SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

THE 13th ANNUAL MISSOURI REVIEW MILLER AUDIO PRIZE

$1,000 prize, website publication and social media promotion for winners in poetry, prose, humor, and audio documentary. Open for submissions now. Deadline: March 15. More details here: https://www.missourireview.com/contests/audio-contest/


 

FINDING THE TIME TO WRITE

Protect the time and space in which you write. Keep everybody away from it, even the people who are most important to you. ~Zadie Smith 

You find the time to write by discarding something else in your life. I mean, I have to assume you think your day is full, right? Isn't that what we tell everyone? We fuss about not having enough hours in the day, so we must excise something to ensure we have the time to write. 

I never go to a conference, and I mean that in the most absolute sense, without someone telling me they are waiting to write their story, their book, their anything. They are always waiting until after the daughter's wedding, Christmas, school is out, retirement.

I used to try to convince them that they are making a mistake. That writing can be done today, now, during any day. Of course that is assuming one is taking writing seriously. Some are beginners, but that still doesn't mean that putting in those hours of writing practice work isn't taking writing seriously. It's necessary to hammer out the bad words and define bad habits before writing something for keeps, but we cannot mistake practice writing with writing here and there when we feel like it. 

Now when I hear that from writers that they are waiting for this or that, I instantly assume they aren't serious. And I don't entertain a conversation about it any longer. I instead feel sorry for them. They are missing out on a phenomenal lifestyle that I assume they once-upon-a-time wanted, but they've let slide through their fingers. 

You fight for what you want to do. If you aren't doing it, it's not a priority for you.

Someone will fight me about those words, and that's fine, but I've never been proven wrong. Writing has to become a habit. Nothing becomes honed doing it every once in a while. Dieting, running, studying, learning to play an instrument. . . the list goes on.

Decide to write daily. Tell your friends and family that writing time is sacrosanct. When you prove your devotion to it, they will respect you more for being a writer. After all, how many people do you know are devoted to anything? And if they are, how do they show it? By always making time for it.

Do be kind to yourself. Fill pages as quickly as possible; double space or write on every second line. Regard every new page as a small triumph. ~ Roddy Doyle

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Featured article

10 Reasons Why Feature Editors Ignore Our Pitches

By Tasneem M Ali

Tired of brainstorming new ideas and pitching to publications only to hear crickets? Ever wondered why these editors ignore our ideas?

Editors are intensely busy people. Their inboxes stay packed with pitches from writers like us. That's why they select only the cream of the crop and neglect pitches that show the following bad traits. 

Boring Subject Lines

The first words an editor reads. If irrelevant or dull, your pitch ends up in the trash. Keep the subject line short and to-the-point like: Request for Guest Post Submission or Freelance Writer's Query
 
No Name for the Editor

Never address the editors as Dear Editor or even worse To Whom it May Concern. Instead,  use their first names, or Mr. or Ms. last name. 

No Evidence of Research

Almost every publication accepting guest posts provides guidelines for submissions just like Hope has hers here. Study them carefully and know exactly what the editors seek. Editors can tell when you have or have not read the guidelines. 

Unattractive Headlines

You might have crafted a brilliant manuscript. but your headline failed to grab the editor's attention. Consider reading these 9 Proven Headline Formulas by Dean Rieck to craft juicy headlines.

Too Much Self Talk

Never brag too much about yourself or your achievements. A short, pithy, succinct bio is enough to introduce yourself to the editors. Notice how slick Dean Rieck's bio is at the bottom of his article in the link above. 

Little Value

Before pitching, think why the editors would publish your work as presented. Is the topic something that their audience seeks? Does the piece cover an interview with a successful person of interest? Does the subject address something never written about in the past, ever? Whatever value it adds, let the editors know. Convince them it is THE article they seek.

Idea Too Generalized

Thinking of guest posting on 'Tips on Parenting' for a well-known parenting magazine? Think again! The magazine will already be flooded with tons of tips on parenting. Narrow your generalized idea to something like 'How to Wean Your Child in Three Easy Steps' for the editor to bother reading.

