Message from Hope
I was interviewed for a magazine this week by a woman who is an ex-librarian and who really knows her books. And the best part is she adores my writing, mostly Quinn Sterling and the Craven County Mysteries.
How could I not love her!
We spoke for almost two hours about books, then about my books, then about writing in general. We spoke about the sadness of how many libraries are not what they used to be, and ebooks versus audio versus paper.
I received the typical questions like why I write. When did I learn I wanted to be a writer (like that was a switch that occurred on a certain date)? Are my characters real people? (Answer: Slade was sort of me and Wayne sort of hubby. Sophie is real on Edisto. Everyone else is made up.)
Do I read more or less when I am in the midst of a novel? (Answer: more.) Am I afraid of plagiarizing when I read while I am in the midst of writing? (Answer: No. Nobody accidentally plagiarizes. It's a conscious effort.) What am I reading now? (Answer: When We Were Young and
Brave, by Hazel Gaynor.)
How many books are in my TBR stack? (Answer: 30 on my nightstand. Too many to count on my Kindle.) How long does it take to write a book? (Answer: 3-6 months.)
But when she asked what was my spark in life, I was stumped. She meant outside of writing. Of course, my husband is huge. My children and grands are huge. But the spark that drives me is my writing. I take two-three weeks after a manuscript is completed to decompress before starting a new book. She asked what I do. I said manual things like cooking, gardening,
building projects (chicken coops, signs, whatever needs repair), just hands-on things, so that I'm using a different part of my brain.
But a day doesn't go by that I do not think about the next story. I have three notebooks scattered around in which I make notes as they come to me. I miss my writing zone when I'm taking my break.
I am not much different than other authors, in my opinion. We write because we love it. We don't procrastinate writing, we miss NOT writing. Call it a habit or call it a passion. Heck, call it simply a job. Regardless, it's a joy. It is my spark.
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For a summer writing boost, take the free Perfectionist's Half-Assed Writing Challenge.
"I wasn't expecting to feel so empowered by the challenge, but it really helped lift my confidence and shake off my severe imposter syndrome," said student Alex McCale.
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I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START
A lot of my editorials come from real-life experiences to include emails, texts, and comments on my websites. Many involve real struggles that new writers are enduring. Others center around the more experienced who learned a lesson or needed advice. Many times I respond to them then go... Wow, that would make for a great editorial for the newsletter. (So if you see my response to you posted here, just know that nobody knows who you are. . . promise.)
A lot of requests center around the thought of, "I don't know where to start."
= I don't know how to find a contest for my poetry.
= I don't know how to write a memoir.
= I don't know how to choose which one of my many fiction ideas.
= I don't know how to find a market for my stories on (fill-in-the-topic).
= I don't know how to format my book.
= I don't know how to pitch my story to agents, or where to find them.
= I don't know how to sell my self-published book.
= I don't know how to apply for a grant for what I do.
= I don't know how to write anything book-length.
= I don't know where to find an editor.
= I don't know where to find a critique group.
The list goes on and on and is quite diverse. Some just make one of these statements and hope I will take the hint. Others will ask me to find what they are looking for and email it to them. Others hope I will take them under my wing and mentor them to success.
I'm honored and flattered to be asked. I really am. It's just that I write for a living, like I preach about in FundsforWriters. If I have a resource at my fingertips, without much research, I'll accommodate someone's request, but many times someone wants me to send them a list of answers and do a considerable amount of research in obtaining that list. That's when my tough love sort of spills out.
When you ask someone for help, realize that you are asking them to take time out from their other tasks, often serious money-making tasks, to assist you for free. While writers and authors are insanely generous with their time, sometimes they have to decline because the time it takes to accommodate your request takes time away from their job.
Sometimes it's only a matter of the requestor needing to take the time to Google. Other times a request takes serious study, research, and learning from many searches, meaning it's too much for me to answer in a few paragraphs.
I've had teachers and bosses tell me, "Don't bring me a problem without a recommendation for a solution." If you want to grab the attention of a potential mentor, if you want help from a more seasoned writer, if you need answers, please, first attempt to seek the solution yourself. Tell the person you're querying about all the research you have already done and maybe ask for help distilling the information already found. Show you tried already.
