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ACCEPTING ADVICE

Not long ago, I was in an online chat. A woman had just been offered representation by an agent, and she was over the moon. She was concerned, however, that the agent had asked that parts of the story be rewritten in a different direction. Others in the chat rose up in a banter about how much a writer should sacrifice for an agent or publisher. 

Writers do not know everything about what makes their story great. They write with blinders on. They have birthed this tale and think it is as it should be. Then along comes an agent, editor, or publisher that shakes the writer's world by saying it could be better by adding this, deleting that, or taking a different path. 

The mature writer welcomes such suggestion. The mature writer realizes that they are not all-knowing. Someone who has handled dozens if not hundreds of stories, and seen how change can reform a manuscript into something grander, just might be able to take your good story and make it great. 

"Sure," you say, especially when talking about someone else's work. "They are professionals." But when it comes to your writing, you tend to think that a critiquer doesn't know your story like you do, leading you to want to dig in and not change a thing. 

You are not perfect. Honestly, you cannot write a perfect story. Whatever story you have read that you felt flawless, there was an agent, editor, or publisher involved who altered it and helped it get there. In this chat I mentioned above, I stated that I often accepted 90 percent of the editor's suggestions on my books. Instead of marveling at that percentage, a participant asked what I did in the other ten percent. I said we negotiated, and I literally picked what I could sacrifice for the sake of keeping something else. 

I repeat . . . you do not know it all, even if it is your own writing. 

Crimereads.com recently had an article about how a struggling novelist listened to advice from a master, in this case, John Le Carre. 

“You need to remember this. The cat sat on the mat,” said David (aka John Le Carre). “That’s not a story. But the cat sat on a dog’s mat. Now that’s a story.”

That is such simple advice. And if the writer had not cut himself open in front of this master, asking for suggestion with an open mind, he would not have received this and improved his words. 

Be open to listening. You don't have to implement all the change, but you cannot say you don't need a critique. Everyone needs tweaking if not downright an overhaul. It takes maturity to take it, listen, and sort through it for what you wish to keep. I've seen editors who were so-so writers but could dissect other's writing with skilled precision. And I've seen writers who could not edit worth a darn. 

The writer creates art. The priority of agents and publishers, however, is to create a product that sells.

SUPER SPONSOR 

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Connecting people through story and expression

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HOPE'S APPEARANCES

SUCCESS QUOTE

SUccess Story

Hi Hope!
First, an enormous "THANK YOU" for your weekly Funds for Writers. Each week as I peruse it, I find an opportunity to submit something which I have written. My short story, Mama's Nursery, will be published in the e-zine Zooscape in the fall. I took your advice and wrote something (think sci-fi, dystopia) well out of my comfort zone and it paid off, so thank you! I can only believe that it took a world pandemic to draw these characters out of me.

Hope, you rock!

Best,
Gloria Caviglia

- - - 

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

Featured article

Write Listicles for Fun and Profit 

By Tiffany Doerr Guerzon

Listicles are not only great staples for seasoned freelancers, but are also a good way for new writers to break into print. I have been writing these bite-sized, easily digestible articles for years. Listicles used to be called refrigerator articles, because folks would cut these short informational pieces out of the newspaper and hang them on the fridge for easy reference. These can be written on any theme: humor, fun facts, pop culture, or "how-to" service pieces, and simply, they have two main parts: an introduction and the list. 
 
Look through your social media feed or the covers of magazines at the grocery store for examples of published listicles. Here are three I saw today: Shape magazine: "16 Foods for Peak Energy," Yoga magazine: "13 Ways to Break Out of a Rut," and In Style magazine: "Four Rules for Matching Prints."
 
Once you start looking, you see them everywhere! Want to try your hand at writing a listicle? Just follow the steps outlined below. 

Brainstorm Ideas and Themes

The best articles are about your experiences, or a subject you found interest in. Have you figured out fun ways to get your kids to eat their veggies? Or do you have the lowdown on the best hiking trails for families in your locality? Grab a notebook, pick a theme, and see if you can scribble down five to ten ideas that could become bullet points for a list. Don't worry if you don't have many items; you can add more by doing what writers do best—research!  

