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The Next 9000 Copies Club is the place where smart, practical authors go to learn what works in book marketing, set goals, take action, build an audience and sell more books.

It's an online membership community led by book marketing coach Sue Campbell for authors who want to actually make an impact and sell books.

Joining the Next 9000 Copies Club Gets You This and More...

• Direct access to Sue Campbell, book marketing coach and the Pages & Platforms team at a fraction of the cost to hire us privately.

• Mindset coaching to help you break through your marketing blocks.

• Help with goal setting and attainment.

• Coaching to teach you to market well and avoid wasting time and money.

• 24/7 access to a community of fellow authors.

• A flexible way to get marketing help with no long-term commitment. 

Build the author career you've been dreaming about without sacrificing your morals -- or your writing time!

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EDITOR'S THOUGHTS

IT IS EASY TO FEEL LEFT BEHIND

I just finished reading an issue of The Hot Sheet, founded by writing and publishing industry guru Jane Friedman. I'm no dummy, and I like to keep up with at least some of the advances in my profession. The Hot Sheet is the most energetic, thorough, and comprehensive of any publication in the business, and I highly recommend it.

The most recent issue covered Substack, Discord, BookTok, and Bookshop. Have you heard of them? Maybe not. I have heard of all four, but can only talk about, and talk lightly, two of them. Jane does a wonderful job of explaining them in layman's terms as well as giving her personal opinion on how useful these tools can be in your efforts to be a published author. 

She also covered the blurring of some genre lines, like urban fantasy romance, and how that sells. How to sell to US Book Buyers of Color, and an intriguing new publishing business model called Zibby Books. And for those of you interested in textbooks, there's a big dust-up between Pearson and Chegg. 

Okay. At this point, you're either excited about these new opportunities, all this new news . . . or you are feeling overwhelmed. Or maybe you feel like I often do, that you cannot keep up with change. Especially those of a technological nature. But you do not have to. That's why you subscribe to someone like Jane. 

But I get it. I see these innovations and wonder if I'm going to be left behind. Am I writing right? Am I selling right? Am I appearing on the right social media or making the right moves to be seen and heard?

Listen . . . you have one life. You have one flash in the pan of life. You decide how you want to use it. No, you do not have to know everything. Frankly, the smartest people often specialize, having no clue what a zillion other people in a zillion other interests are doing. 

Write because you want to. Write what you want because that makes you whole.

Publish because you want to. Publish how you want to best fit into your lifestyle.

Promote because you want to. How you promote can not only make sales, but also has to make you comfortable and satisfied at the end of the day. 

You don't have to be rich. You don't have to be NY Times Bestselling. You have to decide the path of writing that makes you whole . . . and happy. Let people like Jane bring you the details. You, my friend, pick and choose what you want to learn and throw the rest away. 

Enjoy your day without the frustration of thinking you are being left behind. You aren't behind anything or anyone without choosing to be. 

(NOTE: I know Jane Friedman, and she is indeed brilliant. If you do wish to consider her paid newsletter, please go here to learn more. Paid subscription. ~Hope )

SUPER SPONSOR 

YOU HAD ME AT ROOM SERVICE!
APPLY FOR FUN, UNCONVENTIONAL WRITER’S RESIDENCY

What humor writer wouldn’t want to attend the wildly popular Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop and spend two additional all-expenses-paid weeks at a hotel to write? Free room service. A housekeeping staff. An omelette bar. A TV remote of your own. The sun rising over the Great Miami River (aka, the Dayton Riviera). 

And, most importantly, a “Do Not Disturb” sign.

Applications for A Hotel Room of One’s Own: The Erma Bombeck | Anna Lefler Humorist-in-Residence Program will be accepted Sept. 7-28.

Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpson, and Mike Reiss, writer for The Simpsons for three decades, will choose the two grand prize winners. Preference will be given to emerging humor writers. The package is worth approximately $5,000, but the experience is priceless. Cash prizes for finalists and honorable mentions.

Read the announcement and FAQs. Then apply here for what Forbes says “may be the best writer’s residency in the country.”

Deadline: Sept. 28
Fee: $25

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SUccess Story

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

 

Featured article

Ghostwriting: A Growth Market

By Sean McLachlan

Ebooks have radically transformed the publishing world—by taking it back in time.

