VOLUME 24, ISSUE 37 | SEPTEMBER 6, 2024 |
GRANTS FOR
WRITING Many folks contact me asking for grants because they: - Don't have the money to self-publish,
- Have had trauma in their life and want to write about it,
- Want to start writing because they have a good story but cannot
afford to write because they have another job,
- Want to go back to writing but "cannot afford to,"
- Don't have the time to work and write,
- Need money to market self-published books already out on Amazon.
A few of these people have looked over the grants on the
website and don't see anything that fits their situation. Therefore, they write me, asking me to find a grant that does. In summation, grants for writers usually fall into these categories: - Grant for a project that falls in line with the grantor's mission statement/goals.
- Grants for any purpose, but acquired
in recognition of past writing.
- Fellowships/scholarships at educational institutions, conferences, or writing retreats.
- Grants for writers who fall into categories like residency, gender, age, or ethnicity.
Those are very general, and there are assorted derivations of them, but the bottom line is you have
to be a writer to apply. The most requests I receive are from people who are just getting started or have self-published a couple of books and need money to either live on or market their books that aren't selling. Bottom line, you must prove you are a writer to apply for a writing grant. And even then you compete against others who are doing the same. There isn't a pot of money open to
general requests. But between you and me, it doesn't take a grant to start writing. Just do it. |
WHERE TO START IN PUBLISHING YOUR BOOK
I make a point of walking up to an author's table and talking to them, often buying their book. Having spent many an hour in their shoes, I understand the difficulty of sitting there (they ought to be
standing, but that's another article). Invariably, I'll look at the book, and if I cannot tell who published it, I'll ask. Ninety percent of the time it was self-published. Once they know I'm an author, they often open up about the difficulties of publishing. We ultimately wind around to the point I ask they if they considered traditional publishing. The number one reason they give for not
attempting traditional never fails to surprise me. It sounds complicated. I don't understand it. I don't want to go there. It's not that they CHOSE self-publishing. It's that they DEFAULTED to self-publishing because they don't understand the options. Nine times out of ten, they just use KDP. Nine times
out of ten, I can tell. Just like you do not publish until you have rewritten a zillion times and had the book edited several times, you do not publish until you know all your publishing options. There is such a thing as publishing badly. And you can rarely undo publishing badly. There will always be used copies out there that someone will make Amazon put up for sale, reminding you of the mistakes
you made once upon a time. Just like you read dozens of successful books in your genre to see what works and what doesn't, to understand good writing from mediocre, you also study publishing options before you publish. These books will not sell themselves, and to publish them the easiest route you can find will only make sales harder. The better a book is published, the easier it is to sell. This is
not a step to shortcut because it's too difficult to learn the other methods of doing it well. "Happy Anniversary, My WRITEDAY Subscription Box" MyWRITEDAY Subscription Box for writers is celebrating one year in September with a treasure trove of writerly goodies sure to inspire your writing journey. -September 29, 2024 - Newberry Opera House - "Artists 5" - 2PM (tickets required - music, art, wine, and sample plates to match the readings of three authors, to include C. Hope Clark) -October 10, 2024 - Edisto Bookstore, Edisto Island, SC - 3-5 PM -October 28, 2024 - St. Andrews Church Women's Club, 6952 St. Andrews Road
Columbia, South Carolina 29212 - 2PM
(tentative) -October 30, 2024 - South Carolina Library Association's Annual Conference, Columbia Convention Center, 1101 Lincoln St, Columbia, SC 29201 - 2 PM -November 23, 2024 - Irmo Chapin Holiday Market, Chapin, SC - 8AM -
2PM -May 17, 2025 - Pelion Library Book Club, 206 Pine St, Pelion, SC, Saturday, 1-2PM
Email: hope@chopeclark.com to schedule events, online or otherwise.
"Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did."
