SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

Last call! Deadline: September 30.

The 17th annual Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest welcomes both published and unpublished work. Winning Writers will award $2,000 to the best poem in any style, and $2,000 to the best poem that rhymes or has a traditional style. 10 Honorable Mention entries will receive $100 each. The top 12 poems will be published online. The top two winners will also receive two-year gift certificates from our co-sponsor, Duotrope (a $100 value). $12 entry fee per poem. Submit here.



 

ONE-MINUTE JUDGMENT

Recently I threw out a question on Facebook (LOVE doing that) that resulted in a herd of responses. 

Has meeting an author ever turned you off of them and their books?

Half had not, which is good. They spoke of wonderful people they'd met, thrilled to be delighted by an author's personality and people skills. Half had met an author and been turned off. Some authors had been downright rude while others were pompous and pretentious. One spoke of a famous author demanding champagne and a limo and over-the-top attention.

One of my Facebook readers got incensed by everyone passing judgment. He stated that those authors might be having a bad day, might be ill, might be distracted by personal trauma. Agreed. However. . .

One-minute judgment is how the publishing world works. One-minute judgment takes place when dealing with agents, publishers, editors....and authors by fans. Actually, one-minute judging is done in all factions of the world, in every profession. Sometimes we only have one minute to pass judgment or to prove ourselves, and we all need to remember that.

In reality, quick judgment goes back to fight-or-flight instincts. We get on a bus and decide where to sit. We pass premature judgment as to how safe or interesting a person is in that one, quick moment. So. . . when you meet an author, you have a moment to decide how you like them, and they have a moment to influence that judgment. 

Readers love meeting authors, but those authors only have a short, finite number of seconds to make a lasting difference.

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

Dear Hope,

Last January the *Funds for Writers* newsletter included an item about a short fiction competition (DD'S Starving Writers Contest, http://www.fcacarts.org/writers_guild.aspx). I submitted a story called "End Times in the Santa Susanna Pass" and recently learned that it won second prize, which includes publication in the Franklin County (NC) County Lines literary journal as well as a monetary award. I'm so pleased! Thank you yet again for creating and distributing FundsforWriters. I appreciate your curated lists of contests and also the stories and words of wisdom that you share.

Best regards,
Leslie Carlin

 

Featured article

10 Daily Top-up Tasks for Aspiring Career Writers

By Dan Brotzel

"Write something every day," the advice says. But with work, childcare and other commitments, that just doesn’t always seem possible. But building a writing career involves lots of other tasks and activities too – and doing at least one of these each day will help you feel you’re progressing towards your goal…  

Flex your writing muscles. 

To keep their hand in, many writers use a daily prompt such as #vss365, which provides a single word to inspire a story that’s no longer than a tweet. Find more writing prompts here. I’m also a big fan of free writing or morning pages.

Review your promo copy. 

It can take many drafts to get your blurb or logline to that perfect distillation of everything your book is about. Thinking about your blurb is also a great way of thinking about the whole shape and purpose of your work-in-progress. I always have mine in hand, so when I get a spare minute I can take it out and review it.      

Top up your social media. 

I use social media to develop useful contacts, find out about competitions and litmags, and promote my writing brand. But it has to be a two-way thing, so make sure to also share useful content, add value to conversations and promote others too. With a mobile app like Hootsuite (free plan) or Blog2Social (also free), you can track and manage your activity across social platforms in one place. Find lots more free scheduling tools here. 

Submit in doses. 

When it comes to submitting stories, novel queries and guest post ideas, resist the temptation to batch and blast. Study each venue carefully to ensure it’s a likely fit, personalise your message, and carefully follow the submission guidelines. Use a spreadsheet to track your activity.

Respond to comments. 

When someone comments on a post you’ve written, they are engaging directly with your writing, so make sure you respond promptly and fully. 

Keep tabs on deadlines. 

Story competitions have strict deadlines and literary magazines often have very limited submission windows. I keep track of deadlines I don’t want to miss with a colour-coded calendar in Outlook. I also regularly consult lists of competitions like this one and my weekly FundsforWriters newsletter.   

Research on the go. 

Perhaps you’ll encounter someone today who’s a bit like one of your characters, so pay attention to how they talk and dress. Or you may run into someone with an occupation that’s relevant to your work-in-progress (lawyers and cops are especially valuable!) so make sure to ask them a few questions.  

