VOLUME 25, ISSUE 41 | OCTOBER 17, 2025 |
WHIRLWIND WEEK We attended three events in four days this week, the closest being 120 miles away. With them being in the afternoon or evening, we arrived home with the day about spent. I have a month until the next one, which is a nice reprieve, allowing me to play catch up on my
latest work-in-progress as well as meet freelance deadlines. But I never tire of walking away with these reminders: - People admire anyone who can sit down long enough to write a novel.
- People admire anyone who can formulate story ideas.
- People admire anyone who chases their dream.
- People admire anyone who is doing work they hope to never retire
from.
- People admire anyone who presents with energy, showing genuine love for what they do.
- People admire anyone who writes for the reader's enjoyment.
- People love a series.
I never fail to walk away empowered after talking to readers. I can ride on those smiles, hugs, photo-taking poses, and conversations for days and days. It makes me want to get home and write more. Nope, an author never writes
just for themselves. There's a strong power in a reader's appreciation. |
COPYRIGHT BEFORE OR AFTER PUBLICATION?
I personally had this question not long ago, with the advent of Hidden on Edisto, book 13 of The Edisto Island Mysteries. With the onset of Anthropic's $1.5B lawsuit settlement, I realized just how important copyright could be. If I could afford to file for copyright, why not do it? So I shot off a copyright request for the manuscript of Hidden on Edisto, pre-publication. It was accepted and processed. There, the odds of my work being stolen were less. But then I wondered. . . how does someone like Anthropic, and the lawyers settling the lawsuit, find an unpublished manuscript? How do they know when it becomes published? Do you refile copyright again? Is there a preference on filing before or after publication? So I called the US Copyright Office and spoke to a specialist. She stated a copyright was like a chain of title on a piece of real estate. You still own the deed, so even if there are changes on the property, it's still listed as yours. So if an unpublished manuscript has copyright, then becomes published, there is no need to file again. The Author's Guild, however, suggested otherwise. You could get
lost in the fray and be accidentally excluded. Without an ISBN, without a copyright of the published book, you can be overlooked. They suggested filing again. So, the choices are these: 1) File only once the book is published.
2) File only the manuscript and understand the published manuscript is still covered.
3) File twice, before and after. Yes, that's $65 a pop. That might assist you in deciding how to play these odds. Or you could file absolutely nothing and go with the old-fashioned (and true) method of being able to prove that you were the first to write the work based on the dates on your computer file. The downside to that is if a lawsuit like that of Anthropic comes along, .you are excluded. The dice is in your hand.
The Story Unlikely Annual Short Story Contest is back, and for our 5th year, we're giving away $5,000! What we're looking for: great stories regardless of genre or author pedigree. Unlike other outlets, we're laser-focused on the quality of the writing, not the author's background (or social media following). Can you tell a good story? Great, then submit today!
Basic info below: - $3,000 for 1st place, $1,000 for 2nd, $750 for 3rd, and $250 to the winner of our new REPRINT category
- All placing stories will be published in our magazine and professionally illustrated (by real, human artists!)
- NO entry fee
- NO restrictions on genre, open to fiction and creative non-fiction
- 7,000 word limit (or 10,000 if you're a Member)
- Submission
period runs from October 14th through January 14th (Members can submit until January 31st)
- View contest details here: https://www.storyunlikely.com/#contest
-Nov 14-19, 2025 - exact date TBD - signing Edisto Bookstore, Edisto, SC -Nov 22, 2025 - Christmas Market - 8AM-2PM - ICRC Rec
Ctr, Chapin, SC
Email: hope@chopeclark.com to schedule events, online
or otherwise. “Rest satisfied with doing well, and leave others to talk of you as they please.” — Pythagoras (570–495 BC)
<<If you have a success story you believe was prompted by FundsforWriters, please share with us! Send to hope@chopeclark.com >> Quicker Turnaround Income
By Alex J. Coyne If there’s a single lesson I’ve learned in writing full-time, it’s that emergencies are inevitable. Food budgets run short, bills pile
up, or there’s a medical situation or repair that needs urgent attention and grains time and money—often when the next publication date is far away, as is the payment for same. Here’s how to find writing jobs that might pay quicker.
