VOLUME 26, ISSUE 5 | january 30, 2026 |
READERS AND AI NOVELS In glancing through my social media this morning before gym, I ran across a group of readers, serious readers, mind you, who were complaining about being "duped" with AI-written stuff. They were not happy at all. Such that they were considering making a list of
authors who they determined used AI, so they could be avoided and warnings be given to their friends and acquaintances. They even warned that if a cover used AI, the chances were the prose used it as well. In other words, any whiff of AI and the writer was not only unreadable but irredeemable as well. Wow. Now, doesn't that make you rethink AI in creating your
fiction? Some warned that some authors got testy when questioned if they used AI. To me, that isn't the correct reaction by an author, under any condition. All a writer can say is no (assuming no is the correct answer), but then they need to dissect their work and see why their words sound like AI. AI has no voice. A good writer does. Voice isn't about the story that's told. It's about the style in which you tell it. Voice isn't something you teach either. Voice isn't something you glean from a book. Voice is an intense attention paid to style and flow and the craft of putting one word after the other in a way that sounds different. AI isn't going to write
that. If someone decides to write a book, and they only write one or two drafts or one or two manuscripts, they have yet to crack that magic of voice. It takes time. It takes thousands of words written and then thrown away. It takes developing a language of one's own. Classes about plotting, characters, setting, and craft can't teach that. Be patient. Take the time to sculpt
your own voice. You want to sound like you and just you, not like any other writer out there, and definitely not like AI. |
Would love to see you. I will be presenting How to Keep Pace in Your Novel on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at 1PM Eastern. WHAT THAT READER SAID!
A debut author recently posted about her frustration with a beta reader. The reader told her that her story sounded AI in places, though the author didn't use AI at all. The author asked how should she respond to this beta reader. My suggestions: 1) Don't
respond without a cool head.
2) Simply inform the reader that you did not use AI.
3) Do NOT say you are insulted by this.
4) Accept the fact that some of your writing sounded like AI and might need work. Arguing with someone about whether your work sounds AI is not the point. The point is that your writing fell into that category for some reason. Maybe your style changed since your other books. Maybe you used AI to
edit. Maybe you used too many cliches and too many routine words and phrases. Then another beta reader responded with their review....written with AI. They plugged in the novel and let it write up the feedback. Big wow. AI is here. But you dictate how it is woven into your world. That beta reader would
be stricken off my list, for sure. 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/ -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. "My imagination can picture no fairer happiness than to continue living for art." – Clara Schumann
<<If you have a success story you believe was prompted by FundsforWriters, please share with us! Send to hope@chopeclark.com >> Building Your Author Platform on a Budget - Part 2: Building an email newsletter and list
By Dan Brotzel (See Part 1: The website)
Despite complaints about inbox overload and spam, surveys show consumers consider email the least intrusive of direct marketing tactics. When someone signs up for your messages, they’re inviting you into a personal space that’s largely
competitor-free (unlike a search results page). And unlike social media, your list is yours to keep. An author website is essential. But it’s the emails you send that remind people you are there, nudge them about new work, and drive sales at key moments. Let’s look at how to get your email newsletter up and running, and how to grow your list of followers.
