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My notes here are brief because I'm doing something different in this issue. The feature below, Nine Reasons Your Article Idea was Rejected, came to me by Dan Brotzel a few weeks ago. I caught myself nodding and going, "yep, yep, yep" as I scanned down his list of reasons. I caught myself wanting to interject. So, since I'm the editor, I did. I inserted my opinion after each reason. So to avoid you having to read TOO much of C. Hope Clark, I'm giving my Editor's Thoughts a rest this week. . . and infusing them into someone else's work below. Enjoy!
















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Featured article

Nine Reasons Your Article Idea was Rejected

By Dan Brotzel 
(with remarks by C. Hope Clark)

Sometimes your article idea for a website or magazine might get rejected for reasons beyond your control – perhaps something similar has already been planned, or the editor has no budget left for freelances. But you can improve your chances of acceptance.

Your query letter lets you down 

A query that isn’t written in a way that inspires confidence about your writing style (clunky syntax, typos, poor flow, etc.) is an instant turn-off. Spend time crafting and polishing before you send. It’s an editor's first impression of you and your writing.  

(HOPE: Dozens of writers query FundsforWriters from their phone, using textese and incomplete sentences. No introduction, no bio, no website, just "this is my idea." Others simply say, "see attached" with nothing else about themselves or the piece, except maybe, "When can I get paid?" I don't even try to make those pieces work. Delete.)

Your idea is too generic  

Good ideas are often very specific. Ten Tips for Beating Writer's Block is hopelessly generic, especially for such a well-worn topic. Ten Alternative Remedies That Beat Writer's Block is more interesting. 

(HOPE: At FundsforWriters we hate theoretical pieces. We want strong how-to or takeaway value, and the guidelines are extremely clear on this. Generic pieces actually insult the editor, as if the writer thinks the editor hasn't seen what else is on the Internet.)

Your ideas have been done before 

You might think your piece on What Star Wars Can Teach You About Parenting is a fresh, clever approach to a topic, but Google it and you’ll see it’s been done. Googling potential ideas helps you see what’s old hat and enable you to spot gaps. 

(HOPE: We have a strong, searchable archive of what we've done before at FFW, and it's clear as day in a pitch who has bothered to look at it. We also happen to read other writing sites and magazines. Surprise!)

Your idea isn’t clear  

Sometimes I pitch an idea to Hope that just makes no sense to her, and of course it gets turned down. The best ideas have a simplicity about them. If you can’t sum up in a single sentence or phrase, it’s not there yet. Better still, have someone explain your idea and see how it sounds to your ears. 

(HOPE: Having seen so many ideas, I find a crisp, concise idea quite exhilarating. I'll jump on those, because if I really like it, chances are another editor will, too. I want it to be mine!)

It’s over-ambitious 

In order to attract an editor’s attention, you might be tempted to make big claims for what you’ll cover in your piece: A Comprehensive Guide to Getting Published, written in 500 words. But unrealistic claims dent your credibility. Break the topic down, select a niche, give it an interesting angle.   

(HOPE: And I can spot these overzealous, over-ambitious pieces a mile away. The writer claims to solve so many problems in 500 words, and it just can't be done. Those often get rejected without being read, which goes back to the need to query well.)

It’s not something we’d ever publish 

Editors hate getting ideas that show no familiarity with the magazine. If the idea feels like it’s been blasted to 100 titles or offers a style or topic that just doesn’t fit, don’t be surprised if you don’t hear back. Always spend a bit of time familiarizing yourself with the market first. 

(HOPE: Laughing...hard. Just today, a man named as only Richard, who addressed his query to only Editor, said he had the perfect piece for me: Why a Backpack Leaf Blower is a Must-have for Your Garden. And if I didn't like that one, then surely, I could use, Seven Best Outdoor Solar Lights for Your House.)

It’s political (or religious)

Many titles have a policy of staying away from these sensitive areas. You might be confident that the editor will be in sympathy with your piece for or against Trump, for example, but this is a publication you’re pitching to, not an individual. Always check the submission guidelines. 

(HOPE: Not only do I not want my readers alienated by whatever stance the writer has about politics, but who says I'm not insulted? Unnecessarily step on my toes and you won't get rejected. . . you'll just hear silence.)

You’re pushing too hard

Generally, editors are very organized people. They have a pile of submissions to work through and other priorities (such as a book to publish). They’ll get to you when they can. But if you chase them for a response the day after you queried, or email every Tuesday and Thursday for eight straight weeks, they might just say No to get you off their back! Wait a decent interval before sending a polite nudge (I wait two weeks with a new publication), and then wait again. Instead, submit your next idea to your next market. 

