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I was in the very same situation when I started my freelance writing business and I know how hard it can be. That’s why I’ve created this Freelance Writer’s Quick Start Guide to give brand new freelancers just like you a road map to jump-start your writing business.

By following this free guide, you’ll bypass all the trial and error that so many freelancers go through when they’re just starting out.

You’ll avoid the content mills and bidding sites and will be able to attract quality clients from the very start - even if you’re a complete newbie with no experience!

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https://howtowinatfreelancewriting.com/freelance-writers-quick-start-guide/

THE IMPORTANCE OF A RECIPE

Recipes are directions, and in most cases, directions on how to create food. One of my relaxing pastimes is reading recipes, collecting them, and dissecting them on what makes them easy, unique, or particularly mouth-watering. I ponder how to alter them, improve them, add to make the flavor better.

I imagine the type of setting I'd serve it at. I play with matching it with others. And I enjoy thinking which platter, bowl, or serving piece to use to show it off.

A recipe that captures a reader is not just about the ingredients, like any story isn't just about its components. 

So many people have come to me at conferences, saying how good a story they have. They are all about the plot or the research involved. One character or how it ends. I never hear about the whole.

But when I ask them how much they have written, I usually get a brief version of "it isn't written yet," or "I'm mulling it over, but I know how it will read." Or if part of it is written, it's been ongoing for years. They often say they know where they are going, or are almost there.

A recipe can be good, average, or poor. Ask a professional cook. Ask a baker. Ask a mom or grandmother who cooks recipes passed down for generations. The parts that go into it are there. It's how you put those parts together that matters. And sometimes, you have to make that recipe several times, noting the weaknesses, before that recipe comes out the best it can be. 

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Featured article

Should You Add an Ebook to Your Promotional Toolkit? 

By Dan Brotzel

Along with your blogs, social posts, author website, and newsletter, an ebook can be a powerful part of your promotional mix. Ebooks are a subtle-type selling, too, that lets you editorially showcase some of your experience and expertise, so readers start to associate you with a particular area. And despite the name, writing them is nothing like writing a book! 

Why write an ebook?

They have several benefits: 

-    They have more gravitas than a post, so can add depth and authority to your author brand 

-    They are not difficult to do  

-    With a bit of careful planning, you make your ebook content work extra hard for you

-    You can share an ebook in exchange for email addresses or other useful info

What does an ebook look like? 

An ebook is often just an extended article, broken into sections. Format-wise, it’s a sort of glorified pdf, designed in a readable and often very visual book-like style. Some high-end ebooks will have extras like flippable formats and data visualisations – as here and here – but many just offer great copy and a simple crisp design, as with these writer examples.


What do I write about? 

Your ebook might be a series of advice articles, or examples with commentary (sometimes called a playbook). It doesn’t have to be very long with 1,500-5,000 words the typical range. 

The subject will flow logically from what you want to promote. So a freelance copywriter might do an ebook of copywriting tips, or a playbook of their favourite bits of commercial copy, with commentary. A professional proofreader might set out the business case for companies to focus more on the quality control of their marketing materials. A creative writing trainer might gather a collection of exercises and prompts. 
 
Planning your ebook 

With a bit of planning, you can easily compile an ebook from other self-marketing activities. In fact, you may already have much of the content you need. Say you want to do an ebook about helping people kickstart a freelance writing career. Start by pulling together a series of posts you’ve already done on the topic, and polishing them into something that works as a longer unit, perhaps with an intro and a few extra sections. Or start the other way round, writing a longer piece that will also easily divide into stand-alone blog articles, newsletter pieces or social posts for reuse.  

Designing your ebook 

An attractive design for your ebook is vital. If design isn’t in your skillset, there are millions of people out there ready to help, at very reasonable rates. Here’s a good list of platforms for finding creative freelancers.

None of this need take a lot of time – here’s one freelancer’s story of how he put a whole ebook together in a weekend! Free templates like these are easy to find, and free image libraries like Unsplash (a favourite) and many others give you loads of options.

How to use your book promotionally

You can simply email your ebook to contacts and influencers, as an attachment or as a download link via a free service like WeTransfer. Promote your ebook in your social channels, blog, author newsletter and website if you have them – use self-contained extracts from the ebook such as quote cards and top tips to promote the main attraction. 

On your author site, create a landing page for your ebook, with a call to action for people to share their details in return for a free download. This will help you to start building your email list.


