VOLUME 25, ISSUE 2 | January 10, 2025 |
WEATHER AND
CHAOS
I live in the Southeastern US, and today it is snowing. People lose their minds when it snows in SC. So funny and silly to watch and listen. I left the gym this morning thinking that I had the rest of the day to write. I listened to others in the gym. They were going home to snuggle up and vegetate. Do
nothing. Watch television. Chill. To all the writers out there, weather and chaos are a reason to write. I intend to get some serious writing and editing done. Fate has handed me these hours, so dang it, I'm snaring them and taking advantage. When moments fall into your lap where you have to
sit, or life slows down, or there's waiting involved or nothing urgent in play, you ought to be writing. It ought to be the go-to task you automatically pick up when you aren't involved in anything else more pressing. (Of course, priorities and the definition of pressing are on you.) That's a lot of hours, y'all. Figure just three hours a week at 500 words each. Three hours carved out of 168.
That's 78,000 words a year. That's a book. people. In a year. You can't get much more doable than that. |
THE DIFFERENCE IN A BETA READER AND AN EDITOR
Many of you would read that headline and roll your eyes. Others, however, would be eager to hear the difference because they
are relatively knew at this business. After all, they just want someone who reviews their work before it is published. What does it matter what you call them. A Beta Reader 1) Is not paid.
2) Is familiar with you.
3) Is familiar with what you write (and generally likes the work).
4) Is familiar with your genre.
5) Is an experienced reader (and maybe a writer, too).
6) Is willing to tell it like it is.
7) Sometimes asks you to trade in beta reading each other.
8) Critiques in an
assortment of styles, often informal.
9) Feedback is an impression, not educational or solution-oriented. If you are looking for beta readers, consider any of these groups listed at https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/find-a-beta-reader-updated/. These have been compiled by writing instructor K.M. Weiland whom I greatly admire. An Editor 1) Is paid.
2) May not know you or your writing at all.
3) Is familiar with your genre.
4) Is a professional and willing to show credentials/testimonials of other editing projects.
5) Will negotiate a contract with you, defining the documents to be read and the feedback format, as well as the type of editing (i.e., developmental,
copyedit).
6) Feedback is solution driven. If you are looking for an editor, start looking at any of the names listed at https://www.editorworld.com/article/top-book-editing-and-proofreading-services. There you go. What you don't want to do, however, is think that a beta reader is a good substitute for an editor. While both are helpful, the editorial critique is going to endow you with tools. Apples and oranges, my
friends.
Create Your 2025 Writing Plan – a webinar for writers who are ready to take their writing practice to the next level When: Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, 10-11 a.m. MT
(12-1 p.m. ET) What: Join me for an inspirational and practical one-hour webinar that will help you craft a personalized writing plan for the coming year! Cost: $15 -March 18, 2025 - Readers and Writers Group, Lizards Thicket, 10170 Two Notch Road, Columbia, SC 29229 - 11:30AM -March 22, 2025 - Writer's Digest Mystery/Thriller Writing Virtual Conference - "Person, Place, or Crime: Where to Start Your Mystery" - 1PM Eastern -April 23, 2025 - Artist 5 Show, Newberry Opera House, Newberry, SC - 6 PM Eastern - OPEN TO THE
PUBLIC -May 3, 2025 - Pelion Library Book Club, 206 Pine St, Pelion, SC, Saturday, 1-2PM Eastern -May 17, 2025 - Speaking of Writing Expo, New Bern, NC - 8-4:30PM
Eastern - OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Email: hope@chopeclark.com to schedule events, online or otherwise.
“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.”
– Robert F. Kennedy <<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's Old Is New Again
By Jennifer Leeper
As I checked on a previous FFW newsletter from a couple of weeks back for information about a publication opportunity, something occurred to me. My email history held a years'-deep stash of FFW issues. With excitement, I spent hours following the
trail revisiting these old issues going several years back. Frankly, what was old became new again for me. Not only did many of these issues read as fresh, but so did the insights, contest recommendations, and publication resources. I had hit the jackpot.
