Volume 11, Issue 1
January 7, 2011

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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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HAPPY NEW YEAR - AND HERE'S A GIFT OF ADVICE

Whether you celebrated the new year with a yawn or a
cheer, I hope it dawned for you in a good light. 2011 has
already proven to be an eye-opener for me with my son's
wedding planned in October and Carolina Slade's first book
coming out in the winter. My 2011 will mean new experiences,
and I'm chomping at the bit to see how it all works out.

But for all of us, 2011 means more querying, pitches and
proposals, the exercise that drives the average writer nuts.
We want to write the project, but hate selling it to the
potential publisher. From my experience consulting writers,
especially novice ones, querying is a huge obstacle, and
many are so afraid of the process that they mangle it up,
get tongue-tied, or simply treat it like a journalistic
exercise.

I get notices of new releases for writing books. I'm often
asked to review these books. The ones I like, I do. I've
known Moira Allen for years. With both of us going back a
decade in the online newsletter business for writers, of
course we crossed paths. She reviewed my book, THE SHY WRITER,
and I've used her testimonial hundreds of times. I was honored
to receive it, because I respected her long honored, well-honed
work ethic.

Through Allworth Press, she just released a book entitled
THE WRITER'S GUIDE TO QUERIES, PITCHES AND PROPOSALS, 2nd
Edition. I at first worried that it repeated what the other
writing books pitched, but was pleasantly corrected when I
took time to read it.

This is a must-have for a writer trying to pitch work.

But maybe you're a copywriter, a novelist, a columnist.
Does this apply to you or not? Yes it does. Here is a
book that covers ALL pitches. ALL queries. ALL types of
proposals. That's all it covers. For instance, it shows
you how to pitch in these situations:

=> Querying periodicals - Quick pitches, multiple pitches,
   international pitches, trade magazine pitches

=> Columns and syndication - Newspapers, magazines, e-pubs.
   Advice columns, op-ed, review, humor. Even self-syndication.

=> Nonfiction books - Format, finding the right publisher,
   analyzing the competition, pitching internationally,
   DIY publishing.

=> Fiction proposals - Querying, synopsis development, agent
   queries, pitching at conferences, what to send in a package.

=> Speaking and teaching - Why speak and how to pitch
   your talents whether at writers' conferences, schools or
   local public events.

=> Greeting card companies - Methods and styles.

=> Business writing - Finding clients, bidding, fees, contracts.

=> Grants - Where to look, how to write one, what comprises
   a good grant package.

Of course the book is chocked full of examples to go by.
As always, I've read the book. This one is solid, it's
common sense, it's compacted information in one book. It
beats you searching multiple tomes to find the right
query advice that suits your writing career.

RETURN TO THE SCENE OF THE CRIME! 

Cape Fear Crime Festival                  

Wilmington, North Carolina               

February 5, 2011      

www.capefearcrimefestival2.com

Hope will be presenting a session. Come visit!

 

 

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

TWITTER - http://twitter.com/hopeclark

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

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WORDS OF SUCCESS

We need to learn to set our course by the stars,
not by the lights of every passing ship.

~ Omar Bradley
 

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ARTICLE
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Network Like It's Your Eighth Birthday Party
By Kirsty Logan

We all know that networking is vital to furthering your writing
career: making contacts, giving a good impression, getting your
business card into the right hands. We also know that networking can
be scary - how can we come across as confident but not conceited,
ambitious but not cut-throat? Well, I'll tell you! When I was a little
girl my mother had very particular rules for birthday parties, and
these exact same rules can be applied to networking as a writer. By
remembering what your mother taught you, you'll be working that room
in no time.

1. Don't just talk to your friends
It's easy to lurk in the corner and chat to your friends, but you
could have stayed at home to do that. Get across the room and
introduce yourself to someone! An excellent conversation opener is
'What are you working on?' Not everyone wants to be defined by their
day job, but everyone likes to talk about their plans and passions.
Don't monopolise anyone's time - just introduce yourself, listen
carefully to what they have to say, give them your card if it's
appropriate, and say it was great to meet them. Don't forget to smile!

2. Don't just talk to the popular kids
If you head straight for the biggest bigwig in the room and ignore
everyone else, you'll seem cynical and self-serving. Take time to chat
with everyone, and show them the same amount of attention and interest.
In a business sense, you never know who can help you in your career;
in a personal sense, everyone has interesting things to say and you
might make a new friend!