(HOPE: Once had a writer pitch an idea to FFW. Three days later, she asked for an answer because she was going on vacation. I told her to feel free to pitch it elsewhere to someone who could reply more quickly. Editors are busy. Give them at least two weeks, or your second query could prompt an over-worked editor to simply reject to shorten her to-do list. Been there.)

It’s not your idea; it’s you

Editors get a sense of what someone is like from the way they frame their messages. Do you show respect for their time? Do you sign off politely? They want good ideas, but they also want someone easy to work with. So, if you come across (however unintentionally) as arrogant, abrupt, demanding, or sexist, your idea won’t save you. Read your note to someone who will give you an honest assessment of how you sound. 

(HOPE: Manners are incredibly refreshing and, unfortunately, uncommon. Queries often broadcast whether a writer has them. Rub an editor wrong, regardless of the idea you pitched, and you're toast. There's enough other stress without an editor paying for more.) 

Pro tip: remember, the editor is always right! 

(HOPE: We can have fun with and laugh about these tips, but editors want their publications to be admired by its readers. That takes hard work. When they are ignored as hard-working people, when their guidelines are passed over, they feel disrespected. Thanks, Dan. These tips are classic and timeless.)

BIO: Dan Brotzel (@brotzel_fiction) is author of a collection of short stories, Hotel du Jack, and co-author of a new comic novel about an eccentric writers’ group, Kitten on a Fatberg (Unbound). For 10% off your order, quote KITTEN10


 

COmpetitions

WILLIAM VAN DYKE SHORT STORY PRIZE
https://www.ruminatemagazine.com/pages/short-story-prize
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 15, 2020. Limit 5,500 words. First prize is $1,500 and publication. 



EXETER WRITERS SHORT STORY COMPETITION
http://www.exeterwriters.org.uk/p/competitions.html
£7 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 28, 2020. Seeking short fiction in any genre except children's stories, up to 3,000 words, no minimum. Open theme. Contest open to published and unpublished writers from any country. First prize £700; second prize £250; third prize £100. Plus an additional £100 for the best story submitted by a writer living in Devon, UK. Winning stories will be published on the Exeter Writers website.



FALL LINES - A LITERARY CONVERGENCE
http://jasperproject.org/fall-lines
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 15, 2020. While the editors of Fall Lines hope to attract the work of writers and poets from the Carolinas and the Southeastern US, acceptance of work is not dependent upon residence. Publication in Fall Lines will be determined by a panel of judges and accepted authors will be notified by June 30, 2020, with a publication date in August 2020. Two $250 cash prizes, sponsored by the Richland Library Friends, will be awarded: The Saluda River Prize for Poetry and the Broad River Prize for Prose. Please limit short fiction to 2,000 words or less; flash fiction to 350–500 words per submission; essays to 1,200 words; and poetry to three pages (standard font.) 



BRIDGE EIGHT FICTION PRIZE
https://bridgeeight.submittable.com/submit
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 14, 2020. The prize includes $1,000 and publication as Bridge Eight's featured title in Spring 2021. Full-length fiction manuscripts—whether they be a novel, multiple novellas, or a tight collection of short stories. We’re not closed to any genres, but most of what we publish is literary fiction with that “other thing” lingering in the room. Word length 45,000-75,000 words. Will also consider shortlisted manuscripts for its future catalog. 



HUMBER LITERARY REVIEW EMERGING WRITERS FICTION CONTEST
http://humberliteraryreview.com/submissions
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 15, 2020. For Canadian writers. In addition to publication, the prizes are $500, $300, and $200. Three stories earning honourable mention will also be published; these writers will receive $100 each. Limit 2,500 words. An emerging writer = a Canadian writer who has not yet published a book.



SIDNEY LANIER POETRY COMPETITION
https://thelanierlibrary.org/upcoming-events/sidney-lanier-poetry/
$15  ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 15, 2020. Prizes are $500, $250, and $100 for adults. Prizes are $100, $75, and $50 for students. Limit 40 lines per poem. 



NELSON ALGREN LITERARY AWARDS
https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/books/literary-awards/ct-2019-algren-rules-story.html
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 17, 2020. Contest is offered only in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia. Stories must be fiction written in English, double-spaced, and no longer than 8,000 words.



