TOP SPONSOR 

Hi!

My name is Micaila. 

And I recently started a group to help storylovers (like myself) become storytellers.

It’s based on a few things I learned when I was looking at the writing habits of authors like Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, Brandon Sanderson, & Sarah J. Mass. 

These four simple secrets, in particular. 

You can learn more about my group (and what I learned) by clicking that link.

EDITOR'S THOUGHTS

Setting is Money

All of my books use real settings in the state of South Carolina. I can honestly say that the locations have done more to sell my books than anything else. 

SC settings like Edisto Island, Charleston, Chapin, Pelion, Walterboro, and Newberry can be found in my stories. Readers say, hey, I've been there, and they buy, wanting to revisit that place, or insert themselves into the familiar. In terms of Edisto Island, people have vacationed there, fallen in love with it, and while they can't return anytime soon, they can at least revisit in a story. 

The Edisto Bookstore sold 1000+ copies last year and almost double that this year. People wanted to take Edisto home with them, or they were new to the area and wanted fiction that sank them into the parts they didn't know. 

Some ask me how I get away with using real places in fiction. I have several tips for this:

1) Be accurate in the setting. 
2) Don't paint a negative light on a real commercial venue. 
3) Use multiple real aspects of the setting from street names to businesses, from weather to economy, from culture to demographics. 
4) Don't use real people, or the semblance of real people, without their permission. 
5) Understand the real-life issues and history of the community. 

For instance, on Edisto Island, I use real streets like Myrtle, Palmetto, and Jungle Road. Real marshes and waterways like Scotts Creek and Big Bay Creek. I use real restaurants like Whaley's, McConkey's, and Ella and Ollie's. I use the real police station and the Pavilion on the Atlantic's edge. 

However, I only use one person who is close to being real, and I got her permission to use her likeness. Everyone else is pure fiction. Not everyone wants their image in a book, especially if they do anything wrong. However, there has to be a mayor, police officers, a town council, real estate agents, and restaurant owners. It's a tourist beach community. However, the real people holding these jobs on Edisto hold no similarity to the ones in the books. As a matter of fact, the police chief has changed five times since I've written these books, and the mayor three times. A few of these people have been staunch fans. 

But regardless the place, you must capitalize on a setting's uniqueness. What makes it more than any other city, any other community, any other tourist locale, or yet another beach? The setting has to feel like a character and has to be a serious draw for readers. To nail a setting is to snare more readers, those who picked up the book solely because of where it is located. 

More on writing setting:
https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-fiction/8-tips-for-creating-believable-fictional-towns
https://blog.reedsy.com/setting-of-a-story/
https://writersedit.com/fiction-writing/7-tips-writing-realistic-settings/

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Featured article

Write Nonfiction Articles to Build an Audience for Your Fiction

By Melissa Hart

The day my agent sold my newest novel for middle school readers, I sat down with a giant piece of paper and my daughter’s colored markers. I created a bubble graph of the topics and themes in the story and how I might explore them in nonfiction articles for newspapers and magazines. 

Though having been a journalist and author for over two decades, I took almost that long to realize that if I didn’t put significant time and energy into publicizing my books, sales would tank. Writing and publishing short pieces related to my books has proven to be a brilliant way to build a fan base and earn paychecks. It’s a strategy any author can employ, to include for backlist books, as well. Here’s how I did it. 

Daisy Woodworm Changes the World tells the story of a 13-year-old amateur entomologist and track star who gets a school assignment to change the world. She decides to help her brother Sorrel—who has Down syndrome and adores Special Olympics and men’s fashion—to fulfill his dream of becoming a social media influencer. The trouble is that their overprotective parents, struggling with financial catastrophe, have forbidden Sorrel to appear on social media. 

Sorrel is based on my brother who has Down syndrome, and I wanted to write a piece pegged for World Down Syndrome Day on March 21st. I ended up interviewing and writing about three accomplished young adults with this genetic condition for The Washington Post. In my research, I came across two entrepreneurs with Down syndrome and wrote this profile of a dog-treat baker for The Wildest, and this profile of a triathlete who launched her own makeup and athletic wear line for Byrdie Beauty. 

