Volume 8, Issue 15       
April 13, 2008

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FUNDS FOR WRITERS

Writer's Digest's 101 Best Websites for Writers
2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008

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Editor:  C. Hope Clark
Mailto:    Hope@fundsforwriters.com
Website: http://www.fundsforwriters.com
Newsletter: 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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PAID SPONSOR OF THE WEEK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CITIRIA BOOKS

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EDITOR'S THOUGHTS
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Read newsletter online at: http://www.fundsforwriters.com/FFW.htm
Read past issues at: http://www.aweber.com/z/article/?fundsforwriters

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TEMPTATION TO DO IT ALL

I'm reading through email and come across my Taste of Home
email. For those of you who don't cook, that magazine has
some decent recipes. I see the pictures and go, hmmm, I can
make that. I print it off, the recipe goes in a stack, and
about once a month I pull out a couple and crank them out
for my family.

Then I get my Birds & Blooms Magazine email. Some of you know
I love my birds. They go through fifty pounds of bird seed a
month, by the way. I sift through the pictures, the advice,
and I then want to hang a few more houses, try out the fruity
types that attract orioles. I add that to my to-do list.

Southern Living shows me hydrangeas, and I start going to
web sites to find the best variety for the back corner of my
yard.

Writer's Digest throws me back into my writing, making me feel
like I don't concentrate enough in the right places. Duh!
How can I when I'm sewing curtains, making apple pecan bread,
planting spireas and crape myrtles, and leveling landscape
block for a huge bed around my patio.

Sometimes we feel we have to do it all - even when it comes to
our writing. We see all those contests, those calls for
submissions, then the publishers seeking new writers, and we
go nuts trying to write for everybody.

Then we write short fiction, long poetry, sci-fi flash and
romance novellas. We hate letting anything pass by, thinking
if we do not try our hand at it, then we aren't writing enough.

But we can't do it all. We have to pick and choose, hopefully
selecting our strengths. Some writing has to be put on the
back burner - maybe not left on the stove at all.

Part of getting better and most of becoming good is saying no.

Say no to other hobbies, other interests, other styles of
writing, contests, and markets. Focus. Acuity propels your
talent.

Do you write diluted or concentrated? Or someplace in between?
You know where you stand. Now where do you want to be standing
a year from now? Make the adjustment. Say no, then say yes
to what makes you a better writer.

    Hope

NOTE:
WOW-Womenonwriting has my April column out.
http://wow-womenonwriting.com/20-Funds4Writers.html

"Dodging the New-Writer-in-the-Headlights Look"

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GOT YOUR CALENDAR YET FOR ALL THOSE 2008 GOALS?

Once again FundsforWriters is offering the Bylines Calendar
for your writing needs. I've used one for going on four years
now, and I'm addicted to it. Listing a writer (like Hope)
for every week along with the writer's personal points of
wisdom makes you realize you aren't alone in this struggle
to make a living at what you love. Order yours today!

http://www.fundsforwriters.com/Bylines.htm

=====

http://www.hopeclark.blogspot.com

People are raving about the new look...and the new opportunities
offered four-five days a week.

=====

THE NEWEST EBOOK UPDATES

Lots of our readers like to know when we update our ebooks.
This time of year, we update them a few at a time and announce
them each week in the newsletters. The newest updates are:

TIS THE SEASON - seasonal writing
THE NO FEE CONTEST BOOK - contests without entry fees
SHORT & SWEET: MARKETS FOR FILLERS
COOKING UP RECIPES - writing for food markets

http://www.fundsforwriters.com/ebooks.htm

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WORDS OF SUCCESS

What a commentary on our civilization
when being alone is considered suspect,
when one has to apologize for it, make excuses,
hide the fact that one practices it -
like a secret vice!

~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh

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ARTICLE
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It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's Tax Time!

By Gwynne Spencer

I often wonder how Superman dealt with his receipts. I bet he
had some doozies. Fifty sets of lost Clark Kent clothing and
eyeglasses, to start with. And probably a number of newspaper-
related receipts to throw off the wiles of Lex Luthor and his
henchmen at the IRS.

Now that all of us honest and fearless writers have survived
another taxable year, it's time to consider our wicked ways
and find better organizational strategies. I've done an
officially informal survey of fellow writers and superheroes
and found the following ideas to be helpful for those of us
who seem to be missing the Organizational Gene.

