VOLUME 24, ISSUE 2 | january 12, 2024 |
EVEN THE UNKNOWING
KNOW Today I ran from my gym class to The Coffee Shelf, where I meet anyone who wants to have coffee with me. This time it was the head of a local book club who had read several of my books. She spoke of the next book they were reading. I'd toyed with reading it, but soon learned it was historic fiction (not my usual forte) and about a topic I cared
absolutely nothing about. Once I heard the author was one who did not believe in quotation marks in dialogue, I nixed the book. She mentioned how she wasn't a fan of the subject matter either, but she had to read it, as head of the book club. She admitted she evolved from a naysayer to a supporter of the story, and therefore, the author. She was halfway through the book before she noticed no quotation marks. And the use of the
five senses mesmerized her, she said. She'd morphed from a skeptic to a fan. However, she said something pretty darn profound in the end. Excellent writing can make anything fun to read. |
C. Hope Clark
Editor, FundsforWriters
Email Hope | Visit Website | Sign up for Newsletter
Newsletter: ISSN: 1533-1326
FFW
has proudly been on the Writer's Digest's 101 Best Websites for Writers list every year since 2000
Our subscriber list is NOT made available to others. Use information listed at your own risk. FundsforWriters gives no warranty to completeness, accuracy, or fitness of the markets, contests, and grants although research is done to the best of our ability. FundsforWriters finds open submission calls, contests, and markets from a wide variety of sources, including Erika Dreifus' Practicing Writer newsletter, Erica Verrillo's blog, Authors Publish, Poets & Writers, Duotrope, Winning Writers, Write Jobs Plus, LinkedIn Jobs, Emily Stoddard, and other newsletters and
online sites. Many announcements are submitted directly to FundsforWriters from active contests, journals, magazines, publishers, residencies, and grant providers. All must be paying opportunities. Contests must pay a minimum of $200 first place. Submit potential listings to hope@chopeclark.com
TWITTER
- http://twitter.com/hopeclark
AUTHOR SITE - http://www.chopeclark.com
FACEBOOK
- http://www.facebook.com/chopeclark
GOODREADS - http://www.goodreads.com/hopeclark
BOOKBUB - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/c-hope-clark Read the FFW Archive Ready to set your 2024 writing goals? Join me, Kate Meadows, for a FREE workshop in January to hammer out your writing goals for the new year and walk away with a personalized 2024 writing road map! In this workshop, you will: - Name 2 or 3 writing goals you want to accomplish in
2024
- Identify potential hurdles that stand between you and those goals
- Brainstorm ways to overcome those hurdles
- Walk away with a step-by-step plan for how to accomplish your writing goals for 2024
3 LIVE workshop times to choose from: Saturday, 1/13/24 @ 10:00 AM MT Sunday, 1/14/24 @ 3:00 PM MT Monday, 1/22/24 @ 12:00 PM MT Register at
https://event.webinarjam.com/register/28/2nn65im2 Questions? Email kate@katemeadows.com. WHAT BUYS READERS Right now I am reading The Idea: The Seven Elements of a Viable Story for Screen, Stage or Fiction, by Erik Bork. I don't read many
how-to writing books, but this one was a gift, and I decided to give it a go before deciding against it. I love it. It's basic, understandable, with loads of common sense. Right off the bat, he states, "...reaching the right people is really not the hard part of succeeding as a writer. The hard part is creating something that the "right people" would be excited by if they read it." If the story idea isn't unique, the characters identifiable, their wants serious, the obstacles real, their efforts deep and burning, the struggle hard, the purpose relevant and important, it isn't a story to tell. It doesn't matter how well you write, if the story isn't good, it will not sell. That logic right there is why 90 percent of rejections take place by agents and publishers. Yet I mentioned in my earlier comments above, that a well-read friend of mine stated she hated the story concept of a book she promised to read, yet once she got into the author's voice, she loved it. It mattered how well it was written. So who is right? Both of them. In traditional publishing, you have to impress the agents, publishers, and editors in your queries, loglines, and synopses before they ever read your first paragraph. If your story concept isn't unique and impressive, you won't make the cut. Your great writing clipped to the back of these initial pages is never read. Many writers leap to
self-publishing in order to bypass all that gatekeeper business. All that querying. All that added effort to prove to a stranger that your concept is worthwhile. Instead, they go straight to publishing, hoping that the concept and the writing are worthy. In other words, the story concept isn't thoroughly vetted as to its marketability. Not that I'm telling you to traditionally publish. However, you do need to vet your story idea first and foremost, and not via novices or the unpublished, but via those who know the business. To skip that stage is to take a chance and spend money to self-publish, betting upon your writing ability to sell the book before the concept. Self-published books
fail to sell for three reasons: - An average story idea / concept.
