Volume 10, Issue 28
July 11, 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, 2010

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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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Last Call for Entries!

Dream Quest One Poetry & Writing Contest is now accepting
poems, 30 lines or fewer on any subject and short stories, 5 
pages maximum length on any theme, single or double line
spacing, neatly hand printed or typed. Entry fees: $5 per
poem/$10 per story. Prizes: Poetry: $250, $125, $50. Writing:
$500, $250, $100. Postmark deadline: July 31, 2010. All
winners will be published online in the Dare to Dream pages,
on August 31, 2010.

Visit http://www.dreamquestone.com for details and enter!

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

=====

GO AHEAD, THROW A TOMATO AT ME

I received this painful email from a reader, and I wanted to
hug her with comfort. I also fought the urge to scream at the
publishing business. Her plight is what I've preached about
for so long. Read this:

Dear Hope,

I just sent a query letter to an agent who seemed very interested
in my literary/historical novel, but forgot (truly forgot) to
mention that I had self-published through Amazon (and received
very positive feedback). When I mentioned this in a follow-up
e-mail, she said she was against self-publishing and would pass
on seeing the material. I don't know if you want to put this in
the newsletter if you're commenting on self-publishing again, but
feel free to do so. It was a big disappointment, but useful
information except that now I don't know if all agents feel this
way or just this one.

===

I told her that most agents are not pro-self-publishing unless
the book sold ten thousand copies or more. Not one hundred, not
five hundred, not a thousand. They can't afford to say they are
anti-self-publishing because that's not popular. There's a huge
self-publishing wave taking place right now, dominating the
writing magazines and birthing a lot of small, garage-run small
presses. Electronic publishing is fueling it as well.

But the business still sees self-publishing through a jaundiced
eye. Your work might be phenomenally gifted, but the thousands
of others it competes against aren't, and your book swims in a
sea of mediocrity.

Publishing houses pride themselves on producing a quality product.
Their reputation is at stake. Rejection rates are high and editors
polish manuscripts, taking a year or more of production before
releasing the book. Those releases represent the house.

Self-publishers produce whatever fits between two covers. Good
and bad, entertaining and boring, educated and dull, refined
and raw, they all come off the assembly line, side by side.
If you pay the fee, you get a book.

Put yourself in that agent's shoes as she read the news that the
manuscript she was considering had already been self-published.
The agent wants to discover a book, sometimes discover an author.
Self-publishing removes the virgin quality of such a discovery.
Also, if this book didn't prove itself already, why gamble on
it again? Reviews are a dime a dozen on Amazon; it's sales that
count.

Self-publishing is a tool. When you develop your business plan
of one year, two years, fives years, even ten, decide how
self-publishing will aid or inhibit your long-term as well as
short-range goals.

     Hope

FUNDSFORWRITERS ANNUAL ESSAY CONTEST

Details released next week!!!!!

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TWEETEBOOKS

Our Tweetebook library contains 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.
The Poetry Markets Tweetebook is available for free download.

Tweetebooks are like potato chips! You can't stop at one.