—Newt Gingrich
<<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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Hybrid Writing Groups and What to Do with Them
By Alex J. Coyne Formal and informal writing groups have been around for hundreds of years. Hybrid authors clubs are newer, rising in the 2000s and are becoming a staple of how authors connect with professionals and readers today. “Hybrid” writing groups exist IRL (or in real life), but also connect with other communities online - often internationally. Find Your Group There’s an appropriate writing group for every interest, experience level, and niche. Define what you hope to get from a group, and then analyze what you can give back in return. Hybrid groups sometimes meet in person, but also
welcome online members. I barely leave the house, but I connect daily with my writing groups and message boards. I’d put writing groups in two columns: formal and informal. Mystery Writers of America (MWA), the South African Writers Network (SAWN), and the Horror Writers Association (HWA) are formal; they require membership, but offer formal benefits like insider industry information. Informal groups like the
Self Publishing Support Group (Facebook) are useful for: advertising, critique, finding readers, and talking grammar or plots. Facebook, Reddit, and TikTok connect to the best, lively writing groups. This Reddit discusses reputable /r/WritingGroups, and this Write Life Guide lists active Facebook-run writing groups. I wrote a short guide for Writers Write about TikTok Tips For Writers. Discuss Writing: Yours and Others Writing groups are also for discussions/critiques about writing. The Mystery Writers of America Facebook has lively Zoom-discussions and critique. Spectrum Writers, for London
Science-Fiction and Fantasy Writers, meets online to discuss everything from grammar to plotting. Area specific writing groups often welcome online membership from others - like Macon Writes (Central Georgia). The South Carolina Writers Association has chapter groups all over the state where they predominantly critique each other’s work. Discord has The Writing Hub, where members meet up for game nights and writing discussions. There’s
also The Writers’ Factory, Writing Central, and Writers’ Craft. Advertise to Authors and Others Formal and informal writing groups are a wonderful place to advertise promotions, websites, new books, and your mailing list. Groups can be specific about allowing ads and usually have membership rules. Formal groups are more likely to
charge. Some examples are Writers Write, Poets & Writers, and the UK Poetry Society. Informal groups might charge a small fee, or only allow advertisements on certain days. There are Facebook (Writers Promoting Writers) and Reddit groups (/r/WritingGroups) that will allow advertising, but also smaller ones with strict rules against it. Look for its rules in “pinned posts” or social media post descriptions. Give (and Get) Advice on Anything Writing groups are great places for authors to give and get advice. Groups are diverse, and you’ll often find great technical advice. I’ve found article sources and real-life know-how here. I’ve asked authors their opinion about my website redesign. I’ve also found answers to formatting and industry questions. Members are diverse, from publishing veterans to romance boffins, which can be good in terms of research or can be less
appealing in terms of critiques, depending upon the balance of talent. Absolute Write forums, Nottingham Writers Club, and Self Publishing Support Group are particularly useful. Away from Facebook, there’s also Reddit: /r/PubTips and /r/publishing. Learn from Other Writers There’s also more formal advice, like lessons and online writers’ meetings. Hybrid writing groups are filled with unique skills. Technologies like Zoom broaden their reach and your opportunity to “sit in” for meetings or masterclasses. Sunday Writers Club meets in Vienna, but you can also join online at €5 per session. London Writers Club is one of the world’s oldest formal groups, where you can book sessions with a literary agent.
Savvy Authors and Sisters in Crime give classes in specific topics. Writing Groups: Future Readers Too I learned the real value of people and writing groups when I received a kind email from a FundsforWriters reader. The message said, “We have a small group of writers who share every month. I’d like to share your feature piece ‘AI and Copywriting’ with my local writing group.” I became a more regular sight in writing groups after that. When they share something, I’ll read it - and when I’ve published something, I’ll share in turn. Writing communities can quickly become part of your readership and often some of your biggest cheerleaders. About the Author: Alex J. Coyne is a journalist, author and proofreader. He has written for a variety of publications and websites, with a radar
calibrated for gothic, gonzo and the weird. Sometimes, he co-writes with others.
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REEDSY PROMPT CONTEST
https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/contests/
https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/terms/
$5 ENTRY FEE. This is a weekly prompt contest, with the deadline each Friday. Vie for a $250 prize. Submissions must be between 1,000 and 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing. AFTER THE END POETRY
COMPETITION
https://aftertheend.squarespace.com/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 30, 2024. Poems can be on any issue related to themes of time, temporality and endings and in any style. Individual poems should be no longer than forty lines. The After the End Poetry Competition offers to winners a first prize
of £750, and the top three winners will also be published on the After the End website. THE BEDFORD COMPETITION
https://bedfordwritingcompetition.co.uk/
ENTRY FEE £17. Deadline October 31, 2024. Short story
and poetry competition main prizes £1500; second prizes £300; third prizes £200. Cygnature short story and poetry prizes £200 for young writers aged 17-25 yrs. Open internationally. RUSSELL FREEDMAN AWARD FOR CHILDREN'S NONFICTION
https://www.scbwi.org/impact-and-legacy-fund/programs/russell-freedman-award
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 1, 2024. The winner will receive a prize of $2500 plus $500 to purchase copies of the winning book for distribution to schools and libraries, recognition in all SCBWI publications, and a virtual forum to give a speech before the entire children’s book community. Any nonfiction book published for children
or young adults, released between January 1 and December 31, 2024, is eligible. If both an author and illustrator are listed on the book cover, the prize will be split between them. You do not have to be a member of SCBWI to submit. However, your book must be traditionally published.
