VOLUME 25, ISSUE 37 | SEPTEMBER 12, 2025 |
DIFFERING VIEWS Last week I wrote how I was dealing with COVID, on my 8th day. Well, I returned to the gym and three days later I had a bit of a relapse. Guess I jumped too soon. But that meant my world slowed down,
during a time that so many people seemed to have lost their lives. I feel like it is COVID time all over again, and I almost don't want to come out of my room. Last week I emphasized avoiding the engagement with people who chastise you or your work. I still believe that, but I want to clarify in light of current events. We can hold conversations if we have
differing views. I have loads of friends in both parties. I have friends who are and are not Christian. I have old and young friends, gay and straight friends, traditional and indie published friends, gym and non-gym friends. To be honest, there's nobody exactly like me. Just like there's nobody exactly like you. To wait to find someone
just like you in order to get along is a long lonely journey that often has no arrival. That means in order to have friends, you have to get along with people who do not think like you do in all that you believe. Everyone I love has something about them I disagree with. Everyone you love will disappoint you one day. If you cannot deal with the differences, you will indeed live alone. However, do not engage those who are toxic and do not wish discourse. And at the chance of sounding repetitive from last week, you have no idea what kind of issues are raging in that person's life. If they are full of hate, be careful. Let them hate your book, your post, your position. Let them. You don't need the drama, and, honestly, they probably don't either. Your energies are best spent elsewhere. Don't
fuel the fires. Live your life, write your stories, publish your work and do your thing to the best of your ability. Someone will always think otherwise of you and what you do. But still, there will be others who appreciate what you do. There is nobody like you. There is nobody exactly like anyone. |
Free Live Masterclass + Show Up Bonus on Tuesday, September 16th at 12 pm PT/2 pm CT/3 pm ET/8 pm
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Join the free class here! Questions? mandy@mandyellis.com ANTHROPIC'S $1.5 BILLION OFFER TO SETTLE LAWSUIT AND PAY AUTHORS
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/98544-anthropic-agrees-to-pay-1-5-billion-to-settle-copyright-lawsuit.html
This decision is both landmark and precedent setting. Authors whose work was copied from pirate websites that steal books and offer them for free, just might be eligible for compensation. They estimate 500,000 books. That's exciting.
Finally we see some sort of fairness taking place in the world. If you want a good general description of it all, read this post from Writer Beware - https://writerbeware.blog/2025/08/15/bartz-v-anthropic-find-out-if-you-may-be-part-of-this-class-action/ It's not finally settled, though.
The judge is wanting more details on how authors will be compensated, as in details. But there's light on the horizon.
Let's say you have published some books. Do you fit in the below description? All beneficial or legal copyright owners of the exclusive right to reproduce copies of any book in the versions of LibGen or PiLiMi downloaded by Anthropic. “Book” refers to any
work possessing an ISBN or ASIN which was registered with the United States Copyright Office within five years of the work’s publication and which was registered with the United States Copyright Office before being downloaded by Anthropic, or within three months of publication. 1) Was your book pirated by LibGen or PiLiMi? You can check the database here. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/03/search-libgen-data-set/682094/ 2) Did you have an ISBN or ASIN for your ebook? A lot of authors don't assign them to ebooks, which were the format of the books pirated. 3) Did you
(or your publisher) file copyright with the US Copyright Office? A ton of authors don't bother with this since it costs a minimum of $65. 4) Have you put your name and information on the Anthropic Copyright Settlement form? https://www.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/contact It appears that authors will receive as much as $3000 for each work pirated. To be honest, when I saw this lawsuit, I almost didn't include myself, thinking the payout would be like $10 per pirated book. But I went through the trouble when I saw I had 18 titles on the list. And thank heavens, my publisher routinely files copyright for all titles. I'm holding my breath, waiting for
some technicality to knock me out, but who knows? But I did want you folks to be aware, just incase this involves you, too.