Connecting with Known Clients
Start by connecting with your known and trusted clients. Ask if there’s any current work or writing project, and there might be
an opportunity. A known customer relationship is an easier start for making money-in-a-pinch than finding a new editor who may take weeks to approve fresh copy. Great Bridge Links, Gifts for Mystics, and FundsforWriters have been supportive of my writing (and thankfully) for many years. I can query them, and they already know my writing quality and work ethic. These established markets are worth their weight in gold. Agency Overflow Create a list of content agencies and refer to these for overflow work. Contact these agencies and ask them to place you on a list of overflow, emergency copywriters. Most agencies keep a list of these for when their staff (or regulars) are unable to work. The more agencies have your resume on file, the more likely this is to succeed. I’ve done quick jobs for agencies like Levy
Online and TextBoss when they needed a writer, and that work has helped get me out of a pinch or two. Direct-from-Author Jobs Connect directly with authors. While a publication might only pay after publication in three months, negotiating an immediate job with an author could have more favorable payment terms for both parties. Editing, proofreading, and
ghostwriting are common services you could offer with experience. I’ve worked as writer’s assistant for Raven Digitalis, and edited fiction by Hermione le Roux-Ellis. These direct-from-author jobs paid the rent and bought the food, both at a lifesaving time when I wasn’t sure how to pay the bills.
Direct-to-Reader Sales
Sales doesn’t always have to mean hawking merchandise and a starting budget. Instead, think of what you could sell directly to readers—a writing workbook, your personal writing notes, or a collection or previously unpublished stories released as an ebook. Add a downloadable item for sale through Buy Me a Coffee or WordPress; it’s free. Encourage sales via writing classifieds and book groups, or advertise to your readers if you have an existing (even small) fan base. I’ve sold
signed copies of the horror collection Skrik op die Lyf via classifieds and book groups when needing money. I occasionally sell notes, illustrations, and other signed things through my personal website. When people aren’t buying articles or stories, what else can readers buy from you? Look at local newspapers, small publications, and writing newsletters for (sometimes free)
potential reach outside your audience. Sometimes people will buy items just to own something from an author, even if they don’t quite know them yet. Selling Your Time Time is valuable, and many authors have other services advertised. People can pay for your time instead of commissioning an article from you, maybe in the form of consultations or per-hour
services. There’s editing and proofreading, and if you are familiar with self-publishing, formatting and cover design. Teach classes at the library. Tutor writing. My own website advertises proofreading and creative tarot reading services. Similarly, Raven is also a proficient tarot reader and editor. Other than
articles and books, we’re selling our time as an added branch to our business. Focus on what you’re good at and advertise it, riding on the back of your writing reach. Sometimes these other items can be the income you need in an emergency, to fill in the void between writing gigs.
About the Author: Alex J. Coyne is a journalist, author, and proofreader. He has written for an array of publications and websites, with a radar calibrated for gothic, gonzo, and the weird.
