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FEELING OVERWHELMED

Feeling overwhelmed is actually an option. It isn't at first when it runs away with you and you let it. I'm one to become overwhelmed between tending Alzheimer's parents, grandchildren, and children who need my attention, novel deadlines, FundsforWriters deadlines, appearances, civic responsibilities where I live, housecleaning, gardening, tending chickens. 

But I'm not selfish enough to claim I'm the only one who is overwhelmed. We all are. . . at least on some days. The most put-together person has days of frustration and hopelessness. Welcome to humanity. But if you are a writer, sooner or later with all the advice, how-to, and news flooding your computer, you can become overwhelmed that you can't cut it. Nobody is exempt.

What's key is how we handle it. Admittedly, I've been horrible handling it at times. Crying, depression, disappearing to my office to just flip through Facebook looking for happy people (not a good idea since many of them go to Facebook to be angry and sad), walking by myself. It feels like you have to escape, but you cannot find a place to take you far enough away from it all. Honey, I've been there many times.

But in hindsight, feeling overwhelmed is caving to external forces. We are letting them take us down. 

My practice. . . or my attempt at practicing. . . is to find something I love to do, love to think about, or what gives me peace. It's not easy in the midst of chaos to divert that negative energy, but it's well worth it when you do. 

I walk. . . to get rid of the energy. I dive into my stories. . . writing about Callie Morgan or Carolina Slade releases me, puts me in another world. I've even sat outside and let nature call to me. Sometimes I've vented to a friend, asking them to help me put it into perspective. 

But you have to win. I mean, what is the alternative? You lose and give up? Or give up and lose? 

Yes, you're all alone in feeling overwhelmed, and nobody can fix it but you. Take a moment and think of tricks, places, activities, and physical effort that can divert that energy. Giving in doesn't make it better. It only makes it worse.





 

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HOPE'S APPEARANCES

 
SUCCESS QUOTE

SUccess Story

Hello Hope, 

It seems frivolous to be talking about a swashbuckling novel in our present worrying times, but hopefully such stories will bring a little light relief into our lives. I've subscribed to your website for a few years and find it wonderful for writerly news and general encouragement. My debut novel comes out at the end of this month (30th April) and is a romantic romp through the Mediterranean and Cornwall in 1695.
 
Best wishes,
Linda Tyler
https://www.facebook.com/LindaTylerAuthorScotland/


- - - 

Send us your success story, telling us how FundsforWriters made a difference, opened a door, helped you get someplace you wanted to be. 

Email [email protected] 
 

Featured article

Nine Unusual Ways to Make Money from Writing

By Dan Brotzel


Look beyond blogs and ghostwriting for unusual assignments that may be a match for your skills.

Editing stories of popular writers on Medium 

You can make money by writing posts as part of the Medium Partner Program, but in this fascinating article , writing coach Nico Ryan describes how he makes more by fine-tuning the posts of Medium contributors whom he considers to be rising stars. He gets paid partly on a performance-based basis, so a piece that gets loads of traction will earn him more – and his client too, of course.   

Writing verse and jokes for greetings cards 

There’s a whole industry of artists and writers who supply the fresh jokes and verses that are always needed for greetings cards. Though the word count is deceptively low, there’s a real knack to coming up with good fresh material, and the pay for successful writers is more than you might imagine. Find out more here and here.

Writing dating profiles

Yes, this is a thing and it’s not hard to see why. If you’re not a great writer, but you’re keen to meet that special someone, why wouldn’t you seek some professional help to present yourself to best effect?  

Writing jokes 

Some radio and TV shows (such as late-night talk shows and Saturday Night Live) will pay for jokes that get used on air. In the UK, there’s a tradition of writing deliberately bad jokes (samples here) that are pulled out of Christmas crackers – I’ve been commissioned to write these for a number of supermarket brands over the years. Fortune Cookies need mottoes, too!   

