SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

I’ve been writing all my life and self-publishing  for more than a decade. With Masters Degrees in both Professional Writing and Education, I’m well suited to nurture your project.

Testimonials:

• Carla King: Sheri’s editorial eagle eye identified typos and other small errors other beta readers didn’t find. She also called attention to concepts that needed further clarification and marked difficult-to-read sentences. Thank you Sheri! Self-Publishing Boot Camp for Authors, 4^th Edition
• Suzanne Blaney: I give my special thanks to Sheri [Editor and Designer] for editing the rough manuscript and creating what I consider a fine book. Impressionism: Inspiration and Evolution, Runner-up, Photography/Art category, San Francisco Book Festival 2019
• Betty Fulcomer: You have made this a non-threatening experience. Thank you. My Friend Doc is a Veterinarian.

Visit my website for more information or email [email protected] directly.

 

NEXT YEAR

In a matter of two weeks, I learned of three couples getting divorced. Having been through that experience, it greatly saddened me. One young man asked my family for advice, and when offering it, I recalled the pain of my own time, though it was in my youth 30 years ago. 

One of the best pieces of advice I could offer was to attempt to live fully one day at a time without dwelling on the past, and realize that time alters and softens this emotional experience. It also makes us wiser. During my own experience, I taught myself to think about how I'd be living a year from now, a year from whatever day I was in having whatever horrible experience was playing out. I looked forward, contemplating that time when I would hopefully have a new normal. I fought hard, very hard, not to wallow in the present when I felt worthless and unhappy, thinking about what I hadn't done right or hadn't accomplished.

A year from now, whatever negative is happening today might not even be a blip on your memory. On the other hand, today might be a major moment like divorce, death, or natural disaster that cannot be forgotten, but still, thinking about how things will be a year from now somehow lifts a bit of that sadness, depression, or disappointment. . . giving you a spot of hope. 

In other words, you are accepting the fact you will continue living. And miraculously, if you keep thinking about a year from now, you instinctively begin a mental plan to reach that goal. . .that vision of who you'll be a year downstream. Happier, more settled, more productive, less negative. 

So, in your writing, as well as your life, what can you do to think about today that would help you achieve a new normal a year from now? What can you do today that will make a difference a year from today? Yes...that especially goes for your writing. 

SUPER SPONSOR WORTH NOTING

Welcome to the Writing Lodge! Please come inside.

Whether you’re traditional, hybrid, or indie, everyone needs an editor.

We’ll help make your words reach the hearts, minds, and—dare we say it—guts of your readers.

Editors Gregory Austin and Kimberly Mintz are published authors and instructors with a history of helping writers polish their prose.

We offer one of the best deals in online editing. Your manuscript will be evaluated by both Kimberly and Gregory, offering two unique perspectives.

Our developmental, line, and copy edits are the same price as, or even cheaper than, most online services provided by solo editors.

Not sure what to write? We’re happy to do a phone consultation to help stimulate your creativity. Novel? Short story? Nonfiction? Memoir? Call it writing therapy, if you like.

Contact us today for your free consultation.

There’s a war on purple prose, and we will help you win it!

https://writinglodge.com/
[email protected]

 

HOPE'S APPEARANCES

 
SUCCESS QUOTE

SUccess Story

Big thanks to Rachel Carrington for writing the article on teaching others to write online. The link to the Savvy Authors platform connected me to a wonderful teaching opportunity. As an instructor of memoir, I'm always on the lookout for other ways to reach aspiring memoirists. I'm scheduled to run a memoir writing workshop with Savvy Authors this coming spring and I'm very excited by the opportunity! 

  BIG thanks to you Hope for all that you do for us writers... and writing teachers!!

  Dorit Sasson
  Certified SEO Content Strategist and Writing Coach
  [email protected]
  www.doritsasson.com
 




 

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Email [email protected] . We'd like to tell the world right here!
 

Featured article

The Unseen Writer: Ghostwriting for the Corporate Sphere

By Alex J. Coyne 

An entire world of writing exists for which you’ll never see a by-line. Welcome to the world of corporate ghostwriting, where product descriptions and press releases pay. Here’s what you’re in for, and why it’s a great writing gig any day. 

What You’re Writing

Corporate ghostwriting is a vast field that includes product descriptions, manuals, press releases, packaging content, site blogs, reviews, newsletters, lessons and sometimes internal training content. Most ghostwriting is handled by in-house writers, but much gets outsourced to contracted copywriters or agencies.