The Introduction

Your intro should explain to readers what your listicle is about and why this information will be useful. In other words, why should they read this list? 

Make Your List

Next, each item should have a bullet point that states the item or idea in bold, followed by a comment, short explanation, or even hyperlink to a product, if applicable. Feel free to add humor or personal anecdotes for flavor. 

Conclusion

Not all listicles require a conclusion, as they are supposed to be short, sweet, and to the point. I add a conclusion when I have more information or ideas to convey that didn't fit the list format. 

Length

The length of your finished article depends on both your theme and the publication. Most list articles are 700 words or less. 
 
Edit

Once you've drafted your article, it's time to edit. Take a deeper look while considering the following: 
•   Does the introduction clearly explain the what and why?
•   Is your article written in a warm, inviting, conversational tone?
•   Does your list include snappy, short explanations of each item?
•   Did you include personal experience or anecdotes?
•   For service articles, are your words inspirational with a "you can do it" vibe instead of a judgmental "you should do this" tone?
•   Is the article easy to scan quickly and digest the basic ideas?
•   Did you have a third party read it for understanding?
•   Did you catch typos and grammar issues?

Sell It!

Once titled and polished, start querying publications. For parenting, home economics, thrift, and family life listicles, check your local newspaper, parenting publications, and women's magazines. And don’t forget to pitch to a publication’s blog as well, always a good opportunity to gain access.
 
Not only are listicles fun to write, they can sharpen your writing skills and help you get that first— or one-hundredth—clip. 
 
Here are a few bigger markets to aim for:
 
Listverse: https://listverse.com/write-get-paid/
 
Cracked: https://www.cracked.com/write-for-cracked/
 
Mental Floss:  https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/66292/freelance-help-wanted
 
Bio: Tiffany Doerr Guerzon is a writing instructor who loves writing listicles. She is also an award-winning freelance writer and her articles and essays have been featured in two Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies, the Christian Science Monitor, Brain, Child, Grown and Flown, This Land Press, and over 80 regional parenting publications. www.TDGuerzon.com




 

COmpetitions

F(R)ICTION SPRING CONTEST
https://frictionlit.org/contests/
$10-$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 29, 2021. Short stories: 1,001 – 7,500 words. Flash fiction: (up to three pieces in the same document) up to 1,000 words per piece. Poetry: (up to five poems in the same document) up the three pages per poem. Creative Nonfiction: up to 6,000 words. We accept work, written in English, from anywhere in the world. Short Story: first prize receives $1,000. Flash Fiction: first prize receives $300. Poetry: first prize receives $300. Creative Nonfiction: first prize receives $1,000. 



FLASH 500 FLASH FICTION CONTEST
https://flash500.com/flash-fiction/
£5 ENTRY FEE, Deadline June 30, 2021. This quarterly open-themed competition has closing dates of June 30, September 30, and December 31, 2021. The results will be announced about six weeks after each closing date, and the three winning entries each quarter will be published on this website. First: £300. Second: £200. Third: £100. 



NOVEL OPENING CHAPTER AND SYNOPSIS COMPETITION
https://flash500.com/novels/
£10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 31, 2021. First: £500. Runner up: £200. We are looking for an opening chapter of up to 3,000 words, plus a one-page synopsis outlining the balance of the story to be submitted together in a single file.



DESCANT PRIZES
https://descant.tcu.edu/awards/
NO ENTRY FEE. There are four awards. The $500 Frank O’Connor Award for fiction (for the best short story in an issue). The $250 Gary Wilson Award (for an outstanding story in an issue). The $500 Betsy Colquitt Award for poetry (for the best poem or series of poems by a single author in an issue). The $250 Baskerville Publishers Award (for an outstanding poem or poems by a single author in an issue). There is no application processing or reading fee. All published submissions are eligible for prize consideration. Simply submit your work.



