TOP SPONSOR 

Hi! I’m Micaila. (& that handsome guy is my husband)

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

If that sounds like something you’re interested in, check out these four simple secrets I found when looking at the writing habits of Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, Brandon Sanderson, & Sarah J. Mass. 

They were a game-changer for me. 

EDITOR'S THOUGHTS

FEAR OF FAILURE

Not long ago I was on a Zoom meeting of writers. We spoke of recommended how-to books, how AI is impacting writing and whether or not we've used it, and then show-don't-tell. When it came time to brag about our individual successes, one writer spoke of how she had talked of writing, read of writing, and attended events on writing, but not followed through to complete a project. She was up to 50,000 words on a book, and we all commended her. She'd been writing for years.

She admitted that the delay in writing came solely from fear of failure. 

Zoom meetings, writers clubs, and social media conversations abound with people having reasons they have not published, are still working on a project after years of trying to figure it out. My guess is the grand majority of them don't press forward due to fear of failure. 

1) What if we spend all that time writing and nobody wants it?
2) What if we spend all that money self-publishing and it does not sell?
3) What if we set up signings and nobody shows?
4) What will friends and family think if we go through all this work and nothing happens?
5) What if we spend all this time on writing books when we could be spending it making more money elsewhere?

I could cover a full page with these questions. What I dare you to do is write down these (and other fears you have about this business of ours), and then answer them. Write the answers down.

Write two answers, frankly. Write the worst that could happen and the best that could happen.

Question 1) WORST CASE - You try to learn from the experience or quit writing and find something else that satisfies you more.

Question 1) BEST CASE - You try to learn from the experience or quit writing and find something else that satisfies you more.

Huh? How did that happen? Move on to question 2, then 3, and so on. I hope you realize that going through these experiences cannot help but make you experienced, wiser, and maybe even happier as you climb the ladder or choose another ladder to climb. 

What you don't do is stop and wallow in self-pity, worried about what other people think. Do, experience, and learn. That's life, baby. That's life. You cannot experience opportunity without showing up and paying to play.

SUPER SPONSOR 

Want to set your writing goals for 2023 in stone? Join me for a FREE webinar on Jan. 7, 2023 to get specific about the writing goals you have for the new year, and walk away with a personalized road map for your 2023 writing goals!

• Name 2 or 3 writing goals you want to accomplish in 2023
• Identify potential hurdles that stand between you and those goals
• Brainstorm with Kate and other attendees ways to overcome those hurdles
• Walk away with a step-by-step plan for how to accomplish your writing goals for 2023

Register at https://event.webinarjam.com/register/22/vggw2s0.

Questions? Email kate@katemeadows.com.

HOPE'S APPEARANCES

 
SUCCESS QUOTE

SUccess Story

If you have a success story you believe was prompted by FundsforWriters, please share with us! Send to hope@chopeclark.com 

 

Featured article

Discovering Parenting Markets

By Gary Sprague 

In my early forties, after working as a plumber for over twenty years, I changed careers and became a writer. I started out by writing what I knew – plumbing and home improvement articles. Before long I had established myself as a freelance writer, but I wasn't satisfied with writing about only plumbing. I wanted to try something new. I never would have guessed that I would end up writing parenting articles.

My older son's high school graduation changed things for me, although I didn't realize it right away. After all the emotion of the graduation ceremony, I went home and put everything I was feeling down on paper. I wrote about the pain of sitting on the old wooden bleachers of the gymnasium, and about the pride and optimism on the faces of the graduates. I wrote about my own high school years, and the dreams I had for myself as I headed out into the world. Before long I had written what I considered to be a funny and touching essay.

When I began looking into parenting markets, I discovered that all the publications – at least the paying ones – were marketed toward and written by women. Even so, I decided to take a chance and send my story to Grown & Flown, which covers issues related to teenagers and young adults.

In my introduction letter, I mentioned my hesitation to submit because all the writers and editors were women. I didn't have to wait long for a reply. Less than twenty-four hours later, I received a very nice acceptance email stating that they were pleased to receive work from a father's point of view. For this essay that took me less than two hours to write, I was paid $50.

And so, I was off to the races. I became a regular contributor to Grown & Flown.  I sold an essay to Mamalode about the time my son's seven-year-old friend slept over, lost a tooth, and tricked me into paying $5 for it. I wrote for Your Teen about my son's dream of becoming a rapper. I wrote several pieces for Her View From Home, including one about how my younger son's peanut allergy can make Halloween extra scary. Ripped Jeans and Bifocals became home to an essay I wrote about reading several parenting books while my wife was pregnant, only to quickly discover that you can't learn parenting in a book.

