VOLUME 25, ISSUE 38 | SEPTEMBER 19, 2025 |
THE BIG AND LITTLE PICTURE Well, I have bronchitis from Covid, my third week of having this damn bug. I am not particularly happy about the situation, but I am trying to see the bigger picture. I am better, just not BETTER. Some would say Covid is the bigger picture, but it's not. The bigger picture is who I am and what I do and what I want out of life. Covid is a bump in the road. So I write. . . daily. I put on my music, light my candle, fix my tea, and I sit down to work. Sure, I could tell myself I should be lying down, but is that the truth? I'm still resting seated in a chair at my keyboard. I can't quite go to the gym. I went two weeks ago and crashed. I went last week and crashed. Next week I'll try again. But for now, I do gentler Tai Chi exercises. The less you move, the worse you feel. I don't want to return to the gym and can hardly move. What's the point? The point is you do not let one obstacle stop you. In the gym we have what we call modifications if someone cannot do the full range of a
particular exercise. There is no shame in modification. In truth, the fact you are there and still working out is the bigger, more important picture. When it comes to writing, we get rejected, we hate AI, we tire of the novel we're writing, we can't seem to get successful at this thing we seem to love. Those little picture items don't have to stop you from the bigger picture. Show up. Write. Submit. Study. Read. Enjoy the process. The
bigger picture is you love what you do. You'll do it whether a little bit or a lot, but you cannot imagine NOT doing it. Don't mistake a little picture item as anything strong enough to stop you from living your life. |
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THE PROS AND CONS OF REGISTERING A COPYRIGHT
In the recent and pending Anthropic $1.5B settlement, a lot of writers were disappointed that their work was pirated, used, yet they did not qualify for this settlement, which amounted to about $3,000 per pirated book. One of the main disqualifiers was not
having filed a formal copyright with the United States Copyright Office. https://www.copyright.gov/ I read a recent article that cried foul a bit, saying a lot of writers had their work stolen yet they will not be compensated, because of this formality. Why do some writers file and others do not? Most
traditional publishers automatically do so for each book, but self-publishing and indie published authors don't often do so. What are the pros and cons? Pros
1) You demonstrate legal ownership.
2) You earn the legal right to file a copyright infringement lawsuit in federal court.
3) It's easier to sell rights to a work, potentially increasing its monetary value.
4) Decreases odds of being pirated. Cons
1) Fees. Minimum $65.
2) One more nuisance step in publishing that will not likely generate a return.
3) To enforce in court is often a financial burden.
4) It protects the way an idea was expressed, but the idea can still be copied. Will I always copyright my books? Yes. Will I always recoup that investment? No. This once, however, I just might. though. And there
are more lawsuits in the works. Whether to file for copyright is an individual decision. There is no right or wrong. Just don't cry foul if you miss out on some class action that might swoop you up. However, what are the odds of that happening? Again, no right or wrong decision. Just own whichever one you make.
TWO WEEKS.
ONE PLUSH BATHROBE.
ZERO INTERRUPTIONS. Imagine two glorious, all-expenses-paid weeks at a hotel to do nothing but write in solitude. Free room service.
