TOP SPONSOR 

DEADLINE EXTENDED TO OCTOBER 15!

The 30th annual Missouri Review Jeffrey E. Smith Editors' Prize is extending its deadline and is still open for submissions. The prize awards $5,000 each and publication to prize-winners in fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. All entrants are guaranteed  a 1-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. Each entry is considered for publication. Deadline: October 15.

Learn more, and enter here: 

https://www.missourireview.com/contests/jeffrey-e-smith-editors-prize/

Don't Be Shortsighted with Your Writer Presence


Recently, I was reading a submission from a writer who wanted to appear in the FFW newsletter. I liked the article, was going over it with some comments when someone messaged me. I keep umpteen windows open at a time, and in the back and forth, I accidentally deleted the email. It was a month old, so there were literally thousands behind it, and my search wasn't finding her name. 

And she referenced no website or email in her bio. 

At this point, any other editor would have moved on and forgotten about the submission. After all, there were many others competing for that same feature slot. But I Googled the woman's Twitter account (the only address in the bio), and found her Facebook page which led me to her website and email (finally). 

No other editor would have bothered.

When querying, put all your contact information in both the email and the piece submitted in case they get separated. Include your bio at the bottom of the piece. Do not assume an editor likes Twitter or Instagram. Do not assume they are on Facebook. Do not assume they will keep track of your email above the thousands of others in their box. 

Make yourself evident. And while you may not want a website, if you want to be a professional writer of any kind, you need to lead with your website and email. . . everywhere.   

SUPER SPONSOR 

HOPE'S APPEARANCES

 
SUCCESS QUOTE

SUccess Story

Dear Hope,

I just received my fourth very nice award for "Cady and the Bear Necklace." Winner/Multicultural category of the New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards for 2020! I am thrilled. I just had to share as this book took me eight years, and I've lost count of the revisions, rewrites. But it paid off in a quality read. Thank you FundsforWriters for providing a steady source of encouragement and inspiration. Your newsletter was a great source of resources including workshops and scholarships, and one I look forward to reading each week.

Ann Dallman
Menominee, MI
https://www.facebook.com/AnnDallmanAuthor/
 

Featured article

13 Terms to Know About Copywriting  

By Dan Brotzel

Copywriters write copy that sells to people and educates them about products and services. They provide the words for things like advertisements, sales emails, brochures, and commercial websites. 

Copywriting is a necessity and pays better than editorial work, so no surprise that many freelance journalists and content writers gravitate to it. A key difference is that copywriting focuses on commercial, with a goal of persuasion and measurable effectiveness. Here’s a guide to some of the essential copywriting terminology

A/B or Split Testing 

This mechanism lets marketers test two versions of a piece of copy – e.g., a landing page or subject line, on a sample audience to see which one performs best. They then send out the best-performing version to their whole audience. For this reason, copywriters sometimes write different versions of the same message.  

B2B

A business-to-business (B2B) company sells to other businesses, whereas a B2C business sells directly to consumers. Copywriters must learn to tailor their writing style to the audience, whether a business or an individual customer. 

Benefits and Features

The difference in benefits and features is key to copywriting success. Features are neutral facts about a product or service, with the copywriter’s job being to turn features into what the customer might care about – benefits. So “razor comes with five blades” (feature) becomes “your closest shave ever!” (benefit). The classic way to turn a feature into a benefit is to keep asking “So what?” until you come up with something people show an interest. 

Brochureware/Collateral 

These are generic terms for marketing copy about a product or service. 

Call to Action (CTA)

All marketing materials need a CTA, which is what you want the reader to do next, e.g., “Buy now,” or “Request a callback.” As a copywriter everything you write should ultimately steer people toward acting on that CTA. 
 
Conversion 

Conversion is the desired outcome for the created copy, e.g., enquiries, social shares, or sales. Say I send a direct mail to 1,000 people to persuade them to ask about a new kind of auto insurance. If ten people call in as a result, then my conversion rate would be one percent. 

CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

If a client asks for copy for their CRM activity, they want marketing emails written, and perhaps the copy for the corresponding landing pages.  

