VOLUME 26, ISSUE 16 | APRIL 17, 2026 |
ANOTHER WEIRD AI EXPERIENCE I received an email from a woman (first name only) asking if I'd be a reference and be willing to be interviewed for an article being written for USA Today on my opinions about AI. She said FundsforWriters had reach, and my opinion mattered, and I'd be a
good expert reference along with others. They wanted a phone call. I said no phone call, but I'd be willing to answer questions. She said she'd email them to me. I can't put my finger on it exactly, but something about the wording niggled me. "You're AI, aren't you?" She said yes, I caught her, good eye. She was querying me for a journalist. She was an AI being used by a
stable of journalists with a media company. I said hard pass on the interview. These things are really getting good. |
The Poe family (yes, that Poe) celebrates the matron’s eightieth birthday at Edisto Beach. But in a macabre sense of legacy, the members assume a vengeful script of poisonous tricks as they vie for a place in grandmother’s Will. When the grandson is poisoned,
Edisto Beach Police Chief Callie Morgan arrives to nail the culprit, only for the family diminish the act to a prank. All possess the culinary skills endowed upon them by the Grand Dame Doris Woolf Poe, author of a renowned cookbook, and the culprit could be any one of them. Then when Callie learns her son knows the Poes, her professional and personal lives cross into very uncomfortable territory. (Available at Hope's site or wherever books are sold.) ANTHOLOGIES
I've had anthology editors come to us and ask that FFW promote their call for submissions. I like anthologies. I like the team concept, and the theme concept. Some are fun and others are socially noble. However, not all of them are accepted in FundsforWriters. First, the markets listed in FFW must pay $200 flat fee or 10 cents/word (scifi/fantasy has a 6 cents/word professional threshold that we honor). Some anthologies like Chicken Soup pay the writer upon acceptance and meet this requirement with $250. Most others, however, have a lone editor who collects pieces, selects some, then approaches a publisher unless they choose to self-publish. Rarely do the authors receive the $200 minimum. When someone asks me about writing for anthologies, I tell them not to expect much money. If you enter, do so because you already have a piece that fits, or the theme speaks loudly to you. Maybe you love the idea of being lumped with like souls, sharing a cause. But know going into this that you will likely receive one or two little checks up front, and I mean the size of a Starbucks coffee, then
nothing more. Yes, they can be enjoyable, and nonprofits and causes love to use them for messaging, but these won't be a major number on your income spreadsheet nor a very loud credit in your resume. Be selective, but know you'll decide more with your heart than your head to submit to them.
-April 18, 2026 - The Coffee Shelf, 130 Amicks Ferry Rd, Chapin, SC 29036 -8AM-noon -April 30, 2026 -
Edisto Bookstore, 547 SC-174, Edisto Island, SC - 3-5PM -June 4, 2026 - Chapin Library, Chapin, SC - 1-2 PM -June 13-20, 2026 - Gutsy Great Novel Retreat, Bar Harbor, Maine - Hope as author-in-residence -July 25, 2026 -
Smoking Guns Sisters in Crime Zoom meeting - Noon - Zoom -October 27-28, 2026 - SC Library Conference, Columbia Convention Ctr - lunch speaker -November 15-21, 2026 - Edisto Beach, signings TBD
Email: [email protected] to schedule events, online or otherwise. “If you have a talent, use it in every which way possible. Don't hoard it. Don't dole it out like a miser. Spend it lavishly like a millionaire intent on going broke.” – Brendan Francis
Raise Your Value – Successfully Raise Rates With Long-Standing Clients
By Melissa Mayntz
It can be reassuring for a freelance writer to maintain steady clients to fill their workdays. Work keeps flowing, and paychecks
keep arriving. Until savings decrease, or bills rise, and profits aren't what they once were. Not that you aren't working hard, but your pay may not be keeping up with financial needs. Now comes the tricky part – how do you raise rates on tried-and-true clients? I've been freelancing for over 20 years. Many clients have come and gone, while several have provided steadfast
business for years. Not one, however, is paying the same rate as when I first put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) for them. Every time I've asked these residual clients, I've successfully negotiated an increase with no work lost. There are five factors every freelancer should consider for a pay raise discussion with their clients, no matter the pay level or work type. Have History
You must have history with a client before pursuing a raise. You must have established yourself with them in terms of reliability and consistent deadlines.
Just how much history you have will vary. Maybe you've only done a few projects, but they've been intense. Or perhaps you do simple but frequent work that gets your name noticed. I tend not to talk money without at
least 12 to 24 months of steady writing for a client. Then, I note both the length of time and the number of articles, providing tangible evidence that I've earned a raise. Timing Matters
The new year is a good time for a raise discussion, or the annual anniversary of when you began working for a particular client. If you've been absent for a short spell, it may be possible to adjust
rates when you resume work, depending on the situation.