I shared links to these publications on social media and tagged national support groups for people with Down syndrome and their families. Because of this outreach, I received back-cover blurbs for Daisy Woodworm Changes the World from an executive director at Special Olympics and from the National Down Syndrome Society. 

One of my main characters in Daisy grows up with two mothers, as I did in the 1980s. I pitched and wrote a reading list titled “Families Like Ours: A Reading List for the Children of Queer Parents” for Longreads. In researching for that piece, I came across the PFLAG #ReadwithLove project, and the director hooked me up with video producers at CNN who ran this piece about how I fight book bans by filling Little Free Libraries with diverse kids’ books while wearing an inflatable T-rex costume. (No joke.)

If you find my approach inspiring, consider making a list of all the topics in your newest book (in the case of Daisy: insects, Special Olympics, running, and young adult entrepreneurs with Down syndrome) and themes (for Daisy: inclusivity, teen empowerment, parental job loss, and friendship). Ask yourself how you might approach one or more of these topics and themes for a particular section of a newspaper, for a lifestyle magazine, a travel magazine, a niche publication (there’s a magazine for every interest and hobby!), or a magazine for writers. 

Speaking of the latter, I designed my own writing retreat while working on an early draft of my novel, and I found it to be much too lonely. So I researched and wrote this article on seven group writing retreats for The Writer Magazine, including the weeklong North Carolina event Writers Who Run. (I can’t wait to sign up and write about the experience for a running or travel magazine.)

By the time Daisy Woodworm Changes the World appeared in stores last month, I’d built up a fan base of readers interested in at least one of the topics and themes in the novel. Plus, I’d earned thousands of dollars for my nonfiction articles. I’ve enjoyed the process so much that I may just keep going another year!

BIO: Melissa Hart is the author, most recently, of Daisy Woodworm Changes the World. Find her at www.melissahart.com and on Twitter/Instagram/TikTok @WildMelissaHart. 

 

COmpetitions

PORTER FLEMING LITERARY COMPETITION
https://www.themorris.org/porter-fleming-literary-competition/
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 13, 2023. The Porter Fleming Literary Competition consists of four categories—fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and one-act play. Fiction—Short stories only (2,500 words maximum). Nonfiction—Article or essay (2,500 words maximum). Poetry—(Up to three poems per entry, not to exceed five pages total per entry). One-Act Play—(Professional format required; limited to fifteen pages, double-spaced). A total of $7,500 in prizes. 

PET FLASH FICTION CONTEST
https://www.booksie.com/contest/pet-flash-fiction-contest-31
ENTRY FEE $2.50-4.99. Deadline February 23, 2023. The challenge of this contest is to write a true story about a pet in 300 words or fewer. The story can be funny, silly, scary, sad, or any other adjective as long as it involves a pet. And to make it extra interesting, include a picture of the pet in the story, if you can. Remember, the challenge of flash fiction is to create a thought-provoking story within the tight word constraints of the writing form. One winner will receive $250, a promotion across Booksie, a gold contest badge, $15 in ebooks from the Booksie bookstore. Two runners-up will receive $50, exposure across Booksie, and a silver contest badge. Yes, you must be a Booksie member but membership is free. If you are not a member, you can easily become one as part of the entry process.

CHIPLITFEST SHORT STORY COMPETITION
https://www.chiplitfest.com/chiplitfest-short-story-competition-2023
ENTRY FEE £8 for stories up to 2,500 words. £10 for stories up to 5,000 words. Deadline February 5, 2023. First Prize: £1,000. Second Prize: £250. Third Prize: £100. Open internationally. Free entries are available for writers on low incomes (see guidelines on website). 

URBAN TREE WRITING COMPETITION
https://walklistencreate.org/competition/urban-tree-festival-2023-writing-competition/
ENTRY FEE €6-9. Deadline March 13, 2023. We invite you to write a (flash) story or poem of 250 words or under about “Secrets of The Trees.” The pieces can be grounded in life writing or fiction, with two categories of Poetry and Prose Writing. The latter can encompass any genre of fiction or nonfiction, including memoir and personal essays. The Urban Tree festival will publish an anthology of the best poetry and prose submitted both in an illustrated chapbook anthology as well as an audio locative podcast. The judges will be asked to choose their winner and runner up for poetry and prose categories, for which the winners in each category (poetry or prose) will receive a cash prize of €200, as well as a year’s Silver Membership to walk · listen · create (worth €50). Runners Up in each category will receive a year’s Silver membership. The entry fee will be waived for those unable to afford it. 

