VOLUME 26, ISSUE 4 | january 23, 2026

WRITING TO FIND WORK

A friend of mine, also a writer, posted about seeking work as a freelancer and having to wade through the naysayers, complainers, and grammar nerds to glean information about where to find work. 

Admittedly, AI is robbing this group of writers of much viable income. Businesses will take AI cheaply over original work for more cost. There's a lot of copywriting work that needs no more than what AI can produce. It's good enough, so to speak. Sometimes you don't need someone who's won a Pulitzer to write your copy.

But whining was dominating the lists he was on. Being more old school, he saw this as writers slitting their own throats in finding work. Who wants to hire someone like that? 

Everything you write online gets read by people you don't expect. Some of them impact careers. 

Whatever you post online, read the draft as if it can impact your career. Yes, we all have opinions, but does expressing that opinion outrank the effort to find work? Which is more important? If a potential editor or publisher or business executive saw what you posted, would it factor in whether they chose to work with you?

And I'm not talking just politics or religion. It's talking about the industry, about mistakes people have made, about the stupidity of the way other things have been written...how you could do it much better. Commas in the wrong place. You get it.

We fool ourselves into thinking that what we say in groups stays there. Every group has infiltrators. And every group contains people looking for which writers to hire and which writers NOT to hire. And don't forget, sharing posts is a real deal as are screenshots of comments that are unshareable. And finally, you never know if the other writers in the room are vying for the same work you are. 

Nothing you post online is ever safe. Protect your words like you would your credit card and social security number. The lurkers are there. 

C. Hope Clark
Editor, FundsforWriters
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Newsletter: ISSN: 1533-1326
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TOP SPONSOR

EDITOR'S THOUGHTS

CONTESTS 101

I believe that contests are good for writers. They make you set a deadline and strive to achieve and be rewarded. I hear folks badmouthing contests, usually for the following reasons:

1) They charge entry fees.
2) They are probably rigged. 
3) They don't tell you what you did wrong.

Anything in life costs to play. To achieve anything in life, you have to contribute. Life is not a handout.

As for the entry fees, understand that contests take money to run. Entry fees pay for prize monies, judges, advertising, and sometimes publishing. Where else do you think the money comes from? Maybe there's a sponsor, but that's not common.

As for them being rigged, look for those that utilize blind judging. No names on the entries. Instead, they are assigned numbers before being given to the judges.

As for them not contacting you personally about not winning and why, understand that they are not getting paid enough via your entry fee to give an edit then pay for the effort to write up an edit and send it to you. And a good many of those writers who received feedback would take issue with the edits anyway. It's how people are today. So feedback doesn't happen (unless it's a contest that offers an extra charge for said response).

Contests are for you to flex your muscles and throw your hat in the ring, to take personal measure how your writing is progressing. If you lose, take the time to study the winners. I mean really read them and dissect the details. If you disagree with who won, then don't enter the contest again. Contest judges are like agents, editors, and publishers. They are opinionated and have preferences in style and voice. You just might not be a good fit. Or the judges are different than last year. So many factors...

But placing in a contest is a fantastic measure of how your talent is progressing. The award also props you up in pitching agents and publishers. Before I pitched my books to agents, I entered a lot of contests. Once I started placing in them, I decided it was time to take my chances with agents. And believe me, they noticed my effort.
 

SUPER SPONSOR

9th Annual 10-Minute Play Festival

No more than 10 minutes in length, 10 pages maximum, and no more than 3 characters. Must be unproduced! 

Theme: The Seven Stages of Grief: Shock/Disbelief, Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Guilt, Depression, Acceptance. Seven vignettes will be selected, one for each of the 7 stages of grief. Is not restricted to serious or dramatic. (No children's theatre, musicals, or child-centered stories.)

These are black box productions, so minimal sets requested. 

Cover page limited to play's title and the stage of grief. On separate page include playwright name, address, phone number and email (not part of the 10 pages).