Jot down marketing ideas. 

Marketing is a creative activity too. Record ideas as they strike you for promoting your work and building your personal brand: ideas for new tweets and blog posts, contacts to add to a future email newsletter list, a local venue that might be good for a book launch, book review sites…

Learn something new. 

Boost your writing skills or productivity – listen to a writing podcast or read a book on a useful topic while you cook or commute. I’m currently listening to Take Off Your Pants! (about plotting) and I loved Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down The Bones, a real inspiration to creativity. There are some great TED talks on storytelling too.


Final thought: little steps, big results.

Writing isn’t just writing things down. It’s everything from staring out the window through to the marketing hustle. So even if you can’t sit down and type today, take heart: there will still be a few steps you can take to move you towards your goal. 

BIO - Dan Brotzel is co-author of a new comic novel, Kitten on a Fatberg. As a reader of this blog, 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!
www.missourireview.com/contests/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.



THE CATERPILLAR STORY PRIZE
http://www.thecaterpillarmagazine.com/a1-page.asp?ID=4151&page=10
€12 ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 30, 2019. This annual award is given to the best story (of no more than 1,500 words) written by an adult for children aged 7–11. Anyone can enter, as long as you are over 16 and your story is previously unpublished. The author of the winning story will receive €1,000. And this year, we’re very happy to announce a second prize of a week’s retreat at the marvelous Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Co. Monaghan, Ireland. 



GHOST STORY AWARD
http://www.theghoststory.com/tgs-fiction-award
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 30, 2019. Twice each year TGS awards $1,000 and both online and print publication to the winner of our short story competition. Two other writers receive Honorable Mention awards that include publication and cash prizes of $250. What we’re looking for is fine writing, fresh perspectives, and maybe a few surprises in the field of supernatural fiction. Story length should run between 1,500 and 10,000 words. 



SANDY RUN NOVELLA AWARD
https://hiddenriverarts.wordpress.com/awards-deadlines-and-guidelines/sandy-run-novella-award/
$22 ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 30, 2019. The Sandy Run Novella Award is offered for an unpublished novella. The winning manuscript will be published by Hidden River Press, an imprint of Hidden River Publishing, and will receive $1,000. All submissions must be between 17,500 and 40,000 words. 



LITMAG'S ANTON CHEKHOV AWARD FOR FLASH FICTION
https://litmag.submittable.com/submit/137440/litmags-anton-chekhov-award-for-flash-fiction-2019
$16 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 1, 2019. First prize $1,250, publication in LitMag and agency review by Sobel Weber Associates (clients include: Viet Thanh Nguyen, Richard Russo, Laura Lee Smith). Three finalists will receive $100 each. All finalists will be considered for possible agency review. All entries will be considered for publication. Entries must be short stories between 500 and 1,500 words. 



NEW LETTERS AWARD IN FICTION
http://newletters.org/writers-wanted/october-fiction-award
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 14, 2019. Stories may not exceed 8,000 words. Stories must be unpublished. Stories must concern this year’s topic of PLACE & LOCALITY and exhibit a grounding in a physical environment, region or locality in some way, whether implicitly or explicitly through title, setting, plot, theme, conflict, or the minds of the characters. The winner will be published in New Letters and receive a $750 cash prize.



BLUE LIGHT BOOKS PRIZE
https://indianareview.org/prizes/blue-light-books/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 31, 2019. Manuscripts should be 30,000-45,000 words, not including table of contents and acknowledgments. A publication contract with IU Press and a prize of $2,000 against future royalties will be awarded to the winner.



MALAHAT REVIEW OPEN SEASONS AWARDS
http://www.malahatreview.ca/contests/open_season/info.html
$35 for each entry from Canada, $40 for each entry from the USA, $45 for each entry from Mexico or outside North America. Deadline November 1, 2019. The contest is open to Canadian and international writers anywhere in the world. Poetry: up to three poems only per entry, no individual poem more than 100 lines long (a line count must be given for each poem longer than 50 lines; all poems must be submitted in a single document). Fiction: one story only per entry, no more than 2,500 words in length (the word count must be given at the top of the first page and the text double spaced). Creative Nonfiction: one piece only per entry, no more than 2,500 words in length (the word count must be given at the top of the first page and the text double spaced).



