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It’s never been easier to make a living as a writer…

These days, there are SO MANY great ways to get paid to write.

We’re not talking about writing a novel or anything like that.

You don’t need an agent.

And you don’t need to worry about selling stories to picky editors… or competing with cheap writers willing to work for peanuts.

There’s a much better way…

We’re talking about millions of potential clients looking for writers who will happily pay you thousands of dollars to write for them.

And we at American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI) have created a FREE report that details 9 of the best paying writing projects today…

In it we show you exactly what these projects are… where they’re found… how much money you can expect to make… and how you can get started right away.

You CAN make a great living as a writer…

You just need to know what the best-paying opportunities are…

So download our free report today, and get the inside scoop.

 

EDITOR'S THOUGHTS

IT TAKES COURAGE


Creating art is heart-pounding and daring when you put it on display. Whether art, dance, or writing, to take what you've practiced long and hard to accomplish, takes intense courage to present it and make it subject to criticism and praise.

“To create one's world in any of the arts takes courage.” – Georgia O'Keeffe

Some writers have more natural talent than others. A lot of that is a vivid imagination while a lot of that is hidden practice the public never sees. Writers who have published have lived these stories for years in most cases. To go from talent to publication take guts, diligence, and endurance. 

“Talent is only the starting point.” – Irving Berlin

You do not want to be like anyone else. You want to have your own voice, your own style, your own name. To be like someone else is to cheat or fall short of being the best you. Dare to be unique. 

“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening, that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique.” – Martha Graham

There is no such thing as perfection. We are human, and to be human is to be defective. Do the best you can and let that be your satisfaction. 

“Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it.” – Salvador Dali

In summation, there is a dynamic energy in creation. It takes a proactive, directed effort over a long period of time. Talent, in any field, is never enough to carry you. You work hard at the craft, the marketing, and the long term goal of earning a living. It's a balance of skills, and you never stop growing at getting better at each one. Perfection isn't in the equation. It's hard work more than anything else, and the courage to do that work. 

5074273 © Nikolai Korzhov | Dreamstime.com

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HOPE'S APPEARANCES

 
SUCCESS QUOTE

SUccess Story

Featured article

From Budget Cuts, to Cutting Decks

By Alex J. Coyne

Contract bridge is a four-player, dual-team card game. When I first wrote about bridge, most people didn’t get it yet - but this year, seeing a Family Guy skit about bridge, the references certainly appear to be more mainstream. Makes me smile, because writing in this niche for over seven years has held strong for me during some of the hardest times for the publishing industry.

Here’s how to apply to your own writing niche, whether it’s bridge, cooking, strength training, or horror film reviews.

Niche Through Necessity

Writers don’t find their niche at random: it takes time, persistence, and diligence to find those types of markets, but to find writing markets for something you already have a passion for, can make your days so much finer.

Look for your niche, and pitch for it. Continue doing so, even when it doesn’t work for a while. Keep hunting. Keep pitching. After all, you love this niche, right?

’What’s in a Deck?’ was the first card feature I sold in 2016.

Facing hard times, we had just been evicted by guys with firearms instead of a court order. Selling this story was the difference between going forward and going broke.

I sent out approximately 100 pitches in one afternoon, after days of making notes. Bridge was literally the one percent topic that worked. One successful article out of 100 tries.

I continued writing about many other things: survivalism, stalkers, finance. Contract bridge kept coming back, though.

Find your niche in topics you are knowledgeable in. Statistically, you are on better ground if you know a topic, and begin to know more editors.

‘Keep trying’ is absolutely the best writing advice I can offer here.

The Byline Expands

I wasn’t quite a ‘contract bridge writer’ after just one article, though. The trick was to keep writing more.

‘The Cutthroat World of Professional Bridge’ caught the attention of the Canadian Bridge Federation’s official magazine. The CBF republished the article, and my byline expanded further into the bridge world.

In early-2019, I wrote a few bridge articles for the South African Alzheimer’s Research just to keep this topic fresh in my samples. 

