VOLUME 25, ISSUE 46 | november 21, 2025 |
GETTING TO THE END GAME I write because I enjoy writing. The more I learned how to turn the words into books, however, the more I appreciated publishing. The more I learned about publishing, the more books I wanted to put into people's hands. The more people who proclaimed the stories
entertained them, the more I wanted to write. Honestly, I'm honored to be able to sell the words I love to write. But I never want the want of sales to replace the want to write. I guess I'm saying the following: - If making a buck is why you start writing, find something else to do.
- If you want to publish before
thoroughly learning how to write, find something else to do.
- If you don't want to understand all the types of publishing before doing so, find something else to do.
- If you want to publish but are not an avid reader, find something else to do.
All four of the above are called shortcutting. Your work will fall short of being good. Good writing
takes: - Tons of writing that you throw away.
- Tons of study about how to write well.
- Tons of reading good writing.
- Tons of reading the type/genre of writing you wish you could write.
- A full, and I mean FULL, understanding of all types of publishing.
If you think you might be shortcutting, you are. Take your time learning how to write well. Then take your time learning how to publish
well. |
WHAT KIND OF WRITING DO YOU WANT?
I want to scream each time someone asks me this. I'm sure many other editors and publishers feel the same. They usually don't reply. I simply tell the submitter to read the guidelines on the website. Being able to write is only one factor used
in someone hiring, purchasing, or contracting your work. The other factors are these. 1) The writer clearly has gleaned the website or followed the posted guidelines for what the purchaser wants.
2) The writer submits a well-written query that shows the writer is a professional.
3) The writer can talk the talk of the publication/agency/publisher.
4) The writer has a strong command of English. I rarely receive someone who hits all four. Other editors probably experience the same. Is there any wonder when 75% of their submissions seem not to know what they are doing, that the editors/publishers do not reply? Never ask an editor/publisher/agent these questions: 1) What topics do you need?
2) What are you looking for?
3)
How many words do you need?
4) Would you let me know when something comes open? You are expected to have practically memorized the guidelines, and if none, you have dissected the website to understand their needs and wants. To ask most of these questions shows you didn't bother, so why should the publisher/editor bother to reply? The only exception is when you've already
built a strong relationship with the person you are pitching. They have vetted you and done business with you (usually multiple times), so that gives you some freedom to ask these questions. in essence, they know you know the website and publication. You're now asking what's not posted there. Don't be that lazy writer every editor and publisher hate. Be the writer they enjoy seeing in their email box.
Find focus and fun during the holiday season with Kalen's Christmas Party! This free event has prompts, coworking time, and giveaways, including writing classes! Sign up now! Replay Available. -Nov 22, 2025 - Christmas Market - 8AM-2PM - ICRC Rec Ctr, Chapin, SC -Apr 15,
2026 - Book Club, Noon to 2 PM - Elgin, SC (members only)
Email: hope@chopeclark.com to schedule events, online or otherwise. “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” —Babe Ruth
Dear Hope, This note is long overdue. Thank you so much for the resources that you provide for writers. For years, FundsforWriters has given me encouragement, ideas, and hope. And, today, I received a phone call that I had been selected as a grand prize winner of the Erma Bombeck Humorist-in-Residence program, which I proudly told them that I had learned about from you. I am so grateful. Debra Solomon Baker <<If you have a success story you believe was prompted by FundsforWriters, please share with us! Send to hope@chopeclark.com >> Why You Shouldn't Delete Market Newsletters
By Rachel Carrington Most writers subscribe to at least one (usually more) market newsletters that provide lists of places to pitch work. In addition, these newsletters offer advice from experienced
writers about writing and the business of getting published. I've been a subscriber to FundsforWriters since 2011, and I have what I thought was a bad habit of not deleting enough of my emails. As it turns out, this has been a blessing in disguise. I wasn't writing short stories or essays
back in 2011 so I didn't pay much attention to the markets that catered to those genres. However, in looking for new places to submit, I searched through older copies of FundsforWriters (as well as from one other writing site). I was thrilled to find a market I'd not only never submitted to before but never remembered reading about. Podcastle narrates fantasy/speculative
short stories up to 6,000 words. And I'd been looking for a home for a story I'd written on a whim. That discovery led me to review two more newsletters from 2011 and one from 2019. I found a place for an article I'd written about a small Missouri town I've visited on several occasions as well as a travel site interested in unique travel stories from authors who have at least one published book. I'd just returned from a trip to Antigua so that sparked an idea. Needless to say, I added "check old newsletters" to my weekly list of to-dos for writing. I would have been happy to