Sign up for a free consultation call! I listen to your writerly woes (believe me, I get it!), then steer you toward success with strategies tailored to
you. You'll leave each session with a new perspective, a clear action plan — and the confidence to actually follow through. With 15+ years of freelancing for top consumer and trade publications (NYT, WSJ, BBC, WIRED, AFAR, Fast Company) and major brands, I now coach freelance writers who just need a little guidance to land their dream clients. What you'll get in our 60-min coaching sessions: - Personalized pitch feedback + ideas on who to pitch
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Curious? Learn more and sign up for a FREE 20-min consultation call. Got questions? Write me: workwithme@suchirudra.com And don't forget to follow me on Instagram @nomadicwriterlife for juicy freelancing tips! -Oct 4, 2025 - Signing The Coffee Shelf, Chapin, SC 8AM-NOON -Oct 11, 2025 - Signing The Edisto Island Bookstore, Edisto, SC - 3-5 PM -Oct 13, 2025 - Edisto Art Guild, Edisto Island, SC - 7-9 PM -Oct 14, 2025 - Moncks Corner Book Club, MC
Train Depot, 100 Behrman St, Moncks Corner, SC - 3-6 PM -Nov 22, 2025 - Christmas Market - 8AM-2PM - ICRC Rec Ctr, Chapin, SC
Email: hope@chopeclark.com to schedule events, online or otherwise. “To find a form that accommodates the mess, that is the task of the artist.” – Samuel Beckett
<<If you have a success story you believe was prompted by FundsforWriters, please share with us! Send to hope@chopeclark.com >> Emotional Multi-tasking
By Dan Brotzel Ever since my hours were cut right back and I returned to freelancing, the plates have been spinning faster than ever. I have lots of content,
editing and journalism gigs on the go, which I am grateful for, but it’s not uncommon for them to have overlapping deadlines. Sometimes you work crazy hours because each client understandably has no interest in your other clients’ requirements. And if you turn a job down you may not get offered another. Along with doing the actual work of writing, there’s also the stuff that goes with juggling freelance gigs – submitting ideas, chasing
payments, networking, updating the portfolio and all the rest. So I’ve been busy, and I’ve been earning, which is great, but at the same time I’m desperate to hold on to the work I’m really passionate about: fiction. Like many of us, I don’t earn enough from fiction to be able to do it full-time. In the UK, the number of authors whose entire income comes from writing dropped
from 40% in 2006 to just 19% in 2022. And the average income for people who say writing is their primary occupation dropped to just £7000 (roughly $9350). So people do other things to make ends meet. Many like me do content writing and journalism. Others work as teachers, librarians, or social media managers. But we all face the same challenge – holding on to creative dreams while holding down the day job. This is extra hard because the creative stuff isn’t just a simple To Do list. Our heads spin with ideas and projects at different stages, and you need not only time but also mental headspace to try and make things happen. It may be almost impossible to multi-task – as people are always saying – but as writers we must balance work that makes ends meet without giving up on the work we owe to our
writer souls. I call this emotional multi-tasking. How can it be done? One option is to rise early and write an hour or two on your dream work before the workaday schedule starts. I’ve written a couple of novels this way and find it very effective. You’re prioritising the work you really care about, and the obligation creates a clear separation from the bread-and-butter part of your day. Another method is to collaborate on a project and share the load, which means half the time the work moves on without you. I do side projects (like this one) with a writing partner, and we set ourselves strict deadlines for completing outlines, chapters, redrafts and more. We also regularly meet for coffee or beers to discuss progress. Then we share out the subbing. Writing can be lonely; this is the storytelling equivalent of a gym buddy. Setting clear boundaries also helps. When I’m drafting a novel, I set myself a weekly wordcount of 5K (I find that works better for me than a daily one because of work commitments). I’m strict about it, but if by chance I don’t meet it I reset and start again the following week. But you have to embrace the bread-and-butter work, too. I firmly believe that every writing project I take on
teaches me. For example, from my years of editing articles and content I’ve learnt loads about writing more economically. I’ve had to become much more disciplined about deadlines, and how to keep going even when I don’t feel inspired. So I try to see commercial projects as teachable moments, not annoying hurdles to my writing dreams. Finally, we must embrace the idea that writers don’t have clear linear careers so much as a portfolio
of projects, each at different stages and all with uncertain outcomes. As novelist Stephen May recently put it:
‘Artists don't have careers. What they have is a constellation of projects, some of which shine brightly and others are barely visible from the start. You don't know what will happen and you don't get to choose.’
It's precarious and it’s risky, but the rewards are all the sweeter for the
special blend of emotional and mental resources writers have to master and manage.
AUTHOR: Dan Brotzel’s latest novel is Thank You For The Days.
