Volume 10, Issue 17
April 25, 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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Are you making enough as an author?  Free teleseminar
Thursday, April 29th where you'll discover strategies you
can use to make a quantum leap in your income and
influence as an author, speaker, coach, entrepreneur
or expert in your field.

Go here now to register: 
http://www.freeauthortips.com/call791
                 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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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MAKING THE CUT

FundsforWriters.com was selected by Writer's Digest yet again
for its 101 Best Websites for Writers recognition. This is
our tenth year of such honor. Congratulations have been pouring
in, and I'm so grateful to all the atta-girls. I hold my breath
going to the mailbox each day this time of year.

And no, I do not expect it will happen.

No, I do not have a false sense of modesty. Frankly, this business
is so flighty, so transient, so wrapped up in a state of flux,
that I don't take anything for granted.

Neither should you.

Writing is the easy part of this business. Publishing is harder.
Marketing and self-promotion are harder still. About the time
you think you've grasped trends, they're old school. About the
time you build up confidence to try something new, it's common
place and expected of you.

In this business, you've got to dig deep to write from the gut
and jump off cliffs to promote yourself. You have to be the
person in the yellow coat when everyone else is wearing brown.
You don't want to be the vampire writer pitching agents tired
of reading about vampires (yes, the trend is fading).

Suggestions to stay cutting edge:

1. Subscribe to publications about the business, like Publishers
Marketplace (www.publishersmarketplace.com).

2. Read blogs by literary agents, like:
 Nathan Bransford - http://blog.nathanbransford.com/
 Bookends Literary Agency - http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/
 Janet Reid - http://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com/
 Chuck Sambuchino's Guide to Literary Agents blog -
 http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/
 Kristin Nelson's Pub Rants - http://pubrants.blogspot.com/

3. Sign up for RSS feed or email notification of blog updates
   by agents, publishing houses you might be interested in.

4. If you freelance, sign up also for magazines and market listing
   sites.

5. Spend a quarter of your writing time staying current and relevant.

6. Blog, Facebook, Twitter and socially network. Don't get addicted,
   just stay connected.

If you stay oblivious on what's shifting, rising, falling, exploding
or disappearing in your profession, you waste your time writing in
the wrong direction. No, I'm not telling you to write toward the
trends. I'm just trying to educate you in avoiding the potholes of
what no longer works, sells or appeals to the public.

So each year, when Writer's Digest is about to come out with its
selections for 101 Best Websites for Writers, I hesitate. Have
I remained relevant? Have I become stale?

Don't assume what worked ten years ago is acceptable today.
Don't rest on five-year-old laurels. Don't think because you've
already published a book that you are in the club and can let
down your guard. I know writers with three and four books under
their belts who are seeking homes for their novels.

Always strive to improve, learn, and advance. In this business,
you never really arrive. The minute you think you have, you're
left behind.

     Hope

MAKE TOTAL TOTALLY YOURS

If you enjoy our free newsletters, you'll LOVE our paid
subscription. TOTAL has all the flavor of FundsforWriters,
except with 75 grants, contests, markets, publishers and jobs
instead of 15. It's immense, it's exciting, it's chocked full
of opportunity. Take your freelance writing seriously and
consider the largest newsletter in the FundsforWriters family.

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APRIL 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 April 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

Last month we offered Memoir Publishers Tweetebook for free.
This month it's General Short Story Markets (Book One).
Spread the word!

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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

"The way you define yourself as a writer is that you write
every time you have a free minute. If you didn't behave that
way you would never do anything."

~John Irving
 
 
 
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SUCCESS OF THE WEEK
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Hi Hope,

Just wanted you to know that I just ordered a few of your
Tweetebooks. I admit, (shamefully) that I've never ordered
electronic books, as I'm from the old school and love the
texture, smell, tangible aspects of printed, hard cover books.
But, I'm getting a kick out of this! No doubt I'll be ordering
a few more in weeks ahead. Thanks for your efforts!

 ~JENNIFER BROWN BANKS
Veteran freelance writer, Columnist
Pro Blogger www.Bloggingpro.com 
http://penandprosper.blogspot.com/

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ARTICLE
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Without Boundaries: Selling to International Markets

By Ruth Schiffmann

When it comes to marketing your stories and articles, think
big, break boundaries, market globally. Thought all you had
left to offer were reprint rights? Check again. If you've sold
First North American rights, that covers the U.S. and Canada,
but still allows you to sell first rights to other regions.
You can submit to foreign markets buying first British serial
rights, First European rights, First Asian rights, etc. Even
when all your "firsts" have been sold, you still have reprint
rights to offer.