have just discovered the markets, but I found nuggets of wisdom that I overlooked at the time, like Hope's advice in 2017 to "skip the first four or five pages of search results and lean deeper in, where most of the other writers never reach" when Googling "Write for Us" and the like. On top of that, at the time of some of these newsletters, the ads weren't applicable to me as I wasn't doing much self-publishing. The one for https://www.bookdesigntemplates.com/collections sure is now as it provides an inexpensive way to format ebooks. I also rediscovered Written
Word Media's book promotion sites in a 2018 newsletter, and after using one of them, I added over 400 newsletter subscribers. Sometimes, when you sign up for newsletters, you are offered bonus content. Maybe you don't have time to read it right away so you don't bother to download it. That was exactly what I did when I subscribed to a newsletter, and I was excited to discover I had a free ebook for "Query Letters that Worked" from
Women on Writing. That discovery had me searching back through my over 16,000 emails to see what other treasures I could find. That brought me to another ebook, Let's Get Digital by David Gaughran, an expert at advertising and
promoting your books. I felt like Christmas had come early. If you haven't saved newsletters, you're still in luck since some of the publishers archive their newsletters. You can find FundsforWriters' archive here. You can find Writers Weekly's archive here. Just Google the publication name and "newsletter archive" to find back copies. If you haven't been saving newsletters, I would encourage you to start doing so now. You never know when the information you don't need at present will be beneficial for you in the future. There could be literally hundreds of markets
waiting to be unearthed, ads you now need, freebies you've missed, and advice from writers who've been in the trenches for years. Don't waste the opportunity to find what you never knew you'd been missing! Bio: As well as being a published author of fiction, Rachel is also an entertainment journalist and nonfiction writer and has written for the New York Times, FundsforWriters,
Startrek.com, The Writer, and many others. She can be found on the internet at www.rachelcarrington.com and on Instagram and Twitter @rcarrington2004.
THE HUDSON REVIEW SHORT FICTION CONTEST
https://hudsonreview.com/news-events/short-fiction-contest-opens-september-1-2025/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 30, 2025. First Prize: $1,000 +
publication. Second and Third Prizes: $500 + publication. LImit 10,000 words. There is no theme. We welcome both US and international submissions. Winning stories will be published in The Hudson Review. All submissions will be considered for publication and payment at our regular rates. STORY UNLIKELY SHORT STORY CONTEST
https://www.storyunlikely.com/#contest
Deadline January 14, 2026 nonmembers and January 31, 2026 for members. There are no restrictions on genre: fantasy, sci fi, memoir, fiction/nonfiction, etc - we don't care as long as it's written and told with quality and care. The story itself cannot exceed 7,000 words (except for WRITER level Members, who get a bonus 3,000 words added!). There are no restrictions on age
or location of participant, and no need to ask us for permission to participate in the contest. $3,000 first place, $1,000 second place, $750 third place, and $250 for our new REPRINT CATEGORY. We tend to pick up a few of the finalists for publication in our monthly magazine! - per our standard guideline pay, as well. WOMEN'S PAMPHLET COMPETITION
https://mslexia.co.uk/competitions/pamphlet-poetry/womens-pamphlet-competition-2025/
£20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 8, 2025. 1st Prize: £500, plus publication by Bloodaxe Books. The competition is open to collections of 18-20 poems, of 20-24 pages, by poets who have never had a full-length collection published. VIII INTERNATIONAL MICROFICTION CONTEST
https://www.fundacioncesaregidoserrano.com/en/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 31, 2026. Participation is open to all writers from any country in the world who are over 18 years of age. Writers aged 16 may also participate, provided they submit a
duly notarized authorization from their parents and/or legal guardians. Entries, on a free subject matter, must be written in any of the following languages: Spanish, English, Arabic, or Hebrew. A maximum of three texts per author will be accepted, regardless of the languages chosen. A grand prize of € 20,000 will be awarded to the best story, in any of the contest languages. Additionally, three runner-up prizes of € 2,000 each will be awarded to the best stories in each of the other languages
admitted to the contest, provided they are not the grand prize winner. Attendance at the award ceremony is an essential condition. Stories may not exceed 100 words (counted in Spanish; differences in other languages’ syntax will not alter this limit). THE EUGENE AND MARILYN GLICK INDIANA AUTHORS AWARDS
https://indianaauthorsawards.org/awards/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 9, 2026. Winners of the Indiana Authors Awards receive $5,000 and are invited to participate in a statewide speakers program. Additionally, winning authors have the opportunity to designate a $500 award to an Indiana library of their choice. The Indiana Authors Awards honor books in the following categories every two years: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Children’s, Middle Grade, Young
Adult, Drama, Genre, Debut. Two additional awards recognize contributions to Indiana’s literary community.
