Volume 9, Issue 27
July 5, 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, 2009

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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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HOW TO USE WEB 2.0 TOOLS TO WRITE,

PUBLISH, SELL AND PROMOTE YOUR BOOK

FACT: Publishers want authors who have their own online platform
and an audience ready to buy their books.  Self-published authors
need a platform even more.

But how can you build this author platform?

The Author 2.0 Blueprint is now available to give you ideas and
tips for writing, publishing, sales and book promotion using
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print-on-demand, article marketing, online PR and more.

You can download it for free.

 

 

 

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

=====

IF YOU DON'T DO IT, NO ONE WILL

With the huge influx of writers who once had other jobs
thanks to the economy, comes a perpetual misunderstanding
of self versus traditional publishing. But what makes that
understanding less clear is the explosion of ebooks and
the financial stumbling of the large publishing houses.

What the heck is the right way to publish?

More and more folks are taking to self-publishing because:

1. Traditional houses are publishing fewer new authors
   (practically none, from what I can tell);

2. The Kindle has justified ebook publishing to the general
   population, giving it credibility;

3. Some authors have taken self-publishing to a new level
   with intense attention to editing, detail and platform;

4. Amazon entered the publishing business;

5. Agents have begun pitching clients to middle and small
   publishers instead of sticking to the top shelf guys;

6. Traditional houses have combined or shut down some of
   their imprints.

If you haven't figured out that you need to be savvy as
an author AND salesperson, you aren't paying attention.
If publishers can't publish as many authors, who are the
ones who make the cut? The ones with platform. The ones
willing to sell their souls for their books. The ones
able to invest in marketing, online presence, travel and
speaking.

In one of my recent consults, the gentleman mentioned,
"I thought all traditional publishers would take on the
entire cost, and then they will try their hardest to sell
the book -- because it's money THEY could be making. It's
THEIR investment."

Yes, that's what we thought many years ago. Today, publishers
have a long string of celebrity names to support their ledgers.
They have established names like Roberts, Clancy, King,
Patterson and such to bank on. In addition they have others
who've published six and seven books or more with smaller yet
loyal followings who bring in the next tier of income.

Then comes the one and two-book published individuals who
hold their breath their next book will make it past the
acquisitions team.

Then comes the first time author.

Therefore, if you don't do it, no one will. In other words,
if you don't write the great book, demonstrate yourself as
saleable, and offer to do anything for this book short of
draw the cover, you don't land a contract. And if you self-
publish, you have to draw that cover, or at least hire the
person who does.

Never, at any stage of a book, are you allowed to sit back
on your haunches and relax. After you publish the first book,
you aren't allowed to rest on your laurels. Three, four,
even five books later, you best be contemplating new strategy
to put books in the hands of new readers.

And never think someone wants to market your book as much
as you do. The minute you turn your promotion over to a
stranger (i.e., professional), another author steals your
thunder.

No, you can't write a book good enough to sell itself.
If you don't sell it, no one will.

    Hope

http://www.hopeclark.blogspot.com

http://www.twitter.com/hopeclark

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TOTAL FUNDSFORWRITERS

$12 provides 75+ grants, contests, markets, publishers,
agents and jobs in a year's worth of biweekly issues.
It's FundsforWriters newsletter, and a whole lot more.