Writing 300 product descriptions for boiler components

That’s the sort of assignment you get working for a content mill – websites that broker client requests for typically deeply unsexy content needs such as seo content, product descriptions and online catalogue copy. These sites aren’t for everyone, and most agree that they’re best seen as a supplement to your other writing income or as a stepping stone to better-paid things, but if like this writer you’re quick, selective and versatile and you don’t mind relatively mindless work, you can make them work for you.  

Bespoke writing requests 

Back in the day, my fellow students used to pay me (mostly in beer) to write eloquent letters to their banks asking to borrow more money. More recently, I’ve been paid by friends and contacts to write jokey speeches for weddings and golf clubs. On sites like Fiverr, people are offering to write everything from heavy metal lyrics to wedding speeches to job applications to Airbnb listings.  

Writing product reviews

Getting paid to write reviews is a very ethically grey area (or worse) at one end of the spectrum but, as this article explains, at the other end there are some very serious markets that will pay for objective vetted reviews. The likes of Capterra and Gartner peer Insights are worth a look if you are in the habit of using lots of software. See also ReviewStream and SoftwareJudge.

Write podcast show notes 

Audio is on the rise, and every podcast needs notes at the end, which provide additional information for the listener, such as summaries, further resources, and details about the show. Some freelance writers are turning episodes into these notes – the best way to break in is to approach podcasters direct. 

Create an unusual anthology of real writing

Already there are collections of break-up letters, classified ads (also here ) and shopping lists. There have also been a couple of books (here and here ) by writers who’ve decided to reply to spam emailers! Why not come up with an interesting idea based on real-world writing – and make your own collection?  


BIO - Dan Brotzel (@brotzel_fiction) is author of a collection of short stories, Hotel du Jack, and co-author of a new comic novel, Kitten on a Fatberg (Unbound). To pre-order Kitten on a Fatberg for a 10% discount, quote KITTEN10 

 

COmpetitions

IRELAND WRITING RETREAT FLASH FICTION AWARD
https://www.irelandwritingretreat.com/writing-competition
10 EURO ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 31, 2020. We would like you to pen a flash fiction story in any style or genre focusing on the act of writing in any way, shape, or form, with a maximum length of 500 words. The winner will receive 500 euro in cash and an added bonus of 990 euro in value in the form of free participation - including all excursions, by land and sea, food and drinks tastings, concerts and dance performances, and all writing workshops and author talks – at one of our retreats of your choice, either this autumn in either Paris or Donegal or one of our retreats next year. In effect, a total prize equal to almost 1,500 euro.



IRELAND WRITING RETREAT CREATIVE NONFICTION AWARD
https://www.irelandwritingretreat.com/writing-competition
10 EURO ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 31, 2020. Write a story of not more than 500 words on any subject – whether it be in the form of memoir, profile, literary journalism, personal essay, travel (and remember, award-winning travel articles don't have to be about exotic destinations, it could be about your own hometown), food or any creative nonfiction category you prefer. The winner will receive 500 euro in cash and an added bonus of 990 euro in value in the form of free participation - including all excursions, by land and sea, food and drinks tastings, concerts and dance performances, and all writing workshops and author talks – at one of our retreats of your choice, either this autumn in either Paris or Donegal or one of our retreats next year. In effect, a total prize equal to almost 1,500 euro.



THE WRITER SHORT STORY CONTEST
https://www.writermag.com/contests/
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 2, 2020. Submit your best short story for your chance to win $1,000 and publication in our magazine! Any genre is fair game as long as your submission is a work of fiction under 2,000 words. Our second-place winner will receive $500 and publication on our website, writermag.com; our third-place winner will receive $250 and publication on writermag.com as well.  



CATAMARAN LITERARY PRIZES
https://catamaranliteraryreader.com/poetry-prize-2020
$35 ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 20, 2020. The Catamaran Poetry Prize encourages the submission of previously unpublished poetry manuscripts across a range of styles, themes, and forms. This contest is for a book-length collection of poetry only. Manuscripts of fiction, creative nonfiction, translations, or screenplays are ineligible. The prize is only open to West Coast poets living in California, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and Hawaii. All submissions should be written in English. A prize of $1,000 and publication in book form will be awarded to the poetry collection selected by the judge.



