VOLUME 25, ISSUE 50 | DECEMBER 19, 2025 |
RUDOLPH AND WRITING In listening to a podcast this week, I almost teared up at the story of a Christmas song. It is a secular song, but then, it is not. I will never hear it the same again. In 1939, Montgomery Ward wanted to
publish something Christmassy with an animal protagonist for children of customers. Rather than hire someone outside the company, they asked someone already employed. Someone suggested Robert L. May, an advertising copyrighter. He'd never really written a children's story, but, hey, he was a writer. May, however, was having a hard life. His wife dying of cancer, he was raising his young daughter who didn't understand what was happening
to her family. He started to decline his employer's request, but then thought of his daughter, maybe even felt this would help him through his ordeal. His wife died before he finished it, and
Montgomery Ward offered to relieve him of the task, but May completed it, for his daughter to show that even an underdog, or anyone with a difference, can represent a symbol of hope for all. As a nod to May's wife's death, Montgomery Ward gave him the rights to the story. There's more to the story, like his brother-in-law creating the song, then 25 years later the cartoon was developed with Burl Ives, but I especially find poignant two
things. . . one, that Montgomery Ward was generous enough to give him the rights as thanks and to soothe his pain. Second, that May wrote through his pain for the love of his daughter, and to weather the trauma. He wrote for something bigger than himself. You know if you are writing for the right reasons. He did it not for money, because he didn't have the rights, but instead wrote for a higher purpose. That's what makes writing the
best. |
Ready to set your 2026 writing goals? Join Kate Meadows on Saturday, Jan. 10, at 9 a.m. MT for a dynamic writing workshop where we'll hammer out your writing goals for the new year. You'll walk away with greater clarity around your 2026 writing, and you'll receive a personalized 2026 writing road map!
In this workshop, you will: • Name 2 or 3 writing goals you want to accomplish in 2026 • Identify potential hurdles that stand between you and those goals • Brainstorm ways to overcome those hurdles • Walk away with a step-by-step plan for how to accomplish your writing goals for 2026 PERFECTION
“Have no fear of perfection—you’ll never reach it.” ~Salvador Dalí All of us seek perfection, though none of us reaches it. Improving ourselves, however, is the real goal and quite admirable. We should never stop in that effort. But all too often, we feel we cannot seek perfection so we find ways to shortcut and settle. We write without hiring the editor. We publish via ebook only to avoid the difficulty of paper. We choose self-publishing because we fear traditional. We do not promote ourselves for fear of embarrassing ourselves and not selling what we think we should, so we avoid putting ourselves out there. It's easier to just mention the book, and hope that word-of-mouth sells
enough for us to feel good about what we are doing. And lately, many are choosing AI for fear of not having the genuine, original talent to achieve on their own. (See this piece.) AI is tempting. Using it makes you look smart, intelligent, creative, and professional, but deep down inside, you realize that you didn't do the real work. The reader won't care, you say. If the reader knew, though, would they care? Would it impact your image? Would you be willing to tell the world outright that you used AI? The reader will love you more and you will love yourself more if you dig down and learn, practice, and
publish using only your God-given talent. Like said above, improving ourselves is the real goal. Ingenuity and blood, sweat, and tears give you way more pride than falling back on AI when the going gets rough. And way down inside yourself, you realize you prefer it all being the real you. -Feb 10, 2026 - Book Club, Mt. Horeb Church, Lexington, SC - noon-2PM -Apr 15, 2026 - Book Club, Noon to 2 PM - Elgin, SC (members only) -June 4, 2026 - Chapin Library, Chapin, SC - 1-2 PM
Email: hope@chopeclark.com to schedule events, online or otherwise. “Always dream and shoot higher than you know you can do. Don’t bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.” — William Faulkner (1897–1962)
Dear Hope, Awhile back, I received one of your newsletters via email about writing while you're sick. The strange thing was at the time, I, too, was sick and recovering from surgery and stage 4 oral mouth cancer for the third time in eight years. This time proved to be a lot more difficult than the first two times. I continued writing during those times and continued being published. I am a Christian children's writer and regular contributor Our Little Friend, Primary Treasure, and Guide (PACIFIC PRESS). I managed to get a story out each month in spite of my health issues, but this time was even harder. Back in May 2025 I went in for my regular check up and there was a