FLASH 500 SHORT STORY COMPETITION
http://www.flash500.com/index_files/ss.htm
£7/€9 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 29, 2020. This is an open-themed competition, and we accept all genres, including those written by or for children. Adult material is also acceptable, providing the content fits the story and is not gratuitous. We are looking for stories ranging between 1,000 and 3,000 words, with strong characters, a well-crafted plot and realistic dialogue (where used). Make us laugh, make us cry, but most of all, make us feel! First: £500. Second: £200. Third: £100. 



WRITERS' AND ARTISTS' SHORT STORY COMPETITION
https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/competitions
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 13, 2020. For published and aspiring writers alike - enter our free annual short story competition and be in with a chance of winning a place on one of Arvon's residential writing courses, as well as seeing your story published on www.writersandartists.co.uk. To enter, all you have to do is submit a short story (for adults) of no more than 2,000 words. And that's it. Unlike previous years, there's no theme for you to base your story on. Prize: £500 and publication. 



BALLARD SPAHR PRIZE FOR POETRY
https://milkweed.org/ballard-spahr-prize-for-poetry
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 14, 2020. The Ballard Spahr Prize for Poetry supports outstanding poets from the upper Midwest and brings their work to a national stage. This prize awards $10,000 and publication by Milkweed Editions to a poet residing in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, or Michigan. Selected from a small number of finalists by an independent judge, the prizewinning poet will also receive a standard royalty contract, national distribution, and a comprehensive marketing and publicity campaign. Poets may submit one complete, book-length collection, defined as a manuscript of 48 or more pages. 



MATTHEW POWER LITERARY REPORTING AWARD
https://journalism.nyu.edu/about-us/awards-and-fellowships/matthew-power-literary-reporting-award/
Deadline February 19, 2020. The Matthew Power Literary Reporting Award is a grant of $12,500 to support the work of a promising early-career nonfiction writer on a story that uncovers truths about the human condition. In 2020 we will again offer a runner-up prize of $4,000. The award will not fund proposals to report on armed conflicts where journalists are already imperiled, nor projects that are mainly investigatory. The winner will normally receive visiting scholar privileges at NYU, including library access.



RBC BRONWEN WALLACE AWARD FOR EMERGING POETS
https://www.writerstrust.com/awards/rbc-bronwen-wallace-award-for-emerging-writers/guidelines-poetry/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 25, 2020. Winner receives $10,000. Finalists receive $2,500. Award is for young developing writers of poetry. Bronwen Wallace felt that young writers should have more opportunities for greater recognition early in their careers, and so this annual award is given to a Canadian writer below the age of 35 who has published poetry or prose in a literary magazine or anthology, but has not yet been published in book form and is without a book contract. Eligible candidates should send five to ten pages of previously unpublished poetry.



RBC BRONWEN WALLACE AWARD FOR EMERGING SHORT FICTION WRITERS
https://www.writerstrust.com/awards/rbc-bronwen-wallace-award-for-emerging-writers/guidelines-short-fiction/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 25, 2020. Eligible candidates should send five to ten pages (up to 2,500 words) of previously unpublished short fiction. Bronwen Wallace felt that young writers should have more opportunities for greater recognition early in their careers, and so this annual award is given to a Canadian writer below the age of 35 who has published poetry or prose in a literary magazine or anthology, but has not yet been published in book form and is without a book contract.



QUANTUM SHORTS FLASH FICTION CONTEST
https://shorts.quantumlah.org/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 29, 2020. We seek stories up to 1,000 words long that take inspiration from the mind-blowing world of quantum physics. Participation in the Contest is open to individuals worldwide who are age 13 and over as of the date of entry. Up to ten stories will be shortlisted. A shortlist award of $100, a certificate, and a one-year digital subscription to Scientific American will be awarded to each Shortlisted Entrant. First prize $1,500 and an engraved trophy. Runner up: $1,000 and an engraved trophy. People’s Choice Prize: $500 and an engraved trophy. 

 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

KENDALL VALLEY WRITERS RETREAT, June 19-21, Cora, WY – Join writer Kate Meadows for 3 days in the Rocky Mountains of southwest Wyoming to work on writing projects, attend craft workshops and explore nature! Free transportation from Jackson Hole, WY, airport. More info & to register: https://katemeadows.com/events.