- Average writing.
- Insufficient marketing.
Most of the time, the self-published blame number three when it's more often one or two. But nobody will tell them that. They argue that nobody reviews books anymore, so their book only has nine reviews and can't sell. Maybe people didn't like the book. So how do you know if your book idea is great? You get experienced people to hear the logline or read the synopsis. So how do you know if your writing is good? You get experienced people to read it. If they don't walk away enthused or awestruck, go back to the drawing board. The most common reason I hear from people about skipping professional editing and traditional efforts, is time and age. They are impatient. They feel time is running out. They want that book in their hands. But sometimes, theirs are the only hands the book winds up in. Slow down. The same time is running out if you write a good book that sells or an average book that doesn't. Even if it takes longer to attempt that higher caliber, is it not worth the extra, quality time invested if it sells the book....versus the book not selling? Publishing is not a step you take lightly. The less blood and effort you sweat over editing, making publishing
choices, and seeking advice, the less your odds of selling. Writing a book isn't easy. Writing a good book is much harder. Publishing well is even harder. Just know that going in, and you'll better plan success. Hello all perfectionist writers! If you want to write more, worry less, and tell that "it's not good enough!" voice in your brain to calm down for a second, take Amber Petty's Perfectionist's Half-Assed Writing
Challenge. Last time, students sold stories to Huffington Post, Insider, Metro UK, and more. Spend 3 days writing the easiest way possible and maybe make some cash. Starts January 16th. Sign up now - it's free! -January 13, 2024 - BFF of the Midlands Book Club, Steve's Classic Burgers, Irmo, SC - 10:30 AM-12:30 PM -February 12, 2024 - International Women's
Writers Guild, Zoom, The Facts, Fiction, and Hope of Grants for Writers, 4 PM Eastern. -March 8, 2024 - Colleton County Library, 600 Hampton St, Walterboro, SC - 1-2PM -June 1-8, 2024 - The Gutsy Great Novelist Retreat, Bar Harbor, Maine - writer-in-residence
-June 22, 2024 - Richland County Library, Ballentine, 1200 Dutch Fork Rd, Irmo, SC - time TBD - July 9, 2024 - South Congaree-Pine Ridge Branch Library, 200 Sunset Dr,
West Columbia, SC 29172 - 5:30-7:00 PM
Email: hope@chopeclark.com to schedule events, online or otherwise.
There's starting to be life out there! Many people hear voices when no one is there.
Some of them are called mad and are shut up in rooms
where they stare at the walls all day.
