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EDITOR'S THOUGHTS
FREEDOM TO WRITE WHAT YOU WISH
“If a guy's got it, let him give it. I'm selling music, not prejudice.” – Benny Goodman
Readers are not going to like all books. You can't get them to read other than a couple of different genres, frankly. You will never write a book that's a thumbs up to everyone.
So when you are writing, and you don't get the feedback you wish, whether you receive bad reviews or crickets, remember people have the freedom to read and like what they want.
Same goes for what you write. You may write about left wing/right wing politics. You may write erotica versus Christian cozy romance. You may write a 50K-word cozy mystery or a 110K-word convoluted suspense. You may prefer fantasy over sci-fi. You have the right to write what you wish.
Which means you can't fuss at people's responses to what you write. Live and let live applies to both sides.
As a reader and a writer, please try not to criticize someone else's writing. A professional review on Amazon or Goodreads is one thing, but doubling down on a writer for what or how they published is arrogant. There are genres and subgenres I refuse to read. That doesn't mean I bash writers out there because they write what I don't want to read.
I refuse to read animal stories of any kind. There are certain geographic settings I don't like in my recreational reading material. I am not a young adult reader, and, truthfully, I've never read Harry Potter. Unfortunately when some writers take political stances I disagree with, I choose not to read their books, but that's okay. I don't think they shouldn't be publishing. I just choose other books to read.
I've preached "Live and Let Live" my entire life. Why people fight over the publication of different topics is beyond my comprehension. We can choose what to read and what not to read. We have no business telling people whether they should be publishing or not.
5816667 © Farsh | Dreamstime.com
SUPER SPONSOR
GUTSY GREAT NOVELIST PAGE ONE PRIZE
https://gutsygreatnovelist.com/page-one-prize/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Submissions open June 14 – July 14. The Gutsy Great Novelist Page One Prize is awarded for an outstanding opening page of an unpublished novel. First prize is $1,000; 2nd is $500; and 3rd is $250. The prize is open internationally to anyone over 18 writing a novel in English in any genre for adult or YA readers.
HOPE'S APPEARANCES
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- July 10, 2023 - Night Harbor Book Club, Night Harbor S/D Rec Center, Chapin, SC - 7-9 PM
- July 28, 2023 - Book release, Craven County Line
- August 7, 2023 - Night Harbor Book Club, Night Harbor S/D Rec Center, Chapin, SC - 7-9 PM
- September 4, 2023 - Night Harbor Book Club, Night Harbor S/D Rec Center, Chapin, SC - 7-9 PM
- September 14, 2023 - Chapin Library, 129 Columbia, Ave, Chapin, SC - 1-3 PM - open to the public
- October 2, 2023 - Night Harbor Book Club, Night Harbor S/D Rec Center, Chapin, SC - 7-9 PM
- October 5, 2023 - Richland County Cooper Library, 5317 N. Trenholm Rd, Columbia, SC - 6:30-9 PM - open to the public
Email: hope@chopeclark.com to schedule events, online or otherwise. There's starting to be life out there! |
SUCCESS QUOTE
"80 percent of success is showing up."
~Woody Allen
SUccess Story
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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
Featured article
Writing for Children’s Magazines
By Rachel Delaney Craft
After nearly a decade of writing for children, I’ve learned that children’s magazines are a great way to gain money and exposure for your work. Parents and librarians still buy plenty of fodder for their hungry young readers. Perhaps this is why children’s magazines tend to pay quite well (by fiction standards) and have a large circulation.
Children’s magazines come in all shapes and sizes, targeting all ages—from babies and toddlers to middle graders. Some are literary, focusing on fiction and poetry; others are educational, centered around a broad topic like science or history. Many are all-purpose, accepting fiction, nonfiction, poetry, puzzles, games—anything that might appeal to a young audience. A few worth exploring are Highlights, Cricket Media, The School Magazine
, Aquila, and Fun for Kidz.