Don't be intimidated by submitting to foreign markets. Remember,
people are people. No matter where we're located, we share points
of commonality. Separated by land and sea but connected by shared
beliefs? Many religious publications address issues of the heart
that are universal. By checking out the statement of faith on a
publication's website you can see whether your beliefs mesh and
whether you should submit or keep searching.

All over the world, children want to be entertained and educated.
Tweak your children's story for broad appeal, eliminating holiday
references that aren't common to the country of your chosen market.
Cut regional slang. Then target your audience specifically by
changing character names. While Derek and Donna make for familiar
names in the U.S., they may not sound realistic to an audience in
Australia or Korea. Google "Australian girls' names" or "Korean
boys' names." Similarly, instead of characters who watch football
or play baseball you may appeal to New Zealanders by referencing
rugby instead.

Editors want to see that you've done your homework. One Australian
publisher makes that clear in their guidelines: "If you are
submitting from overseas, make sure that the content and language
of your submission has relevance to, and is likely to interest,
children living in Australia. Remember, our seasons are those of
the southern hemisphere, our flora and fauna are different." If
your effort is apparent, a publisher will likely meet you half way.
I sold a personal experience piece to a teen magazine in Ireland.
After all attempts to make the piece "universal" the contract still
included a note that said, "We may need to change some language
slightly to account for cultural differences."

Make sure you'll be paid. If you don't have a PayPal account, set
one up. It's quick and easy and cuts out the hassle of making
conversions at the bank or receiving a foreign check that you have
no idea how to cash. PayPal makes the conversions and the money lands
in your account as U.S. currency.

Before you retire your stories to the land of reprints, set your
sights on these markets and give going global a try.

Children

The School Magazine - Countdown, Blast Off, Orbit and Touchdown
Australia
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/services/schoolmagazine/index.htm
Pay Rate: $270/per 1,000 words for prose, $47-$198.00 for poetry

Playtimes
Hong Kong
www.ppp.com.hk/p3_html/products/children/playtimes.html
Pay Rate: Specifics not listed online.

Comet, Explore, Challenge, Green Zone
Australia
http://www.pearsonplaces.com.au/places/magazines_place/teachers_centre.aspx
Pay Rate: $200 for prose, $80-$100 for poetry

Teens

Face Up
Ireland
www.faceup.ie
Pay Rate: Varies

Religious

The Majellan
Australia
www.majellan.org.au
Pay Rate: $50-$80

Damazine
Asia
http://www.damazine.com/info/submissions.htm
Pay Rate: $10 - $25

Special Interests

The Green Parent
UK
http://www.thegreenparent.co.uk/about/contact/
Pay Rate: Varies

The New Writer
UK
http://www.thenewwriter.com/guidelines.htm
Pay Rate: $8 - $65

Freelance Market News
England
http://www.freelancemarketnews.com/Write4Us.html
Pay Rate: $65 - $80

Craft Bits
Australia
http://www.craftbits.com/crafts/submissions
Pay Rate: $25 - $45

BIO
Ruth Schiffmann is a freelance writer living in the U.S. Her
work has appeared or is scheduled to appear in publications
in Ireland, England, Canada and the UK. To read more of her
work, visit www.RuthSchiffmann.com.

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COMPETITIONS
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2010 HILLERMAN MYSTERY COMPETITION
http://www.wordharvest.com/novel_contest.php
---
NO ENTRY FEE
The Competition is open to any professional or non-professional
writer, regardless of nationality, who has never been the author
of a published mystery and is not under contract with a publisher
for publication of a mystery. Only one manuscript entry is permitted
per writer. All manuscripts submitted: a) must be original,
previously unpublished works of book length (no less than 220
typewritten pages or approximately 60,000 words) written in the
English language. Murder or another serious crime or crimes is
at the heart of the story and emphasis is on the solution rather
than the details of the crime. The story's primary setting is the
Southwestern United States, including at least one of the following
states: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas,
Southern California and/or Utah. If a winner is selected, St.
Martin's Press will offer to enter into its standard form author's
agreement with the entrant for publication of the winning manuscript.
After execution of the standard form authors' agreement by both
parties, the winner will receive an advance against future royalties
of $10,000.

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CONNECTICUT POETRY AWARD
http://ct-poetry-society.org/contests.htm#ctpoetryaward
---
$15 ENTRY FEE FOR THREE POEMS
Open to all poets. Deadline May 31, 2010. Prizes of $400,
$200, and $100. Send up to 3 unpublished poems, any form,
80-line limit.