DM (Direct Marketing)

DM means things sent cold to people in an effort to sell to them. Sales letters, fliers, and marketing emails are all forms of DM – and writing these is classic copywriting work.  
  
Hook 

A hook is a key thought, a catchy thought, destined to capture the reader’s attention and subsequent thought. E.g., “Did you know 25 percent of burglaries happen when people are at home?” (security system). 

Kicker 

A follow-up to your headline that delivers an additional punch. 

For example:

RETIRE RICH! (hook)
Learn how to maximise your assets the Warren Buffet way… (kicker)

Landing Page 

A landing page is a webpage designed to generate conversions. This page is where users “land” from reading adverts, emails, search results pages, etc. Landing pages have to convert as many people as possible, and are the subject of much debate and advice. 

Persuasion 

Refers to a series of psychological nudges that copywriters use to encourage people to act on their words. These include social proof (“4 out of 5 pet owners prefer it!”), urgency (“free shipping and handling before midnight!”), and reciprocity (“buy one get one free”).  

USP (Unique Selling Proposition)

This item makes a point that distinguishes your product or service from its competitors – and often serves as the focus of your copy. “The makeup of makeup artists” is a great example. More info and examples here. Sometimes the copywriter’s job is to make things sound unique that aren’t really unique. 

Just understanding the terminology can educate you on how to write commercial copy. Take this knowledge and study existing copy already used in successful presentations, and you’ll be ahead of the game in pitching your own work. 

BIO: Dan Brotzel is co-author of Kitten on a Fatberg (Unbound, forthcoming).
 

COmpetitions

WRITER'S DIGEST PERSONAL ESSAY AWARD
https://www.writersdigest.com/writers-digest-competitions/personal-essay-awards
$30 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 15, 2020. One Grand Prize Winner will receive $2,500, their essay title published in Writer’s Digest magazine’s May/June 2021 issue, a paid trip to the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference, including a coveted Pitch Slam slot. The Second Place Winner will receive $1,000, their essay title published in Writer’s Digest magazine’s May/June 2021 issue, and the Third Place Winner will receive $500 and their essay title published in Writer’s Digest magazine’s May/June 2021 issue. Limit 2,000 words. 



MASTERS REVIEW CHAPBOOK CONTEST
https://mastersreview.com/chapbook-contest/
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 15, 2020. The winning writer will be awarded $3,000, manuscript publication, a subscription to Journal of the Month, and 50 contributor copies. Manuscripts should be between 25-40 pages (not including front/back matter) with each story beginning on a new page. As we are a prose-focused journal, we are not interested in poetry chapbooks, but will consider chapbooks which contain prose poetry. 



SNOWDANCE 10-MINUTE COMEDY FESTIVAL COMPETITION
http://overourheadplayers.org/snowdance-submissions.html
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 1, 2020. The "Snowdance® 10 Minute Comedy Festival" is a competition of original short comedies. Writers from throughout the community, the state, and the country are invited to enter. Writers are urged to take note of the three-character maximum cast and to take advantage of the emphasis on shorter comedy scripts. Audiences will vote for the production they enjoyed the most. The votes will be tallied throughout the festival run, and the Snowdance “Best in Snow” will be awarded after the final performance. A $500 prize goes to "Best in Snow", with a $200 award going to second place, and $100 for third place. OOHP plans to present Snowdance in the winter of 2021. Location Racine, Wisconsin.



WALT WHITMAN AWARD
https://poets.org/academy-american-poets/prizes/first-book-award
$35 ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 16, 2020. The Academy of American Poets First Book Award is a $5,000 first-book publication prize. The winning manuscript, chosen by an acclaimed poet, is published by Graywolf Press, a leading independent publisher committed to the discovery and energetic publication of contemporary American and international literature. The winner also receives an all-expenses-paid six-week residency at the Civitella Ranieri Center in the Umbrian region of Italy, distribution of the winning book to thousands of Academy of American Poets members, and promotion in American Poets magazine. Applicants must be living poets who have neither published, nor committed to publishing a book-length collection of poems (48 pages of poems or more) with a registered ISBN, either in the United States or abroad.



