VOLUME 24, ISSUE 15 | APril 5, 2024 |
I JUST WANT TO BE READ All too often, I run across writers who say they don't care if they sell anything, they just want to be read. I am not a fan of that mentality. Doctors just want to heal people. Yet they charge. Teachers just want to teach. Yet they are paid. Gardeners just want to see nature thrive. Yet they charge for their knowledge. Those who do not charge, who only want to be read, are not going to be successful. Where else are you going to get your income? If you have another avenue of income, then
great. But what about those writers who are writing for a living? Those who have no other means of income. Giving writing away only cheapens it in the eyes of the public, which lessens the chance of a writer being able to earn a living. After all, if something is free, isn't the first impression that of it being cheap? It might be marvelous material, but if the creator does not respect
themselves enough to charge for the effort, why should someone else respect said effort? FundsforWriters was aptly named in order to support writers earning a living at the craft. But that not only means that markets should pay them, but also that writers should charge. Marketing and selling might not be palatable, but believe it or not, you earn more respect from readers if you learn
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WHAT YOU DO TO MAKE THE BUCKS I was watching a conversation on Facebook earlier this week and saw negative comments about an author who professed to making $60,000 a year by
selling books at weekend ventures like markets, fairs, and conferences. The first thing that crossed my mind was whether that was the net after the cost of buying his books to sell, but I admired his tenacity. But that's not what some were concerned about. There was talk about having to drive, having to stand on your feet, having to advertise, having to buy meals. In other words, whining. The author did forty events in a year, which tells me he is committed. Some, however, saw that effort as working too hard for the return. If you have a well-made
book (doesn't look self-published), that is well written, and is a genre/topic in demand. . . you can sell like this author. If you develop a brand, you can continue to make that kind of money about as long as you care to work it hard. But you cannot write a book and expect it to sell itself. Regardless how many books you publish on Amazon, if you don't make
yourself known, if you don't put in the work and treat it as a fulltime job, you won't make the money. There are, however, people out there who do. Let's appreciate and admire them. - Do you want to know why the book cover is soooo important?
- Would you like to save time on googling all-book-design things because you don't know much (or nothing at all) about designing your book cover and formatting the
interior?
- Are you looking for help in creating your dream book cover but don't know where to start?
Grab your free guide "Behind the Scenes of Your Dream Book Cover and Interior" written by a professional Book Designer, Karolina Wudniak. This free resource will answer all your questions about the design of your book: how to work with the designer, when to start, how much time is needed and more! BONUS:
You'll also get the Book Design Checklist that complements
the guide AND will keep you on track and support your publishing goals!
GET THE GUIDE HERE!
About the author:Karolina is a Book Designer turning manuscripts into books that can fly high. She helps self-publishing authors with book cover design, layout formatting and book marketing design. You can find out more on her website. -May 25, 2024 - Book Signing, The Coffee Shelf, 130 Amicks Ferry Rd, Chapin, SC - 8AM-NOON. -May 29, 2024 - A Moveable Feast, presenter C. Hope Clark, Quigley's Pint & Plate, 257 Willbrook Blvd, Pawley's Island, SC - 11AM - 1PM - sign up here -June 1-8, 2024 - The Gutsy Great Novelist Retreat, Bar Harbor, Maine - writer-in-residence -June 20, 2024 - Edisto Island Bookstore - Highway 174, Edisto Island, SC - 3-5 PM
-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 -October 5-12, 2024 - Edisto Bookstore, exact dates in that week TBD -November TBD, 2024 - Irmo Chapin Holiday Market, Chapin, SC - 8AM - 2PM -May 17, 2025 - Pelion Library Book Club206 Pine St, Pelion, SC, Saturday, 1-2PM
Email: hope@chopeclark.com to schedule events, online or otherwise. Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.” – Rudyard Kipling
Dear Hope, Thank you for your FundsforWriters emails, I find them really useful. It is the best email/resource for writers that I receive. I wanted to share with you that I entered the Gutsy Great Novelist Chapter One Prize competition further to seeing it in a past email of yours.
