TOP SPONSOR 

Want to launch a freelance writing business but don’t know how to begin?

I know how you feel. 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 roadmap to jump-start your writing business.

In this free guide, you’ll discover a way to bypass all the trial and error that so many freelancers go through when they’re just starting out.

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

Download your Freelance Writing Quick Start Guide here:

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

A DIFFERENT VIEW ON REJECTION

Not long ago, I was reviewing submissions to this newsletter (which also go on my blog), and something happened I've never had happen before. Every single one of them fell short of an acceptance. After a marathon review session, I rejected nine submissions in one day. 

Nine submissions may not sound like a lot; however, that reviewing process took me well over an hour, closer to ninety minutes. And at the end of it, I'd expended all that time with nothing to show for it. There I was unpaid for my time with slots still open in my newsletters and blog.

Some writers might say that rejection is worse for them than me, but when you consider the editor has to read through all these, offer feedback, then have nothing to use . . . the editor has lost income and wasted time.

These are the steps in my review process. Assuming submissions meet the word count and requested topics (see www.fundsforwriters.com/submissions) and write as if English was their first language (breaking either of those rules merits instant rejection), then I begin the following: 

I read them.
I do a mini-edit to try to make them work.
I determine whether the time invested in edits is worth the expense.
I carefully word the rejection with the reasons why.
If the idea has strong potential, I offer the chance for a rewrite and resubmission.

An editor is not trying to turn you down. Instead, an editor loves finding good pieces. Secondly, an editor loves finding a writer who follows the guidelines to the letter. If they get one or the other, the editor will attempt to make the piece fit. 

But if an editor finds someone who writes well, lands the topic, AND follows the guidelines? Then the editor might even suggest they make more submissions, or even suggest another topic for the writer to consider. In 2020, a lot of writers went on a hiatus for some reason, and submissions reduced. One gentleman, however, kept pitching me. He learned the FundsforWriters voice, the preferred subject matter, and followed the guidelines to the letter. He filled half the FundsforWriters slots for the year, and I didn't mind paying him over and over. He hit the mark, making my life so much easier, and his a little richer. 

So, next time you are rejected, try to analyze the reasons why and improve, because out there is an editor dying to have a well-written piece on a good topic. Trust me. 

SUPER 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

HOPE'S APPEARANCES

SUCCESS QUOTE

SUccess Story

Hi Hope,

Thank you for including the WOW! Women on Writing Winter Flash Fiction Contest in your January 2021 newsletter. My 750-word story, "Age of Innocence," won an Honorable Mention. This is my third win with Wow! Women on Writing. All three of those contests were listed in your newsletters. Thank you so much for all the incredible work you do in showcasing opportunities for writers.

Best,
Evelyn Krieger
Author of the award-winning novel, One Is Not A Lonely Number
www.EvelynKrieger.net 








 

Featured article

Selling Your Unemployment

By Rachel Carrington

How do you find the good in the bad when you’ve lost your job? Whether that job was your dream job or a paycheck, it paid the bills. Now that you’re unemployed, however, you’re thinking about how much you’ve always wanted to write. You never had the time, though. Well, the time is here, you need the income, and you can put this loss to work for you.

After having lost my job, I struggled to build my freelance writing to equal the income I made. Then I turned my frustration into cash by writing about my loss. Fifteen years later, I still write about that period of unemployment because the topic pays. There are sites interested in hearing about job loss, advice for those seeking work, and experiences in my chosen career field. 

One such place is Unemploymentville which provides detailed guidelines. They desire personal stories about the hardships of unemployment as well as unique job search methods. The pay is anywhere from $25-$75 for 350 words, but be prepared to wait a while for a response. 



Elite Personal Finance is always on the lookout for stories about how to save money, and if you’re unemployed, you already learned tricks about the lifestyle. Anything to do with money piques their interest, including loans. If you’ve used one of those payday loans or car title loans, an article about your personal experience will work perfectly here, especially if you include what not to do and why you shouldn’t use one of those options. They pay $300 per 1,000-3,000 word post. 