IDYLLWILD ARTS
https://idyllwildarts.submittable.com/submit
Fellowships for Writers Week at Idyllwild Arts, July 6-10, 2020: We will be accepting submissions from November 15, 2019 through February 18, 2020; selections will be announced on March 2 - six fellowships will be awarded. We are accepting poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Submit a ten-page work sample. By submitting work, you confirm that you will attend the 2020 Writers Week at Idyllwild Arts if selected. The fellowship covers tuition, meals and housing on campus. Fellowship recipients are responsible for their own transportation to and from Idyllwild, CA.



THE ANDERSON CENTER
http://www.andersoncenter.org/residency.html
Deadline February 15, 2020. The Anderson Center provides retreats of two to four weeks duration from May through October each year to enable artists, writers, and scholars of exceptional promise and demonstrated accomplishment to create, advance, or complete works-in-progress. A rotating Peer Review Panel comprised of professional artists, writers, and scholars annually screens and selects all applicants. The Anderson Center campus is on 350 acres of the historic Tower View Estate, built by Alexander Pierce Anderson between 1915 and 1922, on the western edge of Red Wing, Minnesota. 



CREATIVE CAPITAL AWARD
https://creative-capital.org/award/about/
Deadline February 29, 2020. Our pioneering venture philanthropy approach helps artists working in all creative disciplines realize their visions and build sustainable practices. Creative Capital provides each funded project with up to $50,000 in direct funding and career development services valued at $50,000, for a total commitment of up to $100,000 per project. Creative Capital takes chances on artists by supporting your bold, challenging, and genre-stretching ideas. Over the past 20 years, we have developed a four-part approach that includes support for you, your project, your community, and your audience. Through funding, professional development, individual meetings with close colleagues, and consistent engagement with our staff, we provide you with the resources you will need at strategic moments in your process. 



STOCKHOLM WRITERS PRIZE
https://stockholmwritersfestival.com/stockholm-writers-prize
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 15, 2020. This prize is designed to give emerging writers the time, space, and inspiration to focus on social-justice themed creative writing. Emerging writers of all ages and experience levels and from all regions of the world are invited to submit a 1,500-word creative writing sample (in English), which exemplifies their polished work tied to social justice issues. Additionally, the writer must submit a 1,000-word personal statement (in English) on how they foresee their writing creating change, why this particular social justice issue matters to them, and how they could benefit from this residency. The winner will receive a seven-day residency in Stockholm, Sweden, from the dates of May 21 to May 27, including attendance at The Stockholm Writers Festival of 2020 (May 22-24). They will also receive $1,000 towards flights and travel costs, free tuition to the Stockholm Writers Festival, six nights' accommodation in Stockholm, a one-on-one meeting with an agent, and individual feedback from our guest judge. 



BUCHEON RESIDENCY - KOREA
http://www.bucheoncityofliterature.or.kr/
Deadline February 28, 2020. We’re hoping many creative and capable artists who have been interested in Korean culture will get involved. Writers, translators, and cartoonists of comics and graphic novels can apply for the Residency program from Creative Cities regardless of their creative field. Pays airfare, four-to-six-week accommodations, studio, $850, and a personal assistant. 



REYKJAVIK, ICELAND RESIDENCY
https://bokmenntaborgin.is/en/grondals-house-unesco-cities-literature-residency
Deadline March 1, 2020. We offer the residency for a children's fiction writer in association with Mýrin - the Reykjavík International Children's Literature Festival. A call for applications has now been opened. Reykjavík, a UNESCO City of Literature since 2011, offers a one-month residency for a visiting writer from another UNESCO City of Literature. The 2020 offer is open to published children's fiction writers from or affiliated with any of the other 38 Cities of Literature, writing in any genre. This residency will be a one month stay for one writer from October 1 – 31, 2020. Travel cost, free lodging in Gröndalshús (Gröndal‘s House) residence flat and a sum of 800 Euros.



MASTHEADS WRITING RESIDENCY
https://www.themastheads.org/residency
Deadline February 29, 2020. The residency runs for the month of July in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Applicants must submit a ten-page Writing Sample, a Letter of Intent, and a CV. Residents receive exclusive use of one of the Mastheads studios, a $900 stipend, travel reimbursement, and a room in a communal house in downtown Pittsfield, shared with the other residents.  



PLYSPACE RESIDENCY
https://www.plyspace.org/
Deadline March 1, 2020. PlySpace is an immersive Artist-in-Residence program of the Muncie Arts and Culture Council, based in the Emily Kimbrough Historic District in downtown Muncie, Indiana. PlySpace Residents will be offered living quarters, studio amenities, and will be paired with a community collaborator based on their personal and collaborative project proposals and interests. Residents are expected to complete a public talk about their work and complete a project in partnership with their Community Collaborator. Resident Artists will have full access to the PlySpace studio spaces at Madjax as well as limited access to the School of Art (SOA) facilities at Ball State University. They will receive a $500 travel stipend and a $500 food stipend for their residency period, between four and twelve weeks.



