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If you'd like to know why you haven't started, finished, or published your book yet, here's your chance to find out. Take this free, no-strings-attached, one-minute quiz to discover where you are in the writing process. Then you'll know what's keeping you from finishing the book of your dreams and what to do about it. The answer just may surprise you! 

FINDING YOUR WRITING PLEASURE

But pleasures are like poppies spread,
You seize the flow'r, its bloom is shed;
Or like the snow falls in the river,
A moment white—then melts forever.
–Robert Burns (1759–96)

Mankind is forever in search of pleasure, and writers are forever seeking some sort of sweet spot of success that works forever. I know, that sounds a little Nirvana, but it is true. When I was traveling to signings and conferences, some of the most common comments I received were: 

1) When I get done with fill-in-the-blank, I will write full time and really enjoy myself.

2) I hope to one day be like you and travel to events with my own work.

3) I keep trying to finish my book, but once I get fill-in-the-blank out of my way, I intend to dive into it.

Read Robert Burns' poem above. Pleasures are like poppies or like snow. In both cases, the moments are fleeting. In the case of snow, you wait around, hoping for another delivery. Might be days, weeks, a year, even several years, but you look forward to that pleasure.

In the case of poppies, you touch the flower, enjoy it, then it's gone. But also in the case of poppies, you can influence the level and frequency of your success. You can plant a pot of them, or a field. A small garden or ten acres. Your choice of work infused determines the potential outcome of success. 

Or you can just enjoy someone else's poppy for a brief moment. Or sit around praying for snow. 

You will always find pleasure here and there in your life, but you can also increase its chances of arrival.

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Featured article

Is There Something Else You Can Write About?

By Emily-Jane Hills Orford

We often hear write what we know. There is some merit in those sage words, but is there a market for what we know? Absolutely. The first thing you need to do is make a list of what you know. What are your passions?

As a writer of historical fiction, fantasy, creative nonfiction and memoirs, I’ve accumulated a lot of published credits, but that’s not all I write. Perhaps my greatest passion is creative nonfiction, or rather, writing stories about peoples’ lives, and, there are a lot of paying markets out there to support this passion. Where? 

For me, it’s been small, local publications, like Curious Tourist Guide. This is a local guide for the Georgian Bay and southwestern Ontario region of Canada and, having grown up in that geographic area, I have plenty of stories to suit the niche. Not the biggest paying market, but the best part is the byline which advertises my books. Study freebie guides in your local area and see what opportunities there might be for your stories.

Another passion I have is gardening. When I’m not writing, or reading, and when the weather is good (mostly spring and summer), I’m in my garden. When the weather isn’t good, I’m writing about my garden. Here again, I’ve managed to incorporate my love of people stories to give my writing a personal touch, rather than the dry technical data one usually finds in garden stories. Markets? There are actually quite a few. I write regularly for InSteading. I’ve also been published in Backwoods Home Magazine, Green Prints and American Gardener. All good paying markets. Once again, it’s not just the payment for the story, but the byline that provides me with more free publicity.

There’s also my passion for education, particularly music education. This is a great market for writing technical stories on different educational topics, like food and music and writing. Particularly interested in story submissions are homeschool publications like the Old Schoolhouse Magazine. 

I began my writing career as a food writer. This is another market that encourages people stories. Some of the publications I wrote for in the past are no longer in print, but others continue to put out regular publications, like Home Cooking and, again, Backwoods Home Magazine and the Old Schoolhouse Magazine. 

So, how does this help you with your writing career? First, make a list of what you know and what your passions are. For me, as a master of many trades, I’ve been brought up never to sit idle. When I’m not writing, I’m working on my other passions:

•    Baking
•    Adapting to food allergies
•    Gardening
•    Dogs and rescues
•    Needle and thread craft projects
•    Music composition (I’m a retired music teacher with works written for piano, cello, and clarinet.)
•    Family history and people stories
•    History in many forms
•    Art (I am an artist and art historian.)
•    Books, as author and reader 
•    Teaching (I teach creative writing to young writers.)

I have written and published stories and articles on every topic listed above. While I love writing fiction, I also enjoy the discipline of writing about specific topics like those listed above. Write what you know? Why not? It’s more than a cliché. It’s a solid platform from which to launch a good writing career and to hone your skills along the way.