CINESTORY FELLOWSHIP
https://cinestory.org/retreat-fellowship-contests/feature-retreat-fellowships/feature-prizes/
$85 ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 19, 2020. The Grand Prize for the competition is the CineStory Feature Fellowship, a 12-month mentorship program, during which the Feature Fellow works with two Hollywood professionals hand-picked to help the Fellow advance his/her craft and career. The Feature Fellow also receives $10,000 as well as free tuition and housing for the Retreat. An integral part of the Feature Fellowship is becoming part of the extended CineStory community: meeting mentors and other writers and developing relationships that extend past the four days of the Retreat itself. Consequently, the Feature Fellowship winner must attend the Feature Retreat to receive the cash award and to benefit from all other aspects of the Fellowship. The second prize winner receives approximately $1,500 in cash and prizes. The third prize winner receives approximately $1,000 in cash and prizes. 



PALETTE POETRY EMERGING POET PRIZE
https://www.palettepoetry.com/submit/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 19, 2020. For emerging poets, this contest only accepts submissions from authors with fewer than two full-length collections out at the time of submission. The winning poet will be awarded $3,000 and publication on Palette Poetry. Second and third place will win $300 and $200 respectively, as well as publication. There is no page requirement, but submission must be no more than three poems.

 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

NEW HAMPSHIRE ARTIST ENTREPRENEURIAL GRANTS - NH
https://www.nh.gov/nharts/grants/artists/artistentre.html
Artist Entrepreneurial Grants recognize the importance of the creative workforce to New Hampshire’s economy. Artist Entrepreneurial Grants support opportunities that will benefit artists’ careers, including the development of business skills, participation in programs to raise the level and quality of their art, and participation in programs that will bring their art to the widest possible markets. Quarterly Deadlines: May 8, 2020; August 7, 2020; November 6, 2020; February 5, 2021. 



MARYLAND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANTS - MD
https://www.msac.org/programs/professional-development
In response to COVID-19, the Maryland State Arts Council convened on March 25, 2020 and approved the following changes for FY20 Professional Development Opportunity Grants: Funding use restrictions have been alleviated and may be used for any arts-related expense until further notice; and use of FY20 funds may be extended until November 30, 2020, by submitting a request to [email protected]. MSAC will begin accepting applications on February 24 for the FY20 Application cycle. Applications are available through Smart Simple. The grant period for FY20 is February 24, 2020 - June 30, 2020 and will act as a Pilot Phase for the Professional Development Opportunity Grant Program. Applications must be submitted at least 90 days before the eligible activities occur. 



EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND FOR ARIZONA ARTISTS AND ARTS PROFESSIONALS - AZ
https://azarts.gov/grant/emergency-relief-fund/
Arizona arts funders and service organizations have set up a collaborative fund to provide emergency relief grants of $500-$1,500 to Arizona artists and arts professionals. We know that these grants are unlikely to cover the full scope of lost income you may be experiencing. Open to individual residents of Arizona who are 18 years of age or older whose primary source of income is related to artistic production, teaching artist residencies, arts and cultural events, or contract work with nonprofit arts organizations.



REGIONAL ARTS AND CULTURE COUNCIL - OREGON
https://artsimpactfund.racc.org/
Deadline April 13, 2020. RACC’s Emergency Fund for Individual Artists supports creative professionals who have experienced a financial loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund is open to artists at all levels of their careers in a broad variety of disciplines. Applicants will be asked to submit evidence of their artistic practice, household income, and financial loss in the application. RACC will make awards up to $500 in order to support as many individual artists as possible, prioritizing those without access to other COVID-19 relief funds. Applicants must legally reside in RACC’s service area – Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties, Oregon.