Others are called writers, and they do pretty much the same thing. ~Margaret Chittenden
<<If you have a success story you believe was prompted by FundsforWriters, please share with us! Send to hope@chopeclark.com >>
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What Writers Should Know About Dates & Rates
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By Alex J. Coyne Rates are perhaps one of the most important considerations in freelance writing, yet authors seldom dare to adjust them or discuss them thoroughly. A writers’ rates are their income, and usually their food budget and rent. Here’s how to secure a better future . Rates and what’s fair Households have inflation and ‘bad months’, and so will your business. Rates are key to surviving the future. Charge what you are worth, and use industry guidelines as a way to calculate your own rate. Don’t be ashamed
to charge what other writers are asking for their services. Otherwise, someone out there is earning smarter than you are. Consider rates suggested by organizations like the Professional Writers
Alliance or South African Freelancers’ Association (SAFREA). Writer’s Digest publishes How Much Should I Charge in each of
its annual yearbook issues, the latest having been written by C. Hope Clark of FundsforWriters. When expenses have gone up, remember it’s okay to raise your rates as long as people know about it (and the raise is reasonable for the current industry). It pays you to keep up with the going rates. It also keeps you looking professional. Different ways to charge There are different ways to charge clients: royalties, hourly, per project, or word. Some jobs are charged based on a customer’s preference or budget, but it could help to give them the option during your quote. If you prefer per-word, for
example, then say so. Costs have to make sense across the different ways, or an hourly client could feel cheated when jobs are cheaper per word. Estimate the amount of time you’d spend on a 500-word piece, and match this to what you could charge by-word - including research and interview times. Track time
with apps like Toggl, Clockify and Omnicalculator. Should writers get tips? A tip for writers: ask for tips. Tips aren’t just for les sommeliers, but should also be for authors and other services. The option-to-tip appears as a prompt on all my invoices. Some clients actually use the option when they feel I’ve done an exceptional job. It gives them a way to say thanks. A tip option can also be found on PayPal’s Create Invoice function, and
websites like Patreon or Buy Me a Coffee. While not all clients notice, steady customers might show you added appreciation for your consistency, polish, and maybe even the holidays. Professional invoice and expenditure tracking Professional invoice tracking like
InvoicePlane, Open Source Billing, or Xero makes things easier than using your own spreadsheets or paper scraps for what comes in. Firefly III and InvoiceNinja can track
expenditures. Graph your business, and approach your writing schedule like a business plan. It’s one way to see bad months coming, and to know when to adjust your sails, change your rates, or increase your workload. Invoices and terms An invoice needs terms-and-conditions - and when unconditionally issued with open-ended terms, becomes much harder to pursue unpaid bills legally. Quotes should expire after a certain time period. Clients could say, “Hey, you quoted me this last December!”
without a clear indication to either accept quote (or be requoted later). Invoiced jobs should have a stated payment deadline. Include tax and contact information on both, but never your home and personal details. Keep it professional. Publications... and payment dates Connect with editors and clients, but never forget about accounting departments and financial managers. Companies process payments differently than smaller, private clients, and publication dates aren’t necessarily when contributors or freelancers get paid. I’ve had disasters for assuming how and when I’d get paid: so
don’t. Ask about payment dates and publication dates. Ask about which bank or payment method is used, in case there’s a clearance delay. Pay bills ahead, so that you’re never holding your breath for a single payment to fix shortcomings in your own budget. Perhaps most importantly, never seem desperate for
money when dealing with a client, even when you are. It blows the professional image you’re portraying, and drags them into your personal life. Arm’s length behavior with strong terms and expectations keep everyone happier and of clearer understanding, making less room for controversy. We all want to keep our steady clients, and we want all of our clients to be happy with terms. But most of all, we
need to keep ourselves in business. About the Author: Alex J Coyne is a writer and freelance journalist. His features have been published in markets like Caribbean Compass, People Magazine, Writers Write, and others.