This holds true for online networking too. If you get a nice email
from a name you don't recognise, don't ever write them off as a
'nobody'. Give them your time and your personality, just as you would
if they were a hot-shot agent or editor.

3. Don't be mean
So you think someone in the room is boring, silly, self-absorbed or a
bad writer. Keep it to yourself! If you must, wait until you get home
and vent to your partner or friends - but best of all, just work
through those negative feelings until they're gone. Don't ever be
bitchy about other people on the writing scene in public - you'll
develop a reputation and people won't want to work with you. Stay
polite and friendly in public at all times.

4. Send thank-you cards
You've made an effort to remember everyone's names, right? Now get
online and look them up. Google, Facebook, Twitter: they'll be out
there somewhere. Say hello, remind them who you are, mention something
about their interests, and say it was nice to meet them. Don't forget
a link to your website in your signature so they can read about your
achievements.

By just being friendly, polite and professional I have landed myself a
reading at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, many invitations
to submit to anthologies and magazines, and even a paid internship. So
pretend it's your eighth birthday party, and get networking!

###

Kirsty Logan writes, edits, teaches, and reviews books in Glasgow,
Scotland. Her short fiction appears in numerous literary magazines and
anthologies, and is due to be broadcast on BBC Radio 4. She is
currently working on her first novel, Little Dead Boys, thanks to a
grant from the Scottish Book Trust. Get in touch at kirstylogan.com.

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COMPETITIONS
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ASSOCIATION OF CHRISTIAN WRITERS SHORT STORY CONTEST
http://www.christianwriters.org.uk/?p=1140
---
ENTRY FEE £5
'Forty' is the theme of our short story competition that
celebrates ACW's fortieth birthday in 2011. The competition
is for a short story in any style with a maximum of 2,000 words.
First prize: £200 cash plus publication in the ACW quarterly
magazine plus publication on the ACW website plus a year's free
membership of ACW. Second prize: £100 cash plus the above. Third
prize: £50 cash plus the above. The competition is open to
members and non-members over the age of 16.

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CZP/RANNU FUND FOR WRITERS OF SPECULATIVE LITERATURE
http://rannu.webs.com/
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ENTRY FEE
$10 CDN or U.S. fee per entry.
$15 CDN or U.S. to enter both fiction and poetry categories.

The Fund, brought to you in collaboration with ChiZine
Publications, offers two awards per year of $500 CDN each,
one for fiction, one for poetry, granted to two writers of
speculative literature (i.e., science fiction, fantasy, horror,
magic realism, surrealism, etc.), of any nationality/place of
residence, at any stage of their career. Deadline January 31,
2011. The winners will be announced May 15, 2011. Submit up
to five poems (unpublished work), not to exceed ten pages.
Submit one short story or a novel excerpt (unpublished work)
of no more than 7,000 words. Two Honourable Mentions in each
category will win $50.

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THOMAS WOLFE FICTION PRIZE
http://www.ncwriters.org/
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ENTRY FEE $15-$25
Deadline January 30, 2011. Open to all writers without regard
to geographical region or previous publication. Submit two copies
of an unpublished fiction manuscript not to exceed 12 double-
spaced pages. Winner receives $1,000 and possible publication in
the Thomas Wolfe Review.

 
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GRANTS
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UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA POETRY CENTER SUMMER RESIDENCY
http://poetry.arizona.edu/awards-residencies/summer-residency-program
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The Poetry Center awards two residencies each summer to
one poet and one prose writer to spend two to four weeks
in Tucson, Arizona developing his/her work. Writers at any
stage of their careers may apply; emerging writers are
welcome. The residency includes a $150 stipend per week
and a two to four week stay in a studio apartment located
within steps of the Center's renowned library of
contemporary poetry. The residency is offered between
June 1 and August 31. Deadline February 25, 2011.

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MISSOURI ARTS COUNCIL GRANTS
https://www.missouriartscouncil.org/
---
We are now accepting applications for FY12 annual grants
(projects taking place July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012)
including Arts Education, Community Arts - Project, Electronic
Media Arts, Festivals, Folk Arts, Literature, Music -
Instrumental and Vocal. The deadlines for the FY12 Annual
Grants are the last Monday in January (draft), the last Monday
in February (final) and the first Monday in March (support
material, postmarked). Online deadlines are at midnight.

