Volume 9, Issue 30
July 26, 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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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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BOOKKEEPING BASICS FOR FREELANCE WRITERS

Creative types hate the paperwork - at least the paperwork
that involves income, expenses, depreciation and all that
accounting junk. We toss receipts in boxes and files then
wait until March or April to sit in the floor and stack
them into pertinent piles for tax time.

Brigitte Thompson asked me a month ago if I'd take a look
at her book. I said sure and forgot about it. One day it
arrived in the mail (with all the other books and material
I receive). Riding in the car as hubby drove, I opened the
package. BOOKKEEPING BASICS FOR FREELANCE WRITERS slid out
of the envelope.

"This is so cool," I exclaimed.

"What's so great about another book?" he asked. I get books
like some people receive junk mail.

"This one covers freelance bookkeeping," I say, wonder in my
voice.

He cuts a look my way. "Oh joy," he says and turns up the radio.

But I couldn't put the book down. I understand how most writers
hate, no, despise the number crunching. Brigitte has taken a
nasty subject and composed a book that makes it simple and so
logical. She includes sample contracts, forms, balance sheets,
profit and loss sheets, and lots of examples so you aren't
scratching your head at where to start.

It's a book the size of a sheet of typing paper and barely
a half-inch thick. It's convenient. It's understandable.
As a previous number cruncher, my hands itch to copy the
forms and start using them.

BUY AT AMAZON
http://www.amazon.com/Bookkeeping-Freelance-Writers-Brigitte-Thompson/dp/0963212389

BRIGITTE'S BLOG
http://www.writersinbusiness.blogspot.com

BRIGITTE'S SITE
http://www.DatamasterAccounting.com

PUBLISHER
www.CrystalPress.org

     Hope

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

TWITTER ME
http://twitter.com/hopeclark

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

I JUST JOINED FACEBOOK
http://www.facebook.com/chopeclark

=====

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week? Consider TOTAL FundsforWriters, a paid biweekly version
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=====

REFERENCES FROM HOPE

These books are highly recommended for your writing shelf.
Many of these are dog-eared on my bookshelf. Consider
adding them to yours.