The results have been announced, and I am delighted to say I was awarded the accolade of 'Notable Chapter'. Out of 930 entries, mine was deemed to be one of the best/top 20. The competition was judged by acclaimed author Joan Dempsey. Joan was Winner of the 2017 Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award and named by Poets & Writers magazine as one of "5 more over 50" writers to watch. Her first novel, This Is How It Begins has won multiple awards. Joan commented:
"The competition was fierce. ...Choosing from among so many impressive entries was not an easy task, and I truly loved your work." The accolade is excellent news and is really encouraging when I am beginning my writing career and trying to write my first novel; The Lady in the Red Coat (working title). The recognition reassures me that my bold, brave
move away from an 18-year career in marketing has not been made in vain! Competition winners announcement: https://gutsygreatnovelist.com/winners-2024/
My Substack page: https://nmiller2024.substack.com/ With thanks. Yours sincerely,
Natasha Miller <<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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Read the Non-Writing Pages of a Magazine Before You Pitch
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By Barbara Weddle As freelance writers, we know to study the publication we intend to write for so that we can determine the voice, tone, mood, audience, style, content, and so on. But that doesn't mean just the magazine's feature articles, columns, or essays. We also need to look at the front-of-the-magazine pages for
insights as to what the publication is about and what its editors are looking for and at the advertisements throughout the magazine. The Editor's Letter For instance, The Editor's Letter often gives changes in editorial staff and/or publishers, changes to the design of the magazine, and comments on the
content. The Editor's Letter also provides further clues as to a publication's tone: factual/fictitious, humorous/unhumorous, serious/casual, personal/general. The senior editor of a Southern magazine recently wrote about "The Meaning of Southernness" in his monthly letter, for example. How much more informative can an editor's letter be about the tone and voice of what they're looking for from contributors? This
same editor even reprinted a founding editor's letter in another issue from its debut issue in which that editor laid out in two full pages exactly what the magazine was going to be about and the purpose it was hoping to achieve. An editor's letter also provides a writer with the differences—some subtle, some not—in publications that cover the same region. For example, while four individual magazines might focus on the South, each will have its own way of depicting that region's culture, customs, dialects, cuisine, and music. One might cover politics, another not. One might feature only local travel destinations while others might extend travel beyond the South and even the U.S. The
Masthead Don't overlook the masthead. It will give you an idea of how many articles are staff-written or written by regular contributors, thus showing you what you're up against in terms of competition. Also, the masthead usually lists an email for editorial inquiries in case you do not come up with adequate guidelines. Sidebars Sidebars at the front of a magazine aren't to be overlooked either. In addition to giving additional clues about the content of a magazine, they can also spark ideas. A small 25-word sidebar about a Christmas tradition, for instance, might spark an idea for a lengthier article or essay for that magazine. Advertisements A magazine's advertisements can provide additional insights into the type of audience the publication wishes to reach and are likely to have a substantial influence on what type of article a writer might want to submit. If a magazine's camping advertisements tend to cater to the affluent, you might query or submit an article on "glamping" (creating an
outdoor camping environment that is as luxurious as possible, with real beds, air-conditioning, electricity, TVs, indoor bathrooms, and more); however, you likely would not submit a camping article on sleeping on the ground and using the bathroom outdoors to this magazine. Similarly, an advertisement for Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts implies that the magazine is family-friendly with lots of fun things to do
for kids and adults, so might be the right place to send your article on where to vacation with children but wrong for your article on where to spend your honeymoon (unless, of course, the editor wants an article on honeymooning with your blended family). As a result of my including the front-of-the-magazine pages in my perusal of a magazine, my accepts grew. Studying a magazine you wish to write for can be