MONEY CHRONICLES CONTEST
https://short-edition.com/en/contest/principal-2025
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 12, 2025. Principal Foundation believes sharing stories about experiences with
money is an important stepping stone to building a more financially secure future, and that's why they're proud to launch the third edition of their national short story contest, in partnership with Short Edition and The Center for Fiction. The first 400 submissions will be read by Short Edition’s editorial team and the winner will be selected by a panel of esteemed authors, curated by The Center for Fiction. Up to 20 finalists will also be awarded. The winner will receive a $1000 honorarium,
and each finalist will also receive an honorarium of $150. In addition, Short Edition will consider the winner and all finalists for international publication in their 300+ Dispensers worldwide, located in universities, public libraries, airports, public transportation centers, retail, and many other locations. Limit 7,500 characters (note that is not word count). ROSEMARY DANIELL FICTION PRIZE
https://minervarising.com/submissions/fictionprize-submissions/
$30 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 10, 2025. Minerva Rising is seeking short story collections, novellas and novels from women writers. Submit a completed, polished manuscript of 40,000 to 70,000 words. Genre — literary, romance, historical fiction, mystery/suspense, speculative,
hybrid. Prize — $1,000 and 10 copies. MOONLIT GETAWAY SHORT FICTION CONTEST
https://www.moonlitgetaway.com/contests
ENTRY FEE $5 (CAD) CANADIAN and $8 (CAD) INTERNATIONALLY. Deadline October 12, 2025. One winner will be awarded $250 (CAD) for one short story. Two runners-up
will be awarded $50 (CAD) for one short story each. All three stories will be featured on our website and published in our print anthology - Harvest Moon Volume Two (September 2026). Max word count: 2,500. LATINO VOICES IN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE WRITING CONTEST
https://go.teachercreatedmaterials.com/free-spirit/latino-voices-childrens-literature-writing-contest
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 13, 2025. The contest is open to Latino authors who are at least 18 years of age or older and residing anywhere in the United States. Must be original children’s books for ages 0–4 (50–125 words) or for ages 4–8 (300–800 words). Must feature authentic, realistic Latino characters and culture. Must
focus on one or more of the following topics: resilience, character development, self-esteem, identity, diversity, getting along with others, engaging with family and community, traditions, or other topics related to positive childhood development. Must be written either in English or in bilingual English-Spanish. Must be unpublished. First prize $1000. Second price $500. Third prize $300. BATEAU PRESS CHAPBOOK CONTEST
https://bateaupress.submittable.com/submit
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 15, 2025. Send us your best work. Send us funny work, quirky work, outstanding work, work that is well punctuated or lacks punctuation. Fearless work. Work that wants to crash on our sofa. We are looking for poetry, prose, playscripts, comics,
art, hybrids, insanity, rants, oddnesses, and stuff that makes us go: WOW. Winner gets $250 & 25 copies of their book. Between 20 -30 pages of poetry, prose, comics, art, insanity, hybrids, rants, joy, etc.
GRANTS / FELLOWSHIP / CROWDFUNDING ALBEE RESIDENCY
https://www.albeefoundation.org/guidelines--submitting.html
Deadline October 13, 2025. The Barn hosts a year-round residency program designed to offer space to
four creative persons for calendar-month-long periods. Writers and Visual Artists receive a generously sized ensuite bedroom (individually, of course, not one big sleep-away camp nightmare) and private studios. The communal library is also really really cool. So is the eat-in kitchen. And the patio. As of 2025 we are providing financial assistance in the amount of $2500 per Fellow, which will be disbursed upon completion of the residency period. DORA MAAR CULTURAL CENTER RESIDENCIES
https://maisondoramaar.org/
Deadline October 15, 2025. There is one Admission cycle per year, March 1st-October 15th, for residencies in the following year from March through November. The Dora Maar Cultural Center, located in the Dora Maar House and Hotel de Tingry in Ménerbes, France,
offers artists’ residencies for individuals of exceptional vision to produce enduring works of art, literature, and scholarship. JONATHAN LARSON GRANTS
https://americantheatrewing.org/program/jonathan-larson-grants/
Deadline September 26, 2025. The
grant is awarded to musical theatre composers, lyricists, and librettists, or writing teams, early in their career, to support artistic endeavors and safeguard long-term music writing careers. INDIANA WIP EXCHANGE LABS
https://www.in.gov/arts/programs-and-services/partners/wip-exchange-labs
Indiana artists! Are you looking to gain traction in your creative process? Join at the IAC program Work In Progress: Exchange Labs this fall to share ideas with fellow creatives in your local area. Exchange Labs are in-person convenings for artists of all disciplines to gather to discuss topics of interest pertaining to creatives, exchange strategies with their creative peers, and connect with local
arts leaders to support the completion of projects that advance their creative careers in Indiana. Artists who attend Exchange Labs this September and October are eligible to apply for a Micro-Support Grant to support their creative careers. Work In Progress: Exchange Labs take place monthly in five different areas of the state. Interested in joining? Applications for the fall cycle of the program will open September 17. IFN CINEMATIC ARTS EXPO & GRANT WRITING BEST PRACTICES FOR FILMMAKERS
https://www.moriartymedia.com/
Date: September 20, 2025. Location Carmel, Indiana. The Carmel Film Forum is proud to announce the upcoming event, the IFN Cinematic Arts Expo & Grant Writing Best Practices for Filmmakers. This exciting opportunity invites
filmmakers and artistic professionals to deepen their understanding of the cinematic arts and secure funding for their projects. Join fellow creators to explore the cinematic arts and learn essential grant writing best practices. This event is not only an opportunity to acquire knowledge but also to forge meaningful connections that can enhance future projects.
