VOLUME 25, ISSUE 6 | February 7, 2025 |
YOU NEVER KNOW UNTIL YOU ASK I've written for local magazines for a few years. Two in particular. Magazine A asked
me a couple years ago to write a 500-word piece on anything to do with writing, which turned into a column. I wrote at least fifteen pieces for them. I could not advertise my website, but I could mention in my bio that I was an author. Admittedly, it brought me more local readers for a while. But I tired of being used. Magazine B is statewide, and I would write a short story for them two or three
times a year. I could mention my books. I was paid a dollar a word. However, after the last submission I heard nothing back from them. They went electronic, I believe, and seem to be limping a bit. I was disappointed after a couple emails from my end to hear nothing back. So I moved on. Magazine C is local. The editor approached me at a book club meeting that her aunt was hosting and asked if I
would write something for them. She was polite and respectful, and we struck up a conversation. I mentioned Magazine A, their competition, and said they don't pay and I avoid doing that anymore. The editor said they wouldn't dream of not paying me. And they ultimately paid me $100 for 500 words AND a 500-word excerpt from my latest book. On top of that, they are providing a photographer to take poses of me for the magazine then gifting me the photo shoot as part of the payment. Their book
reviewer also happens to adore my books and reviews the latest release. Freelancing is up and down, and most people will try to snare you for less. Stand firm. Unless you aren't writing to earn a living, stand firm. But keep your eyes and ears open. You never know when opportunity will cross your path. Be willing to talk that opportunity on the spot and show that you respect what you do and
you do it with heart. They'll be more inclined to take you seriously . . . and pay. |
Deadline: February 27, 2025 Entries are now being accepted for the 2025 Next Generation
Short Story Awards, a not-for-profit international awards program for authors of short stories. The Short Story Awards offers 30+ categories to choose from and accepts original, unpublished stories (5000 words or less) written in English by authors in the U.S., Canada, or internationally. Take advantage of this exciting opportunity to have your story considered for 30+ cash prizes, gold medals, complimentary
gold digital stickers, literary exposure and recognition as one of the top stories of the year! Winners in each of the 30+ categories will have their story published in an annual Anthology of Winners (you maintain copyright) and will receive a complimentary copy of the Anthology of Winners. Three Finalists in each of the 30+ categories will have their author name and story title mentioned in the Anthology
of Winners. Three Grand Prize Winners selected from all entries will be invited to attend the Next Generation Indie Book Awards annual gala. Enter today at www.ShortStoryAwards.com. The Short Story Awards is brought to you by the Next Generation Indie Book Awards ( www.indiebookawards.com), the largest international book awards program in the world
for independent and self-published authors. WHERE TO FIND FREELANCE JOBS
I'm asked all the time where to start looking for freelance work. Of course I tell inquiring minds to start local, who they know, who their friends and
family know, where they shop, where they recreate, where they work, where they go to school, etc. In other words, look close. Those will be the fastest jobs most of the time, as well, for those of you asking how to make quick money. Other places to start hunting are these, in no specific order: 1)
Freelance job boards like Upwork and Fiverr. You can find decent jobs there if you take the time to search. Be
selective.
2) LinkedIn - Develop your profile, giving it great attention to detail. Be willing to pay for the extra level.
3) Other freelancers - Ask for referrals and suggestions.
4) Follow publications you'd like to publish in on social media. There are a lot of X postings calling for pitches.
5) Freelancer.com
6) FlexJobs.com
7) Indeed.com
8) FreelanceWritingGigs.com
9) FreelanceWriting.com
10) AllFreelanceWriting.com
11) FreelanceWritingJobs.Substack.com
12) ProBlogger.com
13) WOWWomenonWriting.com
14) WorldwideFreelance.com
15) WriteJobsPlus www.patreon.com/c/writejobsplus/posts Please have a website or home parked online, even if it is just a
solid LinkedIn page. Consider parking a site for your freelance work on sites like https://authory.com/ or https:/www.muckrack.com or https://www.journoportfolio.com/. There is so much out there. I promise.
