Volume 8, Issue 43
October 26, 2008

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

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

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

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

CHILDREN'S WRITERS: STOP WAITING... GET PUBLISHED FASTER!

If the fastest route between two points is a straight line,
then here's good news for children's writers: Now you can
cut weeks, months, even years off the wait to get your
children's book into print. No matter what stage you're at
-- idea, first draft, or finished manuscript - get the inside
secrets the pros use to get their stories written and published.
Secrets you can use from the word "go." Hasn't your story waited
long enough? Aren't you ready for the rush of seeing your name
on the spine of your own book? Stop running in circles - take
the direct route. it starts here:

http://www.publishachildrensbook.com/kid/b8a
                 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EDITOR'S THOUGHTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

=====

CONTEST TIME

This is it . . . the final week countdown to the October 31
deadline for the Annual FundsforWriters Essay Contest. Just as
a refresher, you have an entry fee and no entry fee option.
Pay $5 to vie for $200 or pay nothing and compete for $50.

This is our seventh year sponsoring this competition. Each
year it improves dramatically. The quality does up. The number
of entries go up. The entries that follow the guidelines go up.
Amazing and so satisfying.

The theme is "The Best Advice I Ever Had." Go to the website
and read all the guidelines, though. Make sure you wrote
within the parameters of what we're looking for.

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

This year we had glorious sponsors as well. All contributed
to the prize money, and in return, we flaunted their names.
From what I hear, you guys and ladies did a great job
visiting their sites. Thanks immensely. As one more reminder,
here are the sponsors:

GOLD SPONSOR - Original Impulse, Creativity & Life Coaching
               www.originalimpulse.com

SILVER SPONSOR - Carol Gee, Editorial Services/Business Consultant
        www.venuschronicles.net

SILVER SPONSOR - ALABAMA IMPROPER - MOODY OPINION by C.A. MARKS
               (blog) http://alabamaimproper.com/

These fine people thought highly enough of the FundsforWriters
readership to help sponsor the prize money and pay for the
tremendous amount of time it takes to judge the entries. Kudos
to them, and kudos to you for being so highly regarded.

Just gives me a warm fuzzy to belong to a community like this.
The writers, the readers, the sponsors, the people who submit
entries for the newsletters . . . all just make my day. Who
wouldn't want to be a writer with a group like this to
spur you on?

Don't forget to enter the contest. You have a week.
And thanks for reading FFW.

    Hope

http://www.hopeclark.blogspot.com

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

=====

FundsforWriters and its annual sponsor IdeaWeaver, creator
of writing and creativity software, announce the 7th Annual
FundsforWriters Essay Contest.

THEME: "The Best Advice I Ever Had."

As is the FundsforWriters trademark, applicants enter with
or without an entry fee, their choice. Prize monies range
from $10 to $200.  Limit 750 words. Deadline October 31,
2008.

www.fundsforwriters.com/annualcontest.htm
Questions to hope@fundsforwriters.com

Also sponsored by:

Shelley Lieber
4Ps to Publishing Success:
Get Your Manuscript Off Your Desk & Into Print
www.shelleylieber.com/work1.htm

and

Original Impulse - Cynthia Morris
Creativity & Life Coaching Resources for Writers
www.originalimpulse.com

=====

SEEKING ARTICLES ON THESE TOPICS

Fundsforwriters seeks submissions on the following topics:

--Working in the greeting card market.
--Writing for seasonal markets.
--Receiving a writing grant and how it impacts a writing career.
--The impact of an online writing class.
--Winning a writing contest of $500 or more and how it aided
  a writing career.