www.fundsforwriters.com/tweetebooks.htm

=====

THE BLOG - http://www.hopeclark.blogspot.com

TWITTER - http://twitter.com/hopeclark

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

FACEBOOK - http://www.facebook.com/chopeclark
 

  ~~~~~~****~~~~~~

WORDS OF SUCCESS

"Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something
to do, something to love and something to hope for."

--Joseph Addison

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SUCCESS OF THE WEEK
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Hi Hope,
I want to thank you for the inspiration, encouragement, and
tips provided in your newsletters. I am pleased to say that
my first children's novel has just been published through
YM Books. One Is Not A Lonely Number is geared for girls ages
10-14. Please visit the website to view the book trailer.
http://www.oneisnotalonelynumber.com/index.html  

Wishing you a summer of great writing!

Thanks!
Evelyn Krieger

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ARTICLE
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Job Hunting Strategies for the Expat Freelance Writer

By Suchi Rudra

So you've made the move abroad, you're still writing for some
clients back home, but you'd also like to dig into the local
and regional markets? Even if the local language remains a
mystery to you, there are still plenty of ways to earn a decent
income from local and regional freelance writing work in English.
Having lived and worked abroad in India, Czech Republic, Ukraine
and Russia, I've found that no matter where I set up camp, there
are certain strategies that I can follow to enhance my success
in writing for local and regional markets. And the best part
about these strategies? They can still apply even if you're
not an expat!

1) Always keep an eye out for local English-language magazines,
newspapers and publishing houses. Anytime you are out and about,
pick up all the free brochures, fliers and complimentary magazines
you can handle. Often times, these are aimed toward tourists and
study abroad students, so you will find more of these English
language publications to snatch up in the more happening and
touristy spots. However, some publications, like trade journals,
 might only be found in banks, real estate agencies, travel
agencies and other similar institutions. And don't forget about
airport magazines and publications for expat organizations!
I queried a popular website for expats in Prague with some story
ideas and am now a frequent contributor.

2) Collect business cards. Anytime you find yourself at a cafe,
restaurant, bar or boutique that appeals to you, ask for their
business cards. Look around to see if you can contribute your
language skills to their advertising. If you're a stickler for
grammar, you'll probably notice that many places serving food
often need help with either proofreading or translation of their
menu, advertisements or website. Offer your assistance for a
small fee or for free as a trial period, and the manager will
probably come running back to you for more help if you do a good
job. Some places might even have a newsletter you can sign up for,
so check to see if it needs some English help. Don't forget to
scope out their website as well.

3) Inflight magazines are a huge, well-paying market that is
constantly expanding with the growth of low-cost airlines. Each
time you fly, use your flight time to carefully read through the
magazine and get a good idea of the writing style and range of
topics. Look up their website and contact info, and send them a
query.

4) Contact local NGOs and nonprofits and find out if they might
want some help with their communications department. These
organizations are constantly looking for solid sponsors and need
to send out professional emails and informational packets in
English. You won't make a ton of money by working for a nonprofit,
but you will be contributing to a good cause, and may eventually
land yourself a staff position, if that's what you are looking
for. In Bombay, I was given a small, but sufficient stipend to
help a local NGO in corresponding with their corporate sponsors
via email and also to write up a few surveys.

5) Check out local university bulletin boards (put on a backpack
and you can slip right into any academic building with the students).
Some students will put up notices asking for help in editing or
proofreading their English language essays or research papers.
Conversely, you can post a notice with your number or email
advertising your editing/proofreading/research guidance abilities
in English. I once responded to a bulletin board flier from a Czech
PhD student (at a university in Prague) who needed help in editing
and preparing the English translation of his doctoral thesis--it
turned to be a nice, long project, since the thesis was rather
complicated, and I ended up learning a good amount of Czech too!

Bio:
Suchi has been traveling all her life, but has been camping out
in Prague for the past 4 years, where she successfully transformed
from run-of-the-mill English teacher to a work-at-home-in-pajamas
freelance writer, specializing in travel, education and business.
Her first novel, Kitaab, was published last summer.

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COMPETITIONS
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NEW ENGLAND SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL SONNET AWARD
