TOP SPONSOR 

You’re working hard for success. 

We’ll help you be ready for when you find it. 

Most people learn the business side of their passion by failing—a lot. It can cost you time, money, stress, and lead to total burnout. Learning how to run your business isn't complicated. You just need to know where to start.

Our team of professional freelancers created a guide to teach you the ins and outs of managing your freelance business. Our free mini course on Freelance Management will help you analyze your finances, reach new clients, plan for growth, and more. 

Running your business doesn’t have to mean running yourself ragged. Try our free course today, and start running your business like a pro.

Click Here

WHAT FROM 2020 WILL HELP YOUR 2021?

No doubt, we experienced a myriad of unknowns and unique experiences in 2020, and when we are old and gray (next year, the way I am going), we will share stories beginning with, "Remember 2020?"

2020 was horrendous to many of us, but all of us experienced some form of shift in how we live our lives. We changed many of our habits while developing new ones. We thought outside the box out of necessity. But I dare say that those experiences have the potential to impact us positively in 2021. 

We learned how to communicate more efficiently and effectively online. Some of that will stick with us as we decide we don't need nearly the face-to-face we once did.

We learned how to work more efficiently from home. Even authors, when they could no longer do signings and conferences, learned how to reach out via social media and communication media. New products were even born to aid that online experience. 

We thought differently about what we wrote. Different themes took on different importance. We wrote things we would not have before, and our minds broached subjects we would not have fathomed in 2019. 

We learned what was important in terms of dealing with people. While some of us lost more manners than we cared to admit, many others took note of how to treat others, and in the end most of us we became better people. 

Some of us wrote much more and learned how to cram more words into a writing session. Others realized they really didn't want to write. Some took breaks.

The pandemic was a shakeup. We changed and whether we knew it or not, we grew.

As Seth Godin said in December, "Few people celebrate forest fires, but we’re all eager to walk through the sylvan glades that follow."

SUPER SPONSOR 

WRITING AND COMMUNITY: HOW TO FIND YOUR TRIBE

A free mini-course with writer/editor Kate Meadows

Do you crave feedback for your writing? Encouragement and accountability for a regular writing habit? A community where you can openly share your work and connect with other creative minds?

Join me for this virtual free mini-course, where I’ll talk about 5 key values of a writing tribe and how to find a group that fits your goals, personality and lifestyle! Connect with other writers who share similar goals and who, like you, are seeking a place where creative minds can come together.

Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021                  
9 a.m. MST
Zoom

[REGISTER] 
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAqceGrqjgpH9FSIXIsxEcIlf1m94x8HAXD

Questions? Email [email protected]

HOPE'S APPEARANCES

SUCCESS QUOTE

SUccess Story

Hello Hope 

Thank you so much for your newsletter. I've been following you for a few years, look forward to your newsletter every Friday, and am grateful for all your hard work. 

My good news is . . . drum roll please . . . my story, "Dream on My Doorstep," has been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Miracles and Divine Interventions, in bookstores January 12! And I am thrilled!

I was alerted to this call for submissions in a summer issue of FundsforWriters and received an email from the publisher regarding acceptance of my story the day after my 61st birthday in October. Such a sweet gift!

I've been scribbling stories since about age six. I have a degree in journalism and worked for Gannett Westchester and other newspapers before freelancing for magazines on topics such as relationships, single parenting, health and personal essays. 

My work has appeared in Hudson Valley Magazine, Woman Alive and Focus on the Family, among others. My poetry has been published in Chronogram. During the pandemic lockdown, I drafted a book I will self-publish in the first quarter of 2021, Awakened Heart: Meditations to Empower the Feminine Soul. 

I am also an empowerment coach helping women create happy lives and ditch repetitive patterns through self love and an elevated mindset. I founded AwakenedWoman.me which includes my story of how a seismic jolt to my personal life changed me forever and helped me find my voice and purpose. I am mom to three men, their beautiful wives, and one precious preschool grandson.

Again, sending you my heartfelt thanks for this newsletter and the encouragement you provide through your column. Wishing you a productive, peaceful, happy and healthy New Year!

Sheila Petnuch Fields
Hudson Valley of New York

- - -  


If you have a success story you believe was prompted by FundsforWriters, please share with us! Send to [email protected] 
 

Featured article

Connecting with Clients and Writing Markets

By Alex Cohen

Connections with our clients and writing markets form the cornerstones of a successful freelance business. When people remember YOU ARE THE WRITER, they hire you – but if clients forget your name, other writers get the job.

When starting out, I had a small handful of customers. Building and maintaining client relationships has increased my number of active clients, and I'm still connecting with new potential markets every month.

