TOP SPONSOR 

NICKIE'S PRIZE FOR HUMOR WRITING
Deadline: Aug. 1

The University of Dayton's Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop is seeking essays from a diversity of authors of all experience levels for Nickie’s Prize for Humor Writing. Essayists, authors, bloggers  — anyone with a hilarious, touching story — is invited to submit a humorous essay about their sister.

In the spirit of Erma Bombeck, the tone can be humorous, absurd, offbeat, quirky or fun in a smart way. All previously unpublished material no longer than 1,000 words will be considered, including pieces that expand on the theme, such as a close friend who’s like a sister.

Up to 20 winners will receive a $300 cash prize each. The best essays will be published online, with the possibility of being included in a future anthology.

Application fee: $25.

Read the announcement, guidelines, FAQs — and apply here.


 

WHAT IS THE NEW NORM FOR AUTHORS?

While we all wish for the way things were, we must face the fact that we have had an entire paradigm shift. In other words, the human race has evolved to a new normal, and change is never widely accepted with open arms. 

Book signings are rare now and will be slow coming back to life. Do you want to stand with a hoard of people waiting for an author's signature? If it were available, would you purchase it online instead? Would you attend a Zoom session, if it promised that in the cost of said event you received a free copy of the book? 

These days you risk health and safety going out in public. So do your readers. We see no conferences, book release parties, bookstore lines, or presentations. Instead I see the following behavior from authors who are attempting to continue writing and making sales in an entirely new environment:

1) They are quiet about current events.

Yes, people have very opinionated feelings these days. But a lot of readers just want to grab a good book or the latest from their favorite writers without obligation to take a side in anything. For an author to get opinionated might attract one group of readers with similar beliefs, but it will chase away those who just want a story without the baggage that comes with the opinionated author.

2) They are reaching out and attempting to please their current readership even more. 

Nothing sells better than a satisfied customer. Appeal to those who already love you, no matter how small the number. Stay in touch with them. Be personal with them. Appreciate them. They will tell their friends. 

3) They are saturating the local community. 

Local carries different definitions. For a new author, local means the hometown. For a mid-range author, it could mean the state or region (i.e., Southeast, Midwest). For a major author, it could mean the US (without reaching internationally). Whatever you do, do it as an author. I am helping the local school board elect some new members, and in doing so, I present myself as an author. I've offered to write social media responses, coming-out speeches, public participation presentations, and Freedom of Information Act requests. I've gained many more readers locally. Also, I've supported a local coffee shop that struggled during COVID, and the owner has, in turn, supported my books.

4) They are reverting to some old-fashioned publicity.

People are reading their mail. People are also enjoying receiving mail. Too many of us are online until our eyes bleed and crave real life. Send everyone on your Christmas list a postcard with a teeny note on the back. Make the entire cover nothing but your book cover. Post a newspaper ad. Newspapers are needy for income and advertising dollars. The cost may not be what you expect. 

5) They are appearing on Zoom and the like.

In normal clothes and without all the makeup, authors are making online appearances without the bells and whistles. We have all leveled off to one population enduring similar experiences. It's fun seeing someone in t-shirts on their home turf where they actually create the words. And it's fun for authors to interact with eager readers.

6) They are refining their brand.

They are becoming a specific type of writer. I am mystery to my readers and FundsforWriters to writers. Just last night at a school board meeting, I was the mystery author to those who didn't know me. You need a niche. With so many authors out there seeking a finger-hold in the marketing world, to not be defined is to get lost in the noise.

This isn't a temporary fix, people. We will be in this mode for months and months to come. Think outside the box but also simpler in how you present yourself as a writer. The old ways are not coming back.

SUPER SPONSOR 

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Hope - 

When I couldn't find a home for my personal essay on whether to get tested for the Alzheimer's gene, I turned to your amazing FundsforWriters where I discovered You & Me, America's Medical Magazine. It was immediately snatched up. So grateful to Hope for covering such a wide array of different markets to help me find special homes for those important topics that are close to my heart. 

Dorit Sasson
SEO content strategist and writer and award-winning author of Accidental Soldier
Email: [email protected] 
http://www.DoritSasson.com


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Featured article

The Importance of the Follow-Up

By Ian Chandler

I've written hundreds of articles for all kinds of publications, and over the years, I've learned a lot about the right and wrong ways to pitch.

One of the most important lessons I've learned is to always follow up the right way. Following up can often mean the difference between getting paid and getting rejected, but you have to follow up correctly.