Choose your email platform MailerLite is free for <1,000 subscribers, with unlimited email sends. A popular choice with authors, it includes automation, customisable signup forms, drag-and-drop email builders, landing pages and a visual workflow editor. (Automation is when you set up emails to send in response to an automatic trigger, such as a
pre-prepared welcome email that automatically fires when someone signs up for your newsletter.) The interface is clean and intuitive, and you can segment your list to target different reader groups. As often, you need a paid plan for some features like advanced automations and additional templates. Podia is free for < 100 subscribers and goes up in tiers after that (e.g. $7/month for <500 subscribers). This all-in-one platform combines email marketing with a website builder, online course hosting, and product sales. Podia’s email features are more limited than some dedicated email platforms, but it’s a one-stop shop with minimal setup. Mailchimp’s free tier caters for <500 subscribers and <1,000 sends per month. Known for its detailed analytics, it offers a basic website builder, with a large library of templates. Automation on the free plan is limited to a single-step welcome email. Kit’s (previously ConvertKit) free tier accepts <1,000 subscribers, with unlimited landing pages, forms and email sends, and the option to sell digital products directly via email. Simple automation tools let you build multi-step welcome sequences, tag subscribers by interest, and personalise content. Advanced integrations and templates are available on their paid plans. Web platforms
such as WordPress and Squarespace allow you to embed an email signup form or pop-up for an email list. Some include built-in mailing features but these may be quite basic, so many prefer to use a dedicated platform like MailerLite or Kit in parallel. But you’re not tied in anyway – you can always move your list elsewhere any time. Signup and welcome Your website is a key funnel to your email list. Put your sign-up form on the home page, in the footer, and on book pages. Review your sign-up copy to incentivise and reassure people, e.g. ‘Get a free short story when you
sign up for my monthly newsletter’. Some people literally say things like, ‘I promise I will never spam you!’. You can add in humour and a splash of personality – lots of inspiration here and here. Spend some time on your signup landing page and welcome sequence, which can then be automated. A typical 3-message flow might be – 1. Deliver the promised freebie. 2. Introduce yourself and your work. 3.Offer a sneak peek or bonus. Cadence and content Send at least monthly
so that you stay on people’s radar – any less and you could trigger unsubscribes as people may not remember signing up. Consistency is important too, so that people get used to you and maybe look out for your messages. Lots more great advice here Think about what you want to say in your emails. Some senders alternate editorial messages with more commercial ones, others find ways to combine them. Short and sweet is fine – if you have
more to say, save it for the next send. This guide from publishdrive has lots of ideas about what content to include. Grow your list To build your list organically, promote your signup incentive wherever
you have a digital presence – social media, Medium, in your own email signature, at the back of your ebooks, in guest posts on other sites. Some ARC sites such as Voracious Readers Only will share your
ebook with advance readers in exchange for an email address. Track and test Most platforms offer open and click rate data, which you can use to help you shape future emails. You can also play with simple AB tests, for example testing the effectiveness of different subject lines.
Dan Brotzel’s latest novels are Thank You For The Days and The Wolf in the Woods. He also writes widely on Medium
FURIOUS FLOWER POETRY PRIZE
https://furiousflowerpoetry.submittable.com/submit
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 14, 2026. A $1,500 prize for a group of three poems. Winner: $1,500. Honorable mention: $750. Both the winner
and honorable mention will be invited to read as part of the Furious Flower Poetry Reading Series in September 2026. The winner, honorable mention, and select finalists will also be published in Obsidian. Limit six total pages. Authors with more than one published or self-published book are not eligible. BRICK LANE BOOKSTOP SHORT STORY PRIZE
https://bricklanebookshop.org/2026-short-story-prize/
£10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 2, 2026. Open to submissions to writers from the UK and Ireland. There are a limited amount of free spaces for writers on a low income. First Prize is £1,000, 2nd Prize is £500, and 3rd Prize is £250. The twelve shortlisted stories will feature in the Brick Lane Bookshop Short Story
Prize 2026 anthology. Word count 1000-3500 words. BBC SHORT STORY AWARD
https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u223748296
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 16, 2026. The Award, now in its 21st year, is worth £15,000 and will be given to one writer demonstrating exceptional skill and artistry
in the short story form. The Award is for a single story of up to 8,000 words, written by an established author. Open to published writers who are British citizens and/or resident in the UK. WRITERS ONLINE 500-WORD CONTEST
https://www.writers-online.co.uk/writing-competitions/500-words-4
£ 8.50 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 15, 2026. Writing flash fiction means making every word count! Show your skills and tell a complete story, in any style or genre, in 500 words. The winner will receive £200 and publication in Writing Magazine, with £50 and publication on the website for the runner-up. Entry is open to any writer and entries must be the original and unpublished work of the
entrant which is not currently submitted for publication nor for any other competition or award. There is no limit to number of entries. Entrants retain copyright in their manuscripts. WRITERS ONLINE CRIME STORY
https://www.writers-online.co.uk/writing-competitions/crime-story
£ 8.50 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 15, 2026. 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of Agatha Christie's death. To honour her tremendous legacy, we're inviting entries of crime fiction in any genre, from cosy to noir, procedural to psychological suspense, between 1,500 and 1,700 words. The winner will receive £200 and publication in Writing Magazine, with £50 and publication on the website for the
runner-up.