There's no single secret. It took work, time, and trust.

Here's how to spark and maintain lasting professional relationships with your client list as a writer.

Get to know more people

Most freelance writers know people. Get to know business owners, budding entrepreneurs, fellow writers, local and international bloggers, and marketing teams. Join the Chamber of Commerce. Anyone you know can be a potential client or referral route, either now or in the future.

I play regular contract bridge. I started corresponding with the team of Bridge Base Online some years back. Today, I write a daily column for one of Bill Gates' favorite online bridge websites.

Connect over questions

Asking questions can establish a connection. Use questions to contact new markets, or probe clients that have been quiet for a while. Ask about submission periods, writer's guidelines, or article rights. Ask about anything. Them answering matters more.

I've asked many copywriting agencies about their freelance use. More than once, they needed an extra copywriter on a very tight deadline. If I had not asked anything that day, would these jobs have come in? 

Writers gift writing

I love corporate gifts but hate the idea of forgotten keychains or worn-out shirts as lost promotional opportunities. 

When I wanted to do something special for a writing website three years ago, I sent them free promotional posts. We connected over gifted content, and today, they're a paying client.

Offer clients something new

Suggest something other writers haven't. Lead with tempting offers, like unique articles, discounted rates, or a new concept. When I cold-pitched MyCreditStatus a regular blog in lieu of an article, they said yes. It was just because I thought to ask.

Stay connected via email

Answer incoming messages religiously. Each new email that slips through is a potential client you've just lost. Older emails (from weeks to months) could do with following up. When people forget to contact you back, remind them that you're still available to write. Jog their memory by saying hi. 

Search your inbox for general keywords like “”proofreading,” “editing,” or “guidelines” and see what's in there. Go far back. Answer the unanswered, and you'll rekindle some writing connections and might find a writing gig.

Monitor your mailing list

Mailing or email subscriber lists track how much your name goes to inboxes outside of when you contact them. When customers unsubscribe or visit your website less, they require individual attention to hold onto their interest. Contact them personally instead, or run new content for better traffic. 

I know most editors don't have time to subscribe via email on my website. When something noteworthy happens, I'll run a post about it – or tell the relevant editor the news.

Never get personal

It's okay to say hello to a client, and fine to congratulate them. It's not okay to visit their personal social accounts, and congratulate them on their wedding. Never get personal, and never be insistent, forceful, or accidentally unsettling. Trust goes out the window, and they'll never open a message from you again.

Call customers

Before a phone or video call, the writer exists as a picture and some text in the client's mind. It can feel like working with an AI instead of a person who writes stuff.

Set up occasional calls with clients instead of just sending another email. It helps to see there's a real, authentic person behind writing their content. Adding a face or voice can boost customer trust.

Writing connections can't be made and forgotten. Maintaining these connections with your customers is how a successful freelancer finds clients and retains the ones they have. 

About the Author: Alex J Coyne is a freelance copywriter, language practitioner, and card player. He's written for international markets including FundsforWriters, The Dollar Stretcher, and People Magazine. He also writes a regular bridge column for Bridge Base 

COmpetitions

PINK POETRY PRIZE
https://grr.submittable.com/submit/178220/2021-pink-poetry-prize-judged-by-adrian-matejka
$2 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 16, 2021. Please submit one to three of your best poems, not to exceed ten pages. This is a contest for unpublished poems only. We accept all forms of poetry—visual poetry included. The judge will select one first-place poem and two runner-up poems. First place receives $1,000 plus publication in GRR 68, and two finalists receive publication in GRR. Other prize finalists may be considered for publication as well.



BETHESDA URBAN PARTNERSHIP ESSAY CONTEST
https://www.bethesda.org/special-events/writing-contests
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 18, 2021. First Place: $500 and published in Bethesda Magazine. Second Place: $250. Third Place: $150. Honorable Mentions: $75. (There is also a high school category.) Essays must be limited to 500 words or less about a topic of the writer's choosing. Only one entry per person. Your essay must be your original work. Residents of Washington, D.C. and the select counties of Maryland (Montgomery, Prince George's, Howard and Frederick) and Virginia (Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William) are eligible. 



BETHESDA URBAN PARTNERSHIP SHORT STORY CONTEST
https://www.bethesda.org/special-events/writing-contests
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 18, 2021. First Place: $500 and published in Bethesda Magazine. Second Place: $250. Third Place: $150. Honorable Mentions: $75. (There is also a high school category.) Stories must be limited to 4,000 words or less. Only one entry per person permitted. Residents of Montgomery County, MD and Upper NW Washington, D.C. (20015 and 20016 ZIP codes) are eligible.