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MARTIN DIBNER FELLOWSHIP FOR MAINE WRITERS
http://www.mainecf.org/DibnerFellowship.aspx
---
Grant Size: $500 to $1,000. Application Deadline: January 15,
2011. The Martin Dibner Fellowship is given to promising Maine
writers who have not published a full-length book. Fellowships
are meant to help further writing skills and experience.
Attendance at writing workshops is the primary purpose for
support; assistance with living expenses while finishing a
writing project will also be considered. The fellowships do
not support the purchase of computers or printing/publication
expenses. Recipients will be selected in order of the
following priorities: quality of work and financial need. In
even years the award will go to writers of fiction and in odd
years to writers of poetry. For the past several years, around
$1,500 has been available; judges decide how this sum is
distributed (to one writer or several).
 

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FREELANCE MARKETS
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DESIGNER GREETINGS
http://designergreetings.com/pages/jobs.html
---
Specific guidelines for writers, photographers and artists
vary as we have many different card lines. We produce humorous
and traditional cards as well as all holidays. We are always
interested in new markets and new ideas. Our greeting card
line, with its range of styles from traditional to alternative,
will move you, amuse you or make you laugh out loud.

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VOOK, INC.
http://www.freelancejobopenings.com/job/freelance-writer-alameda-ca-new-york-vook-inc-35c766957c/
---
Our company publishes ebooks that combine words, videos,
pictures, and interactivity into new media experiences that
allow users to engage with content the way they want. We
publish titles in a variety of genres, including lifestyle,
business, entertainment, cooking, and sports. Our ebooks
combine sharp, insightful prose with professionally produced
video to help consumers acquire new skills or accomplish
specific tasks. We seek writers with specialized knowledge
in these subject areas:

Technology and Consumer Electronics
Health, Sports, and Fitness
Self-Help and Career Development
Cooking, Food, Wine, and Cocktails
Crafts and Hobbies
Home Improvement and Real Estate
University-Level Academic Subjects

We pay writers $500 per ebook to write eight chapters of text.
Each chapter includes roughly 500 words of text. The total
word-count for each ebook is approximately 4000 words.
Writers receive byline and author credit for their work.

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GALLANT GREETINGS
http://www.gallantgreetings.com/contact.cfm
---
Gallant offers a full selection of cards to cover a wide
range of sending situations with the freshest styles and
most popular designs, which is just what your customers
want in their greeting cards. They have Our Traditional
Line, On the Cutting Edge (alternative humor), WoodWinds
(very photographic), Inspirational Thoughts (traditional
values through religious and inspirational verse),
Estrella (Spanish) and Packaged Goods (invitations,
announcements, thank-you notes).

NOTE: Contact them via email and ask if they have detailed
guidelines or are not accepting queries for any particular
lines. Be professional and state you have some ideas you'd
love to pitch. Be patient. They'll contact you back.

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JOBS
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SOCIAL MEDIA INTERN
Location Philadelphia, PA
http://www.idealist.org/view/internship/wtppJhH5WZ5P/
---
Temporary position for January 24 through May 13, 2011.
Employer United by Blue. At UBB, social media is an integral
part of brand development and the UBB Social Media Intern
will work with the company to boost online visibility and
brand awareness through the use of Facebook, Twitter, blogging,
and whatever new venture comes down the pike next month.
Monitor and update all UBB social networks such as Facebook,
Twitter, Blog, and YouTube to develop the UBB brand. Work
with the company to devise new social media strategies and
initiatives to boost UBB's online presence. Support UBB's
online PR outreach by researching interesting and relevant
blogs and media outlets. Write at least one new blog article
each week. Stipend discussed upon offer. 20 hours per week.

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NEWSPERSON
Location Providence, RI
https://careers.ap.org/viewjob.html?erjob=18023:en_US&eresc=JournalismNext%2Ecom
---
The Associated Press is seeking a Newsperson in its
R.I. bureau. The newsperson will focus on legal affairs and
state politics, aggressively pursuing spot and enterprise
stories, while developing sources so that he or she can break
news and produce exclusive beat coverage. The successful
candidate will report to the Providence correspondent while
also working closely with other AP staff in New England, in
all formats, to develop distinctive and competitive stories.