You learn best when you have to struggle, dig, and hunt for the solution. The sweat of the struggle is what makes it stick in your brain. The trying is what makes you smarter. You want to hunt for answers yourself. You want to discover what works and what doesn't. That way it's your journey and your your solution and your win.
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It’s time to register for the nationally renowned Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop.
The Oct. 20-22 gathering will feature celebrated comedians and authors, including “Cathy” cartoonist Cathy Guisewite, “Saturday Night Live” legend Laraine Newman, New York Times’ bestselling authors W. Bruce
Cameron and Adriana Trigiani, screenwriter Cathryn Michon, improviser and comedian Dion Flynn, and award-winning author Katrina Kittle.
Your registration includes all meals, keynote talks, choice of dozens of workshops, and a complimentary virtual package of the keynotes and Pitchapalooza.
At the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop, you’ll laugh, learn and network with a supportive writing community. Discover more and register here.
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- August 2, 2022 - Writer's Chat - Crowdfunding - public invited, must join FB group - Zoom - 11 AM
- August 4, 2022 - Generations Retirement Community, Chapin, SC - 10 AM
- September 12, 2022 - 20th Anniversary Chapin Library Book Club, presentation, 1 PM
- June 3-10, 2023 - Writing Retreat on the Maine Coast - Special Guest - Sponsored by Joan Dempsey, author and teacher
Email: hope@chopeclark.com to schedule events, online or otherwise. There's starting to be life out there!
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SUCCESS QUOTE
"My advice is not to wait to be struck by an idea. If you're a writer, you sit down and damn well decide to have an idea."
~ Andy Rooney
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If you have a success story you believe was prompted by FundsforWriters, please share with us! Send to hope@chopeclark.com
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Ghostwriting Fiction on the Freelance Sites
By Brittney Cassity
I freelance off and on as my schedule permits or my bank account demands. I usually use https://www.freelancer.com (lowest membership level), and https://www.upwork.com (free version) for budgetary reasons. Ghostwriting fiction has taken the lead as my favorite type of work. It has a lot of perks but there are things you should know if you want to make it your career.
Landing my first job was not as easy as I thought it would be. I was new to the game. There are plenty of veteran ghostwriters bidding on the same jobs out there. Not having a successful work history on a particular platform meant I needed to put a lot more effort into convincing someone to hire me. This proved true no matter how much ghostwriting work I had under my belt elsewhere.
My freelancing portfolio consists of everything from content writing to children's book illustration, book layout, and creating marketing materials. Adding ghostwriting fiction to the list was another skill that I had to prove. Since most ghostwriting is done under an NDA (non-disclosure agreement), this meant that I needed to use samples of the writing I've done under my name or pen name. I don't typically write in the romance genre which I see advertised most often, so sometimes it can be
challenging to find appropriate samples.
As a newbie, I was disheartened by the pay. I am currently working on a series that pays $.0135/word. I received an invitation to interview for a series for a different client recently for $.02/word. Are there higher rates out there? Yes, I've applied to a few. My best guess is that they go to the more veteran ghostwriters. I also make sure to check currency exchange rates on foreign work. Knowing what the pay is in USD before taking a job is important. Lastly, the platform will take a fee
out of your payment as well. That has to be considered in your budget. My last job paid just over $600. The platform took a little over $100. By factoring all of that and my income taxes in, I don't run into nasty surprises later.
As with all freelancing, be ready for the feast or famine aspect. I try to look for and schedule new work while I have a project going. It is always easier to find a job when you are working. Gaps lead to clients questioning your commitment or skill. Keeping busy makes you more attractive to hire.
The last two downsides that I need to mention are that you will eventually run into a project you secretly wish your name was on. Make peace with the fact that you are only the surrogate to the book you write. Grow it strong but don't get emotionally attached. Take comfort in the fact that your personal work in progress that has been silent will start demanding attention once more just to see your juggling skills. It is also oddly frustrating to get paid for ghostwriting when the books
under your name aren't selling as well.
On the upside, you get paid for daily writing experience that helps hone your craft while not handling marketing. You also don't have to deal with search engine optimization (SEO) criteria or write from a potentially controversial viewpoint. As long as you write well and meet the plot, character needs, and deadline of your client's book, you get paid. Plus you get to work in your pajamas on a very flexible schedule.