If you are like some writers I know, your Big Social Event
(analogous to Ferris Buehler's Day Out) is The Daily Trip to
the Post Office. So those receipts are like gold. If you are
like most writers I know, you have occasional irresistible
lapses of willpower when you must go to the bookstore and
fondle the magazines and books and of course, buy some. Yes,
the library is fine, too, but in our world if you value it,
you BUY it. And if you are also like most writers I know, if
it goes into a file folder it means you are DONE with it,
forever. Here are some other ideas:

Plan A
Get a bunch of those cute little laundry baskets at the dollar
store (they're 7"x10" on the bottom) and set up a sorting
system: postal receipts, supplies receipts, nondeductible
receipts that I'm afraid to throw out, research- and travel-
related receipts (but keep your mileage log in the car with a
pen tied to it with a shoelace), and book purchases. Every day,
empty out your pockets, your backpack, the bags you brought
into the house, into those little cute bins. Do not let the
cat, the hedgehog or the children play in them. 

Plan B
Buy one of those desk diaries that looks like a Day-Timer but
it's a bound book (usually about $8 at office supply stores)
and every day, staple or scotch tape or at least stick the
receipts dujour into the book with a short note telling where 
you went and why. When you input all of these into Quicken at
the end of the year (or quarter or month) you can always input
day by day and sort into categories later. No need to sort the
receipts, just keep that book as your "journal of highly
original entry" as the CPAs would say.

(HOPE's SUGGESTION - Purchase a Byline Daily Calendar - see right
side of main page www.fundsforwriters.com)

Plan C
If you have TONS of receipts, get a loose leaf binder and
put a package of paper in it. Each day, staple your receipts
and activity notes onto a sheet of paper with the date. Use
two pages if you must. At the end of the month, take all
those pages out, staple them together and put them into a
10x13 manila envelope with the month written on the outside.
You could decorate it too if that would make you feel better.

Plan X
Lock yourself in the house, never go anywhere, never buy
anything locally, only on the Internet and save all the
receipts and your credit card statements and you're good
to go. Crazy, that is.

Plan Y
Put every single receipt you collect in a nice big friendly
looking basket all year long and then next year, spend two or
three days sorting and inputting into Quicken and trying hard
to remember what each receipt was for. This is a great exercise
in Creative NonFiction.  This is also good for large doses of
remorse.

Plan Z
Hire a bookkeeper (did you know bookkeeper is the only word
in the English language with three consecutive double letters?)
and pay said person gazillion dollars to do your organization.
As they say in the Alps, "Heidi unlikely."

I hope these non-file folder strategies may prove helpful in
your never ending battle to preserve Truth, Justice and the
American Way. Or at least stay clear of the Kryptonite.

BIO
Gwynne Spencer is a freelance writer and writing teacher
and editor in Monmouth, Oregon. Contact her at
gwynnespencer@aol.com.

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COMPETITIONS
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FIRST NOVEL CONTEST
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/books/getinvolved.html?in_article_id=443521&in_page_id=1827
---
NO ENTRY FEE NOTED
This competition is open to anyone aged 16 or over who is
a resident of the UK or Republic of Ireland. The Publisher
will offer the winning entrant a publishing contract with
Transworld Publishers, a division of The Random House Group
Limited, and an advance in the sum of £30,000 (Prize). The
Publishers will publish the winning work in the spring of
2009. Entrants must submit a complete work in the English
language of not less than 80,000 words and no more than
150,000 words and a synopsis of the work in the English
language of no more than 600 words. Entrants must not have
written a novel published under a valid ISBN. Deadline
July 2, 2008.

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TALL ROCK RETREAT WRITING CONTEST
http://www.tallrockretreat.com/Writing_Contest.html
---
$20 ENTRY FEE
Deadline May 15, 2008. First Prize in each category is a
two-week stay at the Retreat, including meals.  Second
Prize in each category is a one-week stay. Maximum length
per submitted manuscript is 7,500 words. Two categories of
fiction and creative nonfiction. Location Vermont.

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PROSE FOR PAPA
http://www.visitsunvalley.com/static/index.cfm?contentID=555
---
$10 ENTRY FEE
The Fourth Annual Prose for Papa short story contest is
held in conjunction with the 2008 Ernest Hemingway Festival,
Sun Valley, Idaho Sept. 25th-Sept. 28th, 2008. Cash prize of
$500. First place winner will be published in the Hemingway
Festival magazine and on the website. Length limit 2,600 words
or 10 pages. One entry per person. Deadline May 31, 2008.