Somewhere later in 2019, I would be interviewed about bridge on several radio stations. At the time, I was distracted and nervous, but learned to prepare better for live broadcasts.

A niche can’t happen overnight. Sometimes, it’s a little scary, but keep pushing forward.

Industries have highs and lows, and times when the mainstream media will mention it every week or not at all for months. When tags related to your niche are popular in the news, pay attention and ride that wave.  

The Daily Bridge Contract

By middle-2019, I was still writing about bridge, but it wasn’t a forefront focus yet.

I approached Bridge Base Online (BBO) with a suggestion: what about a blog? When they agreed, I would write the BBO Prime Daily Column under contract for several years.

COVID-19 meant nothing at the beginning of the writing contract, but by the end, lockdown had destroyed a chunk of my regular freelance publications.

Bridge would flourish during this time.

Because of restrictions, international bridge clubs had to switch online. Most of them were subscribers to the BBO Prime Daily Column, lucky for me.

No kidding: card jobs would now help to pay the bills.

The Game Goes On

I still write about everything, but a little more often about board games and playing cards.

This year has already brought for me posts for Into Bridge website and features for the American Bridge Teachers Magazine.

Somehow, through everything, I’ve stuck to bridge (or it’s stuck to me).


Bio: Alex J. Coyne is a writer, proofreader, and bridge player. Samples and exclusive content can be found at his website.
 

6357320 © Antonio Oquias | Dreamstime.com



 

COmpetitions

GRIST IMAGINE 2200: WRITE THE FUTURE
https://grist.org/climate-fiction/imagine-2200-contest-submissions/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 13, 2023. This is a climate ficiton short story contest. Imagine 2200 is an invitation to writers from all over the globe to imagine a future in which solutions to the climate crisis flourish and help bring about radical improvements to our world. We’re looking for stories of 3,000 to 5,000 words that envision the next 180 years of climate progress. The winning writer will be awarded $3,000, with the second- and third-place winners receiving $2,000 and $1,000, respectively. An additional nine finalists will each receive $300. All winners and finalists will have their story published in an immersive collection on Grist’s website. We also invite you to bring climate fiction and the principles of Imagine 2200 into other genres. Write a climate mystery or comedy. If you love steamy romance, thread a climate story through that titillating enemies-to-lovers arc. Climate connects to every part of life — all sorts of stories can be climate stories. Submissions must be fictional stories between 3,000 and 5,000 words.

BLUE LYNC PRIZE FOR POETRY
https://lynxhousepress.submittable.com/submit
$28 ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 16, 2023. The annual Blue Lynx Prize for Poetry awards $2000 plus publication for a full-length poetry collection. The Prize is awarded for an unpublished, full-length volume of poems by a U.S. author, which includes foreign nationals living and writing in the U.S. and U.S. citizens living abroad. Entries must be at least 48 pages in length. 

MUDFISH POETRY PRIZE
https://mudfish.org/submissions/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 15, 2023. A prize of $1,200 and publication in Mudfish is given annually for a single poem. Submit up to three poems of any length for one entry. All entries are considered for publication. 

BELLEVUE LITERARY REVIEW (BLR) PRIZES
https://blreview.org/blr-prizes/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 1, 2023. The BLR Prizes award outstanding writing related to themes of health, healing, illness, the mind, and the body. Winners are published in the spring issue of BLR. For each genre, first prize is $1000 and honorable mention is $300. We seek character-driven fiction with original voices and strong settings. We do not publish genre fiction (romance, sci-fi, horror). We have only occasionally published flash fiction. We are looking for nonfiction essays that reach beyond the standard ‘illness narrative’ to develop a topic in an engaging and original manner. We encourage poems that are accessible to a wide audience. Fiction/nonfiction word max is 5,000 words (though most of our published prose is in the range of 2,000-4,000 words.) Please submit no more than three poems. 

