge, e.g., 20 five-star reviews on Amazon. 

Don’t get noticed for the wrong reasons  

Because subject lines are like labels on a very crowded shelf, they work best as markers. They will be forever linked to your sender name, so you don’t want them to stand out for the wrong reasons, for examples because your SL conveys a negative or passive-aggressive attitude. An SL like "When are you going to pay me?" or "Here’s another great story you won’t get" may help you to stand out, but may also get your future emails ignored. Always stay positive, upbeat, and helpfully self-explanatory. 

BIO: Dan Brotzel (@brotzel_fiction) is director of UK content agency Sticky Content and co-author of a new comic novel, Kitten on a Fatberg (Unbound). As a reader of this newsletter, you can pre-order Kitten on a Fatberg for a 10% discount – quote KITTEN10 


 

COmpetitions

The Missouri Review invites entries to its 29th annual Jeffrey E. Smith Editors' Prize! Winners in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry will be awarded $5000 each, plus publication and an invitation to a reading and reception to be held in their honor. In return for the entry fee, each writer who enters will receive a 1-year digital subscription to TMR and a print copy of Jason Brown's new collection of linked stories, A Faithful but Melancholy Account of Several Barbarities Lately Committed. For guidelines, please visit the TMR website. Deadline: October 1.




RALEIGH REVIEW FLASH FICTION PRIZE
https://www.raleighreview.org/fall-flash-fiction-contest.html
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 31, 2019. First Prize includes $500 and publication in the Spring 2020 issue. Finalists will receive our standard $15 payment along with publication. All Finalists will receive a two-year subscription to Raleigh Review. All entrants will receive the Spring 2020 issue of Raleigh Review. Limit 1,000 words. 



MIDDLE-GRADE HISTORICAL FICTION CONTEST FOR CHILDREN'S WRITERS
https://instituteforwriters.lpages.co/icl-middle-grade-historical-fiction-contest/
$19 ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 15, 2019. This contest is your chance to show us your middle-grade fiction chops in a historical setting. You pick the historical time frame and be sure the story is aimed at 5th-8th grade (10-14-year-olds). Your entry can be excerpted from any section of the novel, but it must be previously unpublished and no more than 750 words. First prize $1,000. Second prize $200. Third prize $100. All entrants are invited to a FREE instructional online workshop with our esteemed judge and the Director of the Institute of Children's Literature and Institute for Writers.



SCHOLARSHIP AVAILABLE FOR MINI WRITING GETAWAY 
http://www.stockton.edu/murphywriting 
Deadline September 8, 2019. Murphy Writing of Stockton University is offering a full scholarship to a first-time participant of the Mini Writing Getaway, September 21, 2019, in Atlantic City, NJ. Need a brief break from your life? Need to rekindle your love affair with writing? Join us for this fall Getaway to give your creative spirit a much- needed boost. No need to stay the night. No distractions. Just a day of writing. 



RSL GILES ST. AUBYN AWARDS FOR NONFICTION
https://rsliterature.org/award/rsl-giles-st-aubyn-awards-for-non-fiction/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 16, 2019. Open to writers for their first commissioned works of nonfiction, two awards will be presented, one of £10,000 and one of £5,000, to provide financial support for talented new writers to complete their first book of nonfiction for a mainstream audience, especially by buying them time for writing or research.
 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

KATHY FISH FELLOWSHIP FOR FLASH FICTION WRITERS
http://www.smokelong.com/fellowship/
Deadline October 15, 2019. The winner of the Kathy Fish Fellowship 2020 will act as a writer-in-residence, with their flash fiction appearing in every issue of the magazine next year. The total remuneration has doubled for the 2020 fellowship: the successful writer will now receive a total of US$1000, $200 per story plus $200 when the fellowship is announced. Fellows will also participate in online writing workshops, workshopping three flash stories each quarter, with the goal of creating a robust flash portfolio by the end of the year. To be eligible to apply writers must be over 18 and have not yet published a book-length or chapbook-length work.



18th STREET RESIDENCIES
https://18thstreet.org/residency-program/
Location Los Angeles. There are five types of residencies, including local organizations in residence, where arts organizations have their offices and activities on our campus; local artists in residence, where LA-based artist occupy either live/work or day work studios for one year or more; a visiting artist program that hosts international and national artists and curators from between one and three months; a curator in residence, who has studio space for one calendar year to conduct research and foster community engagement through ancillary programs, such as symposia, lectures, and artist talks; and the Artist Lab Residency program, structured as both a residency and an exhibition for an LA-based artist (by invitation).