ENTRY FEE: $15. Entry fee covers production costs and printing of scripts which must be sent in a Word document.

Deadline May 31, 2026. 

Winners contacted July 1, 2026. 

Play festival is the first weekend in September 2026. 

First prize $100, medal, and stage performance.

Second prize $50, medal, and stage performance.

Third prize medal and stage performance. 

Mail: Hal Harmon c/o ETC, 1402 Linden Ave, Memphis, TN 38104

Email: emeraldtheatrecompany@gmail.com

CashApp: $EmeraldTheatreMphs

Website: http://www.etcmemphistheater.com/ 

HOPE'S APPEARANCES

-Jan 31, 2026 - Writer's Digest Novel Writing Virtual Conference - 1PM - topic How to Keep the Pace in Your Novel

-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

-July 25, 2026 - Smoking Guns Sisters in Crime Zoom meeting - Noon - Zoom

Email: hope@chopeclark.com to schedule  events, online or otherwise. 

SUCCESS QUOTE

"I've never known any trouble than an hour's reading didn't assuage." 

– Arthur Schopenhauer
 

SUCCESS STORY

<<If you have a success story you believe was prompted by FundsforWriters, please share with us! Send to hope@chopeclark.com >>

FEATURED ARTICLE

Building Your Author Platform on a Budget - Part 1: Your website
 

By Dan Brotzel
 

Some argue that you don’t need a website these days, that it’s enough to be on Facebook, Linktree or Substack. But platforms come and go, and with social media you are at the mercy of the algorithms.

As publishing expert Jane Friedman notes, ‘your website serves as an online home and hub for everything that you do… Consider it the cost of doing business in the digital era, a necessary business card and networking tool’.

But you can’t just build a site and hope people will come. You need to build an email list to drive people to your content and books. Together, web and email form a connected, affordable platform to support your writing goals.

In part 1, we’ll look at low-cost author sites, in part 2, the email dimension.

Choose your domain name

Even on a budget, a domain like www.yourname.com or yournameauthor.com looks far more professional than something like yourname.wordpress.com. If you can’t get the .com, try for something like .net or .me.  

You can buy domains at places like Namecheap, GoDaddy or NameSilo. If you’re planning a pen name, check domain availability before going public with it.

You’ll need to sign up for a web hosting service – effectively rent a chunk of internet space – to link your domain to. Most of the time hosting can be bundled in when you select your domain name.

Choose your platform

Budget-friendly options include Carrd, Canva, WordPress and Tertulia.

Carrd is a very simple, minimal option, great for one-page sites with just your bio, book info, and newsletter signup. The pro version (currently $19/year) gives you extras like a custom domain, payment widgets and optional Google Analytics to track traffic. It’s less ideal if you want a blog, customised branding, ecommerce or complex layout.

Canva sites are well-known for their attractive templates and easy drag-and-drop design. Like Carrd there are free and pro options. You get traffic insights and can create a personal design style. Drawbacks include no blogging option (yet) and limited customisation and ecommerce integration. Search engine visibility can be more limited too.

Tertulia can build you an author site in seconds – just supply your ISBN, choice of theme and Insta handle (optional). At $10/month, it’s a low-maintenance, super-simple option for busy authors – you can create an instant free preview here. You receive a digital bookshelf, newsletter integration, events calendar and opportunities for access to Tertulia’s book discovery app. Blogging and sales are not supported, and there are limited options for layout and design customisation. A comparable option is BookBub.

The grandaddy of more advanced options is probably WordPress.com. It’s a bit of a learning curve but is free, flexible and blogging-friendly, with thousands of themes. The free tier comes with ads and (again) fewer customization options, but you can upgrade to WordPress.org for full customization, design control, and access to a wide range of plugins (SEO tools, e-commerce, event calendars). Migration costs more (around $4–$10/month for hosting plus domain). See more on the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org

Comparable options include Ghost, Wix and Squarespace. Generally speaking, really tailored branding/design and ecommerce functionality won’t come with free plans. But more advanced platforms can better support you as you evolve your digital presence. Check out Jane Friedmann’s guide to building an author website.