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

  ~~~~~~****~~~~~~

WORDS OF SUCCESS

"Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We
do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence,
but rather we have those because we have acted rightly.
 We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not
an act but a habit."

-- Aristotle
 
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SUCCESS OF THE WEEK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello Hope,

GOOD NEWS! My daughter Susanne, a Clemson student, just
received notification of winning the Sylvia K. Burack
scholarship award for an article she wrote entitled "An
Ode to Swing Dancing." THANKS TO YOU and the information
you provided in Writing Kid, she will be published in The
Writer (tentatively scheduled for January), receive a year's
subscription to the magazine, and get a  $500 check!

Gratefully,
Dalene Parker

P.S.  I look forward to using your resource again in the
fall with my Creative Writing students.  Bless you!

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ARTICLE
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Accessible E-text for Writers

By Steff Green
 
Did you know only 5% of all printed information is presented
in a format that blind and vision-impaired people can read?
Millions of people worldwide live with blindness or low vision.
In America alone, one person becomes blind or vision-impaired
every seven minutes. That's an awful lot of readers not
getting information.
 
One way writers can help low-vision readers is to make their
work available as electronic text. If, for instance, you've
placed articles or short stories on your website, or you
write and sell ebooks for download, you could provide e-text
versions of your products for low vision customers.
Copywriters could offer e-text generation services to their
corporate clients, who may wish to distribute brochures,
catalogues and other documentation to the low-vision market.
 
When a person with low vision accesses the Internet, they
may use a screen-reading programme such as JAWS, which reads
aloud any textual information on the screen. Or they could
use a Braille-display, which translates text onto a tactile
Braille 'screen'. They can even load the files onto a flash-
drive and access them remotely on a Braille-note (sort of
like a Braille blackberry).
 
More and more people with low vision use e-text, because
the files are quick to produce (compared to Braille books,
which can take months to transcribe) and they offer additional
usability. A reader can search, index and manipulate an e-text
file, enlarge or decrease the font size, email the file or
emboss a Braille copy. However, screen-reading software and
Braille-displays cannot translate pictures, diagrams, oddly-
formatted text or graphics.
 
Most adaptive technology reads .txt or .html files. To
change a simple document to e-text, click 'save as' under
the file menu, and change 'save as type' to either .html or
.txt file.
 
Reformat tables, columns and diagrams to ensure blind people
using audio screen readers understand the concept of the
visual presentation. Headings, subheadings and bullet points
turn diagrams into lists. Correctly formatted html tables
should be understood by the software (if you don't know
html, change tables into lists).
 
You need to 'verbalise' pictures. Describe the picture with
a simple sentence like 'two girls standing on the beach,'
or 'the cat, Daisy, asleep behind the door.' Keep your
language specific and direct.
 
Now you're ready to distribute your e-text file. Send it
to your client via email, copy it to CD or flash drive, or
make it downloadable from your website. If you have several
files you can zip them together before distributing.
 
Now that you've produced your accessible e-text document,
you need to let blind and low vision consumers know it exists.
First, update your website with details of the formats
available (txt, .html) and the method of distribution (CD,
email, download). On your biography page, add a paragraph
explaining your commitment to providing accessible documents.
 
Next, search on http://www.abledata.com/ for organisations,
conventions and agencies that serve people with low vision
near you. Get in touch and see if you can place advertisements
on their mailing lists, convention pamphlets and talking
information services. Organise interviews with local radio
reading stations and contribute articles to magazines and
listservs for people with low vision. For more resources
see Appendix E of the ACB Accessible Documents Guide.
 
As a freelance writer, you can help readers with low
vision access reading material. Think of the additional
market you could reach if you produced your copywriting,
newsletters, blog posts and ebooks in electronic text.
Adding 'Accessible E-text Producer' to your list of writing
services makes you more desirable to potential clients.
 
Resources
 
American Council of the Blind Guide to Accessible Formats Documents
http://www.acb.org/accessible-formats.html
 
DAISY consortium - read about the future of digital talking books
http://www.daisy.org/
 
Dialogue Magazine for the blind
http://www.blindskills.com/dialogue.html
 
JAWS - screen-reading software by Freedom Scientific
http://www.freedomscientific.com/jaws-hq.asp
 
Abledata: source for assistive technology information
http://www.abledata.com/
 
 
BIO
When she's not lugging her husband's drum kit between gigs,
Steff Green transcribes Braille and large print and writes
articles for print and online media. Her ebook '33 Mistakes
Writers Make About Blind Characters' - an essential resource
for anyone tackling a blind or low-vision character - is
available from her own website www.steffgreen.com or the
HollyLisle shop.

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COMPETITIONS
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100 WORDS OR FEWER FICTION CONTEST
http://www.100wordsorfewerwritingcontest.com
---
ENTRY FEE $15; $18 with critique.
Open theme. Awards: $400 (First), $200 (Second), $100 (Third),
$50 (Fourth), $50 (Fifth). Scored checkmark evaluation sent
to each participant. Winning stories published on website and
10 Honorable Mentions listed by name. Critique available for
$22. Deadline: October 20, 2009. 

NOTE: First, second and third place winners of their last
contest were FundsforWriters readers!

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DOG WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
http://www.dwaa.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=147
---
ENTRY FEES $10-$15. Additional $7 required for the special
categories with some major cash prizes. Deadline September 1,
2009. Articles must be published during the competition period
from September 1, 2008 through August 31, 2009. The contest is
open to all writers, editors, publishers, photographers, artists
and others whose work falls into the designated competition
categories. The focus is always to be upon dogs. Note that
certificates and medallions given for the regular categories.
Prize monies of $250 to $1,000 available for the special
categories.

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HELIUM CONTEST
http://theskinnyon.com/Rand-Helium-Release.aspx
---
Helium, the world's largest writing community, announces a
partnership with RAND Publishing, publisher of The Skinny On^(TM)
series of illustrated non-fiction books. Under the partnership,
RAND Publishing will leverage Helium's social publishing
platform to identify the most appropriate authors for up to
twenty-five new titles, such as The Skinny On Finance for
Young Adults and The Skinny on Social Networking. Selected
writers will be chosen by Helium and paid between $3,500 and
$5,000 per title.   

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GRANTS
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SOUTH CAROLINA FILM COMMISSION
http://www.gsabusiness.com/news/28523-film-commission-announces-up-to-200-000-in-grants
---
The S.C. Film Commission announced that up to $200,000 may
be made available to filmmakers who partner with the media
arts department at the University of South Carolina or the
film, radio and television department of Trident Technical