Here are a few simple steps you can follow to ensure that you're following up the right way:

1) Consult the submission guidelines.

The first thing you should always do before following up is to look at the publication's guidelines. Often, they'll have information about how to follow up with them.

For instance, they may request that you wait to follow up until a certain window of time has elapsed. Failure to do this will typically result in outright rejection.

2) Wait at least two weeks.

I can't stress this enough: Don't follow up too soon.

Following up too soon is a recipe for disaster. Editors are incredibly busy people, and your pitch is just one snowball in an avalanche. So, don't go into panic mode if you don't hear back within three days––they're still getting around to your pitch!

For best results (and to respect the editor's time) wait at least two weeks to follow up. If the publication you're querying is larger, you may want to increase that to three weeks.

That said, don't wait too long. If you email the editor after six weeks, chances are they won't even remember your initial pitch. In most cases, that two- to three-week window is the sweet spot for following up.

3) Keep it short and respectful.

When you follow up, send a quick email simply inquiring on the status of your pitch. Don't write a novel.

Remember, editors are busy. If you want to develop a good relationship with an editor, then it's imperative to respect them and their time. Ask as little of them as possible, and always be polite and professional.

This applies to every part of your interaction with an editor, including the follow-up. A one-line reminder asking if they've gotten to your pitch will more than suffice.

4) Use RE: in the subject line.

When you follow up with an email, your subject line has to stand out. I like to start it with "RE:" to make my subject line pop and subtly imply that it's a follow-up. For example, I might use a subject line like "RE: Feature Pitch."

I specifically use a capital RE: as it's nice and eye-catching. The remainder of the subject line is standard; you definitely don't want to send an email with an all-caps subject line.

This is easily my favorite follow-up tip. It's effective without being intrusive or annoying, and it's increased my response rate dramatically. (In fact, you can use this trick whenever you need an email response.)

I'll leave you with this anecdote that underscores how crucial the follow-up is.

An editor colleague shared a story about two writers who had both submitted articles to his site. He'd had a busy week, so both of the pitches fell through the cracks.

One of the writers followed up on their pitch within a couple of weeks and ended up getting accepted. The other writer waited much longer to follow up, and at that point, my colleague wasn't in need of the article anymore.

That short, polite, well-timed follow up got that first writer a paid gig. The second writer, who waited too long, wasn't so lucky.

So next time you're pitching an article, make sure that you follow up––but do it right.

Bio: Ian Chandler is a freelance writer and Head Instructor at Writing Launch.





 

COmpetitions

PAGE ONE PRIZE
https://gutsygreatnovelist.com/page-one-prize/
$10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 23, 2020. Submit the first page of your novel-in-progress. First prize wins $200, a full year of Master Class, and free tuition for Writing Great Dialogue, an online masterclass. Second prize wins $75 and free tuition for Writing Great Dialogue. Submission are open internationally to any writer writing in English.









INVERTED SYNTAX SUBLINGUA PRIZE FOR POETRY
https://invertedsyntax.submittable.com/submit/160792/inverted-syntax-sublingua-prize-for-poetry-judged-by-khadijah-queen
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 2, 2020. Awards a cash prize of $1,000 and publication in their print issue for exceptionally crafted, previously unpublished poem(s) by a writer who has not yet published a full-length manuscript nor a chapbook exceeding 44 pages. All submission entries are also considered for publication. 



SHEILA-NA-GIG EDITIONS POETRY CONTEST
https://sheilanagigblog.com/sheila-na-gig-editions-poetry-manuscript-contest/
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 1, 2020. Submit a full-length poetry manuscript (60-100 pages) via Submittable. One manuscript will be selected for publication by Sheila-Na-Gig Editions. $1,000 honorarium plus 20 percent royalties and 25 copies of the published manuscript. All participants will receive a copy of the winning volume upon publication. International participants will receive ebook copies.



STUBBORN WRITERS CONTEST
https://chestnutreview.com/contests/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 30, 2020. Flash Fiction (<10,00 words). First prize: $500, second prize: $250, third prize: $125. Poetry (<60 lines). First prize: $500, second prize: $250, third prize: $125. Short Fiction (1,000-5,000 words). First prize: $500, second prize: $250, third prize: $125. Open to U.S. writers only. 



THE ADRIFT CHAPBOOK CONTEST
https://www.driftwoodpress.net/adrift-chapbook-contest
$12 ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 1, 2020. The winner will receive $300 dollars and 20 copies of their chapbook. A print run of the winning chapbook will be sold on our website, through affiliate bookstores, and will be nationally and internationally distributed by IngramSpark. Submit 5-40 pages of poetry (this does not include title, section break, or acknowledgment pages). 