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THE CATERPILLAR POETRY PRIZE
https://www.thecaterpillarmagazine.com/a1-page.asp
€15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2024. The Caterpillar Poetry Prize is an annual prize for an unpublished poem written by an adult for children aged 7–11. 1st prize €1,000 plus a week at
Circle of Misse in France. 2nd prize €500. 3rd prize €250. The winning poems will be published in the Irish Times online. DYNAMMO VERLAG BOOK CONTEST
https://www.dynamoverlag.com/
$18 ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 30, 2024. This contest is open to all authors writing in the English language(s) aged minimum 18 years. We accept
submissions from any country, however, we can only send your catalog title to a United States address. This contest is open to poetry or prose; we simply want a scintillating book-length manuscript (minimum 8,000 words for prose and a maximum 75,000 words for prose; minimum 80 pages for poetry) that reflects what we look for in all our publications: genius, eclecticism, and originality. GRAYWOLF PRESS NONFICTION PRIZE
https://www.graywolfpress.org/about-us/submissions
NO MENTION OF ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 29, 2024. A $20,000 advance and publication by Graywolf Press will be awarded to the most promising and innovative literary nonfiction project by a writer not yet established in the genre. The winning author will also receive a $2,000 stipend intended to support the completion of
their project. The Graywolf editors are particularly interested in new approaches to the personal essay, cultural and literary criticism, creative scholarship, and books exploring complex ideas from unexpected angles. Must live in the United States, regardless of citizenship status. Must have published at least one piece of nonfiction in a literary journal or magazine. THE YEOVIL LITERARY PRIZE
https://writingcompetitions.net/
ENTRY FEES £5 to £14.50. Deadline May 31, 2024. Open internationally. Categories are novel, short story, poetry, children/YA novel, and writing without restrictions. Novel (max 10,000 words) - 1st £1250, 2nd £500, 3rd £125. Short story (max 2000 words) 1st £600, 2nd £250, 3rd £125. Poetry (max 40 lines) 1st £600, 2nd £250, 3rd £125. Children's/YA novel (max 3000 words) 1st £600, 2nd £250,
3rd £125. Writing without restrictions (see rules) 1st £250, 2nd £125, 3rd £75. CLAIRE HARRIS POETRY PRIZE
https://gooselane.com/pages/claire-harris-poetry-prize-submissions
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2024. Eligible writers include Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada who
are writers from Black, Indigenous, or other racialized communities and who have not previously published a book-length collection of poetry. The prize will include a cash award of $1,000, a contract for the publication of the collection under the icehouse poetry imprint in the following year (2025), and public readings in at least three Canadian cities. The recipient of the 2024 prize will be selected by poet and essayist Kazim Ali. Manuscripts should be book-length works of poetry, i.e.,
approximately 48-100 pages. (Thanks ErikaDreifus.com) RAFTA
https://www.sohayavisions.com/rafta2023
Deadline January 20, 2024. A competition for creative and unique scripts against extremism, intolerance and xenophobia. The winning script will receive £500 with the commitment to produce it for the stage. Five
runners-up will be selected for rehearsed script readings. THE IRIDESCENCE AWARD
https://www.kinsmanquarterly.org/iridescence-award
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 31, 2024. Submissions are open for short stories and poetry by BIPOC authors. Themes should include the supernatural, extraterrestrial, or the
paranormal. Prizes include publication in the Iridescence anthology with cash awards up to $500 USD. Those eligible must submit an original, unpublished work in English. HARBOR EDITIONS LAUREATE PRIZE
https://smallharborpublishing.submittable.com/submit
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 31, 2024. Full length
books of poetry should be between 50-80 pages. Harbor Editions will publish one book from the contest. Finalists may be considered or publication. The winner will receive $500 and 20 copies of their book. HARBOR REVIEW EDITOR'S PRIZE
https://smallharborpublishing.submittable.com/submit
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline
January 31, 2024. The prize is awarded once a year for a micro chapbook. Micro chapbooks should be exactly 10 poems. The winner will receive $200 and publication of their micro chapbook online at Harbor Review. All rights revert to the author after publication. DRAGONBLADE'S WRITE TRACK - A HISTORICAL WRITING CONTEST
https://www.dragonbladepublishing.com/writerscompetition/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 1, 2024. Both new and established authors are encouraged to participate for a grand prize of $1,000 and a publishing contract with Dragonblade Publishing. Historical Romance is defined as any type of romantic story taking place from World War II and earlier. The top six finalists will have an opportunity to participate
in a novella bundle, published by Dragonblade Publishing. Grand prize: $1,000 signing bonus and the potential to publish with Dragonblade Publishing. 1st Runner Up: $500 prize and the potential to publish with Dragonblade Publishing. 2nd Runner Up: $100 Prize and interview on Dragonblade Publishing’s Website. 3rd Runner Up: $50 Prize and an announcement on Dragonblade Publishing’s Website. CAAPP BOOK PRIZE