FOREST PARK VET CENTER VETERANS' POETRY CONTEST
https://www.poetsandpatrons.net/veterans-poetry-contest
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 15, 2020. All veterans and active-duty military service members are invited to submit an original poem that reflects on or depicts their military experience. Illinois Veteran residents only. Poems must depict or reflect on the military experience. There is no restriction on form or style. Line limit is 50 lines. First Place: $500. Second Place: $250. Third Place: $150. 



THE BARBELLION PRIZE
https://www.thebarbellionprize.com/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 31, 2020. The prize is awarded annually to an author whose work has best spoken of the experience of chronic illness or disability. The awarded work can be of any genre in fiction, memoir, biography, poetry, or critical nonfiction from around the world - whether it is in English, in translation, traditionally published, or self-published. Prize £600. (Thanks www.erikadreifus.com) 



GOTHAM BOOK PRIZE
https://www.gothambookprize.org/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 1, 2020. he Gotham Book Prize is awarded once a year to the best book (works of fiction and nonfiction are eligible) published that calendar year that either is about New York City or takes place in New York City. The winner will receive $50,000. Selections will be reviewed by an independent jury with the winner selected by the prize's co-founders/ funders. The first prize will be awarded in December 2020. (Thanks www.erikadreifus.com)



QUARTERLY WEST CONTESTS
https://www.quarterlywest.com/submit
$10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 2, 2020. This fall, Quarterly West will open for its inaugural poetry and prose contests. The winners will each receive $1,000 and publication in Issue 102 of Quarterly West. Two runners-up will each receive $250 and all entries will be considered for publication. To enter, please submit up to three poems or a prose piece (i.e., fiction, nonfiction, or any hybridization therein) through our Submittable. Submit up to three poems per entry, no more than eight pages. Send one longer piece of prose or up to three pieces of flash prose (1,000 words or less) per entry.



TREEHOUSE CLIMATE ACTION POEM PRIZE
https://poets.org/academy-american-poets/prizes/treehouse-climate-action-poem-prize
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 1, 2020. The Treehouse Climate Action Poem Prize is given to honor exceptional poems that help make real for readers the gravity of the vulnerable state of our environment at present. First place will receive $1,000; second place, $750; and third place, $500. In addition, all three poems will be published in the popular Poem-a-Day series, which is distributed to 500,000 readers. Poems may also be featured in the award-winning education series Teach This Poem, which serves 35,000 educators each week. (Thanks www.erikadreifus.com)
 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

VANCOUVER WRITERS-IN-RESIDENCE
http://www.vpl.ca/writer
Vancouver Public Library is seeking two Writers in Residence in order to highlight the importance of Canadian writing and creativity. In 2021 the library will host a Summer Residency and a Fall Residency. We are seeking to fill one of the residencies with a fantasy genre author, and are issuing an open call to all published Canadian writers of any form, style and content to fill the other residency. The Library would like to hear from you if you are: a published Canadian writer with professional instruction and public speaking experience, and enthusiastic about developing, presenting, and sharing your knowledge and craft through events with Vancouver Public Library. Expressions of interest may be emailed in PDF format to [email protected]. Completed applications must be received by 5 p.m. (PST) on Thursday October 29, 2020. If you have questions, contact Amber Ritchie at [email protected]. 



VANCOUVER INDIGENOUS STORYTELLER IN RESIDENCE
http://www.vpl.ca/storyteller
The Vancouver Public Library is seeking an Indigenous Storyteller in Residence in order to highlight the importance of storytelling as a way of sharing culture and building memory. The Storyteller plays a unique and valuable role at the Library, using storytelling as a way to highlight Indigenous cultures, traditions and knowledge, and help Indigenous and non-Indigenous Vancouver residents learn about and from Indigenous communities. The Indigenous Storyteller in Residence will develop and lead exciting public events that promote intercultural understanding and story sharing between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. They will support and provide advice to community members and aspiring storytellers through one-on-one consultations and group workshops. Contract terms: $17,000 for four months full-time activity ($4,250 per month on a self-employed basis).



