TOP SPONSOR 

EDITOR'S THOUGHTS

BE CAREFUL ON SOCIAL MEDIA

This week I was scrolling through social media, stalling before writing another chapter in my book, and ran across someone asking how in the world self-published people put out such bad covers. That launched a flurry of their people echoing in agreement.

My response was: Who cares? Not my place to tell someone how to do their cover.

A few more comments were made that they weren't criticizing, just drawing conclusions about bad covers, maybe some about self-publishing. I wasn't seeing the difference. A lot of hair-splitting explanation with the same end results: being critical.

They would've been better off not speaking about the subject, frankly. This was an author making the comment. Now they are remembered by some, like me, for being critical of other authors who are struggling to write, publish, and market themselves like every other author out there. A bit of an elitist stance, IMHO. Imagine some silent writer, someone too timid to speak up, taking this in, wondering if their cover is bad, maybe scared to take that leap of publishing the book at all for fear of this sort of criticism. 

The point here is that an author should remain professional at all times. I've met big-named authors who respected me for being an author, without having picked up one of my books. It was a brotherhood/sisterhood sort of feel. Yes, they sold millions of books while my numbers were still in the thousands, but there's no doubt in my mind they would've been just as congenial to someone whose books sold only a hundred copies. 

That's how I want to be remembered as an author.

So, when someone on social media rears up and ridicules their competition, understand that they've left a scar on someone's first impression of them. Or changed someone else's current impression. 

Talk about your hard work, your fun times, your experiences and successes. Even ask for pictures of kittens and puppies on the days you feel low. But when you have the urge to criticize grammar, book covers, even one-star reviewers of your own books, think twice. Then think about it a third time. The attention you draw will be, first and foremost, on you, not who you intended it for. 

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SUPER SPONSOR 

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HOPE'S APPEARANCES

 
SUCCESS QUOTE

SUccess Story

Hello Hope,

The concept of wormholes intrigued me for decades. I melded it with personal and family lore into a short story and waited for a publisher. 

In your "Message from Hope" 24 June 2023, you advised us to "write the story on your heart." My short fiction "Wormhole" captures my interest, my culture, my environment. The writing is from my heart.

Encouraged by your message, when Moose House Press sent a call-out for short stories, I was ready. They published "Wormhole" in Blink and You'll Miss It: Moose House Stories Vol.2.

Thank you for encouraging me to contribute to this collection of stories about life in Nova Scotia.

Best wishes for 2023,

Marie Mossman 
Author of A Rebel for Her Time
Contributor to Less Than Innocent: A Lockdown Story

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

 

Featured article

Use Your Book as a Key to Greater Success 

By Bryan Jansing

Books don't make much money, but they do open doors. Even on the best of days, you can't make a living off a book. In today's publishing world you promote yourself and your book, while still making an income in other ways. But, a book, whether self-published or published by a traditional publisher, can give you creds and provide other means for income.  

Like most writers, you probably have another job. Whether a teacher or a server, use this knowledge to your advantage. Say you work at a restaurant that sells great cheeses. Cheese could be your book. You begin by speaking to your employer. Where do they buy their cheeses from? How do they get them? How do they choose the best ones? What is the difference between cheeses? You've been trained to sell their cheeses, so you are already informed. Now delve deeper. Learn the industry, how cheese is made, the details of cheese, its workers, distributors, their histories. You have already amassed enough material for a book.

Don't just look at the book as your final product, though. Each step to writing your book provides you articles to publish in cheese journals, food magazines, health blogs - the very places you'll want to promote your book later. In turn, f you're a smart writer, you'll use that capital to promote your book. The book can be your key to opening doors.

Let’s say you now have a book and you've met the key people in your subject's industry, in this case, cheese. Of course, use the book to re-establish your position as an important opportunity to them. You may have published articles about them and that has helped promote their business. Believe me, they will be very endeared to you and because they are successful business people, they will not let such a key player like you slip away.

While you were traveling to these locations and learning about your subject, cheese, you visited factories, cheese paradises, markets, restaurants specializing in cheese, and manufacturers. What you have now is a map to a tourist trip. Take that next step. Utilize your new contacts and create a cheese tour business. Because you are the person who wrote the book, your creds are flawless. Because you promoted these businesses through paid articles, I might add, you are a friend. And now you are a friend who brings groups to their locations who buy their products and further their marketing.