Website content

Your site will need a short bio (ideally with photo), book covers and sales links, newsletter sign-up, and contact details. You might also include a blog, press kit and events calendar. See this Kindlepreneur checklist. You’ll also want to give some thought to how you position yourself, typically through an author brand statement.

Search (SEO) basics

To help increase your site’s visibility to search engines, there are a number of tactics, including using your name + ‘author’ in page titles and descriptions, and adding descriptive alt text to images (e.g. ‘author headshot of Dan Brotzel’).

SEO is a huge topic. A lot of it isn’t relevant for authors, but keyword research and link building are worth thinking about. Check out these useful guides from blurb and Charlotte Duckworth.

Mobile-friendly sites do better in search, too. Keep navigation simple, make copy snackable, and avoid oversized images that slow load speed. You can test your site with Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test. More advice on making a site mobile friendly can be found here.

Dan Brotzel’s latest novels are Thank You For The Days and The Wolf in the Woods. He also writes widely on Medium
 

COMPETITIONS

EDINBURGH SHORT STORY AWARDS
https://www.scottishartstrust.org/short-story
£11 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 26, 2026. Open to writers worldwide, published and unpublished. For short stories on any topic up to 2,000 words. We welcome stories in all genres: literary, historic, crime, romance, realism, contemporary, humour and more. First prize £3,000. Second prize £500. Third Prize £250. 5 Commendations worth £100. Publication in The Edinburgh Anthology will be offered to all longlisted and shortlisted authors (15 stories). A separate award called The First Write Award open to unpublished writers worldwide. Prize is $300 and publication. The Isobel Lodge Award goes to an unpublished writer living in Scotland. Prize: £750 plus publication. The Write Mango Short Story Award is open worldwide to all writers. Prize: £300 plus publication. We love those unexpected stories that leave us bemused, amazed and sometimes laughing out loud. Write Mango stories are fun, amusing, bizarre, unusual - they are never sad or violent.

SHADY GROVE LITERARY CONTEST
https://shadygroveliterary.wixsite.com/shadygroveliterary/submissions
NO ENTRY FEE. Submissions are accepted from November 1st to October 31st for each year's competition. 300 words maximum. One submission per competition. Any style, genre, tone, etc. of flash fiction. 1st place - $100. 2nd and 3rd places- publication online. Shady Grove Literary has readers in multiple countries, but its home is in Thousand Oaks, California.

UNCHARTED MAGAZINE CINEMATIC SHORT STORY CONTEST
https://uncharted.submittable.com/submit/9183e2cb-da45-438a-a988-0f9fa28a6dd6/2026-uncharted-magazine-cinematic-short-story-contest-judged-by-ananda-lima
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 8, 2026. This award is for all of our genres: Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thriller/Mystery (Horror), Young Adult, Historical Fiction, and Humor stories. First-place winner of this contest $2,000 and publication, while the second- and third-place winners will receive publication and $300 and $200, respectively. We want stories we can clearly visualize, that make us feel as if we’re there in the moment, and that engage all our senses. Writers from historically marginalized groups can submit for free until we reach our cap of twenty-five free submissions. No additional fee waivers will be granted. Limit 5000 words.

SWAMP PINK PRIZES IN FICTION, NONFICTION, AND POETRY
https://swamp-pink.charleston.edu/prizes
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 31, 2026. Submit short stories and essays of up to 25 pages or a set of 1-3 poems. Winners in each genre will receive $2,000 and publication in an upcoming issue of swamp pink.

