Volume 10, Issue 12
March 21, 2010

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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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THE WELL-FED WRITER

In less than four months, Peter Bowerman built a lucrative
"paying-all-the-bills" commercial writing practice:
writing for businesses, large and small and for hourly
rates of $50-$125+ (and did so with NO industry contacts,
previous paid writing experience or writing training.

No, this isn't a huge course on how to get rich writing.
It's a reality story, condensed in a book that teaches
you how to do the same. For less than $20, grab the
know-how that many pay hundreds of dollars to learn.

As an author of five published books who has relied on a wide
variety of people and resources for help in writing and marketing,
I can say Peter Bowerman's "Well-Fed" books represent a high
quality of professionalism and contain invaluable advice. I have
frequently sponsored Peter at writing seminars and conferences
where he remains in hot demand because he is both knowledgeable
and personable. His books are easy to read and their concepts
are well explained. I consider these books a must for my personal
library and recommend them to all of us who are in the writing
profession, whether those who are beginners or those "well-seasoned."

Anne B. Jones, PhD
(Gold Thunder, All Around the Track, Blackwater Rising,
Brave at Heart, Tools for Successful Writing)
www.annebjones.com

                 
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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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NOTE: Mainstream Erotica (http://mainstreamerotica.com/) seems
to be having trouble paying writers due to financial problems.

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BACKYARD CONFERENCES

If you are interested in learning, interacting and holding
an actual, in-depth conversation with presenters, attend a one-day
event. If you are interested in saving money, and using the money
you spend wisely, attend a local conference.

In other words, support your local writers' group.

I just returned from a one-day affair in Mobile, Alabama, sponsored
by the Mobile Writers' Guild. The day consisted of:

1. A speaker on funding streams for writers (me);
2. A speaker on platform (Nancy Swan, www.nancyswan.com);
3. A speaker on how to apply for grants (Sharee Broussard, PhD);
4. Continental Breakfast;
5. Lunch;
6. Raffles.

No motel rooms. No long-distance travel. No banquet charges.
Lunch and frequent chats with presenters. All the questions you
want to ask. All for only $35.

We often pass up small meetings like this. Wonder why? Seems we
give more attention to the large functions and forget about the
smaller ones. Sure, the large functions may have agents and
publishers, but half the time you pay to have a 15-minute conversation
with one, or you don't speak to them at all.

Some argue about networking with writing friends, some using
a conference as reason to connect annually with peers. Nothing
wrong with that, if you have $700-$1,000. Mobile, Alabama writers
networked for $35 and a partial tank of gas.

When budgeting your year, when analyzing conferences, save
room for those in your backyard. Not only will you learn about
the resources under your nose, but you'll connect with people
who will want to buy your work, read your columns, even help
you with a book release party.

Can't find one? Here's who to contact:

1. The major bookstores.
2. Independent bookstores.
3. The arts commission.
4. The libraries.
5. The website of any state writing organization.
6. University writing departments.

Google your state and "writers group". If you still come up dry,
consider holding a one-day session with writing friends, putting
notices in the same locations mentioned above. Ask speakers from
those same locations. Or go to your bookstore or library and
learn who the local published authors are in a 100-mile radius.
See if a small press representative is willing to speak. Find
magazine editors able to donate an hour's time, or newspaper
feature writers.

Many writers cannot travel far, and many more are ravenous for
an economy deal. Backyard writing conferences fill a huge need.
Don't knock 'em till you try them. Chances are you'll find them
charming and just what you need.

     Hope

MARCH SPECIAL!
 
Our Tweetebook library is growing. You'll find 35 ebooks
now, each containing 20+ niche markets. Romance Publishers,
Children's Markets, Outdoor Markets, Seniors Markets, you name
it! Purchase one or two to try them out - they're only $1.99.
 
Or you can tap the March special - purchase all the Tweetebooks,
all 35, for $50 . . . AND get a subscription to TOTAL
FundsforWriters, a $15 value. That's almost
a $30 value.

See all our Tweetebooks at www.fundsforwriters.com/tweetebooks.htm

Our Memoir Publishers Tweetebook is being offered for free for
a limited time.

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BYLINES DAILY DESK CALENDAR IS AVAILABLE!

Many have asked when the calendars would be ready.
This year's Bylines features writers from 26 states and
4 foreign countries (Ireland, Great Britain, Australia
and Canada). This is the 7th edition.

This is the calendar Hope has used for five years.
See why so many FundsforWriters readers can't wait
for it each year. Sells for $14.95.

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

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

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WORDS OF SUCCESS

"No one likes high pressure sales. Selling isn't about
forcing people to buy something they don't want; it's
about finding the people who are interested in your product."

