Volume 10, Issue 43
October 24, 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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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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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WHY ENTER A CONTEST?

We are in the last week of our Annual FundsforWriters Essay
Contest and submissions are rolling in. Each year the
submissions get stronger and the number of entries rises.
Each year I'm more and more amazed.

Yet some writers continue to abstain from contests. They fear
someone will rob them of their material, or the sponsor seeks
only to make a buck. Contests are no different than markets,
publishers, and agents. Some are bad, some are good, and
some are exceptional and jumpstart your writing career.

Study a contest like you would an agent, publisher or market.
Research all you can about it then trust your gut. Don't be
shortsighted and don't assume anything. Any aspect of the
profession entails doing homework and making informed
decisions.

What can a contest do for you?

1. Make you write.
2. Make you submit.
3. Make you meet a deadline.
4. Make you follow guidelines.
5. Make you test yourself.

Then, of course, contests can:

6. Provide a publishing clip.
7. Provide money.
8. Provide an opportunity with an agent.
9. Provide an opportunity with a publisher.
10. Provide feedback on the quality of your work.

Ninety percent of the time, if you've been scammed by
a contest, you did not do your homework. If people had
simply Googled "POETRY.COM" years ago when it was at the
height of its scamming profession, the company would have
gone under much sooner than it did.

At writing conferences, I coax writers to consider all
types of funding streams in furthering their profession,
to include contests. When I worked in agriculture, I
advised farmers to diversify. In other words, don't put
all your eggs in one basket. In addition to writing
articles for online and features for magazines, consider
freelance jobs, grants, and yes, contests.

The point is to be judged and deemed worthy, and a
contest can do just that.

---

The deadline for the Annual FundsforWriters Essay Contest
is October 31, 2010 - midnight Eastern Time. The theme is:
"When Writing Made a Difference." The word count is 750
maximum, and the genre is essay (that's nonfiction, folks).
The prizes are:

$5 ENTRY FEE Category - First Place - $300
   Second Place - $100
   Third Place - $50

NO ENTRY FEE Category - First Place - $50
   Second Place - $30
   Third Place - $20

Find the fine print and details at:
www.fundsforwriters.com/annualcontest.htm

Good luck and hope to see your entry this week!

     Hope

 

FundsforWriters.com and Literary Database.com team up to
co-sponsor the 9th Annual FundsforWriters Essay Contest.

Theme: Writing that made a difference.

Both entry fee and no entry fee categories. First place
winner receives $300. Six awards given. Limit 750 words.
Deadline October 31, 2010. Winners announced December 1, 2010.

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TWEETEBOOKS

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you name it! Purchase one or two to try them out - they're only
$1.99. Tweetebooks are like potato chips! You can't stop at one.

www.fundsforwriters.com/tweetebooks.htm

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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

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WORDS OF SUCCESS

Find out who you are and do it on purpose.

~ Dolly Parton

 
 
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SUCCESS OF THE WEEK
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Dear Hope:
 
Thanks for the informative article (Funds for Writers, Oct. 10)
about Kindle and other electronic publishing media.  I'm delighted
to report that Aberdeen Bay (the publisher I found on Funds for
Writers) has just released my novel, Flying Fish, on Kindle ! 
Just another example of what a wonderful resource Funds for
Writers really is !
 
Thanks Again,
 
Vern Hobbs, author of Flying Fish
http://www.flying-fish-creative.com/

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ARTICLE
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Profit writing about NGOs

By Lesley D. Biswas

NGOs do most of the development work across the world,
particularly addressing global issues like the environment,
human rights, education and poverty alleviation, to name
just a few. Writing about their year-round activities and
events is a way to ensure a regular source of income. Here
is how to profit writing about them.

Writers help NGOs get free publicity on their forthcoming
events, awareness campaign, workshops and research findings.
This also keeps beneficiaries and funding houses informed
about the organization's achievements and new initiatives,
which is necessary to keep the funds rolling in. In return,
you get tons of story ideas to convert into assignments.

For a start, shortlist five NGOs you would like to write
about. Selecting those who carry extensive global presence
and have their branch office in your city helps in two ways.
One, you can approach them directly, in person. Two, you can
cover their events at short notice. Before you contact them,
familiarize yourself with their projects and activities.
Once you begin writing, the organization provides comprehensive
information and resources on their work that you can research
for your writings.