 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

 

VIRGINIA CENTER FOR THE CREATIVE ARTS FELLOWSHIPS
https://www.vcca.com/apply/fully-funded-fellowships/
Deadline January 15, 2023. Since 1971, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA) has provided time and space for national and international writers, visual artists, and composers of talent. Fellowships include: 
50th Anniversary Fellowships for Artists of Color: A fully funded, two-week residency at Mt. San Angelo will be awarded to artists of color who have not previously been in residence at VCCA.

Alonzo Davis Fellowship: A fully funded two-week residency at Mt. San Angelo and a $500 honorarium will be awarded to American writers, visual artists, and composers of African or Latin American descent.

Alison Lurie Memorial Fellowship: A fully funded two-week residency at Mt. San Angelo will be awarded to female-identifying fiction writers.

Steven Petrow LGBTQ+ Fellowship: A fully funded two-week residency at Mt. San Angelo will be awarded to writers in any genre who self-identify as LGBTQ+.

Marian Treger Fellowship for Enduring Creativity: A fully funded two-week residency at Mt. San Angelo and a $400 stipend will be awarded to female-identifying fiction writers, screenwriters, or visual artists, emerging in mid-life and beyond whose creative paths may have been detoured or hindered by chronic health conditions or disabilities.

WOODBERRY POETRY ROOM FELLOWSHIP
https://library.harvard.edu/grants-fellowships/woodberry-poetry-room-fellowship
Deadline February 1, 2023. The Creative Fellowship program invites poets, writers, translators, visual artists, composers, and scholars to propose creative projects that would benefit from an immersive encounter with the Woodberry Poetry Room and its collections. The fellowship includes: a stipend of $5,000, access to the Woodberry Poetry Room (and several other Harvard special collections), and research support from the Poetry Room curatorial staff. 

ARTS CONNECT
https://www.midatlanticarts.org/grants-programs/grants-for-organizations/#artsconnect
Deadline March 2, 2023. ArtsCONNECT supports touring projects collaboratively developed by presenters working together in the mid-Atlantic region. The tours include performances as well as complementary engagement activities designed to create greater understanding or connections between artists, audiences, and communities. Two or more Presenters located in the mid-Atlantic region who partner to present the same artist/company during the project period can each receive up to 50% subsidy for that artist/company’s compensation (including artistic compensation, housing, per diem and travel) plus support for other eligible project expenses.

NEW JERSEY ARTIST IN RESIDENCE GRANTS
http://njaie.org/
Deadline: March 3, 2023. The Artists in Education Residency Grant Program (AIE) places highly qualified professional artists in schools for 20 days or more. The residencies occur during the school day and are designed to enhance arts education for students and faculty. Any New Jersey public, private, charter, or parochial school serving grades Pre-K through 12 is eligible to apply. Schools who are awarded the AIE grant and do not have an existing relationship with an AIE-approved teaching artist will be led through an interview process. They will meet with several teaching artists in order to find the right fit for your school. If a school wants to work with a teaching artist not already affiliated with AIE or its partners, please contact the AIE Manager for more information about the interview process for new AIE teaching artists.​

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS CREATIVE WRITING FELLOWSHIPS
https://www.arts.gov/grants/creative-writing-fellowships
Deadline March 8, 2023. The National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowships program offers $25,000 grants in prose (fiction and creative nonfiction) and poetry to published creative writers that enable the recipients to set aside time for writing, research, travel, and general career advancement. Accepting applications in prose. 

KRESGE FOUNDATION
https://kresge.org/news-views/application-opens-for-kresge-artist-fellowships-gilda-awards-55000-to-be-shared-by-30/
Deadline January 19, 2023. Metro Detroit artists working in literary arts and visual arts are invited to apply online for a 2023 Kresge Artist Fellowship, which are $25,000 no-strings-attached awards which come with a year of professional development support including workshops, mentorship and promotion. Gilda Awards are unrestricted $5,000 awards that come with most of the professional development opportunities available to fellows.