I prefer the new-year-new-pay-rate approach, starting a new year fresh in terms of work and a step up in pay. Watch Your Language
When asking for a raise, it pays – literally – to be polite. As we become more familiar with a client, we tend to casualize communication. When
it comes to the topic of a raise, more formality will more clearly demonstrate your seriousness about the request. Use a greeting and a closure on the email, separate text into appropriate paragraphs, and don't forget to spell check! That is, unless you make the request in person which often carries more weight.
Price Carefully
It's challenging enough choosing an initial rate for a
client, much less asking for a raise after you have settled into a stable routine. Don't expect every client to agree to the same increase, because their needs and budget will vary.
Consider your initial rate, project complexity, and the overall quantity you've written for each client. A good rule of thumb is an increase of no more than 10%, but it depends on individual prices. Round numbers often work best; I prefer $5 increments for smaller clients. In the past five years, I've taken one client from $35 to $50 per article across three separate raises – a 43% increase from our initial rate. For clients with lower rates, I've gone as high as a 50% increase without hesitation ($20 increased to $30, for instance). It's all relative. On larger
projects, negotiations can be more significant. I've increased rates on one client by $125 (a 20% increase from the opening bid) when the word count was increased and the client requested interviews to be incorporated. If your client isn't afraid to ask for more work, don't be afraid to ask for more pay! Plan for Negotiation
Prepare for pay negotiation by asking for slightly more than
you'd be happy with. You never know, the client might accept your rate offer! But if your first offer is problematic, a compromise will still be a raise for you.
You might also consider a different "raise." When one client couldn't budge their budget for a last-minute project over the holidays, I countered with an extended deadline that eased scheduling without compromising other paying work at that hectic time. Take a deep breath and take the hardest step you may ever have as a freelancer, asking for a raise you know you deserve. With care, it will be easy for your clients to say yes! --- Melissa Mayntz has been freelancing for 22 years, with bylines for a wide range of clients including The Farmer's Almanac, National Wildlife Magazine, Cruise
Hive, the Orlando Sentinel, and many more, as well as two books: Migration: Understanding the Remarkable Journeys of Birds (2020) and Birds for Kids (2024). Find more about her work and project availability at MelissaMayntz.com.
ID 179341226 © Ana Baraulia | Dreamstime.com
PLATFORM STORIES LITERARY CONTEST 2026
https://laultimaestacionfilm.com/concurso/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 15, 2026. This international contest invites us to give voice to those who care without recognition: family members,
friends, neighbors who dedicate their time, energy, and love to caring for others. Stories or tales based on your experience as an unpaid caregiver. Length 1000-1500 words. Texts in Spanish or English. Prizes range $100-$300. All finalists and honorable mentioned receive publication in the anthology + audiovisual capsule recording + certificate. INKSPOT 500 FLASH FICTION PRIZE
https://inkspotpublishing.com/competition/500-for-500-flash-fiction-2026
£10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 17, 2026. Flash fiction short stories with a word count not exceeding 500 words. Short scripts are also welcome. Prize: £500. BARDSY SPRING 1st CHAPTER ANTHOLOGY CONTEST
https://www.bardsy.com/contest
$30 ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 4, 2026. Every entrant receives comprehensive human feedback with specific recommendations for improving their work. Every entrant has one opportunity to revise their entry before judging. Candidate finalists work with a professional editor to polish their chapter for publication. You have
one opportunity to revise before the final judging. Grand prize: $1000 and anthology publication. All finalists receive $50 and anthology publication. Between 1500 and 2500 words. MONTREAL INTERNATIONAL POETRY PRIZE
https://www.montrealpoetryprize.com/2026-competition
$25 CAD
ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 15, 2026. One prize of $20,000 CAD to a poet for a single poem of forty or fewer lines. The shortlist is published in The Montreal Poetry Prize Anthology. Entries may be submitted from anywhere in the world. CLARA JOHNSON AWARD
https://janesstories.org/2026/03/08/open-for-nominations-the-2026-clara-johnson-award/
$10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 8, 2026. For a specific work of prose, or for a body of work of fiction or nonfiction prose–published within the year of 2025. Open to fiction, nonfiction, creative nonfiction, or memoir. Works in popular categories, e.g., romance, and mystery are acceptable if they rise to the level being literary. $500 cash
prize. No self-published books.