BIO - Dan Brotzel is editor-at-large of digital content agency Sticky Content 

 

COmpetitions

OMNIDAWN FABULIST FICTION CHAPBOOK/NOVELETTE CONTEST
http://omnidawn.com/contest/fiction/
$18 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 12, 2020. The winner of the annual Omnidawn Fabulist Fiction Chapbook / Novelette Contest wins a $1,000 prize, publication of the perfect-bound pocket series chapbook / novelette with a full-color cover by Omnidawn, 100 free copies of the winning chapbook / novelette, and extensive display advertising and publicity, including prominent display ads in Poets & Writers Magazine, Rain Taxi Review of Books and other publications. For this contest, Fabulist Fiction includes magic realism and literary forms of fantasy, science fiction, horror, fable, and myth. Stories can be primarily realistic, with elements of non-realism, or primarily, or entirely non-realistic. Open to all writers worldwide. Keep the total length of your manuscript between 7,500 and 17,500 words, consisting of either one story or multiple stories.



THE DYNAMO VERLAG FIRST-EVER BOOK CONTEST
https://dynamoverlag.com/contest
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 31, 2021. Invites book-length manuscript submissions in poetry, prose, or any textual combination or reinterpretation of the genres. The winning manuscript will be published by Dynamo Verlag in Autumn 2021 and its author will receive a $500 advance against book royalties. This contest is open to all authors who have not published more than one full-length book in their primary genre (this does not include self-published works). This contest is open to poetry or prose; we simply want a scintillating book-length manuscript (minimum 8,000 words for poetry and maximum 75,000 words for prose) that reflects what we look for in all our publications: genius, eclecticism, and originality. All submitters will receive a copy of the winning title OR a title from Dynamo Verlag’s backlist. 



CRASH FLASH FICTION CONTEST
https://www.craftliterary.com/craft-flash-fiction-contest/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 1, 2020. An annual flash fiction contest for unpublished stories up to 1,000 words. Three winning stories will be selected, each receiving $1,000. Open internationally. 



THE BLACK ROVER CHAPBOOK COMPETITION
https://blacklawrencepress.submittable.com/submit
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 31, 2020. The Black River Chapbook Competition is a semi-annual prize from Black Lawrence Press for a chapbook of poems or prose (including fiction, creative nonfiction, lyric essay, and prose hybrid manuscripts). Entries should be between 16 and 36 pages in length. The winner will receive $500 and publication.



CHESTNUT REVIEW POETRY CHAPBOOK CONTEST
https://chestnutreview.com/contests/
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline between November 1 and December 31, 2020. Poetry only (no images or other media). Length: 25-30 pages of poetry. The winner will receive $600 and 20 copies of their chapbook. The winner will also receive a two-year Duotrope Gift Certificate ($100 value). The winning chapbook will be advertised in the CHESTNUT REVIEW and featured for sale on Amazon.com and via our website. The winning author will be interviewed in a feature in the October 2021 issue of CHESTNUT REVIEW.



SUBMIT A QUOTATION - EMBRACING OUR DIFFERENCES
https://www.embracingourdifferences.org/submit-a-quotation-2021-exhibit/
Deadline October 7, 2020. A critical part of the impact of the exhibit is the selected quotations from the general public that accompany each piece of artwork. Entries can be no longer than 20 words. There is no submission fee. You may submit as many original quotations as you wish; however, you may only submit five at one time. 



MINDS ON FIRE OPEN BOOK PRIZE
https://conduit.submittable.com/submit/171300/minds-on-fire-open-book-prize-2020
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 31, 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. The winning poet will receive $1,000 and 25 author copies. Manuscript Length: 48-90 pages.



MISSOURI REVIEW JEFFREY E. SMITH EDITORS' PRIZE 
https://www.missourireview. com/contests/jeffrey-e-smith-editors-prize/
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 1. The prize awards $5,000 and publication to prize-winners in each category of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. All entrants are considered for publication and are guaranteed with their entry fee a one-year digital subscription to the Missouri Review along with a free digital copy of the new collection of short stories from TMR contributors, Strange Encounters.

 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

ILLUMINATING BLACK LIVES WRITER'S FELLOWSHIP
https://www.writerscolony.org/fellowships
Deadline October 26, 2020. This fellowship by the Writers' Colony at Dairy Hollow invites writers to explore the African American experience. The work may be in any literary genre: fiction or nonfiction, poetry or prose, or a combination. It may take place now or in the past. It may draw upon the life of the author or probe other lives. There is no expectation of a certain attitude or type of experience. Rather, the successful application will demonstrate insight, honesty, literary merit, and the likelihood of publication. The fellowship winner will receive a two-week, all-expense-paid residency to allow the recipient to focus completely on their work. Each writer's suite has a bedroom, private bathroom, separate writing space, and wireless internet. We provide uninterrupted writing time, a European-style gourmet dinner prepared five nights a week and served in our community dining room, the camaraderie of other professional writers when you want it, and a community kitchen stocked with the basics for breakfast and lunch. Fellowship applications must be accompanied by a writing sample and a non-refundable $35 application fee. Writers proposing more than one project must submit a separate application and fee for each one. 