KALAMALKA PRESS WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE
http://www.kalwriters.com/residency/
Opens in March. This collaboration is intended to serve as a conduit between regional and national literary cultures by welcoming authors of any genre from across Canada to the North Okanagan to live and write and commune. The KP@C3 includes four weeks of accommodation and studio space at the Caetani Cultural Centre, with the possibility of extended stay, as well as an honorarium. Writers are responsible for their own transportation, food, and supplies. Open to emerging and established writers in any genre: poetry, fiction, drama, nonfiction, new media, hybrid works, etc. The residency is scheduled for the month of October. Location Vernon, British Columbia, Canada.



GLADSTONE LIBRARY WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE
https://www.gladstoneslibrary.org/events/writers-in-residence/submission-guidelines
Deadline March 13, 2020. Gladstone’s Library’s competitive Writer in Residence programme provides space and resources for four writers whose work engages with liberal values. The scope of these four residencies is equally wide, and we welcome fiction and nonfiction writers. Gladstone's Library is unique. It is the only residential library in the United Kingdom. It provides a meeting place dedicated to dialogue, debate and learning for open-minded individuals. Each residency includes accommodation in an ensuite room for a period of four consecutive weeks; all meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and refreshments (telephone calls, alcoholic drinks, packaged snacks and formal Afternoon Tea are not included); travel expenses to and from the Library at the start and end of the residency (HMRC mileage allowance or standard bus/train fares within the UK); and an honorarium of £100 per week.

 

FREELANCE MARKETS

CHICKEN SOUP: CHRISTMAS IS IN THE AIR
http://www.chickensoup.com
Deadline April 30, 2020. We are now collecting stories for our HOLIDAY 2020 book, and we are looking for stories about the entire December holiday season, including Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, and New Year's festivities too. Pays $200 and ten copies for up to 1,200 words. 



EL CHAPO REVIEW
https://elchaporeview.wordpress.com/submissionsr/
Deadline March 15, 2020. El Chapo Review never charges submission/reading fees. Currently seeking: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry. El Chapo will pay $100 per piece. Word limit is 1,000. So we always pay at least 10 cents per word. For poetry, please send no more than five poems. We will pay you $100 in total for poetry. So $100 whether we accept one poem or five. For fiction, creative nonfiction, and essays: only one submission at a time. 

 

Publishers/agents

SHAMBHALA PUBLICATIONS
https://www.shambhala.com/submissions
Currently, our acquisition interests are on the topics of Buddhism, mindful living, yoga, psychology, health and wellness, nature, parenting, crafting, creativity, and cooking. We do not accept proposals for fiction (children’s books excepted), poetry, exposés, end-time prophecies, channeled works, martial arts manuals, quotation books, or audio/video. 



ROSS YOON AGENCY
https://www.rossyoon.com/
We are a literary agency specializing in serious nonfiction on a variety of topics: everything from memoir and history and biography to popular science, business, and psychology. 



SINSHEIMER LITERARY AGENCY
https://www.sinsheimerliterary.com/about-me
Represents a range of adult nonfiction, with a particular interest in food, science, and society. On the lookout for more great, place-specific food narratives, having recently sold a sake travelogue called Rice, Water, Earth (Tuttle).



JILL LINBERG LITERARY MANAGEMENT
https://jillgrinbergliterary.com/about/
We represent nonfiction and fiction across the entire age and audience spectrum: adult, children’s, teen, and books that cross audiences. We also represent and are personally drawn to a variety of formats – straight text, text with visuals, graphic fiction, and nonfiction.



THE BOOK GROUP
http://www.thebookgroup.com/ourstory
The Book Group, a literary agency located in the heart of Manhattan, was launched by publishing industry veterans Julie Barer, Faye Bender, Brettne Bloom, and Elisabeth Weed, The Book Group's mission has been to seek out and cultivate talented writers, and to serve as their champions throughout their careers. We represent a wide range of distinguished authors, including critically acclaimed and bestselling novelists, celebrated writers of children's literature, and award-winning historians, essayists, memoirists and journalists. While we represent a broad range of fiction and nonfiction at The Book Group, we do not represent theatrical & screenplays.

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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 2000-2020, C. Hope Clark
ISSN: 1533-1326

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