Too Long

Editors do not have excess time in their day. Keep pitches short and snappy. Less is more. No more than a page, and less than 500 words if possible.

Mistakes

Think you can win a gig by creating a pitch full of typos and mistakes? If an editor spots too many grammar or spelling mistakes (as they possess an eagle's eyes), expect never to hear back from them. 

Poor Timing

Submission guidelines pages often designate time periods of pitch acceptance. Check them out before sending in your pitch to avoid disappointment.

My Experience

While I wasn't doing everything wrong, I made several query mistakes in my past. My headlines weren't sharp, and my ideas not unique. I fixed those mistakes, specified my niche and short-listed some editors that I liked to work with.

The Results

Since the end of 2018, I have pitched to Hope five times and have been accepted twice. This piece might be my third one (fingers crossed), but even if it's not, I understand that rejection is part and parcel of the process. The idea is to keep trying, learning, and never giving up.

Bio: Tasneem M Ali is a ghostwriter, copywriter, blogger, writing coach and author of the series a children's story "No Dream is Too Big." She is also a small writing business owner at Ghostwriters' World - https://www.facebook.com/ghostwritersworld/ . When not writing, she likes to spend time with her family.


 

COmpetitions

ALPINE WRITING PRIZE
https://alpinefellowship.com/writing-prize
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 1, 2020. Awarded for the best piece of writing on the theme of the 2020 Alpine Fellowship Annual Symposium: Forgiveness and Retribution. The winner receives a £10,000 cash prize and is presented with the award by the poet John Burnside. A £3,000 cash prize will go to the second place and £2,000 to the third-place runner up. The winner and two runners up are invited to attend the Fjällnäs symposium. Open to all nationalities, aged 18 and above. All genres permitted. A maximum of 2,500 words per entry. Limited to one entry per person. 



WILD WOMEN STORY CONTEST
http://www.tuliptreepub.com/tuliptree-review.html
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 23, 2020. We are looking for empowering stories with female main characters (written by men or women) that celebrate the Wild Woman archetype: women who are the heroines of their own lives. These can be fiction, nonfiction, or poetry—as usual, if it tells a story, it fits! Grand prize $1,000. Contributors for each issue will be paid a minimum of $50. Word limit 10,000. 



SONORA REVIEW POETRY AND FICTION CONTEST
https://sonorareview.com/
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 27, 2020. For Issue 77, we seek work that considers the theme of WONDER. We’re looking for anything and everything that concerns wonder / curiosity / bewilderment / sublimity / awe / double-takes / enigmas. Limit 5,000 words for fiction. Limit three to eight pages of poetry. Each category receives $1,000. 



MOMENT MAGAZINE - KARMA FOUNDATION SHORT FICTION CONTEST
https://momentmag.com/contests/moment-magazine-karma-foundation-short-fiction-contest/
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 20, 2020. Encourages writers to submit stories related to Judaism or Jewish culture or history. Moment will award up to three prizes to outstanding works of unpublished short fiction with Jewish content, including $1,000 for first place. Limit 5,000 words. 



PRIME NUMBER MAGAZINE AWARDS FOR POETRY AND SHORT FICTION
https://www.press53.com/prime-number-magazine-awards
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2020. Awards $1,000 in each category, offers a Pushcart Prize nomination, and publication in Prime Number Magazine. Submit one (and only one) unpublished poem, no more than three pages in length. Submit one (and only one) unpublished short story of up to 5,300 words, double spaced. 



GEMINI SHORT STORY PRIZE
http://www.gemini-magazine.com/shortstorycomp.html
$8 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2020. We are open to ANY subject, style, genre or length. Stories must be unpublished but work on personal blogs is eligible. First prize $1,000, second prize $100, honorable mentions $25. 



NEW SOUTH WRITING CONTEST
https://newsouthjournal.com/contest/
$18 ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 1, 2020. New South’s contest is open to writers who have not yet published more than one book of prose or poetry (chapbooks are fine). The contest awards $1,000 to one winner in poetry and one winner in prose, and a $250 runner’s up prize in each category.