PARSEC SHORT STORY PRIZE
http://parsecink.com/index.php/parsec-short-story-contest/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 15, 2021. No minimum, no more than 3,500 words. All stories must be of the Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror genres. The theme for the 2021 contest is Still Waters, Deep Thoughts. The contest is open to non-professional writers (those who have not met eligibility requirements for SFWA or equivalent: sale of a novel or sale of three stories to a large-circulation publication. The winning story will be the one that most effectively uses the contest theme as a key element. First place receives $200 and publication in the 2021 Confluence program book (Confluence). Second place receives $100. Third place receives $50. 



SCIENCE ME A STORY
https://sruk.org.uk/initiatives/public-engagement/science-me-a-story/
Deadline April 18, 2021. The ultimate goal of the contest is to promote the scientific spirit and inspire the next generation that will later build our future. We hope to achieve this through the communication of scientific achievements, findings, methods, and anecdotes in the form of short stories. The competition is open to any adult (aged 18 years and older), irrespective of their nationality or country of residence as long as the stories, presented in Spanish or English, are original and unpublished by any media (including Internet). Prose: 400 to 1,700 words. Poems: 170 to 1,000 words. The awards for each category will include a winner prize (£200) and two runners-up prizes (£150 and £100). The awarded stories will be published in the online magazine PRINCIPIA (stories in Spanish, https://principia.io/) and in the literature hub at the University of Liverpool (stories in English, https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/literature-and-science/blog/events/scistory/).



THE WILLIE MORRIS FICTION AWARD
https://williemorrisawards.org/submission-information-for-southern-fiction-entries/
Deadline April 30, 2021. A prize of $10,000 will be awarded for a novel of at least 50,000 words published during 2020. Self-published books will not be accepted. The winner will be notified in the fall of 2021 and invited to attend the Willie Morris Award ceremony in Oxford, Mississippi, with travel expenses paid for the occasion. There is no entry fee.



TORONTO BOOK AWARDS
https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/awards-tributes/awards/toronto-book-awards/book-awards-submission-information-eligibility/
Deadline April 30 (for books published between March 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021). Award: $15,000 in prize money; finalists receive $1,000 and the winning author is awarded $10,000. Submission must contain some clear Toronto content (this may be reflected in the themes, settings, subjects, etc.), but authors do not necessarily have to reside in Toronto.

 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

MOONDANCER FELLOWSHIP - THE WRITERS' COLONY
https://www.writerscolony.org/fellowships
Deadline May 31, 2021. The Moondancer fellowship is awarded to an author who expresses their love of nature and concern for the environment through their writing. This fellowship is open to poets, fiction writers, playwrights, essayists, columnists, memoirists, and screenwriters. Prior publication is not a requirement. The submitted work sample should demonstrate literary merit and the promise of publication, or in the case of theater and film, production. Location: The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow, Eureka Springs, AR.



EMERGING FELLOWSHIP - THE WRITERS' COLONY
https://www.writerscolony.org/fellowships
Deadline June 14, 2021. Poets assembling their first book of poems are invited to apply for this fellowship. Do you have enough or nearly enough poems for your first book? Do you need time and mental space to write new poems, revise the ones you’ve written, select and arrange them for a book, or all of these? Eligible applicants shall not have published a chapbook or other book of verse but may have published other books. The fellowship winner will receive a two-week residency to allow the recipient to focus completely on their work. Location: The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow, Eureka Springs, AR.



CELEBRATE! MAYA PROJECT - THE WRITERS' COLONY
https://www.writerscolony.org/fellowships
Deadline June 28, 2021. This fellowship invites young writers, ages 18 to 25, to explore social justice issues including racial discrimination, women’s rights, and educational disparity. The work may be in any literary genre: fiction or nonfiction, poetry or prose, or a combination. The successful application will demonstrate insight, honesty, literary merit, and the likelihood of publication. Two fellowships will be awarded. One will be unrestricted. The other will be awarded to a young writer from the Arkansas Southern Delta region. Fellowship winners receive a two-week residency to focus completely on their work. Location: The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow, Eureka Springs, AR.