THE STEVE KOWIT POETRY PRIZE
https://sdeag.submittable.com/submit
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 15, 2019. First Prize: $1,000. Second Prize: $250. Third Prize: $100. Honorable Mention: No Cash Award. Winners and Honorable Mentions will be invited to read at the annual awards reception each March. Winning and Honorable Mention poems will be published in the San Diego Poetry Annual each March. No word-limit.



SUNKEN GARDEN POETRY PRIZE
https://www.tupelopress.org/sunken-garden-poetry-prize/
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 31, 2019. The Sunken Garden Chapbook Poetry Prize includes a cash award of $1,000 in addition to publication by Tupelo Press, 25 copies of the winning title, a book launch, and national distribution with energetic publicity and promotion. The Sunken Garden Chapbook Poetry Prize is open to anyone writing in the English language, whether living in the United States or abroad. We suggest in the area of 20 to 36 pages, but all manuscripts will be read and considered with full respect, regardless of length. 



RHINO FOUNDER'S PRIZE
https://rhinopoetry.submittable.com/submit
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 15, 2019. The winner will receive $500, publication in the next issue, will be featured on our website, and nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Two runners up will receive $50.00, publication in the next issue, and will be featured on our website. We occasionally nominate a runner-up for a Pushcart Prize. All contest submissions are considered for publication and the Editors’ Prize. Submit three to five pages of poetry. 



THE LARRY BROWN SHORT STORY AWARD
https://pitheadchapel.com/the-larry-brown-short-story-award/
$10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 31, 2019. The winners will receive first prize $400; second prize $50; and third prize $50. Each prize winner will be published in the January 2019 issue of Pithead Chapel. The submitted story must be less than 4,000 words. 



ORCA COVER LETTER CONTEST
https://orcalit.com/2019/05/12/cover-letter-contest/
$5 ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 30, 2019. Send us entries of up to 300 words that make us laugh, or cry, or just want to read the imaginary story it introduces. First place: $200. Second place: $75. Third place: $50. Winners will be announced in October. Winners and honorable mentions will be published in Orca’s third issue in February 2020.

 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

CALIFORNIA HUMANITIES PROPOSALS FOR FILM, AUDIO, AND DIGITAL DOCUMENTARIES
https://calhum.org/funding-opportunities/california-documentary-project/
Deadline November 1, 2019. Cal Humanities seeks compelling film, audio, and digital media projects that reflect a broad cross-section of Californians’ stories; bring new and previously unheard perspectives to light; and help reveal the breadth and range of California’s cultures, peoples and histories. Shorts, podcasts, Web series, features, and more are all eligible. Funding is available in two categories: Research and Development Grants of up to $10,000; and Production Grants of up to $50,000. California residency is not a requirement for eligibility.



PUBLIC SPACE FELLOWSHIPS
https://apublicspace.org/news/detail/the-2019-a-public-space-fellowships
Deadline October 15, 2019. Writers who have not yet contracted to publish a book are invited to apply. Three fellowships will be awarded, which will include: six months of editorial support from A Public Space editors to prepare a piece of prose for publication in the magazine; a $1,000 honorarium; the opportunity to meet with members of the publishing community, including agents, editors, and published writers; and the opportunity to participate in a public reading and conversation in New York City with A Public Space editors and contributors.



FULTON COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & CULTURE - GEORGIA
http://fulton.dullestech.net/index.do
Deadline October 18, 2019. Each year, Fulton County invests in non-profit organizations to ensure that Fulton County citizens enjoy a wide array of rich arts experiences. The Fulton County Department of Arts & Culture (FCAC) announces funding ranging from $1,000 to $50,000 for Fulton County-based arts, cultural and community based non-profit organizations and artist collectives for the 2020 funding cycle. Eligible groups are encouraged to apply for these service contracts which are designed to support activities taking place between January 1 through December 31, 2020 that addresses the Fulton County Arts & Culture program mission to provide access, participation and appreciation of the arts for all Fulton County residents.