BIO: Emily-Jane Hills Orford is a published food writer, gardening blogger, novelist and writer of creative nonfiction books and stories. She has received numerous awards for her writing. Her passion for Scottish history shines through in her latest novel, Queen Mary’s Daughter (2018: Clean Reads Publishing) and King Henry’s Choice (2019: Clean Reads Publishing), as well as her middle grade fantasy novels in The Piccadilly Street Series (Tell-Tale Publishing 2018-2020). Perhaps not the ‘write what you know’ that started her writing career, but certainly the passion that allowed it to evolve. For more information on the author, check out her website at: http://emilyjanebooks.ca or connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn. 


 

COmpetitions

CHAPTER ONE PRIZE FOR NOVELISTS
https://gutsygreatnovelist.com/chapter-one-prize/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 1, 2021. The Gutsy Great Novelist Chapter One Prize is awarded for an outstanding first chapter of an unpublished novel. First prize is $1,000; 2nd is $500; and 3rd is $250. The prize is open to anyone over 18 writing a novel in English in any genre for adult or YA readers. 




WILBUR SMITH ADVENTURE WRITING PRIZE
https://www.wilbur-niso-smithfoundation.org/awards/intro
£49 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 7, 2021. The Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize is an international prize that supports and celebrates the best adventure writing today. The Prize is open to writers of any nationality, writing in English. First prize is a publishing deal with Bonnier Books UK and £15,000 advance. Up to six shortlisted writers will be offered manuscript development by a top literary consultant. To enter, you must not already have a novel published although self-published works are eligible. You must not have a literary agent. 



RBC BRONWEN WALLACE AWARD FOR EMERGING WRITERS
https://www.writerstrust.com/awards/rbc-bronwen-wallace-award-for-emerging-writers/
Deadline February 22, 2021. Two $10,000 prizes will be given for outstanding works of unpublished poetry and short fiction. Must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. Can be published in a literary magazine or anthology but must be unpublished in book form. 



THE WRITERS' TRUST ENGLE FINDLEY AWARD
https://www.writerstrust.com/awards/writers-trust-engel-findley-award
The $25,000 Writers' Trust Engel Findley Award is given to a mid-career writer in recognition of a remarkable body of work, and in anticipation of future contributions to Canadian literature. All Canadian writers are eligible. The winner, selected by a three-member, independent judging panel, is announced annually at the Writers’ Trust Awards. Must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. Must have at least three books published, predominantly fiction. 



PUCHI AWARD
https://www.lacasaencendida.es/en/competitions/puchi-award/puchi-award-2021-12050
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 18, 2021. The competition is open to books in any genre or form: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, novels, comics, picture books, essays, cookbooks, geography books, combinations of the above or any other type imaginable. We’re looking for one-of-a-kind book, or even a whole new kind of book. All authors of legal age from Spain or any other country are eligible to submit one or more original, unpublished works. The winner will receive a cash prize of €8,000 (VAT and all other taxes included, as an advance on the rights of the published work) and have his/her work published and distributed by Fulgencio Pimentel. The award recipient will grant the publishers exclusive worldwide rights to the winning work, including all reproduction, distribution, public communication and transformation rights, for a period of 10 years. Reception of the prize money is contingent on the completion and publication of the winning work. The winner will be entitled to receive 25 copies of his/her work.



PURPLE DRAGONFLY AWARDS
https://www.dragonflybookawards.com/purple-dragonfly
$60 ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 4, 2021. The Purple Dragonfly Book Awards is a worldwide book competition that was created in 2009 to celebrate the best in children’s books. Not only do we want to recognize and honor accomplished authors in the field of children's literature, but we also want to highlight up-and-coming, newly published, and younger writers. Divided into 57 categories ranging from books on the environment and cooking to sports and family issues to the marketing collateral such as bookmarks and media kits that complement a book, the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards are geared toward books that appeal to children of all ages. The grand prize winner will receive a $500 cash prize; a professionally-designed banner featuring the Grand Prize-winning book; a certificate commemorating their accomplishment, 100 Grand Prize seals and more. All first-place book contest winners of all categories will be put into a drawing for a $100 prize. Second-place winners receive a digital certificate commemorating their accomplishment, a digital award seal for use on book covers.



ROYAL DRAGONFLY AWARDS
https://www.dragonflybookawards.com/royal-dragonfly
$60 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 1, 2021. The Royal Dragonfly Book Award contest is a worldwide book competition that honors excellence in all types of literature and book marketing, recognizing creativity and hard work for a comprehensive list of genres in 71 categories. The grand prize winner will receive a $500 cash prize; a professionally-designed banner featuring the Grand Prize-winning book; a certificate commemorating their accomplishment; 100 Grand Prize seals and more. All first-place book contest winners of all categories will be put into a drawing for a $100 prize. Second-place winners receive a digital certificate commemorating their accomplishment, a digital award seal for use on book covers.
 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

Join Booker Prize-shortlisted novelist and essayist Maaza Mengiste online for an interactive talk on The Craft of Revision, Saturday, February 20 from 4-6 PM EST.