time-consuming and even tedious, especially when you include the front-of-the-magazine pages; however, in the case that it may mean an acceptance (or not) of your query or completed piece, it's not wasted time, it's time wisely spent. BIO - Barbara Weddle has been published in more than 300 publications. Twitter: @BarbaraWeddle
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OMNIDAWN BROADSIDE POETRY CONTEST
https://www.omnidawn.com/poetry-contest-guidelines/
$12 ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 12, 2024. Prize: $1000 and publication with 20 printed copies. Broadside poem length: Between 8 and 24 lines in length, with blank lines used as stanza breaks, each counting as a line. NONFICTION ANIMAL CONTEST
https://www.storyhouse.org/contest2024.html
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 30, 2024. Stories should be factual and true accounts of an encounter or encounters by the author with a wild animal or animals. One prize of $200 for the winner, $100 for the runner-up, and certificates
of achievement for all finalists. Entries should be 1,000-5,000 words. SLEEPING BEAR PRESS AWARDS
https://sleepingbearpress.com/ovos
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 30, 2024. Offered annually to children’s picture book manuscripts written by new authors from historically marginalized groups with the intention of recognizing and amplifying new and diverse voices with underrepresented perspectives. Open to new authors who identify as BIPOC and/or LGBTQ+. Applicants must be United States residents and at least 18 years of age. Grand Prize winners will receive a $2,000 cash prize, in
addition to a publishing contract with advance and royalties standard for new Sleeping Bear Press authors. Honor Award winners will receive a $500 cash prize as well as one consulting session with a Sleeping Bear Press editor. THE MO SIEWCHARRAN PRIZE
https://www.thefuturebookshelf.co.uk/landing-page/the-mo-siewcharran-prize-2024/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 1, 2024. Hachette UK’s The Future Bookshelf is running the Mo Siewcharran Prize for its fifth year to help discover unpublished
fiction writers from Black, Asian, mixed heritage and minority ethnic backgrounds. The winner will receive £2,500 prize money plus and so much more regarding meeting agents and editors in the business as a ticket to the London Book Fair. The winner’s entry will also be taken forward to a Hodder & Stoughton’s acquisitions meeting and considered for full publication with a competitive advance against royalties. The runner up will receive £1,500 prize money. A second runner up will receive £750
prize money. You are eligible for this prize if you are aged 18 or over, a UK resident and from a Black, Asian, mixed heritage or minority ethnic background. You must also be unagented and unpublished at the point of submission. LITMAG'S EMILY DICKINSON AWARD FOR POETRY
https://litmag.submittable.com/submit
$18 ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 30, 2024. First Prize: $1,500 + publication in LitMag + agency review. Three finalists will receive $100 each. All finalists will be considered for possible agency review and publication. Entries must be
one to three poems. GRANTS / FELLOWSHIP / CROWDFUNDING CHARLOTTE FOUNDERS GRANTS
https://artsandscience.org/founders-grants/
This award is intended to celebrate the commitment of Charlotte-Mecklenburg creatives to the community they call home and are intended to award their vision. As such, the applicants are not required to submit a budget or specify how they would leverage the resources. This is first and foremost an award celebrating the creative individual’s vision. ASC will award up to five $50,000 Founders Grants. THE ROYAL LITERARY FUND
https://www.rlf.org.uk/
The Royal Literary Fund is a British charity that has been supporting authors since 1790. We provide grants to writers in financial
difficulty: novelists, poets, playwrights, screenwriters and translators and run education programmes where writers deploy their talents for the wider benefit. ARTS COUNCIL NATIONAL LOTTERY PROJECT GRANTS
https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/ProjectGrants
Project Grants is always open for applications between £1,000 and £100,000. "Project" means a series of activities or a piece of work. Your project will have a start and an end date, and a set of measurable aims that you’d like to achieve in that time. If you are a creative practitioner or cultural organisation in England, Project Grants is
open to you. ARTS COUNCIL NATIONAL LOTTERY DEVELOPING YOUR CREATIVE PRACTICE
https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/dycp
Deadline April 11, 2024. You can apply for development activities related to our supported disciplines, for example undertaking a period of research, networking, or time to create new work. You can apply for £2,000-£12,000. Must live in England.