MARYSTINA SANTIESTEVAN FIRST BOOK PRIZE
https://www.conduit.org/book-prizes
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 4, 2020. Awarded annually to a poet writing in English who has not yet published a full-length poetry book. Prospective entrants are encouraged to familiarize themselves with Conduit, which champions originality, intelligence, irreverence, and humanity. Previously unpublished manuscripts of 48-90 pages should be submitted through our Submittable page. The winning poet will receive $1,000 and 30 author copies. 



MINDS ON FIRE OPEN BOOK PRIZE
https://www.conduit.org/book-prizes
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 30, 2020. Awarded annually and open to any poet writing in English, regardless of previous publication record, the prize seeks to represent the best contemporary writing in high-quality editions of enduring value. Prospective entrants are encouraged to familiarize themselves with Conduit, which champions originality, intelligence, irreverence, and humanity. All manuscripts welcome, be they first books or last books.
Previously unpublished manuscripts of 48-90 pages should be submitted through our Submittable page. The winning poet will receive $1,000 and 30 author copies. 



BLACKINK WRITING COMPETITION
http://www.writingeastmidlands.co.uk/opportunities/blackink-new-writing-competition-2020/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline August 3, 2020. Serendipity and Writing East Midlands are looking for creative writers from the African and African Caribbean Diaspora based in the UK to submit short stories for BlackInk: New Writing Competition. The initiative seeks to showcase new short fiction, and applicants are invited to submit stories of up to 3,000 in any genre for consideration. The winning short stories will be published in BlackInk magazine for Black History Month in October 2020. The overall winner will receive £500 in prize money. Up to two runners-up will receive £250 each. In addition, all three will be given free entry to The Writers’ Conference, which is organised annually by Writing East Midlands to give new writers access to leading publishing industry professionals. Write a short story with a maximum of 3,000 words



NEW WOMEN'S VOICES CHAPBOOK COMPETITION
https://www.finishinglinepress.com/submit/
$16 ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 30, 2020. A prize of $1,000, royalty contract, and publication for a chapbook-length poetry collection in a perfect-bound print edition. Open to women, or those who identify as women, who have never before published a full-length poetry collection. Previous chapbook publication does not disqualify. International entries are welcome. Multiple submissions are accepted. Submit 16 to 35 pages of poetry. 



THE OTHER FUTURES AWARD
https://futurepoem.submittable.com/submit/166627/the-other-futures-award-2020
$28 ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 1, 2020. The Other Futures Award is given annually to an innovative, adventurous full-length work that challenges conventions of genre, language, content, and form. Send us writing that imagines new literary possibilities, and questions established paradigms. The winner will receive publication with Futurepoem, an honorarium of $1,000, a standard royalty contract, and 25 author copies. We welcome submissions by writers at any stage of their career. Manuscripts must be unpublished book-length works of prose, poetry, or multi-genre work. Suggested length is 50 to 150 pages. 



JAN GARTON PRAIRIE HERITAGE BOOK AWARD
http://www.prairieheritage.org/jan_garton_prairie_heritage_book_award.cfm
NO ENTRY FEE, Deadline July 31, 2020. Award will be given to the best book of the year that illuminates the heritage of North America's mid-continental prairies, whether of the tall-grass, mid-grass, or short-grass regions. Authors' first books receive extra consideration. Books may be in any genre, and topics may include but are not limited to social or natural history; prairie culture of the past or in-the-making; and interactions between society and ecology. Award comes with a cash prize of $1,000 and a sponsored book-signing.



BELLEVUE LITERARY REVIEW
https://blr.med.nyu.edu/submissions/BLRPrizes
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 15, 2020. Three categories of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. The BLR Prizes award outstanding writing related to themes of health, healing, illness, the mind, and the body. First prize is $1,000 (in each genre) and publication in the Spring 2021 issue of BLR. Honorable mention winners will receive $250 and publication in the Spring 2021 issue of BLR. Fiction - Our word max is 5,000, though most of our published stories tend to be in the range of 2,000-4,000 words. Nonfiction - Our word max is 5,000, and we are looking for essays that reach beyond the standard ‘illness narrative’ to develop a topic in an engaging and original manner. Poetry submissions should have no more than three poems.