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GRANTS
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MAINE ARTS COMMISSION INDIVIDUAL FELLOWSHIPS
http://mainearts.maine.gov/artists/fellowships/index.shtml
---
These grants reward artistic excellence, advance the careers
of Maine artists, and promote public awareness regarding the
eminence of the creative sector in Maine. The Individual
Artist Fellowship program is highly competitive. Individual
Artist Fellowships in the amount of $13,000 will be awarded
annually. Artistic excellence is the sole criteria.

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VERMONT CREATIVE GRANTS
http://www.vermontartscouncil.org/Default.aspx?tabid=148
---
The purpose of the Creation Grant is to support the creation
of new work by Vermont artists. Where possible, projects
should strive to stimulate greater public understanding of
the art form. The Council will award approximately 12 - 15
Grants of $3,000 each.  Deadline May 1, 2008.

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TEACHERS & WRITERS FELLOWSHIPS
http://www.twc.org/about/tw-fellowship
---
The T&W Fellowship period is October 1, 2008, to May 31, 2009.
Deadline July 7, 2008. During the fellowship, T&W Fellows receive:

A $10,000 stipend. Office space and resources (e.g., computer,
supplies) at T&W. Opportunities to meet with experienced
professionals from publishing, literary arts, theater, or other
fields related to the Fellow's work. Exposure to all aspects of
T&W's work, including writing residencies, publications, and the
2020 Visions reading series. T&W provides and advocates for
literary arts education by supporting writers and teachers in
developing and implementing strategies to enhance students'
interest in and love of literature and writing. The 2008-2009
Fellows will work together to plan the calendar year 2009-2010
Visions reading series. Events in this series pair an established
poet, fiction writer, or other author with an emerging writer
working in the same genre. Applicants for T&W Fellowships must:

Be age 30 or younger at the beginning of the Fellowship period.
Live in New York City or be able to plan an extended stay in
the area (T&W cannot assist with finding housing for individuals
who do not currently live in New York.) Show exceptional
artistic promise and a commitment to a writing career.
Demonstrate financial need
 

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FREELANCE MARKETS
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SALVO MAGAZINE
http://www.salvomag.com/new/mag/subguides.php
---
The query should give your thesis, describing briefly what it
is that you will be arguing, how you will develop the argument,
and explaining its importance and appeal. Salvo publishes an
eclectic range of articles in the areas of sex, science, and
society. What distinguishes our content is its systematic
deconstruction of false ideologies, philosophies, and world views.
Articles should be well-researched and logically sound, as well
as somewhat timeless in subject matter. Salvo is intended as a
permanent resource; thus, articles that are overly tied to
current events will be rejected.

We do not publish footnotes or endnotes. We do not accept fiction
or poetry. We do not accept articles that are overtly religious,
that proselytize, or that contain scripture references. We do not
review current movies or music. Being a quarterly, we cannot get
such a review into print without appearing behind the times. And
we do not publish straight book reviews. If a book is the focus
of an article, it should be used as a launch pad for inquiries
into the subjects with which Salvo is concerned. We do not take
sides in partisan political matters and rarely publish articles
with a policy focus. We do not publish scholarly articles or
articles that are strictly journalistic, such as those found in
a newspaper. Articles should be no less than 600 words and no
more than 2,500. Pays 20 cents/word.

=====

CONCEIVE MAGAZINE
http://www.conceiveonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=30
---
Conceive Magazine is for any woman contemplating or actively
trying to start or expand a family: by natural conception,
fertility treatments and assisted reproductive technologies,
or adoption. We are not a pregnancy or parenting magazine,
but are focused on all aspects of fertility, conception, and
adoption. Pays 50 cents to $1/word.

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LOG HOME LIVING
http://www.loghome.com/articles/98
---
Log Home Living is a monthly magazine for people who own or
are planning to build contemporary log homes. It is devoted
almost exclusively to modern manufactured and handcrafted kit
log homes. Our interest in historical or nostalgic stories of
very old log cabins, reconstructed log homes, or one-of-a-kind
owner-built homes is secondary and should be queried first.
Has $100 kill fee.

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JOBS
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FREELANCE DEFENSE WRITERS
Editor
The Washington Diplomat
PO Box 1345
Wheaton, MD 20915-1345
Or fax to (301) 949-0065
NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/wrg/627866492.html
---
Freelance writers with experience reporting on defense issues
are needed for specific assignments in The Washington Diplomat,
a monthly newspaper that focuses on the diplomatic community
in Washington. Writers must be able to understand complex
defense issues, interview government and other high-ranking
officials, cultivate sources, and meet deadlines. Freelancers
will write for a special defense section in our publication,
with story length varying from 1,000 to 2,500 words and a
pay range of $175 to $350 per story. Send resume, three clips
and three references.