GRANTS / FELLOWSHIP / CROWDFUNDING RAGDALE RESIDENCIES
https://ragdale.submittable.com/submit
Deadline May 14, 2026. A fellowship award includes an 18-day fee-waived residency for individuals and a stipend of at least $1000. Applicants may be awarded a residency
without a fellowship award. For written work: 20 pages of written work (in up to eight files) along with application. Location Lake Forest, IL. THE STUDIOS OF KEY WEST RESIDENCIES
https://tskw.org/pear-program-2/
Deadline May 15, 2026. The Studios of Key West, the premier arts organization at the Southernmost Point of the United States, offers a residency program for emerging and established visual artists,
writers, composers, musicians, media artists, performers, and interdisciplinary artists. MONSON ARTS RESIDENCIES
https://monsonarts.org/residencies/overview/
Deadline May 15, 2026. Monson Arts’ residency program supports emerging and established artists and writers.
During each of our 2-week and 4-week programs throughout the year, a cohort of 5 artists and 5 writers immerse themselves in small town life at the edge of Maine’s North Woods and focus on their work. Private studio, private bedroom in shared housing, all meals, and $500 stipend ($250 for 2-week programs). OAK SPRING GARDEN RESIDENCY
https://www.osgf.org/fellowships
Deadline May 31, 2026. Oak Spring Garden Foundation’s Library, Gardens, and Landscape are incredible resources for practitioners who are serious about developing their work in new and meaningful ways. Four annual fellowships include a $10,000 individual grant. Applicants can choose to also be considered for interdisciplinary residency programs with a smaller individual grant. Location
Upperville, VA.
SCIENCE FRIDAY
https://www.sciencefriday.com/stories/
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qR0OIQ_W3u0mWMrE6NmG4Q4g1g03NBQ3Wmp30hbVLOk/edit?tab=t.0
Mission is to increase the public’s access to science and scientific information. Stories that inspire curiosity and joy as well as those that are useful or provide a service. For pitching purposes, “science” includes technology, medicine, and the environment. Length: 500 - 1,000 words in English / up to 1,200 words in Spanish. Pay: $1/word at the final word count. SCARY MOMMY
https://www.scarymommy.com/info/masthead
A parenting and lifestyle site for millennial moms who crave unfiltered and honest advice, opinions and news about motherhood and women’s daily life. Pay is around $100. THE
RUMPUS
https://therumpus.net/about/
The Rumpus publishes original fiction, poetry, literary humor writing, comics, essays, book reviews, and interviews with authors and artists of all kinds. Our mostly volunteer-run magazine strives to be a platform for risk-taking voices and writing that might not find a home elsewhere. Rates: $100 for prose/comics, $50 for
poetry. For some features and reviews, a monthly budget (e.g., $300-$400) is shared among writers. McSWEENEY'S INTERNET TENDENCY AND QUARTERLY JOURNAL
https://www.mcsweeneys.net/pages/guidelines-for-web-submissions
All of the satire and comedy we publish on this
website comes from complete strangers such as yourselves. Submissions should be maximum of 1,200 words, but we veer toward pieces under 1,000 wordsc. Pay is around $40. The Quarterly Journal wants mostly fiction and some nonfiction and pays $400. LISTVERSE
https://listverse.com/write-get-paid/
You don’t need to be an expert—you just need to have English equal to that of a native speaker, a sense of humor, and a love for things unusual or interesting. You write your list (10 items per list minimum), you send it in, we reply and say “Great—we’ll publish it” and send you $100 by PayPal.
JOFFE BOOKS
https://joffebooks.com/submissions
Joffe Books is one of the UK’s leading independent publishers of excellent commercial fiction, especially crime and mystery fiction. OLYMPIA PUBLISHERS
https://olympiapublishers.com/submissions/
Wide range of genres, both fiction and non-fiction; from memoirs and biographies to science fiction and fantasy. Offers two types of publishing contracts: Hybrid publishing contract - based on an author paid contribution to cover initial production of the work. Marketing costs are incurred by publisher. Traditional contract - No costs incurred by author and the whole cost for publishing and marketing
is covered by publisher. ONEWORLD PUBLISHING
https://oneworld-publications.com/about/book-proposals/
Accepting nonfiction manuscripts. Not all of our writers are academics, but they are all experts in their chosen field. We do publish books by writers who have not been
published before. EVERNIGHT
https://www.evernightpublishing.com/pages/Submissions.html
We are currently accepting completed manuscripts of 10,000 up to 100,000 words in all sub-genres of romance and erotic romance.
FUNDSFORWRITERS FINE PRINT Please forward the newsletter in its entirety. To reprint any editorials, contact [email protected] 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: [email protected]
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 [email protected] **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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