Here are some links to directories that list popular NGOs.

Charity Portal: NGOs registered in the UK.
http://www.charityportal.org.uk/cgi-bin/engine/hyperseek.cgi

InterAction: US-based INGOs.http://www.interaction.org/

The Union of International Associations: International NGOs.
http://www.uia.org/

Volunteers offer the best network to build contacts, but if
you don't know anyone associated with the NGO you have targeted,
do what I did. I telephoned South Asian Forum for Environment
(SAFE) and told the Public Relations Officer I wanted to write
about the fabulous work they were doing in the environment
sector. I offered to mail them some clips to establish my
credibility. She put me on their mailing list. Now, all year-
round I receive press releases, data findings, analysis and
dates of their forthcoming events. I convert most of them into
articles, which find a home in my local publication.

Not long ago I received an email about their ongoing eco-tourism
project. I interviewed the field officer who arranged for a
quote from the chairperson, took some pictures of the eco-
tourism site and did a feature story for The Wip. I sold a
piece to the same website featuring toxins in toys, an idea
that originated from NGO Toxic Links, a survey on toxins.

Editors are looking for anniversary pieces, reports on
conferences, seminars, workshops and surveys carried out by
NGOs. Many publications receive invites from these organizations
to cover their upcoming events, for which they prefer local
freelance writers. If you're already associated with a
publication, inform them that you want to go for these events
and they will forward the invite to your inbox. If you're a new
writer, such events help to break-in to local publications and
build clips. Since many international publications prefer
experienced writers, these chips can help you prove your
credibility and mesh assignments that otherwise elude you.

Another bonus is you can network with fellow scribes and
interact with volunteers, social activists, experts and
speakers at these events. This is a potential source for
interview ideas. You can request the NGO to arrange an
interview for you after the event. Here are the writer's
guidelines of some paying markets to consider for your
features stories and interviews.

The Wip and Women's enews feature stories on culture,
environment, human rights and art. The WIP pays $55 and
Women's enews pays $100.

http://thewip.net/about/
http://www.womensenews.org/contact-us

Mother Jones magazine and Motherjones.com pay $1.00 per
word and more, but only from experienced writers. They
seek topics on human rights and the environment.

http://motherjones.com/about/writer-guidelines

Send your local features on the environment to
environmentguardian.com.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardian/article/0,5814,409883,00.html

Apart from these markets also query magazines that focus
on the subject like women's magazines and green magazines.
Always market your contacts with NGOs. Mention it in your
query that you have direct access to data and information
and can provide quotes. This adds weight to your articles
and gives you a better chance of acceptance.

BIO
Lesley D. Biswas has written for publications like The Wip,
Woman's Era, 4th D Woman, The Teenager, The Sun, What's Hot,
Writer2Writers, Kolkata Mirror and others. She writes about
parenting, gardening, women's issues, stress, cricket and
teenage issues. She lives in Kolkata, India.

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COMPETITIONS
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WRITER'S DIGEST POPULAR FICTION AWARD
http://www.writersdigest.com/popularfictionawards
---
$20 ENTRY FEE
Entry Deadline: November 1, 2010. Compete and Win in All 5
Categories! All manuscripts must be 4,000 words or fewer.

Grand Prize: a trip to the Writer's Digest Conference in New
York City, $2,500 cash, $100 worth of Writer's Digest Books
and the 2011 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market.

First Prize: The First Place-Winner in each of the five
categories receives $500 cash, $100 worth of Writer's Digest
Books and the 2011 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market.

Honorable Mention: Honorable Mentions will receive promotion
in Writer's Digest and the 2011 Novel & Short Story Writer's
Market.

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COSTS OF CARE ESSAY CONTEST
http://www.costsofcare.org/component/content/article/21
---
NO ENTRY FEE
$1,000 prizes for the best anecdotes from doctors, nurses,
and patients illustrating the importance of cost-awareness
in health care. Submit a story about a medical bill that
was higher than expected, or a time when you wanted to know
how much a test or treatment might cost and couldn't find out.
Costs of Care is a nonprofit organization that empowers
patients and health care workers with information to curb
harmful health care costs at a grassroots level. Deadline
November 1, 2010.