There are paying parenting markets for all stages of childhood. Many pay around $50 for an essay, but some pay more. A few also pay by the number of views your piece gets on their website over a set period, often thirty days. You can make money from these markets, but unless you have a large following or online presence, it probably won't be much.

An added bonus of writing for the parenting market is the amount of positive feedback you are likely to receive. Writing for a sports blog or a political magazine often brings out the social media warriors. Parenting markets are different, at least in my experience. I've received many comments and messages regarding my work, and every one of them has been positive and supportive. There's a real sense of community in this genre.

You don't need to be female to write for parenting sites. I'm proof of that. You don't even need to be a parent. If you are a teacher, grandparent, uncle, aunt, or even a family friend with an interesting story to tell, give it a try. There are many parenting markets out there, and all it takes is one acceptance letter to set you on your way. 

Additional Parenting Markets:

Focus on the Family Magazine - $50 for 50-300 words

On Parenting – Approximately $0.30 per word

Lies About Parenting - $50 per featured piece

Pregnant Chicken - $100 for a full guest post

A Fine Parent - $75 per article

Zift - $100 per article

Family Story - $100 for 600-1,200 words (People of color and/or LGBTQIA+ folks are especially encouraged to submit)

The Green Parent - $75 per 1,000 words

BIO: Gary Sprague lives with his family in Maine. His nonfiction has appeared in many publications, including Chicken Soup for the Soul and Writers Weekly, and his short fiction has appeared in over twenty literary publications. He is the author of several novels, including the Joe Walker series, which can be found at his Amazon Author Page. You can connect with him on Facebook and Instagram.
 

9990188 © Olesya Shelomova | Dreamstime.com

 

COmpetitions

PRISM PRIZE FOR CLIMATE LITERATURE
https://homeboundpublications.com/prism-prize/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 28, 2023. Sponsored by The Wayfarer’s environmental editor Gail Collins-Ranadive, the prize carries an award of $1,000 and publication of the winning manuscript. Potential climate writers need not be intimidated by a perceived need for extensive research. Just start where you stand, and write out of your experience and expertise. Submit a complete manuscript (preferably no more than 65,000 words for nonfiction or fiction submissions and no more than 125, 8.5 x 11 pages for poetry.) 

STOCKHOLM WRITERS FESTIVAL FIRST 5 PAGES PRIZE
https://swf-first5pagesprize.submittable.com/submit
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 12, 2023. Submit the first five pages of your unpublished novel, book or novella. Entries must be in English. We love all genres. The prize package includes: $1,000 A free ticket to SWF23 August 18-20, and related events, two nights in a downtown Stockholm boutique hotel, a pitch meeting with a relevant agent, and developmental editing of your manuscript courtesy of Reedsy. Second and third Prize Winners will receive a ticket to SWF23 and related events as well as a meeting with a relevant agent. You may not enter if you are a writer with agented representation. We will not accept entries over 1,700 words.

BILL HICKOK HUMOR AWARD FOR POETRY
http://i70review.fieldinfoserv.com/submissions.html
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 28, 2023. Winner will receive $1,000. Winning poem will appear in the 2023 issue of I-70 Review. Submit one to three unpublished poems. All submissions will be eligible for publication in I-70 Review.

SWAMP PINK PRIZE
https://crazyhorse.cofc.edu/prizes/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 1, 2023. Categories fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Submit one to three poems, up to 25 pages for nonfiction and fiction. Awards $2,000 for first prize in each cat egory. 

FONOGRAF EDITIONS ESSAY COLLECTION CONTEST
https://fonografeditions.com/submit/
$30 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 31, 2023. For an author’s first or second essay collection. The winner will receive publication with Fonograf Editions, an honorarium of $1250, a standard royalty contract, and 20 author copies. This contest is specifically open for writers who have either previously published a single essay collection or have not previously published an essay collection. Suggested length is 75 to 160 pages. 

PRIME NUMBER MAGAZINE AWARDS FOR POETRY AND SHORT FICTION
https://www.press53.com/prime-number-magazine-awards
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2023. The Prime Number Magazine Awards for Poetry & Short Fiction is open to writers around the world, ages 18 and older, who write in English. First Prize in Each Category: $1,000 and publication in Prime Number Magazine, Issue 241, Sept-Dec 2023 (a Press 53 publication). 