DANCING IN THE RAIN FELLOWSHIP FOR CHILDREN'S LITERATURE - THE WRITERS' COLONY
https://www.writerscolony.org/fellowships
Deadline July 26, 2021. The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow is offering a fellowship for writers of children’s or young adult (YA) literature. Candidates should be working on a picture book or chapter book that provides inspiration and hope for those struggling with the hardships and challenges that life often metes out. The successful application will demonstrate insight, honesty, literary merit, and the likelihood of publication. The fellowship winner will receive a two-week residency to allow the recipient to focus completely on their work. Location The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow, Eureka Springs, AR.



WRITING ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS FELLOWSHIP - THE WRITERS' COLONY
https://www.writerscolony.org/fellowships
Deadline August 30, 2021. The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow is offering a fellowship to a writer working on a short or long work of nonfiction focusing on how they (the writer or another) have managed, and continue to manage, their mental illness. This personal story should offer not just insight and awareness, but most importantly, hope. It should share your dreams, and how you are adjusting and fine-tuning them. Stories focused on relationships, family life, travel, employment, civic contributions, passions, along with the barriers, fears, and stigmas faced, are encouraged. For the purposes of this fellowship, the writing should be nonfiction, and can take the form of memoir, personal essay, profile, or biography. The fellowship winner will receive a two-week residency to allow the recipient to focus completely on their work. Location The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow, Eureka Springs, AR.



GRUBSTREET TEACHING FELLOWSHIP FOR BLACK WRITERS
https://grubstreet.org/programs/teaching-fellowship-for-black-writers/
Deadline May 25, 2021. GrubStreet’s Teaching Fellowship for Black Writers provides financial and professional development support to two self-identified Black writers interested in teaching classes, participating in events, and working with our instructors and staff to deepen our curriculum. The fellowship includes compensation of $20,000, artistic mentorship, and access to the GrubStreet community and the Muse and the Marketplace conference. Preference will be given to those working on their first book or a larger project. Location Arlington, MA. 



WISCONSIN LIBRARY POET IN RESIDENCE
https://www.higheredjobs.com/details.cfm?JobCode=177436920
Each year, the Wisconsin’s Own Library Poet in Residence program provides one poet with a semester-long opportunity at Ripon College to devote time and attention to a poetry manuscript in progress. The Poet in Residence will teach one poetry class; hold one public reading of current work per month (for a total of four readings across Wisconsin); and allow one new poem to be reproduced in a limited-edition commemorative broadside. The Poet in Residence will be physically present on the Ripon College campus, will reside in Ripon full-time while classes are in session, and will hold no other professional obligations for the duration of the semester. The fellowship offers a $15,000 salary for the semester. Other benefits include housing (a taxable benefit, appropriate for a maximum of two people) in a campus apartment; an office and office supplies; monetary support for on-campus presentations and travel to out-of-town presentations. 
 
 

FREELANCE MARKETS / JOBS

CHICKEN SOUP - COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS
http://www.chickensoup.com
Deadline April 30, 2021. With today's worries about contracting disease, joblessness, and rampant divisiveness, we thought it was time to revisit this topic. We're not sure of the title for our next book about counting your blessings, but we're sure a new collection of stories is appropriate for 2021. Please share your stories about handling challenges in your life, finding the silver linings, and counting your blessings, whether the challenges you are facing are COVID-19 related or other kinds. Stories can be serious or funny but definitely should be inspirational and heartwarming. Pays $200 and ten books for up to 1,200 words. 



POPULAR SCIENCE
https://www.popsci.com/masthead/
Popular Science welcomes pitches from writers who want to tell amazing stories about scientific and technological advances in every realm. Your query should include a brief summary of the proposed article and provide some indication of how you plan to execute the reporting. Links to your past work might also be helpful. We read every query but will respond only to those that are under serious consideration. Please note that we no longer accept paper submissions. Writers should submit queries to [email protected]. Pays up to a dollar per word.



FAST COMPANY
https://www.fastcompany.com/3008467/guidelines-submitting-contributed-articles-fast-company-and-tips-getting-published
Fast Company‘s Work Life section (formerly known as Leadership) selectively accepts outside contributions from industry professionals. We like articles that introduce new ideas and advance conversations around topics and trends that engage our readers—think op-ed rather than content marketing. Fast Company prefers submissions from contributors who are leaders in and knowledgeable about the types of industries and topics we regularly cover on our Work Life section: productivity, creativity, career development, hiring and recruiting, work culture, work-life issues and policies, entrepreneurship, and innovation are popular with our readers, especially if there’s a salient takeaway for other professionals. Submitted articles should generally be between 600 and 900 words. 