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SPORTS WRITER
Location Tucumcari, NM
http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=902994
---
Deadline May 7, 2008. Freedom New Mexico needs an energetic
sports writer with multi-media skills whose interests range
from rodeo to wrestling, from football to motorcycle racing.
The home office will be in Tucumcari, N.M., but the coverage
area will include all of eastern New Mexico. Send a resume,
complete with references and samples of your work, to
david_stevens@link.freedom.com

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COPY EDITOR
Location Oshkosh, WI
http://www.journalismjobs.com/job_listing.cfm?jobid=903941
---
Gannett Wisconsin Media seeks a copy editor/page designer for
its Regional Copy Desk center in Oshkosh. The Regional Copy
Desk is responsible for designing and editing pages for three
Gannett Wisconsin newspapers. An ideal candidate would be
well-versed in Associated Press style, have a flair for writing
good headlines, strong grammar skills and is comfortable with
the challenges of a fast-paced, deadline intensive work
environment.

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PUBLISHERS/AGENTS
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JEANNE FREDERICKS LITERARY AGENCY
http://jeannefredericks.com/about_agency.shtml
---
Handles mostly adult nonfiction, and though they cover a wide
range of subject areas, the Agency's strongest categories are:

health/medical
nature/animals
gardening
home/decorative arts
practical popular reference

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BROWN LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.brownliteraryagency.com/
---
The agency specializes in women's fiction, erotica, single
title and category romance. Enjoys romantic comedies to
sizzling erotica. Historicals to category romances.

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TRACY BROWN LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/tracybrown/
---
General fiction, biography, business, investments, finance,
history, religious, mind/body/spirit, health, travel,
cookbooks, sports, science, current events, memoir,
psychology.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SPONSORS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LEARN HOW TO WRITE WINNING GRANT PROPOSALS

This online course offers interactive writing exercises that
explain the the entire grant writing process from finding
"perfect match" funders to writing an irresistible proposal.
Curriculum is tailored to meet the unique needs of each student. 
Work at your own pace and finish with concrete parts of an
application completed.

Taught by Katie Krueger-a grant writer with 9 years experience
and a past contributor to FundsforWriters.

Go to www.FindFunding.net/onlinecourses to enroll.

=====

PENCILS - A Proofreading & Copyediting Company^(TM)
"Improving the written word one letter at a time!"
Presentation, professionalism and quality are everything.
Let me help you present your work in the best light possible.
Email Laura at: pencilsproofreading@yahoo.com
www.pencilsproofreading.com

=====

WRITING AWAY RETREATS

October 17-21, 2008
Vail, Colorado, USA

Join award-winning author RA Nelson, Senior editor from
Champaign Books, Lee Ann Ward Life/Creative Coach, Lisa Gates
and writer, Cicily Janus for an unforgettable experience.
MS consultation included in price. Couples welcome.

http://www.freewebs.com/literaryretreat4couples

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WORLDWIDE FREELANCE WRITER - Download a free list of writing
markets if you subscribe this week. Our database has almost 2,000
writing markets from USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Australia.

http://www.worldwidefreelance.com

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ARE YOU A STARVING POET?

Even if you're not, how would you like a free resource coming
to you monthly via email?  Subscribe to the free newsletter,
The Poetry Market Ezine, by logging onto www.thepoetrymarket.com
and using the sign up box, or send any email to: 
poetrymarket-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

The newsletter features poetry markets, contests, and news.
Listed as one of Writer's Digest's 101 Best Websites for
Writers 2007, The Poetry Market ezine has been exclusively
catering to poets for over 6 years! 

For general info, send any email to tpme@thepoetrymarket.com

=====

Advertise with FundsforWriters !!!
Advertise with FFW Small Markets!

ADS FOR $9 AND UP!

$ 9 - one week in FFW Small Markets
$30 - four weeks in FFW Small Markets

$20 - one week in FundsforWriters
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$25 - one week in both FundsforWriters & FFW Small Markets
$75 - four weeks in FundsforWriters & FFW Small Markets

http://www.fundsforwriters.com/adrates.htm

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BUSINESS STUFF
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

C. Hope Clark
E-mail: hope@fundsforwriters.com

140-A Amicks Ferry Road #4
Chapin, SC 29036

http://www.fundsforwriters.com

Copyright 2000-2008, C. Hope Clark
ISSN: 1533-1326

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