A housekeeping staff. A breakfast bar. Your own TV remote. The sun rising over the Great Miami River (aka the Dayton Riviera). And — most importantly — a “Do Not Disturb” sign. Applications for the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop’s A Hotel
Room of One’s Own: The Erma Bombeck Humorist-in-Residence Program will be accepted Sept. 2-Oct. 6. W. Bruce Cameron, prolific novelist and bestselling author of A Dog’s Purpose, and Wendy Liebman, veteran stand-up comic seen on HBO, Showtime, Comedy Central and late-night TV, will choose the two grand prize winners. Preference will be given to emerging humor writers. The package is worth approximately $5,000. The experience? Priceless. Cash prizes also will be awarded to finalists and honorable mentions. Read the announcement and FAQs. Then apply here for what Forbes says "may be the best writer's residency in the
country." Deadline: Oct. 6
Fee: $30 -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 - 7-8:30 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. “Hope is a waking dream.” – Aristotle
<<If you have a success story you believe was prompted by FundsforWriters, please share with us! Send to hope@chopeclark.com >> Engaging With a Conversation Partner to Support Your Author Event
by Peggy Joque Williams A recent library
fundraiser featured Abraham Verghese, author of The Covenant of Water. Instead of standing at a podium talking at us, he engaged in conversation with Rebecca Makkai, author of The Great Believers. . They sat in easy chairs on a dais and discussed Verghese's book, writing habits, and philosophies of life. For the release of my historical novel, Courting the Sun, I held a launch event at a local, independent bookstore. Christine DeSmet, writing coach and author of the Fudge Shop mystery series, served as my conversation partner. I chose her because I knew and enjoyed her interview style. Conversation partners are becoming an increasingly popular strategy for both fiction and non-fiction author events. Their draw includes the promise of a "two-for-one" experience. The audience gets an engaging conversationalist—often another author or notable
person—eliciting the most personal perspectives from the featured author, along with the best, juiciest anecdotes. A casual but focused and authentic conversation about a book and its author, with the option of the author reading a preselected passage, can offer a truly meaningful and memorable experience for readers. The result is a greater likelihood that attendees will talk about the book afterward with other potential readers. Word
of mouth can be a powerful mover in the book market. The optimal time to include a conversation partner is when the author is the "star" of the event. A book launch is a prime example. A time not to use a conversation partner could be when asked to speak to a very small group. Some libraries or bookstore events draw slim audiences for which a solo author giving a book talk might provide a more intimate and more satisfying
experience. The conversation partner can be another author, a journalist, media personality, or someone from a college or organization with a connection to the author, the book, or its theme. When Tommy Orange, an enrolled Cheyenne and Arapaho, was invited to talk at a
local event about his book, Wandering Stars, Aaron Bird Bear, then Director of Tribal Relations at the University of Wisconsin, served as his
conversation partner. Christine DeSmet suggests the word "partner" is key. Both the author and the interviewer are responsible for holding up their end of the discussion. "The author can't just talk about the book; that kills the conversation." She stresses that readers are there to learn about the author as a writer and as a person. While it goes without saying that the
conversation partner must have read the book, DeSmet says, "The interviewer must research the author beforehand" to know what questions to plan. Ideally, those questions will be open-ended and will touch on themes in the book, how the book reflects the author's own life or life perspectives, the emotional journey the author took writing the story, and the author's work habits when writing. The author will also benefit from researching
the conversation partner, looking for parallels in perspectives and experiences that can be employed to enrich a two-way conversation. In addition, DeSmet recommends the author "be ready for a 'left-field question,' because a good interviewer will always pick up on a tidbit they know will interest the audience." A quality conversation will have both the interviewer and the author 'reading' the audience and diving into a particular thread to satisfy the audience and help them feel included. You don't have to be famous or best-selling to engage with a conversation partner when promoting your book. By having an authentic but focused discussion, the author and conversation partner can deliver a momentous book talk for their book-loving audience. Bio: Peggy Joque Williams is a freelance writer and copy editor. She
authored Courting the Sun: A Novel of Versailles (Black Rose Writing, 2024) and co-authored two mystery novels, On the Road to Death's Door and On the Road to Where the Bells Toll. Her newest book, Braving the Dawn: A Novel of New France, will be released in January 2026. You can find her at www.peggywilliamsauthor.com.