WEALTH OF GEEKS
https://wealthofgeeks.com/pitch-stories/
Are you
passionate about the world of personal finance, travel, autos, entertainment, sports, or geek culture? Do you have a unique perspective or a captivating story that you believe would resonate with our audience? Approved stories pay a starting fee of $150 and can go up depending on the length and/or effort involved. Due to a high volume of pitches, Wealth of Geeks is not currently accepting pitches for personal finance, travel, or entertainment content. If you have a pitch for geeky side hustles,
please email Make@wealthofgeeks.com. IGN
https://corp.ign.com/freelance-opportunities-and-guidelines
We have regular freelance opportunities available across our departments depending on your expertise and our editors’ specific needs at any given time. These needs are often focused on upcoming releases and other
topical subjects, so it’s always a good idea to keep up with the latest games, movies, and TV shows as well as the conversations around them if you’re looking to pitch us. Rates range from $300 to $1000+. Many categories. PRIDE MAGAZINE
https://www.vancouverpride.ca/pridemag
Deadline May 3, 2024. We are looking for articles and poetry written by emerging and experienced queer writers in Canada. Pieces should address the theme for Canada Pride 2024 - Infinite Horizons. Poetry: Individual poems, a page in length at maximum. Short Articles: 300 - 600 words. How-tos,
profile on a local figure, informative or service articles, self-care, beauty and fashion, recipes and story, book reviews. These pieces make up the majority of the magazine. Features: 900 - 1,300 words. Interesting articles including research and narrative storytelling. Writers will be paid .60/word for article. Poets paid $75 per poem. (Thanks https://www.freedomwithwriting.com/) AMERICAN CRAFT
https://www.craftcouncil.org/magazine/writers-guidelines
American Craft celebrates the diversity and ingenuity of craft in America and its makers. We feature work—in clay, wood, glass, textiles, metal, and more—that improves our lives and shapes our communities. Stories are generally assigned at 400–2,000 words. Our pay is $.50–$1.00/word, depending on the assignment. (Thanks https://www.freedomwithwriting.com/) FOOD52
https://food52.com/p/how-to-pitch-food52
Start each pitch with a sample headline for your story. For recipe pitches, your pitch should include the proposed title of the recipe. Multiple departments available for pitching. Pays $200-$500. PRISM
https://prismreports.org/about/pitch-prism/
Prism is an independent, nonprofit newsroom led by journalists of color. Their mission is to share stories from grassroots perspectives. Their reporting aims to challenge damaging narratives and empower social justice movements. Pay for accepted
pitches is $0.50/word. LONDON CREATIVE WRITING TUTORS
https://www.spreadtheword.org.uk/teach-with-us-developing-tutors-programme/
Spread the Word is expanding its Developing Tutors programme to offer London-based writers a paid opportunity to teach their first creative writing workshop. In 2024-25 we are looking to run up to seven workshops starting in June 2024 with the final one in February 2025. Tutors will be paid £250 for a two-hour creative writing workshop. In order to apply you will need to attend or watch a Zoom seminar run by Bobby Nayyar, Spread
the Word’s programme manager, on Tuesday 16 April, 7pm-8.30pm. Applications will open Tuesday 16 April and close on Tuesday 30 April. STONESONG
https://www.stonesong.com/about
Stonesong is a dynamic,
forward-thinking, yet traditional literary agency, whose agents represent a wide range of authors, genres, and books, with particular strength in lifestyle, nonfiction, health and wellness, personal development, popular culture, illustrated books, business, humor, and culinary, and with a strong presence in children's, middle grade, young adult fiction and nonfiction. Please review the individual agent biographies and submit your query addressed to one agent. For Fiction: Include the first
chapter or first 10 pages of your work, pasted into the body of your email, so that we may get a sense of your writing. Please do not send attachments. For Nonfiction: Include your bio, credentials, social media analytics, previous publications in major media or books, and any other media, so that we may get a sense of your author platform. JOHN HAWKINS AND
ASSOCIATES, INC.
https://www.jhalit.com/#About
Our interests range over nearly all of what we call trade books, i.e., the books you find in a bookstore. Fiction of all sorts, non-fiction (contemporary journalism, history, biography, etc.), juveniles
(although primarily young adult and middle grades, since we don´t specialize in illustrators, but having said that I should add that we represent several of the best), science-fiction and fantasy. What we are looking for and what is most exciting is an author with his or her own voice, something that stands out. We handle all the rights that grow out of our clients´ work: film, television, magazine, and foreign. In some cases we use sub-agents for various specialties, such as publishing sales
abroad, or sales to film and television. We remain in charge and responsible to the clients in all situations. GINGER CLARK LITERARY
https://gingerclarkliterary.com/Submissions
For adult, Ginger Clark as a special focus on science fiction, fantasy, horror, romance, and women’s fiction. For children’s works, she represents young adult and middle grade fiction and nonfiction in all genres. Her associate Nicole Eisenbraun is looking for middle grade and young adult in all genres. She is particularly interested in
great fairytale retellings with colorful twists and stories that tackle difficult subjects in unexpected ways.
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 2000-2024, C. Hope Clark
ISSN: 1533-1326 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. All must be paying opportunities. Contests must pay a minimum of $200 first place. Submit potential listings to hope@chopeclark.com **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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