Entries must be no longer than 750 words and should be typed
and double-spaced. Students are strongly encouraged to submit
an anecdote. We are primarily seeking anecdotes. Three clinician
finalists and three non-clinician finalists will be chosen.
Clinicians include doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists,
clinical assistants and students of these professions. Non-
clinicians include patients, friends or family members of
patients, or students of non-clinical professions including
college students.

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2011 KORE PRESS SHORT FICTION AWARD
http://korepress.org/KorePressShortFictionAward.htm
---
$15 ENTRY FEE
This competition is open to any woman writing in English,
regardless of nationality. Deadline October 31, 2010. A
minimum of 4,000 words and a maximum of 12,000 words. A
prize of $1,000 plus chapbook publication by Kore Press
will be given for a short story written in English.

 
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GRANTS
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CENTER FOR THE BOOK ARTS WORK/STUDY/TUITION FREE OPPS
Location New York
http://www.centerforbookarts.org/opportunities/workstudyapp.pdf
---
A limited number of work/study positions are available for
students or artists who want to work to pay for workspace
rental or the tuition for CBA courses. In this program,
students can study tuition-free by working a pre-set number
of hours at CBA. At least 50% of these hours must be
completed before the start of the class and a materials fee
must be paid prior to the first class. The Center offers both
temporary and semi-permanent positions. Temporary work study
can be completed with seasonal or special projects such as the
annual Holiday Sale or other scheduled events or CBA projects.
Semi-permanent work study students work on projects that
include office administration, gallery reception, archive
management and general building maintenance.

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KENNETH A. PICERNE FOUNDATION - CALIFORNIA
http://www.picernefoundation.org/senior/artists_project.asp
---
The Kenneth A. Picerne Foundation awards grants to accomplished
visual, performing and literary artists, age 55 and older. 
These grants support the artists in giving back to their community. 
Each artist spends six to eight hours a week with an underserved
group and non-profit organization of their choice, sharing their
talent in arts-based services that are both educational and
therapeutic. The selected artists will receive a grant of $12,000
to pursue a 12 month project of their own choosing. The grant is
intended to cover actual contact time and will be paid out at
$1,000 per month. Must be residents of North San Diego County or
Orange County. Deadline March 30, 2011.

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KIMMEL HARDING NELSON CENTER FOR THE ARTS
http://www.khncenterforthearts.org/residency.html
---
$25 APPLICATION FEE
The Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts offers up to
fifty juried residencies per year to working artists from
across the country and around the world. Residencies are
awarded to visual artists, writers, composers, interdisciplinary
artists, and arts or arts education scholars. Residencies are
available for two-, four-, six-, or eight-weeks stays. Each
resident receives a $100 stipend per week, free housing, and
a separate studio. September 1 is the deadline for Session 1
residencies to take place the following January - June. March 1
is the deadline for Session 2 residencies to take place the
following July - December.
 

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FREELANCE MARKETS
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BOULEVARD
http://www.boulevardmagazine.org/projects.html
---
Boulevard strives to publish only the finest in fiction,
poetry, and non-fiction (essays, interviews, etc.).
No submissions will be accepted from May 1 to October 1.

POETRY - Submit no more than five poems at a time. We accept
poems of up to 200 lines. We do not accept light verse.
We pay $25-$500 (sometimes higher) for accepted work.

FICTION - We accept fiction works up to 8,000 words. We do
not accept science fiction, erotica, westerns, horror,
romance, or children's stories. We pay $50-$500 (sometimes
higher) for accepted work.

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APPALOOSA JOURNAL
http://www.appaloosajournal.com/magazine/freelance/
---
We seek interesting, informative, fresh and well-written
pieces that have an impact on the Appaloosa industry. We
don't publish poetry, fiction or purely sentimental stories.
We seek feature-length (1,500 to 1,800 words) and article-
length (600 to 800 words) submissions about breeders, trainers,
specific training methods, influential horses, youth and non-
pro competitors, breed history, trail riding and artists using
Appaloosa subjects. Article-length reports of timely and
newsworthy events, such as shows, races and overseas
competition, are welcome but must be pre-approved by the
editor.

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REPTILES MAGAZINE
http://www.reptilechannel.com/writers-guidelines.aspx
---
REPTILES is a monthly magazine that caters to reptile and
amphibian hobbyists. It covers a wide variety of reptile and
amphibian-related topics, including captive care, field
herping and herpetocultural trends. REPTILES also has an
annual sister publication titled Reptiles USA, which is
geared toward beginning herp enthusiasts. All articles
considered on spec. We generally pay about $500 for a
2,000- to 2,500-word article with good photos; less for
shorter pieces.