PRESS53 AWARD FOR SHORT FICTION
https://www.press53.com/award-for-short-fiction
$30 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 31, 2025. The winner of this contest will receive publication by Press 53, a
$1,000 cash advance and 53 copies of the book; if a runner-up is named, publication, $500 advance, and 25 copies. All prizes will be awarded upon publication. This competition is open to any writer age 18 or older, regardless of his or her publication history, provided the manuscript is written in English and the author lives in the United States or one of its territories. Manuscripts should contain a collection of short stories, which can include flash and micro fiction. Manuscript should
be around 100 to no more than 250 pages in length. VERN RUTSALA BOOK PRIZE
https://cloudbankbooks.com/vern-rutsala-book-contest/
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 31, 2025. A prize of $1,000 is awarded, plus publication of the manuscript and 50 free books. Submit
70 to 90 pages of poetry and/or flash fiction, including a Table of Contents and Acknowledgments page. Submissions are accepted from around the world with no citizenship limitations. The first 50 writers submitting to the contest receive a Cloudbank book or journal. FREE FLASH FICTION THIRTY CONTEST
https://freeflashfiction.com/current-competition/
£4.40 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 23, 2025. Submit a flash fiction piece of between 100 and 300 words, on any theme. Winner will receive £165 and publication. Highly Commended will receive £77 and publication. Shortlisted will receive £66 and publication. The competition is open to writers worldwide but stories must be written in English. CRAFT
FLASH PROSE PRIZE
https://www.craftliterary.com/craft-flash-prose-prize-2025/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 2, 2025. Three winners will receive $1,000 each. Three additional editors’ choice selections will receive $200 each. We’ll review both fiction and creative nonfiction for this prize. Please adhere to the
1,000 word count maximum per piece (you may send up to two flash prose pieces per submission). All entries will be considered for general publication in CRAFT. THE BEDFORD COMPETITION
https://bedfordwritingcompetition.co.uk/
£8.50 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 31, 2025. Short
story and poetry prizes, each category – £2000, £300, £200. Also, National Cygnature Competition Prizes are open to young writers worldwide aged 17-25 yrs. Bedford short story and poetry prizes open to those residing in the Bedford, UK area. (see competition rules for eligible postcodes). All submissions are entered in the Main Prize. Stories maximum 3000 words. Poems maximum 40 lines. Stories must be no more than 3000 words. Entries can be from anywhere in the world. GRANTS / FELLOWSHIP / CROWDFUNDING GRAND MARAIS ART COLONY RESIDENCIES
https://grandmaraisartcolony.slideroom.com/#/login/program/63320
Deadline October 17, 2025. The Art Colony provides artists with
self-guided work space in professional studios set on Minnesota’s North Shore. An environment of creative freedom supports the process and development of new works, allowing for a combination of aesthetic inquiry, creative risk-taking, experimentation, and artistic development. There are no outcome requirements. Open to artists based anywhere in the world. NEBRASKA INDIVIDUAL ARTIST GRANTS
https://www.artscouncil.nebraska.gov/apply/individual-artist-fellowship/
Deadline November 17, 2025. The Individual Artist Fellowship program recognizes artists in Nebraska. Fellowship recipients are chosen by a professional panel according to the merit of their work. Funds must be used for the creation of new art, presentations,
training, and/or research. Applicants may be awarded up to $5,000. MARY SHELLEY SCHOLARSHIP
https://horrorscholarships.com/mary-shelley-scholarship
Deadline October 1, 2025. The Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Scholarship will be open to horror writers who
identify as women. Each Scholarship is worth $2500, which may be spent on approved writing education over the two years following the granting of the scholarship. SHEARING FELLOWSHIP
https://blackmountaininstitute.org/fellowships/apply/
Deadline September 30,
2025. The Beverly Rogers, Carol C. Harter Black Mountain Institute hosts residential fellowships every academic year. Visiting fellows join a community of writers and scholars in a thriving literary scene in Las Vegas and on the campus of UNLV. For emerging and distinguished writers who have published at least one book with a trade or literary press. Includes compensation of $46,500 paid over a nine-month period; a nine-month-long letter of appointment; eligibility for optional health
coverage; office space in the BMI offices on the campus of UNLV; and housing. AKRON SOUL TRAIN RESIDENCIES
https://www.akronsoultrain.org/apply-for-residency
Akron Soul Train welcomes regional artists from various disciplines, encompassing visual, performing, and written arts, to
submit their applications. Residencies are typically granted for a duration of one month, although they can be tailored to accommodate the artist's preferences and the scope of their proposed project, allowing for a shorter or longer duration for creation. Time, a stipend of $1000, and resources to create a new body of artwork for a public exhibition, performance, reading, or publication. Artists must be regional (close enough to drive to Akron for events or be willing to travel for