ZOCALO PUBLIC SPACE POETRY PRIZE
https://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/2020/09/04/zocalo-public-square-is-accepting-entries-for-its-ninth-annual-poetry-prize-2/inquiries/prizes/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 29, 2021. Since 2012, Zócalo has awarded the prize annually to the US poet whose poem best evokes a connection to place. “Place” may be interpreted in many ways, be it of historical, cultural, political, or personal importance; the landscape may also be literal, imaginary, or metaphorical. The winner will receive $1,000 and will have the opportunity to deliver their poem at our spring book prize event. Zócalo will also publish the poem on our site alongside an interview with the poet. The winning poem becomes the property of Zócalo Public Square, but the writer may republish the poem at a later date with Zócalo’s permission. By entering the contest, the entrant grants Zócalo the right to publish and distribute their poem for media and publicity purposes, along with the poet’s name and photograph. 



STEPHEN A. DIBIASE POETRY CONTEST
https://dibiasepoetry.com/submit/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 31, 2021. Offers $500 for first place, $400 second, $300 third, $200 fourth and additional cash awards to be determined. One poem limit. For poems in English. Otherwise, no limitations or restrictions. All ages. All countries. Published or unpublished. Submission gives your consent for us to publish your poem on our website.



RATTLE CHAPBOOK PRIZE
https://rattle.submittable.com/submit
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 16, 2021. The $25 entry fee is a one-year subscription to Rattle (or a one-year extension for subscribers) at our regular rate. Three winners, judged by the editors of Rattle in an anonymous review, will receive $5,000 and 500 author copies of their chapbook, which will also be distributed to all of Rattle's 7,000+ subscribers along with issues of the magazine. At least one of the winners will be a poet who has not yet published a full-length book of poetry (more than 48 pages). Open to writers, worldwide; poems must be written primarily in English. Manuscripts may be 15 - 30 pages in length. 

 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

FULTON COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & CULTURE
http://fulton.dullestech.net/index.do
Deadline January 19, 2021. The Fulton County Department of Arts & Culture (FCAC) announces funding ranging from $1,000 to $50,000 for Fulton County-based arts, cultural, and community-based non-profit organizations and artist collectives for the 2021 funding cycle. Eligible applicants are encouraged to apply for these service contracts which are designed to support arts programming taking place between January 1 through December 31, 2021, and address the Fulton County Arts & Culture program mission to provide access, participation, and appreciation of the arts for all Fulton County residents.



ARTS KANSAS CITY GRANTS
https://artskc.org/inspirationgrantinformation/
ArtsKC Inspiration Grants are an investment in human capital, providing direct support to individual artists and arts professionals for projects and activities that have the potential to advance their careers and build their capacity for future work. These projects exemplify risk, growth, and change. Visual, music, theatre, literary, dance, and interdisciplinary projects are the primary focus of Inspiration Grants.



BYNNER FOUNDATION
https://www.bynnerfoundation.org/grants/index.htm
Individuals poets are funded through non-profit organizations. Poets working through schools, museums, presses, or other tax-exempt organizations will be considered. Organizations may apply for grant support from $1,000 to $10,000. The foundation does not support indirect costs for grant administration, endowment funds, capital improvements, or general operating expenses.



CINTAS FOUNDATION
https://www.cintasfoundation.org/fellowships/creative-writing-fellowship
Candidates may submit proposals in the field of creative writing. Eligibility: Creative artists of Cuban citizenship or direct lineage (having a Cuban parent or grandparent). The award ($20,000 US) is considered taxable income under US tax law, and the Foundation will withhold appropriate US taxes. 



BARBARA DEMING MEMORIAL FUND
https://demingfund.org/apply-pd-11.php
Barbara Deming, Money for Women is the oldest ongoing feminist granting agency. Grants from the foundation give monetary support and encouragement to individual feminist writers and visual artists. Application period is January 1-31 each year. Gives small support grants ($500 - $1,500) to individual feminist women in the arts who are citizens with primary residence in the US and Canada. Does not award film, video, theatre, dance, music, or performance projects. Scripts and musical compositions are also not eligible. We do not award work that is or will be self-published. 



MAX AND VICTORIA DREYFUS FOUNDATION
https://www.mvdreyfusfoundation.org/application-guidelines
The Foundation does not make grants to individuals. Grants are considered for IRS-qualified non-profit organizations located within the United States and typically range from $1,000 to $20,000. The Foundation will consider requests to support museums, cultural, and performing arts programs; schools, hospitals, educational and skills training programs, programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and their programs. Organizations seeking support from the Foundation may submit a letter of request, not exceeding three pages in length, which includes a brief description of the purpose of the organization and a brief outline of the program or project for which funding is sought.



