Volume 9, Issue 9
March 1, 2009

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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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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.

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PAID SPONSOR OF THE WEEK
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And with all the changes, it's harder than ever to know what to
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Want to find out how you can fi-i-i-i-nally get that book published?
 
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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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HITCHING YOUR WAGON

You've heard the suggestions about emulating the experts.
Conferences abound where the masters teach their secrets.
We read the best writers to learn how to improve. We fall
prey to many of the ads that say "Margaret made money working
at home, so can you." We want to follow in the footsteps of
those who have succeeded.

We want to be like them.

At a writer's conference, I heard an agent say she liked it
when a pitching author said, "My work is similar to
(fill in best-selling author's name)." She said it gave her
an idea of where to place the author in the grand scheme of
so much competition. I don't want to be "like" someone else.
I'd rather the agent read my work and think, "So this is Hope
Clark."

Authors, business people, singers, the world and all its players,
want to be like someone. Yet we know that the names remembered
are those who are unlike anyone else.

Unique, fresh, original.

I'd rather not tie my wagon to one already driven by a tired
horse. Find me a fresh steed, a new wagon and an unpaved
road.

Wouldn't you rather be followed instead?

    Hope

BYLINES DAILY WRITERS CALENDAR

This daily writers' calendar is perfect. 2009 will be
Hope's fifth year using this marvelous writing tool. See
writers just like yourself on each weekly post. Keep up
with literary conferences, author birthdays. Manage your
submissions. Its uses are endless.

Offered each year by FundsforWriters.

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

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THE BLOG, THE BLOG!
http://www.hopeclark.blogspot.com

TWITTER ME
http://twitter.com/hopeclark

CONSULT WITH HOPE
http://www.fundsforwriters.com/ConsultHope.htm

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WORDS OF SUCCESS

"Nothing builds self esteem and self confidence like
accomplishment."

-- Thomas Carlyle

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SUCCESS OF THE WEEK
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I've had a body/mind self-help book on my computer for
about three years. I sent it to the alternative-health
titles listed in Writer's Digest with many rejections. I
began to work with an agent who really loved it but was
unsure of a market for it. She sent me back to do some
market reseach, which I attempted, but we never moved
forward. Then you listed All Things That Matter Press in
your Total Funds for Writers. I checked out their website
and then sent them a query with the ms. attached, as they
requested. After a few interchanges, they sent me a contract!
I signed it and sent it back that day! It's been just a week
since I signed the contract. I am getting my author photo
retaken and touching up my bio. What a blessing! Thank you!

Cathy Wilson
 
 
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ARTICLE
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Turning Down Free Work

By Aline Lechaye

It seems that whenever the words "I'm a writer" leaves my lips,
I'm bombarded by offers of free work. Can I run my eye over
this report, that presentation, or that promising novel
perhaps?
 
Sound familiar?
 
Postpone the Negotiations

Not only do these people expect top-quality free work, they
are also smart enough to pick their moments. I've said yes
to countless people just because the situation was too
awkward to talk business. Once at a party, a woman asked me
to proofread her essay just as the hostess walked past. I
thought it would make me look bad if I said, "Sure, my rates
are $50/hour", so I said, "Um, sure."
 
What I should have said was "Sure, let's meet up later this
week and we can discuss my rates."
 
Postponing the business meeting works both ways. It says, I'm
a professional who has "rates", and it gives the other person
a chance to "forget" the meeting if she wasn't planning to pay.
 
A tip from the experienced: always carry professional looking
name cards. It is harder to ask Jane Smith, Copywriter (on a
card) for free services than janeimsocute@mail.com (scribbled
on some random napkin).
 
Don't Believe In References

Many of us have done free work in hopes that we will get
paying clients referred by the nonpaying one.
 
However, in my long (and bitter) experience, I've found that
the people who imply they'll recommend me to their friends if
I do a good (free) job rarely keep their word, and the few that
do take delight in asking their friends to send in their work
in to me--for free.
 
I've personally found that paying clients are much more
generous in their references (who always are payers too!)
 
Make An Excuse

Sometimes a simple excuse is all it takes. "I'm sorry; I'm
swamped in work right now. I don't think I'll be able to take
yours on." And don't add "maybe next time". That will leave the
door open for future requests.
 
Be Professional and Sincere

Things can and often do get nasty when you say no to someone who
really needs the work done. (Though if they were as desperate as
they sound, they should be willing to pay some cash to get the
work done!)
 
Try to remain professional at all times. If a friend says "I
can't believe you won't do this for me!" it is not appropriate
to reply, "You never let me copy your homework in high school!"
 
Sound sincere and not arrogant when you're saying no. Don't
sound as if you think you're great and should not be bothered
by petty jobs. Say "I'm sorry I was unable to do this for you"
and not "You want me to do this for free? Are you kidding?"
 