After World War II, as the economy boomed and wartime restrictions on paper ended, publishers discovered a hungry market for inexpensive books. The mass market paperback was born. They were available everywhere—not just in bookstores but on spinner racks in drugstores, supermarkets, even laundromats. Books of all genres and subgenres satisfied seemingly endless varieties of taste.

Ebooks have produced a similar phenomenon with countless titles, specialized genres, and easy availability. They’ve also replicated one of the mainstays of the paperback boom—the ghostwriter.

Most people think of ghostwriters as the writing talent behind the “autobiography” of some famous athlete or musician. People generally expect these to be ghostwritten. Few know that many novels are also written by ghostwriters. They either use a pen name given to them by the publisher, or a group of ghostwriters operates under a house name, each coming up with individual books for that name.

Carolyn Keene, author of the Nancy Drew series, is a household name. Same with Franklin W. Dixon of the Hardy Boys. Neither writer existed. Both series were written by various authors of the Stratemeyer Syndicate. Tabor Evans, of the successful Longarm series of Westerns that ran more than 400 titles, was the house name for at least 11 different authors.

If readers knew this, they didn’t care. They knew the name on the cover gave a certain reading experience. That’s what mattered.

It still does. The ebook boom has created a growing market for ghostwriters. Clients include midlist publishers, individuals who are good at marketing but need a writer, and production teams in which each member handles a different part of the publishing process. It’s a lucrative field. I’ve made a comfortable living at it for some years now, as do many of my colleagues.

It’s virtually impossible to get into ghostwriting without having already published fiction. The novels I indie publish under my own name serve as a CV for my ghostwriting work. We’re usually asked to sign a nondisclosure agreement, barring us from using ghostwritten novels in our CV or samples. Thus it’s essential for the aspiring ghostwriter to first get published either traditionally or independently.

Entry points into ghostwriting include professional organizations, ghostwriting companies, and freelance websites. I got started through Upwork, where dozens of ghostwriting jobs are posted every day. While the majority were in erotica and romance, genres I don’t write, there were enough thriller, fantasy, and mystery jobs to get me started. Since then my reputation has expanded. Now I use the freelance sites less and generally sign contracts directly with the client. As with any other type of writing job, knowledge of contracts and copyright is vital.

Like in the heyday of mass market paperbacks, the industry rewards ghostwriters who can produce a large volume of clean copy on time. One must also be able to change the tone, mood, and genre to fit the project. I’m currently writing a lighthearted cozy mystery and a gritty serial killer series. Both are under house names, for which I’m given instructions on style. Some clients provide the barest of outlines (sometimes only a paragraph) while others give outlines running several pages.

Pay varies widely. I got started at three cents a word, quickly went up to five, and now demand ten cents a word. That adds up when you average 20,000 words a week. Many professionals manage more than that.
Ghostwriting is the best way I know to make a living writing fiction. It works for me, and if you’re hardworking and can stick to a good daily word count, it can work for you.

BIO: Sean McLachlan has written more than 50 novels, the majority under house names. He’s also authored several nonfiction books, including Writing Secrets of the World’s Most Prolific Authors.


 

COmpetitions

The Missouri Review invites entries to the 31st annual Jeffrey E. Smith Editors' Prize in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction.

Winners receive $5000, publication, and promotion. All entries considered for publication.

Each entrant at the $25 level will receive a 1-year digital subscription and a free digital copy of the latest anthology from Missouri Review Books, Private Lives. Entrants at the $30 level will additionally receive access to the last decade of digital issues, including audio recordings of the features from those issues.

Deadline: October 1. Learn more at our website.


- - - - 


DISQUIET LITERARY COMPETITION
http://disquietinternational.org/the-program/contests-scholarships/the-disquiet-prize/
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 24, 2022. This contest is for writing in fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, by a writer who has not yet published more than one book with a major press. The first prize winners in each genre will be published: the fiction winner in Granta.com, the nonfiction winner in Ninthletter.com, and the poetry winner in The Common. One grand prize winner will receive a full scholarship including tuition, lodging, and a $1,000 travel stipend to Lisbon in 2022 (June 26-July 8). Genre winners will receive a $500 cash prize in addition to publication. Fiction and nonfiction limited to 25 pages. Poetry limited to six poems and ten pages. 