You are also promoting your book by reaching new circles of potential buyers by promoting your tours. Tours generate a greater income than books and keep you close to your sources, the business owners who create new freelance articles for publishing, which promote your book in the right magazines where people interested in cheese will want to buy your book or take a tour, or both. You've now created a cycle of income. Congratulations.

This concept can be used for nearly any market; make up, toys, clothes, cars. While you don’t necessarily have to start a tour business, I happened to have taken this scenario and applied it to beer. After working at a famous craft beer bar for many years, I wrote a book about Italian craft beer, Italy: Beer Country and turned that into a tour company. It's not made me rich, but I do get to go to Italy every year and drink amazing beer with great new friends. And nothing comes out of pocket; on the contrary, I'm paid to do it.

Books may not make you money, true, but they open enormous doors. So, get crackin' and turn your everyday affairs into a possible business and writing opportunity. 

BIO - Bryan Jansing's works include, "Like Clumps of Dried Dirt," "Bridge Party," and "A Number on Reality," in Fast Forward Vol. 3, The Mix Tape (2010), which was the finalist for the Colorado Book Awards. He was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2019. He has written for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. His book Italy: Beer Country is the first book about the Italian craft beer movement. His book, The Israeli Ghost, the true story about Ron Gonen, an international thief who got caught up with the first Israeli Mafia in New York City is forthcoming by Fayetteville Mafia Press. Bryan Jansing is a fiction writer who also does Italian craft beer tours in Italy and lives part-time between Denver, Colorado and Rome, Italy.
 
Twitter: @BryanJansing
https://www.facebook.com/bryan.jansing.1
Facebook: @ItalyBeerTours
Instagram: @ItalyBeerTours
Twitter: @ItalyBeerTours
www.bryanjansing.com
www.italybeertours.com

 

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COmpetitions

THE ORISON PRIZES IN POETRY & FICTION
https://www.orisonbooks.com/submissions
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 1, 2023. Submit submissions of full-length poetry (50 – 100 pages) and fiction (minimum 30,000 words) manuscripts. The winner in each genre will receive a $1,500 cash prize, publication, and a standard royalties contract.

7 DAY STORY WRITING CHALLENGE
https://www.globesoup.net/7-day-story-writing-challenges
NO ENTRY FEE. Ongoing contests. Each challenge runs for exactly 7 days. Before a new challenge begins, all those who have registered will be randomly divided into 12 GROUPS. Each group corresponds to a different GENRE. When the challenge begins, you will receive an email with your randomly assigned genre and the SECRET CHALLENGE THEME. All participants receive the same theme and must write a short story of no more than 2,000 words, inspired by the theme, written in the genre assigned to them. You will have exactly 7 days to write and submit your story. Globe Soup will choose 12 finalists, one from each genre and an overall winner. The winner of the challenge will receive £500.

QUILL AND INK
https://grassroots.siu.edu/quill-and-ink/
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 19, 2023. The Quill and Ink Literary Festival will be awarding three authors across the categories of fiction, nonfiction and poetry. A special fourth award will be given to a standout self-published manuscript. Both traditionally published and self-published authors of book-length manuscripts may enter into the fiction, nonfiction, and poetry categories. Each winner will receive a $1,500 honorarium based upon the condition that they pay for their own travel to Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois and teach a workshop, which will be determined by the festival, that centers around the material featured in their creative work. A two-night hotel stay will be provided by the festival. Must have a book-length manuscript of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry that was traditionally published or self-published between 2020-2022.

BRINK LITERARY JOURNAL AWARD FOR HYBRID WRITING
https://www.brinkliterary.com/award-for-hybrid-writing
$22 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 15, 2023. The contest is open to all writers and artists who identify their work as hybrid or cross-genre in nature. Submit up to 15 pages. One previously unpublished submission per entrant. First prize $1,000 and publication in the October 2023 issue of Brink Literary Journal.

OXFORD FLASH FICTION PRIZE
https://oxfordflashfictionprize.com/
£6 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 31, 2023. First Prize: £1000. Second Prize: £200. Third Prize: £100. Shortlisted entrants will be offered publication in our end of year anthology and more. Limit 1,000 words. 