Query Hope at hope@fundsforwriters.com
Guidelines at www.fundsforwriters.com/submissions.htm

  ~~~~~~****~~~~~~

WORDS OF SUCCESS

 
"You can't brag that you're humble... and be humble."

-- Terry McEwen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ARTICLE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Punctuate Your Piece with the Perfect Picture

By Courtney Mroch
 
It's clichéd but true: a picture is worth a thousand words.
But pictures don't replace words. If used right, they enhance
them. How? They make your writing more sellable to an editor,
more appealing to your reading audience, and can even help
with author promotion efforts.
 
One of my responsibilities as a Senior Blogger for
Families.com is to include pictures with my blogs. I try to
do this as much as possible because it helps set a tone,
create an atmosphere, or, in some cases, provide visual
step-by-step instructions.
 
A question I'm often asked is, "Where do you get such great
images from?"
 
Sometimes I take the pictures myself (such as with "What
a Hairball Looks Like"
http://pets.families.com/blog/what-a-hairball-looks-like
and "How to Use a Choke Chain Properly"
http://pets.families.com/blog/how-to-use-a-choke-chain-properly).
Mostly I get them from free online image warehouses, a.k.a.
stock image search engines.
 
My favorite source for photos is stock.xchng
http://www.sxc.hu/home. Not only are the quality of images
good and the variety abundant, but the usage permission
agreement is straightforward. At a glance I know what
rights the photographer has given and if I need to get
permission before using the image or credit them once I do.
 
Here are some of my other favorite royalty-free image sources:
 
FreeMediaGoo.com http://freemediagoo.com/ (This one is neat
because it also offers free audio, textures, and flash in
addition to free images.)
 
Gettyimages http://www.gettyimages.com/creative/royaltyfree.aspx
 
Image After http://www.imageafter.com/
 
Morgue File http://morguefile.com/
 
But there are other ways to get pictures for free besides
taking them yourself or culling online image warehouses.
 
When I wrote an article about the Biltmore Estate and the
Jekyll Island Hotel, I contacted their public relations
departments about pictures. Both graciously provided me with
a variety of images. And because I contacted them before I
pitched to the editor, in my query I included the fact that
professional pictures would accompany the article. That
helped get me the go ahead to send in the piece.

Sometimes an image is so gripping it's worth paying for.
As you might imagine, there are a lot of sites out there
offering photos for a price. But what might surprise you is
how affordable they are.
 
Stockxpert
http://www.stockxpert.com/
Sells photos from $1 to $10 per image.
 
Most of Image Trail's
http://www.imagetrail.net/
Offerings range from $1 to $5 per image.
 
Dreamstime
http://www.dreamstime.com/
Has photos as low $0.20 per image. But it's based on a
"credit" system where you purchase a subscription for X
amount, which gives you X amount of credits that you then
cash in for images. (However, they also have a free section
where photographers have donated photos for free use, no
credits needed.)
 
Another thing to consider as an author is that photos aren't
limited only to writing articles. Many authors have used some
of the above-referenced sites for promotion purposes, such as
for creating book trailer "movies." Others have peppered their
author websites with images for design purposes. Or found
images to use on their book covers. But you could also use
them on business cards, flyers, bookmarks...the uses are
limited only by your imagination.
 
So now that you know how to find them, what are you waiting
for? Get on out there and start adding images to your words.
Happy writing...and picture hunting!
 
BIO:
Courtney Mroch writes about the harmony and strife of married
life as well as animals big and small in the Marriage and Pets
sections at Families.com. You can also visit her on the web at
www.courtneymroch.com.

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

MOZELLE MEMOIR CONTEST
http://www.writersleague.org/contests/memoir.html
---
Entry fee: $10
Deadline: March 20, 2009. Prize: $500 and publication.
Submit a maximum of 3,000 words. The piece cannot have been
previously published. Each entry includes an entry form, four
copies of the manuscript, and a title page.

=====

THE VAIKE AND ERICH RANNU FUND FOR WRITERS OF SPECULATIVE LIT
http://chizine.com/kasturi/rannufund.htm
---
ENTRY FEE $5 CDN or U.S. fee per entry.
$8 CDN or U.S. to enter both fiction and poetry categories.

Founded July 8, 2008 by writers/editors Sandra Kasturi and