VICE LIFE
https://www.vice.com/en/article/mbmx3a/pitch-guidelines-for-the-vice-life-desk
The Vice Life desk manages coverage on the themes of health, wellness, self-care, sex, relationships, drugs, alcohol, and money. Our pieces explore consequences and power dynamics down to the level of the individual. We do not straightforwardly repeat the narratives served to us by powers that be; we question and think critically about how and why we live the way we do. We cover scientific research, current events, trends, and perspectives in short-form blogs, first-person journalism, and original reported pieces, as well as key franchise series that tap into the undercurrents of our modern existence as they relate to our health and relationships. We are primarily focused on mid-length (700-1,500 word) original reports and reported essays, as well as shorter, bloggier, voicier pieces with a quick turnaround time. Pays $250.



NEW JERSEY MONTHLY
https://njmonthly.com/writers-guidelines/
New Jersey Monthly is a statewide magazine covering the people, places, and issues of New Jersey—and only New Jersey. We are interested in timely stories about current issues; local personalities; healthcare; education; politics; business; the environment; science and technology; real estate and development; arts and culture; Jersey history and attractions; restaurants and food; shopping; beauty and fashion; home and garden; music and nightlife; local sports and athletes; and recreation. We are looking for writers who can deliver brightly written, well-researched service articles, but we are also interested in investigative stories from qualified reporters. Profiles are typically 1,000-1,200 words; full-length feature stories run 2,000-3,000 words. Pays up to a dollar plus per word. 


 

Publishers/agents

Plan Your Books
The Way You Think

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48FOURTEEN
https://48fourteen.com/manuscript-submission/
48fourteen is interested in publishing books with a unique story and an unforgettable voice. We want to be moved by words. Books we devour are are listed in the submissions form. We lean towards Young Adult and Contemporary Fiction. We are NOT interested in publishing any of the following: Graphic violence; Erotica; Violence toward children; Children’s picture books; Illustrated books; Graphic novels; Middle Grade; Poetry; and Memoirs.



TALKING DONKEY PRESS
https://www.allaboutkidspub.com/new-imprint
Talking Donkey Press is our new imprint for Christian/Inspirational children's books. In a world full of uncertainties we feel that children would only benefit from knowing that there is Someone that is bigger than their problems.



ARBORDALE PUBLISHING
https://www.arbordalepublishing.com/Submissions.htm
Our mission is to get children excited about science and math through fun-to-read picture book stories. We are looking for fiction or narrative nonfiction stories with science or math woven into the story. We prefer fiction over nonfiction. In every manuscript, we look for a "cuddle factor" that will make parents and children want to read it together.



ARTEMESIA PUBLISHING
http://apbooks.net/forauthor.html
Artemesia Publishing publishes primarily fiction for general audiences for both adults and children. On rare occasions we will publish nonfiction titles, however we ask that you first approach us with a proposal for any nonfiction title. For fiction, we will consider proposals for manuscripts in most genres, however we will not accept any work that contains erotica, sexually explicit, or other hard-core material. We do not publish poetry. We encourage you to review the Titles section of our website to help determine whether your book is appropriate for our publishing goals.



BEARPORT PUBLISHING
https://bearportpublishing.com/about
At Bearport Publishing, we believe that books with good writing and amazing photos are irresistible to kids. We also believe that providing kids with books they want to read is one of the surest ways to foster reading achievement. These two principles guide the development of all our curriculum-aligned books for children in grades PreK-8. Our books help get kids excited about reading, even if they are struggling or reluctant readers. We focus on topics that appeal to young readers, such as animals, sports heroes, and scary places. With every book, we pay close attention to text length, vocabulary, and picture-text match. We limit the amount of text on each two-page spread to leave lots of space for big, bold photographs. This makes our books less intimidating and more inviting to kids.


 

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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