2021 PIEDMONT LAUREATE PROGRAM
https://raleighnc.gov/SupportPages/2021-piedmont-laureate-program-application
Deadline October 9, 2020. The City of Raleigh Arts Commission, Durham Arts Council, Orange County Arts Commission, and United Arts Council of Raleigh & Wake County are pleased to announce the opening of the application process for the position of Piedmont Laureate for 2021. For the 2021 cycle, applications will be accepted from writers of children’s and young adult literature for youth up to 18 years old. The selected candidate will focus on elevating children’s and young adult literature in Wake, Durham, and Orange counties.



PAT CONROY LITERARY CENTER WRITER'S RESIDENCY
https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Announcing-Conroy-Center-s-Second-Writer-s-Residency.html?soid=1124256585060&aid=niC8x7KTzHA
Deadline September 28, 2020. In November 2020, the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will offer the second Conroy Center Writer's Residency, available to writers of Southern fiction seeking an inspirational, creative space in the heart of Pat Conroy's beloved Lowcountry for a stay of eight days to march forth in their writing. The residency location is a guest cottage on St. Helena Island, South Carolina, approximately 15 minutes from downtown Beaufort and 15 minutes from the beach at Hunting Island State Park. The residency will begin on Wednesday, November 4, and includes complimentary admission to up to four of the online writers workshops being held as part of the fifth annual Pat Conroy Literary Festival, November 5 to 8. The residency is open to both published and unpublished writers. Pat Conroy was a mentor to writers in all stages of their careers and we wish to honor that legacy. But if you have not been published, here's your chance. At the end of the residency, the writer will submit a piece of 800 to 1,000 words for editing and subsequent publication in the Lowcountry Weekly.  



OTHERWISE AWARD FELLOWSHIPS
https://otherwiseaward.org/otherwise-fellowships/how-to-apply
Deadline October 31, 2020. The Otherwise Award is offering Otherwise Fellowships, $500 grants for emerging creators who are changing the way we think about gender through speculative narrative. If you think that description could apply to you, even if you are not working in a format most people would recognize as the science fiction or fantasy genre, you are eligible to apply for a Fellowship. Otherwise Fellows can be writers, artists, scholars, media makers, remix artists, performers, musicians, or something else entirely. Past Fellows have been creators of visual art, poetry, fiction, and games.



BLOEDEL RESERVE RESIDENCIES
https://bloedelreserve.org/creative-residency/
Deadline October 1, 2020. The five categories of creative endeavor are Visual Arts (e.g., painting, photography, craft, sculpture, installation, 2D, 3D, digitally assisted); Performing Arts (e.g., music, theater, dance, music composition, film, performance art); Poetry; Prose Fiction and Nonfiction (e.g., novels, short stories, essays, memoirs); and Research (specifically relating to or inspired by nature). The Creative Residency at Bloedel Reserve offers Residents a three-week retreat at a 150-acre internationally renowned public garden and forest preserve.



ARTISTS 360
https://artists360.art/apply/
Deadline October 16, 2020. Artists 360 is designed to elevate and energize greater Northwest Arkansas artists by providing them with $7,500 grants to support creative projects, learning opportunities to develop entrepreneurship skills and build sustainable creative practices, and connections to a dynamic regional artist network. Must be a resident of the State of Arkansas and have established residency in one of the following counties: Benton, Carroll, Crawford, Sebastian or Washington. 

 

FREELANCE MARKETS / JOBS

SOUTH CAROLINA WILDLIFE
http://www.scwildlife.com/writersphotographers.html
SCW considers all types of articles dealing with conservation of our wildlife and natural resources, outdoor activities (hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, etc.), natural and scenic areas, the state's heritage as related to the outdoors, natural history of particular game and nongame species, and subjects on a national level of interest to outdoor-oriented readers anywhere (such as famous outdoorsmen of the past who affected our outdoor lifestyle, or environmental issues). We also are looking for well-done outdoor articles with a humorous angle. We generally do not purchase nostalgic or first-person accounts unless they are exceptionally well crafted and would appeal to a cross-section of our readership. SCW's typical length is 500 to 2,000 words. Pays 20 cents/word.