GRANTS / FELLOWSHIP / CROWDFUNDING SOUTHARTS CRATIVE PRACTICE GRANTS
https://www.southarts.org/grants-opportunities/artist-creative-practice
The Artist Creative Practice Grant supports a variety of professional
development opportunities including milestone activities in an artist's career that will likely lead to substantial career growth. Grants up to $3,000 are available for opportunities taking place between November 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. Be a legal resident of the United States and the South Arts region (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee). ELEVATE AUSTIN -
Austin, TX
https://thelongcenter.submittable.com/submit
Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment's Elevate program invests in cultural organizations, groups, and individual artists that create vibrant, publicly accessible artistic experiences. This program sustains and strengthens Austin’s creative ecosystem by supporting the production,
operations, and administration of culturally rich programming for both residents, visitors, and tourists. Pays up to $30,000 to individual artists. CATALYZE GRANTS - ARKANSAS
https://www.maaa.org/artists-grants-fellowships/catalyze/
Deadline December 3,
2025. Catalyze practice-based fellowships of $10,000 are awarded annually to 25 artists, who may choose how best to use the funding in support of their creative practices. Practice-based funding includes the ability to use grant funds for items such as childcare, rent, travel, equipment, and other items that are defined by the artists’ creative goals. Reside in the Arkansas counties of Arkansas, Chicot, Clay, Cleburne, Conway, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Desha, Drew, Faulkner,
Garland, Grant, Greene, Hot Spring, Jefferson, Lee, Lonoke, Mississippi, Monroe, Perry, Phillips, Poinsett, Pope, Prairie, Pulaski, Saline, St. Francis, Van Buren, White, and Yell. FISHTRAP FELLOWSHIPS
https://fishtrap.org/fellowships/
Deadline December 1, 2025. Fishtrap
fellowships are designed to provide new and emerging writers with an opportunity to connect with and be inspired by a writing community as they pursue their professional aspirations. Many of our past fellows have gone on to become award-winning authors and educators. A Fishtrap Fellowship covers the cost of the seven-day conference including a five-day writing workshop, readings, activities, panel discussions, and special events. Fishtrap Fellows also receive meals and lodging for the week, and
a $150 travel stipend. A Fishtrap Fellowship is valued at more than $2000, but more than that, it is an opportunity for emerging writers to build new friendships and a renewed sense of creative potential in an atmosphere of mentorship and community. Location Enterprise, OR. SUMMER FISHTRAP SCHOLARSHIPS
https://fishtrap.org/sfg-scholarships/
The primary benefit of a scholarship is the opportunity to attend the 39th Summer Fishtrap Gathering of Writers, June 23–28, 2026 at Wallowa Lake in Oregon. A Fishtrap Scholarship covers registration for the conference including a five-day creative writing workshop, readings, activities, panel discussions, and special events.
