Volume 8, Issue 29
July 20, 2008

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
          
FUNDS FOR WRITERS

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.

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

Want to Be On National TV Shows?  Ex-Oprah Guest Booker
Tells How On Free Teleseminar on Thursday, July 31st

Want to get your authors (or yourself) booked as a guest
on top national TV shows? Of course you do because there's
no faster way to promote your books to millions!  To
discover the three big secrets of getting on major TV shows,
join us for a free telephone seminar on Thursday,
July 31st at your choice of two different times. You'll
hear from a former Oprah guest booker, a former Fox News
producer and other surprise guests.  Go here now to register:

http://www.getmajorpress.com/call155

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

2008 FLORIDA WRITERS' CONFERENCE
http://www.floridawriters.net/2008_FWA_Conference.html

Join the heart of Florida's writing community at the Lake
Mary Marriott, for the biggest and most exciting 3-day event
FWA has ever presented.

"We've reached the tipping point this year," says Chrissy
Jackson, vice president of FWA and chair of the conference.
"A minimum of 300 attendees has drawn the best faculty we've
ever had -- and I just know that faculty is going to drive
attendance even higher."

Fourteen experienced agents, publishers and writing mentors
will be coming from all over the country to offer thirty
information-packed sessions over three days -- in a three-
track plan tailored for full-time pros, serious hobbyists
and determined beginners.

Make your reservation now. Do it before July 31st and you'll
save $50 over the full registration price of $299. (For hotel
reservations, call 1-899 380-7724 and ask for the FWA discount
rate. First come, first serve.)

NOTE: Hope Clark is a speaker/instructor at this year's affair.
She'd love to meet lots of FundsforWriters readers.

                 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EDITOR'S THOUGHTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

=====

NOTE:
FIRST PERSON IMPRESSIONS
http://impressions.firstpersonarts.org/
Just a note that the winner gives up all rights to the piece.

NOTE:
FLOWER MOUND WRITERS CONTEST - WHEN MOTHER DIED
http://flowermoundwriters.org/contests.html
Have found out that the contest has some questionable issues
such as no physical address to mail entries yet it refuses
email. Also, we've been unable to locate the publisher.
Act on the side of caution with this one.

=====

SO YOU AREN'T JUST A WRITER

These days I've heard (and read) lots of whining, like gnats
buzzing around. Young and old, comfortable and struggling,
fiction and nonfiction, full-time and part-time writers alike
complain that they cannot write instead of work. Hah! Like
writing isn't work. Write full-time and find out. It's damn
hard work, and dependable as a weatherman on your wedding day.

Listen people...you can work another job and still write.

I know the reasons, the excuses.

-too tired to write when you come home
-too many other responsibilities
-not enough time to get into it
-kids
-dogs
-spouses
-commuting

In one of the past FundsforWriters essay contests, the topic
asked writers what they'd do if they had a year to write.
At least half of them talked about sleeping late, taking
long walks, traveling, meeting other writers, and an amazing
number walked their dogs and drank gallons of coffee. I'd
get to the end of the essay and wonder where the phenomenal
writing goals were. Instead, people with time off still
continued to daydream about their writing.

Most famous writers were something else. Most current
writers still ARE something else.

Amy Munnell, in her 3 Questions...and Answers blog, recently
covered Eric Arthur Blair. I didn't know him either, until
she disclosed his pen name of George Orwell. He wrote from an
early age. But his first job was policeman.

He moved and tried his hand at short fiction, only to fail
and take up menial labor jobs. His association with the
common man stirred the beginnings of several books.

Unable to write for a living, he taught at a private school
and wrote about his days as a policeman. The publisher of
that book commissioned him to write a nonfiction book on the
unemployment of miners in England. He switched to journalism.

On a journalistic trip to Spain to report on the Civil War,
he studied communism and socialism. After he fled for his
life, he penned his infamous novel Animal Farm.

Bottom line, Orwell wrote about what he lived, and he worked
where he had to in order to be able to write...and eat.

So don't tell me you don't have time to write. All writers
find time to write.

NOTE: Read this marvelous blog at
http://3questionsandanswers.blogspot.com/
 

    Hope

TAKE A FUNDSFORWRITERS SURVEY
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=9xTU22X3lT9jO_2bhmaFyTOg_3d_3d

=====

TOTAL FUNDSFORWRITERS HALF OFF!

Summer is when writers slack off. So to reward those diligent
souls sticking with the task, I'm offering TOTAL FundsforWriters
subscriptions for one-half off. That means you get TOTAL FFW
for $6. Twenty-six issues half off the normal $12 value.

Renew your subscription, sign up like you've always meant to do,
or extend your subscription another year. We'll see to it that
you get your twelve months of grants, contests, markets and
publishing opportunities. 80+ listings in each issue.