PEN AMERICAN WRITERS' EMERGENCY FUND - US
https://pen.org/writers-emergency-fund/
Through the fund, grants of between $500 and $1,000 will be awarded in support of writers demonstrating an inability to meet an acute financial need, especially one resulting from the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. The fund is intended to assist fiction and nonfiction authors, poets, playwrights, screenwriters, translators, and journalists. PEN America will utilize the following guidelines in evaluating professional credentials: the publication of one or more books or multiple essays, short stories, or poems in literary anthologies or literary journals (either online or in print) during the last two years; the publication of a full-length play, performed in a theater of more than 250 seats by a professional theater company; employment as a full-time professional journalist, columnist, or critic or a record of consistent publication on a freelance basis in a range of outlets during the last two years; or a contract for a forthcoming book, collection of essays, short story collection, poetry chapbook, or articles for which the name of the publisher can be provided. Productions in academic settings qualify if the applicant is not a student at the time of the production.



CORONAVIRUS ROLLING GRANT FOR FREELANCE JOURNALISTS - US
https://investigate.submittable.com/submit/163797/coronavirus-rolling-grant-for-u-s-freelancers
FIJ’s board of directors is looking for stories on the coronavirus that break new ground and expose wrongdoing—such as corruption, malfeasance, or abuse of power—in the public and private sectors. FIJ encourages proposals written for ethnic media as well as those submitted by journalists of color and involving the impact of the coronavirus in U.S. ethnic communities. Grants average $5,000 but can be as high as $10,000.  They cover out-of-pocket expenses such as travel, document collection, and equipment rental. FIJ also considers requests for small stipends. FIJ will review proposals as they are submitted. Grant decisions can be expected within two weeks of submission of application.



VERMONT RAPID RESPONSE ARTIST RELIEF - VT
https://www.vermontartscouncil.org/grants/artists/rapid-response-artist-relief
The Vermont Rapid Response Artist Relief provides grants up to $500 to artists who have lost income due to the loss of a job or cancellation of a specific, scheduled gig or opportunity (e.g., commissions, performances, contracts, workshops, classes, etc.) because of COVID-19.



4 CULTURE RELIEF FUND - KING COUNTY, WA
https://www.4culture.org/cultural-relief-fund/
The first round of funding will be available April 1 through May 15. Apply at any time within that time frame.  You'll apply through a simple application that will take about 15–30 minutes to complete. Applications will be reviewed by a panel weekly and we will notify you within 10 business days about the status of your application.



RHODE ISLAND ARTIST RELIEF FUND - RI
https://risca.online/grants/artistrelieffund/
The fund will award grants of up to $1,000 to help artists, teaching artists, arts administrators and other freelance arts and culture workers stay housed, fed, and safe in this time.



ARTS COUNCIL ENGLAND RELIEF FUNDS
https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/financial-support-artists-creative-practitioners-and-freelancers
Up to £2,500 for all forms of the arts including writers. Round one opens for applications on 9 April 2020 and applicants will need to register on Grantium by 13 April in order to make an application before the deadline of 12pm (midday) 16 April. Round two opens for applications on 16 April 2020 and applicants will need to register on Grantium by 27 April in order to make an application before the deadline of 30 April.

 

FREELANCE MARKETS

COFFEE & ORANGES
http://www.kahini.org/coffee-and-oranges/
Coffee & Oranges is a quarterly literary magazine delivered via email to subscribers every January, April, July, and October. Each edition features three new works of literary art, each of 325 words or fewer. Submissions are accepted year-round. Contributors receive a $5,000 payment (not a typo). The name of Coffee & Oranges both honors our home in Po‘ipū, Kaua‘i and reflects the importance of specific, sensory detail in the creative arts. Coffee & Oranges values work that thrives through an alchemy of sensory detail, setting, character, point of view, plot, structure, pacing, voice, style, tone, title, authorial identity, and theme–and which transcends its own craft elements to arrive at the condition of art. (Thanks www.erikadreifus.com and @erikadreifus)



ROOM
http://roommagazine.com/submit
Room publishes fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and art by women (cisgender and transgender), transgender men, Two-Spirit, and nonbinary people. We specifically encourage writers with overlapping under-represented identities to submit their work. All contributors will be paid upon publication: CAD $50 for one page, $60 for two pages, $90 for three pages, $120 for four pages, $150 for five or more pages.