GRANTS / FELLOWSHIP / CROWDFUNDING SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR THE WINTER POETRY & PROSE GETAWAY
http://stockton.edu/wintergetaway
Deadline October 1, 2024. Scholarships are being offered for
first-time participants of the 31st annual WINTER POETRY & PROSE GETAWAY, January 17-20, 2025 in the Atlantic City, NJ area. Recipients may choose from workshops in novel writing, memoir, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, songwriting, storytelling and flash prose. In addition, the conference offers a literary bookstore, open mics, tutorials, sunrise yoga, karaoke, dancing at the Getaway Disco, writerly camaraderie and more. CASA UNO RESIDENCY
https://mostlydance.com/1830-2/
Deadline September 15, 2024. Located in the Central Valley of Costa Rica. The ideal participant is an artist who wanting to be able to devote time to a project for 3 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. There is no fee for the residency. CAMARGO FOUNDATION
https://camargofoundation.org/en/programs
Aware that
different people have different needs, the Camargo Foundation offers a variety of ways of welcoming and supporting people, through 4 main types of residence: Escales, Horizons, Incubateurs and Au long cours. Each of these categories includes several residency programs, each with its own resources and specific features. And to keep experimentation alive throughout the organisation, Impromptus residencies are also offered in response to emergencies - for example, people in exile - or encounters
that make sense and enrich the Camargo Foundation. Location Cassis — France. LIGHTHOUSE FELLOWSHIPS
https://lighthouseworks.us/fellowship
Fellowships are six weeks in length, occur year-round and provide fellows with
housing, food, studio space, and $1,750 in financial support. Fellows enjoy a private bedroom and share a kitchen, bathrooms, and living space in a 3-story Victorian house. All dietary needs are accommodated, and on most nights, Lighthouse Works staff cook for and eat dinner with the fellows. Artists at any stage of their career are encouraged to apply for a fellowship. Location Fishers Island, NY.
TYPE INVESTIGATIONS
https://www.typeinvestigations.org/about/how-to-pitch/
We cover the most urgent stories within a wide range of topic areas, including racial and economic
justice, climate and environmental health, and civil and human rights. Our work is focused on systems, policies, and powerful entities, and we are committed to elevating stories from the communities most affected by wrongdoing. Written features generally run between 3,000 and 5,000 words — though we do publish articles that are shorter and longer. Typical budgets range from $3,000 to $6,000 (including travel and other reporting expenses, as well as the reporting fee) and are based on the
submission of a detailed reporting plan. We pay a portion of the fee upfront. LUX
https://lux-magazine.com/about/
Lux is a feminist magazine of politics and culture. We publish established and emerging writers and artists, delivering
their work to readers in over a dozen countries. Pays up to a dollar per word, depending on the reporting. Pitches should be sent to pitches@lux-magazine.com. POLITICO
https://www.politico.com/magazine/write-for-us/
Politico Magazine is always looking for smart, timely journalism aimed at a broad, but well-informed audience with a deep interest in politics. We publish both original reporting and distinctive opinion journalism that illuminate the people, ideas and institutions that matter most in American politics and government. Pays
60 cents/word roughly. DIALOGUE EARTH
https://dialogue.earth/en/pitch/pitches-southeast-asia-sustainable-development/
We are seeking talented journalists to craft compelling stories on
important environmental and sustainable development issues across Southeast Asia. Length: 1,000-1200 words per article. Rates are $380 USD per article. FLASH FICTION ONLINE
https://ffo.submittable.com/submit
Open to Reprints - Sept
1-21st, or until our sub cap of 425 is reached. Open to Originals, all genres - Oct 1-31st, or until sub cap is reached (subject to change, but it was 250 for literary stories and 450 for speculative fiction genres for our summer reading window). We are looking for complete 500- to 1000-word stories with crisp prose, well-developed characters, compelling plots, and satisfying resolutions. We publish across many genres, including speculative (science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and horror) and
literary fiction. Our 2024 rate is $100 for each original story.
AT BAY PRESS
https://atbaypress.com/submissions
At Bay Press is a literary publisher. We are only interested in literary fiction and literary non-fiction—including poetry. We do publish literary
mysteries, thrillers, and noir and are interested in quality submissions in the science fiction, fantasy and graphic novel genres as well. Leans toward Canadian authors. COMPASS ROSE PUBLISHING
https://compassrosepublishing.com/crp-author-services/
Our team of editors, proofreaders, cover designers, and formatters come with years of experience. Because we are a small independent publisher, we can offer a personal touch in a timely manner. In addition to traditional publishing, our highly experienced and trusted staff are happy to work with authors who need a little help navigating the technical aspects of publishing.
If you are interested in traditional submissions or would like to explore options for producing your own book, the first step is to complete the form online. The company will partner with staff members at independent bookstores to develop and market one new book per month. MANGO BOOKS
https://mangopublishinggroup.com/contact-us/#submissions
We’re always hunting for books that are thoughtful, unusual, and captivating. This is why Mango Publishing accepts unsolicited manuscripts and reviews all proposals. While we do publish the occasional fiction book, the majority of our focus is on nonfiction with subjects that include business and
finance, children's, health and wellness, LGBTQ+, lifestyle, poetry, self-help and spirituality, and young adult/new adult. FLAME TREE PUBLISHING
https://www.flametreepublishing.com/submissions.html
We are a
trade-publishing house (that is, we publish books for general readers which are made available through all channels in the book trade). We are generally interested in science fiction, fantasy, horror and suspense, supernatural. We are looking for novels in the range of 70,000 to 120,000 words. DRAWN & QUARTERLY
https://drawnandquarterly.com/about/
The company’s dedication to high production values, editorial integrity, and artistic autonomy has led to it being described by Time as “the most elegant comics publisher in North America.” For submissions, please email a PDF of a minimum 20 pages of comics to submissions@drawnandquarterly.com. Note: We do not consider decks; scripts; sizzle
reels; characters sketches. We only consider already drawn comics which can be thumbnails or roughs.
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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