VOLUME 25, ISSUE 23 | june 6, 2025 |
IT'S ON YOU - EMBRACE IT I follow tinybuddha.com periodically, and recently they posted this: |
All too often writers won't move forward without validation. Validation that they write well, can tell a good story, that they will make money if they publish, that nobody will give them a one-star review if they do everything right. Writing is one of life's opportunities in which you and you
alone have to accept the task and work it. Not everyone will like your work. Not everyone you love will even read your words (holding up my own hand here). People will promise a review and not follow through. Strangers will tell you at a signing that they don't have time to read. Others will tell you they would write a book if they had time, like you have all the time in the world. You write because you want to. You follow through
because of your own love for the craft...and yourself. I NEED A GRANT TO PUBLISH
This past week I responded to one of dozens of emails that in some way ask for money, grants, or ways for some entity to support an author's work. This one in particular said he'd finally finished his
book and needed a grant to self-publish it. I hate answering those emails. They always come with a down side. I explained that grants to self-publish are rare, rare, rare, and are usually affiliate with a professional writing organization of some sort and confined to specific genres. Then I gave him questions to ponder. 1) Why are you self-publishing?
2) Why aren't you
traditionally publishing? He didn't have solid answers for either, which is when I tell people to do some hardcore homework on publishing before putting their work in print. You cannot easily undo bad publishing, if at all. I don't push either method, but you have to know why you are choosing one and why you are NOT choosing the other or you enter this world woefully uninformed and vulnerable. He thought he would get a grant, pay to self-publish, and the self-publisher would post the book and it would sell to the masses while he sat back and watched. Then I asked, 1) Where is your online presence?
2) How do you intend to market your book? (HINT: never rely on who self-publishes your book) He hadn't thought that far. Then... 1) How does your book fit in to your overall writing future?
2) Who exactly is your market and what is your schedule and what are your methods in reaching them? Never thought of any of this. He did, however, expect to see his book become a movie. The magic
of writing is great when it is just for you or a few close friends and relatives. But when you want more than that to read your work, and if you expect to sell said book, you leave the creative world and become entrepreneur. How are all these pieces going to fit together? Try not to get caught up in the excitement of having a book written and now wanting it in print. That is how scams grab the desperate. That is how you risk letting
your manuscript crash and burn. Slow down....and learn first.
In need of editing for your manuscript? Looking for an experienced beta reader to offer feedback on your work-in-progress? Need another brain to bounce ideas off of in a dedicated workshopping space? Look no further! Story Therapy offers editing, beta reading, and workshopping to all writers of all backgrounds. Whether you're working on a script or a novel, I'm here to help with the writing process. Visit taylorlouiseblog.com
for more information!
Energy and persistence conquer all things.
~Benjamin Franklin
<<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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Dos and Don'ts When Seeking Book Blurbs
By Bernadette Geyer While there is a discussion in the publishing industry about moving away from the inclusion of blurbs on book covers, some publishers continue to require authors with forthcoming books to request these short reviews from other writers. Blurbs can still be useful to a press that is marketing books by debut or less-well-known
authors. For example here and here. I've gone through the blurb-requesting
process with three books of my own. I've also been on the receiving end of blurb requests, and I understand the time and care it takes to provide them. Many authors get far more requests than they are able to accept, so you need to respect their investment of time with your manuscript. Based on my experiences, I have put together a list of dos and don'ts you should take into consideration when asking writers for blurbs, if you or your publisher requires
them. Do: Give them enough time. A publisher should provide you with the production process timeline once they have determined a publication date for your book. This timeline will include when to submit blurbs to them for the cover. You should never wait until the last minute to approach an author for a blurb. I typically aim to send the manuscript to writers about three or four months in advance of when my publisher needs them for cover
layout, but each publisher has a different schedule. Don't: Ask for a blurb from more authors than your press will actually use. Most publishers will have space for two or three blurbs on a back cover. Some put extra ones inside on entry pages. Know the number you need. I start by asking three writers if they have the capacity to provide a blurb for my forthcoming book. Then I wait for all three to confirm before I reach out to anyone else.
You don't want to end up in the awkward situation of having to tell someone who took the time to write a blurb that your publisher doesn't have space for it. Do: Send them the final version of the manuscript. When I write a blurb for someone, I make notes and highlight phrases throughout the manuscript as I read, noting common themes and key lines that illustrate those themes. Send the final manuscript to a blurb writer, as you may have
removed a passage or poem that the writer wanted to quote. Don't: Edit blurbs without the author's knowledge. If your publisher does – typically to shorten it – always confirm that this is okay with the author. A common practice is to ask upon receipt of a blurb, if the author is open to edits of it. If you wait until later, be sure to ask if they are open to suggestions. I have found that contributors are happy to make slight edits if you
offer them clear guidance. Do: Ask the author how they would like to be credited. If the writer you request a blurb from has more than one book published, ask them which book to use with their name. Better yet, ask them to provide how they'd like their name listed after the blurb when you send the manuscript in the beginning. You've already taken up enough of their time through their reading and creating the blurb. You don't want to guess at
which books they want to use. Finally, I send my blurb contributors a copy of the book to thank them for the time they spent with my writings. Until book blurbs are completely done away with, the above considerations will help ensure a constructive relationship between you and your blurb contributors.