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

=====

REMINDER

Curtiswood Farms cancelled the retreat in Kentucky.
As a result the affiliated Curtiswood Contest cancelled as well.
 

  ~~~~~~****~~~~~~

WORDS OF SUCCESS
 
Never let your head hang down.
Never give up and sit and grieve.
Find another way. And don't pray when
it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines.

-- Beatrix Potter, children's novelist

 
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SUCCESS OF THE WEEK
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NOTE: Last week we mentioned the first and second place
winners of the 100 Words or Fewer Contest, who learned
about the contest through FundsforWriters. We were so proud.
Well, take a look at this!!!

Hope,

I see that you've already gotten e-mails from the 1st and 2nd
place winners in the 100 Words or Fewer contest. Well, my
story "Face Time" placed third, so I'm feeling pretty
encouraged as well. Not only that. I was also named runner
up in the Wag's Revue contest for fiction for a longer piece
titled "Mourning Jimmy Crooks." I have to say that I wouldn't
have considered or even known about either contest had you not
mentioned them in your newsletters. Thanks so much. The $12
I spent to subscribe to "Total Funds" is the best money
I've spent in a long time.

Bob Meixner

NOTE: You can subscribe to TOTAL through
www.fundsforwriters.com/total.htm

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ARTICLE
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Missteps into Manuscripts

By Janet Hartman

Who needs to be an expert on a subject before writing about
it?  If you're willing to tell the world about your foibles,
you might discover a whole new set of ideas and markets.
And you don't have to do extensive research or interview
experts to write these articles!

With my brown thumb, I wouldn't dream of giving anyone
gardening advice, but I found a gardening magazine I could
write for. "Greenprints" publishes articles about the joy,
humor, and frustration of gardening. An online sample article
described a gardener's struggle with his azaleas that refused
to grow into the hedgerow he had envisioned. He tried every
above and below ground treatment until he finally killed them.
While digging up the dead plants he found a metal nursery tag
that explained the problem: he had planted dwarf azaleas.  I
could not think of a humorous twist on how I endanger my
charges, but I could write an amusing article about the
unseen, unknown insects that repeatedly attacked me in my
new garden. Turning my allergic reaction into a saleable
article helped ease my misery.

I sailed and lived aboard my boat for six years, but I
could not compete with the experts who regularly published
in boating magazines. Because I was willing to tell the world
about my first Thanksgiving aboard when I spilled the pumpkin
pie filling on the oven floor and bought a turkey too large
for the oven, I sold an article to Living Aboard. Another
magazine published the Keystone cops antics my husband and
I went through after our dog fell overboard. I included the
picture my husband snapped of me giving the dog a bath on the
dock afterwards. It was not a "picture perfect" moment for me
or the dog, but it helped sell the article.

I sold a second article to Living Aboard about my "grin and
bear it" experience living on the boat while it was out of
the water for maintenance. The sidebar I included with
advice on how to make the process more efficient added value
and increased the amount of my check.

The next time my favorite handyman or I mess up a project,
I may still gripe a little but I'll feel better after
writing about it for "The Family Handyman."

When you peruse the magazine racks for a new market, check
out some of those magazines you think you could never write
for. They just might have fillers or backpage articles a
non-expert like you could provide. And if you can make it
humorous, who couldn't use a laugh in these economic times?

Paying Markets

Greenprints   http://www.greenprints.com/wguidelines.html
Gardening magazine looking for true stories.

The Family Handyman  http://www.rd.com/familyhandyman/category/546/
The $100 they pay for "goofs" should help ease that
sore thumb!

Smithsonian http://www.smithsonianmag.com/contact-us/humour-guidelines.html
Pays $1,000 to $1,500 for 550 to 700 words in The Last Page.

Saturday Evening Post http://saturdayeveningpost.com/submission-guidelines.html
Regularly publishes one-page humorous stories. 
Pays $25 for "Post Scripts."

Southern Living  http://www.southernliving.com/
"Southern Journal" page has a memory or reflection about
the south.  For example, a southerner living in Italy
tries to recreate fried chicken, grits, and greens with
local ingredients and gets amusing reactions from local