NC STATE UNIVERSITY FICTION CONTEST
https://english.chass.ncsu.edu/creativewriting/story_contest.php
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 15, 2021. Open to all North Carolina residents. The James Hurst Prize for Fiction ($500): An unpublished short story of no more than 5,000 words. In addition to the winner, several honorable mention awards will be presented. The Shorter Fiction Prize ($250): An unpublished short story of no more than 1,200 words. One honorable mention award will be presented. Writers with a published book of fiction cannot enter (if we can buy your book online or from a publisher or bookstore, we consider you published).



TOM GALLON TRUST AWARD
https://www.societyofauthors.org/tom-gallon
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 31, 2021. The author must be ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom, Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland. The author must have had at least one short story published or accepted for publication. The story submitted must be in English and must not be a translation. The story submitted may be published or unpublished. The work must not exceed 5,000 words. An annual award of £1,000 for a short story.



ECW PRESS BEST NEW SPECULATIVE NOVEL CONTEST
https://ecwpress.com/blogs/whats-new/ecw-press-best-new-speculative-novel-contest
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 31, 2021. ECW Press is hosting a manuscript contest offering a $3,000 prize and a publishing contract to the author of the best new Canadian speculative fiction novel. We are seeking entries of unpublished novel manuscripts in English between 40,000 and 150,000 words by a Canadian author in the science fiction, fantasy, or speculative fiction genres. 



PRESERVATION FOUNDATION TRAVEL NONFICTION CONTEST FOR UNPUBLISHED WRITERS
http://www.storyhouse.org/contest2021.html
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 31, 2021. Stories should be factual and true accounts of a trip taken by the author or a person or persons known by the author. Stories must be between 1,000 and 10,000 words in length. Stories from any country are fine, although they must be written in English. Language in the stories should be free of words or scenes not suitable for children, since many children read the stories and some actually post their stories. For purposes of these contests, unpublished writers are defined as those whose job pay is not now or was not earlier based on their writing abilities or their freelance writing never produced revenues of over $500 in any single year. First prize will be $200. Runners-up will receive $100. 



STORYTWIGS SHORT CONTEST
https://www.storytwigs.com/competition
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline monthly, next deadline September 30, 2021. This is a fun, relaxed, free competition for extremely short pieces of prose (storytwigs). Entries should be 100 words or fewer, and the prizes range from $10 to $100. The prompt for this month’s competition is MINE. Prize monies are $100, $25, $20, $15, and $10. Up to three entries allowed per person. Only open to citizens/residents of United States or Canada.


 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

 

WRITING SECRETS OF THE WORLD'S MOST PROLIFIC AUTHORS

What does it take to write 100 books?

hat about 500? Or 1,000?

That may sound like an impossibly high number, but it isn't. Some of the world's most successful authors wrote hundreds of books over the course of highly lucrative careers.

Isaac Asimov wrote more than 300 books. Enid Blyton wrote more than 800. Legendary Western writer Lauren Bosworth Paine wrote close to 1,000.

Some wrote even more.

This book examines the techniques and daily habits of more than a dozen of these remarkable writers to show how anyone with the right mindset can massively increase their word count without sacrificing quality. Learn the secrets of working on several projects simultaneously, of reducing the time needed for each book, and how to build the work ethic you need to become more prolific than you ever thought possible.
 
Amazon
Amazon UK
Apple
Scribd
Kobo
Barnes & Noble

= = = 




ILLINOIS ARTIST FELLOWSHIPS
https://arts.illinois.gov/AFA-Program
Deadline November 1, 2021. The Artist Fellowship Program's intent is to enrich and strengthen the state of Illinois by supporting accomplished Illinois artists who are the foundation of Illinois' creative environment. The Artist Fellowship Program recognizes exceptional artists who have created a substantial body of work throughout their careers by providing awards to support continued artistic growth. The IACA will provide a limited number of $15,000 awards across the following discipline categories: Crafts, Digital Arts, Ethnic & Folk Arts, New Art Forms, Visual Arts (includes sub-categories of photography, sculpture, and visual-based arts). A limited number of $1,500 Finalist Awards will also be given. This is not a project-specific grant. The Fellowship Program is meant for artists whose work is of exceptional artistic merit and who are at a career stage beyond emerging. The IACA encourages artists working in these disciplines and who are residents of Illinois to apply.