THE CLAY REYNOLDS NOVELLA PRIZE
http://texasreviewpress.org/submissions/clay-reynolds-novella-prize
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2023. The Clay Reynolds Novella Prize highlights one book a year that excels in the novella format. First prize $500, a standard royalty contract, and 20 copies of the published book. 

THE BIG MOOSE PRIZE
https://blacklawrencepress.com/submissions-and-contests/the-big-moose-prize/
$27 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 31, 2023. Manuscripts should be 90-1,000 pages in length. The Big Moose Prize is open to traditional novels as well as novels-in-stories, novels-in-poems, and other hybrid forms that contain within them the spirit of a novel. The winner of this contest will receive book publication, a $1,000 cash award, and ten copies of the book.

TRIO AWARD FOR A SECOND BOOK
https://www.triohousepress.org/submissions.html
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 30, 2023. The Trio Award for First or Second Book is only open to poets with less than two books published. Manuscripts must be 48-70 pages of poetry. Must be written in English by a poet residing within the U.S. The Trio Award for First or Second Book includes $1,000, publication, and twenty books.  The Trio Award for First or Second Book is only open to poets with less than two books published.

THE WEDNESDAY CLUB OF ST. LOUIS POETRY CONTEST
https://wednesdayclubstlouis.org/poetry-contest/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 1, 2023. Open to adults over 18 living within a 50-mile radius of St. Louis. Submit two unpublished poems. Prizes $500, $300, and $150. Postal submissions only. 

 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

 

KRESGE ARTIST FELLOWSHIPS
https://www.kresgeartsindetroit.org/2022/11/01/2023-kresge-artist-fellowship-application-cycle-begins
Deadline January 19, 2023. Kresge Arts in Detroit will award 20 fellowships and 10 Gilda Awards to artists of all career stages living and working in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties. Kresge Artist Fellowships are $25,000 no strings attached awards plus a year of professional development support including workshops, mentorship, and promotion (for example, the MI Emmy Award-winning film series). Gilda Awards are unrestricted $5,000 awards plus professional development opportunities.

THE EMERGING PLAYWRITES FUND
https://www.audible.com/ep/audible-theater
Audible will accept new submissions again in January 2023. A program that invests in and nurtures self-identifying emerging playwrights, some of our most inventive, delightful, and provocative storytellers. Through the Fund, Audible aims to connect extraordinary performers with remarkable original work, amplifying new voices and harnessing the power and potential of audio to reach millions of listeners. The Fund specifically supports the creation of original dramatic work, written with audio in mind, but theatrical in spirit.

IDAHO LITERATURE FELLOWSHIPS
https://arts.idaho.gov/grants/fellowships/
Deadline January 31, 2023. The Literature Fellowship recognizes artistic excellence in the areas of fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, screen writing, play writing, or other literary uses of the written word. Grant amount $5,000. 

ROMANCE INCLUDES YOU MENTORSHIP
https://www.writeforharlequin.com/mentorship/
NO ENTRY FEE. Harlequin is looking for unpublished, debut romance writers in underrepresented communities to submit stories for the Romance Includes You Mentorship. We are looking to offer one debut romance writer the chance to work one-on-one with a Harlequin editor for a year to develop your happily-ever-after story for publication under the famous Harlequin name; a publishing contract with an advance; and a grant to support your writing and career development. The contract advance plus grant will have a value of $5,000 U.S. This opportunity is open to debut romance writers in Canada (excluding Quebec) and the United States and its territories who are unpublished or self-published and not already represented by a literary agent. We are particularly interested in submissions by authors in underrepresented communities, including but not limited to: writers who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color, biracial and multiracial; writers in LGBTQ+ communities; members of marginalized ethnic and religious cultures; writers with disabilities; and writers identifying as neurodiverse.

RIGHT OF RETURN USA FELLOWSHIP
https://sozeagency.submittable.com/submit
Deadline January 20, 2023. Formerly incarcerated artists will be selected to create work in collaboration with advocacy organizations to advance criminal justice reform. Open to formerly incarcerated artists of all creative disciplines, age 18 or older. Grant is $20,000. If selected, Right of Return USA fellows will be asked to commit to participating in a group retreat in spring 2023 and be invited to a multi-cohort retreat in late 2023. The Right of Return USA retreats are meant to foster community, develop political advocacy skills, and support practice sustainability. 