friends. Another was a half page describing how a homeowner
landscaped his property and, over time, developed a personal
connection to one particular tree.

Good Housekeeping http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/good-housekeeping-contributors-guidelines
Maybe something did not go as planned but turned out to be
a blessing.

BIO:  Janet Hartman writes both nonfiction and award-winning
flash fiction.  Her articles about boating, interesting people,
and writing have appeared in various magazines as well as
online.  The 2008 anthology, "Making Notes: Music of the
Carolinas," includes her essay on blues musician Richard
"Big Boy" Henry. 

For more about Janet, see www.JanetHartman.net.

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COMPETITIONS
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BASIL BUNTING POETRY AWARD
http://www.basilbuntingaward.co.uk/
---
£7 ENTRY FEE; £3 FOR SUBSEQUENT ENTRIES.
First Prize: £1,000. Second Prize: £500. Third Prize: £250.
Up to three commendations of £75 each. Neil Astley, the editor
of Bloodaxe Books, Basil Bunting's publishers, will read the
work of the award winners. Deadline September 30, 2009. The
award is open to anyone worldwide who is over 18 on September
30, 2009. The poems must be in English and not exceed 42 lines
in length and must be the original work of the entrant.

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TENNESSEE WILLIAMS FICTION AND ONE-ACT PLAY CONTESTS
http://www.tennesseewilliams.net/index.php?topic=contests
---
$25 ENTRY FEE - Deadline: November 16, 2009.

Fiction Grand Prize
$1,500, VIP All Access Festival Pass ($500 value) for the 24th
annual Festival: March 24-28, 2010. Publication in the New Orleans
Review. Domestic Airfare and Accommodations to attend the 2010
Festival in New Orleans. Public Reading at the 2010 Festival.

One-Act Play Grand Prize
$1,500, Staged reading at the 24th annual Festival: March 24-28,
2010. Full production at the 25th annual Festival: March 30-
April 3, 2011. VIP All Access Pass to attend both the 2010 and
the 2011 Festival ($1,000 value). Publication in the University
of New Orleans' literary magazine Bayou.

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TIMES SQUARE POETRY CONTEST
http://poetrysociety.org/bright/submit.php
---
NO ENTRY FEE
Four winners will each receive a prize of $750 and a trip
to New York City to read their winning poems at an event in
Times Square. Until July 15, poets may submit poems of any
length that celebrate Times Square and the qualities it
represents: diversity, desire, dynamism, and the marriage
of commerce and culture. Open to legal and current residents
of the United States who are at least 18 years of age.
No length limit, though there is a file size limit in the
online submission application.

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GRANTS
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GRAND CANYON RESIDENCIES
http://www.nps.gov/GRCA/supportyourpark/air.htm
---
Grand Canyon National Park announces a new year-round artist-
in-residence program at the South Rim in conjunction with the
well-established seasonal artist-in-residency program at the
North Rim. Artists must submit their applications for the
South Rim postmarked by July 31, 2009. Selected participants
will be notified by mid-August. For more information please
contact Rene Westbrook at 928-638-7090 or Rene_Westbrook@nps.gov.

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STAR RESIDENCY AT THE CULTURAL CENTER AT EAGLE HILL
http://centerateaglehill.org/index.php?catId=4
---
STAR residents are accomplished artists, and also educators-
at-heart who want to work with young people while expanding
the definition of what being an educator means. We provide
STAR artists with an apartment and studio facilities; a
monthly stipend; dedicated, distraction-free time to make
art; and opportunities to develop teaching skills through
professional development relationships with mentor teachers.

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NEW ZEALAND BOOK COUNCIL
http://www.bookcouncil.org.nz/Book_Council/About_Us/Programmes.htm
---
Writers in Schools takes writers and illustrators into
schools all over New Zealand, with the support of Creative
New Zealand, Learning Media and the New Zealand Community
Trust.
 

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FREELANCE MARKETS
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HEMISPHERES
http://www.hemispheresmagazine.com/
---
Magazine of United Airlines. Hemispheres is produced by Ink
Publishing twelve times per year. It is distributed on over
3000 United flights per day and read by up to 92 million
passengers per annum. Pays up to $1/word. Need fascinating
articles from freelance writers on places, people, experiences
in the regions covered by United Airlines. Excellent samples