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

Only good through the month of July.

=====

NOTE: GRANT WINNERS NEEDED

If you are a writer who has won a grant, please get in touch with
Hope. She is preparing new conference lesson plans and would be
happy to include the writer's name, book, web site or business in
the classroom material. She wants to broadcast your success.

hope@fundsforwriters.com

=====

http://www.hopeclark.blogspot.com

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

WORDS OF SUCCESS

The worst thing about new books is that they keep us
from reading the old ones.

~John Wooden

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ARTICLE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
NOTE:
BJ Epstein wrote a great piece on obtaining grants. This
is a two-part article entitled "How to Get Grants" from
her personal perspective as a grant writer and grant
recipient for her personal writing. Enjoy!  ~HOPE

----

How to Get Grants (PART 1)
By B.J. Epstein
 
In the past year alone, I've been the recipient of 16 different
grants. Eleven of these were on behalf of a major international
conference I organized and five were for me individually. Of
those five, one was a grant for my academic research on the
translation of children's literature, two were for my writing
(one of those two paid half of the costs for me to attend a
writing workshop), one helped pay for me to attend a conference,
and the most recent one is to support my work translating a novel
from Swedish to English. In this same year, I applied for two other
grants that I did not receive; the rejection letter for one
explained that the foundation preferred to support people further
along in their doctoral studies and encouraged me to apply again
next year. This means that out of approximately 18 applications/
requests (it is possible that I may be forgetting something here),
I had a success rate of close to 90%. The total sum of these grants
was over $30,000.
           
So how have I been so successful? What are my tips for getting
grants? Here, I will give you the secret to my success.
 
-Research is the first step. This is the same advice I'd give
if you were, say, looking to query a publication or apply to an
MFA program. You should carefully study any information the
foundation or other grant-giving body provides, whether it is
just a blurb in a newsletter or a multi-paged, detailed website.
You must understand what the foundation is looking for and whether
you fit the profile, so you don't waste both your time and theirs.
If you are unsure, call or email them and tell them a little bit
about yourself and your project and see if they think you should
apply. If you do contact them, don't take up too much of their
time. There are reference books on grants at many libraries and
bookstores and helpful newsletters and websites, so use these
resources, too.
 
-Apply for any grant that is even slightly relevant, no matter
how small the amount of money they offer is. Remember that each
grant you receive helps you get the next one by showing other
potential sponsors that people already believe in you. Also, of
course, even small sums matter, especially for struggling writers.
The smallest sum I received was $100 but it still made a difference
to me and it helped build the "grants received" section of my CV.
 
-Write excellent letters/essays. Here again is where the research
comes in; refer to the foundation or organization in particular
and explain why what you are doing fits in with their goals and
how it will benefit them to support you. Do not just explain why
and how they can help you. They already know you are looking for
money and they are surely inundated with letters from people like
you. State what you can do for them. If it is a foundation that
focuses on supporting writers from a certain region, discuss your
connection to that region and how your work is inspired by it.
If you are applying for a grant and you know your project is a
bit different from what they usually choose to sponsor, make sure
you tell them why you felt it was worthwhile to apply anyway and
why your project relates to their foundation. Do not send a form
letter for every grant you apply for. You must personalize each
application by referring to the particular foundation and their
objective.
 
-In your application pack, include all the information they ask
for. Do not send anything they don't really need, as that just
creates more work for them. Don't try to impress them with extra
reference letters or by sending many samples of your work.
Similarly, don't send them less than they ask for, as they can
not thoroughly judge you then. Follow the instructions precisely
or you will end up overwhelming and/or annoying them.
 
-Check the grammar and spelling of everything you send. Remember
that if a foundation receives a letter riddled with misspellings
and odd grammar, they will not feel confidence in your writing
skills and they will be glad to have a reason to swiftly reject
you rather than have to spend time reading your application.
 
BIO
B.J. Epstein is a translator, writer, editor, and Ph.D. student
in translation studies, and she is the proud recipient of grants
from the Welsh Academi, the Karin and Hjalmar Tornblad Foundation
Fund, and the Anglo-Swedish Literary Foundation, among other
awards. More information about her is available at
http://www.awaywithwords.se and http://brave-new-words.blogspot.com/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
COMPETITIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY PRESS AWARD IN POETRY
http://www.ohiostatepress.org/
---
$25 ENTRY FEE
The Journal, the literary magazine of The Ohio State University,
selects one full-length manuscript of poetry each year for
publication by The Ohio State University Press. In addition to
publication under a standard book contract, the winning author
receives the Charles B. Wheeler prize of $3,000. Entries of at
least 48 typed pages of original poetry must be postmarked
during the month of September.