spot in the roof of my mouth, the biopsy revealing it was cancer once again. Surgery on June 28th was to be a week ordeal but blood clotting became an issue and the skin graft they put in failed and had to be taken out. I have a gaping hole in the top of my mouth now. In October the first phase began for implants. I would still have to wait four months for my mouth to heal once again before they finish the next phase. I started chemo
as well, but the one in November took a toll on me. I'm tired all the time, and I have a head-to-toe rash. despite creams and treatments, I remain feeling sick. I have a middle ear infection so bad that I lost the hearing in my right ear, and when they did the surgery back in June to remove the cancer, they cut a nerve and damaged my right eye causing severe vision problems. I can't eat or drink anything by mouth until the implants are installed, and much is not covered by insurance. I have a
feeding tube for the time being. Hopefully in a few months, they will be able to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. I'm trying to stay busy writing just to stay sane. Hope, this has been the longest and hardest thing I've ever been through. There have been days on end that I could barely get out of bed and writing was the last thing I wanted to do. Writing while you are
sick isn't easy, but honestly, it is the only thing outside of praying and crying, that keeps me sane. During this long journey so far, I managed to write several articles and a story for teens for Guide magazine. I kept thinking about your editorial about writing while sick, and it kept me going. I've still got a long way to go to fully recover, but I'm well on my way, and
writing about it helps a lot. Thank you so much for the inspirational pieces in your newsletter. Believe me when I say I count on receiving your newsletter in my inbox on a regular basis. Because of you, I kept writing instead of giving up hope. When I am down and feel utterly sick from all this, I remember your words about writing while you're sick. It's hard sometimes, but worth every minute I put into it. Thank you for the inspiration. Thank you so much,
Marcella Meeks
marcies1960@aol.com
<<If you have a success story you believe was prompted by FundsforWriters, please share with us! Send to hope@chopeclark.com >> How to Spot a Dodgy Litmag By Dan Brotzel The submissions database Chill Subs lists over 3000 magazines and 1200 writing contests, many of the contests affiliated with litmags. Most of these are run by passionate writers and editors who work hard to champion great work, often for little monetary reward. But given the size of the market there will inevitably be some dodgy ones with the potential to exploit aspiring
writers, either through incompetence or more deliberate grift. Here are some red flags to avoid… Hidden fees Some litmags have ‘tip jars’, with writers invited to donate a small fee to support the publication’s costs. But tips are optional, which means there’ll also be the option of not paying anything. Other mags transparently charge a ‘reading
fee’.
However, some titles ask for ‘tips’ which turn out not to be so optional. This allows them to get into the ‘No fee’ listings of key submission sites like Submittable under false pretences. In contests, the equivalent is an ‘early bird’ fee that turns out to only go higher as the deadline nears.
Always check the final submission page for costs. If the fee isn’t clear until you’re halfway
through the process, that’s a red flag. Vague information Watch out for litmags where you must click through multiple pages or download PDFs just to find basic info about submissions, fees, or rights. Look out for vague or missing rules that can hide troubling clauses, like taking all rights to your work. If you can’t find all the info you need easily, move
on. Don’t think it’s just you or inexperience. That gut feeling is often correct. Misinformation about deadlines
Some litmags keep themselves on top of Submittable’s ‘closing soon’ list for months by falsely claiming their window is about to shut. Scammy litmag contests do the same, extending deadlines repeatedly to milk more entries (and fees). FundsforWriters, for your information, won’t post a
contest extension. There are even cases of mags that continue to advertise competitions and ask for entry fees long after the closing date. Vague mastheads and missions The best litmags are specific about what they’re looking for and who is on the masthead – check out this one or this one or this one. So when there’s minimal about the title’s mission or personnel (apart perhaps from a vague reference to ‘industry experts’ or ‘best-selling editors’), that’s a worry. Especially if these faceless people expect you to pay them a reading fee!
Likewise, avoid contests with vague info about competition organisers and judges. Beware bounced emails and unverifiable contact info, too. As the anti-scam site Writer Beware warns, anonymity equals no accountability. And FundsforWriters has turned down many a contest and
litmag submission because the personnel were obscure or the background vague.
