VOLUME 24, ISSUE 46 | november 8, 2024 |
CHOOSE YOUR
PATH To some this week has been heaven, and to others it has been hell. In my life, I've seen so many elections. Some gave me hope and even a few thrills, while others made me sad. However. one thing I did not let any election do is enter my home and ruin what I have built. We see all the
tropes and cliches about dusting ourselves off and moving on. We see the reminders that those who win should win graciously. We all agree on one thing, though, and that's knowing how we'd like to be treated. Each and every election cycle, someone wins and someone loses. We teach our children to be good losers and gracious winners. It's a lot harder to practice than to preach,
though. I don't care how you voted. Politics is not what we have in common. I prefer to think of my online family as writers and readers with common dreams and goals centered around words and tales. We enjoy storytelling, and most of us strive to make a few dollars at it. In the
FundsforWriters world, and also in the C. Hope Clark world, I just want to know you for your love of all things literary. What's not to love there? |
Taught by Chloe Panta, nonfiction author and writing coach This 2-hour live
workshop will teach you the secrets of crafting a book proposal that agents can't resist—so you can finally bring your book to life. You'll learn proven strategies to make your proposal stand out in a crowded market. From pinpointing your book's unique value to presenting yourself as the must-have author for your genre, this workshop equips
you with the tools to captivate agents from the very first page. We'll also cover: - How to identify your book's "hook" and communicate why readers (and publishers) will want it now.
- How to create an irresistible overview that shows agents why your book
deserves their attention.
- How to position yourself as an expert and establish credibility that reassures agents and publishers alike.
- Common proposal pitfalls that cause rejections—and how to avoid them.
This workshop is ideal for writers of all backgrounds, whether you're working on memoir, history, self-help, or another nonfiction genre. If you're serious about getting your book into the right hands, this workshop is the perfect place to start. ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER
After my last editorial about how my family has been put through the wringer, I received a few questions. Especially about the fact I had an entertainment contract (though it
fell through when the writer's strike handicapped the studios, forcing them to cut back and close some of them). Folks often ask me: 1) How did you get published?
2) How did you get an entertainment contract?
3) How do you
land appearances?
4) How do you write so many books? A lot of folks think the following: 1) You have to know somebody to do/get anything in publishing.
2) There has to be a magic to get traditionally published (or know
somebody).
3) There has to be a template to write so many books.
4) You have to know somebody who knows somebody to land appearances.
5) You have a secret. While knowing somebody helps in many instances, I did not know somebody when I got off the ground. I still don't know as
many people as people think I do. I didn't think of anything magical to do that nobody else was doing. My best advice is this to get ahead in this business: 1) Actually love what you do. Otherwise, you'll tire of the effort, crash, and burn . . . or just fizzle.
2) Show up to work everyday. Writing, editing, marketing, pitching, appearing . . . just do
it, one foot in front of the other, until things start happening. Be consistent in your diligence and quality.
3) Each rejection is one step closer to an ultimate acceptance.
4) Introduce yourself as a writer/author. Own the profession.
5) Be genuine. If you are writing
as a hobby, that's perfectly fine. Just know that occasional writing is a slower journey to success. If you want to be known as a writer, then write, all the time, and claim the title. Ask to appear, accepting the refusals as rights of passage. All of this is a choice, and it's totally yours. On the other hand, if you are purely writing for financial success or notoriety, you increase your chances
of failure. Why? Because you are not genuine, and everybody around you will sense it. The diligent writer chips away at the job almost daily, ever looking to improve. It becomes a way of life, the joy you think of when you rise in the morning, and the thing you have to do before putting your head down at night. Whether the day is a good one for writing, or bad, you put one foot in front of the
other. You can strive for success, but you can't forget the reason you are writing in the first place.
-November 12, 2024 -Bennettsville Book Club, Bennettsville Library, SC - 4PM -November 22, 2024 - Newberry Library - Newberry, SC - 3
PM -November 23, 2024 - Irmo Chapin Holiday Market, Chapin, SC - 8AM - 2PM -January 9, 2025 - Newberry Fine Arts Club, Newberry, SC - 10AM -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.