ORISON PRIZES IN POETRY AND FICTION
https://orisonbooks.com/
$30 ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 1, 2020. The 2020 Orison Prizes in Poetry & Fiction offer $1,500 and publication of a book-length manuscript in each genre. We accept submissions of full-length poetry (50-100 pages) and fiction (30,000-word minimum) manuscripts.



THE FLORIDA REVIEW ANNUAL EDITORS' AWARDS
https://floridareview.cah.ucf.edu/submit/annual-editors-awards/
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 15, 2020. We accept submissions to our three Editors’ Awards contests in Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, and Poetry. Each winner receives publication in The Florida  Review and $1,000 (upon publication). We also frequently recognize and publish one or more finalists in each genre. For prose, submit up to 25 pages (6,500 words). For poetry, submit up to five poems.



BETHLEHEM SHORT STORY CONTEST
https://sites.google.com/site/bethlehemwritersroundtable/short-story-contest
$10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2020. We seek animal stories (broadly interpreted) of 2,000 words or fewer. First prize: $200 and consideration for inclusion in the upcoming BWG anthology, tentatively titled Fur, Feathers, and Scales: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Animal Tales. If it is not accepted for publication in the print anthology, it will be featured in an upcoming edition of the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable. (While there is no guarantee of print publication, all previous contest winners have been accepted to be published in print.) Second prize: $100 and publication in the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable. Third prize: $50 and publication in the Bethlehem Writers Roundtable.



BEDTIME PICTURE BOOK CONTEST
https://instituteforwriters.lpages.co/icl-bedtime-picture-book-contest/
$19 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2020. Use your imagination to craft a picture book manuscript aimed at children ages four to eight. No illustrations should be submitted with your entry. Manuscripts must be previously unpublished and 500 words or less. 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.
 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

NEBRASKA MINI GRANTS
https://www.artscouncil.nebraska.gov/grants/grant-categories/mini-grants.html
Mini Grants are designed to provide quick access to funds supporting a variety of arts projects. Examples of projects include exhibitions, performances, poetry readings, commissions, and support of new work development, arts festivals, community murals, and cultural heritage projects. Open to nonprofit organizations incorporated in Nebraska that are federally tax-exempt, and public agencies and subdivisions of governmental agencies. Note: Organizations may submit up to two Mini Grant applications per fiscal year. Grant Amounts: $100 - $2,000. Deadline: At least six weeks and no more than 12 weeks prior to project start date. Individual artist can partner with these entities in order to get their fee paid for a program. 



WEST VIRGINIA TRAINING AND TRAVEL GRANTS
http://www.wvculture.org/arts/grants.html
Provides assistance to artists, arts administrators, and arts educators to attend conferences, workshops, seminars. Reserved for events held outside the state of West Virginia and in-state events that are of national scope. Apply at least six weeks ahead of due date. First-time submitters apply for 50 percent of expenses up to $300. 



MINNESOTA ARTS INITIATIVE GRANTS
http://www.arts.state.mn.us/grants/artist-initiative.htm
Deadline April 24, 2020. The Artist Initiative grant program is designed to support and assist professional Minnesota artists at various stages in their careers by encouraging artistic development, nurturing artistic creativity, and recognizing the contributions of individual artists to the creative environment of the state of Minnesota. Grants will be awarded for projects that will enhance or expand the applicant's artistic skills or process and advance the applicant's career by helping the artist generate greater visibility with and exposure to potential audiences. Grants range $2,000 to $10,000. 



WRITERS EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FUND
http://asja.org/For-Writers/WEAF
The Writers Emergency Assistance Fund helps established freelance writers who, because of illness, disability, a natural disaster, or an extraordinary professional crisis are unable to work. A writer need not be a member of ASJA to qualify for a grant. However, applicants must establish a record of past professional freelance nonfiction writing over a sustained period of years, which means qualifications generally similar to those of ASJA members. WEAF does not award grants to beginning freelancers seeking funding for writing projects, nor does it fund works-in-progress of any kind.