ID 6139367
THE MASTERS REVIEW NOVEL EXCERPT CONTEST
https://themastersreview.submittable.com/submit/334763/2025-novel-excerpt-contest-judged-by-nick-fuller-googins-3-000-prize
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 9, 2025. The winning excerpt will be awarded $3,000; online publication; and an hour-long consultation with Marin Takikawa, a literary agent with The Friedrich Agency. Second- and third-place excerpts will be awarded online publication and $300 and $200 respectively, in addition to written feedback from
Takikawa. Submitted excerpts must be under 6,000 words. Submitted work must be previously unpublished. This contest is for emerging writers only. Writers with single-author book-length work published or under contract with a major press are ineligible. NATURE CHRONICLES PRIZE
https://naturechroniclesprize.com/
£15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 31, 2026. We are a biennial, international, English-language literary award proud to have established itself as a generator of stimulating, contemporary essay-length non-fiction on nature. The winner will receive £10,000 and five runners up £1,000 each. All six winning entries will be published in our third anthology. The competition is open to any work of non-fiction prose between 2,000 and
8,000 words long on a topic the writer considers to be contemporary nature writing. It is for work originating in the English language. THE SOUTH CAROLINA YOUNG FILMMAKERS PROJECT
https://www.indiegrants.org/young-filmmakers
Deadline February 9, 2026.Participating
students must create a short film (two minutes max) telling a cinematic story in any genre, following all rules and this year's Creative Challenge -.- use a MEGAPHONE as a prop. Top Ten scorers will screen at a special program where winners will be announced. First Prize receives $750, Second Prize $500, and Third Prize $250. Each entrant must be a high school (grades 9-12) living in South Carolina during the 2025-26 school year. RALEIGH REVIEW FLASH FICTION CONTEST
https://raleighreview.org/rr-flash-fiction-prize
$7 ENTRY FEE (OPTIONAL). Deadline October 31, 2025. First Prize includes $300 USD and publication in the Spring 2026 issue. Finalists will receive our standard $15 payment along with publication. All Finalists will receive a 2-year
subscription to Raleigh Review. Submit up to two unpublished works of flash per entry. Flash works should be no longer than 1000 words each, combine both stories in one file. GRANTS / FELLOWSHIP / CROWDFUNDING MISS SARAH FELLOWSHIP
https://www.trilliumartsnc.org/writing-fellowships-guidelines
The "Miss Sarah" Fellowship for Black Women Writers aims to provide Black women writers a restful environment
conducive to reflection and writing. It also offers uninterrupted, independent time to plant the seed of an idea for a new writing project or to develop or complete a project underway. For 2026 the Fellowship will focus on the genre of Fiction. The selected writer will receive a ten-day solo residency in July 2026 and can choose whether to stay at Trillium Arts' rural "Firefly Creek" apartment in Mars Hills, NC or at E. Patrick Johnson and Stephen Lewis' "Montford Manor" residence near downtown
Asheville, NC. Participants will receive a $1,000 stipend and transportation to and from Asheville, NC. Black women writers at any stage of their careers are invited to apply. THE OPEN NOTEBOOK FELLOWSHIPS
https://www.theopennotebook.com/early-career-fellowship-program/
Deadline October 31, 2025. The Open Notebook offers a paid, part-time fellowship program for early-career science journalists. During the course of this fellowship, fellows work with a mentor to plan, report, and write articles for publication at The Open Notebook and become part of the TON editorial team. This one-year program offers fellows the opportunity to explore their career interests
and passions and to sharpen their skills as part of a talented, supportive, diverse community of past and present fellows and mentors. Stipend: $6,600. MASSACHUSETTS GRANTS
https://massculturalcouncil.org/artists-art/grants-for-creative-individuals/
Deadline October 28, 2025. Grants for Creative Individuals are unrestricted grants of $5,000 to Massachusetts artists, culture bearers, and creative practitioners to equitably advance creative expression throughout our diverse communities. THE CENTER FOR ART AND ADVOCACY - FOR THOSE PREVIOUS INCARCERATED
https://centerforartandadvocacy.submittable.com/submit
The Center for Art and Advocacy will accept applications from creatives working in visual art, film, music, creative writing, performance, design, and multidisciplinary practices for the 2026 Fellowship (formerly Right of Return) from September 15 through October 26, 2025.
The Center's Fellowship, formerly known as Right of Return, is open to directly impacted creatives from every discipline. For the 8th annual cohort, a panel of external reviewers will select six new 2026 Right of Return Fellows from our open-call applicant pool to receive a $20,000 grant, mentorship, and community building opportunities. For the first time ever, one of the six fellowships will be designated to an artist between 18-24 years of age. In the context of this Fellowship,
“directly impacted” includes those who have themselves been incarcerated in U.S. prisons, jails, or detention centers. Those who were detained in migrant detention centers must have since attained U.S. citizenship by the time of this application’s opening. TALLGRASS ARTIST RESIDENCE
https://tallgrassartistresidency.org/apply/
Deadline October 31, 2025. Artists are provided lodging at Matfield Station in the small community of Matfield Green, Kansas — 20 miles from Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and home to a number of artists and community builders. Residencies are offered in two-week (10 night) periods between April and September. Each artist will receive a $650 stipend from the Kansas Arts Commission for travel and material
reimbursement to be awarded after residencies are completed. Ecoregion exchange artists traveling from 700+ miles away will receive an extra stipend for travel.