THE FRANCES FRANK ROLLIN FELLOWSHIP
https://biographersinternational.org/award/the-frances-frank-rollin-fellowship/#apply
Deadline February 1, 2023. The fellowship is open to all biographers anywhere in the world who are writing in English, who are working on a biography of an African American figure (or figures), and who are at any stage in the writing of a book-length biography. A publishing contract is not required for eligibility. No memoirs. The award is $5,000 each for two winners.

  

FREELANCE MARKETS / JOBS

TEEN GRAFFITI WRITERS NEEDED!
http://www.teengraffiti.com
Our organization is seeking content writers to create articles and blog posts on a variety of teen related topics such as college, health & beauty, fitness, high school, fashion, sports, finance, relationships, etc. We are also open to pitches. The pay rate per article/blog post is approximately $75 for 500 words (average word count). To get an idea of the content we publish, visit our website, www.teengraffiti.com. Teen Graffiti is a bi-monthly publication that provides information and advice to teens on the issues of adolescence. We publish content focused on all thing’s teens. Teen Graffiti accepts submissions all year. Submit a few samples of your work to contact@teengraffiti.com or email us with questions.

WPR
https://help.worldpoliticsreview.com/en/articles/1723157-contributor-guidelines
We regularly seek new contributors who wish to have their work read by an international audience of academics, policymakers, businesspeople and others who rely on WPR for thoughtful, non-partisan, insightful analysis of the most pressing international issues of the day. Briefings are generally 1,000-1,200 words in length. They should look beyond the basic facts to offer our readers context and insight on current events and policy debates. In-depth articles are 2,400 words and take a deeper and more comprehensive look at an issue. Our standard honorarium for briefings is $300. Rates for feature articles are individually negotiated. 

AFAR
https://www.afar.com/about/pitch-guidelines
AFAR aims to make a positive impact on the world through high-quality storytelling that inspires, enriches, and empowers travelers. We are currently redesigning the magazine, around editorial values that include inclusivity, optimism, radical empathy, curiosity, and joy. AFAR Magazine publishes a range of reported features, personal essays, opinion pieces, photo essays, illustrated features, short fiction, poetry, and shorter middle-of-book pieces. Instead of more traditional aspirational lifestyle travel stories, we tell the stories of a place and the people who live there. See below for some examples of our favorite stories. Our rate starts at $1/word.

OUR STATE
https://www.ourstate.com/contributor-guidelines/
Our State: Celebrating North Carolina has been the most comprehensive source of information on the people, places, culture, and history of North Carolina. We publish well-written, high-quality articles on subjects of interest to those who live in, visit, or simply love the Tar Heel state. We work with a variety of freelance and in-house writers. Our average feature article length is about 1,200 words. Departments run 500 to 800 words. Payment for articles is made on publication. Fees will be agreed upon at the time a story is assigned. 

PLANNING
https://www.planning.org/planning/suggestions/
Planners rely on Planning for news, analyses, and best practices in planning, including city, suburban, rural, and small town planning; environmental planning; neighborhood revitalization; economic development; planning for equity; and urban design. Planning generally does not pay for articles by practicing planners, attorneys, or university faculty members. For others, fees are worked out individually; they usually range from $100 to $1,000 for articles, depending on length, and $50 to $300 for photographs and drawings.

MEDTECH STRATEGIST
https://www.medtechstrategist.com/
We welcome contributed articles from industry experts, providing the content is exclusive to MedTech Strategist and did not/will not appear in another format elsewhere. Many of our subscribers are in medical device, diagnostics, and biopharma companies. MedTech Strategist feature articles are typically 2,000 to 3,000 words long. Shorter articles and opinion pieces run between 750 and 1,500 words.

ENTREPRENEUR LEADERSHIP NETWORK
https://www.entrepreneur.com/page/entrepreneur-leadership-network-writer-guidelines/276150
Readers come to Entrepreneur.com for great advice — to learn what has worked (and not worked) for other entrepreneurs. Pieces typically run about 800-1,000 words. 