No evidence of activity If a litmag hasn’t released an issue in over a year but is still accepting (and charging fees for) submissions, that’s a problem. Similarly, beware contests that don’t list past winners or have no record of publishing them.
Check the last publication date on sites like Duotrope or contest history before submitting. Sites like Duotrope and Chill Subs also record typical response times.
Flattering invites Some mags and comps send out personal invites, claiming to know your work and trying to flatter you into submitting. I’ve had a few of these – but on closer inspection, it looks like an attempt to just drum up more submissions, and therefore, more fees. Poor value returns An entry or reading fee should be
proportionate to the reward: a $19 entry fee for a $50 prize is not good value, for example. Some contests exist mainly to sell or reward you with something you may not want – an overpriced vanity anthology or non-expert ‘feedback service’, for example. Avoid any contest or lit mag where the main ‘prize’ is buying your way into publication. Look for contests with free or modest fees and substantial prizes, like those on Winning Writers’ Best Free Literary Contests list.
FundsforWriters, for instance, accepts contest listings with entry fee not to exceed ten percent of the first-place
prize money, preferably five percent.
Check around If you have your doubts about a litmag or comp, trying searching on Reddit, X, Bluesky or Google to see if others have raised concerns. Check out reddit threads like r/PubTips
and r/writing. And check out the four-part series on detecting scammy litmags on Lit Mag News. (Note: requires paid subscription)
Dan Brotzel - Funny-sad author | www.danbrotzel.com
Sign up for occasional emails from me
Thank You For The Days
'I spent 365 Days Celebrating Fake Holidays - And It Changed Me'
THE WELKIN WRITING PRIZE
https://www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-prize/welkin-enter
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 2, 2026. The Welkin Writing Prize is an annual competition for
microfiction up to 100 words. It is free to enter and aims to be a welcoming space for all writers. The competition is open to all forms of narrative prose (fiction and non-fiction), be that flash fiction, short-short, vignette, haibun, hermit crab, prose poem or work that sits outside such labels. SINE QUA NON PRIZES IN CREATIVE PROSE AND POETRY
https://thesinequanon.com/prizes
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 15, 2025. For our second issue (special issue on New Romanticism) Sine Qua Non is sponsoring two creative writing competitions with $2,000 in total cash awards in two categories: creative prose and poetry. The winner in each category—(1) creative prose; (2) poetry—receives $500. The two runners up in each category will receive $250 each. If your work does not win
a prize, it is still eligible for publication. If your work is selected for publication (non-prize winners), you will receive an honorarium of $30 and a free physical copy of the journal. UNLEASH WIP PRIZE
https://www.unleashcreatives.net/contests
$35 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December
31, 2025. The Unleash WIP Award offers writers support in the amount of $500 to supplement costs to support the completion of a book-length work-in-progress of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Writers will receive editorial feedback, coaching meetings, and an excerpt/interview feature in Unleash Lit. LILITH SHORT FICTION CONTEST
https://lilith.org/event/liliths-annual-short-fiction-contest/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 31, 2025. Lilith magazine—independent, Jewish & frankly feminist—seeks quality short stories with heart, soul, and chutzpah, 3,000 words or under, for our Annual Fiction Contest. First prize: $300 and publication. We especially like fresh fiction with feminist
and Jewish nuance from too often unheard or marginalized perspectives. AM HEATH ADULT NOVEL PRIZE - UK
https://amheath.com/hilary-mantel-prize
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 31, 2025. AM Heath are launching a biennial adult novel prize to honour the much-loved double Booker
Prize-winning author Hilary Mantel, who died in 2022. Hilary was a staunch supporter of countless first-time novelists, so the prize will focus on work in progress from unpublished writers, with the aim of offering the mentoring and financial support to assist the best of the next generation in finishing their work. The winner will receive a cash prize of £7,500, an offer of representation from AM Heath (at their discretion), 6 hours of mentoring from an agent at AM Heath and an editor at John
Murray and a place on an Arvon residential writing course. The runner-up will receive £2,500, an offer of representation from AM Heath (at their discretion), 6 hours of mentoring from an agent at AM Heath and an editor at John Murray, and a place on an Arvon masterclass. Open to writers aged 18 and over resident in Britain (including the Channel Islands and Isle of Man) and Ireland (Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland). The prize is for adult longform fiction.