BIO - Brittney Cassity uses freelancing to both hone her skills as an author/illustrator and to supplement her income. She has been an active member of West Virginia Writers, Inc. for well over a decade. During her time with the organization she has served on the board and in a variety of other support positions. When she is not writing, she enjoys getting into projects with her husband that have included everything from restoring her 1970 Karmann Ghia to home and garden
renovations. You can find her website at https://brittneycassity.weebly.com/
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2023 TO HULL AND BACK COMPETITION
https://www.christopherfielden.com/short-story-competition/
£13 ENTRY FEE (until March 31, 2023). Deadline June 30, 2023. First Prize: £1,200. Second Prize: £600. Third Prize: £300. Three Highly Commended: £150. Fourteen Shortlisted: £75. Twenty Longlisted: free early bird entry fee for the next competition (worth £13). All winners and short listed entries will be published in the To Hull And Back Short Story Anthology. The winner’s face will appear on the front cover of the To Hull And Back Anthology. They will be depicted riding a
flaming motorcycle and holding a quill of wrath. It is open to anyone residing anywhere in the world. Entries must be written in English.
YALE DRAMA SERIES
https://yalebooks.yale.edu/yale-drama-series-rules-and-submission-guidelines/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline August 15, 2022. The winner of this annual competition will be awarded the David Charles Horn Prize of $10,000, publication of their manuscript by Yale University Press, and a celebratory event. The prize and publication are contingent on the playwright’s agreeing to the terms of the publishing agreement. Plays with less than 65 pages will not be considered. Translations, musicals, and children’s plays are not accepted.
THE MOTH NATURE WRITING PRIZE
https://www.themothmagazine.com/a1-page.asp?ID=8343&page=27
€15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 15, 2022. Open to anyone over the age of 16. Limit 4,000 words. The winner receives €1,000 and a week at Circle of Misse in France. The winning piece will be published in the winter issue of The Moth.
AESTHETICA POETRY PRIZE
https://aestheticamagazine.com/creative-writing-award/
ENTRY FEES: Poetry £12 and Short Fiction £18. Deadline August 31, 2022. The competition is organized by the Aesthetica Magazine, an international art and culture magazine. There are two categories: Poetry and Short Fiction. Poetry entries should be no more than 40 lines. Fiction entries should be no more than 2,000 words. The £5,000 international literary prize is open to poetry and short fiction entries on any theme, celebrating innovation in content and form.
THE CAROL SHIELDS PRIZE FOR FICTION
https://carolshieldsprizeforfiction.com/submissions
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 18, 2022. We are looking for books written by women and non-binary writers for our inaugural prize! Publishers take note - the deadline is July 22 for books published between May 1 – August 31 of this year. Designed to acknowledge, celebrate, and promote the best works of fiction written by women annually in Canada and the United States. The winner of the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction will be awarded $150,000 Canadian dollars. Four finalists
will each receive $12,500 Canadian dollars. The prize is open to novels, short story collections and graphic novels written by women and non-binary writers for an adult audience. All books and entry forms must be submitted and filled out by the book’s publisher.
WRITER'S DIGEST PERSONAL ESSAY AWARDS
https://www.writersdigest.com/writers-digest-competitions/personal-essay-awards
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 1, 2022. One Grand Prize Winner will receive $2,500, their essay title published in Writer’s Digest magazine’s May/June 2023 issue, and a paid trip to the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference, including a coveted Pitch Slam slot. The Second Place Winner will receive $1,000, and their essay title published in Writer’s Digest magazine’s May/June 2023 issue. The Third Place Winner will receive $500, and their essay title published in Writer’s Digest
magazine’s May/June 2023 issue. Fourth through Tenth Place Winners will receive $100 and their essay titles published in Writer’s Digest magazine’s May/June 2023 issue. Eleventh through Twenty-Fifth Place Winners will receive a $50 gift certificate for writersdigestshop.com. Limit 2,000 words.
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GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING
ARIZONA OPPORTUNITY GRANTS
https://azarts.gov/grant/artist-opportunity/
Deadlines August 18, 2022 and December 1, 2022. Artist Opportunity Grants support Arizona artists as they take advantage of specific, unique opportunities that have the potential to significantly impact their professional growth. As this grant is available to artists working in all disciplines and at any stage in their career, a wide array of opportunities could be considered eligible. Proposed opportunities may be self-generated or by invitation and must have
potential for significant impact in one or more of these three categories: Introduce Your Work to New Audiences, Develop New Skills, and Develop Your Artistic Entrepreneurship.