THE HAVEN FOUNDATION
http://www.thehavenfdn.org/guidelines/
In order to be eligible for assistance, an applicant must be a freelance qualified person. The Foundation defines the group as persons connected with the artistic or entertainment industries including, but not limited to authors, actors, singers, dancers, directors, producers, choreographers, musicians, artists, and screenwriters selling work or services by the hour, day, job, etc. rather than working on a regular salary basis for one employer. Must also be a professional, an individual who is committed to his/her industry or work, who has derived at least 40 percent of his/her annual income over the past three years from his/her personal production, performance or other work in the industry. The qualified person must have experienced a recent, unforeseen emergency or triggering event that has significantly and adversely affected the qualified person’s ability to produce, perform and market his/her work and, thus, creates the need for immediate relief funds and/or assistance. Must also be a legal US resident.






Special Offer for Funds for Writers Subscribers
 
FREE audio copy of WORDS.
 
"In an endless sea of books of essays on writing, WORDS comes across fresher and more genuine than the rest."  – C. Hope Clark, author of the Edisto Island Mysteries and Carolina Slade Mystery series
 
Request your Audible promo code at www.JessicaMcCann.com/WORDSaudiobook-ffw 
(U.S. only; 100 copies available)


 

FREELANCE MARKETS / JOBS

COSSMASS INFINITIES
https://www.cossmass.com/submit/
Cossmass Infinities is a Science Fiction and Fantasy short story magazine edited by Paul Campbell. We encourage new authors to submit. We are looking for short stories between 2,000 and 10,000 words. We pay eight cents/word for original fiction. Cossmass Infinities is open for submissions on the following dates:

For Black, Asian, Latin, LGBTQ+, and other under-represented authors:
January 1st-7th
March 1st-7th
May 1st-7th
July 1st-7th
September 1st-7th
November 1st-7th

For All authors:
February 1st-7th
April 1st-7th
June 1st-7th
August 1st-7th
October 1st-7th
December 1st-7th



ELECTRIC LIT
https://electricliterature.submittable.com/submit
Open for PROSE, POETRY, and GRAPHIC NARRATIVE Submissions Monday, January 18, 2021 through Sunday, January 24, 2021. 

For the Commuter. Prose, submit one or more flash pieces, either standalone or connected. The total word count should not exceed 1,500 words in a single document. Poetry, submit four to six poems in a single document, and please limit the page count to eight. 

For Recommended Reading. Publishes fiction between 2,000 and 10,000 words. Response time is three to eight months. Upon acceptance, we can offer authors $300 for publishing rights.



UNFETTERED HEXES - AN ANTHOLOGY OF QUEER WITCHERY
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/davering/unfettered-hexes-queer-tales-of-insatiable-darkness
Deadline January 15, 2021. Unfettered Hexes: Queer Tales of Insatiable Darkness will be a speculative anthology telling stories about queer witches, the knife edge between the sacred and the profane, and infinite darkness. All prose contributors will be paid eight cents/word for their stories, making this an SFWA-qualifying market.  



RATTLE
https://rattle.submittable.com/submit
Rattle publishes unsolicited poetry and translations. Contributors to the print magazine receive $200 and a complimentary one-year subscription. Poems for "Online Only" categories receive $100. Our Summer 2021 issue will be dedicated to Appalachian Poets. The poems may be any subject, style, or length, but must be written by poets who themselves identify with Appalachia and were born or have lived in the region for a large portion of their lives. The poems need not be about Appalachia—our goal is to honor these poets by sharing the diverse creative work that they're producing. 



THE SOUTHAMPTON REVIEW
https://www.thesouthamptonreview.com/submit/
Deadline February 1, 2021. We encourage submissions from unpublished authors. We’re interested in voice-driven writing that takes risks with structure and content. We accept short stories and novel excerpts of 7,500 words max. Flash Fiction is welcome! Five poems maximum per submission. We accept creative nonfiction, memoir, personal essay, and traditional essay 7,500 words max. Pays $100 and up for prose and $75 per poem. 
Every contributor receives one copy of TSR. 



ELECTRIC LEMONADE
https://www.electriclemonade.com/remote-freelance-writing-job/
Electric Lemonade is seeking talented freelance content writers to help craft compelling informational content pages for clients in the legal, professional services, non-profit, and health and wellness fields. The purpose of these content pages is to empower, inform, and educate readers about a given topic in a waythat answers a question or solves a problem. For example, if someone is seeking to file divorce, we could create an information guide about the process of getting divorced in his or her state. The goal of these content pages is to establish trust rather than make a hard sell. We provide you with extensive information and reference material that may be sourced from various places online and offline to craft new original content that is 100 percent unique. This is a fully remote contract role, paid by the page above industry standards.