=====

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN WRITE?
http://www.thewritehome.info
---
$75 ENTRY FEE
How would you like the opportunity to win cash, or perhaps a
beautiful custom home in Albuquerque? The Write Home is sponsoring
a writing contest to find out what you love most about the USA!
Take some time to focus on the positive aspects of being part of
this amazing nation! Write a short essay, between 200 and 500
words, expressing what you think is great about America. If we
receive at least 4,000 entries, this beautiful custom home in
Albuquerque, NM will be awarded to one Grand Prize winner. If
fewer than 4,000 entries are received, cash prizes will be
awarded to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners, using $40 of
every $75 entry fee to determine the amount. This contest ends
on the day we receive entry number 6,000 or August 31, 2008,
whichever comes first.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GRANTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MAGIC CARPET RIDE MENTORSHIP
http://www.angelfire.com/wa2/margin/MRCentral/mentorship.html
---
The purpose of the Magic Carpet Ride mentorship is to assist
a promising magical realist writer from anywhere in the world
in the completion of a polished manuscript by the end of the
session which can then be actively submitted to potential
publishers. This competitive opportunity is the first of its
kind to provide specialized instruction, direction, and
motivation specifically for a writer of literary magical
realism. This mentorship, valued at $1500*, will be awarded
annually, and on a competitive basis, to a single applicant
who is able to demonstrate:

Postmark deadline for receipt of all application materials
for the 2009 mentorship session is October 31, 2008.

=====

FURTHERMORE GRANTS
http://www.furthermore.org/
---
The Furthermore program is concerned with nonfiction book
publishing about the city; natural and historic resources;
art, architecture, and design; cultural history; and civil
liberties and other public issues of the day. Our grants
apply to writing, research, editing, design, indexing,
photography, illustration, and printing and binding. Grants
made directly to the publishers must be nonprofit in
nature. Grants from $500 to roughly $15,000 are awarded in
spring and fall with March 15 and September 15 deadlines.

=====

KENTUCKY INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT GRANTS (SHORT DEADLINE)
http://artscouncil.ky.gov/guide/prog3/apd_app.pdf
---
Deadline August 1, 2008. Grant request up to $500. Briefly
describe on the form your arts background and past and
current professional arts experiences. Describe how they
are related to the proposed activity. Describe the activity
you are proposing and how it will provide you with a new or
expanded opportunity for professional development.

 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FREELANCE MARKETS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AMERICAN HERITAGE MAGAZINE
http://www.americanheritage.com/contact/writersguidelinesAH.pdf
---
Accepts proposals. Prefers to see clips and experience. Queries
limited to 1,000 words. All proposals are considered on spec.
Do not send manuscripts. The finest magazine on American history,
newly redesigned and full of insightful and entertaining articles
by the nation's most preeminent historians and writers. In these
pages you will find in-depth and stimulating coverage of the events,
people, and places that have shaped the nation and our national
character--all richly illustrated with lavish photographs, maps,
and engravings.

=====

FIFTY PLUS
http://richmondparents.com/50_about_us.htm
---
Fifty Plus is dedicated to providing readers with accurate
information, professional guidance and useful resources. Our
magazine aims to reflect and enhance fifty-plus lifestyles and
to encourage reader dialogue and input in the Richmond, VA area.
Articles run 400 to 2,200 words, with payment appropriate to
length. Writers new to the magazine are more likely to be
accepted at the shorter end of the range. Submissions of personal
essays should be 400 to 900 words and can be researched opinions
or humorous or reflective thoughts on any aspect of life over 50.
Pays about $50 to $360.

=====

CLUBHOUSE
Focus on the Family, Colorado Springs, CO 80995
1-800-232-6459
http://www.clubhousemagazine.org
---
A children's magazine for ages 8-12 that supports Christian
values. Bible stories, fiction, nonfiction, puzzles, jokes,
movie reviews, crafts and recipes. Pays up to 25 cents/word.
Fiction up to 1,500 words and nonfiction up to 800 words.
Feature-length fiction pays $200 and up. Web site suggests
snail mailing or calling for complete guidelines.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JOBS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 
WRITER-EDITOR
Location Washington DC
http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=73795755&aid=27015391-1278&WT.mc_n=MKT000125
---
Deadline August 4, 2008. Employing Agency: Federal
Communications Commission. The incumbent develops and writes
a variety of materials to collect, review and disseminate to
consumers information regarding FCC policies and rules. These
materials are used at outreach and educational events at the
local, state and national levels.