Brett Alexander Savory, in honour of the 30th wedding anniversary
of Sandra's mother and step-father, and their contributions to
the arts and education both in Canada and Estonia. The Fund
offers two awards per year of $500 CDN each, one for fiction,
one for poetry, granted to two writers of speculative literature
(i.e., science fiction, fantasy, horror, magic realism,
surrealism, etc.), of any nationality/place of residence, at
any stage of their career. The first submissions for this new
award will be accepted between October 1, 2008 and December 31,
2008. The winners will be announced March 1, 2009. Two Honourable
Mentions in each category will win $50. Submission period: October
1-December 31, 2008. Winners announced: March 1.

Poetry Award: $500 prize

Fiction Award: $500 prize

=====

GO! WRITING CONTEST
http://www.go-explore-trans.org/Go-writing-contest-flyer.pdf
---
NO ENTRY FEE NOTED
GO!, an online magazine for teens, is published by Iowa
State University's Center for Transportation Research and
Education. Submissions to the contest should address some
aspect of transportation and be appropriate for teens and
young adults. The goal is to encourage writers and readers
to think about how integral transportation is to everyday
lives. Deadline January 15, 2009. Accepts short stories and
nonfiction articles up to 2,000 words. Prize for the best
story is $1,000 and for the best nonfiction article $1,000.
For the best submission by a student writer, high school or
college, prize is a $500 gift card to Iowa State's University
Book Store. If a student wins the $1,000 case prize, that
student also wins the $500 gift card. Note: any student
anywhere can purchase books, art supplies, gifts and Iowa
State gear online. Incoming Iowa State students are eligible
for computers, software and electronics. No entry form or fee.
Submissions should be targeted to readers ages 14 to 20.
 

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

LOS ANGELES JOURNALISM SISTER-CITY FELLOWSHIP
http://www.freelancewriting.com/contestsannouncements/110108-fellowship-program.php
---
The Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau and Los
Angeles World Airports seek applications from qualified
arts and/or travel journalists from countries in which Los
Angeles has a Sister City for a weeklong, all-expense-paid
professional fellowship program to learn first-hand about the
city's culture and communities. Los Angeles' Sister Cities are:
Athens, Greece; Auckland, New Zealand; Beirut, Lebanon; Berlin,
Germany; Bordeaux, France; Busan, Korea; Eilat, Israel; Giza,
Egypt; Guangzhou (formerly Canton), People's Republic of China;
Ischia, Italy; Jakarta, Indonesia; Kaunas, Lithuania; Lusaka,
Zambia; Makati, The Philippines; Mexico City, Mexico; Mumbai
(formerly Bombay), India; Nagoya, Japan; Salvador de Bahia,
Brazil; San Salvador, El Salvador; Split, Croatia; St.
Petersburg, Russia; Taipei, Taiwan; Vancouver, Canada; and
Yerevan, Armenia. Up to five journalists from media outlets
serving LA's Sister Cities will be chosen. Scheduled in Los
Angeles from January 24-31, 2009. Pays for all lodging, meals
and events for participants. Airfare and travel expenses to
and from Los Angeles for each fellow will be covered up to a
maximum of US $1,500. Applicants must be currently employed as
professional journalists or must be experienced freelance
journalists on assignment by a media outlet. Deadline
November 21, 2008.

=====

THE TONY DOYLE BURSARY
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/tony_doyle_bursary.shtml
---
BBC Northern Ireland is once again searching for the next
generation of television writers with the launch of the Tony
Doyle Bursary for New Writing. Now in its sixth year, the
bursary is open to new writers who think they've got what it
takes to start a career in television. The aim of the bursary
is to encourage television drama about Ireland by writers new
to the medium. This may include writers experienced in other
forms of fiction as well as new writers. The winner will receive
a cash prize of £2,000.  The winner and three finalists will be
invited to a residential seminar run by the BBC Northern Ireland
Drama Department. We are inviting submissions from writers with
an Irish background. The submission should be either a 60 or
90 minute script for an original television drama. This can be
a single drama or the first episode of a two parter, serial or
series. For series etc, you must attach a synopsis (max two
pages) outlining the remainder of the story. Deadline
November 30, 2008.

=====

UK FILM COUNCIL FIRST FEATURE FILM DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/devfirst