LOGIC
https://logicmag.io/pitch-us/
We are soliciting pitches for an upcoming issue of Logic. Logic is a magazine about technology and society that publishes three times per year, in print and digital formats. We’re trying to ask the right questions about how technology works, and whom it works for. We’re seeking reported articles, features, essays, and profiles that match our theme, Distribution. We pay $200 for shorter essays of 1000-1,200 words, and $500 for longer features of 2,000-3,000 words and up. If you know of someone who should write for Logic, please share!

 

Publishers/agents

DAUNT BOOKS
https://dauntbookspublishing.co.uk/contact/
With our roots as a travel bookshop, the titles we publish are inspired by the Daunt shops themselves. We’re interested in writing that evokes a strong sense of place — literary fiction (novels and short stories) and narrative nonfiction with a lingering atmosphere, a thrilling story, and a distinctive style. We do not currently publish poetry, genre fiction (including thrillers, crime, science-fiction, fantasy, and romance), novelty gift books, family memoirs or children’s books. As part of your submission, please include a brief paragraph outlining why you believe your work would sit well on the Daunt Books list. For fiction, please submit the entire manuscript, and a one-page synopsis. For nonfiction, please submit an outline of the book, and a sample chapter. Please include all relevant attachments in one email.



BELT PUBLISHING
https://beltpublishing.com/pages/about
Belt Publishing is an independent press founded in 2013 in Cleveland as a platform for new and influential voices. Our rapidly growing list includes original titles by some of the nation's best writers about often overlooked subjects of interest, with a particular focus on urbanism, history, and narratives that upend expectations about the Rust Belt, the Midwest, and its writers. 



BLACK BALLOON
http://www.blackballoonpublishing.com/impact-intro-1
Black Balloon's titles push the boundaries of what a book can be—from graphic novels to experimental writing to limited edition art books to digital projects and beyond. We champion the unconventional and believe in the meaningful above all. Black Balloon is a critically acclaimed imprint of Catapult, an independent publishing company headquartered in New York, NY. 



COFFEE HOUSE PRESS
https://coffeehousepress.org/pages/submissions
Coffee House Press publishes literary novels, full-length short story collections, poetry, creative nonfiction, book-length essays, and essay collections. CHP does not accept submissions of anthologies or books for children or young adults. The review process for full-length manuscripts can take four to six months or longer, in some instances. Sign up for their newsletter to see when submissions are open. 



FERAL HOUSE
https://feralhouse.com/about-us/
Feral House has been publishing innovative and celebrated nonfiction books since 1989. Movies have been made, cultural trends influenced and political crimes exposed by our small, independent press. Feral House and Process Media, publisher on topics of esoteric interests and distinctive voices, is a formidable force in independent publishing and often the first and definitive source for documenting important cultural movements. We feel that stories about and written by members of marginalized communities are interesting and essential to ALL readers. We are looking to expand our catalog by including more writers who identify as Women, People of Color, LGBTQ, and others who have felt excluded from traditional publishing. We have specific interest in stories about the African-American foremothers of rock-n-roll, African-American experiences in the post-Civil War Western US, historic Latinx contributors to American film and music, the history of Queer-core punk, feminist foremothers, stories of African-American cults, and forgotten uprisings like the Red Summer of 1919 and the political environment that gave rise to it.



IG PUBLISHING
https://www.igpub.com/about-ig/
Ig Publishing is a New York-based award-winning independent press dedicated to publishing original literary fiction and progressive political nonfiction. 

 

SPONSORS

www.fundsforwriters.com/advertising 

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

**Note that FundsforWriters.com places paid advertising in this newsletter, ALL ads being related to writers and the business of writing, screened by FundsforWriters to make sure the information is suitable for writers and their endeavors to improve their careers. But the mailing list is not sold to third parties. You will not receive this newsletter without your permission. It's physically impossible since recipients must opt-in, giving us permission to send the newsletter. If at any time you no longer with to receive the newsletter, click the UNSUBSCRIBE link at the bottom of each newsletter. We want you to enjoy this newsletter at your pleasure, not be forced to read anything you do not wish to receive. The website is not advertised using unsolicited messages by Aweber, affiliates or other third parties. Direct any complaints, suggestions, and accolades to Hope Clark at [email protected]. We are an anti-spam site.