CREPUSCULAR MAGAZINE
https://www.patreon.com/posts/submission-85137677
Crepuscular is interested in microfiction stories exploring places, characters, and questions buried in the gray areas between this and that, here and there, night and
day, alive and dead, evil and good, feminine and masculine, up and down, real and unreal. While we lean toward speculative pieces, we have a love for those in-between-y pieces that blur genre. We accept horror (both spec and non), fantasy, science fiction, general/literary fiction, and everything in between. Maximum word length is 250 words. Pays ten cents/word. COSMOS INSTITUTE
https://cosmosinst.typeform.com/pitches
Offering $1,000 each for essays around 2,000 words in length to be published on our Substack. If you’re interested, send us three short paragraphs summarising your article using the form. Our team is interested in writing about how AI can support human flourishing, organized around five core themes: Truth-seeking: the ability to inquire openly and correct our errors
Human autonomy: the cultivated capacity for self-direction
Decentralization: systems that resist coercion, capture, and control
History: the intellectual origins of technology, especially AI
Philosophy and AI: applying philosophical ideas to AI development WRITER'S DIGEST
https://www.writersdigest.com/resources/submission-guidelines
Writer’s Digest, the No. 1 magazine for writers, celebrates the writing life and what it means to be a writer in today’s publishing environment. We consider completed manuscripts on spec, as well as original pitches. A query should include a thorough outline that introduces your article proposal and highlights each
of the points you intend to make. Your query should discuss how the article will benefit our readers, why the topic is timely and why you’re the appropriate writer to discuss the topic. For manuscripts, we pay 50 cents per word, on acceptance, for first world rights for one-time print use and perpetual electronic use. Should we want to reprint anything we've purchased from you in anything other than electronic format, we'll pay you 25% of the original purchase price per use. Especially seeking
March/April 2026 THEME: Achieve Perfect Pacing. Click here to submit your pitch for March/April 2026: https://forms.gle/aAe5GRpUKXAy79TW7 NEWSWEEK
https://www.newsweek.com/contact
Send pitches to Rheana Murray, Essays Editor at r.murray@newsweek.com. Looking for personal stories about parenting, health and relationships. See samples at https://www.newsweek.com/topic/parenting CAMEL PRESS
https://camelpress.com/submissions/
We look for historical fiction and genre fiction: mystery, cozy mystery, suspense, romance (specifically contemporary, historical, and suspense). Series proposals are welcome. We prefer word counts between
50,000 and 100,000 words. We are not currently accepting works of horror fiction, sci-fi/fantasy, poetry, or children's titles at any of our imprints. IMBRIFEX BOOKS
https://imbrifex.com/submissions/
Imbrifex Books is known for award-winning hiking, road trip, and fishing guides as well as
outstanding—and also award-winning—voices in fiction. ROMANCE.INK
https://www.romance.ink/submissions
We are a romance publisher. As such, our books follow the most basic rules of romance: two people fall in love and end up happy. LITERARY WANDERLUST
https://www.literarywanderlust.com/submissions
We are currently accepting in the following genres: Adult Romance (All sub-genres and heat levels), Women's Fiction, Historical and Western Fiction, Adult Paranormal and Urban Fantasy, Adult Crime, Mystery, and Thriller Fiction, Adult LGBTQ, YA and Adult Science Fiction
and Fantasy. 5 PRINCE PUBLISHING
https://www.5princebooks.com/submissions.html
Seeks romance in assorted subgenres, only from US authors.
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. | |
|
|
|