FRANCES RINGOLD AWARDS FOR NEW WRITERS
https://artsandsciences.utulsa.edu/nimrod/francine-ringold-awards/
$12 ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 15, 2023. The Francine Ringold Awards for New Writers honor the work of writers at the beginning of their careers. Prizes are $500  awarded in both the fiction and poetry categories, and the winning manuscripts will appear in the spring issue of Nimrod. Winners will have the chance to work with the Nimrod board of editors to refine and edit their manuscripts before publication. Open only to writers whose work has not appeared or is not scheduled to appear in more than two publications in the genre in which they are submitting. Self-published works, works with a distribution of less than 100 copies, and journalistic articles are not considered toward the count of two publications. Up to five pages of poetry (one long poem or several short poems). Up to 5,000 words of fiction. 
 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

FREELANCE MARKETS / JOBS

CHARITABLE TRAVELLER
https://charitable.travel/traveller/
Charitable Traveller magazine seeks to engage sustainably-minded travel writers familiar with Florida for multiple commissioned articles. The remuneration is set at 20 cents per word, and there is no need to submit pitches at this time. Instead, writers will be briefed. Please send your writing samples and a brief bio to editor Bec Miles via editor@charitable.travel .

NEW MUSIC BOX
https://nmbx.newmusicusa.org/
Deadline July 1, 2023. Pays between $150 and $400. Send pitches to box@newmusicusa.org with this subject line: “CONTENT PITCH FOR NewMusicBox.” Please submit pitches along with two samples of previously existing work in the same format as that of the proposal you’re submitting. We support and amplify the sounds of tomorrow by nurturing the creation, performance, and appreciation of new music for adventurous listeners in the United States and beyond.

ADDITUDE
https://www.additudemag.com/contact-us/contributors-guidelines/
Most ADDitude articles are written by journalists and mental-health professionals. However, we are happy to receive first-person articles by parents, employers, teachers, etc. with personal experience with ADHD or LD and insights that might be helpful to ADDitude‘s readers. Articles are usually 2,000 words or less and payment varies according to the article length, the experience and expertise of the author, and other factors. They accept blog posts of 500 to 800 words. Expect ten cents/word and up. 

ADIRONDACK LIFE
https://www.adirondacklife.com/guidelines/
For new contributors, the best way to break into the magazine is through departments, which run from 1,000 to 1,800 words. Features run from approximately 1,500 to 2,500 words. We are not interested in poetry, fiction or editorial cartoons. The magazine covers New York’s six-million-acre Adirondack Park, which offers more wild country than Yellowstone, Yosemite and Glacier National Parks combined. Departments run from 1000 to 1800 words and features are 1500 to 3500 words. Pays about 30 cents/word. 

ARKANSAS SOUL
https://argotsoul.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/AR-Soul-Submission-Guidelines-2020.pdf
Arkansas Soul Media is a nonprofit organization    with the goal of amplifying the    voice of talented writers    and content creators of    color who present content concerning BIPOC. Submission categories are General Submissions, Feature Stories, Personal Essays, News Stories, Profiles &    Interviews, Audio (including podcasts) and Videos. Pays as follows. Reimagine Arkansas stories and content    (500-2000 words) $150-$300. Personal essays, first-person accounts, op-eds (750-2000 words) $100-$250. Reported    news stories (500-1000 words) $150-$250. Feature stories (1000-2000 words) $150-$250. Profiles and interviews    (flexible word count) $150-$250. Videos, Documentaries (2-3-minute minimum) $250-$500. 

BENEATH CEASELESS SKIES
http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/submissions/
Beneath Ceaseless Skies publishes “literary adventure fantasy”: stories with a secondary-world setting and some fantasy feel, but written with a literary approach. We are NOT interested in urban fantasy or other types of stories set in our modern, contemporary “real world,” even if they contain fantasy elements, or in stories that move between the real world and a fantasy world. Limit 15,000 words. Pays eight cents/word. 

BEST COLLEGES
https://boards.greenhouse.io/rvedufreelancenetwork/jobs/3483117
https://www.bestcolleges.com/editorial-policy/
As a freelance financial aid writer for BestColleges, you will craft original content covering a variety of financial topics relevant to higher education, including blog posts and resource guides related to planning and saving for college, paying for college and college budgeting, applying for financial aid, types of financial aid, loan refinancing and consolidation, etc. Compensation starts at $100 for every 500 words.