FFW and Beyond
When I had exhausted my supply of FFW archives, I moved on to another writerly newsletter, Winning
Writers, to peruse hundreds of contest recommendations. Then, I moved on to Authors Publish to scan for publishing opportunities, where I stumbled onto Owl Canyon Press, which hosts an annual Short Story Hackathon. I entered in 2021 and my story was included in the winners’ anthology. And so on, until I had collected plenty of bona fide opportunities. In some cases, you're playing a long game as I did in securing a literary agent for
my picture book concept. I submitted to a publisher rediscovered through an FFW issue, and though Familius ultimately passed on my story, this publisher helped me refine my picture book concept so that my story was in good shape to find a home with my current agent. Speaking of the long game, the publisher of Owl Hackathon Press recently wrote me a recommendation letter for a scholarship for the Iceland Writer’s Retreat so submitting to Owl
Canyon’s Hackathon paid off initially, and years down the road. Don't Just Dive, Organize If you don't have hours to dive down a rabbit hole, I suggest organizing all of your previous writerly-type e-newsletters in a folder as they come in. Unroll.Me is a great tool I’ve used not only for organizing my e-subscriptions, but keeping the ones I want front and center to
make it easy to dive back in to my writerly publications. Perhaps many of you already do this. It's a good habit to develop with all of your favorite newsletters. Rediscover Your Spark Your email inbox is a time capsule. Dug up time capsules resurrect memory. However, they can also spark momentum for the future. Sifting back through newsletter or email archives in a
focused, meaningful way – meaning poring over one layer at a time – can be an authentic recall to your writer spirit. Slowly and deeply inhaling these past layers of your inbox life can put you on a path to achieve goals that may not have called to you the first time around – whether that's submitting to a writing contest or applying for a much-needed writing retreat or something else around your writing. In my case, it was a boot camp for
writers I had not fully investigated the first time it was sent to my inbox. However, later that year when I hit a funk in my writing, that seed planted sprouted and not only did I apply for the boot camp – I received a full scholarship to attend. The boot camp jumpstarted my writer’s momentum, and I was able to breathe fresh life into a 20-year-old novel manuscript and rework it to suit today’s publishing industry. In the case of
100+ FFW back issues, it may just send you in the direction of your keyboard where you could write that first (or last) sentence that changes the course of your writing life. Because what's old can be new again. And could even be better the second time around.
Bio: Jennifer Leeper is a former newspaper journalist, and current author and copywriter. She has written
and published mainly adult fiction in literary and crime mystery genres. However, she recently secured an agent for a couple of picture books, and is excited for new writing adventures in children's literature. http://www.thepoisonofwar.com / X- @IamJenLeeper1 / https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJenniferLeeper/ Instagram: @jel7769 /
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-leeper-20713659/
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LOSS & LOVE POETRY CONTEST
https://passionfruitreview.com/love-and-loss/
£3 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 31, 2025. Submissions are
open to all poets writing in English. Poems must be previously unpublished. Poems up to 40 lines will be considered. 1st prize £400. 2nd prize £75. 3rd prize £25. Calling for poems that engage with experiences of love and loss. LUCY CAVENDISH FICTION PRIZE
https://www.lucy.cam.ac.uk/fictionprize
£12 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 31, 2025. The winner will receive a £1,500 prize, and all shortlisted authors will benefit from a one-on-one consultation with a literary agent at prize sponsor WME, including editorial feedback and invaluable publishing advice. Open to women and binary writers living in the UK or Ireland. CAAPP BOOK PRIZE
https://www.autumnhouse.org/submissions/caapp-book-prize/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 15, 2025. 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. Please submit a manuscript between 48 and 168 pages. ZOCALO POETRY PRIZE
https://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/zocalo-poetry-prize-2025/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 24, 2025. The prize interprets “place” in many ways: A location may possess historical, cultural, political, or personal importance, and may be literal, imaginary, or metaphorical. The winner will receive
$1,000 and will have the opportunity to read their poem at the Zócalo Book Prize event in the spring. We accept up to three poems from each writer as well as simultaneous submissions. Must be a US poet. WOW! CREATIVE NONFICTION ESSAY CONTEST
https://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/contest.php#EssayContest