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
~Winston Churchill
<<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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Paths to Book Publication By Peggy Joque Williams You have put your heart and soul into writing a book, be it fiction or nonfiction, poetry or memoir. The challenge now is to publish. After assessing your goals, priorities, wants, and needs, it is time to look at publishing options. Traditional
Publishers The traditional "Big 5" publishing houses include Penguin Random House, Hatchette Book Group, Harper Collins, Macmillan, and Simon and Schuster. They all have imprints specializing in genre or audience. And they all require manuscript submission through an agent who will vet your book and negotiate your advance, royalty, and any subsidiary rights. An advantage to being picked up by a major
publishing house is the advance they offer, anywhere up to $10k, sometimes more. Your book is more likely to be included in their advertising catalogs to bookstores, and their books get the lion's share of notice in the marketplace. A disadvantage is that it can take as much as two years or more from the time you begin to seek an agent until you see your book in print. You will have to share your royalties with both the publisher and your agent, but they are getting your book well designed and
marketed further than your reach. Independent Publishers There are many small, independent publishers with good reputations. Shadow Mountain Publishing, The Wild Rose Press, Crooked Lane, and Boldwood Books are a few examples.
AuthorsPublish.com and FundsforWriters spotlight indie publishers open to submission without an agent. The pros of going with an indie
publisher include a greater likelihood of having your book picked up, a more personal experience with the publishing team, and a potentially shorter publication timeframe. Cons include a small to no advance, a limited to no marketing budget, and limited to no outreach to bookstores. No two indies are alike. Hybrid Presses Hybrid publishers have moved away from the predatory reputation garnered
decades ago by vanity presses. They have become a viable and respectable option for many authors. Hybrids like Little Creek Press, Pegasus, and Atmosphere Press require the author to pay for their services that can amount into the thousands; but unlike the vanity presses of old, they offer quality editing, cover art, and production service, placing books on Amazon KDP and at Ingram (the distributor most bookstores and libraries use). A few hybrid companies, such as Orange Hat Publishing/Ten 16 Press, also offer traditional contracts to select clients. And others, such as the highly respected She Writes Press and Authors Equity, offer distribution through traditional publishing houses with a greater likelihood of getting into bookstores. The pros of hiring a hybrid press include access to professional editing, cover design, and formatting services.
The cons include the fee structures—the author pays to have their book published. Of course, there are still vanity presses out there that take an author's money but provide little value in return. To avoid inadvertently signing with a vanity press, a writer must do their due diligence. Writers Beware is a resource which investigates suspect publishers. The Authors Guild offers free legal services to members, including contract reviewing. Self-publishing Self-publishing, a route popular with many authors, is made easy through companies like Amazon's KDP, Ingram
Spark, and Lulu, and with formatting software such as Atticus and Vellum. Self-publishing can be daunting in terms of producing a high-quality book and getting it to market. However, resources abound in the form of independent editors, cover artists, and book formatters. Reedsy and Freelancer.com are communities of freelancers available to writers. Networking among authors will also turn up quality freelancers. The pros of self-publishing: Release your books on your schedule; maintain creative control over every step of the process; keep a significantly greater share of the profits. The cons: the learning
curve and the amount of work it takes to get a book ready, looking professional enough, and uploaded to the various publishing venues. Marketing at this level is a lot more hands on and depends greatly on who you know. Bookstores are more difficult to access. Each path to publication, whether traditional via an agent, indie publisher, hybrid press, or self-publishing, embodies pros and cons to be evaluated in relation to the author's goals, priorities,
wants, and needs. No one path is right for all. Many successful authors have employed more than one path depending on their goals, priorities, and needs for each book. Regardless of which path an author chooses to follow, the next step will always be marketing, and authors will always be required to invest time, energy, and money into marketing if the book is to succeed.
Bio: Peggy
Joque Williams is author of Courting the Sun: A Novel of Versailles (traditionally published by indie press Black Rose Writing) and co-author of the self-published mystery novels On the Road to Death's Door and On the Road to Where the Bells Toll. She freelances as a writer and copy editor and
lives in Madison, Wisconsin. You can find her at www.peggywilliamsauthor.com .