NOW ACCEPTING SUBMISSONS - SHOWDATE IS SEPTEMBER 2025
Seeking original vignettes inspired by the classic nursery rhyme: "Monday’s Child" Contest
Rules: No more than 10 minutes in length, 10 pages maximum, no more than 3 characters and a theme. Each vignette should focus on an adult who embodies a “child” from the rhyme below. Monday’s child is fair of face Tuesday’s child is full of grace Wednesday’s child is full of woe Thursday’s child has far to go Friday’s child is loving and giving Saturday’s child works hard for a living And the child that is born on the Sabbath day...Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay. 7 vignettes will be selected for production. No children’s theatre, musicals, or child-centered stories, please. Absurd,
Comedic, Dark, Dramatic, Farce, Tragedy...literal or figurative, that is up to you!! Work must be original and unproduced. Submission Rules: The cover page should only have the play’s title. On a separate page include playwrights name, address, phone and email. These do not count as part of the 10 pages. Please send scripts in a word document. The play's title should reflect the day of the week you are writing about. (Monday's Child, Thursday's Child or Sunday's Child/Child born on the Sabbath Day, etc. Entry Fee: $15 in a money order or check payable to Emerald Theatre Company OR sent via CashApp at
$EmeraldTheatreMphs. Entry fee covers production costs and printing of scripts. Deadline: May 31, 2025. Winners contacted and announced July 1, 2025, and the play festival is September 2025. Once payment is received and verified, playwrights will be notified, and scripts will be printed. Prizes : 1st - $100 plus a medal plus stage performances 2nd - $50 plus a medal, plus stage performances 3rd - a medal plus stage performance Full details at www.etcmemphistheater.com -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 -March 29, 2025 - Read Freely Fest, Richland County Library, 1431 Assembly St., Columbia, SC -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.
“In the case of good books, the point is not how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you”
– Mortimer Adler <<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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Becoming Another Writer’s Assistant
By Alex J Coyne Author Raven Digitalis hired me to be their publicity assistant
in November 2024.
Opportunity knocked and I answered, anxious to step in for the potential fun and experience. While authors frequently need editors and proofreaders, they also would use an extra hand. Here’s what I learned by becoming another writer’s assistant. Writers Hiring Assistants I was lucky. Raven suggested the
publicity job amidst promoting the release for his collection Black Magick. We were discussing good fiction when he mentioned he needed wrist surgery, and I needed a side-gig—so why not step in to help? However, if you’re job-seeking, connect with authors via their personal websites. Keep an eye where authors might post advertisements, including Indeed.com, LinkedIn, and even authors’ Facebook or YouTube. You might also post on your own
social media about how you are available and what your skill set is. Writers hire assistants for anything they don’t have the time to do themselves. Usually, authors pay directly from their personal pockets, too, not via the publisher, which usually means established authors with potential new releases. But also, many writers don’t realize they could hire an assistant until they’ve met
you. Suggest the skill when meeting authors and add the skill set to your bio. The Job Description “Assistant” can mean that you plan their schedule, attend meetings on their behalf, or research markets or publishing opportunities. For me, it meant looking for book reviewers—and creating an approved list of
reliable contacts. Each had to be checked to ensure they were accepting books for review, particularly those open to the genre. I studied these reviewers and noted how active and current they were. Once Raven approved this list, I was tasked with contacting these reviewers individually. The “assistant” job description might vary,
but always includes tasks that authors can’t necessarily do themselves due to time constraints. Agree on the job description beforehand: what’s the job, budget, and timeline. An author’s assistant job means you’re working as an extension of that author. Recommendations Back & Forth I checked in with Raven
regularly, keeping us on the same page. One email says, “Please remove these reviewer entries, since I’ve already sent them copies.” I changed the list entries, but also numbered the list to say VERSION V at this point. A silly step, perhaps, but a good way to make sure either of us wasn’t working from version three! Ask for your author’s feedback and check with them for approval if
you have any impromptu ideas. In this case, the feedback process also included their publisher, so I often copied them into the correspondence threads. Using Another Email Address and Use It Wisely I created another email address for promoting Black Magick, to avoid stuffing up my own inbox and losing important correspondence amongst nonrelated emails. For instance,
seeing who responded to my queries was easier from a fresh page. A dedicated email allowed me to easily create and send Raven and the publisher progress reports. I could also better keep track of my work for them. I sent similar emails over several days, but I individualized each to the subject’s name and publication. By not cutting and pasting the same wording, I avoided spam
filters. An Introduction (As Author’s Assistant) We collaborated on a simple introductory email to these potential reviewers, answering three questions: (1) Who was I? (2) Who was Raven? (3) Why were we getting in touch? We skipped the explanation about his wrist surgery, but let people know I was his project assistant for Black Magick. Focus on introducing the author and project and keep your own introduction to one to two sentences. This is always about assisting the author, never promoting yourself. The job also meant answering questions, and forwarding review copies of Black Magick to responders. As the assistant, I answered questions about the book—even if they came in weeks after the job ended. The Next Steps Surprisingly, being an assistant is excellent for building your own network. I discovered hundreds of new publishers, authors, and agents thanks to assisting another author. You could be the perfect assistant for a once-off job, but might also become the author’s go-to assistant when they need help with something. Next, we’re
promoting the Empath’s Oracle Deck in 2025. It’s particularly interesting work that amazingly boosted my own confidence. If I could help Raven promote Black Magick, I realized these techniques also applied to my own writing! 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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GUTSY GREAT NOVELIST CHAPTER ONE PRIZE $20 ENTRY FEE. Submissions open February 3 – Mar
3, 2025 (5PM ET). The Gutsy Great Novelist Chapter One Prize is awarded for an outstanding opening chapter of an unpublished novel. First prize is $1,000; 2nd is $500; 3rd is $250. The prize is open internationally to anyone over 18 writing a novel in English in any genre for adult or YA readers. BLACK CAUCUS OF ALA SELF-PUBLISHING AWARDS
https://bcala.librariesshare.com/bcala-ebook-contest/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 28, 2025. Through this contest, the BCALA honors the best self-published ebooks by an African American author in the U.S. in both fiction and poetry genres. These awards acknowledge outstanding achievement in the presentation of the cultural, historical and sociopolitical aspects of the Black Diaspora. One winner in each genre.