VASHON ARTIST RESIDENCY
https://vashonartistresidency.com/
Deadline August 25, 2022. Vashon Artist Residency offers artists space and time to create, connect and live in a community of artists on spectacular Vashon Island in the Salish Sea in Washington State. The Residency provides housing and workspace, on a sliding scale, need-based fee structure. We currently offer 3.5 week long, self-directed residencies to emerging, mid-career, and established artists. We usually have four artists in each residency session. Any work an artist
makes at Vashon Artist Residency will be theirs. We do not impose expectations on the artists.
NEBRASKA MICRO GRANTS
https://www.artscouncil.nebraska.gov/apply/micro-grants/
Micro Grants provide financial support to assist artists and community organizations applying for a grant for the first time. Community arts projects led by artists or community-based organizations for the benefit of the public. Examples of supported projects might include mural projects, virtual artist panels, music performances, etc. Open to artists in any discipline residing in Nebraska. The Letter of Interest (LOI) must be received no less than six weeks prior to the start of the project or
purchase of equipment. Grants are $500 maximum.
ILLINOIS ARTS GRANTS
https://arts.illinois.gov/Individual%20Artist%20Support
The Illinois Arts Council Agency (IACA) is pleased to announce the opening of the 2023 Individual Artist Support (IAS) grant program. There is no hard deadline date for this program, applications will be accepted until funds are fully committed or by May 15, 2023 - for activities occurring through August 31, 2023. Applications must be received by the IACA no less than 8 weeks prior to the project starting date. Typically grant funds for this program are expended by January. The IAS program
assists Illinois artists to realize a career goal, take advantage of a professional opportunity, or to produce and present an artistic project. Applicants can request grant amounts between $500 and $1,500 with no cash match required. Applicants must secure funds to cover any remaining costs exceeding $1,500.
THE AWESOME FOUNDATION
https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en
The Awesome Foundation is a global community advancing the interest of awesome in the universe, $1,000 at a time. Each fully autonomous chapter supports awesome projects through micro-grants, usually given out monthly. These micro-grants, $1000 or the local equivalent, come out of pockets of the chapter's "trustees" and are given on a no-strings-attached basis to people and groups working on awesome projects.
DELAWARE ARTIST RESIDENCIES
https://delawarescene.com/cfa/artist-residency-2022-12-31
Deadline December 31, 2022. Artist Residency grants are for residencies with visual, literary, performing or media artists working with students in the classroom or in professional development workshops with teachers.
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IJNET
https://icfj.submittable.com/submit/139151/pitch-to-ijnet
IJNet accepts pitches from readers, and in doing so, we hope to build a network of global, diverse contributors whose work can help as many journalists as possible. Most of our freelancers work in English, but we've recently added the opportunity to write in Spanish, Portuguese or Russian. Do you know of a journalism tool, app or resource that we haven’t covered? A media innovator who has a fascinating story to tell? Or do you simply want to discuss a current media trend taking place in your
country? Estimated pay is $200 per article.
STRANGE HORIZONS
http://strangehorizons.com/about/
Each department of Strange Horizons has separate submission guidelines. For information about submitting work to a particular department, follow the appropriate link. Submissions of translated fiction or poetry can be made first to our sister magazine, Samovar. Strange Horizons is a weekly magazine of and about speculative fiction. We publish fiction, poetry, reviews, essays, interviews, roundtable discussions, and art. Also, Strange Horizons invites submissions for a special nonfiction issue on
EXTRACTIVISM IN SFF (scheduled end of September, 2022). Interested in essays, columns, interviews, with specific interest in pieces dealing with extractivism in The Expanse. Pays $200. Query/submit gautam.strangehorizons@gmail.com
MIC
Click here or Click here
Mic is accepting pitches for both feature-length stories and entries to their ongoing series. Features are typically between 1,200 and 2,500 words, with rates starting at $400 for short essays and 50 cents a word for reported features, depending on a writer's experience and expertise.