One of the best ways to work out your frustration about your job loss is to write a personal essay about it, and Vox considers them. You can also write about your money struggles without a job or how you’re surviving. Anything personal to you will work, and, unfortunately, unemployment is a big topic right now. They do accept essays from first-time writers, and even say they will work with you to turn a story idea into a decent essay. They don’t mention a specific payment amount, but their website states they do pay and will discuss specifics if a piece is accepted. 

If you are just getting started writing, you may want to consider writing for a few blogs that don’t pay just to get your feet off the ground and to build your portfolio. Not many, though, because you don’t want to be lulled into the satisfaction of acceptance and neglect the income you need. You can find blogs for any topic just by Googling THE TOPIC + WRITE FOR US. In this way, you can use your former career as a building block for your writing. 

Places like The Job Network and Quest News Group provide detailed guidelines on how to get your work accepted, and they can help you get your foot in the door. Even if you’ve just lost your job, you still have the knowledge you can share with others trying to break into your field.  

Losing your job isn’t fun, but it can be a jumping-off point to your writing career. Funnel your frustration and anxiety into essays and articles that can help other people, and your wallet as well. 

BIO—Rachel is a published author of fiction and nonfiction, having written for The Writer, FundsforWriters, Writers Weekly, Rooted in Rights, Startrek.com, and the New York Times to name a few. She is also a site expert for Redshirtsalwaysdie.com and a passionate blogger at ajourneyoffives.com.  


 

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. 




THE SMOKELONG GRAND MICRO COMPETITION
http://www.smokelong.com/the-smokelong-grand-micro-competition/
$6 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 1 to May 16, 2021. If your micro is chosen, you’re guaranteed $100, but you could win much more. In this competition you will have the opportunity to enter one, two, or up to four micros. All entries are read blind by the SmokeLong editors. We make every effort to reply as quickly as possible even during competitions. This means you will probably receive a reply within one week if we have decided to pass on the story. If we are taking longer than one week, be encouraged. This means that your story has made it through to the second round of judging. Limit 400 words. Languages: English or any other language accompanied by an English translation. The story will be judged on the English text. Fiction, nonfiction, and hybrid narratives are considered. Grand Prize: $1,500. Second Place: $500. Third Place: $300. Finalists: $100. All the above will be published in the June 2021 issue of SmokeLong Quarterly.



TUSCULUM REVIEW FICTION PRIZE
https://ttr.tusculum.edu/contest/
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 1, 2021. A prize of $1,000, publication in The Tusculum Review, and creation of a limited-edition chapbook is awarded for the winning story. Entry fee includes a subscription. Each manuscript should consist of a single story between 2,000 and 6,500 words in a standard 12-point font. Co-authored stories are permitted. Stories may not have been previously published nor be forthcoming.



JOHN GARDNER MEMORIAL PRIZE IN FICTION
https://harpurpalate.binghamton.edu/submit/contests/
$18 ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 15, 2021. First prize $500 and publication in the summer/fall issue. Short stories in any style, form, or genre are welcome, provided that they are no more than 8,000 words long and previously unpublished. 



FAR HORIZONS AWARD FOR SHORT FICTION
https://malahatreview.submittable.com/submit/134549/far-horizons-award-for-short-fiction
$25 CAD for Canadian entries; $30 CAD for American entries; $35 CAD for entries from Mexico and outside North America. $15 CAD for any additional entries, no limit. Deadline May 1, 2021. The Malahat Review invites emerging short-story writers to enter the Far Horizons Award for Short Fiction, for which one prize of $1,000 CAD is awarded. Eligible authors have yet to publish their fiction in book form (a book is defined to have a length of 48 pages or more). Publication in literary magazines is acceptable. The contest is open to Canadian and international writers anywhere in the world. In addition to the $1,000 prize, we're giving away a set of books to one lucky contest entrant!