=====

TECHNICAL WRITER
Locations Charleston, SC, Bethesda, MD, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, CA,
Monterey, CA, San Deigo, Fallbrook, Camp Pendleton, Point Loma,
CA, Kings Bay, GA, Louisville, KY, Pittsfield, MA, Patuxent River,
Indian Head, MD, Kittery, ME , Corpus Christi, TX, Quantico, VA,
Virginia Beach, VA, Norfolk, VA, Pearl Harbor, HI, Panama City, FL,
Washington, DC, North Island, CA, China Lake, CA, Crane, IN,
Boston, MA, Nellis Air Force Base, NV, McAlester, OK, Newport, RI,
Dahlgren, VA 
http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=29374013&brd=3876&AVSDM=2008%2D06%2D06+13%3A33%3A15&sort=rv&vw=d&q=writer&Logo=0&pg=6&ss=0&customapplicant=15513%2C15514%2C15515%2C15669%2C15523%2C15512%2C15516%2C45575&TabNum=2&rc=4
---
Deadline March 6, 2009. Do you have the rare ability to
translate hard-to-read, technical jargon into clear, easy-to-
understand prose?  In this occupation you may supervise, lead
or perform various duties concerned with the writing and
editing of technical materials.  Such materials may include: 
reports of research findings; scientific or technical articles,
news releases, or periodicals; technical regulations, manuals,
specifications, or brochures; and speeches or scripts on
technical/scientific subjects.  You may draw on a substantial
knowledge of a particular subject-matter area such as the
natural or social sciences, engineering and law.  You may also
develop, analyze and select appropriate specialized information
and determine the best way to present the information to the
intended audience.  Consider this challenging opportunity and
apply. Employer: Department of the Navy. Civilian positions.

=====

WRITER-EDITOR
Locations Washington, DC, Annapolis, MD, Bethesda, MD, Stennis
Space Center, MS, Newport, RI, Arlington, VA, Norfolk, VA,
Quantico, VA, Pearl Harbor, HI, Kittery, ME, Charleston, SC,
Portsmouth, VA 
http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=29374141&brd=3876&AVSDM=2008%2D03%2D27+13%3A15%3A01&sort=rv&vw=d&q=writer&Logo=0&pg=6&ss=0&customapplicant=15513%2C15514%2C15515%2C15669%2C15523%2C15512%2C15516%2C45575&TabNum=2&rc=2
---
Deadline March 6, 2009. In this occupation you may supervise,
lead or perform various duties concerned with writing and
editing materials.  Such materials may include reports,
regulations, articles, newsletters, magazines, news releases,
training materials, brochures, interpretive handbooks, pamphlets,
guidebooks, scholarly works, reference works, speeches, or
scripts.  You may develop, analyze and select appropriate
information and determine the best way to present the information
in a form and at a level suitable for the intended audience. 
Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity--apply now.
Be a civilian with the Department of the Navy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PUBLISHERS/AGENTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ALMA BOOKS - UK
http://www.almabooks.co.uk/About/about.html
---
Publishing between twenty to thirty titles a year, mainly in
the field of contemporary literary fiction, Alma takes sixty
per cent of its titles from English-language originals, while
the rest are translations from other European languages. Alma
will also publish a handful of non-fiction titles each year.

=====

RITCHIE BOOKS - UK
http://www.ritchiebooks.co.uk/
---
Dog, equestrian and film books.

=====

PIATKUS PRESS - UK
http://www.piatkus.co.uk/home
---
Piatkus will continue to be an independent imprint within
Little, Brown, specialising in non-fiction and fiction. Our
lifestyle list covers the areas of health, mind, body and spirit,
self-help, business, personal development and all the topics that
interest people in their daily lives. Piatkus is also known for
our wide variety of fiction, which includes crime, romance and
women's fiction, as well as general and literary fiction.

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

2008 FLORIDA WRITERS' CONFERENCE
http://www.floridawriters.net/2008_FWA_Conference.html

Join the heart of Florida's writing community at the Lake
Mary Marriott, for the biggest and most exciting 3-day event
FWA has ever presented.

"We've reached the tipping point this year," says Chrissy
Jackson, vice president of FWA and chair of the conference.
"A minimum of 300 attendees has drawn the best faculty we've
ever had -- and I just know that faculty is going to drive
attendance even higher."

Fourteen experienced agents, publishers and writing mentors
will be coming from all over the country to offer thirty
information-packed sessions over three days -- in a three-
track plan tailored for full-time pros, serious hobbyists
and determined beginners.

Make your reservation now. Do it before July 31st and you'll
save $50 over the full registration price of $299. (For hotel
reservations, call 1-899 380-7724 and ask for the FWA discount
rate. First come, first serve.)

NOTE: Hope Clark is a speaker/instructor at this year's
conference. She'd love to meet lots of FundsforWriters readers.

=====

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

=====

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
$60 - four weeks in FundsforWriters

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

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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

-----------------------------