Stick Up For Yourself

Quick! Think up a way to say "Tom, this job could take six
hours or more. That means giving up $300 worth of income,"
without sounding pompous.
 
It's never going to get any easier for you to ask for a fee
if you're the kind of person who doesn't find it easy to start
with. And it's equally embarrassing to admit that you're so
"poor" you need to "rip off your friends".
 
But look at it this way: your work is definitely worth the
$50 per hour you ask for, because other clients (total
strangers) are paying you that much. Don't let people walk
over you, stand up for what you're worth!
 
Good luck, and do try these the next time free work comes along!

Bio: Aline Lechaye is a professional proofreader, translator,
writing tutor and writer. Above all, she hates non-paying
clients who expect her to do free work "for the practice".
(Excuse me?) Aline can be reached at alinelechaye@gmail.com

 
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COMPETITIONS
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BECHTEL PRIZE
http://www.twc.org/publications/bechtel-prize
---
$20 ENTRY FEE
Teachers & Writers Collaborative (T&W) awards the Bechtel
Prize annually in recognition of an exemplary essay addressing
important issues in the areas of creative writing education,
literary studies, and/or the profession of writing. The
deadline to receive submissions for the 2009 Bechtel Prize
is 5:00 PM (Eastern), Tuesday, June 30, 2009. The winning
essay appears in Teachers & Writers magazine, and the author
receives a $1,500 honorarium. Authors of submissions selected
as finalists for the award share honoraria of $500, and their
essays may also be published in Teachers & Writers.

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TIFERET WRITING AWARDS
http://www.tiferetjournal.com/writecontest.html
---
$15 entry for one story or essay (Prose) up to 25 pages or
6 poems (Poetry). Deadline: April 1, 2009. $500 each for
Poetry and Prose. We publish writingn with a variety of spiritual
and religious traditions. Our mission is to help reveal spirit
through the written word and to promote peace within the
individual and the world.

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TOWARD THE LIGHT CONTEST
http://www.towardthelight.net/contest.html
---
ENTRY FEE $28 Canadian for up to 3 poems.
Send us poetry that sees in the dark. Personal poetry that
integrates the power of light and dark in life, recognizing
that neither is a permanent resting place, rather, together
they stimulate movement and growth; never a final location.
Wherever you are, ignite the fuse of light within you. Notice
how darkness can make you wise. In celebration, struggle,
joy, depression, transition, and achievement there is light
and dark. Deadline April 1, 2009. Poetry (rhymed or free verse)
up to 150 lines. We only accept entries written in English from
Canada or the United States. First Prize: $200 plus publication
in the 2009 summer issue (print and/or digital) and posting on
the web site. Honourable Mention: $75 plus publication in the
2009 summer issue (print and/or digital) and posting on the web
site.

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GRANTS
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JOURNALISM FELLOWSHIPS - JOHN JAY COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE
http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?Media=Non-Profit&JobID=1022145
---
Twenty prestigious journalism fellowships will be awarded to
working journalists to attend this two- day conference and
workshop April 1st and 2nd, 2009 at John Jay College of
Criminal Justice in New York City. We are seeking applications
from journalists writing or broadcasting in a variety of beats
(business, finance, education, politics, health, crime, courts,
etc.) to submit a project statement on how their current
reporting could benefit from workshops and panels presented
at the conference. Fellows from outside the New York area will
be an awarded an all expense-paid trip to NYC for three days.
In lieu of travel expenses, New York-region journalists will
receive a $500 stipend. Meals and local travel will be provided
for all Fellows for the duration of the event. Deadline
March 9, 2009.

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BLACK ROCK ARTS FOUNDATION GRANTS
http://www.blackrockarts.org/grants
---
Our grant cycle spans the course of a year, usually from
March to February the following year. Applications are
available in December, and our application deadline is
mid-March. Awarded grantees receive their first funding
in June, and are expected to complete their project in one
year, with some exceptions. We fund interactive art. We
fund art that is accessible to the public, civic in scope
and prompts the viewer to act. We like art that can be
experienced in more ways than visually. Black Rock Arts
Foundation gives grants to individual artists or artist
collectives that create interactive artworks destined for
communities in the world at large; there are no geographic
restrictions placed on those who can apply.

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WRITERS IN VIRGINIA GRANTS
http://www.arts.state.va.us/grants/accessible/writersinva.html
---
This grant program provides subsidy for readings and workshops
by Virginia writers in a wide variety of settings. There is a
limit of five grants per year for subsidies of readings or
workshops by any one writer under this program. Applications
are accepted throughout the year, at least four weeks before
the reading or workshop occurring between July 1, 2008, and
June 15, 2009. Up to 50 percent of the writer's fee, with a
maximum of $250. Sponsors may receive a total of $500 in any
year. Grants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis
until all funds are committed.