UNIVERSAL WRITERS PROGRAM
https://www.aerogrammestudio.com/2019/09/10/universal-writers-program-2019/
Deadline October 1, 2019. The Universal Writers Program typically starts at the beginning of May and runs until the end of April of the following year. The number of writers selected to participate varies each year. All of the participants will be based at the Universal Studios Lot in Universal City, California, for the duration of the program and all will be hired under a writing service agreement requiring a full-time commitment at least 40 hours per week. In return, each will be paid an annual salary of $75,000. Applicants must be able to legally work in the United States and be at least 21 years of age by 31 March 2020. Submit an original screenplay between 90 and 120 pages that exhibits the writer’s distinct and cultural perspective, storytelling sense, and wide audience appeal, as well as an original treatment for a project other than the submitted original screenplay (up to five pages). Send a resume outlining their work history which may include both entertainment and non-entertainment related positions. Submit a personal essay up to 750 words that articulates the applicant’s unique perspective and background as it relates to their storytelling, and then up to two letters of recommendation (optional).

 

FREELANCE MARKETS

IDAHO COMMISSION FOR THE ARTS REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
https://arts.idaho.gov/opportunities/call-to-filmmakers-rfq-for-video-production/
Deadline September 30, 2019. The Idaho Commission on the Arts is requesting qualifications from Idaho filmmakers to produce short, artful vignettes about Commission individual artist grant recipients. Six filmmakers will be awarded $1,500 each to complete a film (2.5 – 3 min. in length) that will be utilized by the Commission to promote the featured artists, the filmmakers, the agency, and grant programs. Artists to be featured in the films are located in Irwin, Meridian, Lapwai, Boise, ID, and Owyhee, NV. Selected filmmakers must live in, or be willing to travel to, the location of the featured artist. Costs associated with the production including, but not limited to travel, accommodations, meals, equipment, software, etc. are the responsibility of the filmmaker. Any expenses beyond the $1,500 production award will be assumed by the filmmaker. Films must be completed by June 30, 2020. 


 
NORTHERN WOODLANDS
http://northernwoodlands.org/issues/writers-photographers
Northern Woodlands’ audience consists of conservation-minded people with an interest in all aspects of the forests of the Northeast. Our articles and columns range in scope and may include subjects such as woodlot management, wildlife species, scat, chainsaw maintenance, woodworking, and reflections on natural landscapes. We like to surprise our readers with stories they won't find anywhere else. We are not a trade magazine for the forest products industry or an advocacy magazine for preservationists. We welcome submissions from writers with varying backgrounds, but all should be familiar with the magazine, its contents, and our audience before pitching. 



EARTH ISLAND JOURNAL
http://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/guidelines/
Earth Island Journal is always looking for compelling and distinctive stories that anticipate environmental concerns before they become pressing problems, stories that scan the horizon for the next big issue. We want stories that will surprise, provoke, and entertain our readers and that explore new territory overlooked by other publications. We cover the entire spectrum of environmental issues, including wildlife and lands conservation; innovations in science and technology; public policy and the politics of environmental protection; climate and energy; animal rights; public health; environmental justice and cultural survival; and environmentally related film, music, and books. We pay writers 25 cents/word for shorter dispatches (1,200-1,500 words) and for longer investigative features (2,500-3,000 words). You can expect to earn about $750-$1,000 for an in-depth feature story. For online reports, the fee ranges from $50 to $100.



PODCASTLE
http://podcastle.org/guidelines/
PodCastle is looking for quality fantasy fiction. If you’re a writer with a speculative short story that you’d like to hear narrated by one of our performers, we’d like to see it. We pay $.06/word for original fiction 6,000 words or less, $100 flat rate for reprints over 2,000 words, and $20 flat rate for flash fiction reprints (stories below 2,000 words).



TERRAFORM
http://motherboard.vice.com/read/how-to-submit-stories-to-terraform
We're looking for 2,000 words or fewer — a nice, digestible internet length — of speculative fiction homing in on the tech, science, and future culture topics driving the zeitgeist. We're looking especially for nearer-future fiction; think a bit more along the lines of sentient chat bots or climate-changed dystopias and less far-flung alien space operas. And we don't care what form it comes in: Classic-style sci-fi short stories, social media posts from beyond the horizon, fictive data dumps, experimental graphic narratives, and so on.



ADVENTURE CYCLIST
https://adventurecyclist.submittable.com/submit
Deadline December 31, 2019. Adventure Cyclist is a bicycle-travel magazine published nine times yearly by Adventure Cycling Association, a nonprofit service organization for bicyclists. Adventure Cyclist is dedicated to publishing stories about bicycle travel and other recreational cycling subjects. Adventure Cyclist generally uses two types of stories from freelancers. Feature-length stories. These should be about specific areas and must be accompanied by high-quality photos, both in terms of content, composition, and size. The Final Mile. These are essays less about locale than about a singular experience while on a bicycle trip. These run at 1,200-1,500 words and don't require accompanying photos. What we pay is negotiable, but generally ranges from $.25 to $.50 per word.