 

FREELANCE MARKETS

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES
https://www.southwestmag.com/writers-guidelines/
Southwest: The Magazine, published by Pace Communications for Southwest Airlines, attracts more than 6.3 million readers each month. We typically publish two works of narrative nonfiction each issue, somewhere around 3,000 to 3,500 words (though we’ve gone shorter and longer). We’re looking for a compelling tale with memorable characters, none of whom have to be famous. Separate from our feature well, we also assign special advertising sections. Pays up to $1/word.



SILVER SHAMROCK PUBLISHING ANTHOLOGY
https://www.silvershamrockpublishing.com/midnight-in-the-pentagram-anthology
Deadline March 31, 2020. Silver Shamrock Publishing is now accepting submissions for the MIDNIGHT IN THE PENTAGRAM anthology. We are looking for original Occult/Demons/Possession/Satanism horror stories with an Exorcist/The Omen/Rosemary’s Baby/Hereditary meets EC Comics/ Creepshow/Tales from the Crypt kind of vibe. Pays six cents/word. Limit 6,000 words.



ESCAPEES
https://www.escapees.com/education/escapees-magazine/submissions/
Escapees magazine is primarily a compilation of articles, tips, and personal views submitted by Escapees RV members. Although member material is considered first priority, nonmember material is also reviewed. Travel/destinations-type articles are kept to a minimum and generally selected only when the location coincides with an Escapees national event. Well researched technical and informational articles are in high demand. Payment is typically $100 to $200 for feature submissions, and $50 to $100 for short fillers. Maximum feature article length is 1,500 words. Short filler-type submissions ranging from 100 to 500 words are also considered.



FIDO FRIENDLY
https://www.fidofriendly.com/contact
A magazine about traveling with your dog. A travel lifestyle publication always seeking new material as well as high-resolution images. Pays ten cents/word for up to 1,200 words. 



ABLE NEWS
http://ablenews.com/about-able-newspaper/
The newspaper for people with disabilities. Widely known and published for, by, and about the disabled with the focus on the Able. Articles usually do not exceed 500 words and pays $50.



RUSSIAN LIFE
https://www.russianlife.com/contact/jobs-available/freelance/
RL covers Russian culture, travel, history, cities, towns, politics, art, geography, issues, business and society. RL often focuses on current issues and events facing Russia and Russians. But it is not a newsmagazine. The majority of RL content is feature articles, many of which are tied into an anniversary or other seasonal "hook." Payment is upon publication, and fees vary depending upon the length and difficulty of the article. Pays $300 for up to 4,000 words.


 

Publishers/agents

KATE NASH LITERARY AGENCY
https://katenashlit.co.uk/
Founded in 2009, the Kate Nash Literary Agency Ltd. has gone on to become one of the UK’s foremost independent literary agencies, specialising in bestselling commercial fiction and nonfiction for adults, young adults, and children. We are based near Oxford and thrill at providing the best service to our authors and seeing them succeed.



COOMBS MOYLETT MACLEAN LITERARY AGENCY
https://cmm.agency/submission-guidelines.php
We are interested in well-written commercial fiction, particularly historical, crime/mystery/suspense and thrillers, women's fiction from chick-lit sagas to contemporary and literary fiction. We are also looking to build a children's list concentrating on YA fiction. We consider most nonfiction particularly history, biography, current affairs, politics, conservation/environment, lifestyle, self-help, how-to and true crime.



THE SOHO AGENCY
https://thesohoagency.co.uk/literary-submissions
We are looking for the best debut writers, as well as established authors, successfully self-published writers and the most exciting and innovative creative talent out there, in both fiction and nonfiction. We work across a broad range of genres and categories. We don't represent authors of poetry or textbooks.



FELICITY BRYAN LITERARY AGENCY
https://felicitybryan.com/submissions/
What they ARE looking for: exciting upmarket, book club, and literary debut fiction; contemporary, realistic middle-grade fiction (i.e., 8-12) with a memorable and highly distinctive voice; and accessible nonfiction for the adult market, written by an author with clear and demonstrable expertise.

 

SPONSORS

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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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