BELT
https://beltmag.com/write-for-belt/
Belt Magazine is a digital publication by and for the Rust Belt and greater Midwest. We publish original reportage in the range of 1,500-3,000 words—though we’ll bend those numbers for the right piece. We publish first-person essays on life in the Rust Belt and northern Midwest that resonate with a regional audience. We’re looking for work that expresses what reporting can’t, that narrates an experience, event, or aspect of life in a personal way. We’re interested in poems with a strong sense of place, or poems that touch on an experience or feeling that will resonate beyond the author. Additionally, every story should convey something meaningful about life in the region, engaging the complexity and vibrancy of its subject. Pays up to $500. 



BOSTON GLOBE
https://www3.bostonglobe.com/magazine/aboutthemagazine/
The best places for new writers to start with the magazine are the Perspective column, an opinionated 800-word essay on a timely local news topic, and Connections, a 650-word first-person essay on relationships of any kind (romantic as well as those between friends, siblings, and parents and children). The following are not open to freelance submissions: Your Week Ahead, On the Block, Cooking, Miss Conduct, and Dinner With Cupid. Freelance writers are required to sign the Globe’s freelance license agreement. Pays up to $1/word.



LONGREADS
https://longreads.com/submissions/
Long-form features take a considerable amount of time and research to develop. These stories can involve multiple reporting trips, sources, and in-depth research. Although they don’t necessarily need to deal with current events, they should have an excellent sense of story and purpose and be able to hold a reader’s attention with a compelling premise. Features are generally between 3,000 and 6,000 words but can be longer or broken up into a series depending on length and subject matter. Longreads features are rigorously edited and fact-checked. We pay competitive rates for features depending on the degree of reporting required and the complication of your proposal. Base payment begins at $1,500, and we will work with you to pay you a solid fee and also cover expenses. Send your pitches for reported features and investigative projects to Editor-in-Chief Mike Dang.

 

Publishers/agents

WENDY SHERMAN LITERARY AGENCY
https://www.wsherman.com/agents/
Wendy Sherman loves voice and story-driven fiction. She is interested in women’s fiction that hits that sweet spot between literary and mainstream and has a passion for Southern voices, historical dramas, suspense with a well-developed protagonist, and has a weakness for family secrets, mother-daughter relationships, and realistic love stories. She is also interested in nonfiction with a unique twist by authors with a strong, well-developed media platform. Memoir, narrative nonfiction, practical and prescriptive, self-help, and mainstream psychology are also general areas of interest.  Strong categories for her include parenting, relationships, spirituality, lifestyle, pop-culture, and just about anything to do with food or dogs.



RAVEN QUILL LITERARY AGENCY
https://ravenliterary.com/our-literary-agent-team/
RQLA was founded to develop the careers of unique, high quality, engaging, and often underrepresented voices in children’s literature. From picture books through young adult and occasionally beyond, our goal is to provide individually tailored and dedicated representation for creators of books that share new messages, create a sense of joy and wonder and make a difference in the world.



SALKY LITERARY MANAGEMENT
http://www.salkyliterarymanagement.com/
Salky Literary Management [SLM] opened its doors October 1, 2019. SLM will provide individualized and dedicated representation to a select group of high-quality novelists and narrative nonfiction authors. 



AEVITAS
https://aevitascreative.com/about/
Aevitas Creative Management is a full-service literary agency, home to more than 20 agents in six cities (New York, Boston, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Seattle, London), representing scores of award-winning authors, thinkers, and public figures.

 

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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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