GRANTS / FELLOWSHIP / CROWDFUNDING MCDOWELL FELLOWSHIPS
https://www.macdowell.org/apply/apply-for-fellowship
Deadline February 10, 2026. About 300 artists in seven disciplines are awarded Fellowships each year and the sole criterion for acceptance is
artistic excellence. There are no residency fees, and need-based stipends and travel reimbursement grants are available to open the residency to the broadest possible community of artists. MacDowell encourages applications from artists of all backgrounds and all countries in the following disciplines: architecture, film/video, interdisciplinary arts, literature, music composition, theatre, and visual arts. US JOURNALISM EMERGENCY
FUND
https://iwmf.submittable.com/submit
By the United States Journalism Emergency Fund established by the International Women’s Media Foundation and supported by the Luce Foundation and the Ford Foundation. To qualify for this emergency fund, you must be a U.S.-based journalist of any gender targeted as a result of your reporting at events related to the
highly charged political unrest and polarization in the U.S., including elections, civil movements and other challenging environments. You may request support for: Immediate needs related to your professional work, such as destroyed or stolen equipment and protective gear; Small grants for medical and psychological care for incidents directly related to threats and crises caused by one’s work as a journalist. Please note that emergency grants are not available to student journalists. WRITING BETWEEN THE VINES
https://www.writingbetweenthevines.org/
Writing Between the Vines offers writers a space to work, a place to create, surrounded by the beauty and majesty of vineyards. Funded through application fees and in partnership with wineries, Writing Between the Vines provides
writers the time to focus on works in progress or cultivate new ideas in residencies of up to one week in length at no charge. Writing Between the Vines is open to applicants writing fiction, non-fiction, memoir, and poetry. The program also encourages applications from wine, food, and travel writers working on book length manuscripts. A selection committee comprised of writers, poets, publishers and editors review all applications and award the retreats. GRAND PLAN
https://www.grandplanfund.co.uk/application-guidance
Grand Plan is for people of colour, aged over 18, living in the UK, looking to make a leap with their creative practice. In particular, we try to support projects and people that might not easily find funding elsewhere. Our grants can cover: the cost of
equipment, courses, your time, materials, travel, or whatever you / your project needs. We fund ideas where £1,000 covers the majority of costs. We don’t want you to stretch £1,000 for a £10,000 project. THE CHARLES S. LONGCOPE JR WRITERS AND ARTISTS GRANT
https://glreview.org/the-gay-lesbian-review-writers-and-artists-grant
Deadline February 15, 2026. The Gay & Lesbian Review / Worldwide, with the generous support of James Lynn Williams in honor of his late husband, Charles S. Longcope Jr., has created a writers and artists grant program to cultivate a diverse pool of writers for The G&LR to bring new perspectives, ideas, and voices to the magazine and to encourage and support emerging and
unpublished LGBTQ+ writers, thinkers, scholars, and artists. We are currently accepting proposals from emerging scholars, writers, and artists across disciplines and fields that aim to make a contribution to LGBTQ+ scholarship or the arts. Up to three gifts of up to $5,000 each.