Each genre prize winner in fiction and poetry shall receive $2,500, formal recognition at the NCAAL conference, and a BCALA Literary Award Seal to use in their marketing. SEJONG ESSAY WRITING COMPETITION
https://www.sejongculturalsociety.org/writing/current/essay.php
Deadline February 28, 2025. This is only for US and Canadian writers. The Sejong Writing Competition aims to introduce young adults to Korean culture through literature and poetry. There are themes in each category. Divisions: adult (age 19 - 30 years), senior (grade 9th - 12th), and junior (grade 8th and younger). Essays must not exceed 1,000 words
in length. Adult division: First ($1,000), Second ($750), Third ($500). Senior division: First ($500), Second ($400), Third ($300). Junior division: First ($300), Second ($200), Third ($100). RINKS AND ROMANCE WRITING CONTEST
https://www.inkitt.com/contests/rinks-and-romance-2025
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 30, 2025. Win a Galatea Publishing Contract and $300, a free year of Galatea Unlimited, an Inkitt VIP Badge, and a feature on our Instagram! Second place $150, third place $50. Both come with other perks. Share your most heartwarming or thrilling hockey romance and keep readers hooked. We encourage writers to submit original
stories that blend the intensity of hockey with the depth of romance. Whether it’s a tale of forbidden love, second chances, or rivals-to-lovers, your story should bring the rink to life and captivate readers. Entering the contest is free; all you need to do is publish your book on Inkitt and submit it on the contest page or from the contest tab in your work settings. PILGRIMAGES – 2025 TRAVEL
WRITING COMPETITION
https://intrepidtimes.com/pilgrimages-2025-travel-writing-competition-now-open/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 1, 2025. Intrepid Times is inviting writers to explore the concept of the pilgrimage.
Literary, secular, personal, or spiritual. Your story should be non-fiction, between 1200 and 1800 words, and written in the narrative style favored by Intrepid Times stories. The winning writer will be paid $300 USD and have their original story and accompanying photographs published in Intrepid Times. Up to four runners-up will also be selected for publication at our standard article rates.
GRANTS / FELLOWSHIP / CROWDFUNDING BANFF CENTRE FOR ARTS & CREATIVITY
https://www.banffcentre.ca/
Deadline March 5, 2025. Summer Writers is a self-directed residency that
provides writers with the time and space to focus on their work away from the constraints of everyday life. During the residency, writers can take advantage of one-on-one mentorship opportunities with faculty as well as a community of artistic peers. The program is designed for established writers with a proven publication record seeking a period of dedicated time to work on a project in any genre. Location Banff, CA. MILLAY ARTS CORE RESIDENCY
https://millayarts.submittable.com/submit
Deadline March 1, 2025. Judged blindly by jurors who are practicing professionals and/or alumni, from April-November each year we welcome 6-7 multidisciplinary
creators to come to Steepletop (the historic estate of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet/activist Edna St. Vincent Millay) for two-week to month-long stays. Core residencies are fully-subsidized and free of charge (except for application fee and $100 nonrefundable deposit) and include: groceries, chef-prepared communal dinners, private bedroom, private studio and shared living/kitchen/dining. Our sylvan 11-acre campus, located in the upper Hudson Valley and nestled against the Berkshires, features
serene meadows, bounteous wooded trails and access to multiple cultural institutions and natural attractions. EDWARD F. ALBEE FOUNDATION RESIDENCIES
https://www.albeefoundation.org/guidelines--submitting.html
Deadline March 16, 2025. Founded in 1967 by Edward Albee, after proceeds from his play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? proved abundant, the Edward F. Albee Foundation has maintained the William Flanagan Memorial Creative Persons Center (better known as "The Barn") in Montauk, on Long Island in New York, for almost 60 years, which exists to serve writers
and visual artists from all walks of life, by providing time and space in which to work without disturbance. Using only talent and need as the criteria for selection, the Foundation invites any and all artists to apply. MISSISSIPPI INDIVIDUAL PROJECT GRANTS
https://arts.ms.gov/grants/grants-for-individuals/project-grants-for-individuals/
Deadline March 1, 2025. Individual Project Grants provide funding to support community-oriented projects organized by artists in Mississippi. These grants are given to individuals to support innovation, to propel artist’s careers and to encourage collaboration between artists and
communities. Individual Project Grants award up to $2,000 to individuals to support their project ideas. MISSISSIPPI MINI-GRANTS
https://arts.ms.gov/grants/grants-for-individuals/minigrants-for-individuals/
The Individual Artist Mini-Grant is a reimbursement grant that supports established and emerging professional artists based in Mississippi by providing funds to assist then with professional development such as attending a training, conference or workshop. Limit $500. Check for next deadline. Usually monthly.