CONFERENCE ON COLLEGE COMPOSITION & COMMUNICATION TRAVEL AWARDS
https://cccc.ncte.org/cccc/awards/scholarsforthedream
Deadline October 10, 2020. Through the award program, emerging scholars from historically underrepresented groups will receive $1,000 travel awards, an invitation to a reception, and the opportunity to work with a career mentor who is a CCCC member. Recipients of Dream Travel Awards also will be first-time presenters at CCCC. The opportunity is open to Black, Latinx, Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, or other Pacific Islander scholars, regardless of citizenship status.



JACK STRAW WRITERS PROGRAM
https://jackstraw.submittable.com/submit/90532/jack-straw-writers-program
Deadline November 2, 2020. Jack Straw Cultural Center is now accepting applications for the 25th year of the Jack Straw Writers Program. To date, the program has included more than 275 writers from the Pacific Northwest and beyond who represent a diverse range of literary genres. Each year, an invited curator selects 12 participants. The purpose of the Jack Straw Writers Program is to introduce writers to the medium of recorded audio; to develop their presentation skills for both live and recorded readings; to encourage the creation of new literary work; to present the writers and their work in live readings, in an anthology, on the web, and on the radio; and to build community among writers. 



RHODE ISLAND FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS
http://philanthropynewsdigest.org/rfps/rfp11667-rhode-island-foundation-invites-applications-for-arts-in-academics-programs
Deadline October 23, 2020. Through the program, grants of between $500 and $1,000 will be awarded in support of projects aimed at fostering collaborations among artists and educators and promoting the arts as an integral part of the learning process. Any K-12 public or charter school teacher, artist, or nonprofit organization in Rhode Island is eligible to apply as long as the proposed project benefits Rhode Island public school children.



OREGON LITERARY FELLOWSHIPS
https://literary-arts.org/2021-oregon-literary-fellowship-guidelines/
Deadline October 30, 2020. Oregon Literary Fellowships are intended to help Oregon writers initiate, develop, or complete literary projects in poetry, fiction, literary nonfiction, drama (including scripts for television and film), and young readers literature. Literary Arts will award nine fellowships in the amount of $3,500. One of these fellowships is specifically for a writer of color. 



SHEARING FELLOWSHIPS
https://blackmountaininstitute.org/fellowships/apply/
Visiting fellows will join a community of creative writers and scholars in a thriving literary scene in Las Vegas and on the campus of UNLV, supported by individuals and groups that share our commitment to bringing writers and the literary imagination into the heart of public life. For emerging and distinguished writers who have published at least one book with a trade or literary press, this fellowship includes: a stipend of $20,000 paid over a four-month period; a semester-long letter of appointment; eligibility for health coverage; office space in the BMI offices on the campus of UNLV; free housing (fellows cover some utilities) in a unique and vibrant arts complex in the bustling district of downtown Las Vegas—home to The Writer’s Block, our city’s beloved independent bookstore; and recognition in BMI’s literature, and on The Believer’s masthead, as a “Shearing Fellow.”



BLACK WRITERS FELLOWSHIPS
https://handpapermaking.org/?p=3449
Deadline October 19, 2020. In solidarity with the Movement for Black Lives, Hand Papermaking is launching the Hand Papermaking Black Writers Fellowships, an evolving program that currently offers two opportunities for Black writers: Reporter and Researcher. 

The Black Writers Fellowship: Reporter is an opportunity for a Black writer to engage with “Celebrating #BlackPapermakers,” Hand Papermaking’s curated series, featured on our social-media channels, to uplift and center Black artists and papermakers. The Reporter will write an original profile on an artist of their choice who has been featured in “Celebrating #BLACKPAPERMAKERS.” The Reporter will receive a $300 award and a research stipend of up to $150 for expenses incurred. 

The Black Writers Fellowship: Researcher is a research-based opportunity for a Black writer that will result in the publication of an original article in Hand Papermaking magazine. The applicant’s proposal must be related to the field of hand papermaking and indicate an ongoing investment in research and inquiry in the field. The article will be long-form and eligible for publication in Hand Papermaking magazine, Winter 2021 issue. The Researcher will receive a $1,000 award and a fellowship stipend of up to $1,000 for expenses incurred, including but not limited to research travel, resources, transcription or translation services, site visits, free attendance to a field-related conference, workshop attendance, and other professional development opportunities.
 