online. Pitch Mike Guy, Executive Editor at Mike.Guy@Inkpublishing.com
with query and link to clips.

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GEIST
http://www.geist.com/contributors-guidelines
---
Geist is a magazine of ideas and culture made in Canada with
a strong literary focus and a sense of humour. The Geist tone
is intelligent, plain-talking, inclusive and offbeat. Each
issue represents a convergence of fiction, non-fiction, poetry,
photography, art, reviews, little-known facts of interest,
cartography, and the legendary Geist crossword puzzle.

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EL ANDAR
http://www.elandar.com/submit.html
---
El Andar is edited for U.S. Latino readers who want to
investigate and understand politics and cultural trends.
It is dedicated to publishing work that will reinforce readers'
sense of place and value in the United States today. Its high
quality reminds readers that the publication respects their
intelligence and believes they should have the best in life.
It is bilingual (English/Spanish), as are most of its readers,
and thus acknowledges the spectrum of cultural loci occupied
by immigrant and native Latinos in the US.

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JOBS
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WRITER-EDITOR
Location Washington DC
http://jobview.usajobs.gov/GetJob.aspx?JobID=81676280&aid=27015391-2469&WT.mc_n=125
---
Deadline July 15, 2009. Employer Department of Health and
Human Services. In this position, you will develop and issue
Office of Inspector General (OIG) publications, including
the Semiannual Report to Congress (SAR), the OIG Work Plan,
and the Compendium of Unimplemented Office of Inspector
General Recommendations.  In addition, you will prepare
other reports and analyses as requested by management and
coordinate OIG's internal control program. 

NOTE: Don't let the government lingo scare you. While this
position requires a few years' experience as an editor/writer,
you can learn the internal titles.

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WRITER
Location New York
http://www.edf.org
http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?Media=Non-Profit&JobID=1066880
---
Looking for a talented writer who can present complex scientific,
economic, and policy ideas in clear, lively, and compelling
prose for diverse donor audiences. The Development Writer will
be responsible for preparing proposals, reports, donor
communications, talking points, Power Point presentations,
brochures, fact sheets, and other collateral materials on
assigned program areas for use by fundraising staff. He or
she will work closely with program, marketing and communications,
and development staff to create persuasive fundraising
materials.

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NEWS REPORTER
Location Winder, GA
http://www.journalismnow.com/viewJob.php?jid=945
---
We're looking for an aggressive reporter to take on county
government, law enforcement and a variety of general
assignment stories. Need someone who can look past routine
meeting coverage to get to the real meat of what is going on.

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PUBLISHERS/AGENTS
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THE MCVEIGH AGENCY
http://www.themcveighagency.com/
---
A boutique literary agency handling writers, illustrators,
photographers, and graphic novelists for both the adult and
children's markets.

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MANUS & ASSOCIATES LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.manuslit.com/
---
Member of AAR, thus no fees. Does NOT accept sci-fi, fantasy,
romance, poetry, children's books, screenplays, academic
work, magazine articles. All else is a consideration - nonfiction
and fiction.

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3 SEAS LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.threeseaslit.com/
---
We specialize in romance, women's fiction and children's
books.  Currently, we are looking for fantastic authors with
a voice of their own.  More specifically, we love any type of
romance (historical, contemporary, romantic suspense, paranormal,
chick lit, inspirations and fantasy) and young adult and middle-
grade fiction as well as mysteries, thrillers and select
nonfiction titles.

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SPONSORS
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HOLLYWOOD ALERT

The first networking site for writers of all mediums.
Jump start your writing career today.

Hollywood Alert believes every writer should have the
opportunity to network and market. Writers who register
can submit 5 projects for each category Film, TV, Publishing,
or Theater. Once your projects are posted they can be viewed
by Producers, Execs, Development Teams, Networks, Publishers,
and Production Companies.