WIRED
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/contributor-guidelines
WIRED is a publication about change—about the ways science and technology are reshaping the world and what it means to be human. While the subjects of WIRED stories run the gamut from deep dives into the biggest tech companies to Hindu extremism to digital blackface to space food to true crime, every story has technology, science, or innovation as one of its key variables. There are two main areas where we assign stories to contributors from outside our staff: features and essays (for our Ideas section). We also assign a smaller number of freelance stories for our business, science, and service sections. Finished pieces tend to be in the range of 1,200 to 1,800 words. Under our new system, we will offer set project fees depending on the factors described above—story length, time involved, and intensity of the reporting and writing involved. These story fees now start at about $2,500 and rise from there. Other short, online-only content starts at $500 and rises with time commitment and reporting intensity.

AURORA MAGAZINE
https://uaf.edu/aurora/contributor-guidelines.php
Aurora is published online for alumni and friends of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. We will pay freelance writers 50 cents per word for the original word count assigned. 

ARAMCO WORLD
https://www.aramcoworld.com/About/Guidelines-for-Contributors
Seeks coverage of any aspect of cultural, scientific or historical Arab and Muslim worlds, including arts, archeology, history, geography, biography/profiles, cross-cultural connections, innovations, technology, trends and more. What will the story reveal that until now has been unknown or underappreciated? Protagonists and primary/live sources of Arab or Muslim heritages ("local voices/insiders") are mixed as needed for the subject with those of other backgrounds. Does not want politics, religion, poetry, memoirs, academic papers; fiction, travelogues, foreign-aid stories and unpegged, generically topic-driven stories. Word count 500 to 2,500 words. Our rates are midrange, and they vary with a contributor’s background, location and the complexity of the story. Travel and other expenses are reimbursed at cost, based on a documented invoice. 

HIDDEN COMPASS
https://hiddencompass.net/contributor-guidelines/
We’re not looking for listicles, service pieces, or promotional material. We love literary stories, yet we also require research and reporting. And while we know you’re very excited about your upcoming trip, please understand that we are not driven by destinations. We are driven by stories. Your story should convey a strong sense of place, connect a journey to a broader issue or conversation, and capture our distinct, cinematic voice. Every Hidden Compass story is published alongside a patronage campaign that benefits both of us. Once the 90-day campaign is over, 50% of proceeds will support Hidden Compass, and the other 50% of proceeds go to you on top of our rates. Every story runs roughly between 2,000 and 3,000 words, and fits into one of our five unconventional themes. Pays $500 + 50% of fundraising proceeds.
 

Publishers/agents

THOMPSON LITERARY AGENCY
https://thompsonliterary.com/about/
We do not accept submissions for poetry collections or screenplays (with the exception of poetry collections written by an author with an established publishing track or platform). Screenplay submissions will not receive a response. Please also note that we only consider picture books by established illustrators or authors, with a proven publishing track or platform. Several agents available. Please read their bios to determine which is interested in your genre. 

JANKLOW AND NESBIT ASSOCIATES
https://www.janklowandnesbit.com/ 
Janklow & Nesbit Associates is a premier literary agency dedicated to the interests of our writer clients in all aspects of their careers. We offer the care and personal attention of a boutique agency and the strength and expertise of a large firm. Considers fiction, nonfiction, children's, picture books, and even graphic novels. Please direct your submission to an individual agent and send your material to submissions@janklow.com. 

MEL PARKER BOOKS
https://melparkerbooks.com/about-mel-parker-books/
Represents nonfiction authors in categories such as narrative nonfiction, memoir/biography, business, health, science, technology, history and politics. Looks to represent authors who are thought leaders in business, journalism, government, and academia, and who have a unique and newsworthy book idea.

CAROL MANN AGENCY
https://www.carolmannagency.com/submissions
For fiction, send a query letter including a brief bio, and the first 25 pages of your manuscript. For nonfiction, send a query letter including a brief bio, a synopsis/proposal and the first 25 pages of your manuscript. Represents all styles and genres. 

 

FUNDSFORWRITERS CONTACT INFO

FINE PRINT

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E-mail: hope@fundsforwriters.com
140-A Amicks Ferry Road #4
Chapin, SC 29036
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ISSN: 1533-1326

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