ELEVEN
https://elevenwriting.com/writing-jobs/
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JPN-xdleL53fS4ZtuEDME8KpnNhLqhSbxeQr3OwMA4A/edit
Assigning projects by subject expertise, our UK-based teams deliver authoritative content across a plethora of advanced topics with total end-to-end oversight. Founded by longtime ex-freelancers who know the ups and downs of the gig economy all too well, Eleven envisions an idyllic working environment in which writers work only on the topics that truly interest them and no longer need to factor in time for submitting proposals and applying for jobs. We pay monthly by the word (£0.065/word) via bank transfer. With the type of work we commission, and the briefing information we provide, we find this typically works out to an average of around $30/hr.

NOTE: They ask that you tell them you found out about Eleven through FundsforWriters.



CHICKEN SOUP - TOUGH TIMES
https://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/possible-book-topics
Deadline October 31, 2020. The world has been going through an upheaval unlike anything we have experienced in our lifetimes. Because of the pandemic, our way of life has completely changed. We’re looking for the ups and downs, so share the tough times but also the silver linings, the unexpected blessings, and resilience and gratitude that you have discovered in yourself and the people close to you. We’re also looking for stories about tough times unrelated to the pandemic. Are you going through other challenges that have nothing to do with the pandemic, such as health crises, loss of loved ones, personal challenges, family issues, job loss and economic upheaval? Pays $200 and ten copies. Limit 1,200 words. 



CHESTNUT REVIEW
https://chestnutreview.com/submissions/
Send us your best poetry, artwork, essays, fiction, flash fiction, and hybrid work. We are a paying market that sources entirely from the open submission call. We welcome artists and writers of every kind: beginning, experienced, published, unpublished, young and old, as well as marginalized and underrepresented voices. Published artists receive $100 and a copy of the annual anthology of four issues (released each summer).
 

Publishers/agents

CAMEL PRESS
http://camelpress.com/submissions/
Looking for strong voices in genre fiction: mystery/suspense, cozy mystery, mystery thrillers, romantic suspense and romance (contemporary and historical). We also consider general fiction, historical fiction and westerns, particularly if you have a strong promotional plan. Your story must have likable characters and a happy or at least hopeful ending. Series proposals are welcome. We prefer the word count to be between 70,000 and 100,000, but books between 50,000 and 70,000 words will still be considered.



COFFEETOWN PRESS
http://coffeetownpress.com/
Looking for strong voices in nonfiction, including memoir, literary fiction and historical fiction. Most of our memoirs concern growing up in other cultures or have a strong theme that will appeal to a specific audience. We only consider literary fiction with a strong story and a distinctive voice. It also helps if the author has a developed author platform. We prefer the word count to be between 70,000 and 100,000, but books between 50,000 and 70,000 words will still be considered.



MUSHENS ENTERTAINMENT - UK
https://www.mushens-entertainment.com/submissions
We are open to submissions and are constantly looking for new authors. We read and respond to every submission whether it is from a debut, established or self-published author. We love reading the stories you create. Please note that you can submit to either Juliet or Silé but not both. Should Juliet or Silé believe that your work is a better fit for the other, they will pass it along. Juliet is looking for adult fiction and YA only. She is looking for crime, thriller, YA, reading group fiction, ghost stories, historical fiction, SFF, romcoms, and high concept novels. Silé is looking for books that inform our understanding of the world, society and the ways we live. She is interested in a range of Nonfiction from emotive life writing to topical essay-like writing to projects on cookery and food. She is particularly keen on finding experts in their field who want to write about what they know in a way that everyone can understand, appreciate and enjoy. 



THE NORTH AGENCY - UK
http://thenorthlitagency.com/hit-the-north/
We are looking for all types of fiction and narrative nonfiction. For fiction, please attach a document containing: a synopsis – of fewer than 400 words – plus the first 15,000 words of your novel. For nonfiction, please attach a proposal – with an overview of the book and a sample of your writing (again up to 15,000 words).



PEW LITERARY
http://www.pewliterary.com/submitting/
PEW Literary is a new literary agency founded by Patrick Walsh, an experienced agent who has helped a roll call of best-selling and award-winning authors launch their writing lives. Unfortunately, we do not represent children's picture books, poetry, or books entirely aimed at an academic market. While we do not accept submissions of scripts for film, TV or theatre, we of course successfully represent the dramatic rights of our writers' work.

 

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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
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