MERGANSER MAGAZINE
https://mergansermagazine.com/about.html
Merganser Magazine is a free online literary magazine, featuring an array of fiction,
poetry, and visual art. Anything longer than 2,000 words is likely a hard sell. For prose, we pay the SFWA standard rate $0.08 USD per word. For poetry, we pay $1 USD per line. THE 51ST
https://51st.news/freelance-faq/
Topics are news articles, explainers, D.C.-centric features, and columns like Ask A D.C. Native, the Wilson Building Bulletin, Arts and Eats, and Weekend Events. This publication is all about Washington DC. They purchase five freelance pieces per month. Pays $200 to $1,000. MOTLEY BLOOM
https://www.motley-bloom.com/submissions
We’re always looking for voice-driven pieces that feature lived experiences of neurodivergence. We’re interested in 500-700 word articles on travel, beauty, home design, work and career, product reviews–anything that falls under the umbrella of
Neurodivergent Living. Longer, researched articles are typically commissioned, but if you have a great idea, send it our way. We're also interested in 800-1000 word first-person narratives that showcase the diversity of opinion and experience with neurodivergence. Rates start at $300 for short articles, $500 for longer researched and/or first-person pieces. We're especially excited for pitches that include photos. Send pitches to lauren@motley-bloom.com. Be sure to include "PITCH" in your
subject line. CHICKEN SOUP: STORIES ABOUT PETS
http://www.chickensoup.com
Deadline May 30, 2025. Our pets give us a reason to get up in the morning and a reason to come home at
night. In return for our care, pets provide us with unconditional love, affection and loyalty. Plus lots of laughs and entertainment! Send us your inspirational, heartwarming, powerful, funny and silly stories about your pets. If your story is chosen, you will receive a check for $250 and 10 free copies of your book. NARRATIVELY
https://www.narratively.com/p/call-for-pitches-my-secret-obsession
Deadline February 13, 2025. We’re looking for stories about the weirdest things you or someone you know has gotten into and how it turned your life upside down, brought unexpected joy or changed the path of their career
forever. Theme: My Secret Obsession. These can be first-person pieces about your own experience or reported stories. Pay starts at $750 with room to go up for more ambitious stories. Looking for stories around the same length as our typical features, between 3,000 and 6,000 words CURRENT
https://current.org/writing-for-current
Current’s primary audience is made up of people who work at public radio and television stations, networks and production companies. We generally pay 75 cents/word for freelance assignments, though rates may vary for certain article formats such as Q&As. Submit your pitch to pitch@current.org. The website lists ideas they are
particularly interested in.
CARCANET
https://www.carcanet.co.uk/cgi-bin/scribe?showinfo=ip002
Carcanet's next submissions window opens on 1 March 2025 and
closes 14 March 2025. We are accepting New Collections only. We will be looking primarily for full-length poetry manuscripts in English or translation. Submissions must be between 15 - 20 pages - you may also include an outline of the book, but this is optional. NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY PRESS
https://nupress.northwestern.edu/how-to-submit/
Accepts scholarly, trade prose, trade poetry, and trade plays for publishing consideration. UNICORN PRESS
http://www.unicorn-press.org/submit/index.html
Unicorn Press seeks to publish excellent works of poetry that are unlikely to find a home elsewhere. We do not publish short fiction, general non-fiction, novels, science fiction, how-to or self-help books, reference texts, individual poems, artist books, or children’s literature. We have an open reading period from 1 May to 30
June. BROKEN SLEEP BOOKS
https://www.brokensleepbooks.com/submissions
Broken Sleep Books are a working-class, small, innovative press, who publish a range of poetry and prose,
from a range of writers. Our primary focus is in increasing access to the arts, in ensuring more people are able to engage with creativity regardless of their socioeconomic status. We particularly wish to dismantle the gentrification of creative arts, and we encourage more working-class, LGBTQ+, and POC writers to submit. GREEN WRITERS PRESS
https://greenwriterspress.com/contact/submissions/
Green Writers Press, an independent, Vermont-based publishing company, is dedicated to spreading environmental awareness and social justice by publishing authors who promulgate messages of hope and renewal through place-based writing and environmental
activism.
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 2000-2025, 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
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