SELF-PUBLISHED BOOK AWARDS
https://www.writersdigest.com/writers-digest-competitions/self-published-book-awards
$99 ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 1, 2021. One Grand Prize winner will receive $8,000 in cash, a feature article about you and your book for the March/April 2022 issue of Writer's Digest, a paid trip to the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference, including a coveted Pitch Slam slot. One First Prize winner in each category will receive $1,000 in cash, promotion in the March/April 2022 issue of Writer's Digest. All Grand Prize and First Prize winners will receive a feature on the Writer’s Digest website, a digital award seal for use in promoting your win. Honorable Mention Winners will receive promotion on www.writersdigest.com and a digital seal for use in promoting your win. Categories Mainstream/Literary Fiction, Genre Fiction, Nonfiction/Reference (General Nonfiction, Cookbooks, Guidebooks, Textbooks, How-To, etc.), Inspirational, Life Stories (Biographies, Autobiographies, Family Histories, Memoirs), Early Readers/Children’s Picture books, Middle-Grade/Young Adult, and Poetry. 

 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

SC HUMANITIES FAST TRACK GRANTS
https://schumanities.org/grants/howtoapply/#fasttrackliterarygrants
Deadlines March 1, June 1, and September 1, 2021. Fast Track Literary Grants are intended to support new or existing public literary programs such as (but not limited to) writers' series, festivals, conferences, workshops, or writer’s residencies at schools. Awards are $3,000 or less.



SC HUMANITIES MINI GRANTS
https://schumanities.org/grants/howtoapply/#minigrants
Monthly deadlines. Mini Grants are to support public humanities programs of modest cost. Awards are $2,000 or less. Mini Grants are reviewed monthly with deadlines on the first business day of the month. 



MARYLAND HUMANITIES GRANTS
https://www.mdhumanities.org/grants/grant-programs/
Our Mini Grants Program invites nonprofit organizations and schools to apply for funding in support of public humanities projects, documentary film, and civic education initiatives. Mini Grant deadlines are March 1, July 1, and November 1. Submit your application to meet one of the deadlines, which is at least ten weeks prior to the start of your project. Notification of awards will occur five weeks after the application deadline. The project must be completed within one year of the award. NOTE FROM HOPE: If you are an individual, considering contacting one of these entities and offering a project/presentation and let them apply for this grant to compensate you. 



MS. FOUNDATION FOR WOMEN ISSUES GRANTS
https://forwomen.org/grants-2/awgc-2021-rfp/
Supports Asian American women-led organizations and individual artists in NYC. In this grant cycle, the foundation anticipates awarding individual grants to up to eight projects (contingent on available funding). The maximum grant amount is $15,000. In 2021, the foundation is especially keen to fund projects that reflect on, or intervene, in the multiple pandemics of COVID-19 and the deepening rifts in inequality affecting vulnerable communities. The foundation welcomes projects that explore how the current evolving climate impacts women and girls, crosses racial and gender lines, and imagine new futures. Projects are to be completed by the end of 2022 and be designed so that they can be implemented/experienced virtually or following social distance guidelines if such guidelines are still recommended. Eligible applicants include both 501(c)(3) organizations and individual artists. Artists and collectives that are not 501(c)(3)s must apply under a fiscal sponsor that is a 501(c)(3) organization.



SOUTHERN STUDIES FELLOWSHIP
https://southernstudiesfellowship.org/
Deadline April 29, 2021. This collaborative residency program from Chapman Cultural Center and Hub City Writers Project is possible by grant funding from the Watson-Brown Foundation. This first-of-its-kind program will bring one early-career artist and one early career-writer to Spartanburg, South Carolina, for a nine-month residency of research, creativity, teaching, and travel, culminating in a collaborative project informed by the region. This program is geared toward artists and writers who are interested in immersing themselves in the culture of the American South. Fellows will travel throughout the Southeast to conduct research at cultural and educational institutions as they develop ideas for a collaborative project that expands the understanding of the modern South. Housing and monthly stipend of $900 included.

 

FREELANCE MARKETS / JOBS

UP HERE
https://www.uphere.ca/write-us
The only magazine that covers the entire Canadian North. When pitching, writers should be familiar with Up Here magazine—the various departments and our style. Our Front of Book contains a Seen and Noted department, which are essentially first-hand accounts of northern experiences running 500 to 800 words. This is also where we reserve space for the Icebreaker, a profile of a Northerner making a meaningful or interesting contribution to their hometown or the North. (This generally involves a portrait photo and a 150-300-word story.) Other topics include stories about prominent northern families, food and drink, historical keepsakes, treasures, or ephemera that tell about a place and time. Each month we also publish a column that shows off the colourful side of living in the North and a Last Word, recollecting unique and truly Northern moments and (often) struggles. Pays up to 50 cents/word.