 

Publishers/agents

CANDLEWICK PRESS
https://www.candlewick.com/
Candlewick Press publishes hardcover and paperback books for children of all ages: outstanding picture books, easy readers, middle-grade and young adult fiction, poetry collections, nonfiction, novelty, and activity books. 

ENCHANTED LION BOOKS
https://enchantedlion.com/about-us-2
Enchanted Lion Books is an independent children’s book publisher based in Brooklyn, New York. We publish illustrated books from around the world, convinced by the power of cultural exchange to inspire curiosity, awareness, and wonder in children everywhere. We reach across time and oceans to find new authors and old treasures to share with a new generation of readers.

HARLEQUIN
https://harlequin.submittable.com/submit
Harlequin is always on the lookout for talented writers—from established authors to those just starting their writing careers. We publish a wide range of stories and welcome writers from all backgrounds, cultures and communities to submit to the romance line best suited to their unique voice and story.

VERSIFY
https://www.harpercollins.com/pages/versify
VERSIFY reflects that accessible and powerful prose and poetry—in picture books, novels, and nonfiction—can celebrate the lives and reflect the possibilities of all children. Seeking new authors and artists as well as established writers and illustrators, VERSIFY publishes books that explore the beauty, hurdles, and hopefulness of life... books that will engage, entertain, and empower young people to imagine and create a better world.

DUNDURN PRESS
https://www.dundurn.com/resources/submissions
We are an independent and Canadian-owned publisher of contemporary trade fiction and non-fiction. Our books amplify and elevate exceptional writers and reflect the world, satisfy curiosity, enlighten, and entertain. We are currently accepting literary fiction and literary nonfiction such as memoir. We will also be accepting non-fiction across numerous genres including: biography, history, especially Canadian and social history, public policy, politics, business and economics, true crime, self-help and well- being, supernatural, Canadiana and local interest, travel, sport, music and culture, city building and architecture, social science, popular science. We are currently not accepting the following genres: 
poetry, children's and YA​. Dundurn Press supports Canadian authors, and prioritizes submissions from Canadian citizens or residents. 

COMMA PRESS
https://commapress.co.uk/
We are a not-for-profit publisher and development agency specialising in short fiction from the UK and beyond. Comma has an international reputation for championing world-class short fiction, and developing cutting-edge, often marginalised voices, both domestically and in translation. Our award-winning publications include single-author collections by new and established writers, city-based anthologies, groundbreaking SF and horror commissions, and interdisciplinary commissions (pairing researchers with authors to explore science and history through collaboration).

TRAMP PRESS
https://tramppress.com/submissions/
We’re always looking for exceptional new works of fiction and narrative nonfiction. Unfortunately, because of how rarely we publish work from the USA and Canada, it no longer seems fair to accept submissions from those territories.

MURDOCH BOOKS
https://www.murdochbooks.com/submissions
We know how difficult it can be for people to get their ideas in front of publishers, which is why we've created our innovative and pioneering submissions system - The Friday Pitch in conjunction with our parent company Allen and Unwin. The Friday Pitch creates an opportunity to have your work considered by one of our in-house Submission Editors. Should Murdoch Books wish to pursue your project, we will be in contact with you via email within the fortnight. 

JACKLEG PRESS
https://jacklegpress.org
Query first with one PDF. Please include a cover letter, your bio with acknowledgments, and a work sample. Please include 10-15 poems or two chapters, stories, or essays.  We will request your full manuscript if we see a fit with JackLeg Press. The process can take 6+ months for a full review. Thanks in advance for your patience! JLP does not publish chapbooks or novellas. Our nonfiction titles focus on creative nonfiction. We publish between 6-10 titles a year. 
.

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FINE PRINT

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E-mail: hope@fundsforwriters.com
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ISSN: 1533-1326

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