ETCHINGS PRESS NOVELLA CONTEST
https://etchings.submittable.com/submit
$12 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 31, 2023. Etchings Press, a student-run publisher at University of Indianapolis, invites submissions for its fourth annual novella contest. The winner will receive a $300 honorarium and 15 copies of the published novella. Please submit novella manuscripts of 10,000-40,000 words. 

 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

 

GEORGIA PROJECT GRANTS
https://gaarts.org/what-we-do/grants/projectgrant/
Deadline February 3, 2023. Project Grants support single art projects such as an art exhibit, a theatre production, a series of workshops for children, or an artist residency. Grants are between $1,000 and $8,000. Eligible Applicants: Nonprofit organizations, government entities, public libraries, schools and colleges/universities. Which means individuals need to connect with one of these so they support/sponsor your project. 

THE AWESOME FOUNDATION
https://www.awesomefoundation.org/
We award $1,000 grants every month. The Awesome Foundation is an ever-growing worldwide community devoted to forwarding the interest of awesome in the universe. Created in the long hot summer days of 2009 in Boston, the Foundation distributes $1,000 grants, no strings attached, to projects and their creators. At each fully autonomous chapter, the money is pooled together from the coffers of ten or so self-organizing “micro-trustees” and given up front in cash, check, or gold doubloons.

EYEBEAM FUNDS
https://www.eyebeam.org/ecfj-apply/
In an effort to be responsive to an ever-fluctuating news cycle, artists and artist-journalist teams can apply to ECFJ for support of their work on a rolling basis. ECFJ supports a variety of work, including: text, photography, audio and video. Artists and artist-journalist teams with longer-term, research-intensive projects are also encouraged to apply. Domestic and international applicants are welcome. Grant support ranges from $500 to $5,000 per project.

PARENT ARTIST ADVOCACY LEAGUE (PAAL) FOR PERFORMING ARTS AND MEDIA
https://www.paaltheatre.com/
Individual Childcare Grants: A parent-artist or artist with a full-time adult dependent/elder care responsibilities creating in the United States seeking funding for childcare or elder care while engaging in artistic and/or administrative projects or professional development. All theatrical disciplines and administrative positions are eligible to apply for these grants. In addition to the PAAL National Childcare Grants listed here, PAAL has also initiated its first  PAAL Chapter Grants , which are awarded to individuals and/or institutions in qualified PAAL Chapter Cities and supported by local PAAL Membership. Each PAAL Chapter City has its own diverse array of opportunity, community, and grants. Individuals and institutions may apply for PAAL National Grants and PAAL Chapter Grants simultaneously in so far as they qualify.

CRIME WRITERS ASSOCIATION BURSARIES
https://thecwa.co.uk/member-benefits/bursaries
The Crime Writers’ Association offers a range of bursaries for both new and existing members, to help those whose financial circumstances might prevent them from joining the CWA, renewing their membership or attending events. The bursaries are kindly provided by our members and other contributors to provide full or partial funding towards membership, CWA conference attendance or CrimeFest attendance. Some bursaries are targeted at helping authors from specific groups. They are all awarded in strict confidence to people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford the membership or activity. See the website for the 19 different bursary offers.

DE GROOT FOUNDATION GRANTS for WRITERS 
https://degrootfoundation.org/courage-to-write-guidelines/
Deadline February 15, 2023. We welcome applications from adult writers actively engaged in a writing project and for whom a monetary boost could help further or complete the project. Applicants may be writing in any genre. In 2023, The de Groot Foundation will award seven unrestricted $7,000 COURAGE TO WRITE grants, three $7,000 LANDO grants and seven to ten $1,500 Writer of Note grants. 

THE WRITERS' COLONY AT DAIRY HOLLOW
https://www.writerscolony.org/residencies
The residency application is relatively simple, and once submitted, residents are juried into the Colony for either subsidized general residency or a Fellowship-funded stay. Writers and artists spend anywhere from one week to three months at Dairy Hollow. As a nonprofit supporting the literary arts, we are able to offer a subsidized rate of $95 per night with a one-time $25 cleaning fee. This rate includes food for meals as well as weeknight dinners prepared by our chef.