DAME
http://www.damemagazine.com/about
DAME is proud to feature a variety of voices writing reported pieces, op-eds, and personal essays covering culture, politics, parenting, family, gender, sex, entertainment, tech culture, business and personal finance, and whatever else strikes our fancy and captures our readers’ attention. DAME’s tone is irreverent, witty, and provocative. We accept narrative-driven reported features, first-person essays, Q&As, op-eds, and humor essays (especially satire). Stories are generally between 800 and 2,000 words, depending on the subject matter and the story format.



101 HOLIDAYS
http://www.101holidays.co.uk/write-for-us
If you are a travel writer, or hoping to get into the industry, we offer a number of ways you can contribute to 101 Holidays. Writers can submit travel articles to our team of editors. We pay between £50 and £100 per article published, depending on its length and complexity. Although we do not have strict word counts, most articles we publish are between 800 and 1,500 words. 101 Holidays runs an internship programme, allowing you to write for us on a part-time remote basis with regular interaction with our experienced editors. 



LITMAG
https://litmag.com/submit/
We are a literary magazine and look for what moves and amazes us. We are drawn to big minds, large hearts, sharp pens. Print limit 15,000 words. Online limit 4,000 words. Send one story or essay at a time, up to five poems. We do not consider work that has previously been published either in print or online (including personal blogs etc.) LitMag Print: Upon acceptance, we pay $1,000 for fiction or nonfiction; $250 for a poem (or the rare short short). LitMag Online: Upon acceptance, we pay $250.



COSMIC ROOTS
http://cosmicrootsandeldritchshores.com/submissions/
Open for sci-fi, fantasy, myth, legend, fairy tales, and eldritch in written, podcast, video and graphic story form from around the world. Considers 1,000 flash fiction on up. Pays six cents/word for original and two cents/word for reprints and fact-based work.



SUNSET
http://www.sunset.com/general/travel-writers
Covers the 13 Western U.S. states as well as British Columbia and Mexico, publishing five regional editions of the magazine: Pacific Northwest, Northern California, Southern California, Southwest, Rockies. The magazine is largely staff written; its largest freelance need is in travel, and more for shorter items and one- or two- page stories than features. Payment will be made upon acceptance of the text with submission of an invoice in the amount specified in the contract.

 

Publishers/agents

DAVID BLACK AGENCY
http://www.davidblackagency.com/about/
The David Black Agency (Black Inc.) advocates for its authors at every level of their development. We offer them conceptual and editorial guidance; domestic and international sales of their projects; as well as facilitating performance, multimedia, and merchandising deals. We welcome both first-time writers and well-established authors. Over the years, our client list has grown to include prize winners and New York Times best-sellers in a range of categories: from narrative nonfiction to fiction, from history to sports, from science to cooking and lifestyle. It is our belief that as publishing and media companies merge and change, agents are the most important and consistent relationship an author can have. 



INKWELL MANAGEMENT
http://www.inkwellmanagement.com/about/
InkWell is one of the world’s leading literary agencies, proudly representing major literary prize winners as well as many of the world’s bestselling and best-loved authors. We enjoy a considerable international reputation as a significant and innovative player in the industry. In addition to its full-time agents and their assistants, the InkWell team includes a tireless foreign rights department and a meticulous contracts manager. We also join forces with leading literary agencies in every foreign market and have agents based in Australia, Boston, and Dallas. We continue to be excited by—and on the lookout for — original ideas, riveting stories, and great writing.



CORVISIERO LITERARY AGENCY
https://www.corvisieroagency.com/
We are a New York City-based full-service Literary Agency founded by Marisa A. Corvisiero, Esq in 2012. This agency is a place where authors can partner with professional and experienced representation, who will value and guide them toward a successful career in publishing. We offer international literary representation, management, and coaching services to fiction and nonfiction authors of all ages, for all ages, in a wide spectrum of genres. We pride ourselves in providing a sense of community for all of our authors, and in our tailor fit approach to helping authors reach their maximum potential.

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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