THE GRATEFUL AMERICAN BOOK PRIZE
https://www.davidbrucesmith.com/2026-grateful-american-book-prize-call-for-submissions
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 31, 2026. Accepting submissions for outstanding historical fiction, non-fiction, and biographies for readers, ages 11 to 15. Eligible books must be published between August 1, 2025, and July 31, 2026. The winner will receive a $13,000 award, a lifetime membership to The New York Historical, and a medallion designed by artist Clarice Smith. Two Honorable Mention recipients will receive $500, each, and the medallion. Self-published books do not qualify.
 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIP / CROWDFUNDING

HIMALAYAN WRITING RETREAT
https://www.himalayanwritingretreat.com/khozem-merchant-non-fiction-fellowship/
Deadline February 10, 2026. The HWR Khozem Merchant Non-Fiction Fellowship aims to ‘institutionalize courage’ and encourage writers to tell stories that move our society forward. Open to Indian citizens and residents aged 25 and above, writing in English. We encourage lived-experience narratives and those that offer solutions to our many challenges as a nation. Selected Fellows will:
- Attend a writing Masterclass with Jerry Pinto (6-10 May, 2026).
- Attend a 21-day writing residency in the Himalayas (July 9-20, 2026).
- Receive financial support: ₹50,000 + ₹20,000 travel fund.
- Get year-long support and guidance from a seasoned editor, Himanjali Sankar.
- Submit their finished manuscripts to Penguin Random House India by 30th April, 2027.

DR GAVIN WALLACE FELLOWSHIP
https://dgunlimited.org/dr-gavin-wallace-fellowship/
Deadline February 9, 2026. This year-long opportunity offers one Scotland-based, established writer the rare chance to develop new work in a supported, creatively rich environment, guided by the theme UNFOLDING Scotland. The Fellowship invites writers working in fiction, creative nonfiction, hybrid forms, spoken word, experimental writing, and graphic fiction to apply for a residency beginning in March 2026. The chosen Fellow will receive a £24,000 stipend, alongside structured support, time in Dumfries and Galloway, and meaningful engagement with our region’s diverse creative community.

WORLD PRESS INSTITUTE FELLOWSHIP
https://apply.worldpressinstitute.org/2026
Deadline February 15, 2026. Successful candidates will travel to the United States in August-November and participate in a demanding nine-week cross-country program that begins and ends in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. Pay is round-trip airfare, US travel, lodging, and a daily food allowance.

PIGSTY RESIDENCY - UNITED KINGDOM
https://hugoburgefoundation.submittable.com/submit
Deadline March 5, 2026. The Pigsty Residency is an incredible opportunity for a two-month stay at a beautiful location in Allanton with private studio space, designed to give you space, time, and inspiration to create and connect. Residencies usually run for two months between the dates of 8th June to 22nd of August. This residency is open to all creative disciplines, from visual artists to performers, writers to musicians. Pauline and Charlie are particularly interested in providing space to those starting and developing a new project or finishing and rounding up a project.

RED ROOM POETRY FELLOWSHIP - AUSTRALIA
https://redroompoetry.org/projects/fellowship/
Deadline February 3, 2026. $1000 stipend. A one-week fellowship opportunity (Monday 24 August - Monday 31 August 2026), offered in two formats: On-site Varuna Residency (five offered): Includes all meals and accommodation. Travel to and from Varuna must be arranged and paid for by the Fellows, and anywhere Remote Fellowship (one offered): A self-directed remote fellowship undertaken from the Fellow’s own location (meals and accommodation are not provided). Location Australia. 
 

FREELANCE MARKETS / JOBS

ACQUIRED TASTES ANTHOLOGY
https://gay.submittable.com/submit%2F341913%2Facquired-tastes-anthology-submissions
Deadline February 2, 2026. Acquired Tastes, an anthology celebrating unlikeable characters: how we create them, how we understand them, how we love them and how they enrage us, and why they are so necessary to our stories. Looking for short fiction or essays, from young adults, ages 15-21. Contributors chosen will receive a payment of $1,000 upon publication in 2027 and a copy of the anthology. Submissions should not exceed 5,000 words.