MISSISSIPPI ARTIST FELLOWSHIPS
https://arts.ms.gov/grants/grants-for-individuals/artist-fellowships/
Deadline March 1, 2023. MAC’s Artist Fellowship program is focused on honoring Mississippi artists who demonstrate the ability to create exemplary work in their chosen field. The agency awards fellowships of up to $5,000 in several categories each year. Professional artists living and working in Mississippi are eligible to apply.

  

FREELANCE MARKETS / JOBS

THE BLACKLIGHT
https://amsterdamnews.com/work-with-us/
The Blacklight, the NY Amsterdam News’ investigative unit, is looking for experienced freelance journalists. Currently we are accepting pitches for stories about the impact of COVID-19 as well as gun violence on Black and brown communities, esp. in NYC. We primarily work with journalists based in the NYC area but we are also open to pitches from journalists based outside the region. However, we require all our freelance journalists to have a connection to, understanding of, or experience reporting on Black and brown communities in the United States and/or New York City. Pays 50 cents to $2 per word. 

CURRENT AFFAIRS
https://images.currentaffairs.org/2021/04/Writers-Guide.pdf
You don’t have to be a Current Affairs subscriber to submit work to our magazine, but it helps. Not simply because we have a nepotistic bias toward paid members of the Current Affairs family (though we do), but because if a writer is unfamiliar with the kind of thing we publish, they are less likely to propose things that will fit well. We have two publication formats: our print edition and our online edition. Main articles for the print edition are usually around 3,000-4,500 words, while online articles are usually 1,200-2,400 words. We are the left magazine for people skeptical of leftism, and we cite our sources, show our work, and elaborately buttress our arguments.

NEXT CITY
https://nextcity.org/pitch
Next City publishes news stories reported and written by journalists, and op-eds written by academics and practitioners in the fields we cover: urban policy, planning, housing, economic development, transportation, tech, environmental sustainability, arts and urban culture, health and safety, and design. We center equity in every sector we cover. Next City firmly believes that nothing we do in cities matters if we do not make life more equitable for everyone. Most of our stories are 800 to 1,500 words. We’re always looking for stories about solutions to advance social, racial or environmental justice in cities. Rates start at $400. 

FIFTY GRANDE
https://www.fiftygrande.com/pitches/
We want to find a balance in our coverage across the different regions of the U.S. while also considering the dynamics of class, gender, race and sexuality. We're most interested in assigning destination or profile pieces (about people, places or hotels), first-person travelogues, think-piece essays, historical stories, sustainable tourism features and prominent Q&As. We want stories with vivid, funny writing combined with accurate and deep reporting. Pays $250-$700.

LITERALLY DEAD: TALES OF HOLIDAY HAUNTINGS
https://www.alienhead-entertainment.com/submissions
Deadline January 20, 2023. We’re inviting writers of dark fiction to submit short stories of classic paranormal, poltergeists, ghosts, spirits, haunted places and objects, and the eerily unexplained that take place on or around the winter holidays. NOT looking for: children’s, poetry, long fiction, novellas, flash fiction, slasher, vampires, werewolves, zombies, extreme, or creature horror. Just ghost stories that take place during the winter days of Christmas, Hanukkah, winter solstice, Yule, Kwanzaa, etc. Pays six cents/word for 2,000 to 4,000 words. 

AIR AND NOTHINGNESS PRESS
http://aanpress.com/submissions.html
Deadline January 31, 2023. We are seeking stories for an anthology to be titled Gargantua which will collect stories of massive engineering megastructures that reshape stellar systems. To be published in the spring of 2023 by the Air and Nothingness Press. All stories to be exactly 1,000 words. Theme: Shellworlds, Alderson disks, Dyson spheres and swarms, O'Neill cylinders, Matrioshka brains, wormhole networks - these megastructures reshape stellar systems, are evidence of the engineering prowess of advanced civilizations, and are just darn cool concepts. Pays eight cents/word. 

MYSTERION
https://www.mysteriononline.com/p/submission-guidelines.html
We are looking for speculative stories-science fiction, fantasy, horror-with Christian themes, characters, or cosmology. Stories can be up to 9,000 words. We pay eight cents/word for original stories (or original translations of stories that have not previously appeared in English), and four cents/word for reprints. 

BRIGIDS GATE PRESS 
https://brigidsgatepress.com/submissions
Deadline January 31, 2023. Theme: TBD Seers and Sibyls. We're looking for stories about the mouthpieces of gods and goddesses. Who interprets their omens, tells their prophecies, sees their visions, and performs their miracles? And to what end? New and experienced authors are welcome. Flash fiction up to 1,000 words. Short Stories between 1,500 to 5,000 words. Poetry up to 500 words. Pays eight cents/word for flash and short stories. Pays $50 for poetry. 