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NARRATIVELY MEMOIR PRIZE
https://www.narratively.com/p/narratively-2024-memoir-prize-official-rules-and-guidelines
$20 ENTRY FEE or PAID
SUBSCRIBER. Deadline December 19, 2024. Write a nonfiction memoir piece between 2,000 and 7,000 words. Grand Prize: US$3,000, and publication on Narratively.com. Finalist: US$1,000, and publication on Narratively.com. Finalist: US$1,000, and publication on Narratively.com. THE QUEEN'S KNICKERS AWARD
https://societyofauthors.org/prizes/the-soa-awards/queens-knickers-awards/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 30, 2024. This annual prize, generously funded by Nicholas Allan, author of The Queen’s Knickers, is awarded to an outstanding children’s original illustrated book for ages 0-7. It will recognise books that strike a
quirky, new note and grab the attention of a child, whether this be in the form of curiosity, amusement, horror or excitement. The winner will receive £5,000, as well as a golden Queen’s Knickers badge, as depicted in Nicholas Allan’s original book. The runner-up will receive £1,000 and a silvered badge. The work must have been first published in the UK and Republic of Ireland between 1 September 2023 to 31 August 2024. WISHING JEWEL PRIZE
https://www.greenlindenpress.com/submit
ENTRY FEE $25 or $15 for students or economic difficulty. Deadline November 30, 2024. The Prize awards $1000 and publication for an innovative, book-length manuscript that challenges expectations of what a book of poems can
be. Named for an essay in Anne Carson’s Plainwater, we seek work that questions the boundaries of genre, form, or mode while engaging the rich possibilities of lyrical expression. All manuscripts are considered for publication. Send an unpublished manuscript (48 pages minimum) with identifying information removed. RISING WRITER PRIZE
https://www.autumnhouse.org/submissions/rising-writers-prize/
$30 ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 15, 2024. Must be the author’s first full-length fiction book (previous publications of chapbooks and full-length books in other genres are fine). The winners will receive book publication, a $1,000 honorarium, and a $1,000 travel/publicity
grant to promote their book. All finalists will be considered for publication. Submissions should be approximately 100 – 200 pages. NEW OHIO REVIEW NORWARD PRIZES
https://newohioreview.org/contests/
$21 ENTRY FEE. Deadline
November 15, 2024. New Ohio Review awards $750 annually for a poem or series of poems, a short story, and a piece of creative nonfiction submitted to the NORward contest in each genre. Submit a poem or group of poems up to 6 pages or prose up to 20 pages. All entries are considered for publication, the winner is published in an upcoming issue of NOR, and any poem that receives a first-place vote will be published on NOR’s website.
GRANTS / FELLOWSHIP / CROWDFUNDING NRDC CLIMATE STORYTELLING FELLOWSHIP
https://blcklst.com/programs/2025-nrdc-climate-storytelling-fellowship
Deadline December 5, 2024. The Fellowship will grant $20,000 each to three writers (or writing teams) to support revision of a feature screenplay or pilot that engages with climate change in a compelling way through events, actions, character, emotions, plot, and/or setting. In addition, NRDC will connect each fellowship recipient with professionals for feedback and guidance on their scripts. NEW JERSEY HERITAGE FELLOWSHIP GRANT PROGRAM
https://myemail.constantcontact.com/NJ-Heritage-Fellowship-Rules-and-Instructions-Now-Available-.html
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts will award up to ten New Jersey
Heritage Fellowships to exemplary folk and traditional artists. These Fellowships, which come with an award of $20,000 each, recognize lifetime achievement, artistic excellence, and contributions to the state's living traditional arts heritage. Online and In-Person Information Sessions Available November 2024 - January 2025. Early Nomination Deadline: January 9, 2025. Nomination Deadline: February 6, 2025. GULLIVER TRAVEL GRANT
https://speculativeliterature.org/grants-3/the-gulliver-travel-grant
Deadline November 30, 2024. Since 2004, the Gulliver Travel Grant has been awarded annually to assist writers of speculative literature
in their non-academic research. These funds are used to cover airfare, lodging, and other travel expenses. Travel may be domestic or international. You may apply for travel to take place at any point in the following year. CREATIVE.INSPIRED.HAPPY MID-CAREER WRITING SCHOLARSHIP
https://bold.org/scholarships/creative-inspired-happy-mid-career-writing-scholarship/
Deadline December 31, 2024. The CREATIVE.INSPIRED.HAPPY Mid-Career Writing Scholarship is a scholarship for an aspiring writer not currently in a professional writing career, for use toward furthering their education in writing,
such as continuing education or community college courses on writing. This scholarship is open to aspiring writers in any field, including fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. To apply, tell us what you love about writing and why you want to further your education in the field. Two winners each receive $1,000. HURRICANE RELIEF FUNDS FOR ARTISTS
https://artsavl.org/relief (FOR NC ARTISTS)
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/96381-south-arts-launches-multi-state-hurricane-relief-fund-for-writers-artists.html (REGARDING ALL ARTISTS IN THE HURRICANE AREA)
South Arts is launching an emergency relief fund to support artists across six southern states affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The initiative will provide immediate,
unrestricted grants starting at $500 to artists across multiple disciplines, including writers, in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. North Carolina is the state currently open to taking applications. Western North Carolina artists of all disciplines substantially impacted by Hurricane Helene are invited to apply for ArtsAVL Emergency Relief Grant. The grant provides $500 relief stipends to arts professionals working in craft, literary, media, performing,
visual, and interdisciplinary arts. This regional grant is open to arts professionals 18 years or older in Western North Carolina counties impacted by Hurricane Helene, including Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey. NOTE: Other states’ applications, to be made through South Arts,
launching within the next two weeks.