https://www.autumnhouse.org/submissions/caapp-book-prize/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 15, 2024. The prize is awarded annually to a first or second book by a writer of African descent and is open to the full range of writers embodying African American, African, or African diasporic experiences. The book can be of any genre that is, or intersects with, poetry, including poetry,
hybrid work, speculative prose, and/or translation. The winning manuscript will be published by Autumn House Press and its author will be awarded $3,000. GRANTS / FELLOWSHIP / CROWDFUNDING MAINE WRITERS STUDIO RETREAT
https://www.mainewritersstudio.com/retreats
Deadline January 31, 2024. The free, one-week writing retreat will be awarded to a qualified writer who can benefit from a quiet space to advance their current project. The retreat is located in a
gloriously renovate barn in the quaint college town of Brunswick, just 30 minutes north of Portland, ME. Please note that transportation and meals are not included. Candidates will be evaluated based on a brief personal statement, writing sample, and resume. CASA UNO RESIDENCY
https://mostlydance.com/1830-2
The ideal participant is an artist
who wanting to be able to devote time to a project for three weeks in a beautiful nurturing environment in Costa Rica. Participants may be a writer, visual artist, photographer, filmmaker, storyteller, poet, composer, performer or dancer/choreographer. Artists who are going through career changes or developing a new aspect to their work are strongly encouraged to apply. There is no fee for the residency. The participating artist is responsible for travel to and from Costa Rica. (Thanks
ErikaDreifus.com) NEA CREATIVE WRITING FELLOWSHIPS
https://www.arts.gov/grants/creative-writing-fellowships/program-description
Deadline March 13, 2024. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Literature Fellowships program offers $25,000 grants in prose (fiction and creative
nonfiction) and poetry to published creative writers that enable recipients to set aside time for writing, research, travel, and general career advancement. For FY 2025, which is covered by these guidelines, fellowships in poetry are available. Fellowships in prose (fiction and creative nonfiction) will be offered in FY 2026 and guidelines will be available in January 2025. SOUTH CAROLINA FAST TRACK LITERARY GRANTS
https://schumanities.org/grants/howtoapply/#fasttrackliterarygrants
Next deadline March 1, 2024. Fast Track Literary Grants are intended to support new or existing public literary programs such as (but not limited to) writers series, festivals, conferences, workshops, or writer’s residencies at schools. Awards are $3,000 or less. FIVE MINUTES ONE HUNDRED WORDS
https://www.fiveminutelit.com/submissions
Send us your 100-word piece about five minutes in your life and we’ll consider it for publication. Piece should be 100 words, formatted as one paragraph. Not 99. Not 101. Title, which is not part of 100 words, should be
15 characters maximum, including spaces. There should be one identifiable moment (approx. five minutes) that’s the crux of the piece. Payment is US $120 per piece, delivered on publication. We only issue payments via PayPal. PARSEC INK: TRIANGULATION
https://parsecink.com/index.php/triangulation-submissions/
Deadline
February 29, 2024. Theme for 21st anthology: Hospitium. Hospitium is a Greco-Roman concept of hospitality, where both the guest and host have an obligation to treat the other with kindness and respect, regardless of external quarrels. We’re looking for outstanding fantasy, science fiction, weird fiction, and speculative horror from both new and established writers. No minimum or maximum number of lines, but poems of more than 100 lines will have to be extraordinary. Poetry
Compensation: We pay 25 cents per line. Prose Compensation: We pay a minimum of 3¢ per word. MYSTERIAN
https://www.mysteriononline.com/p/submission-guidelines.html
We are looking for speculative stories--science fiction, fantasy, horror--with Christian themes, characters, or cosmology, and for artwork for this
site. Stories can be up to 9000 words. We pay 8 cents/word for original stories (or original translations of stories that have not previously appeared in English), and 4 cents/word for reprints. ARIZONA TEACHING ARTISTS CALL OUT
https://www.phoenix.gov/arts/arts-learning/creative-curriculum
Deadline
January 19, 2024. The Phoenix Creative Curriculum Program is an educational artist-in-residence program in collaboration with local education agencies based in Phoenix. The program uses the arts, including creative writing, visual arts, and other disciplines, to get students excited and engaged about learning. Working closely with teachers, district specialists, and department staff, local artists create lesson plans, develop training, and provide in-person instruction to help
students achieve district standards and goals. Seeking three teaching artists with elementary-high school-age youth instruction experience for the Spring 2024 residency. Placements will be at schools within Cartwright School District, Deer Valley Unified School District, and Laveen Elementary School District. Compensation: $5,000 all-inclusive stipend. Commitment: 8 hours a week over twelve weeks.