How do you move from feedback to new work? How do you approach the task of revising a manuscript when you can't figure out what exactly isn't working, but you know it's not? What questions do you ask yourself to help you get started? What do you look at first?

Full description and registration at
http://disquietinternational.org/online-events


= = = 

BAILEY OPPORTUNITY GRANTS - KNOXVILLE, TN
https://www.knoxalliance.com/bailey/
Deadline March 21, 2021. Grants provide financial and technical support to individual artists and individual artists and small, professionally-oriented arts and culture organizations (whose budget is under $100,000). The grants are designed to spur continued artistic and administrative growth in innovative, entrepreneurial artists and organizations at any stage in their development. Applicants may apply for a maximum of $75,000 in support, although most organization grants have ranged in size from $1,000 to $15,000 and most artist grants range from $1,000 to $5,000. The goal of Bailey Opportunity Grants is to create a more vital creative community in Knoxville.



JUNEAU COMMUNITY FOUNDATION GRANTS
https://www.juneaucf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/JCF-Arts-Grant-Program-Press-Release-2021.pdf
Deadline March 15, 2021. The Foundation’s Individual Artist Award grant program is dedicated to the development of artists in their pursuit of the creation of original works, by fostering the creative process that produces their vision. Total funds available for this grant round is $10,000, with a maximum award amount of $2,500. 



WOODCOCK FUND
https://www.writerstrust.com/programs/woodcock-fund-grant
No deadline. Emergency funding to professional Canadian writers in mid-project. Must be a professional writer (minimum of two books published or equivalent), must be facing an unforeseen financial need. Pays $2,000 to $10,000.



WRITERS' TRUST MENTORSHIP
https://www.writerstrust.com/programs/writers-trust-mentorship
Deadline March 8, 2021. The Writers’ Trust Mentorship program provides support, guidance, and one-on-one instruction to a developing writer from an established writer. Three mentors are selected by the Writers’ Trust, each working in one of the fields of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Each mentor selects one mentee from a pool of applicants to work with over a five-month period. Beyond instruction, mentees will also receive $2,500. Must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Must have previously published creative work in an independently edited journal, magazine, anthology, or chapbook. Must not have previously published a full-length manuscript.



LIFT - EARLY CAREER SUPPORT FOR NATIVE ARTISTS
https://www.nativeartsandcultures.org/programs/lift
Deadline March 16, 2021. The LIFT – Early Career Support for Native Artists program will provide critical support to early-career Native artists with one-year awards to develop and realize new projects. One-year awards of $10,000. Artist awardees will participate in trainings facilitated by NACF and designed to provide education around project management, small business development, career advancement, and artistic development. In order to be eligible for the LIFT program, applicants must be 18 years or older; currently reside in the United States; be an enrolled member or citizen of a federally-recognized or state-recognized American Indian tribe or Alaska Native corporation, or of Native Hawaiian ancestry; and be an individual practicing artist working in the disciplines of dance/choreography, fiction/poetry writing, film/video, multi-disciplinary arts, music, performance art, theater, and screenplay writing, traditional arts or 2D + 3D visual arts.



SHIFT - TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE AND INDIGENOUS ARTS PROGRAM
https://www.nativeartsandcultures.org/programs/shift
The SHIFT – Transformative Change and Indigenous Arts program supports artist- and community-driven projects responding to social, environmental or economic justice issues through a Native lens. The SHIFT program consists of a two-year suite of support services that includes financial resources, professional development, artist/stakeholder convening, cross-sector collaboration, evaluation, exhibiting and presenting. Two-year awards totaling $100,000 with $50,000 of the award earmarked for the lead artist or arts collective and the remaining monies for project partners.



ACTOS DE CONFIANZA EMERGENCY GRANTS
https://www.nalac.org/actos-guidelines-2021/
The National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC) announces an open call for Latinx artists, cultural workers and arts organizations to apply for emergency grants through its Actos de Confianza relief efforts. The $2,500 artist grants and $5,000 organization grants aim to support those facing critical financial emergencies due to the impact of COVID-19 in the United States and Puerto Rico. Deadline is over for Mid-America. Deadline March 17, 2021 for Eastern US and Puerto Rico. Deadline May 12, 2021 for Western US. 