PARAPRAXIS
https://www.parapraxismagazine.com/
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdWmVcgA0M-GmhHRLe6vCZtcTykYLnunmTK_-QTmEAqdawANQ/viewform
We are actively seeking pitches for Issue 08: Groups (Summer/Fall 2026) and for our (un-themed) website, where we do not adhere to any theme. Pieces for web are on rolling deadlines; pieces for Issue 08 would be due in the fall or winter. We commission in many categories, some of which are pretty standard (book and arts reviews, features, political/social reportage etc) and
some of which are our own (like "Clinical Conflict," or, anonymous testimony from analysts and patients). Print rates vary depending on length from $500-800. Web rates are a flat $500. We largely work from pitches. We do not publish fiction or poetry. Critically aware of the limits of psychoanalytic thinking and institutions, the magazine includes searching reviews, novel clinical writing, columns on cultural and social movements, and thematic feature essays. We believe this magazine
reinvigorates leftist psychoanalytic thought in the academy and the clinic, but we address a more general audience. PROPUBLICA
https://www.propublica.org/about
https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/propublica/jobs/4053828006
We pay competitive freelance rates, including reporting expenses. ProPublica is an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism with moral force. We dig deep into important issues, shining a light on abuses of power and betrayals of public trust. STAT
https://www.statnews.com/pitch-guidelines/
We’re looking for ideas that check the boxes of a great STAT story: smart, compelling, original reporting that takes readers inside the world of health, medicine, and scientific discovery. All of STAT’s editors field freelance pitches and, when appropriate, will pass a pitch along to the editor who handles a certain area of coverage. Please put
“Freelance pitch” at the start of your subject line. We generally pay $1 per word. INTERVENXIONS
https://www.latinxproject.nyu.edu/submission-guidelines
Intervenxions publishes reviews, criticism, reporting, interviews, and essays on topics in conversation with U.S. Latinx
Studies across art, politics, and culture. We aim to publish stories between 1,500 and 2,500 words. Summarize your pitch into 250 words and include a brief biography (200 words or less). $300 for reviews (book, film, art exhibition, television, music, etc.), interviews, short essays (up to 1,500 words). $400 for original articles, profiles, and long-form content (1,500 words or more). THE SUNDAY LONG READ
https://sundaylongread.com/sunday-long-read-seeking-original-story-pitches/
We publish 5-10 original longform articles per year and would love to hear from writers hoping to work with us. Our floor for reported longform (>2,000 words) stories is $2,000 with the possibility of covering expenses. Longform nonfiction in its many forms.
We want you to do reporting and talk to people. Research is good too. We want you to show us things, not just tell us things, and we like stories that are character- or narrative-driven.
BLACKSTONE
https://www.blackstonepublishing.com/pages/contact-us
A truly independent, privately owned publisher, with offices on both coasts, Blackstone is home to a vibrant and eclectic community of storytellers and story lovers,
adding hundreds of new titles each month to its catalog of tens of thousands of books. 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. Editor Alec Loganbill is excited about strong, concept-driven books about the politics, cultures, and environments of the Midwest. Whether it’s narrative journalism, sharp political commentary, inspiring memoir, or zeitgeisty history, he looks for authentic authors, stories with a sense of place, and ideas that can capture the national imagination. DK CHILDREN'S
https://dk.com/en-us/pages/about-dk
DK Children’s creates innovative, inspiring books for young readers of all ages. Blending creativity with trusted expertise. Our award-winning non-fiction list is pat the heart of what we do, featuring incredible authors, world-leading experts and consultants who bring fascinating subjects to life with accuracy and passion. From playful board books to bold
non-fiction and fiction, we are redefining children’s publishing through creativity, diversity and a passion for storytelling. CANELO
https://dk.com/en-us/pages/about-dk
Founded in 2015 and now an imprint of DK, Canelo is a dynamic publisher of fiction and non-fiction. With acclaimed imprints
like Canelo Crime, Hera Books, and August Books, we publish thrillers, inclusive fiction, romance, and more. TANGLE & TWIG
https://www.booklifepublishing.co.uk/tangleandtwig/
At Tangle & Twig, we specialise in high-interest books that kids actually want to read – the ones
they reach for first, the ones that spark curiosity, excitement and imagination. Our stories and non-fiction are a little wilder, a little messier, and a lot more fun – tangled up in the things children are really interested in, from jaw-dropping facts to laugh-out-loud adventures.
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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