College. Each partnership will be eligible to receive up to
$100,000 to create a short film through the S.C. Production
Fund. A public meeting to discuss the S.C. Production Fund
and the application process will be held at 6 p.m. Aug. 12
at the University of South Carolina. Deadline September 18, 2009.

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SOAPSTONE RESIDENCIES - FOR WOMEN WRITERS
http://www.soapstone.org
---
Accepting applications in the month of July. Deadline August
1, 2009 for residencies starting November 2009 to November 2010.
Located in Oregon's Coast Range, nine miles from the ocean, the
retreat stands on twenty-two acres of densely forested land
along the banks of Soapstone Creek and is home to much wildlife.
Soapstone is set up for two writers at a time, each with her own
writing studio. From an applicant pool of 400 to 500, approximately
thirty-five writers each year are awarded residencies of one to
four weeks.

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MIDWESTERN VOICES AND VISIONS
http://www.artistcommunities.org/MWvisions/apply.html
---
The program seeks to promote artists of color working in any
visual, literary, and/or performance-based media, who display
artistic excellence, are committed to an artistic career, and
are under-served, under-recognized or under-represented in
the mainstream. Must be permanent residents of Illinois, Indiana,
Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, or Wisconsin.
The $4,000 award may be used at the artist's discretion; however,
receipt of the award is contingent on the artist's completion of
a month-long residency. Deadline August 15, 2009.
 

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FREELANCE MARKETS
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ANALOG SCIENCE FICTION
http://www.analogsf.com
---
The science can be physical, sociological, psychological.
The technology can be anything from electronic engineering
to biogenetic engineering. But the stories must be strong
and realistic, with believable people (who needn't be human)
doing believable things-no matter how fantastic the background
might be. Pays 6-8 cents per word for short stories up to
7,500 words, $450-600 for stories between 7,500 and 10,000
words, and 5-6 cents per word for longer material. We prefer
lengths between 2,000 and 7,000 words for shorts, 10,000-
20,000 words for novelettes, and 40,000-80,000 for serials.
Fact articles are paid for at the rate of 6 cents per word.

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ORION
http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/mag/guidelines_for_article_submissions/
---
Orion is published bimonthly. Feature articles range from
1,500 to 5,000 words, departments from 350 to 1,200 words.
Lead time is typically six to nine months. Pays $400 to
$1,000 for feature pieces, $50 to $450 for shorter texts.
Orion only accepts electronic submissions made during a
designated submission period. The next submission period
is January 15-30, 2010. Orion explores an alternative worldview
through essays, literary journalism, shorts, interviews
and reviews, photo essays and art. Covers nature and culture.

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PSYCHOLOGY TODAY
http://www.psychologytoday.com/writers-guidelines
---
PT explores every aspect of human behavior, from the cultural
trends that shape the way we think and feel to the intricacies
of modern neuroscience. Although many psychologists and mental
health professionals read PT, most of our readers are simply
intelligent and curious people interested in the psyche and
the self.

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JOBS
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NOTE: SHORT DEADLINE - GOOD OPPORTUNITY

WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS
Location Houston, TX
http://www.witshouston.org/work-wits-0
---
WITS is looking for writers who can teach the joy of creative
writing to young people. Employment is part-time, typically
2-6 hours of teaching one day a week from September - May. A
yearlong commitment is required. The pay is $55 per teaching
hour. In addition to teaching, the job duties include preparing
lessons, responding to student work, and compiling anthologies
of student writing at the end of the school year. We are
looking for writers and educators with teaching or mentoring
experience who can convey their passion for the written word
in ways that are relevant for Houston-area children. In
particular, we are seeking bilingual writers, but others are
encouraged to apply as well. Deadline August 1, 2009.

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ONLINE EDITOR
Location New York, NY
https://careers.nytco.com/TAM/nyt_docs/TAM/candidate.html
---
ConsumerSearch.com, a leading online publisher of meta-reviews
designed to help consumers make purchasing decisions, is seeking
a full-time Editor to specialize in home/garden and parenting
areas.

=====

WRITER
Location Lansing, MI
http://www.journalismnext.com/jobdetails.cfm?jid=6033
---
The writer works directly with Democratic Members to maximize
the impact of their communications efforts. Typical tasks
include: composing speeches, press releases, and newsletters
for State Representatives. Journalism experience preferred,
writing experience required. This is not an entry-level
position.

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PUBLISHERS/AGENTS
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WORDSERVE LITERARY AGENCY
http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2009/02/submission-guidelines-updated.html
---
Looking for books that don't contradict a Christian worldview.
In fiction, concentrating on books that can be placed in the
Christian marketplace (i.e. CBA publishers). This year will
be slowly moving into more general market fiction. In nonfiction,
represents books that would fit in the general market or the
Christian market (or both).

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ROB WEISBACH CREATIVE MANAGEMENT
http://www.robweisbach.com/about.html
---
Rob Weisbach Creative Management re-conceives the traditional
literary agency as a comprehensive cross-training development
company, one that provides development, representation, and
strategic career management for writers, visual artists,
designers, and editors.

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BLACKSMITH BOOKS
http://www.blacksmithbooks.com/submissions.htm
---
Currently accepting submissions mainly in the field of non-
fiction: biography, culture, current affairs, business,
photography and guidebooks. Manuscripts should have a strong
Asian theme or connection.

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SPONSORS
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You've spent a lot of time creating your manuscript. Let
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See Editing101.com for full details and glowing references.

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=====

AWARD WINNING NOVELIST, STORY WRITER WILL EDIT YOUR WORK

Winner of the 2009 Excellence in Teaching Award from
UNC Chapel Hill, Richard Krawiec has published novels,
story collections, plays, memoirs, 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. He was a Finalist for the 2009 Indie Book
Awards for Poetry.
 
It's hard to publish these days. 
Let someone who knows what they're doing help
you prepare your work for publication.

http://home.mindspring.com/~rkwriter/

=====

 

 

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=====

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There are literally millions of websites that need writers
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content, so that it becomes more visible to the search engines. 

And in just 6 hours, you can learn all you'll need to know
to get a jumpstart in this lucrative and highly rewarding
market. Read on to find out how becoming an SEO copywriter
could be just the ticket you've been looking for ...

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

=====

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 

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