Visit our website at www.hollywoodalert.com for information.

Our member Jake P. Hall had "The Secret Truth"
picked up by CBS-Eye Too.

=====

==> Decide if you should traditional publish or self-publish
==> Find legitimate agents and publishers and avoid scams
==> Choose the right POD publisher
==> Find markets for your work
==> Build a waiting audience before your book comes out
==> Use the Internet to market and sell your work
==> Use social networking sites effectively (and not waste your time)
==> Get free publicity

There are more opportunities now to get published than ever
before--if you know what you're doing. Publisher and author
Shelley Lieber combines traditional publishing expertise
with new media technology to teach authors how to
create books, ebooks and audio books. Join VIP Authors
as we make 2009 The Year of the Author.
 
For free newsletter and benefits:
http://vipauthors.com

=====

=====

SOCIAL NETWORKING CLASS FOR AUTHORS
Do you have the Twitter Jitters? Blog-phobia? Facebook freak-out?
Need help navigating online promotion possibilities on the web?
Want to increase your web presence but unsure what to do next?
This week long introduction to Social Media can help get you
started.
 
WHEN: June 22-26 OR July 13-17
COST: $75       (Private one-on-one lessons available too.)
WHERE: Online. Work at your own speed. Ask all the questions
you want.

DETAILS: http://www.susantaylorbrown.com/classes.html

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LEARN FICTION'S MAGIC INGREDIENT
 
Online Class with Jordan E. Rosenfeld.

In this self-paced online class, Jordan E. Rosenfeld, author of
Make a Scene and Write Free: Attracting the Creative Life will
teach the "magic" ingredient to creating powerful, page-turning
fiction. You'll take your writing to a whole new level. Begins
August 3rd, 2009. Four weeks. In this class you'll learn how
to make your writing active and alive. Create a powerful
emotional punch. Design an easy to follow "map" for your plot
and much more. Each week you'll write new material and receive
feedback.

Register by July 15th for the incredibly discounted rate of $99.
After July 15th, the price goes up to $149.  Space is limited.
Participants will also receive a 50% discount on copies of
Make a Scene and Write Free purchased through the author.

E-mail: jordansmuse@gmail.com
www.jordanrosenfeld.wordpress.com

=====

Get Paid $500-$1,500 to Fix Copy
That's Already Been Written for You!

Thousands of websites are in desperate need of web-savvy
writers. The kind of writers who understand how the search
engines work ... and how to write search-engine-optimized copy. 

It's a huge market. One that most writers don't know about.
Read on to find out how, in just six short hours, you could
be on your way to earning $500-$1,500 per page of web copy,
as an SEO copywriting specialist. 

http://www.awaionline.com/b8/seocopywriting

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7th year. Fifteen cash prizes totaling $5,350. Top prize $2,000.
Submit poems in any style or genre. Both published and unpublished
work accepted. Winning entries published online. Entry fee is
$7 for every 25 lines, payable to Winning Writers. Postmark
deadline: September 30. Judges: J.H. Reid, D.C.Konrad. Submit
online or mail to Winning Writers, ATTN: Tom Howard Poetry
Contest, 351 Pleasant Street, PMB 222, Northampton, MA 01060.
Winning Writers is proud to be one of "101 Best Websites for
Writers" (Writer's Digest, 2005-2008).

More information: www.winningwriters.com/tompoetry

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CALL FOR ENTRIES!

Dream Quest One Poetry & Writing Contest

Write a poem, 30 lines or fewer on any subject or write a
short story, 5 pages max., on any theme, single or double-
line spacing, neatly hand printed or typed.

Entry fees:
Poetry Contest: $5 per poem
Writing Contest: $10 per story

Writing Contest
First Prize: $500, 2nd: $250; 3rd: $100

Poetry Contest
First Prize: $250, 2nd: $125; 3rd: $50. 

Postmark deadline: July 31, 2009.
Visit http://www.dreamquestone.com/ for details and to enter!

=====

Winner of the Excellence in Teaching Award from UNC Chapel Hill,
Richard Krawiec has published novels, story collections, plays,
poetry, feature articles, and Young Adult biographies. He's won
NEA and NC Arts Council grants, been nominated for the
National Book Award, and Pushcart Prize.

It's hard to publish these days. 

Let Mr. Krawiec help you prepare your work for publication.
http://home.mindspring.com/~rkwriter/

=====

WORLDWIDE FREELANCE MARKETS - Serving the freelance writing
community for 10 years. Come and try our searchable database of
writing markets from North America, Europe and around the world. 

http://www.worldwidefreelance.com

=====

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

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