$12 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 31, 2025. Seeking creative nonfiction on any topic (1000 words or less) and in any style, from personal essay and memoir to lyric essay and hermit crab. The mission of this contest is to reward bravery in real-life storytelling and create an understanding of our world through thoughtful, engaging narratives. Open
internationally. Limit 300 entries. 1st Place: $500, publication, interview, and gift code good for one item from CreateWriteNow's Store. 2nd Place: $300, publication, interview, and gift code good for one item from CreateWriteNow's Store. 3rd Place: $200, publication, interview, and gift code good for one item from CreateWriteNow's Store. 7 Runners Up receive $25 Amazon Gift Cards, publication, interview, and gift code good for one item from CreateWriteNow's Store. 10 Honorable mentions receive
a gift code good for one item from CreateWriteNow's Store. OMNIDAWN FIRST/SECOND POETRY BOOK CONTEST
https://www.omnidawn.com/poetry-contest-guidelines/
https://omnidawn.submittable.com/submit
$30 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 16, 2025. The winner of each of Omnidawn’s poetry book and chapbook contests wins a cash prize ($3,000 for the 1st/2nd Book and Open Contest, $1,000 for the Chapbook Contest), publication of the book by Omnidawn with a full color cover (unless the author prefers black and white), 20 free
copies of the winning book, and extensive publicity through our newsletters and social media channels. Online submissions are accepted from around the world. Min 40 pgs and Max 90 pgs for submitting in an 8.5 x 11 size page. Min 60 pgs & Max 110 pgs for submitting in a 6 x 9 size page. GRANTS / FELLOWSHIP / CROWDFUNDING VILLA ALBERTINE ARTIST RESIDENCIES
https://villa-albertine.org/va/professionals/general-call-for-applications-2026-residencies/
Deadline
January 30, 2025. From January to December 2026, Villa Albertine will support around fifty exploratory residencies, lasting between one and three months, spread across the entire U.S. territory. These residencies will primarily be based in a particular city, with a few multi-city residencies. More than just a stay, the exploration residency fosters exchanges and future collaborations. It allows one to refine their approach and deepen their reflection. While it may lead to a
final presentation, in a form to be defined, and contribute to the resident’s creative process after their stay in the U.S., no specific deliverable is required, as would be the case with a production residency. Each applicant is asked to have their residency project supported by a French partner. SOUTH CAROLINA INDIVIDUAL ARTIST FELLOWSHIPS
https://www.southcarolinaarts.com/grant/fel/
Deadline February 11, 2025. These fellowships recognize and reward the artistic achievements of South Carolina’s exceptional individual artists. Fellowship awards are made through a highly competitive process and are based on artistic merit, achievements, and commitment to discipline. Open to this cycle to
those in Visual Art; Craft; Design arts (architecture, fashion, graphic, industrial, or interior); Media Production; and Public Art (ephemeral or permanent). Open next cycle to Prose; Spoken word/Slam poetry; Performance: dance, music, or acting (film or theatre); Playwriting/Screenwriting; and Folklife and Traditional Arts (quilting, embroidery, sewing, beading, weaving, pottery, basketmaking, woodcarving, folk music, dance, or oral literature) (apply fall 2025). GRIST CLIMATE SOLUTIONS FELLOWSHIP
https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/grist/jobs/4599614007
Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to highlighting climate solutions and uncovering environmental injustices. Grist is
looking for a Climate Solutions Fellow to join our Editorial team. With the mentorship and support of Grist’s newsroom, the Climate Solutions Fellow will be expected to research and write stories examining the development and implementation of climate solutions, looking at efforts towards climate progress with both rigorous reporting and a desire to illustrate what’s possible. This fellowship is a full-time position and will run for 12 months, beginning May 5, 2025 and ending April 30, 2026. The
annual base pay for this position is $58,750. PHILIP ROTH RESIDENCIES IN CREATIVE WRITING
https://www.bucknell.edu/academics/beyond-classroom/academic-centers-institutes/stadler-center-poetry-literary-arts/programs-residencies/philip-roth-residence-creative-writing
Deadline February 1, 2025. The Roth Residency is now open to writers in ANY literary genre: fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, hybrid works, graphic fiction, etc. The residency provides lodging in Bucknell's "Poets' Cottage" and a
stipend of $5,000. WEYMOUTH WRITEAWAY HURRICAN HELENE SCHOLARSHIP FOR WESTERN NC WRITERS
https://www.writeaways.com/hurricane-helene-scholarship
Deadline January 13, 2025. This scholarship will
be awarded based on need as well as the writer's ability to benefit from and contribute to the Weymouth Writeaway community. The Weymouth Writeaway will take place February 24-March 3, 2025, at the Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities in Southern Pines, NC. This full scholarship covers attendance for one writer, and does not include travel or other expenses. Applicant must be a writer who was a resident of Western North Carolina on September 26, 2024.