---
First Feature Film Development Programme aims to identify and
support emerging filmmakers: screenwriters, writer/directors
and writer, director, producer teams who have not made a
feature film or who have not yet had a feature film released
theatrically or broadcast on UK television. Generally, awards
of up to £25,000 will be offered to screenwriters/writer-
directors to write and develop a feature film. You should not
apply if you have written a feature length film released
theatrically or broadcast on UK television. Must be 18 years
or over and a national or resident of the UK or another
state of the European Union/European Economic Area.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FREELANCE MARKETS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
INSPIRATIONS
http://www.pohlyco.com/about-pohly/guidelines/inspirations.html
---
Inspirations is a lifestyle and gardening magazine for customers
of several leading garden centers located around the country. It
appeals to the readers' desire to beautify their homes and yards
and to create welcoming spaces for entertaining and relaxing with
friends and family. Writers do not need any special expertise in
gardening or landscaping. While there is hands-on gardening
content and information about plants, Inspirations is very much
about living well, especially outdoors. Its tone, structure, and
composition appeal to readers, mostly women, who are looking for
practical, time-saving, and novel ideas to enhance their garden
lifestyle.

=====

PROFESSIONAL COLLECTOR MAGAZINE
http://www.pohlyco.com/about-pohly/guidelines/professional-collector.html
---
The eight-page newsletter offers short articles covering the
trends and issues affecting the collections industry, as well
as personal finance and general lifestyle stories. The
publication is designed to help its audience of payment
professionals be more productive and improve their performance.
Writers should be aware that Professional Collector is a
promotional publication, and that its content must support
the overall marketing goals of Western Union. Articles
typically vary in length from 200 to 800 words and may be
subject to heavy editing prior to publication.

=====

FRESH
http://www.pohlyco.com/about-pohly/guidelines/fresh.html
---
Fresh magazine is the publication of Hannaford Brothers Co.
for its supermarket customers. A chain of more than 150 stores
throughout New England and New York state, Hannaford is
headquartered in Maine. The magazine conveys our passion for
food, for cooking, and for doing the most with products
available at the markets. Articles available for freelancers
are all recipe driven. Only writers who are experienced recipe
developers should submit queries, and all recipes must be
original recipes developed specifically for the publication.
Features vary each issue and include about 400 words of text
plus four to six recipes. Articles are usually seasonal, such
as grilling in July/August, apple recipes in September/October,
holiday fare in November/December. Queries for features should
consider the time of year that the article would appear.

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

WRITER-EDITOR
Location Northern Virginia
http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=76775984&aid=27015391-20108&WT.mc_n=MKT000125
---
Deadline November 10, 2008. Employing Agency: Defense
Intelligence Agency. The incumbent serves as a Writer-Editor
and as such, exhibits a high level of expertise in writing,
editing, research techniques and methods to develop and
prepare written products. Reviews all outgoing correspondence
and final products prior to submission for printing and
distribution. Writes abstracts based on finished products
and performs comprehensive editorial reviews. Serves as a
technical authority in journalism and publishing technology,
and participates in workflow management.

=====

WRITER
Location New York, NY
http://www.idealist.org/en/job/315199-242
---
Employer YAI-National Institute for People with Disabilities.
The writer will write human interest and feature stories about
the achievements of the people we serve and our staff for our
newsletters, brochures and web site. Familiarity with AP style,
basic HTML skills, and experience using content management
systems a plus.

=====

PROGRAM ANALYST-WRITER
Location Washington DC
http://www.idealist.org/en/job/315104-46
---
This position is responsible for the writing and development
of multiple format materials that focus on infant and toddler
child care issues with a particular focus on early childhood
system development. The position requires some presentation
and travel responsibilities. Employer ZERO TO THREE: National
Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families.

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

UNDERLAND PRESS
http://www.underlandpress.com/mission.cfm
---
We like stories that scare us. We like the macabre-monsters
and magic and men with nothing to lose. More than anything,
we like to be intrigued and entertained. We started the press
to bring the best of the world's scary and strange stories to
life and to light. Call it the new weird, or fantasy, or dark
fantasy. Call it what you want. We like reading by flashlight
under the covers at night. We want to make books you can't put
down.

=====

LONE PINE PUBLISHING
http://www.lonepinepublishing.com/about
---
Lone Pine Publishing is creating a library of books that
celebrates the diversity and character of our own backyards.
Our interest in nature, outdoor recreation and popular history
has led us to publish titles of local relevance to enrich our
appreciation of who we are as a people and a place.

=====

VERITAS LITERARY AGENCY
http://veritasliterary.com/
---
Veritas is a full-service literary agency specializing in
select literary and contemporary fiction and nonfiction.
Founded on the premise that literature is one of the best
carriers of truth--both emotional and literal--in the world
today, the agency cultivates strong, innovative books that
extend the boundaries of thought and expression.

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

Ramble Underground, an international fiction quarterly
is hosting its semi-annual Short Story Contest.
$6 entry fee. Deadline: 11/15/08.

http://www.rambleunderground.org

=====

New for Memoir Writers!

Download a Free eBook Begin Your Memoir Now.
Sign up for our newsletter.

Coming October 23--Free All-Day Telesummit for Memoir Writers.
Learn about building your brand, emotion & plot for memoirs,
success tips from agents, NY publishing vs self-publishing,
voice and theme in memoir. NAMW has CDs, ebooks, books, free
audios and teleseminars, online workshops, and many generous
membership benefits--ebooks, books, and monthly teleseminars
only for members.

www.namw.org   510-524-3898

=====

 
Have writing goals you want to achieve? Want to see your
work in print or on the web for the world to read?
 
Then grab a hot cup of joe and join us at the Coffeehouse
for Writers, a community of over 10,000 members dedicated
to helping each other learn the craft of writing and
publishing. Sit down with us and get the support and
encouragement you need and deserve. Registrations are being
accepted now--classes run 4 or 5 weeks.
 
Join our e-mail groups, critique groups, online workshops
and classes--and don't forget to sign up for our free
newsletter. You don't have to do it alone.
 
http://www.coffeehouseforwriters.com/

=====

CAN YOU TAKE A SIMPLE PHOTOGRAPH?

If yes, you could make $2,000 a week taking snap shots in your
own backyard on your family vacations. Or anywhere in the
world you care to travel. Here's everything you need to know
about this fun and lucrative business:

http://www.thephotographerslife.com/ph2/b8a

=====

BECOME A TRAVEL WRITER

Imagine sliding out of bed and knowing your "work" for the day
is to scuba dive along the Great Barrier Reef...mountain climb
in the Andes...or Kayak around the remote islands of the San Juans...

http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/twr/b8a

=====

HOW TO MAKE A LIVING AS A WRITER

"I finally found a way to make a living as a writer.  I'm
averaging about $150 an hour and I only work a few hours
each morning, leaving me with most of the day to pursue my
first love: Fiction."

Here's how you can learn the secrets of this little-known,
lucrative business:

http://www.thewriterslife.com/awi/b8a1

=====

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

=====

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

=====

GET YOUR ADS READY

FundsforWriters is offering its annual advertising discount.
For November, advertise your writing business, how-to book,
editing services, workshop, or other writing-related
opportunity to our readers...for ONE-THIRD OFF!

Why the discount now?

We want to introduce you to our advertising, and show you
how FundsforWriters readers are eager folks, anxious to
take their writing to another level. They're good people,
just who you need to reach with your product.

$ 6 - one week in FFW Small Markets
$20 - four weeks in FFW Small Markets

$13 - one week in FundsforWriters
$40 - four weeks in FundsforWriters

$17 - one week in both FundsforWriters & FFW Small Markets
$50 - 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

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