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FAMILY CIRCLE FICTION CONTEST
http://www.familycircle.com/family-fun/crafts/2010-family-circle-fiction-contest-rules/
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NO ENTRY FEE
Deadline September 8, 2010. Submit an original (written by
entrant), fiction short story of no more than 2,500 words.
Legal residents of the 50 United States, and the District of
Columbia, 21 years of age or older are eligible to enter.

Grand Prize winner will receive $750, a gift certificate to one
mediabistro.com course of his or her choice, one-year mediabistro.com
AvantGuild membership valued at $55 and a one-year mediabistro.com
On Demand Videos membership valued at $160. Second Place winner will
receive $250, a one-year mediabistro.com AvantGuild membership, and
a one-year mediabistro.com on Demand Videos membership. Third Place
winner will receive $250 and a one-year mediabistro.com AvantGuild
membership.

 
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GRANTS
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CREATIVE CURRICULA
http://www.lmcc.net/grants/creative_curricula/
---
Creative Curricula is a local arts-in-education funding program
administered by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC). Creative
Curricula provides grant support for collaborations between schools
and cultural organizations (or individual teaching artists) that
focus on the creation and implementation of arts integrated units
of study. Creative Curricula makes matching grants of up to $5,000.

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MOUNT ST HELENS FIELD RESIDENCIES
http://springcreek.oregonstate.edu/programs.html#callforwriters
---
Creative writers whose work in any genre reflects a keen
awareness of the natural world and an appreciation for both
scientific and literary ways of knowing are invited to apply
for a weeklong writing residency at Mount St. Helens.  The
residencies will take place July 18-24, 2010, with a base camp
near Randle, WA, and will be held in conjunction with the 2010
Mount St. Helens Science Pulse, a gathering of ecologists and
research scientists who are engaged in field work on Mount St.
Helens.  Residency writers will be able to join ecologists on
field trips to various locations on Mount St. Helens, interact
informally with scientists, and to focus on writing projects
that embody creative responses to the volcano and its varied
landscapes and the role of volcanic landscapes in the
imagination and culture of the Northwest. Deadline May 1, 2010.

(Thanks to ttp://practicing-writing.blogspot.com)

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LTE REFLECTIONS PROJECT WRITERS RESIDENCIES
http://springcreek.oregonstate.edu/residencies.html#residencies
---
The LTE Reflections project hosts writers' residencies and other
programs at the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest in the Oregon
Cascades, where participants can interact with research
scientists as they go about their work.

The Cabin at Shotpouch Creek is a two-week residency for two
participants applying together. The Andrews Forest Writers'
Residency is a one-week writer's retreat in the Cascade Range.

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FREELANCE MARKETS
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NORTH SHORE
http://www.suntimes.com/aboutus/submissions.stng
http://www.northshoremag.com/cgi-bin/ns-article?article=contact.dat
---
A monthly that offers stories on significant issues and people
who live in the northern suburbs and on the north side of
Chicago. Shorter feature stories run 800 to 1,500 words. Full
length features run 2,500 and 3,000 words. Pay: $300 to $1,500.

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WOMANS DAY NEEDS BLOGGERS
http://www.ed2010.com/jobs/whisperjobs
---
WomansDay.com is looking for new female bloggers.
 (http://dailywd.womansday.com/).

Divorce blogger: Share your experience of going through a divorce.
Prefer you be starting the process of divorce, and be very open to
a candid portrayal. The ideal age range of this blogger is 35-60.

Menopause blogger: Write candidly about going through menopause.

Debt blogger: This blogger should be in debt and working to get
herself out of debt. She would write about her journey to becoming
financially stable again. The ideal age range is 35-60.

Online Dating blogger: This blogger would be starting to explore
the world of online dating. Ideally, she would be on (or have
experience with) a few different sites, and go out on dates
frequently. She should be between the ages of 35-60.

Submit three sample blog posts (150-300 words), name, age and
information about yourself to wdblogs@gmail.com . Pays $50 per
log post.

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DEVEX
http://www.devex.co.uk/jobs/feb2010-devex-news-correspondents-eu-and-beyond-2
---
Devex is seeking talented writers and journalists in key European
cities to cover international development, humanitarian relief,
food security, global health and related issues. Seeks regular
contributors in the following cities:

Brussels - to cover the European Parliament, ECHO, EuropeAid
and its contractors.

London - to cover DfID and various development nonprofits,
think tanks and consultancies.

Geneva - to cover various U.N. agencies and other human rights
and development groups.

Paris - to cover AFD and French government aid, as well as the
Francophone aid community.