Corporates Prefer Agencies

Most of my corporate ghostwriting work has been through leading copy agencies: Large companies like Coca-Cola usually prefer to hire equally large agencies. Sure, you’ll still get work as a sole writer, but join forces with a copywriting agency, and you’ll get your ‘in’ faster. 

Getting In

Establish connections with copywriting agencies, CEOs, company marketing heads, and other “corporate types” - long-term relationships and word of mouth carry faster than ads when people are looking for writers, and it’s a good thing if your name comes up. Cold pitch: One e-mail placed right can launch a thousand jobs. “Hey, I used this writer. Try him.” 

Startup Companies

Target smaller, startup companies with pitch emails before larger corporations: Site content and press releases are usually needed. Checklists of startups, like Angel.co, Startups-List.com and 500.co - or visit Google News and search “startup” for company suggestions.

Finding More Clients

To find more clients, ask yourself where corporates look for writers. They often put out ads first for jobs like Product Description writers. Job boards and classifieds like ProBlogger, MediaBistro and FreelanceWritingGigs are good resources.  

Opt for Contracts

Suggest contracts over once-off writing when possible. Companies (and copywriters!) prefer long-term relationships. Suggest, for example, a contract for six months (or six press releases) rather than just one.
 
Proofreading as an In

Spotted a spelling mistake on a cereal box? Proofreading is sometimes a good “in” for corporate ghostwriting in places where their current company isn’t doing the job. Contact the company, mention what you saw, and note that you can do it better. You’d be surprised at how successful this can be.

What About Platforms?

Writing platforms like Fiverr and Upwork rarely pay well but can put you in touch with good contacts you wouldn’t have found outside of these platforms. Don’t discount them. Make a profile and check back about once a month.

Press Releases 

Press releases usually don’t just have to be written: They often require distribution to newspapers and blogs, too. If approaching press releases, have an “I’ll send this to” list ready.

Samples for Ghostwriting

Have a separate portfolio (or website page) for ghostwritten work – and always check with the initial client whether it’s OK for you to mention their content as a portfolio sample. 

Keeping Proof of Authorship 

Ghostwriting goes in so many directions, it’s hard to keep track. Keep contracts, brief emails, and invoices safe as proof of authorship for ghostwritten content. Otherwise, there’s no real way to prove that you wrote it at all later on.

About the Author:
Alex J. Coyne is a journalist, writer, and card player. His interests and passions include poker, bridge, cats and content writing.

 

COmpetitions

GREAT STORIES FROM THE GREAT OUTDOORS CONTEST
https://greatstories.fyi.tv/submit
Deadline December 15, 2019. Tell us a story that chronicles your outdoor adventures in a short film for the chance to win prizes, including an all-expenses-paid trip for you and a guest to the Outdoor Retailer Show in Denver, CO, along with $1,000 cash. Second prize $500 and third prize $250. All winners will also have the chance for their short film to appear on national television. The submitted Video (i) must be approximately two minutes or less in length, up to 50 MB in size and should formatted using a recommended file type (MP4, MOV, AVI, MPG, 3PG, FLV, WEBM, WMV, MKV or M4V).



SISKIYOU PRIZE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL LITERATURE
https://www.ashlandcreekpress.com/about/submissions.html
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 31, 2019. The 2019 Siskiyou Prize is open to published books and unpublished, full-length prose manuscripts with environmental themes, including novels, memoirs, short story collections, and essay collections. Manuscripts should be approximately 40,000 to 90,000 words (i.e., please do not send novellas or individual essays or stories; please also note the contest is not open to poetry or children’s books). The winner will receive a cash award of $1,000 and a two-week residency at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology. All unpublished manuscripts submitted to the prize will be considered for publication by Ashland Creek Press.



WHITE PINE PRESS POETRY PRIZE
http://www.whitepine.org/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 30, 2019. The award consists of a $1,000 cash award and publication by White Pine Press. Manuscripts must be between 60 and 80 pages in length. Poems must be original but may have appeared in magazines, anthologies, or chapbooks. Translations are not eligible.



CIDER PRESS BOOK AWARDS
http://ciderpressreview.com/bookaward/#.Xb-MmZpKiUk
$26 ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 30, 2019. The annual Cider Press Review Book Award offers a $1,500 prize, publication, and 25 author’s copies of a book-length collection of poetry. Author receives a standard publishing contract. Initial print run is 1,000 copies. 



C. P. CAVAFY POETRY PRIZE
https://poetryinternational.sdsu.edu/contests/contests_cavafy.html
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 30, 2019. Every year, Poetry International gives a prize of $1,000 and publication in Poetry International for a single poem. A submission can contain between three and eight entries/poems uploaded in ONE document. The reading fee is $15 for the first three entries/poems and $3 for any additional entries/poems. 