HEARING THINGS
https://www.hearingthings.co/pitch-us/
Hearing Things is an independent, worker-owned publication covering music and the culture around it. We’re looking for features, essays,
reporting, profiles, and reviews. We love strong opinions and a sense of humor, cultural context and historical musings—think rigorous, but not stuffy; fun, but not frivolous. The minimum rate for shorter, written-out pieces (at least 800 words) is $350, and $1,000 for longer, written-out stories (at least 2,000 words). THE LONDONER
https://www.the-londoner.co.uk/write-for-us/
We pay from around £300 for a quick-hit and approximately £500 for something more reported and we also have the budget to pay significantly more for highly investigative stories that take months of work. While we’ll cover a dizzying array of topics commensurate with the sheer breadth of London, the red thread running through
our stories will be the stuff that tends to get skimpy coverage elsewhere. WEALTH OF GEEKS
https://wealthofgeeks.com/
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfW36YWeSltDEFBgqB4FvRcKE-tJ01vIpQquM8f7R5Ts2jv7w/viewform?_bhlid=186bc60095ebb07b5c82ce19c18072678f628567
Stories about traveling are some of the oldest tales in human history, and we’re looking for the next generation of travel
writers. We seek first-hand travel stories and bizarre yet captivating stories about your adventures. We are also open to breaking news articles from the travel industry and the changing tides that affect travelers around the world. Starting rates are around $250 for 700 to 900-word articles. Wealth of Geeks is a meeting place for the intellectually curious and the pop culture aficionado. It's what happens when the geekiest people at the party collide with the most knowledgeable in the room.
Here, financial wellness meets pop culture in a blend that's as informative as it is entertaining. PIPELINE ARTISTS
https://pipelineartists.com/submission-guidelines/
Looking for pieces that highlight unspoken
truths, provide honest advice, and profile "emerging" creatives or those deserving of a platform they may not find in mainstream publications. Also ridiculous humor pieces—sometimes the world needs ridiculous humor. Pays roughly $350.
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. HOUSE OF ANANSI
https://houseofanansi.com/pages/anansi-submissions
House of Anansi Press is open to direct submissions from authors twice a year, for a one-month period each, beginning February 1 and August 1. House of Anansi publishes about 35 books annually. Our fiction list collects the best of literary, upmarket, and genre novels, as well as short story collections by new
voices and household names. Our nonfiction list includes creative nonfiction, essay collections, and book-length deep dives alongside more lifestyle-oriented offerings. And our poetry list features experimentations within lyric traditions by debut poets and those with established reputations. ARBORDALE PUBLISHING
https://www.arbordalepublishing.com/Submissions.htm
We are not accepting any submissions about COVID or the pandemic. Due to our language translations, we are no longer accepting manuscripts in rhyme or rhythm. We do accept simultaneous submissions. We do not accept submissions that have been previously published in any format, including self-publishing. We are a
small, independent publishing firm and need authors and illustrators to participate in marketing their book. For that reason, we cannot accept submissions from anyone who lives outside of the United States. Our mission is to get children excited about science and math through fun-to-read picture book stories. We are looking for fiction or narrative nonfiction stories with science or math woven into the story. We prefer fiction over nonfiction. In every manuscript we look for a "cuddle factor"
that will make parents and children want to read it together. COACH HOUSE BOOKS
https://chbooks.com/About-us/Submissions
Coach House publishes innovative poetry, literary fiction, drama and select nonfiction. We do not
publish children’s books, cookbooks, fantasy, historical romances, memoirs, mysteries, science fiction, or self-help books. We publish primarily Canadian authors. The reason for this is that most Canadian-owned publishers, including Coach House, are made viable in part by grant funding from federal and provincial levels of government.
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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