CHICKEN SOUP: LESSONS LEARNED FROM MY DOG
http://www.chickensoup.com
We are looking for true stories and poems about your dog. Tell us what new thing your dog taught you. How smart she is or how she outsmarted you! How he made you smile. How she "rescued" you after you "rescued" her. How he brought your family closer together, helped you find love, inspired you to change something in your human life. Stories can be serious or humorous, or both. Limit 1,200 words. First person, please. Payment is $200 and 10 copies.
YOUR TEEN
https://yourteenmag.com/about/write-for-ytm
Your Teen is a publication for parents of teenagers—middle school, high school, and up to the first year or two of college—and for professionals working with teenagers. Our mission is to be a trusted source—and a fun, informative read!—for readers who are seeking information about teenagers. Your pitch should be no more than three or four paragraphs. It should include: a short overview of your idea, why it matters to our audience, and a sense of the experts/ parents/ teenagers (if applicable)
you will interview for your story. Right now, they are also, specifically, seeking stories about your epic fail parenting your teen or tween. Let's be honest, parents have growing pains too, and sometimes they're very painful. Personal essays ~700 words about Email: mhed@yourteenmag.com. Subject line: Submission: JRQ Growing Pains, LAST NAME, Essay Title. Rate for this one is $75.
SAVING PLACES
https://savingplac.es/NTHPFreelance22
Looking for writers interested in topics at the intersection of history and place, particularly related telling the full American story; sustaining historic sites; building stronger communities through preservation; preservation and climate change; and issues related to the transformation of historic preservation into an inclusive practice. We are hoping to identify five to ten regular contributors that we can assign stories to through the end of 2023. These individuals will also have the
opportunity to pitch us pieces that fit into the themes above. We pay $250/story.
UNBIAS THE NEWS
Click here
Unbiasthenews.org is accepting pitches on underreported stories with global relevance. Seeks personal narratives or opinion pieces. Pays 250 euros. Also seeks reported articles with an investigative edge. Pays 500 euros. We prefer stories from local journalists- i.e., journalists who reside in the country they are reporting about. We are happy to work with journalists for whom English is a second or third language.
TRAVEL + LEISURE
https://www.travelandleisure.com/
Pitch Hannah Walhout, Senior Editor at hannah.walhout@dotdashmdp.com. Seeking pitches on CRAFT! for Travel + Leisure. Culturally significant techniques from anywhere in the world. Please include: a way engage as a visitor in the place where it is practiced (tours, classes, etc.); a way to buy directly from artisans (online preferred but not required). Wordcount will vary but pays $2/word.
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ARC LITERARY MANAGEMENT
https://arcliterarymanagement.com/the-agency
Arc Literary is a forward-thinking agency, working proactively and strategically in a rapidly changing industry to seek out opportunities in foreign rights, audio, merchandising, film/tv, public speaking, and more. We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we strive to amplify marginalized voices by representing clients who further that mission. We meet each client where they are and work with transparency on a multi-faceted approach to representation that is tailored to both
long- and short-term career goals.
FOLIO LITERARY MANAGEMENT
https://www.foliolit.com/submit
Folio Literary Management places both fiction and non-fiction with major publishers throughout the U.S. and around the world. We are aggressively seeking literary fiction; upmarket adult fiction that’s appropriate for book club discussion; and commercial fiction that features fresh voices and/or memorable characters. Many of us love narrative nonfiction – great stories paired with great writing – including memoirs – but also authors, experts, scholars, and journalists with well-researched,
compelling and new ideas. We love authors who are ready and able to promote their work and expertise in all forms of media. Folio Jr, the division of Folio Literary Management devoted exclusively to the representation of today’s most stellar children’s book authors and artists, is wholly committed to offering our clients 360º of impeccable, hands-on care.
JULIA LORD LITERARY MANAGEMENT
https://julialordliterarymgt.com/
Julia Lord Literary Management is committed to handling not only all publishing rights — including film/tv, translation, audio, and electronic- but to help co-ordinate publicity, special events, off the book page media and all other publishing needs of the author. E-mail queries can be sent to query@julialordliterarymgt.com. We read every query but only respond to those we are interested in pursuing. Because of security concerns we do not open or respond to any e-mails that have
attachments, so please be sure to put your query letter in the body of your e-mail. Please also paste your synopsis and the first five pages of your manuscript into the body of your e-mail. They entertain a wide range of genres.
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