ROBERT J. DEMOTT SHORT PROSE CONTEST
http://www.quarteraftereight.org/contest.html
$15 ENTRY FEE. Prize: $1,008.15 plus publication. Submit up to three previously unpublished pieces of 500 words or fewer. Send us your best prose poems, short-short stories, micro-essays, etc. The entry fee is $15 for three pieces and includes complimentary digital access to QAE volume 26.



J.F. POWERS PRIZE FOR SHORT FICTION
https://dappledthings.org/15420/the-2020-j-f-powers-prize-for-short-fiction-is-open/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 30, 2019. The contest awards prizes of $500 to the winner, $250 to its runner up, and publication for any additional honorable mentions at the discretion of the editors. First place: $500. Second place: $250. Up to eight honorable mentions: publication in the journal and a one-year subscription. Only one submission per author will be accepted. Word limit 8,000 words. 



THE GREGORY O'DONOGHUE INTERNATIONAL POETRY COMPETITION
http://munsterlit.ie/Gregory%20ODonoghue%20International%20Poetry%20Competition.html
ENTRY FEE €7 per poem or €30 for a batch of five. Deadline November 30, 2019. First Prize €2,000, residency (one week) at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, hotel accommodation & board at the Cork International Poetry Festival (March 2020), and publication in Southword 38. Second Prize €500, publication in Southword 38. Third Prize €250 and publication in Southword 38. Ten runners-up €50 and publication in Southword 38. The competition is open to original, unpublished poems in the English language of 40 lines or fewer. The poem can be on any subject, in any style, by a writer of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. 



 

 CALL FOR ENTRIES!
 THE DREAM QUEST ONE POETRY & WRITING CONTEST

 https://www.dreamquestone.com 

 Entry fees: $5 per poem/$10 per story. 
 Postmark deadline: DECEMBER 28, 2019.

Open to anyone who loves expressing innermost thoughts and feelings into the beautiful literary art of poetry and/or writing a story that is worth telling everyone. 

Guidelines: (1) Write a poem, thirty lines or fewer on any subject, form or style. And/or (2) Write a short story, five pages maximum length, single or double line spacing, on any subject or theme, fiction, nonfiction or creative nonfiction. Multiple and simultaneous poetry and short story entries are accepted. Prizes: Writing First Prize is $500; Second $250; Third $100. Poetry First Prize $250; Second $125; Third $50.  How to enter, visit: https://www.dreamquestone.com 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

INTEGRITY: ARTS AND CULTURE ASSOCIATION (IACA) GRANTS
http://www.integrityaca.org/grantprogram.html
Deadline December 14, 2019. IACA Mini-Grants generally average $250, and are intended to assist with such things as: art supplies, recording studio time, exhibits, performances, project related expenses, etc. This is our way of planting seeds that we believe will continue to grow. This program was started in honor of every artist who has ever impacted the life of another. Must be a US citizen or legal resident, 18 years or older, and not a staff member of IACA. We require a $10 non-refundable application fee payable by credit card. This helps make the review of applications possible. We will review applications and select finalists each week. There is no set number of finalists. If an applicant stands out, that person becomes a finalist. At the end of the grant cycle, we will review all finalists and vote to determine one or more winners. Integrity: Arts & Culture Association (IACA) is a non-profit Christian arts organization, which was founded on June 25, 2002 by an artist for artists. We are passionate about developing opportunities in the literary, performing and visual arts. 



MAX'S KANSAS CITY PROJECT
http://maxskansascity.org/
Max's Kansas City Project provides emergency funding and resources to professionals in the creative arts who live in New York state. Individuals who have made their living through their art form, either professionally or personally, and demonstrate a financial need for medical aid, legal aid, or housing. The maximum grant is $1,000.



CARNEGIE FUND FOR WRITERS (No website)
Emergency assistance to needy writers who have commercially published at least one book of reasonable length which has received reader acceptance. Address: 1 Old Country Rd. Carle Place, NY 11514 Phone: (516) 877-2141 Website: No website.



AUTHOR'S LEAGUE FUND
https://www.authorsleaguefund.org/
The Fund gives open-ended, interest-free, no-strings-attached loans to professional writers and dramatists who find themselves in financial need because of medical or health-related problems, temporary loss of income or other misfortune.