HUMOR ME - A FUNNY WRITER'S FELLOWSHIP
https://www.writerscolony.org/fellowships
Deadline February 22, 2021. This fellowship is open to poets, fiction writers, playwrights, essayists, columnists, memoirists, and screenwriters who use humor as a key element in their work. The fellowship winner will receive a two-week residency to allow the recipient to focus completely on their work. Our writers' suites have 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 (or, if COVID protocols are in place, delivered to your suite), the camaraderie of other professional writers when you want it, and a community kitchen stocked with the basics for breakfast and lunch. Residency must be completed by March 31, 2022. 



MY TIME, A WRITER'S FELLOWSHIP FOR PARENTS
https://www.writerscolony.org/fellowships
Deadline March 15, 2021. Writers who are also parents of dependent children under the age of 18 are invited to apply. Work may be any literary genre: fiction or nonfiction, poetry or prose, scripts or screenplays. The successful applicant will demonstrate literary merit and the likelihood of publication; however, prior publication is not a requirement. The fellowship winner will receive a one-week residency to allow the recipient to focus completely on their work. A $400 stipend is available to cover childcare and/or travel costs. Each writers’ 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.

 

FREELANCE MARKETS / JOBS

CHICKEN SOUP: CATS
http://www.chickensoup.com
Deadline February 28, 2021. We are looking for first-person true stories and poems up to 1,200 words. We want your funny stories about your cat, your serious stories, and your inspirational stories. What have you learned from your cat? Is your cat a good role model for values that people should have too, like resilience, or determination, or a sense of humor? Does your cat take care of you instead of the other way around? Did she "rescue" you after you "rescued" her? How did you meet? Pays $200 and ten copies of the book. 



CHICKEN SOUP: CHRISTMAS
http://www.chickensoup.com
Deadline May 31, 2021. We want great holiday stories that share your traditions and memories of normal holidays pre-pandemic. We're hoping the pandemic is behind us by the time we're all reading our 2021 holiday book. We are looking for first-person true stories and poems up to 1,200 words. Pays $200 and ten copies of the book. 

 

Publishers/agents

UNICORN PRESS
http://www.unicorn-press.org/submit/index.html
Unicorn Press seeks to publish excellent works of poetry that are unlikely to find a home elsewhere. We do not publish short fiction, nonfiction, novels, science fiction, how-to or self-help books, reference texts, individual poems, or children’s literature.



FABER
https://www.faber.co.uk/getting-published
Every week our Editors are inundated with manuscripts, but the reality is that we can no longer accept unsolicited submissions. We will no longer look at or enter into correspondence about unsolicited works of fiction, nonfiction, plays, screenplays or children's books. We will, however, continue to accept poetry submissions. If you intend to submit your poetry, please make sure to read the online guidelines carefully.



ASTROPHIL PRESS
https://www.astrophilpress.com/submissions
The editors and publisher at Astrophil Press are active members of the writing community who read literary magazines, buy books, attend readings and conferences, and engage with the community online and in person. We acquire most of our titles through community engagement and by reading widely. We do not accept unsolicited manuscripts. However, we do have open reading periods where we look for writers who might not be on our radar. Please do not email us to ask when we will be open for submissions. Check the website for reading periods. Simply put: Astrophil Press publishes books that explore the possibilities of language, form, and genre. (Which includes poetry.)



PROLIFIC PRESS
https://prolificpress.com/book-submissions/
Prolific Press is now accepting full-length poetry, fiction, and nonfiction manuscripts for book publishing (no sample chapters please). We do not charge reading fees. Decisions are based on several factors including the popularity of the author, the market for similar books at the time of distribution, and the features of the book including quality, size, and genre. Emerging authors are OK.



WHISKEY TIT
https://whiskeytit.com/submission-guidelines/
Whiskey Tit welcomes submissions of varying lengths and types, with the understanding that we are a very small team with a wayward focus. We prefer experimental, sui generis, impossible to categorize texts. While our current catalog comprises fiction and memoir, we have art books and poetry in the pipeline, and welcome submissions of any medium in line with our mission.



DISORDER PRESS
http://disorderpress.com/submissions/
Disorder Press publishes poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. We’re looking for the sweet sweet good stuff that pushes the boundaries of conventional genres.



NIGHTINGALE & SPARROW PRESS
http://nightingaleandsparrow.com/press/
Open for submissions in May 2021. Nightingale & Sparrow Press is looking for full-length manuscripts. While we’re partial to poetry, we’ll certainly consider collections of prose (fiction or CNF) pieces, photography, or mixed media – if you think it’s a good fit and it can be printed in this form, send it our way! Page count: 50 to 150 pages. 

 

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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