http://www.newenglandshakespeare.org./sonnet_contest.htm
---
$3 ENTRY FEE
$500 First Prize. Winners will be published in the Raintown
Review, and will have a video clip of a Shakespearean Actor
reading their poems posted here on the New England Shakespeare
Festival website by Summer 2011. Sonnets must be Shakespearean:
fourteen lines, ababcdcdefefgg rhyme scheme, basically written
in iambic pentameter, variations and substitutions are permitted.
Minors may enter the contest, but a parent/guardian must sign
and return the Parent/Guardian permission form. Deadline
August 1, 2010.

=====

THE MEMOIR (AND) PRIZES FOR MEMOIR IN PROSE AND POETRY
http://memoirjournal.squarespace.com/contest-details/
---
NO ENTRY FEE
Deadline August 16, 2010.

Grand Prize for Memoir in Prose or Poetry
$500 cash award
Publication in print and online
Six copies of the journal

Second Prize for Memoir in Prose or Poetry
$250 cash award
Publication in print and online
Six copies of the journal

Third Prize for Memoir in Prose or Poetry
$100 cash award
Publication in print and online
Three copies of the journal

The Memoir (and) Prize for Graphic Memoir is awarded to the
most outstanding graphic memoir drawn from the reading period.

Prize for Graphic Memoir
$100 cash award
Publication in print and online
Three copies of the journal

Memoir (and) publishes memoirs in many forms. We strive with
each issue to include a selection of prose, poetry, graphic
memoirs (visit www.guttergeek.com for reviews of graphic
narratives), narrative photography and more. No submission is
too unusual or traditional to be considered for publication.

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NY MIDNIGHT FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE 2010
http://www.nycmidnight.com/2010/FFC/Prizes.htm
---
$49 ENTRY FEE
Anyone may compete from anywhere in the world. Four writing
challenges and everyone is guaranteed to participate in at
least two challenges. In each challenge, writers have two days
to complete a 1,000-word story based on an assigned genre,
location, and object. In the 1st Round, all of the registered
writers are divided into twenty groups.  Everyone participates
in two writing challenges and are assigned points based on how
high they place in each challenge.  The points are added up for
both challenges, and the top five writers from each group
advance to the 2nd Round.  Click here for more on the point
system. In the 2nd Round, the 100 writers that advanced out of
the 1st Round will be divided into five groups and will compete in
the 3rd writing challenge.  The top five writers from each group
will advance to the 3rd and final round. In the 3rd Round, the
25 writers that advanced out of the 2nd Round will participate
in the final writing challenge. They are assigned a new genre,
location, and object and again have 2 days to submit a 1,000-word
story. 1st Place $1,500. 2nd Place $500. 3rd Place $250.
4th Place $100. Deadline August 11, 2010. Feedback provided
on every story. Use code FLASHAW to help us track where you
first learned about this event. Space is limited!

 
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GRANTS
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MARYLAND FELLOWSHIPS
http://www.msac.org/docs_uploaded/iaa11app.pdf
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The MSAC Individual Artist Awards Program is administered by
the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation (MAAF). The next deadline is
August 4, 2010. Grants are awarded to Maryland artists to encourage
and sustain their pursuit of artistic excellence. Grant recipients
are selected through an anonymous, competitive process. IAA awards
are highly competitive. A limited number of awards of $1,000,
$3,000, and $6,000 will be offered this year. Poetry is the only
literary arm of the grant competition this year.

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BECKMANN EMERGING ARTIST FELLOWSHIP - INDIANA
http://www.artscouncilofindianapolis.org/grants_for_individuals/beckmann_emerging_artist_fellowship_program_114.html
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The program awards two $3,500 fellowships each year to qualified
and talented artists in music, dance, theatre, literature, media
and/or the visual arts.  Deadline July 23, 2010.

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IOWA MINI-GRANTS - BY IOWA ARTS COUNCIL
http://www.iowaartscouncil.org/funding/mini-grants.shtml
---
Mini Grants can support a wide variety of arts projects, including
but not limited to: community festivals, artist residencies in
schools, artist performances or exhibitions, professional
development opportunities for artists or arts educators, temporary
public art projects, etc. Contact IAC staff to discuss your idea
if you are unsure whether it would be eligible for a Mini Grant.
You may request up to $1,000 for a Mini Grant, but no more than
50 percent of the total expenses of the project. Deadline is
the first business day of each month.
 

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FREELANCE MARKETS
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SOJOURNERS
http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=about_us.writers_guidelines
---
Although most of the articles that appear in Sojourners
have been requested from particular writers, we do
occasionally publish unsolicited manuscripts. We are