PEN WRITERS' EMERGENCY FUND
https://pen.org/writers-emergency-fund/
The PEN America Writers’ Emergency Fund is a small grants program for professional—published or produced—writers in acute or unexpected financial crisis. Depending on the situation and level of need, grants are in the range of $2,000. Apart from exceptional circumstances, the Fund does not give repeat grants within a three-year period. The Fund for Writers and Editors with HIV/AIDS, administered under the umbrella of the PEN America Writers’ Emergency Fund, gives grants of up to $2,000 to professional writers and editors who face serious financial difficulties because of HIV or AIDS-related illness.



SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY WRITERS OF AMERICA EMERGENCY MEDICAL FUND
http://www.sfwa.org/about/benevolent-funds/emergency-medical-fund/
The Emergency Medical Fund (EMF) was established to help genre writers pay medical expenses not otherwise covered by insurance. The fund is meant to cover only short-term (i.e. emergency situations that interfere with the ability to write). Requests must specify the recipient, a description of the circumstances, and the amount of support needed. 



AMERICAN SOCIETY OF JOURNALISTS AND AUTHORS - WRITERS EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FUND
http://asja.org/For-Writers/WEAF
Helping established freelance writers across the country who, because of advanced age, illness, disability, a natural disaster, or an extraordinary professional crisis, are unable to work. Membership in ASJA not required. No grants to beginning freelancers seeking funding for writing projects; no grants to fund works-in-progress of any kind. Maximum grant: $3,500. WEAF was formerly the Llewellyn Miller Fund and is administered through the Charitable Trust of the American Society of Journalists and Authors. 



AGATE PUBLISHING INTERNSHIPS
https://www.agatepublishing.com/about/agate
Agate is seeking interns for its six-month training internship program. The internship terms are January 1–June 30 and July 1–December 31. Agate interns work approximately 30 hours per week on site. The internships are unpaid, but interns are given a stipend of approximately $80 per week. We offer interns considerable flexibility in scheduling their hours during the workweek, to allow them to hold paying jobs while also doing the internship. Agate only considers candidates who have completed at least their junior year of undergraduate studies. Agate accepts applications for internships year-round. Agate has an excellent record in helping interns find publishing-industry jobs, whether in the Chicago area or elsewhere.

 

FREELANCE MARKETS

THE WAR CRY
https://www.thewarcry.org/contribute/
The War Cry, now in its 137th year, represents the Army’s mission through news, profiles, commentaries and stories. It looks to bring people to Christ, help believers grow in faith and character, and promote redemptive cultural practices from the perspective of Salvation Army programs, ministries and doctrines. Readership consists of those in and involved with The Salvation Army as well as the general public. Payment made at time of acceptance. Pays $0.35 per word for first rights, one-time use articles. Pays $0.15 per word for reprints. 



LIVE
https://myhealthychurch.com/store/startcat.cfm?cat=tWRITGUID#Live
LIVE is a take-home story paper distributed weekly in adult Sunday School classes. It is freelance and has a circulation of about 40,000. The audience is Christian adults. We seek to encourage Christians in living for God through stories that apply biblical principles to everyday problems. LIVE publishes true stories, based on true stories, nonfiction, "how-to" articles, and fiction (please indicate the category). Poems, first-person anecdotes, and short humor are also accepted. LIVE presents realistic characters who utilize biblical principles to resolve their problems. First rights: ten cents per word. Second/reprint rights: seven cents per word. Poetry: $35 to $60. Cover stories: 800 to 1,200 words. Inside stories: 200 to 600 words. Poetry: 12 to 25 lines. 



THE DARK
http://thedarkmagazine.com/submission-guidelines/
The Dark is an online magazine published monthly. We are seeking horror and dark fantasy fiction of 2,000 – 6,000 words. We pay six cents/word for original fiction up to 6,000 words on publication for first world rights; and one cent/word for reprint fiction up to 6,000 words on publication for nonexclusive reprint rights.



CHICKEN SOUP: THE MAGIC OF CATS
http://www.chickensoup.com
Deadline January 15, 2020. Share those stories about the magic and unexplainable miracles involving your cat. We have 101 slots so we're eager to see what you come up with. All stories and poems need to be true — we do not publish fiction or exaggerations. Stories should be no longer than 1,200 words. Payment is $200 and ten copies. 



CRAFT YOUR CONTENT
https://www.craftyourcontent.com/write-for-us/
Craft Your Content’s mission is twofold: to help our clients become excellent writers, and to help them do so while retaining their unique voice and vision. Writing for Craft Your Content is a great way to gain experience and reach over 10K new readers per month. Our work has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, and The Huffington Post, among others, and our clients have gone on to publish top-charting books and viral blog posts themselves. We pay $75-150 per article, depending on the length/topic/quality. NOTE: They are currently closed to new submissions through the end of 2019, but I listed them because we're almost there and you can be ready come the first of the year.