BIO: Bernadette Geyer is the author of The Scabbard of Her Throat and editor of My Cruel Invention: A Contemporary Poetry Anthology. Her
writings have appeared in Oxford American, Bennington Review, Oh Reader, Westerly, and elsewhere. Her second full-length poetry collection is forthcoming from April Gloaming Publishing in October 2025. Visit her website at https://bernadettegeyer.com/.
(117486263 © creativecommonsstockphotos | Dreamstime.com)
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PALETTE NATURE POETRY PRIZE
https://www.palettepoetry.com/nature-poetry-prize/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 15, 2025. Please send us your meditations on the sound of wind, your obsessions with the shape of
trees, and your words woven like blades of grass. We are looking forward to reading any and all poems that are interested in the natural world. The winner will be awarded $3,000 and publication, the first runner-up will receive $300 and publication, and the second runner-up will receive $200 and publication. Submissions are open internationally, to any poet writing in English—inclusion of other languages is welcome, as long as the poem is largely written in English. NEW MEASURE POETRY PRIZE
https://parlorpress.com/pages/new-measure-poetry-prize
$28 ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 15, 2025. $1,000 and publication of an original, unpublished manuscript of poems. Up to three other manuscripts may be accepted for publication by Free Verse Editions
editors. Submit a manuscript of at least 54 pages. HUMMINGBIRD FLASH FICTION PRIZE
https://pulpliterature.com/contests/the-hummingbird-flash-fiction-prize/
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 15, 2025. Winners published in: Pulp Literature Issue 49,
Winter 2026. First Prize: $300. This contest is for previously unpublished short fiction up to 1000 words in length. No simultaneous submissions. Multiple entries welcome. Total entries limited to 300. SLAPERING HALL PRESS POETRY CHAPBOOK CONTEST
https://www.writerscenter.org/chapbook-contest
$17 ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 15, 2025. A competition for the publication of a chapbook by a poet who has not previously published a poetry collection of any length. The winner receives $500 and ten copies of their chapbook. The press also hosts a reading for the winner with their mentor during the calendar year of the winning chapbook’s publication. The contest is open to all writers except writers who have
published a collection of poems in book or chapbook form (this includes self-published collections). Individual poems can be previously published, but poems should not have appeared as a group in any form, including self-published collections. GRANTS / FELLOWSHIP / CROWDFUNDING FOUNDATION FOR CONTEMPORARY ARTS EMERGENCY GRANTS
https://www.foundationforcontemporaryarts.org/grants/emergency-grants/guidelines/
Artists who make innovative, experimental
work are eligible to apply. Does the work push against, expand upon, or break from established artistic practices and/or does the work subvert mainstream norms, narratives, or aesthetics? Do the venues at which the artist’s work has been or will be presented have a history of presenting experimental art or a mission to do so? Does the applicant identify with a community of experimental art makers? Many applications are declined each month because the applicant’s work is not a fit for FCA’s
mission of supporting experimental, contemporary work in the arts. Applicants must be living in the United States or U.S. territories and have a U.S. Tax ID Number. Emergency Grants support the confirmed, public presentation of completed experimental work through performances, exhibitions, screenings, poetry readings, installations, and more. Projects at artist-run and non-commercial spaces are, in most cases, eligible. Artists may apply for Emergency Grants to support expenses that are urgently
needed to present their project to the public. These expenses may include artists’ fees, airfare, accommodations, materials, shipping/transport, fabrication, and production, among others. Grants range in amount from $500 to $3,000, and the average grant is $1,900. ANDY WARHOL FOUNDATION ARTS WRITERS GRANT
https://creative-capital.org/partnership-grants/
The Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant supports emerging and established writers who write about contemporary visual art. Ranging from $15,000 to $50,000 in three categories—articles, books, and short-form writing—the grants support projects addressing both general and specialized art audiences, from short reviews for magazines and newspapers to in-depth scholarly studies. The grant also
supports art writing that engages criticism through interdisciplinary methods and experiments with literary styles. As long as a writer meets the eligibility and publishing requirements, they can apply. KENTUCKY ARTS COUNCIL PEER ADVISORY NETWORK (KPAN)
https://artscouncil.ky.gov/program/kentucky-peer-advisory-network/
Deadline June 30, 2025. The network is open to all arts organizations, community groups and eligible individual artists interested in arts-related technical assistance. Applicants must be Kentucky residents, Kentucky-based organizations or serve Kentuckians in a significant way. Organizations do not need to be Kentucky Arts Council grant recipients or partners to apply. Artists eligible for
a KPAN consultancy must be in a Kentucky Arts Council program. Through the KPAN grant, applicants may request assistance from an advisor of their choice from the online directory, or they may be matched with up to three advisors. Advisory topics include business and finance, emergency preparedness, board development, fundraising, accessibility and more. Contact Mark Brown, folk and traditional arts director, at mark.brown@ky.gov or 502-892-3115. ARIZONA OPPORTUNITY GRANTS
https://azarts.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Guidelines_AOG_FY2026.pdf
Deadline June 20, 2025 and October 16, 2025. Artist Opportunity Grants help Arizona artists take advantage of unique opportunities that can significantly boost their
careers. INDIGO ARTS ALLIANCE
https://indigoartsalliance.me/mentorship-residency-program/
The Indigo Arts Alliance studio located in Portland, Maine is the host site for our Mentorship Artists Residency program. This program models our values of global community building.