CHICAGOLAND POETRY CONTEST
https://www.poetsandpatrons.net/chicagoland-poetry-contest
$12-$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 1, 2020. Pays $50, $30, $20, plus three Honorable Mentions in each category, except for Category 1 which has a grand prize of $300. Members and persons living within 100 miles of Chicago may enter all categories. Other poets may enter only categories 1–13. If you wish to enter more than one poem in a category, the fee for additional poems is $1 per poem for members, $2 each for non-members. Poets cannot win more than one award per category. 



 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

OREGON LITERARY AWARDS
https://literary-arts.org/
Deadline July 8, 2020. Fellowships of $3,500 each are given annually to Oregon writers to initiate, develop, or complete literary projects in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. One Women Writers Fellowship and one Writer of Color Fellowship of $3,500 each are also given. Submit three copies of up to 15 pages of poetry or 25 pages of prose. 



BOOTH EMERGENCY FUNDS
https://literary-arts.org/get-involved/writers/
This emergency fund is designed to provide meaningful financial relief to Oregon’s writers, including cartoonists, spoken word poets and playwrights. Literary Arts will open up a second round of funding the week of June 29th. Oregon writers will be eligible. Literary Arts will prioritize funding for BIPOC writers. In the past, grants were $1,000.



BITCH MEDIA FELLOWSHIPS FOR WRITERS
https://www.bitchmedia.org/article/bitch-media-fellowships-for-writers-2021
Deadline June 30, 2020. A series of three-month intensive writing fellowships, the goal is to develop, support, and amplify emerging voices in feminist media. Fellows will work in one of four subject areas during their fellowship period: Sexual politics, Pop-culture criticism, Technology, Global feminism. Produce a minimum of four online articles for Bitch Media in the topic area of their fellowship. These pieces can take a variety of forms: reported, analytical, advocacy-focused, and even infographic. Produce at least one longform article to be published in the quarterly magazine Bitch: A Feminist Response to Pop Culture. Participate in regular discussions (by Zoom) with the fellowship director and other members of the Bitch Media staff. Receive mentorship and support in creating, shaping, and editing articles and online pieces. Receive follow-up support with placing future articles and essays, and make great connections within the feminist-media community. Receive a $2,000 stipend for the three-month fellowship.



MORLAND AFRICAN WRITING SCHOLARSHIPS
https://milesmorlandfoundation.com/about-2/
Deadline September 18, 2020. Scholars writing fiction will receive a grant of £18,000, paid monthly over the course of twelve months. At the discretion of the Foundation, Scholars writing nonfiction, who require additional research time, could receive an additional grant, paid over a period of up to eighteen months. To qualify for the Scholarship a candidate must submit an excerpt from a piece of work of between 2,000 – 5,000 words, written in English that has been published and offered for sale. The only condition imposed on the Scholars during the year of their Scholarship is that they must write. They will be asked to submit by email at least 10,000 new words every month until they have finished their book, or their Scholarship term has ended. If the first draft of the book is completed before the year is up, payments will continue while the Scholar edits and refines their work. The candidates should submit a description of between 400 and 1,000 words of the work they intend to write. The proposal must be for a full-length book of at least 80,000 words. 



JERSEY CITY ARTS RELIEF FUND
https://www.jerseycityartscouncil.org/arts-relief-fund/
The Jersey City Arts Council has partnered with the Jersey City Economic Development Corporation to provide emergency relief grants to our arts community. The intent of these grants is to provide support to artists and arts organizations of Jersey City, who have been directly impacted by the current public health crisis and related shutdown. All people who work professionally in the arts are encouraged to apply, including (but not limited to) visual artists, literary artists, performing artists, arts technicians, and organizations. Grant levels: $3,000, $1,000, $500. You must be a fulltime resident or arts organization in Jersey City, NJ as of 1/1/2020. You must have verifiable arts industry earnings over $4,000 for two of the last five years.

 

FREELANCE MARKETS / JOBS

THE WILLOWHERB REVIEW
https://www.thewillowherbreview.com/submissions/
Deadline June 30, 2020. We’re looking for previously unpublished prose by writers of colour — nonfiction especially, but we will consider fiction and poetry — on nature, place, and environment. If you're unsure if your piece fits the bill, let's just say we believe nature writing can tackle all sorts of issues: from stories of farming to long treks, tales of migration, racism, community, and beauty. You might be writing about remote places, cities, lost landscapes, or old homes. We're looking forward to seeing what matters most to emerging nature writers. Prose submissions can be up to 3,000 words in length. Poets can submit up to three poems in total, but we may only publish one. The submissions we select will be paid according to our small budget: €150 for prose, €50 for poetry. 