CONTINGENT MAGAZINE
https://contingentmagazine.org/pitch-us/
Contingent is a magazine about history and the process of doing history. We prioritize pitches from people who have completed
postgraduate work in history (or a history-adjacent field) and are working outside the tenure-track professoriate. Reviews are roughly 1,000 to 1,500 words; the base pay is $250. Shorter pieces, roughly 800 to 1,500 words (or a comic/video/multimedia work of equivalent scope). The base pay for a short is $300. Mini essays roughly 200 to 500 words pay $150. Features of 2000-3000 pay $500. More columns and categories. LEICESTER GAZETTE
https://www.leicester.news/get-involved/
Deadline January 31, 2025. We accept pitches from both established freelancers and new writers. Your pitch should be short, outlining the story's importance and why you are the one to write it. Seeking pitches from UK-based
writers on the topic of higher education. Pays 10p/word for 1,200 to 1,600 words. AMERICAN CRAFT
https://craftcouncil.org/magazine/writers-guidelines/
Deadline February 10, 2025. 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. Special coverage: Jewelry, fashion, craft collections for the next deadline. Stories are generally assigned at 400–2,000 words. Our pay is $.50–$1.00/word, depending on the assignment. LIVE SCIENCE
https://www.livescience.com/how-to-pitch-live-science
We cover everything from fascinating archaeological discoveries from ancient Egypt, to bizarre ancient sea monsters, to wild theories about the birth and death of the universe. News pitches should be no more than 100 words. News articles are typically between 300 and
600 words. News analysis pieces should be fewer than 1,000 words. News features are stories of no more than 2,000 words that answer a larger question or cover a broad change in a scientific field. Expect 20 cents/word or more.
ENVELOPE BOOKS
https://www.envelopebooks.co.uk/
A cool, old-fashioned generalist publisher. Welcomes fiction and nonfiction from all over the world. They identify manuscripts with potential,
publishing them in a trademark envelope cover, then publishes and markets them. CITY LIGHTS PUBLISHING
https://citylights.com/publishing/
City Lights has always been a champion of progressive thinking, fully committed to publishing
works of both literary merit and social responsibility. With over 200 titles in print, we publish cutting-edge fiction, poetry, memoirs, literary translations and books on vital social and political issues. HEADPRESS
https://headpress.com/about-us/
Subject matter of Headpress books is wide-ranging and includes cult film, strange music, pulp literature, fanzines, conspiracy theories, sex and gender, occult and folklore, true crime, and pop culture in general. 55 FATHOMS
https://55fathoms.com/#guidelines
We are looking for submissions of book length works (40,000 to 120,000 words). Unpublished novels and nonfiction works only. We now consider story collections. We are only interested in those books written in the literary style; mainstream genre works are not a good match for us. Fiction: We are particularly interested in books that are high-concept literary, as well as those that exist on the
boundary between literary and speculative—books of profound imagination and exquisite writing. Nonfiction: Topics of interest include current social and political events, science, nature, environment, history, mathematics, and true crime. Essay collections are also of interest. Submissions are open August 1-September 30 only.
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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