FORT UNION NATIONAL MONUMENT ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/fort-union
Deadline October 29 2021. Nestled against the far tip of the Sangre de Cristo Range and facing the great plains, Fort Union National Monument is one of New Mexico’s legendary and historic frontier army posts, located in Mora County near Watrous, NM. Artists stipend: $1,000. Housing in Park Service housing suitable for solo artists and couples. Comfortably isolated on the high plains of New Mexico, 30-40 minutes from nearby towns, with spotty cell phone service and no or limited Wi-Fi available. 



RECESS CRITICAL WRITING PROGRAM
http://www.recessart.org/criticalwriting/
Deadline September 30, 2021. The Critical Writing program commissions emerging writers to pursue the underlying themes and ideas that inform individual Session projects, initiating meaningful exchanges between artists and writers and facilitating the mutual production of new work. Fellows are given editorial support and a $1,000 honorarium. See website for application requirements. 


  

FREELANCE MARKETS / JOBS

MADISON MAGAZINE
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfn6KEtLDgBHTsGt6X1ygyYU_1Y05VXbaeSG1qHZRqYA5aiDQ/viewform
Madison Magazine is looking for short nonfiction essay submissions (400-700 words) from Madison-area writers. All styles, genres and voices are encouraged. Entries can be humorous or serious, should include creative language, a compelling narrative, attention-grabbing descriptions and present elements of timeliness or a sense of place. Essays written in first-person and containing Madison connections, subjects or history are encouraged. Works selected for publication must be previously unpublished and cannot be shared until they appear in print. The author of a selected essay will be paid $150 in the same month the work will appear in print. (Thanks erikadreifus.com)



BIRD WATCHING
https://www.birdwatchingdaily.com/the-magazine/submission-guidelines/
BirdWatching (formerly Birder’s World) is a bimonthly magazine for people with a broad interest in wild birds and birdwatching. We solicit many articles from biologists, researchers, and nature writers with a special interest in birds, but we accept unsolicited work as well. We do not accept poetry, fiction, puzzles, and product reviews. We pay $400 for most features and less for shorter pieces.



DOGS NATURALLY
https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/contribute/
We’re looking for holistic vets, integrative vets, homeopaths, herbalists, TCVM practitioners, natural pet healthcare practitioners and other canine health experts. Our goal is to help dog owners find valuable, credible information on nutrition, holistic healthcare, homeopathy, herbs, TCVM, vaccines, and pharmaceutical controversies. Our normal rate is $50 to $200 per article. Payment is reflective of experience and expertise in the topic area. 



CORAL MAGAZINE
https://www.reef2rainforest.com/contributor-guidelines/
CORAL is the world’s leading marine aquarium magazine. Our magazines are available at better aquarium retail shops in the English-speaking world and at Barnes & Noble bookstores in the United States. Payments range from about $100 to $600 per article, depending on length, complexity, the author’s experience, and whether or not images are included with the text. First-time contributors generally receive $300 to $350 for an article, including images. Top rates are $500 to $600 for full features with images from known, recurring contributors. Blog pays $25.



HOOFBEATS
http://www.hoofbeatsmagazine.com/contact.cfm
Hoof Beats is about 70–percent freelance written, and we are always looking for new and exciting story ideas pertaining exclusively to Standardbreds and harness racing. Photographs are also encouraged. Writers should be as familiar with harness racing as our readers are. We don’t need any general how–to stories. Topics of interest include unique horse stories, veterinary care, tips on equipment or feed innovations, historical perspectives, unique first-person perspectives, and stories on issues or trends. Payment is made upon publication and ranges from $100 (departments) to $500 (features). 



PET AGE
https://www.petage.com/pet-age-staff/
Pet Age is a media brand that appeals to the pet supply, merchandising and service market by delivering timely and critical content that explores current trends and is rich in product information and practical advice that retailers, groomers, manufacturers and other pet care professionals use to succeed in a competitive environment. Pays roughly 15 cents per word. 