GRANTS / FELLOWSHIP / CROWDFUNDING TENNESSEE ARTS COMMISSION
https://tnartscommission.org/news/fy27-annual-grant-applications-open-november-3-2025/
The Tennessee Arts Commission is now accepting Fiscal
Year 2027 Annual Grant applications as of November 3, 2025, for projects and activities starting July 1, 2026. Grants are available to nonprofit organizations, local governments, schools, and individuals for a variety of arts activities and services taking place in all 95 counties of the state. Grant applications are due on various deadlines in January 2026 in the online grants system. WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE EXETER CUSTOM HOUSE
https://quaywords.org.uk/work-with-us/writer-in-residence-march-2026/
Deadline January 4, 2026. We are seeking to appoint a writer, storyteller, spoken word artist or other wordsmith to be in residence for the calendar month of March 2026 for the equivalent of at least one day per week during that time.
This will be followed by the opportunity to present their final commission at Exeter Custom House during the Quay Words finale week beginning 4th May 2026. The selected writer will be engaged by Literature Works on a contractor/freelance basis as writer-in-residence for the term. There is an inclusive fee of £1,500 for the residency, plus a budget for the production of the commission (up to a maximum of £1,000). Location Exeter, UK. STRINGER FOUNDATION
https://stringerjournalism.org/apply-for-grants
Deadline December 31, 2025. We define journalism broadly and welcome applications from creative practitioners across all public media forms — including writing, photography, film, public poetry, video, visual art, music, and theatre. We
support those who use the public media to investigate abuses of power, expose injustices against the public, and uphold the truth. We will hand out as much money as we raise. Our costs have been generously covered by a donor and every dollar we raise outside the endowment will go to journalists. Our aim is to provide grants between $10k-$100k depending on funds raised. MARYLAND CREATIVITY GRANTS
https://msac.org/programs/creativity-grants/creativity-grants-projects
Deadline March 31, 2026. The Creativity Grant for Projects is available to independent artists and arts organizations. There are two options to choose from: the Planning & Development grant is intended to support the early stages of research and development for a
proposed project; the Implementation grant is intended to support the execution of a specific arts projects/event/program. Amounts $1,000 - $4,000. INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S MEDIA FOUNDATION
https://iwmf.submittable.com/submit
A. The Fund for Indigenous Journalists supports reporting related to
Missing & Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) with a concentration on women, girls, Two-Spirit and transgender people. Applications are now being accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. The IWMF is conducting ongoing, targeted outreach to to eligible journalists and teams to solicit proposals. Journalists affiliated with media outlets, as well as freelancers, are invited to apply. B. Emergency Fund - To qualify for this emergency
fund, you must be a U.S.-based journalist of any gender targeted as a result of your reporting at events related to the highly charged political unrest and polarization in the U.S., including elections, civil movements and other challenging environments. You may request support for: Immediate needs related to your professional work, such as destroyed or stolen equipment and protective gear; Small grants for medical and psychological care for incidents directly related to threats and crises
caused by one’s work as a journalist. Please note that emergency grants are not available to student journalists.
TRAVEL AFRICA
https://travelafricamag.com/about_us/contribute-to-travel-africa
Coverage includes African destinations, wildlife, and culture. They aim to cover a variety of destinations and themes - wildlife, history,
travelogue and activities - per issue. At the time of commissioning, we will confirm which issue it will run in, a required word count and the fee payable. FOODISM
https://foodism.ca/write-for-us
We currently pay for print-first features and travel guides, which are then repurposed online.