JOSHUA TREE HIGHLANDS ARTIST RESIDENCY
https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=9124
Deadline January 10, 2023. Artists selected for this program are at all stages of their careers and work in all media, including drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, film, video, new media, installation, fiction and non fiction writing, interdisciplinary, social practice and architecture. The residency provides studio space and living accommodations. Each artist will be assigned their own house in which to live and work for the length of the residency. All US and International artists are eligible for the JTHAR program. Location California.

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS TRANSLATION PROJECT GRANT
https://www.arts.gov/grants/translation-projects
Deadline January 12, 2023. Through fellowships to published translators, the National Endowment for the Arts supports projects for the translation of specific works of prose, poetry, or drama from other languages into English. Grants are up to $25,000. 

MCCOLL CENTER PARENTS AND EDUCATORS RESIDENCY
https://mccollcenter.slideroom.com/#/login/program/70127
Deadline January 6, 2023. Summer 2023 Artist-in-Residence Program is offered to parents and educators who otherwise would not have the opportunity to participate in McColl Center residency because of their responsibilities during school/university periods. This residency will support their practices, give you the chance to bring your family with you, use the facilities, and equipment offered by the Center on our Labs. Participating artists will receive: • Housing • Complementary summer camp for children ages 6-14 • $5,000 Honorarium • 24 Hour Studio Access

  

FREELANCE MARKETS / JOBS

THE SUNDAY LONG READ
https://sundaylongread.com/sunday-long-read-seeking-original-story-pitches/
At The Sunday Long Read, we share weekly picks of the best longform journalism out there, but we also like to make our own. We publish roughly five to seven original longform articles per year and would love to hear from writers hoping to work with us. We read pitches year round. We may not be able to publish a story right away, but if we like it, we will try to find a place for it. Our floor for reported longform (>2,000 words) stories is $2,000 with the possibility of covering expenses.

MADISON MINUTES
https://www.madisonminutes.com/about-us/
Seeks journalism that helps you live your best life in Madison. Looking for stories about Madison, WI (priority given to service journalism!). Rate for a 600+-word reported story starts at $350. Pitch Editor Hayley Sperling at hayley@madisonminutes.com.

PLUM GUIDE
https://boards.greenhouse.io/plumguide/jobs/5444107003
At the moment, we’re looking for help writing home listings, but as part of our community, there’d be the opportunity to work on other projects within the Merchandising department. This is a remote role: it requires only a solid internet connection and the capacity to use Plum’s content management system. Training will be provided in this, as well as guidelines on the Plum tone of voice, and best practices with regard to photography. Experience in a copywriting role (either in-house or agency) is essential
Experience in the travel sector is desired, as is experience curating photos and working with a CMS
At this time, please note we are only looking for candidates who are available immediately and are able to commit to 3+ days a week (or equivalent hours). 

RESONATE
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PFlTr9aY8ctIaPxAxXgWp1Upm4tDlUQQ6TryjY1-dSg/edit
The soft launch of the publication is in early 2023. This is a travel storytelling platform, and we only publish stories about places that are meant to be visited. Seeks first-person stories about place-based experiences, cultural traditions, or daily aspects of life told from the perspective of people who identify as “local.” These aren’t chronological or itinerary-focused stories but rather narratives that capture something special about a place. Generally 600-1,000 words. Pay is €100 - €150. Detailed destination guides have specific information about a particular place (generally a city or region) written by a local “expert” who knows the place particularly well. Generally 1,500-2,000 words. Pay is €100. Travellers' Tales are stories written about a place-based experience by someone who has visited the destination. These are written from a first-person perspective and invite the reader in to observe and “participate” in this uniquely personal story. Generally 600-1,000 words. Pay is €100 - €150. Several other categories with different payments. 

THE DAILY BEAST OBSESSED
https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/the-daily-beasts-obsessed-how-to-pitch-freelance-stories
The Daily Beast’s Obsessed is always looking for reactions, explainers, interviews, reviews, and opinion pieces. We cover everything that’s happening in pop culture that you—and we—can’t stop loving, hating, and thinking about. We focus on TV, movies, music, celebs, and internet culture—but if you’re passionate about something, the likelihood is that we might be, too. Rates start at $250. Pitches and questions can be sent to obsessed@thedailybeast.com.