EATER TRAVEL
https://www.eater.com/travel-restaurants
Submit to Lesley Bargar Suter, Travel Editor at [email protected]. Seeks generalist stories about the industry of travel and where it intersects with food and drink. Trends in lodging, airlines, tech, etc. Pays $500 for a 1,000-1,500-word piece. Listicles, essays are slightly less, features more.



VULTURE - STREAMLINER
https://www.vulture.com/streamliner/
Submit to Eric Vilas-Boas, Streamliner Editor at [email protected]. How does the audience stream or otherwise consume popular art and culture today? It's a remit that touches every medium—movies, TV, music, gaming, and more—and engages with how algorithms and capitalism define our lives. How do we navigate that? And how do those forces define our experience with that culture? If our streaming habits are as diverse as we are (and they are), what interesting stories can they tell us? Looking for stories with anecdotes on a very human level. Pays $350 and up. 



AUDIO DRAMA RAMA
https://www.audiodramarama.com
Submit to Alex Hensley, Creator of Audio at [email protected] with the subject line "ARTICLE PITCH". We are looking for contributing writers that will offer diverse perspectives of audio fiction, the audio industry, and the community. You will be paid for your contribution. For the sake of transparency, in our Freelance Contracts, we currently pay $100/article or $0.18/word, whichever is greater. 



 

Publishers/agents

SUSAN RABINER LITERARY AGENCY
https://www.rabinerlit.com/
Representing memoir and narrative nonfiction by established journalists and prize-winning creative writers, and big-idea books in history, biography, the arts and sciences, current affairs and popular culture by scholars, scientists, and public intellectuals.



DON CONGDON ASSOCIATES
http://www.doncongdon.com/submissions.shtml
We are currently accepting queries from new and established authors via email only. A query letter consists of a one-page description or synopsis of your work and your relevant background information.  We ask that you paste the first chapter into the body of your email following your query letter. Considers a wide variety of genre.



BOOK WYRM LITERARY AGENCY
https://www.bookwyrmlit.com/submissions
Book Wyrm Literary Agency is actively looking for new voices. In fiction: literary and commercial fiction, mystery, thriller, suspense, science fiction, fantasy, horror, historical fiction, and YA. In nonfiction: narrative nonfiction, history, biography, science, business, psychology, pop culture, and food writing. We do not represent poetry, screenplays, picture books, and books about parenting, religion/spirituality, and sports.  



CHALBERG & SUSSMAN LITERARY AGENCY
https://www.chalbergsussman.com/about-chalberg-sussman
A dynamic literary agency representing a broad range of fiction and nonfiction authors in the areas of literary and commercial fiction, memoir, narrative nonfiction, personal growth, psychology, lifestyle, humor, and pop culture. 



PIPPIN PROPERTIES
https://www.pippinproperties.com/about
Though our primary focus is for the highest caliber literature for young people, we also eagerly represent our clients' fiction, nonfiction, and graphic works should they decide to write for an adult-trade readership.



DARLEY ANDERSON AGENCY
https://www.darleyanderson.com/
Our literary agents specialise in bestselling commercial fiction including thrillers, mysteries, crime, horror, fantasy, women's, chick-lit, accessible literary, comedy, children's and YA fiction. We have film and TV agents in the UK and US who help bring our bestselling books to the big and small screen.



THE STUART AGENCY
http://www.stuartagency.com/
The agency is known for our dedication to our clients and for representing authors whose work plays a role in shaping and challenging the public dialogue across all categories, including current affairs, history, science, business, psychology, narrative nonfiction, memoir, literary and commercial fiction, prescriptive health, parenting, religion and sports.



MADELEINE MILBURN LITERARY AGENCY
https://madeleinemilburn.co.uk/contact/submissions/
As a growing UK literary agency seeking new authors, we are accepting submissions in all book categories. We personally read everything that is submitted to the agency and represent authors based all over the world. We also consider authors who have self-published and those who are already established.

 

SPONSORS

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 2000-2021, C. Hope Clark
ISSN: 1533-1326

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