 

Publishers/agents

 
WAXMAN LITERARY AGENCY
https://www.waxmanliteraryagency.com/
The Waxman Literary Agency is a development-oriented firm, specializing in representing nonfiction and fiction authors with powerful stories. Our strength lies in our ability to match authors with ideas and to connect them with the best possible publisher for their book. In order to submit to Waxman Literary, please email your query letter and the first ten pages of your project in the body of an email. We are not accepting submissions for middle grade or children’s books, screenplays, or illustrations. Please submit literary and young adult fiction, narrative nonfiction, cultural criticism and memoir to Ashley Lopez. Please submit narrative nonfiction and memoir to Susan Canavan. All other submissions can be emailed to [email protected]. 



SERENDIPITY LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.serendipitylit.com/about
Founded by Regina Brooks in 2000, Serendipity has established a diverse base of award-winning clients in adult and young adult fiction, non-fiction, and children’s literature. We work tirelessly to help our clients build successful careers. Our mission is one of long-term development and the cultivation of lasting relationships with new and established authors and illustrators. 



39 WEST PRESS
https://39westpress.com/submit
Open Submission Period: January through March. 39 West Press publishes books of art, poetry, literary fiction, and creative nonfiction. We are looking for innovative and well-crafted, high-quality works by new and established authors. 



AGATE PUBLISHING
https://www.agatepublishing.com/
Agate is considering submissions in the general areas of food, cooking, and nutrition-related nonfiction for its Surrey imprint; business-interest nonfiction for its B2 imprint; fiction and nonfiction by African American writers for its Bolden imprint; and nonfiction on Midwestern topics or by Midwestern authors for its Midway imprint. 



ALAN SQUIRE PUBLISHING
https://alansquirepublishing.com/
For this submission period we will be seeking POETRY and NOVEL manuscripts. Note: we will be announcing a second open reading period for ESSAY and STORY collections sometime in the following year. What we are not seeking: criticism, how-to books, self-help books, textbooks, coffee table books, and so on. What we’re looking for in our writers: The reality of the indie publishing world — or really, any arts endeavor in any field or genre —  is that artists must be active promoters of their work. We at ASP throw great launch parties, set up readings and interviews with our authors, and promote them via a variety of media. We also have world-wide distribution through IPG, which means that if we publish your book, it will be available internationally. But you, the author, need to be willing to get out there and read from your work and help to promote it. We can give you all kinds of tools to broaden your audience and increase your sales, but you have to be not just along for, but also actively involved in the ride.



APRIL GLOAMING PUBLISHING
http://www.aprilgloaming.com/about.html
April Gloaming Publishing is a Nashville-based independent press that aims to capture and better understand the Southern soul, Southern writing, and the Southern holler. April Gloaming celebrates the genre-benders, those rare works that bring the old and the new together into something entirely transcendent. Being small lets us follow our dreams, however dark and twisted they may be and allows us to show them to the world.






www.TransformationalEditor.com
You’ve poured your heart into creating your manuscript, and it’s finally finished. How do you make sure it wins reader raves and high sales?

A professional editor’s work on your finished draft ensures your confidence that the book you publish is solid and marketable, making your words and talent shine. Suzanne Gochenouer is experienced and professional, having written and edited fiction, nonfiction, business books, and technical manuals for more than thirty years. She gently guides authors, nurturing their manuscripts through the editing process.
If you want:

• a transparent fee structure;
• help in determining the level of editing you need;
• and a supportive editor who not only understands and protects your voice, but generously communicates details that help you grow in your craft

. . . it’s time to contact Suzanne at Transformational Editor to see how she can help polish your manuscript into its finest form.

“Suzanne is a sensitive and skilled editor . . . very respectful of an author’s voice, words, and message. . . . If you need a professional editor with a clear eye and a gentle touch, call Suzanne!” ~ Lynne Klippel, author and publisher ~~ Business Building Books and Love Your Life Publishing

“The mistakes and inconsistencies Suzanne caught and her attention to detail blew me away. . .  If you are looking to make your manuscript as good as it can get, you will not regret enlisting Suzanne’s services.” ~ Marliss Melton, author ~~ writes about Men of Valor and Women of Strength across the ages

[email protected]
www.TransformationalEditor.com


 

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FINE PRINT

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C. Hope Clark
E-mail: [email protected]
140-A Amicks Ferry Road #4
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ISSN: 1533-1326

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