BOOKMARKS
https://www.bookmarksmagazine.com/contact-us.html
We are relatively structured with our content, and we seldom consider pitches that fall outside that structure. We do not publish original reviews; rather, our mission is to
summarize existing reviews from major newspapers and magazines (in our opinion, the last thing the world needs ... is another opinion). Within a fairly structured format, we also publish classic and contemporary author profiles as well as specific articles on various topics (Historical Fiction About the Renaissance, Best New Crime Writing, What's New in Europe, Feminist Fiction, Books of World War II, etc.). Submit a resume and short (fewer than 1,000 words) book- or literary-related writing
sample in the text of your email message. We will not consider applications without a writing sample; nor do we consider book manuscripts. Pays up to $400. CHICKEN SOUP - HEAVEN AND ANGELS
http://www.chickensoup.com
Deadline January 15, 2026. We know that everyone has stories about
miracles, angels, messages from heaven, premonitions, amazing coincidences and other unexplainable but good events that have happened to them. We are looking for powerful, astounding stories that will make people say "wow" or ask" how did that happen?" or give them chills. This book is for everyone, whether religious or non-religious. Limit 1200 words. You will receive a check for $250 and 10 free copies of the book. OFFRANGE
https://ambrook.com/offrange/writing-for-us
Farming and ranching are our primary focus but Offrange also publishes stories about fisheries, meat production, natural resources, and public lands. Offrange rates will vary depending on writer experience and the complexity of a particular story, but generally fall between $0.50 and $1.00 a word. CAPITAL AND MAIN
https://app.qwoted.com/job_postings/capital-main-pitches-remote-7738efb7-9035-49b5-be74-21375aa725bc
Founded in 2013, Capital & Main reports on inequities related to class, race, immigration, gender, corporate
accountability, climate change and energy, education and health, both in California and nationally. Our stories are co-published in a wide range of outlets, including USA Today, Newsweek, the Guardian, Fast Company and the American Prospect. In 2020, Capital & Main produced the largest American reporting project on inequality, with nearly 100 stories over the course of 12 months. CLIMATE HOME NEWS
https://www.climatechangenews.com/2025/09/01/call-for-pitches-climate-home-news-seeks-story-ideas-on-critical-mineral-supply-chains
Climate Home News is seeking pitches on the trends shaping the extraction, processing and governance of key raw materials for the energy transition,
including lithium, nickel, copper and rare earths. We welcome pitches from journalists with at least three years’ experience. You must have fluent spoken and written English. Journalists from all countries are welcome to apply. We can offer a rate of $0.46 per word for news stories up to 800 words.
SCHAFFNER PRESS
https://schaffnerpress.com/submissions/
All submissions to Schaffner Press must be in the English language and in the following categories:
Fiction: literary adult fiction, short fiction collection, historical with socially
relevant content, crime fiction. Non-fiction–memoir, autobiography, biography. Journalistic Expose or Narrative, True Crime, Art, Culture, pop culture, World History, current events, science, arts and letters, US history, military history, music, are some of the preferred categories. Please no Children’s or Young Adult fiction or non-fiction. No science fiction, romance, or fantasy. We will consider manuscripts between 60,000 – 100,000 words. PLAINSPOKEN BOOKS
https://kansaspress.ku.edu/plainspoken/
Plainspoken Books is a boutique trade imprint for nonfiction books that amplify the voices of the Midwest by telling local stories of national significance. SPENCER HILL PRESS
https://www.spencerhillpress.com/contact-us/submission-guidelines/
We are currently accepting only YA and New Adult / Contemporary Romance manuscripts at this time. DANCING STAR PRESS
https://dancingstarpress.com/submissions/
Dancing Star Press is seeking submissions of speculative fiction novellas. UPLIT PRESS
https://uplitpress.co.uk/submissions/
We want to publish books with a positive message. NOT looking for: Anything
that glorifies violence, Horror, Crime or thrillers, Books that have already been self-published. What we ARE looking for: Young Adult, Fantasy/Sci-Fi, Romance, General fiction: anything uplifting, but we’re especially interested in positive representations of mental health issues. Also, Memoir, Middle Grade, and Picture books.
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
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