NOTE: Nice guidelines.

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JOBS
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WRITER-EDITOR - SEVERAL VACANCIES
Location Quantico, VA
http://tinyurl.com/2wgyvbc
---
Deadline October 28, 2010. Agency: U.S. Marine Corps. The
incumbent provides editorial support to the Enlisted
Professional Military Education/Training Branch. Edits all
written text materials, such material may include printed text,
lesson plans, course cards, programmed instructional texts,
historical case studies, graphic presentations, point papers,
electronic and/or web based publications in order to provide
clear and coherent text to the intended educational audience.

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EDITOR - HEALTH, BEAUTY AND FAMILY
Location NY or Virtual
https://performancemanager4.successfactors.com/career?_s.crb=un4tdXLTUFWplpj0VaU3obks6jY%253d
---
ConsumerSearch.com, a leading online publisher of product
reviews designed to help consumers make purchasing decisions,
is seeking a full-time Editor to specialize in health, beauty
and family areas. ConsumerSearch is a service from About.com,
a part of The New York Times Company. This person will edit a
range of detailed reports prepared by a network of freelance
writers who analyze and synthesize product and service reviews
from multiple online and offline sources. Candidates with an
interest and background in personal care, healthy living, baby
gear and home cleaning are encouraged to apply.

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ONLINE EDITOR
Location Wilmington, NC
https://performancemanager4.successfactors.com/career?_s.crb=un4tdXLTUFWplpj0VaU3obks6jY%253d
---
StarNews Media, a Wilmington, NC, news and information company,
is seeking a dynamic digital media leader to join our newsroom
and help lead our online production and site development efforts.
The successful candidate will supervise a team of people involved
in posting content to StarNewsOnline.com and other news-based
online products, maintaining all pages and content on those sites,
overseeing e-mail newsletters, SMS alerts, mobile sites,
troubleshooting web-based programs, and serving as a liaison with
the New York Times Regional Media Company's digital team. Candidates
should have at least 3-5 years of digital media and journalism
experience, proven success in developing and programming Web
solutions for media companies, experience working with content
management systems along with both people and project management
skills.

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PUBLISHERS/AGENTS
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SEA RAVEN PRESS
http://www.searavenpress.com/
---
Specializing in the American Civil War, biography, social
issues, the paranormal, family histories, genealogy, etymology,
and theology.

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TECH DIRECTIONS BOOKS
http://www.techdirections.com/guidelines.html
---
Tech Directions Books/Media specializes in books for educators
and students in career-technical (vocational) and technology
education, in addition to publishing titles of interest to
people working in related industrial fields. (Our technical
areas include automotive technology, construction trades,
computer technology, design/drafting, electricity/electronics,
lab management, machine shop, manufacturing, robotics, welding,
and woodworking.) We welcome your submission of a manuscript
proposal.

A Special Call for Proposals
We are especially interested in proposals for books, software,
and videos of interest to machinists and Machines Trades
Education technology students.

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SLEEPY HOLLOW BOOKS
http://sleepyhollowbooks.com/submit.html
---
Currently seeking submissions of original fiction for children ages:

0-7 (picture book/storybook)
8-13 (middle grade/ chapter books)
14 and up (young adult novels)
Parents, grandparents, educators, friends and caregivers of children.

Topics of Special Interest:
Nurture children's connection to nature.
Address the natural and unseen world and other imaginative topics.
Topics that are life affirming and possess a sense of wonder.

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SPONSORS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CALL FOR ENTRIES!

Dream Quest One Poetry & Writing Contest.

Entry fees: $5 per poem, $10 per story.

Writing Contest First Prize: $500. 2nd: $250. 3rd: $100.
Poetry Contest First Prize: $250. 2nd: $125. 3rd: $50.

Postmark deadline: December 31, 2010.

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

=====

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AWARD-WINNING WRITER, PUBLISHER
WILL EDIT YOUR NOVEL, MEMOIR, POETRY

Have your writing edited by an award-winning, professional
writer, editor, and publisher, one who 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. 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. 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. He is founder of Jacar Press.

Contact rkwriter@gmail.com, www.rkeditor.com

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=====

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

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