FREELANCE MARKETS / JOBS

ONE STORY
https://www.one-story.com/index.php?page=submit&pubcode=ots
Deadline November 14, 2020. One Story is seeking literary fiction. Because of our format, we can only accept stories between 3,000 and 8,000 words. They can be any style and on any subject as long as they are good. One Story pays $500 and 25 contributors copies for First Serial North American rights. All rights will revert to the author following publication.



FAIRY TALE MAGAZINE
https://www.fairytalemagazine.com/p/submissions.html#.X3npnWhKiUk
The fairy tales should be no shorter than 1,200 words and no longer than 2,500. The essays should be between 900-1,200 words. You may explore any aspect of fairy tale culture, as long as it is original. Fairy tale pay if chosen: $100. Essays: $50. 



WOODWORKS
https://www.bcwriters.ca/page-18155
WordWorks is published three times a year and distributed by mail and in digital form to our subscription list of readers and writers and to schools, libraries, and other literary organizations in BC and Yukon. Content is provided by members of the Federation of BC Writers, but non-members are encouraged to submit (a portion of payment will go towards membership). We welcome articles on theme, but include many others in each issue: craft, humour, business, collaborations–as long as a topic is of use and interest to writers, we want to hear about it. Please query [email protected] with your ideas and proposals. Article length is 600 words or fewer, but we do publish longer articles by agreement. Current rates are 25 cents a word for articles ($50 for reprints). 



RATTLE
https://rattle.submittable.com/submit
Rattle publishes unsolicited poetry and translations. General submissions are open year-round, always welcomed, and always free. Contributors to the print magazine receive $200 and a complimentary one-year subscription. Poems for "Online Only" categories receive $100. All submissions are automatically considered for the annual Neil Postman Award for Metaphor, a $2,000 prize judged by the editors.



BRICK
https://brickmag.com/about/#faq
We publish two issues per year: Winter (on newsstands from late November to May), and Summer (late May to November). Brick is available at bookstores and newsagents across Canada and the United States. Brick prides itself on publishing the best literary nonfiction in the world, and we are eager to read your freshest, most impeccable, most compelling nonfiction submissions. Brick pays its contributors upon publication and offers $55–660, depending on the length of accepted work, plus two copies of the issue the work appears in and a one-year subscription to the magazine.
 

Publishers/agents

AAKENBAAKEN KENT PUBLISHERS
http://www.aakenbaaken-kent-publishers.com 
Aakenbaaken and Kent loves authors. Several authors who initially published with us have now signed with major publishers. Ellen Kirschman, a best-selling author, published her first Dot Meyerhoff book with us. When the second book in the series was picked up by a major publisher, we gave Ellen the rights to the first book so that it could be re-published by her new publisher. We are equally proud of our current authors whose work is on par with the authors at larger publishers. Aakenbaaken & Kent is open for submissions in the following categories: General fiction, Murder mysteries, Suspense, Memoirs, Biographies, Humor, Romance. 



COFFEE TOWN PRESS
http://coffeetownpress.com/submissions/
Seeks 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.



LEFT HAND PUBLISHERS
https://lefthandpublishers.com/open-call-for-submissions/
Left Hand Publishers is now accepting writing submissions for publication. In our Open Call, we accept only novels, novellas, and short story collections (as an entire book). Manuscript submissions should be no less than 50,000 words. No short stories unless as a collection that totals at least 50,000 words, please. We will review your manuscript submission and contact you on the viability of Left Hand Publishers accepting it to be published.



CAPSTONE PUBLISHING
https://www.capstonepub.com/library/service/submissions/
We are closed to unsolicited submissions. However, we are always seeking new authors and illustrators interested in work-for-hire assignments. Capstone is committed to serving marginalized communities. We actively seek Own Voices contributors; please specify in your cover letter if you identify with a specific community.

 

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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