Rome - to cover various U.N. and food agencies as well as Italy's
bilateral aid.

In addition, we are looking for occasional contributors located
in other major development hubs in Europe, Asia, Africa and
Latin America.
 

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JOBS
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ENGAGEMENT EDITOR
Location San Diego, CA
http://www.journalismnext.com/jobdetails.cfm?jid=6308
---
The pioneering news organization voiceofsandiego.org wants
someone to revolutionize how it presents its content and engages
the San Diego community. You will find creative ways -- from
e-mail to blogs to twitter and more -- to deliver our service
to San Diegans. You will also be a new age opinion editor,
sparking dynamic debates and discussions on the site. And you
will be a guide to our service, helping our users find the needed
context to keep up with the complex local issues that determine
San Diego's quality of life.

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EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Location New York, NY
http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/cgi-bin/displayJob.pl?job_no=6275
---
ABRAMS is seeking a detail minded individual, with a passion
for children's picture books and young adult fiction, to support
two senior editorial executives in the Books for Young Readers
and Amulet imprints.

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EXECUTIVE EDITOR
5 MULTIMEDIA REPORTERS
SENIOR MULTIMEDIA MANAGER
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST
Various locations: Tampa, Orlando, Gainesville, Fort Myers, Florida
http://www.journalismnow.com/viewJob.php?jid=1074
---
Public broadcasters WUSF TV/FM, WEDU TV, and WMNF FM (all in
Tampa) along with WGCU TV/FM (Fort Myers), WMFE TV/FM (Orlando),
and WUFT TV/FM (Gainesville) are teaming up for an exciting,
new collaborative reporting project aimed at examining the
subject of health care from both a policy and personal
perspective. This CPB-funded initiative called the "Healthy
State Collaborative" Local Journalism Center (LJC) is hiring
eight positions for a multiyear, multiplatform effort.

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PUBLISHERS/AGENTS
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PAUL LEVINE LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.paulslevinelit.com/
---
Represents the following:

Fiction - Adventure, Business/Commerce, Children/Juvenile/Young Adult,       
Mainstream, Mystery, Politics/Law, Romance, Thrillers, Women's Fiction

Non-Fiction - Business/Commerce, Children/Juvenile/Young Adult,       
Contemporary/Popular Culture, How-To/ Self-Help, Politics/Law,
Relationships, Sports, Archeology, Art/Photography/Architecture,
Child Guidance/Parenting, Coffee Table Books, Gardening,
Education/Academics, Health/Medicine/Science/Technology,
Law, Religion, Memoirs, Sociology

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THE AUGUST AGENCY
http://www.augustagency.com/submissions.htm
---
We actively pursue a diverse array of writers to represent, with
an emphasis in the following areas:

women's fiction (not genre romance)
media/current events (seasoned journalists receive special favor here)
popular culture, arts, and entertainment
political science
self-help, health, and spirituality
lifestyle, family, and home (including cookbooks, diet, and fitness)
science
social sciences
criminology and investigation
history
economics
business and technology
biographies and memoirs
creative narrative nonfiction

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BAKER'S MARK LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.bakersmark.com/
---
We boast an impressive list of clients from up-and-coming to
well established artists and writers. Fiction, nonfiction, and
graphic novels are what we do.

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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, text books, 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

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PLAYWRITING WORKSHOP FOR WOMEN

Women writers, your time has come! Class size limited to 12.

Women Playwrights' Initiative (WPI) announces its 5th Annual
Playwriting Workshop. Award-winning playwright Deborah Brevoort
focuses on the hardest part of playwriting: getting started! 
Writers will examine audience expectations, theatrical conventions
and craft elements. Journalists, poets and prose writers - get out
that partial script and learn how to make it compelling with
Deborah Brevoort, June 5-6, 2010, in Winter Park FL .

Participants should bring 10 pages of a script (preferably from
the beginning of the play). Tuition is $400, with partial
scholarships available.

More info at www.womenplaywrights.com/play-writing-workshop.htm.
Registration deadline is May 15, 2010.

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The second annual Self-Publishers Online Conference connects
entrepreneurial authors and independent publishers with book
publishing resources on May 12-14, 2010.

* Enjoy presentations from 15 book-publishing experts.
(Dan Poynter, Fern Reiss, Mark Victor Hansen, & 12 more!)

* Participate in Q&A roundtables and online discussions

* Browse the virtual exhibit hall

...all from the comfort of your desk!

Live attendance is FREE with a Basic Pass!
(Or upgrade for audio downloads or CDs mailed to you.)

Register now at:
http://www.SelfPublishersOnlineConference.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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