- J.A. Konrath in an article in Writer's Digest, June 2007

 
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SUCCESS OF THE WEEK
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Total Funds for Writers pays for itself almost immediately. 
Hope and her research skills are phenomenal.  Thanks to TFFW
I have sold four articles, all with clients who did this
amazing thing called paying me.  It's quite delightful - money
is quirky, but boy it's fun stuff to have!

If you haven't signed up for TFFW, you're just not serious
about your career.

Regards,
Reece W. Manley, DD, M.Ed., MPM
www.crossingtwice.com

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ARTICLE
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A Dash of This, A Pinch of That
By Cynthia Briggs
 
Writing a cookbook has its delicious rewards, yet it's one
of the most competitive genres. We all love good flavorful
food, and many of us like to write about culinary wonders.
I wish I could say cookbooks are issued an easy pass in the
publishing business, but it's just not true.
 
The first decision to make with your cookbook is whether to
seek a traditional publisher or self-publish. If this is your
first book, talk with more than a few published authors. Apply
ruthless persistence in your research. Writing a book is the
simple part; getting it published, especially through a traditional
publisher, will prove one of the toughest things you'll ever do.
 
The beauty of self-publishing is that you call all the shots.
Like owning your own business, the work is rewarding and the
full responsibility sits solely on your shoulders. The self-
publishing choice requires a tenacious adherence to a daily
marketing plan. Self-publishing isn't for everyone, but one
way to compete with the "big guys" is to create a finished
product that in your eyes is nothing short of perfection.
 
With my first cookbook, Pork Chop and Applesauce, I stood on
cloud nine when I captured the attention of a literary agent.
A few weeks later my dream crashed when the agent said she wanted
me to write a book about gift baskets. I was crushed realizing
the agent was blown-away by the creativeness of the Pork Chops
presentation basket I'd sent to her office, not by my culinary
and literary talents. Writing and cooking were my two life-long
loves. I called the agent and passed on the offer.
 
I'd done my homework, so I took Pork Chops to a print-on-demand
publisher. I developed a hook, what I call a "heart point." This
is when a word, phrase or a recipe tugs at the reader's heartstrings.
It worked well partnering nostalgic tales and comfort food recipes
in Pork Chops. Most of us can connect a luscious apple dessert with
a sweet moment from our past, so I used a similar strategy with my
second cookbook, Sweet Apple Temptations. I'd found my niche.
 
When you attempt your own cookbook, keep it simple, and be a
stickler for consistency and clarity in writing recipes and
instructions. If 101 people read your recipe, there are 101
different ways it will be interpreted.
 
It's important to narrow your subject, which will better define
the basis of your cookbook. You need a topic that is memorable,
not lost amidst all the chicken, dessert or holiday cookbooks.
For Sweet Apple Temptations I condensed apple recipes to apple
desserts. Another suggestion is to write a theme cookbook,
i.e.,101 slow cooker meals,101 appetizers, or 101 cupcake ideas.
Subject or theme cookbooks have become more appealing to readers
in recent years.
 
I followed my heart to achieve my writing dreams, and along the
way I inspired many to tie on an apron when introduced to my comfort
food cookbooks. You can do the same by stirring-up your own decadent
batch of "doing what you love the most."
 

 
Bio:
In her books and food columns, Cynthia Briggs is known for her
nostalgic slice-of-life tales and sumptuous down-home recipes.
She speaks for women's groups, and coaches them on how to make a
profit on their fund raising cookbooks. She enjoys critiquing
cookbooks, and coaching budding authors. Briggs recently moved
to Houston with her husband, Ed, and their dachshund, Leon .

Website: www.porkchopsandapplesauce.net
E-mail: info@porkchopsandapplesauce.net

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COMPETITIONS
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SMORIES $1,500 PRIZE FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS
http://www.smories.com
---
NO ENTRY FEE
Smories.com is an exciting, independent and free website for kids
to watch great new stories being read by other kids. It is also a
place for children's story writers (published and unpublished,
professionals & amateurs) to get their work published online,
whilst retaining all rights.We are offering a £1,000 (US$1,500)
prize for the best story submitted each month. Entries accepted
from anywhere in the world. The current competition closes March
31, 2010. Limit 1,000 words. Text only, in English. Must be fiction
for children from 3 to 8 years old. Poetry & rhyming stories may
also be submitted. You must be the writer or owner of the copyright.
A maximum of two stories per writer per month can be submitted.

05 Apr 2010: We will announce a list of the 50 stories we like best.
These 50 stories will then be filmed being read aloud by children.