FROG LITERARY AGENCY
https://www.frogliterary.agency/
The UK’s first literary agency and publishing consultancy dedicated to LGBTQIA+ writers. Frog's mission is to amplify queer representation in mainstream publishing. CALLIGRAPH LITERARY
AGENCY
https://www.calligraphlit.com/about
Calligraph is a full-service literary agency with offices in New York and Boston. Our mission is to help talented writers imagine and achieve their publishing goals. We offer representation for new and established authors, and we sell rights for our clients worldwide in print, audio, electronic, film and television. We represent literary and commercial
fiction and a wide range of non-fiction, including biography, history, memoir and narrative, popular science, popular culture, and business, children’s books and YA. THE WEIS AGENCY
https://www.theweisagency.com/
We are seeking high-concept, intricately plotted fiction of all categories, including psychological and domestic suspense, women’s
fiction, and selected young adult. We need a hook, a consistent voice, and characters that readers care about and connect with. We love high-concept thrillers set in unusual or rarified settings. We also take romance fiction — sexy or not — and prefer the positive conclusion to the dark or tragic. Above all, we are drawn to a powerful plot, one that’s engaging, complex, and provocative but whose central concept can be distilled in a few lines. In nonfiction, we are looking for new voices and new
angles on provocative subjects, authors with a platform, and compelling narratives that read like fiction. HIGH LINE LITERARY AGENCY
https://www.highlineliterary.com/
We know the needs of fiction and nonfiction authors differ greatly. That’s why we offer distinct divisions under the High Line Literary Collective umbrella — Paper Over Board
offers premiere nonfiction services, while Volume Five is tailored to top-level fiction representation. See individual agents to know how and when to query. MARTIN LITERARY MANAGEMENT
https://www.martinlit.com/submission-policy
We are a full service literary and media management agency representing adult fiction and nonfiction,
children's books, including picture books, middle grade, and young adult fiction and nonfiction. We do not accept poetry, short stories or screenplays. GREYHOUND LITERARY AGENCY
https://greyhoundliterary.co.uk/submissions
Our agents each have their own tastes and interests, so please look at our profile pages and client lists which
can be found via the links at the site. Between us, we welcome submissions to Greyhound Literary in the following areas: fiction, both commercial and literary; non-fiction, in particular biography, cookery, history, popular science, big ideas, humour, memoir, music, politics, sport and wellbeing and lifestyle; and children’s fiction and non-fiction. Please forward the newsletter in its entirety. To reprint any editorials, contact hope@fundsforwriters.com for permission. Do not assume that acknowledgements listed in your publication is considered a valid right to publish out of ours.
C. Hope Clark
E-mail: hope@fundsforwriters.com
140-A Amicks Ferry Road #4
Chapin, SC 29036
http://www.fundsforwriters.com Copyright 2000-2023, C. Hope Clark
ISSN: 1533-1326 **Note that FundsforWriters.com places paid advertising in this newsletter. ALL ads are related to writers and the
business of writing, screened by FundsforWriters to make sure the information is suitable for writers and their endeavors to improve their careers. While the mailing list is not sold to third parties, other parties do advertise in the newsletter, to include the occasional solo ad. You will not receive this newsletter without your permission. It's physically impossible since recipients must opt-in, giving us permission to send the newsletter. If at any time you no longer wish to receive the
newsletter, click the UNSUBSCRIBE link at the bottom of each newsletter. We want you to enjoy this newsletter at your pleasure, not be forced to read anything you do not wish to receive. Direct any complaints, suggestions, and accolades to Hope Clark at hope@fundsforwriters.com. We are an anti-spam site. | |
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