WRITERS' COLONY AT DAIRY HOLLOW FELLOWSHIP - WRITING ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS
https://www.writerscolony.org/fellowships
Real People, Real Struggles, Real Stories: Writing About Mental Illness. The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow is offering a fellowship to a writer working on a short or long work of nonfiction focusing on how they (the writer or another) have managed, and continue to manage, their mental illness. This personal story should offer not just insight and awareness, but most importantly, hope. It should share your dreams, and how you are adjusting and fine-tuning them. Stories focused on relationships, family life, travel, employment, civic contributions, passions, along with the barriers, fears, and stigmas faced, are encouraged. For the purposes of this fellowship, the writing should be nonfiction and can take the form of memoir, personal essay, profile, or biography. This fellowship entitles the recipient to a two-week stay, with meals provided, at the Writer’s Colony at Dairy Hollow in beautiful, charming Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Fellowship applications must be accompanied by two written references, a writing sample, and a non-refundable $35 application fee. Deadline is September 30, 2019. The winner will be announced in early November 2019. For an application form, visit our website.
 


ARIZONA RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT GRANTS
https://azarts.gov/grant/artist-research-and-development/
Deadline October 25, 2019. Research & Development (R&D) Grants provide funding support to Arizona artists as they work to advance their artistic practice, expand their creative horizons, and deepen the impact of their work. Artists working in any discipline who live and work in Arizona. Whether you’re just getting started or you have already experienced many career successes, the R&D Grant is available to help you take your artistic practice to the next level. Applicants may request a minimum of $3,000 and a maximum of $5,000. Up to 30 grants will be awarded this year.



VERMONT ARTIST DEVELOPMENT GRANTS
https://www.vermontartscouncil.org/grants-and-programs/artists/artist-development
Deadline September 23, 2019. Grants can fund activities that enhance mastery of an artist’s craft or skills or activities that increase the viability of an artist's business. Funding may also support aspects of the creation of new work when the activity allows the grantee to accept a rare and important opportunity. Grant amounts range from $250-$1,000. Funds are limited; grant awards generally do not exceed $500. 



REGIONAL ARTS COMMISSION OF ST. LOUIS
https://racstl.org/grant/artists-fellowships/
Deadline September 12, 2019. Offers fellowships to foster and invest in the careers of St. Louis artists in all disciplines by providing funds to advance their creative journey. Through the program, ten St. Louis-based artists will receive awards of $20,000 to give them more space to study, reflect, experiment, explore, practice, and create. Artists may be at any stage of career development (emerging, mid-career, or established).



FLORIDA HUMANITIES GRANTS
https://floridahumanities.org/what-we-do/grants/
Deadlines September 16 and November 15, 2019. The Florida Humanities Council is accepting applications from Florida nonprofit organizations for the planning and implementation of public humanities projects related to Florida or of interest to local communities. Mini-grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded in support of lectures or panel discussions, reading and discussion groups, film series, oral history projects, exhibitions, and the development of cultural resources that complement public programming. Eligible projects must be rooted in one or more of the disciplines of the humanities, enlist the participation of humanities scholars and experts in the project’s planning and execution, and engage the public in thoughtful and informed activities that explore humanities topics, especially those related to Florida or of interest to Floridians.



JAMES TIPTREE AWARD FELLOWSHIPS
https://tiptree.org/tiptree-fellowships
Deadline: October 31, 2018. The Tiptree Award is offering Tiptree Fellowships - $500 grants for emerging creators who are changing the way we think about gender through speculative narrative. If you think that description could apply to you — even if you are not working in a format most people would recognize as the science fiction or fantasy genre — you are eligible to apply for a Fellowship. Tiptree Fellows can be writers, artists, scholars, media makers, remix artists, performers, musicians, or something else entirely. Past Fellows have been creators of visual art, poetry, fiction, and games.

 

FREELANCE MARKETS

 HANA HOU!
https://hanahou.com/about
In general, we are looking for creative nonfiction that takes a fresh approach to aspects of travel, culture, people, and life in general in Hawaii, and occasionally in one of the other destinations served by Hawaiian Airlines.  We stress an "insider's" point of view, so a background of extended residency in the place you're writing about is preferred. With a new writer, we generally want to start with a short piece for our front-of-the-book "Native Intelligence" section (250 words or less), so it is best to submit proposals that would be appropriate for that length. 



HOOF BEATS
http://www.hoofbeatsmagazine.com/contact.cfm
So you want to write for the world’s most widely read harness racing magazine... One of the reasons that Hoof Beats is so popular among our readers is because we feature the best writers in racing. Writers should be as familiar with harness racing as our readers are. We don’t need any general how–to stories. Topics of interest include unique horse stories, veterinary care, tips on equipment or feed innovations, historical perspectives, unique first-person perspectives, and stories on issues or trends. Payment is made upon publication and ranges from $100 (departments) to $500 (features).



MODERN FARMER
http://modernfarmer.com/submissions/
We’re always looking for dynamic, global, surprising journalism about the people, policy, plants, animals and technology of agriculture. Pays up to $150.



INCOME DIARY
http://www.incomediary.com/write-for-incomediary
If you are an expert at anything to do with: Creating awesome websites, driving traffic, social media or making money online, we would love to pay you to write for us. Want to be notified every time we have paid writing jobs? Then enter your email at this site, and we will email you when we need articles written.