programming). Akron, Ohio locale. TRACTOR BEAM
https://www.tractorbeam.earth/about
Deadline October 6, 2025. Tractor Beam is a quarterly speculative and science fiction publication dedicated to soilpunk: radical visions of hopeful futures on Earth. Our editorial mandate
is to explore provocative, optimistic ideas around farming, food, soil, and beyond, reimagining how humans can live more harmoniously with nature. Tractor Beam pays $1,000 for all accepted submissions. We prefer stories under 6,000 words or graphic novellas at 16 panels. FACTOR FOUR MAGAZINE
https://factorfourmag.com/submissionsinfo/
We publish flash fiction in the genres of speculative fiction, specifically science fiction, fantasy, supernatural, super hero, or any combination of these. Limit 1000 words. Fiction is paid at a rate of eleven (11) U.S. cents per word based on our word processor’s word count and excludes title, author information, etc. WAYWORD MEDIA
https://waywordmedia.ca/
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NkXSDAH0ladPGaETCESPwLT5q4Pe2bAIyKWMb0ehYGw/edit?tab=t.0
Wayword Media is always looking for freelance travel stories to commission
for the Toronto Star, Canada’s largest daily print newspaper and one of the country’s biggest online news sites. Stories typically range from 600 to 1,000 words and should go beyond straightforward travelogues, offering readers sharp, specific angles and fresh perspectives. Writers may be based in or outside Canada, and pitches should be concise and targeted, not full drafts. Accepted articles generally pay $300–$500 CAD inclusive of photos, with payment made within 30 days of final
acceptance. LATE CHECKOUT
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VkBxIpyYkFrs6TyVkdIenmOpuwZy1wLhjW5qEaxZJhk/edit
https://newsletter.latecheckouttime.com/
Late Checkout is a cheat sheet for jet setters and go-getters with a penchant for all things food, drink and travel. Whether it's the biggest trends in bars and restaurants, curated city guides, design inspiration, shoppable packing lists, or noteworthy cultural moments, Late Checkout is here to make your life a little easier and a lot more enjoyable. Sleep in. We got you. Must be based in the U.S. (tax stuff!) Pays $150 for 200
words. BIG THINK
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSceFJtrw0ZjBc-kQjE5_g-wIWN2wwdduFh7kTM4hZwG6pn2MQ/viewform
We’re always looking for original feature pitches about transformative trends, scientific breakthroughs, and
emerging ideas that challenge conventional wisdom, including interviews with high-profile scientists, entrepreneurs, authors, and thinkers. You can use this form to submit pitches or reach out to us with questions at pitches@bigthink.com. Our beats include: Psychology & Neuroscience, Hard Science, History & World Affairs, Philosophy, Business, Books (mainly nonfiction; Big Think often covers new books
about all of the above topics). Pays up to $1/word.
ARCADIA
https://www.arcadia-books.co.uk/landing-page/arcadia-submissions/
Arcadia proudly accepts unsolicited fiction submissions. If you wish to submit, please email the first 10,000 words, or the first three chapters of
your novel to submissions@arcadia-books.co.uk. We will only accept submissions that can be categorized as Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror. EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING
https://www.evernightpublishing.com/general-submissions/
We are currently accepting completed manuscripts of 10,000 up to 100,000 words in all sub-genres of romance and erotic romance. SUNBURY PRESS
https://www.sunburypress.com/pages/contact-us
We are always
seeking new titles to publish including: history, historical fiction, mystery/detective, police procedurals, crime thrillers, horror, literary fiction, young adult, current events, science, reference, art history, ANY local/regional history, humor, spiritual/metaphysical, self-help, professional, memoirs, etc. If we didn’t mention your category — try us anyway! PENMORE PRESS
https://penmorepress.com/submissions/
Penmore Press accepts manuscripts in most genres of adult fiction and nonfiction. We are not publishing self-help books, romance novels, or young adult fiction at the present time. In general, only manuscripts with word counts between 75,000 and 150,000 will be considered. TIMELESS WIND
https://www.timelesswind.com/submissions
Full-length novels over 100k words (this is a hard minimum). No short stories or novellas. If a book is not yet finished, but is planned to reach over 100k words, that is acceptable. Progression fantasy, power fantasy, and Gamelit/LitRPG books. This is the category for such books on Amazon, so you can get a sense
for books in the genre. You must state in the email which subgenre(s) your book falls under or we may reject your submission. Stories with a single main character, such that the majority of the book is from that character’s point of view.
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
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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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