01 May 2010: The completed films will be posted online simultaneously.

31 May 2010: The story receiving the highest number of views over
the preceding 30 days will win the prize.

Stories will be published online on youtube.com and on smories.com.
Full credit and copyright will be attributed to the writer.

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THE MALAHAT REVIEW CREATIVE NON-FICTION PRIZE
http://www.malahatreview.ca/creative_non-fiction_prize/info.html
---
ENTRY FEE: $35 CAD for Canadians
           $40 USD for US entries
           $45 USD for entries from elsewhere
Deadline: August 1, 2010. $1,000 Prize. Submit one work of
creative non-fiction between 2,000 and 3,000 words in length.
No restrictions as to subject matter or approach apply. For
example, personal essay, memoir, cultural criticism, nature
writing, or literary journalism.

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PARIS/SAN FRANCISCO BOOK FESTIVAL CONTEST
http://www.sanfranciscobookfestival.com
http://www.parisbookfestival.com
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$50 ENTRY FEE
The 2010 San Francisco Book Festival has issued a call for entries
to its annual program celebrating the best books of the Spring season.
This year, the San Francisco Book Festival is tied in with its
sister festival in Paris. Winners of the competitions may choose
which awards ceremony and city they will attend. The contest will
consider non-fiction, fiction, biography/autobiography, children's
books, compilations/anthologies, teenage, how-to, cookbooks, science
fiction, audio/spoken word, history, wild card, gay, photography/art,
poetry, unpublished, travel and spiritual works. There is no date
of publication deadline. Our grand prize for the 2010 San Francisco
Book Festival winner is $1,500 cash and a flight to San Francisco or
Paris for our gala awards ceremonies. Deadline April 25, 2010.
Nineteen categories. Self-published works accepted.

 
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GRANTS
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VCCA FRANCE
http://www.vcca.com/2010%20International%20res%20app.pdf
---
The VCCA offers a variety of cultural programs at Le Moulin
a Nef, its studio center in France. VCCA-France supports the
arts and literature in partnership with the VCCA and VCCA-
Abroad by inviting artists to Auvillar to foster creativity
and by contributing to the development and promotion of the
cultural and artistic life of Auvillar. Open to writers, visual
artists and composers who have been in residence at the VCCA
location in Virginia in the past. Residencies also available
in Austria, Germany, Malta.

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VERMONT STUDIO
http://www.vermontstudiocenter.org/writers/
---
Founded by artists in 1984, the Vermont Studio Center is the
largest international artists' and writers' Residency Program
in the United States, hosting 50 visual artists and writers
each month from across the country and around the world.
The Studio Center provides 4-12 week studio residencies on
an historic 30-building campus along the Gihon River in
Johnson, Vermont, a village in the heart of the northern
Green Mountains. VSC accepts 12 writers each month for poetry,
fiction, and nonfiction Residencies. Writers working in
journalism, screen and playwriting, children's literature, or
translation may also apply, but are not eligible for Full
Fellowship awards.

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CRACKER BARREL FOUNDATION
http://www.crackerbarrel.com/about.cfm?doc_id=1239#apply
---
The foundation believes in the importance of preserving and
communicating our natural and cultural heritage. Our focus
is on programs that:

Encourage environmental education;
Preserve and establish historic monuments, natural sites, and parks;
Provide arts education.

NOTE: Individuals need to apply through a nonprofit entity
like an arts council, writers' group or other charitable group.
 

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FREELANCE MARKETS
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WHITETAILS UNLIMITED
http://www.whitetailsunlimited.com/magazine/write_for_WTU/session_23ed50ce9c47/
---
Publishes a wide range of hunting, environmental, educational,
wildlife management and how-to articles. Almost all features
include wildlife topics, specifically the whitetail deer.
Hunting articles of most interest would include unique or
unusual situations for your better than average hunt. This does
not necessitate the taking of trophies. The events surrounding
the experience should not be overlooked. Environmental-type
articles related to wildlife are also considered. Educational
topics considered include hunter safety, ethics or any method
or undertaking that could improve not only the sport of deer
hunting but the image of the sportsperson as well. Coverage of
wildlife management topics is extensive and varied research,
habitat needs or enhancement, new scientific findings, diseases
and hunting as a management tool are considered. Length of
feature articles range from 1,500-2,500 words. Feature articles
with photos pay up to $350, stories without photos pay up to $200.