THE INTROSPECTIONIST
http://www.theintrospectionist.com/Home/Submissions
Every month The Introspectionist chooses a theme and does a deep analysis of that theme. Stylistically, we publish several types of articles. We look for articles that both tell a story and inform. We publish persuasive essays, creative nonfiction, and in-depth informational pieces. We also publish one piece of short fiction and one poem every month, which relate directly to the theme of that issue. For a department piece (from 100 to 500 words), we pay $25. For a feature article up to 2,000 words, we pay $100. For a feature article up to 5,000 words, we pay $200. Short fiction pieces pay $25. Poems pay $25. Each contributor will receive a photograph and short bio in that issue.



HIGHLIGHTS MAGAZINE
https://www.highlights.com/working-for-highlights/submission-guidelines
Highlights for Children is a general-interest, advertising-free magazine for children up to age 12. Stories for younger readers (ages three to seven) should have 500 words or fewer and should not seem babyish to older readers. Stories for older readers (ages 8 to 12) should have 800 words or fewer and should be appealing to younger readers if read aloud. Frequent needs include humor, mystery, sports, holiday and adventure stories; retellings of traditional tales; stories with urban settings; and stories that feature world cultures. Payment $150 and up. Rebuses should have 120 words or fewer. Pays $100 and up. Nonfiction pays $150 and up.



INSITE
http://www.ccca.org/ccca/Publications.asp
InSite magazine informs and inspires professionals serving in the Christian camp and conference community. Readers enjoy poignant features, practical columns, current association news and industry-related product information. Sample available for download. Pays up to 20 cents/word.



ALTERNATIVES JOURNAL
http://www.alternativesjournal.ca/contributor-guidelines-article
A\J is dedicated to in-depth analysis of environmental issues, including their ecological, social,, and economic dimensions. It combines the learned rigor of an academic journal with the accessible style and format of a general-interest magazine. This unique hybrid has proved itself by its staying power: A\J has been publishing continuously in Canada since 1971, making it the oldest environmental policy journal in the country. We have a limited budget of about ten cents per word.



NEW MOBILITY
http://www.newmobility.com/magazine-for-active-wheelchair-users/writers-guidelines/
New Mobility covers active wheelchair lifestyle with articles on recreation, travel, people, health, relationships, media, culture, civil rights, and resources. Eighty-five percent of our readers have disabilities, most caused by spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, post-polio syndrome, cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy. Pays 15 cents/word.



EARLY AMERICAN LIFE
http://www.ealonline.com/editorial/guidelines.php
We cover a diversity of topics, all centered around America from its founding through the mid-1800s: History, Architecture and Design, Antiques, Studio Crafts and Travel. Although we cover academic topics, we don’t want academic writing. The best sign of a writer’s skill is to be able to present solid information in a readable, entertaining manner. We appreciate a deft touch with a bit of humor or wordplay to keep things interesting. A one-page story in Early American Life, such as Worth Seeing, runs about 750 words. A typical feature may run 2,500 words. Note that it’s always easier for an editor to make a story shorter, so if anything, err on the long side. Never, however, go more than ten percent beyond the length an editor assigns. We would estimate $500 for a first feature from a new writer, more if you are an experienced, skillful writer. If we assign a story to you, we will negotiate the rate before you begin work.



THE ARKANSAS INTERNATIONAL
https://www.arkint.org/submissions
The Arkansas International also accepts unsolicited submissions between September 1 and April 1 and both established and emerging voices are encouraged to submit their work. Prose submissions may be up to 8000 words and poem can be submitted in packets of up to five. Excerpts from longer works should be self-contained and simultaneous submissions are accepted. The current payment rate is $20 per printed page, capped at $250.

 

Publishers/agents

JOLLY FISH PRESS
http://www.jollyfishpress.com/submissions/
Fiction genres we accept are high-quality middle-grade and YA fiction, especially books showcasing strong voices, unique stories, and diverse characters. We also welcome applications from authors interested in producing fiction manuscripts on a work-for-hire basis.



48FOURTEEN PRESS
https://48fourteen.com/manuscript-submission/
48fourteen is interested in publishing books with a unique story and an unforgettable voice. We want to be moved by words. We want to laugh, cry, be surprised, and root for characters. Genres interested in are romance, sci-fi, dystopian, paranormal, fantasy, action and adventure, chick-lit, historical fiction, mystery/suspense, and young adult.



CLEAN READS
http://cleanreads.com/about/clean-reads
Clean Reads (formerly Astraea Press) is proud to offer wholesome reading without compromise. We don’t believe a story has to have profanity, sex, or graphic violence to catch a reader’s attention. Our stories – rich and vibrant with life – leap from the page, welcoming readers to a world they’ll remember long after the last words are read. Look to us for all genres and subgenres of romance, but also look beyond to our young adult, general fiction, inspirational, middle-grade and more.

SPONSORS

www.fundsforwriters.com/advertising 

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 2000-2019, C. Hope Clark
ISSN: 1533-1326

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