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FREELANCE MARKETS
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NEW MEXICO MAGAZINE
http://www.nmmagazine.com/guidelines.php
---
New Mexico Magazine is about the power of place -- in particular
this place: more than 120,000 square miles of mountains,
desert, grasslands, and forest inhabited by a culturally rich
mix of individuals. We're looking for writers -- both in New
Mexico and elsewhere -- who are adept at establishing a theme
then sustaining a story with fresh eyes and true insight. We
place a premium on good storytelling, tight composition, and
factual accuracy. Pay is roughly 35-40 cents/word.

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GRANTA
http://www.granta.com/Magazine/Submissions-policy
---
Here is a list of things that Granta does not publish:

Academic essays, book reviews, straight reporting or feature
articles whose primary interest is immediate, i.e. stories
whose relevance will not last the three-month lifespan of the
magazine. The pieces we publish should outlast that period by
several years (as the issues themselves do). Genre fiction:
that means no romance, crime, science fiction or fantasy or
historical writing. Travel writing without a story. There should
be a narrative focus, a point, a reason for you to tell us the
story.

Granta does not have a political or literary manifesto, but
it does have a belief in the power and urgency of the story,
both in fiction and non-fiction, and the story's supreme
ability to describe, illuminate and make real. Pays up to
$1/word.

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ORGANIC GARDENING
http://www.organicgardening.com/
---
Chemical-free gardening. Need articles that inspire yet possess
the practical details to garden. Must have first-hand knowledge.
Query first. Buys all rights. Pays up to $1/word.

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JOBS
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EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Location Ocala, FL
http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?Media=Magazines/Publishing&JobID=1020718
---
Atlantic Publishing - A small, award - winning book publisher
based in Ocala Florida is seeking an editorial assistant.
Responsibilities include editing, fact checking, and
copyediting our books, working with freelance authors.

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TECHNICAL WRITER-EDITOR
Location Portland, OR
http://tinyurl.com/dn8eb7
---
This position is located in the Refuge Planning Branch,
Division of Planning and Visitor Services, National Wildlife
Refuge System, Region 1 of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Portland, Oregon.  Principle duties of this position are
providing document writing and editorial assistance to the
Planning Branch Supervisor and branch staff. Deadline
March 9, 2009.

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WRITER
Location Amarillo, TX
http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=1018677
---
Seeking an experienced writer for Amarillo Uptown magazine.
Qualified candidates must be extremely creative with excellent
writing abilities. This individual must also have great
communication, time-management and customer service skills,
superior knowledge of the English language and the ability to
use a computer system for editing.

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PUBLISHERS/AGENTS
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HEACOCK LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.heacockliteraryagency.com/
---
Locations Burbank, CA and Cloudcraft, NM. Email queries first.
Represents general commercial fiction, juvenile fiction, bios,
business, history, mind/body/spirit, health, children's books,
science, art, crafts, alternative health, animals, ecology
and indigenous topics. 30+ years old and has AAR agents.

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NANCY COFFEY LITERARY & MEDIA REPRESENTATION
http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/Joanna/
---
A full service agency. Represents general commercial fiction,
romance, fantasy, sci-fi, juvenile fiction, children's books,
thrillers, literary, women's fiction, historical fiction,
environmental narrative nonfiction, food. Location New York.

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GINA MACCOBY LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/GinaMaccoby/
---
Location Chappaqua, NY. Represents general fiction, mystery,
juvenile fiction, bios, history, health, children's books,
literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, pop culture, memoir,
natural history. AAR representative.

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SPONSORS
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LAST WEEK TO ENTER!

Poets Contest Corner announces the 1st round
of submissions for its Poetry Competition.
1st Place winner will receive $200 cash prize.
For submission and guidelines visit our web page,
www.poetscontestcorner.blogspot.com

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AWARD WINNING NOVELIST, STORY WRITER WILL EDIT YOUR WORK

Your work must be polished before you send it out.
Richard Krawiec can help. He has published novels, story
collections, plays, poetry, award-winning feature articles
and Young Adult sports biographies. He's been nominated for
the National Book Award and the Pushcart Prize.  He won
fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the
North Carolina Arts Council and the PA. Council on the Arts. 
He wrote Fiction Writing curriculum for UNC Chapel Hill.

Email: rkwriter@gmail.com or visit him at
http://home.mindspring.com/~rkwriter/ 

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

ADS FOR $12 AND UP!

$12 - one week in FFW Small Markets
$30 - four weeks in FFW Small Markets

$25 - one week in FundsforWriters
$75 - four weeks in FundsforWriters

$30 - one week in both FundsforWriters & FFW Small Markets
$90 - four weeks in FundsforWriters & FFW Small Markets

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

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

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

http://www.fundsforwriters.com

Copyright 2000-2009, C. Hope Clark
ISSN: 1533-1326

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