interested in feature articles that treat biblical, social,
political, economic, theological, community, or church
themes (to mention a few) from a progressive Christian
perspective. The length of features is generally 1,200-
2,800 words. We also publish commentaries, of roughly
400-600 words, on particularly current events. In each
issue we feature book, film, and/or music reviews. Lengths
vary from about 500 to 1,000 words. We encourage readers to
send in unpublished poems. Payment to authors varies
depending on the type of article. The range is roughly $50
to $400.

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FOREST MAGAZINE
http://www.fseee.org/forest-magazine/your-national-forests
---
Forest Magazine is published by Forest Service Employees for
Environmental Ethics. For readers who value our national forests
for recreation, clean water, wildlife sanctuaries and spectacular
wilderness. Pays up to 30 cents/word.

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SKYLIGHTS MAGAZINE
http://www.skylightsmagazine.com/guidelines.aspx
---
Our stories offer quick and practical information on where
travelers are going, what's doing once they get there, where
they can eat, sleep, play, buy, relax. We present who and what
they're talking about---names, faces, music, movies, books,
gadgets, fashion -- n chatty, culture-current language. Our
voice reflects a youthful, sassy edge that informs, amuses
and delights our wide-ranging readership. Payment ranges from
25-40 cents/word based on experience and assignment. Buys first
North American serial rights and online rights.

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JOBS
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TECHNICAL WRITER-EDITOR
Location: 2 vacancies - Natick, MA
http://jobview.usajobs.gov/GetJob.aspx?JobID=88898063&aid=27015391-29610&WT.mc_n=125
---
Can qualify with education or experience. Education must have
included a total of 15 semester hours in an appropriate scientific,
technical, or social science field(s), and at least one course
above the introductory level. The equivalent of 15 semester hours
may have been gained through vocational or educational training
above the high school level at a public, private, or Armed Forces
school. Experience must have provided an understanding of the
basic principles, practices, operations, and specialized vocabulary
of the appropriate scientific, technical, or social science field(s),
or with equipment or technical systems. The applicant must have
acquired the ability to describe information in simple, clear
language. Deadline July 27, 2010.

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WEEKEND WEB EDITOR
Location Arlington, VA
http://www.politico.com/employment/weekend_web_editor.html
---
Contact: employment@politico.com . We are looking for a smart,
fast weekend web editor to help run our site. The ideal candidate
will have experience editing political coverage, ideally in a
fast-paced environment, and the ability to write headlines, move
copy and make decisions under tight deadlines.

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WRITER-COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST
Location Cherokee, NC (Employer Harrah's Casino)
http://harrahs.hodesiq.com/harrahsiq/job_detail.asp?JobID=2006644
---
Assist the Manager of Communications & External Relations in all
aspects of internal and external communications, including
development of communication strategies for the business,
community relations activities and employee/property campaigns.

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PUBLISHERS/AGENTS
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MAPLE TREE PRESS
http://www.mapletreepress.com/content.aspx?page=6
---
Maple Tree Press is a children's book publisher based in Toronto,
Canada. They specialize in high-quality non-fiction books for
children. Welcomes book ideas of all kinds for children ages
three to twelve. For the most part, publishes non-fiction in
the areas of science and nature, and activity and craft books.
Publishes Canadian writers almost exclusively (including Canadian
citizens living abroad).

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DARK COAST PRESS
http://www.darkcoastpress.com/submissions.html
---
Dark Coast Press publishes works of literary fiction, metafiction,
poetry, postmodern, abstract, and avant-garde writing. We do not
publish the following:  mass market fiction, popular fiction,
genre fiction, fantasy fiction, mystery/crime/thriller fiction,
non-fiction, inspirational prose/poetry, cookbooks, self-help
books, religious or political propaganda, etc.

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PINEAPPLE PRESS
http://www.pineapplepress.com/
---
Most of our books are Florida nonfiction. We also publish
a few literary novels and some general nonfiction. Almost
all of our fiction is set in Florida. We also publish books
about lighthouses. Our only children's books are on Florida
topics for Florida schools. We publish a few Florida-related
cookbooks. We do not publish genre fiction (mysteries,
romances, science fiction, action/adventure, Westerns) unless
they are strongly Florida-related.

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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

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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