CLUBHOUSE
https://www.focusonthefamily.com/clubhouse-magazine/about/submission-guidelines/
Focus on the Family Clubhouse is a 32-page magazine designed to inspire, entertain, and teach Christian values to children ages 8-12. We look for fresh, creative fiction stories, especially those with children our audience’s age as the main character. Seeking contemporary stories with multicultural or ethnic settings (1,800 words), fantasy or science-fiction stories, avoiding graphic descriptions of evil creatures and sorcery (1,800 words), historical fiction featuring great Christians or Christians who lived during great times (900 or 1,800 words, depending on the story), choose-your-own-adventure stories (1,800-2,000 words), and humor with a point (500 words). We are always looking for unique and interesting nonfiction stories and articles, especially stories about real-life kids. Every article should have a Christian angle, though it shouldn’t be overbearing. The concepts and vocabulary should be appropriate for our audiences’ ages. Nonfiction stories should fall between 400-500 or 800-1,000 words in length.



SLACKJAW - MEDIUM
https://medium.com/slackjaw/guidelines-for-slackjaw-submissions-f720ea4e1dfe
As the number one destination on Medium for all-things humor, and think-pieces on cats, Slackjaw wouldn’t be what it is without you, High Warlock of Funny Ideas. That said, we do accept submissions from humor writers of all backgrounds and extraterrestrial lifeforms. Our pieces fall under 1,000 words. Less is better. But not too less. Most pieces are 300–800 words. We’d love to see your submissions on a specific topic, which we’ll rotate every few months. We believe in paying all Slackjaw writers so that they can purchase coffee, groceries, extra bitcoin, and those cool bouncy balls you find in toy stores. We pay on every Slackjaw piece via Medium’s partner program (free to join). Our top five highest-earning pieces published in 2020 have earned their authors $3,496, $2,821, $2,483, $2,255, and $1,635.



THE STARTUP - MEDIUM
https://medium.com/swlh/a-call-for-great-stories-were-reimagining-the-startup-medium-s-largest-publication-with-680k-b06013ae1017
Our readers and contributors include founders, creatives, designers, developers, marketers, freelancers, and writers. Our tagline, “Build Something Awesome,” gets to the heart of our mission: to help readers get smarter at building their things; and to offer writers a platform to share their stories — of work, inspiration, and creativity. Seeks evergreen topics and themed topics. 



LEVEL - MEDIUM
https://level.medium.com/the-level-pitching-guide-35147f4733d5
We aim to fundamentally change what you think of when you hear the phrase “men’s publication,” and to do so through and for the worldview of Black and Brown men. They cover culture, life, race, identity, and politics. The majority of our stories will fall in the 1,000- to 1,500-word range. 

 

Publishers/agents

COUNTERPOINT PRESS
https://www.counterpointpress.com/about-us/
Author-driven, we devote all energy to the fresh, cutting-edge, and literary voices of our authors. The genres we cover are vast—fiction and nonfiction, poetry, graphic novels, and anthologies, all of which collectively focus on current affairs and politics, counterculture, music, history, memoir, literary biography, religion, and philosophy.



CAMCAT BOOKS
https://camcatbooks.com/For-Our-Authors
We’re a small, independent book publisher, and we’re open to submissions. We’re looking for quality fiction: from fantasy to mystery to romance, with a little of everything in between. We publish adult (over 18) and YA (9th-12th grades), novel-length genre fiction. We’ll look at any good tale, but what we want to see most urgently revolves around certain genres: Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Romance, Historical, Paranormal, Horror, and Adventure. We’ll even look at Westerns. We’re looking for polished, edited, and properly formatted manuscripts.



SMASHBEAR PUBLISHING
https://www.smashbearpublishing.com/
At SmashBear Publishing, we produce and publish high quality books. We specialise in urban fantasy, fantasy, and paranormal romance but will also consider horror and SciFi. As an independent, traditional publisher, we want to help change the face of literature by bringing diversity and fair representation to our genres. We love books and we believe that everyone should be able to see themselves represented in their heroes.