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PROOFREADERS
Location Virtual
CREATESPACE
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv/wri/2141688308.html
---
CreateSpace, an online self-publishing company, is currently
looking for experienced proofreaders to join their outsourced
team. Potential applicants must be detail-oriented self-starters
that are comfortable working independently, while adhering to
strict deadlines. The most qualified candidates will have at
least five years proofreading experience, will be familiar
with current industry standards, and have an emphasis in at
least one of the following genres.

Fiction: General, science fiction, historical, fantasy, chick
lit., or children's literature.

Nonfiction: Business, self-help, cookbooks, social science,
spirituality, or religious texts.

All applicants must have or be willing to purchase Adobe
Acrobat Professional (v. X or 9), and must be familiar with
Acrobat's Comments & Markup features. Additionally, applicants
should be comfortable with Chicago Manual of Style 15th edition
and using the Internet. Payment for each assignment is based on
word count and is processed weekly with the option for direct
deposit or check. A short, non-paid sample edit is required
during the hiring process and qualifying applicants will need
to sign a work-for-hire contract. Qualified candidates should
submit their current resume to vendorhiring@createspace.com
using the subject line:

Outsourced Proofreading Application for CreateSpace

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PUBLISHERS/AGENTS
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BEACON PRESS
http://www.beacon.org/
---
Our current publishing program emphasizes religion, history,
current affairs, political science, gay/lesbian/gender studies,
education, African-American studies, women's studies, child and
family issues and nature and the environment.

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THE GREENHOUSE LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.greenhouseliterary.com/
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Greenhouse exclusively represents and manages the careers of
authors writing fiction for children, from young chapter-book
series through middle grade novels to sophisticated teen fiction.

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GREGORY AND COMPANY (UK)
http://www.gregoryandcompany.co.uk/
---
Gregory & Company Authors' Agents is a dynamic literary agency
that handles fiction.  We are particularly known for representing
some of the most successful authors of outstanding crime novels
and thrillers, though we have expanded our list to include the
best of commercial, upmarket and historical fiction.

The Philadelphia Writers' Workshop provides a structured,
supportive setting for writers to create new work, or further
develop current projects. The leader trained in the Amherst
Writers & Artists methodology. Writing during workshop time
encourages your internal editor to hush, allowing you to
explore your voice with ease. Constructive manuscript critiques.

If you have ever wanted to write, or are an established writer
looking to overcome a block, this is a great opportunity.

Ambler and Ardmore, PA workshops forming now.

Learn more at www.phillywriters.com
or call Rachel Kobin 917-499-1854.

Feb 13th and 20th:
Two day-long Writers Retreats at Brandeis University,
Simi Valley, CA. All artists welcome. Join us for a calming
workshop experience that will center and clarify your artistic
focus. Yoga, guided breathing and writing exercises. All this
and pot-luck lunch!

Cost: $65 per workshop.
Early bird special: $60 if you sign up by Jan 25.

More details at: www.sandra-hunter.com.

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.

WRITE BY THE WATER offers 5 day retreats for aspiring and
published writers in all genres. Work w/In-house author,
Skype w/NYC agent/editor, meet like-minded women.

WHY ADVERTISE IN FUNDSFORWRITERS?

For my first advertising for my fledging business I needed to
make strategic choices within a very limited budget. I chose
to advertise in two places:  the Funds for Writers (FFW)
newsletter and a major writer's magazine (circulation of 100,000).
FFW far outperformed the magazine! From my first FFW ad I got an
immediate and enormous spike in traffic to my web site and within
24-hours had more than 100 people sign up on my website. And that
was just the first ad! Over the course of the six-week ad campaign
I saw a noticeable spike in traffic after each ad hit people's
inboxes and in total garnered at least 500 new sign-ups.

If you're thinking about advertising in FFW, do it!
    
Joan Dempsey, Founder & President
http://www.literaryliving.com

MARKETS PLUS: 2500 WRITING MARKETS

For 10 years Worldwide Freelance has been helping freelance
writers to find paying markets. Search or browse the free
database of 750+ markets. Or join Markets Plus and you will
have 2500+ markets at your fingertips.

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 2000-2011, C. Hope Clark
ISSN: 1533-1326

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