Our goal is to bring together artists from diverse backgrounds of the African Diaspora to engage in their creative process, while building lasting relationships rooted in co-mentorship. We foster mentorship by pairing two artists together during a residency period to cultivate rich conversation, collaboration, and exchange experiences, knowledge, art industry information and technical skills. The artist-pairing consists of a National or International artist who is traveling to the state of Maine
from their respective homes to be in residence with a Local/Regional artist. We are currently accepting rolling applications from the North Eastern region (Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island). We select our International/National artists via nomination by a selected group of curators, scholars, activists. Applicants can be based anywhere in the world.
HQ MAGAZINE
https://form.jotform.com/243386832452057
https://www.headquest.com/about-us/
We are the nexus of
commerce for the counter-culture marketplace; headshops, smoke shops, vape shops, adult novelties, and dispensaries. Both publisher and platform, HQ exists to facilitate the continued evolution of a once-marginalized industry now on the cusp of legitimization. Expect 10-20 cents/word. LONG LEAD
https://longlead.com/about-us
Long Lead is an award-winning journalism studio focused on finding, financing, producing, and publishing original, in-depth reporting. We contract and fund veteran independent writers, photographers, filmmakers, and designers to produce best-in-class editorial products. With an eye for ambitious, ground-breaking stories, we publish work about any subject, in any medium, anywhere in the world. BIOGRAPHIC
https://www.biographic.com/submissions/
bioGraphic is a multimedia magazine that features stories from around the globe about the wonder of the natural world, the most pressing threats to biodiversity, and the most promising solutions to sustaining it. Send a brief (1,000 words or less) description of the piece you have
in mind and what makes it right for bioGraphic. bioGraphic’s news section is home to colorful, 600 to 1000-word character-driven stories about current events and recent scientific research. Pays up to $1/word. SEATTLE MET
https://www.seattlemet.com/pages/story-submissions-ideas
Seattle Met welcomes project submissions, story suggestions, and questions. Categories are Home Projects, Personal COllections, Health and Wellness, College Application Stories, and Love Stories. Pays up to $1/word. AUDUBON
https://www.audubon.org/news/how-pitch-stories-audubon
Our editors are interested in shorter pieces that generally run fewer than 1,200 words for both our quarterly print magazine and website. We also consider a wide range of freelance pitches for longer pieces, from in-depth investigations and trailblazer profiles to package features and reported or personal essays; these usually range from around 1,500 words to 4,000 words, and our sweet spot
is about 3,000 words. Celebrates the joy and wonder of birds and to inform its readers about the natural world, inspire them to care passionately about that world, and motivate them to take action on its behalf. Pays up to $1/word.
EPIC INK
https://www.quarto.com/ourimprints/default.aspx
At Epic Ink, we publish a collection of engaging and visually stunning books that delve into the captivating worlds of music icons, cultural phenomena, and memorable moments in
entertainment history. Our imprint features a diverse array of titles that appeal to fans of all ages, from those nostalgic for the heyday of 90s boy bands to avid followers of modern-day pop sensations. ROCK POINT BOOKS
https://www.quarto.com/ourimprints/default.aspx
Rock Point
features a diverse range of captivating topics, from global and domestic cooking to effortless entertaining, personal development, and everyday spirituality. Our mission is to provide readers with inspiring resources that empower them to lead more enjoyable, and purposeful lives. In addition to our enriching collection of books, we publish a line of charming drawing books, guided journals, and planners, designed to spark creativity, and facilitate organization in daily life. SLEEPING BEAR PRESS
https://sleepingbearpress.com/submissions
Sleeping Bear Press is a publisher of quality children’s books. We publish a wide range of books, including board books, beginning readers, picture books, and select middle grade titles. We accept both fiction and nonfiction submissions. BANCROFT PRESS
https://bancroftpress.com/about/submissions/
We publish trade fiction and non-fiction, and we publish what we like. Virtually every genre is represented by one of our fine authors; this is owed to their individual ability to tell a good story. From classic literature to
political memoirs, from illustrated picture books to gripping suspense thrillers – the key is in the quality.
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
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