NEWSELA
Contact: editorial@newsela.com
https://newsela.com/careers
https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/newsela
Deadline March 15, 2026. Newsela is seeking fresh, diverse, and compelling voices to spark a love of reading in classrooms across the country. We are looking for original short fiction that students want to read—stories that grab them from the first sentence and refuse to let go. We are moving beyond standard "lesson texts" to find vibrant storytelling that spans Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Adventure, Love, and Contemporary Realistic Fiction. Word Count: 1,500–5,000 words. Rate will be $1,500 per accepted manuscript. By accepting a commission, contributors agree to transfer all rights to Newsela.

BLOOM
https://www.magbloom.com/submission-guidelines/
Bloom Magazine is a culture and lifestyle magazine based in Bloomington, Indiana. Every issue includes articles on all the interesting people, places, and events that make life in this part of south-central Indiana so worth celebrating. If you would like to write for Bloom, please email your résumé and a few of your best published clips, as links or attachments, to rodney@magbloom.com. We are looking especially for good ideas for stories in any of our nine departments: Our Town (people profiles), Arts/Entertainment, Business/Finance, Fashion/Shopping, Food/Drink, Health/Fitness, Home/Family, Science/Education, and Community. Usually, the articles in these departments are service pieces (350-400 words) that inform or help our readers in some practical way.

LIFEWAY
https://www.lifeway.com/en/about/writing-for-lifeway
Lifeway publishes study materials for use in Sunday School, small groups, discipleship, and leadership ministries in local churches. A variety of resources are available for adults, students, kids, and preschoolers and for their leaders. Curriculum writers are generally active members of Southern Baptist churches, and in most cases, they are also actively involved in the kind of study group for which they write.

NEW INTERNATIONALIST
https://newint.org/misc/editorial-submissions-form
The topics we cover span social justice, global inequality, the environment, workers’ rights, feminism and liberation struggles, tech, politics and more. We particularly welcome pitches from those whose voices are often under-represented in Western media. In the magazine, we generally publish articles between 800-2,000 words in length. However there’s also space for shorter pieces in our opening news section ‘Currents’, home to stories on international politics and social change. Occasionally we publish investigative reports and in-depth features of up to 5,000 words. We typically pay £0.27 per word.
 

PUBLISHERS / AGENTS

HONEY BLOSSOM PRESS
https://www.honeyblossompress.com/about-us
We publish fiction and nonfiction that speaks to the heart of the human experience offering stories that entertain, inspire, and make an impact.

NEIGHBORHOOD LITERARY
https://www.neighborhoodliterary.com/about
A boutique agency based out of Philadelphia dedicated to working with a diverse roster of authors and championing unique, out-of-the-box books. While we represent authors from all over, a core goal of our agency is to actively engage in the writing communities in our respective hometowns. From free workshops to write-ins at bookstores, you can get a sense of what we’re up to on our neighborhoods page, and of course, on social media.

ANTSU LITERARY
https://www.antsuliterary.com/submissions
Currently seeking literary fiction, contemporary fiction, historical fiction, science fiction, thriller/mystery, memoir, and narrative nonfiction. Antsu Literary Agency represents authors who dare to push boundaries and redefine genres.

JACKSON LITERARY
https://www.jacksonliterary.com/submit-to-us.html
Agent Michelle seeks:
Adult Fiction: Commercial, Historical, Humor, New Adult, Romance, Thriller, Women’s Fiction, Literary.
Sub-genres: Contemporary Romance, Inspirational, Multicultural, Psychological Thrillers, Romantic Comedy. 
Young Adult Fiction: Contemporary, Historical, Christian, Romance.

Agent Sobi seeks: 
Adult Fiction: Contemporary, Commercial, Fantasy, General, Historical, Horror, Humor, Literary, Mystery, New Adult, Paranormal, Psychological Thriller, Romance, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Women’s Fiction.
Young Adult Fiction: Adventure, Contemporary, Dystopian, Fantasy, Historical, Horror, Mystery, Paranormal, Romance, Sci-Fi, Thriller.
Middle Grade: Adventure, Contemporary, Dystopian, Fantasy, Humor, Mystery, Paranormal, Sci-Fi.  

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