These are some of the most well-paying markets I’ve found, and the most established, but new markets pop up every day. The Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market is a good resource for finding new publications. It also contains many
niche magazines. A quick glance at my sales reveal topics from high school theater to horse care to Baha’i religious principles. These markets tend to get fewer submissions as well, so they’re always on the hunt for writers with a background in their niche.
Much of my early kidlit training happened in the children’s section of my local library, perusing the magazines on the shelves, seeing what kinds of ideas made their pages and how the authors crafted words for a young audience.
In the fiction realm, I found folktales a great way to break in. Children’s magazine editors love folktale retellings, especially of lesser-known stories or from non-western cultures. Folktales were also easier for me when I was first learning to write for children, before I got the hang of plotting short stories. Folktales came with plots ready-made, so all I had to do was flesh out the setting and bring the characters to life. My first-ever children’s publication was an Irish
folktale about the giant Finn MacCool, who scares off a much bigger giant by dressing up as a baby.
For nonfiction, I found it easier to break in when I could demonstrate expertise. When I started pitching, I had no experience writing nonfiction for any age, so children’s magazine editors weren’t keen to take a chance on me. So I decided to make up for my lack of writing credentials with other credentials. Leveraging my day job as a materials engineer, I broke into Ask with an article on how the same material in sapphires and rubies is used to make prosthetic joints. Once I
had this clip under my belt, it was easier to land articles on other topics.
I’ve since learned to keep my eyes peeled for child-friendly ideas. Sometimes it’s mining my own experience, whether from work, hobbies, or travel. Sometimes it’s trips to zoos and museums, where informational plaques tell quirky tales that I can turn into an article—like the bizarre true story of three ibex that were smuggled from Italy to repopulate the Swiss Alps, which I’m working on now.
Writing for children is a great way to diversify your freelance portfolio, gain exposure, and make extra income. Plus, it’s fun. Where else can you find feuding giants, gemstone joints, and stolen ibex all in the same place?
Bio:
Rachel Delaney Craft writes speculative fiction for children and teens. Her work can be found in publications such as Cricket, Spider, Ask, and Cast of Wonders, and she recently won third place in Voyage's Lucky No. 7 Flash Fiction Contest. She lives and writes in Colorado with her partner, two dogs, and a succulent collection that is slowly taking over her house. Find her on Twitter @RDCwrites or at racheldelaneycraft.com.
8538627 © Olga Polyakova | Dreamstime.com
COmpetitions
THE CHILLING PEN AWARD
https://chillingpen.org/
Deadline October 1, 2023. Unveil the complexities of betrayal in this years Chilling Pen award, the theme of the award. We invite writers from around the globe to submit their original, unpublished works of fiction or non-fiction that explore the theme of betrayal in all its forms - be it personal, political, or societal. Limit 1,000 words. All genres and styles welcomed. First, second and third place entries will be published on the website and social media. First place
$500. Second place $300. Third place $100.
GREEN STORIES NOVEL PRIZE
https://www.greenstories.org.uk/upcoming-competitions/adult-novel-prize/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 26, 2023. While entry is free, entrants must show they have read at least one of the books from the Green Stories project that provide an example of entertaining mainstream fiction that meets the criteria of showing green solutions (not just problems) that readers can engage with. Submit three chapters of your novel you've written (minimum of 4000 words, maximum 10,000 words) as one document. Open to all adults (18+) of any
nationality, as long as the submission is in English and has not been published elsewhere. All submissions must conform to the green stories criteria of showcasing positive visions of a more sustainable society or incorporating green solutions into the context of an otherwise mainstream story. We will accept young adult but are NOT looking for children’s stories. £1000/$1200 for the winner and £500/$600 for runner up, plus mentoring towards publication.
PATHFINDER PRIZE
https://hiddencompass.net/pathfinder-prize-proposals/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 20, 2023. Hidden Compass offers an annual grant of $15,000 to fund a global expedition of the modern age. No maximum word count. Be prepared to apply as if applying for a grant.