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THE RANGE REPORT
http://www.rangeinfo.org/RangeReport/guidelines.cfm
---
The Range Report is published by the National Shooting Sports
Foundation (NSSF). Its intent is to offer information that will
help shooting range owners, operators and officers manage ranges
in a professional, environmentally sound and economical manner
while providing their shooters with an optimum experience. The
magazine covers good business practices, community involvement,
legislation and other topics of importance to the range
administrator. Articles will generally run 1,000 to 1,250 words.
In addition, two sidebars, together totaling no more than 500
words, should accompany the main text. Payment for the text of
feature articles shall be determined at the time of assignment,
but is generally compensated at a one-time fee of $500. Payment
for photographs is set at the following one-time fees: $350 for
a cover, $125 for full-page use, $250 for a full two-page spread,
and $50 to $100, depending on size, for fractional use.

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LEGION MAGAZINE
http://www.legionmagazine.com/en/magazine/contributions/photowrite.asp
---
Legion Magazine is published six times a year by Canvet
Publications Ltd. for a national readership composed of members
of The Royal Canadian Legion and their families, as well as
serving members of the Canadian Forces, the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police and the general public. Average article length
is between 1,500 and 2,200 words, although stories as short as
600 and as long as 3,000 words are accepted on occasion. The
magazine does not accept fiction, poetry, travel writing or
simultaneous transmissions. Manuscript fees for first North
American serial rights range from $150 to $1,200, payable after
final edit.
 

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JOBS
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TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS WRITER
Location Anchorage, Alaska
Department Of The Interior
http://jobview.usajobs.gov/GetJob.aspx?JobID=86631982&aid=27015391-11310&WT.mc_n=125
---
The Technical Publications Writer/Editor (TPWE) is responsible
for precise and effective presentation of scientific and
technical material about the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)
minerals-leasing program. Deadline March 31, 2010.

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WRITER-RESEARCHER
Location New York, NY
http://www.idealist.org/en/job/371848-145
---
The Writer/Researcher is responsible for maintaining Freedom
to Marry's overall knowledge base of the marriage movement
and developing written materials in support of the organization's
public education mission.

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COPY EDITOR
Coastal Living Magazine
Location Birmingham, AL
http://tinyurl.com/ygavduu
---
We're looking for an extremely detail-oriented editor and proofreader
to edit for style and consistency, fit stories to layout, compile
TOC and Resources text, and provide overall finessing of copy in a
broad range of stories about decorating, design, travel, and food
from every coast. You can be a bookish, self-professed grammar nerd--
in fact, it's a huge plus!

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PUBLISHERS/AGENTS
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PIATKUS
http://www.piatkus.co.uk/
---
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.

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QUIRK BOOKS
http://irreference.com/submissions/
---
Before you submit your idea to Quirk Books, please familiarize
yourself with our publishing program. This will save us time
and save you postage. We specialize in entertaining nonfiction
books that are bolstered by very strong graphic design. We will
not publish epic fantasy novels. We will not publish children's
books. We will not publish your grandmother's memoirs.

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SERPENT'S TAIL
http://www.serpentstail.com/
---
Serpent's Tail is a renowned British independent book publisher
of international fiction and non-fiction. Categories include
general fiction, crime fiction, cult books, black writing,
gay & lesbian, nonfiction, pop culture, music, world literature.

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SPONSORS
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If you're going to work with an editor, work with the best.
Have your writing edited by an award-winning, professional
writer and editor, someone who actually knows how to help you
prepare your writing for publication.  Richard Krawiec has
published novels, biographies, textbooks, plays, and a story
and poetry collection.  He won the 2009 Excellence in Teaching
Award from UNC Chapel Hill for his online writing courses. His
essays, feature articles, and reviews have appeared in major
newspapers and magazines across the US. The NY Times, LA Times,
Publishers Weekly have reviewed his work. His awards include
National Endowment for the Arts and NC Arts Council grants, as
well as nominations for the National Book Award, Best American
Short Stories, and Pushcart Prize.

Email: rkwriter@gmail.com  
Web - www.rkeditor.com

 

 

Pore over the AWAI catalog and note the tools to help you
reinvent yourself as a writing entrepreneur. Consider freelance
businesses to include:

==> Resume writing
==> Writing Web Copy
==> Online Video Marketing
==> Write Your Own Money-Making Websites
==> Promotional Copywriting
==> Desktop Graphic Design
==> Desktop Marketing

Check out the catalog HERE.

 

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The work I do today is the stuff of dreams ... stress-free, romantic,
fun. And all sorts of everyday people do it. Like me, they've left
behind the drudgery of 9-to-5 ... the boring desk job ... and today
they get paid to follow their bliss. As far as I'm concerned, it's
the best job in the world. Who wouldn't want to travel the globe
and get paid for it?  ~Steenie Harvey

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TURN YOUR PICTURES INTO CASH
The Photographer's Shortcut to Travel Writing Success

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SOCIAL NETWORKING:
The 21st Century Way to Find New Clients

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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

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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 2000-2010, C. Hope Clark
ISSN: 1533-1326

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