CELEBRATE LIFE MAGAZINE
https://www.clmagazine.org/submission-guidelines/
Celebrate Life Magazine is faith-based, and features human-interest stories, news, action items, information, and advice on a wide range of matters concerning the sanctity of life and human personhood. Each issue features a variety of articles, all of which must be in harmony with the teachings of the Catholic Church. Limit article length to 1,800 words, including any sidebars. Expect around 20 cents/word.

CYCLE CALIFORNIA!
https://www.cyclecalifornia.com/about.html
Cycle California! Magazine started life in the mid-1990s with the mission of providing timely information about bicycle events in Northern California. In the years following we launched the digital magazine and FoundByBike.com blog. Find the print version of Cycle California! in bike shops, running stores, coffee shops, and other locations in northern California from Kern County to the Oregon border, in the Carson Valley of Nevada and in southern Oregon from the border north to Bend and Newport. Pitch Tracy Corral, Editor, at tcorral@cyclecalifornia.com. Expect around 10 cents/word for articles not to exceed 1,200 words. (Thanks www.writersweekly.com on this one)

COMSTOCK MAGAZINE
https://www.comstocksmag.com/submission-guidelines
Comstock’s is the premier monthly business publication in California’s Capital Region. Serving Sacramento and the nine surrounding counties for more than 30 years. Check out the navigation bar on our homepage for a list of the main topics we cover (e.g., transportation, real estate, health care, education, development, law and government, cannabis, food and agriculture). Seasoned writers are welcome to pitch stories for print; many of our departments are written by regular columnists, however, we are open to Taste and feature story pitches. Print features run 1,600-2,200 words. Taste stories run 1,300 words. Web stories are 600-1,500 words. Our rates vary depending on the assignment, the writer’s experience and our relationship with the writer. Our kill fee is 25 percent. 

AUTHORS PUBLISH MAGAZINE
https://authorspublish.com/submit-to-authors-publish-magazine/
We only publish articles and eBooks about various aspects of writing and publishing. The bulk of what we publish are research based literary journal or publisher reviews. We do all of these review articles in-house and are not open to freelance submissions of this kind. We pay between $40 and $60 per article. Most of our articles are between 250-1,200 words in length. We also pay $500 dollars for eBooks around 10,000 words. We DO NOT publish creative writing. This means NO poetry, NO memoir, and NO fiction.

 

Publishers/agents

SWORD AND SILKS BOOKS
https://www.swordandsilkbooks.com/submissions
Genres we are particularly interested in include:
-Gripping mystery/thriller (especially women sleuths)
-Ghostly paranormal (all levels of spice and romance)
-Horror novels with just the right amount of creepiness
-Contemporary Romance with unique concepts
-Adult Fantasy Romance with spice and whimsy
-LGBTIA+ and other intersectionalities in underserved genres such as fantasy and contemporary romance.
-#ownvoices (ND, chronically ill, disabled, BIPOC, etc) stories of all kinds woven into plots that pack a punch.

​Age Ranges we love:
-New Adult Everything
-Adult Romance and Fantasy
-Young Adult Contemporaries with Grit or Quirk
(Thanks https://authorspublish.com/category/issues/issue-four-hundred-ninety-nine/)

CEDAR FORT
https://cedarfort.submittable.com/submit
Cedar Fort is a mid-level independent publisher with over 36 years of experience, specializing in acquiring and distributing uplifting works of nonfiction which include: LDS topics, General nonfiction, cookbooks, outdoor guides, and children’s books. Does not accept Poetry, Short Stories, Erotica, Queries and Proposals, Fiction (teen and adult). 

PERSEA BOOKS
https://www.perseabooks.com/contact/
We publish literary fiction, creative nonfiction, memoir, essays, biography, literary criticism, books on contemporary issues (multicultural, feminist, LGBTQI+), Young Adult novels, and literary and multicultural anthologies that are assigned in secondary and university classrooms. Most of all, we are looking for the fresh voice, a clear point of view, the well-written work that will endure. We are pleased to publish debut books and to continue publishing the authors we take on. We do not publish genre fiction (romance, fantasy, science fiction, thrillers), self-help, textbooks, or children's books.
 

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