MONO POETRY PRIZE
https://www.monofiction.org/poetryprize
£6 ENTRY FEE. Deadline August 1, 2023. We're looking for your short-form poetry - send us your Haikus, Sonnets, Tankas, Acrostics, Limericks and any other short-form poem up to 14 lines. The theme is 'BEAT' - which is open to wide interpretation. You can enter up to five poems at a cost of £6 per poem. First Prize £650. Second Prize £200. Third Prize £100.
OVACOME WRITING COMPETITION
https://www.ovacome.org.uk/Event/writing-comp-2023
£8 ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 16, 2023. First Prize: £250. Runner up prize: £50 Waterstones book voucher. The competition is open to anyone over the age of 18 with a UK bank account. You can enter a short story with a maximum word count of 1,500 words. The theme for the 2023 Ovacome Writing Competition is 'Between'. Your short story does not have to be about health or ovarian cancer.
BEST NOVEL OPENING FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS
https://www.searchlightawards.co.uk/competitions/best-novel-opening-for-children-or-young-adults-2023/
£14 ENTRY FEE. Deadline August 31, 2023. Entries are invited for the opening 1,200 words of a longer novel for children aged seven to eighteen. You don’t need to have finished writing your manuscript to enter. The top ten shortlisted entries are included in our Pitch Book of winning stories, which is sent to literary agents and publishers to help your work get noticed. Your entry and biography included in our Winners’ Gallery on the Searchlight
Awards’ website, which agents, publishers, friends and family can access. The first prize gets the same plus £1000.
BEST CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOK
https://www.searchlightawards.co.uk/competitions/best-childrens-picture-book-text-2023/
£9 ENTRY FEE. Deadline August 31, 2023. Limit 500 words. The top ten shortlisted entries are included in our Pitch Book of winning stories, which is sent to literary agents and publishers to help your work get noticed. Your entry and biography included in our Winners’ Gallery on the Searchlight Awards’ website, which agents, publishers, friends and family can access. The first prize gets the same plus £500.
CAROL SHIELDS PRIZE FOR FICTION
https://carolshieldsprizeforfiction.com/submissions
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline October. The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction is designed to acknowledge, celebrate, and promote the best works of fiction written by women and non-binary writers annually in Canada and the United States. The winner of the Prize will be awarded $150,000 USD. Four finalists will each receive $12,500 USD. 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. Self-published books are not eligible. Works of fiction in the form of novels, short story collections, and graphic novels written for an adult audience are eligible for submission. The books must be scheduled to be published between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023. Books must be first edition English-language books written by a Canadian or American citizen or permanent resident of either country.
BURLINGTON CONTEMPORARY ART WRITING PRIZE
https://contemporary.burlington.org.uk/writing_prize
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 17, 2023. The Burlington Contemporary Art Writing Prize seeks to discover talented writers on contemporary art. The winner of the Prize receives £1,000, their review is published on Burlington Contemporary and they have the opportunity to publish a review of a future contemporary art exhibition in The Burlington Magazine. Entrants must have published no more than six pieces of writing in print or online prior to their submission. This does
not include personal blogs and websites. ‘Contemporary’ is defined as art produced since 2000. There is no age limit for applicants. The review must be between 800 and 1,000 words in length and accompanied by up to three low-resolution images. This year's judges are the art historian, writer and editor Huey Copeland and the artist Adam Pendleton.
GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING
SUSAN LAUGHTER MEYERS POETRY FELLOWSHIP
https://www.ncpoetrysociety.org/meyers-fellowship/
$15-20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 31, 2023. The fellowship winner receives a week-long writing residency at Weymouth Center in Southern Pines and a $500 stipend. Each year the merit-based fellowship is awarded to one North or South Carolina poet. Applicants must be current residents of North or South Carolina and at least 18 years old. Submit a single document of five pages of poetry (one poem per page for shorter poems), 12 pt. Times New Roman. Previously published
poems are welcomed.