COPPS LITERARY SERVICES
https://www.coppsliterary.com/submit-to-us
We are looking for the following in fiction: Picture books and illustrators, Graphic novels, Sophisticated middle grade and young adult fiction, particularly stories with an emphasis on friendships and family as well as horror, suspense, and mystery. Upmarket adult fiction in the genres of commercial women’s fiction, romance, suspense, thrillers, mysteries, horror, literary, and book club. As for nonfiction: Select memoir with a platform, Narrative history, True crime. At this time, we are not looking to represent Poetry and Screenplays. 



THE JOY HARRIS LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.joyharrisliterary.com/about-us-1
Agent Joy Harris works primarily with literary fiction, strongly written commercial fiction, narrative nonfiction across a broad range of topics, memoir, and biography, and is drawn to a clear, original voice, an engaging point of view, and strong characters. Agent Adam Reed has interests in literary fiction, science, technology, and medicine. Agent Alice Fugate works primarily in the children’s book space, across all formats and genres, but also enjoys working on select adult projects, including stories about the American South, historical fiction, and works that explore faith, religion, music, or nature. She’s drawn to literary or well-written commercial projects that have a classic but fresh feel with distinctive, surprising voices from diverse backgrounds. In children’s books, she loves animal fables, fairy tale retellings, comedies of manners, adventure tales, heartfelt contemporary, and narrative nonfiction.



STORM LITERARY AGENCY
https://www.stormliteraryagency.com/aboutus
A fairly young literary agency that leans toward children's books and YA. 



EMERALD CITY LITERARY AGENCY
https://emeraldcityliterary.com/submissions/
Emerald City Literary represents picture books, middle grade, young adult, and children’s nonfiction. Please do not query with screenplays, poetry, short stories, or any projects aimed at an adult audience



JILL GRINBERG LITERARY MANAGEMENT
https://jillgrinbergliterary.com/about/
We represent nonfiction and fiction across the entire age and audience spectrum: adult, children’s, teen, and books that cross audiences. We also represent and are personally drawn to a variety of formats – straight text, text with visuals, graphic fiction and nonfiction. 



DECADENT PUBLISHING
http://decadentpublishing.com/submissions/
We are a romance fiction publisher. We are only accepting romance fiction submissions at this time. We aren't considering queries, proposals, or partial manuscripts (unless otherwise noted,) nor do we consider a manuscript that is simultaneously submitted to other publishers. If you have submitted your manuscript elsewhere, please wait for a response from the other publisher(s) before submitting to us. All manuscripts must be complete and submitted along with a submission form.



AITKEN ALEXANDER LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.aitkenalexander.co.uk/about-us/
A leading literary agency in London, they represent writers all over the world and sell work into the UK, US, and international territories, and across all media. They have a highly successful film and TV department with an exceptional "book to screen" record. 



LUIGI BONOMI ASSOCIATES LTD - LITERARY AGENCY
https://lbabooks.com/submissions
We’re welcome submissions in fiction, nonfiction, and children’s. We are passionate about debut authors, but we’d also love to see submissions from previously published or self-published authors.



SHEIL LAND ASSOCIATES
https://www.sheilland.com/about
Sheil Land Associates is a long-established literary, theatrical and film agency dating back to 1962. We have nine staff including six agents and their assistants, all of whom are strongly supported by friendly and experienced finance and administrative staff, making us one of the top five literary agencies in the UK. We look for literary fiction, commercial fiction and nonfiction in the categories below. We also represent celebrities and journalists with a story to tell. Fiction: book club fiction, children's and YA, contemporary fiction, commercial women's fiction, crime/mystery/thrillers, fantasy, genre romance of every kind, historical, horror/ghost stories, literary fiction, sagas, and science fiction. Nonfiction: biography/memoir, cookery, gardening, gift books/humour, history/military history, lifestyle, mind-body-spirit/self-improvement, politics, popular science, psychology, and travel. We represent playwrights, film and TV writers (including animation and children’s), documentary makers and directors, radio and TV presenters. A number of them also write successful books.

 

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.