DARK MATTER MAGAZINE
https://darkmattermagazine.shop/pages/magazine-submission-guidelines
Dark Matter Magazine aims to bring you stories that explore the shadow side of reality. We publish dark sci-fi and sci-fi/horror exclusively. Cosmic horror, weird fiction, sci-fi thriller, and cyberpunk are some of our favorite sub-genres. In our opinion, the alchemy of science fiction and horror has produced some of the best art in the past few decades. Limit 1,000 to 5,000 words. Pays eight cents/word. Has several themes. 

CAST OF WONDERS
https://www.castofwonders.org/submissions/
Deadline February 14, 2023. Cast of Wonders is a young adult short fiction market, open to stories up to 6,000 words in length. We’re dedicated to publishing fiction that reflects the entire spectrum of the human experience in the forms of fantasy, science fiction, horror, comedy, steampunk, superheroes and more. We aim for a 12-17 age range: that means sophisticated, non-condescending stories with wide appeal, and without gratuitous or explicit sex, violence or pervasive obscene language. Think Harry Potter or The Hunger Games. Pays eight cents/word. Runs themes. The latest is Seasonal Holidays. 

MEMOIR MONDAY
https://memoirmonday.substack.com/about
They just launched a sub-newsletter titled First Person Singular featuring original personal essays. Accepting *one* essay per month. If subscriptions grow to the point that they are more sustaining, will consider adding more pieces to the roster, adding an additional section for craft essays, and possibly hiring other editors. Completed personal essays of 1,500 to 2,500 words. The pay rate is $200.

WELL + GOOD
https://www.wellandgood.com/pitching-guidelines/amp/
We do not accept stories on spec; please submit pitches only, not entire pre-written articles. Topic ideas health and mental health, food, lifestyle, travel, beauty, and fitness. 

For reported pieces:
Tier 1: $150-$350 (500-800 words, 0-2 sources)
Tier 2: $350-$500 (800-1,200 words, 3-4 sources)
Tier 3: $500+ (1,200+ words, heavily reported)

For personal essays and op-eds:
Tier 1: $200-$400 (600-1,000 words)
Tier 2: $400+ (1,000+ words)

THE HARD HISTORY PROJECT
https://www.thehardhistoryproject.net/opportunities
Actively recruiting authors and illustrators with experience producing fiction and nonfiction for students in upper elementary grades. Pitches and resumes/CVs should be sent to Kate Shuster: kate.shuster@gmail.com. When complete, these pieces will be no more than 1000 words each, and will be published on the Last Seen website, including originally commissioned illustrations. One major purpose of these pieces is to introduce younger students to the archive. As such, all pieces must Lexile at or below fifth grade. Payment is $1 per published word, and $500 per published illustration. 

LOGIC
https://logicmag.io/pitch-us/
Deadline January 27, 2023. Begins paying at $1,200 for shorter essays of 1,200-1,600 words, and $2,000 for longer features of 2,000-4,000 words and up. This inaugural issue welcomes all types of mediums thinking through tech and matching our theme, supa dupa skies (move slow and heal things), including reported articles, features, graphic stories, poetry, speculative sci-fi and fashion. 

 

Publishers/agents

DRIFTWOOD PRESS
https://driftwoodpress.submittable.com/submit
Driftwood Press is an independent magazine publisher & press. We publish chapbooks, full-length poetry collections, comics, novellas, and a robust literary magazine yearly. We're also a paying market for both our press authors and those who place work in our magazine. 

ORISON BOOKS
https://www.orisonbooks.com/submissions
Orison Books seeks to publish spiritually-engaged poetry, fiction, and nonfiction of exceptional literary merit. In our view, spiritual writing has little to do with subject matter. Rather, the kind of work we seek to publish has a transcendent aesthetic effect on the reader, and reading it can itself be a spiritual experience. General Fiction and Nonfiction submissions, as well as Anthology Proposals, are accepted during the month of October. We do not consider self-help, how-to, or “inspirational” manuscripts. Self-published manuscripts are considered previously published and are not eligible for submission in any category.

 

FUNDSFORWRITERS CONTACT INFO

FINE PRINT

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E-mail: hope@fundsforwriters.com
140-A Amicks Ferry Road #4
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ISSN: 1533-1326

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