KISMET MAGAZINE
https://kismet-mag.com/about/submissions/
Beginning in October, Kismet Magazine will publish one book review online per week. We review the kind of books that fit with the magazine’s ethos, as described above: style-forward writing
with an interest in mystical, spiritual, and religious elements, broadly interpreted. We are currently accepting pitches for books forthcoming from February 2026 onward. All reviewers are paid $250 per review. And reviews should be between 1500-2000 words in length. MCSWEENEY'S
https://www.mcsweeneys.net/pages/guidelines-for-quarterly-submissions
Contributors are paid at the time of publication, and our standard rate for short stories is $400. The fee for letters, flash fiction, translations, and other formats and situations varies according to circumstances, with equity in mind. McSweeney’s is an independent nonprofit publishing company based in San Francisco. As well as operating a daily humor website, we also publish Timothy McSweeney’s
Quarterly Concern, Illustoria and an ever-growing selection of books under various imprints. PARAPRAXIS
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdWmVcgA0M-GmhHRLe6vCZtcTykYLnunmTK_-QTmEAqdawANQ/viewform
https://www.parapraxismagazine.com/magazine
By investigating social, political, and personal issues—in relation to violence and conflict, gender and sexuality, racism and diasporic experience, care and welfare—Parapraxis is a psychoanalytically oriented supplement to the existing venues of radical critique and historical materialism. Critically aware of the limits of
psychoanalytic thinking and institutions, the magazine includes searching reviews, novel clinical writing, columns on cultural and social movements, and thematic feature essays. This magazine is a venue for theoretical debate about the meaning and role of psychoanalysis today by placing and translating psychoanalytic practice and thought into the popular idiom of existing social and political critique. Print rates vary depending on length from $500-800. Web rates are a flat $500. We largely work
from pitches. We do not publish fiction or poetry. FOODPRINT
https://foodprint.org/contact-us/
We cover a wide range of food-related topics with a focus on sustainability: industry trends, food policy, labor issues, animal welfare, pesticides and pollution, packaging and plastics, food sovereignty
and more, all focused on the U.S. and topics that impact U.S. consumers. Rates range from $650 – $950 depending on experience and the needs of the story. Most pieces run between 800 and 1600 words. CHICKEN SOUP: DOGS
http://www.chickensoup.com
Deadline March 1, 2026. You will receive a
check for $250 and 10 free copies of your book. We are looking for first-person true stories of up to 1200 words. We want your funny stories, your heartwarming stories, and your mindboggling stories about your dog. VULPINE PRESS
https://www.vulpine-press.com/submission-guidelines
We currently accept all manner of books, including those that straddle genres. Primarily your work is most likely to be accepted if it is doing something different, or
something exceptionally well. We enjoy reading fiction and personal non-fiction alike, as long as it shares those same characteristics of innovation or creativity which we pride ourselves on. WISE WOLF BOOKS
https://wisewolfbooks.com/submissions
We strive to publish teen/young-adult books from
writers of all genders, ethnicity, race, and ability that young readers will love while also staying true to our unique business model. We are accepting both unsolicited and agented submissions at this time, and we appreciate Teen/YA authors who have a backlist or are writing books in a series. ZIBBY PUBLISHING
https://zibbymedia.com/pages/zibby-books-submissions
We primarily publish fiction and memoir and are open to work by both debut and established authors. We are looking for books that make you feel, that have a strong voice, deep characters, and a strong sense of place. Currently, we are not looking for science fiction/fantasy, poetry, historical fiction, historical biography, romance, self-help/parenting, political, or children's books. PUNCTUATE MEDIA
https://www.punctuatemedia.com/submissions
Punctuate Media seeks original ideas, true stories, and visual works across a variety of genres. We consider fiction, non-fiction, and screenplays with high-concept narratives and themes. We will also consider memoirs, coffee table
books, and self-help or specialized fields such general/alternative medicine, psychology, and business practices/philosophies in the tone of pop culture. Additionally, we will hear pitches for film/television projects including documentaries. Prior to submitting any works, including general ideas, you must follow our strict submissions guidelines which we will email you after you fill out the form online. We take the time to review every submission. While we cannot guarantee acceptance of all
works, we are committed to providing constructive feedback should we decide not to move forward with your project. We appreciate your interest in Punctuate Media and look forward to reviewing your idea. BLIND EYE BOOKS
https://www.blindeyebooks.com/submissions/
Blind Eye Books publishes
science fiction, fantasy, mystery, and romance novels featuring LGBTQ protagonists. We do not publish short story collections, poetry, erotica, horror or non-fiction. We would hesitate to publish any manuscript that is less than 70,000 or over 150,000 words.
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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