Familiarize yourself with our past Foodism and Escapism issues, and any upcoming themes. The Food Feature - Flat rate of $600 for 1,200 – 1,500 words. The Travel Feature - Flat rate of $600 for 1,200 – 1,500 words. The Travel Guide - These are around 500 words and up, and we pay $0.40 per word. PLANETIZEN
https://www.planetizen.com/Write-for-Planetizen
We welcome pitches from urban planners, scholars, and professionals in the fields of design, development, and any of the numerous other fields that intersect with the world of planning. We also occasionally accept pitches from freelance writers. It is not necessary to pitch Newsfeed stories; you may submit them directly. To submit, simply sign up for a Planetizen user account, go the “My Posts,” and click the blue “Submit
News” button. Planetizen feature stories are longform (1,000–2,500 words) content that cover a single planning-related topic in detail. Planetizen bloggers must commit to writing at least 5 blog posts per year, which are subject to editorial approval. To be considered, please reach out to editor@planetizen.com with at least 3 writing samples. Planetizen occasionally publishes book reviews of 500-800 words. We accept applications from planning subject matter experts to teach one-hour online
training courses in the skills and concepts necessary to thrive in planning and related fields. We do not pay practicing urban professionals for newsfeed, feature, blog, or career-related content. For professional writers (i.e., those for whom writing is their primary source of income), we pay a standard flat fee of $500 per feature or career-related article. Planetizen Courses instructors are compensated $1,250 per 1-hour course and instructors from outside the LA metro region are provided a
travel stipend to travel to our studio for filming. CHINA BOOKS REVIEW
https://chinabooksreview.com/submit/
Below are the sections we currently accept contributions for, with our rates:
Reviews — Punchy, argument-driven reviews of recent (<1yr) single titles (1600+ words, $400), or longer
review-essays that engage with multiple titles and deeper themes (3200+ words, $1000). Essays — Lively essays (either 1600+ words or 3200+ words, same rates as above) that engage with broader ideas and trends relating to China or the Sinophone world. Profiles — Literary profiles (3200+, $1000) of prominent Chinese or sinophone authors (or film-makers or other artists), written up as a narrative that engages deeply with their work and life. Excerpts — If you are an author or publisher,
feel free to propose a stand-alone passage for excerpt (2000-4000 words, second serial fee negotiable) from your upcoming or recently published (<1yr) book, that tells an engaging story or reveals something new about China or the Sinophone world. Our working definition of “China” is broad, including Hong Kong, Taiwan and the diaspora. We also accept pitches for reviews of Chinese titles, whether translated or not.
LEXINGTON LITERACY
https://www.lexingtonliterary.co.uk/
Kat Aitken represents writers of literary fiction, thought-provoking non-fiction and some poetry, with a focus on fresh perspectives and bold voices. She is always hungry for emotionally
intelligent storytelling, taut prose and anything subversive and astute. Seren Adams represents writers of literary fiction and narrative non-fiction, and many of her authors have been nominated for and won prizes for their work. She is always looking for exceptional literary voices, precise prose, and is drawn to the strange or surprising in both fiction and non-fiction. OPEN BOOK LITERACY
https://www.openbooklit.com/submissions
At Open Book Literary, the focus is on bringing under-represented voices to publishing, especially those voices centering disability, poverty, women, neurodivergence, and Judaism, Islam, and non-western religions. Seeks books with a strong commercial premise, distinct prose, and multiple layers of meaning that keep you thinking long after you
finish the story. HIGHLINE LITERARY COLLECTIVE
https://www.highlineliterary.com/submissions
Has a list of agents in their stable, and each seeks something difference. They also vary in terms of being open for submissions. Look at each agent to see what they wish to read and if they are
open to read. MEGIBOW LITERARY AGENCY
https://www.megibowliteraryagency.com/submissions
Email a query letter and the first 10 pages of your manuscript along with your author website if you have one. Response time is 2-8 weeks and please note that no critiques or feedback are
included in passes. We want to offer our clients the most robust buffet of publishing opportunities available - in print, illustration, Hollywood, audiobook, translation, IP work and beyond. And we want our partners throughout the publishing industry to love working with us. Pitch each agent individually, paying attention to whether they are open and what in particular they are seeking at the moment. PORTOBELLO LITERARY
https://www.portobelloliterary.co.uk/
Has very broad taste in fiction and are attracted to excellent writing, clever plots, unusual settings and complex characters. All types of stories from niche literary novels, to speculative fiction and fantasy, gripping crime and novels with wide appeal. Looking for narrative non-fiction, memoir, popular science, big
ideas, travel, culture, essays, queer culture and intersectional feminism. Also interested in food writing and cookbooks. 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
receive. Direct any complaints, suggestions, and accolades to Hope Clark at hope@fundsforwriters.com. We are an anti-spam site. | |
|
|
|