NEW JERSEY STATE COUNCIL ON THE ARTS FELLOWSHIPS
https://www.midatlanticarts.org/wp-content/uploads/IAF-FY24-Guidelines-FINAL-English.pdf
Deadline July 13, 2023. Fellowships are awarded to practicing New Jersey artists through an anonymous, competitive application process to help them pursue their artistic goals. Fellowship awards have ranged in the past from $4,000 - $32,000. The amount of the award is determined annually by the State Arts Council based on funding provided through the New Jersey Hotel/Motel tax. Fellowships are awarded to applicants who demonstrate the highest artistic talent, with no cap
or quota per artistic discipline. In 2023, from a total of 635 eligible applications, 140 Fellowships and Finalist awards were granted in seven categories. Grant awards totaled $1,705,225. Awards are issued pending the availability of funds.
OREGON LITERARY CAREER FELLOWSHIPS
https://literary-arts.org/about/programs/oba/fellowships/
Deadline August 4, 2023. Literary Arts awards fellowships to Oregon writers in the amount of $10,000 to writers selected by the judges for their exceptional talent. One of these fellowships is specifically for a writer of color. Applicants submit an application form, optional addendums, a writing sample, an artist’s CV, artist’s statement, and impact statement as described in the guidelines.
OREGON LITERARY FELLOWSHIPS
https://literary-arts.org/about/programs/oba/fellowships/
Deadline August 4, 2023. Literary Arts will award eight fellowships to Oregon writers in the amount of $3,500. One of these fellowships is specifically for a writer of color. Applicants submit an application form, any addendums for specifically named fellowships, and a writing sample.
FREELANCE MARKETS / JOBS
STUDIO
https://www.studiomagazine.ca/submission-guidelines
Deadline September 30, 2023. Studio welcomes article pitches from both emerging and established writers, academics, scholars, and journalists writing about contemporary Canadian craft and design and related stories. We are interested in original ideas, unique voices and perspectives, little-known histories, and anything that challenges the status quo of craft and design and the ideas around making. Theme: Definition. Looking for articles, review essays, and interviews.
Pays 30 cents/word.
THE KEY
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/mp8c963r16z9a5zea85fg/How-to-Pitch-ApartmentAdvisor.docx?dl=0&rlkey=lrz8cygrzm5kjl4xy8i2mmlei
The Key, ApartmentAdvisor’s guide to all things renting, publishes content across four categories:
News, Lifestyle, Real Renters, Renter Guide. We are always interested in evergreen pieces, reported features, data-driven analyses of rental markets in the US, personal essays, expert Q&As, service pieces, and, most importantly, stories by and for renters. Features are 800 to 1,200 words for $250 and 1,200+ for $300. Other smaller departments available as well for freelancers.
TRAILS
https://trailsmag.net/pages/contributor-information
The focus of Trails is on backpacking and other human/naturally-powered means of sleeping outdoors: bikepacking, canoe camping, even things like rafting or mountaineering are fair game. Human-powered, and overnight are the important pieces. We also primarily focus on North American destinations. Articles that focus specifically or heavily on a destination should be focused within that region. Features range anywhere from 1,000 to 5,000 words. The “Blazes” section is dedicated
to short (typically between 300 and 800 word) articles, opinion, current events, profiles, and other quick-hit types of stories. Each issue features one recipe (or potentially multiple shorter related recipes), as well as various shorter (less than 500 word) food-related stories. We pay our writers a minimum of $0.50/word—that climbs based on the story and your experience.
LATINA MEDIA CO
https://latinamedia.co/pitch-guide/
LatinaMedia.Co uplifts Latina and femme Latinx perspectives in media through publishing original pieces of criticism and amplifying the on-going work of Latina and gender non-conforming Latinx critics. We’re always looking for more voices to add to our community so check out our pitch guide below if you want to sound off on your favorite piece of media or cultural moment, we want to hear from you. And we pay (thanks Critical Minded!): $150 for each 600+ word piece.