NAGWA
https://www.nagwa.com/en/careers/#uk
Educational and curriculum writers needed in multiple categories with NAGWA, headquartered in the UK. Some are on-site in Windsor and others are remote. 



VIRGINIA QUARTERLY REVIEW
https://www.vqronline.org/about-vqr/submissions
VQR strives to publish the best writing we can find. While we have a long history of publishing accomplished and award-winning authors, we also seek and support emerging writers. For poetry, we pay $200 per poem, up to four poems; for a suite of five or more poems, we usually pay $1,000. For short fiction, we generally pay $1,000 and above. For other prose, such as personal essays and literary criticism, we generally pay $1,000 and above, at approximately 25 cents per word, depending on length. For investigative reporting, we pay at a higher rate, sometimes including pre-approved travel expenses. For long-form journalism, we often seek funders to support our writers directly, in addition to our own payments. Book reviews are generally 2,000-2,400 words and are paid at a flat rate of $500. We read unsolicited fiction, poetry, and nonfiction submissions July 1-31 through our Submittable portal.



THIRD FLATIRON
https://www.thirdflatiron.com/liveSite/pages/submissions
Third Flatiron Publishing is based in Boulder, Colorado, and Ayr, Scotland. We are looking for submissions to our (approximately) quarterly themed anthologies. Our focus is on science fiction and fantasy and anthropological fiction. We want tightly plotted tales in out-of-the-ordinary scenarios. Light horror is acceptable, provided it fits the theme. Please send us short stories that revolve around age-old questions and have something illuminating to tell us as human beings. Fantastical situations and creatures, exciting dialog, irony, mild horror, and wry humor are all welcome. Stories should be between 1,500 and 3,000 words. Inquire if longer. Accepted stories will be paid at the flat rate of eight cents per word (US/SFWA professional rate), in return for the first publication rights to the story for six months after publication. 

 

Publishers/agents

CATAPULT
https://catapult.co/pages/who-we-are
Catapult publishes award-winning fiction and nonfiction of the highest literary caliber, offers writing classes taught by acclaimed emerging and established writers, produces an award-winning daily online magazine of narrative nonfiction and fiction, and hosts an open online platform where writers can showcase their own writing, find resources, and get inspired. 



LEGEND PRESS
https://www.legendpress.co.uk/submissions
At Legend Press, we are looking for original stories, unique voices, and excellent writing. We want to see manuscripts that will entertain and move us, with characters that linger long after the last page. We publish in two main areas: Contemporary literary fiction and Crime fiction (psychological and political thrillers). We do not publish in the following areas and will not be able to respond to these submissions: Young adult fiction, science fiction, fantasy, children’s books, horror, plays or poetry. For all nonfiction submissions, please consider two other imprints within the Legend Times Group: Hero Press and The University of Buckingham.



SMART POP BOOKS
https://www.smartpopbooks.com/submission-guidelines/
We’re actively looking for smart, quirky, engaging nonfiction titles on television, books, and film. We’re open to both anthologies and single-author titles, official and unofficial. We take pop culture seriously: we believe pop culture titles deserve the same quality of editorial support, packaging, and design as other titles. We put a strong emphasis on marketing, as well, and we’ve spent years building our reputation with pop culture fans. They recognize us as a publisher that understands and respects them.



PLOUGH
https://www.plough.com/en/about-us
Plough Publishing House, founded in 1920, is an independent publisher of books on faith, society, and the spiritual life. We’re based in Walden, New York, with branches in the United Kingdom and Australia. We also publish Plough Quarterly, a bold new magazine of stories, ideas, and culture to inspire faith and action. In addition, we serve up fresh views and insights daily online. Topics they prefer are Christian living, Social issues, Church history, Devotional anthologies, Spiritual classics, Parenting and education, Poetry and literary fiction, and Children’s books.



CITY OWL PRESS
https://cityowlpress.com/queries/
Seeks Adult or New Adult in Romance and Speculative Fiction in the following sub-genres: Contemporary Romance, Historical Romance, Paranormal Romance, Sci Fi Romance, Romantic Suspense, Time Travel Romance, Dark Fantasy, Urban Fantasy. We are NOT currently accepting for dystopian, gaslamp, steampunk, or contemporary fantasy. What will attract us to a story: well-written and strong but flawed protagonists, deep character development, and exceptional world-building. We are always looking for original ideas and unique voices.

 

SPONSORS

www.fundsforwriters.com/advertising 

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