CHICKEN SOUP - FUNNY STORIES
http://www.chickensoup.com
Deadline November 20, 2023. We are looking for stories about something that happened to you in your life — in your relationship with a partner or spouse, a parent or child, a family member or friend, at work or at home — that made you and the people around you laugh out loud. Did you mean for it to be funny? Maybe not. Sometimes the funniest things were not meant to be funny at all! Did someone make you laugh? Did that other person mean to make you laugh? Did a
situation just get out of control? Did a misunderstanding snowball into a comedy of errors? We can't wait to hear your true stories. We want them to be silly, outrageous, and hilarious. They absolutely must brighten our day and make us laugh! All submissions need to be true — we do not publish fiction or exaggerations. Stories should be no longer than 1,200 words. Pays $250 and ten copies.
Publishers/agents
COUNTERPOINT PRESS
https://www.counterpointpress.com/
We are an author-driven publishing house that devotes our energy to nurturing fresh, cutting-edge, and literary voices. The genres we cover are vast—fiction and nonfiction, poetry, graphic novels, and anthologies, all of which collectively focus on current affairs and politics, counterculture, music, history, memoir, literary biography, religion, and philosophy.
TOUCHWOOD
https://www.touchwoodeditions.com/submit-a-manuscript/
We publish books in the following categories: Food & Wine, Art & Photography, Gardening & Pets, House & Home, Regional & Popular History, Literary fiction, Memoir, Narrative non-fiction, Literary anthologies. We are currently not accepting submissions for mystery novels. We only publish Canadian authors, with a strong preference for publishing authors who are from, and who write about topics pertinent to western Canada (includes BC, AB, SK, MB and the North).
ENTANGLED
https://entangledpublishing.com/submission-information
Multiple imprints in the romance world.
Amara – 70k-120k word single title adult romance novels.
August – 20k-70k word category romance featuring Gen-X characters.
Bliss – 20k-60k sweet category romance.
Brazen – 20k-60k erotic category romance.
Embrace – New Adult romance novels or novels with romantic elements.
Entangled Teen – 70k-120k word romance novels or novels with romantic elements.
Indulgence – 45k-60k contemporary category romance.
Lovestruck – 20k-60k contemporary, romantic comedy category romance.
Little Lark- Entangled's picture book imprint.
Scandalous – 20k-65k historical category romance.
Scorched – 15k-65k novellas, serialized novellas, and full-length novels, all with erotic romance elements.
Sideways – 70k to 110k words in length
QUARTO GROUP
https://www.quartoknows.com/staticpages/getintouch/submissionguidelines.aspx
Each of our imprints has its own editorial focus and fits into one of the categories online. Please take a moment to determine where your book best fits. Submitting to the category will send your idea to multiple imprints. We will review your submission as soon as possible and will contact you if we would like to discuss it further. Due to the high volume of submissions we receive, we are unable to personally respond unless we are interested in pursuing the project. If you have not heard
from us within three months of submitting your project, please assume we decided it was not the right fit for our publishing program. Publishing categories are cooking, transportation, arts & crafts, stationary & gifts, kids & teens, health & spirituality, math/science/nature/history/biography/culture/travel/recreaton, gardening & home.
TILTED AXIS PRESS
https://www.tiltedaxispress.com/about
Tilted Axis Press publishes mainly work by Asian and African writers, translated into a variety of Englishes. We value the work of translation and translators through fair, transparent pay, public acknowledgement, and respectful communication. We are dedicated to improving access to the industry, through translator mentorships, paid publishing internships, open calls and guest curation.
BLIND EYE BOOKS
https://www.blindeyebooks.com/submissions/
Blind Eye Books publishes science fiction, fantasy, mystery, and romance novels featuring LGBTQ protagonists. We do not publish short story collections, poetry, erotica, horror or non-fiction. We would hesitate to publish any manuscript that is less than 70,000 or over 150,000 words.
JOFFE BOOKS
https://joffebooks.com/submissions
Joffe Books is one of the UK’s leading independent publishers of excellent commercial fiction, especially crime and mystery fiction. We are renowned for working closely with authors from across the world to create fantastic books and turning them into bestsellers. We accept submissions from agents, previously published authors (including self-published authors) with long backlists, first-time writers with only one book under their belt, and anyone in between.
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FUNDSFORWRITERS CONTACT INFO
FINE PRINT
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C. Hope Clark
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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