Volume 11, Issue 8
February 25, 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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WERGLE FLOMP HUMOR POETRY CONTEST - NO FEE

Guidelines and online submission at www.winningwriters.com/wergle

                 
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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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THE WISDOM OF AMANDA  HOCKING

If I were this girl's mother, I'd be proud as punch.
Amanda Hocking, in case you don't know, is a young adult
fantasy writer who has self-published,  mainly via ebooks,
and sold hundreds of thousands of copies. She marketed
herself hard via Twitter, Facebook and blogs. That simple.

Well, not that simple.

She emailed me, recently, after I mentioned her in a blog.
Smart girl has Google Alerts, apparently, and she noticed
my post. I ranted about not publishing so fast. Slow down.
Make the work decent before exposing it to the world where
it would get chewed up and spit out. She gave me kudos for
taking that stand.

Since then, she's come out with a subsequent blog post about
self-publishing. Why? Because everyone is accusing her of being
an overnight sensation, as if she wrote all those books in
a few weeks then strew them across the Internet, selling
everything she touched.

You've got to read this post.
http://amandahocking.blogspot.com/2011/02/bit-of-reality-check.html

"Self-publishing is NOT the easy way out. If you simply
want to be published, and do not care if everyone reads or
enjoys your work, then yes, self-publishing is easy. If you
want to be successful and make a living as a writer, then it
is hard work. In a lot of ways, I suspect it is harder than
being traditionally published.

I'm just under the impression that a lot of people are now
looking at this as a Get Rich Quick scheme, and this is no
such thing. 

So much of what people are saying about me is, "Look what
Amanda Hocking accomplished in a year," when what they really
should be saying is, "Look what Amanda Hocking accomplished
in twenty years." Because that's how long I've been writing,
that's how long I've been working towards this goal."

She posts all the novels she's written.

"The books that have been struck through are books that
will never be published, because they're just not very good.
The ones that are purple are ones that I think with some
editing and time will get to a publishable level. But of
the nineteen books I've written, only nine have been published."

Pout, fuss, blow me off, blow off Amanda Hocking, but the odds
are you will NOT do well with your first book. And if you are
hell bent on publishing that first book, know that your first,
second or third draft of it will not sell. Period.

You do not finish a marathon, and a book is a marathon,
until after you've run shorter races, failed at marathon
length runs, and studied how to run them more efficiently.
You don't tie on your sneakers, start running, and expect
to finish in good time, in good shape, in good spirits.
Nope. Ain't gonna happen.

Train, baby, train. That's just the way it is. Don't let
the ease of publishing be misconstrued as a short cut to
published. You'll fall, crash and scrape your knees,
if you're lucky - break bones if you're not.

I'll let Amanda make the final point:

"The point is that if you want to be successful with this
and have a career as a writer, you need to do all the same
work you would do if you were traditionally published. You
just need to do it all yourself. The goal of being a
professional writer is to produce a quality product, and that
product should be indistinguishable from self-published and
traditionally published."

     Hope

LISTEN TO HOPE ON WKDK AM RADIO THURS, MARCH 3 at 9:00 AM
What, don't live in SC? You can still listen via online at www.wkdk.com

HOPE'S UPCOMING 2011 CONFERENCES

BLUE RIDGE WRITERS CONFERENCE (GEORGIA)
Apr 1-2, 2011
http://www.blueridgewritersconference.com/

MISSOURI WRITERS GUILD (ST LOUIS)
Apr 8-10, 2011
http://www.missouriwritersguild.org/

VILLAGES FOLK WRITERS CONFERENCE (IOWA)
Sept 23-25, 2011
http://www.villagesfolkschool.com/

====

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

"I'm not funny.  What I am is brave." 

-- Lucille Ball

 
 
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SUCCESS OF THE WEEK
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Hi, Hope --

Do you remember our meeting? You were a guest on a Sunday evening
show, I believe. I'm a jazz & blues singer and freelance writer, and
we live in the same state, so I felt a real connection and have been a
follower of your newsletters and a purchaser of several of your
products.

When I shared with you the nonfiction book I've been researching and
writing, you asked me a question that I have since continued to ask
myself: "Why aren't you writing about music?"

Indeed. Why wasn't I?

The answer to that and the steps I took to address it might make an
interesting article for your newsletter, if you're interested in
talking about that.

But the end result is that I am! Here are links to 2 short articles
for www.jazzstage.net .

I've also been invited to research and provide history to and pick out
songs for a radio show there in Columbia out of USC for Women's
History month, so I'll be coming down to Columbia to co-host and
record that show.

One on Harold Arlen to commemorate his birthday on February 15th:
http://jazzstage.net/2011/02/17/former-secretary-of-state-albright-beats-the-drum-for-chris-botti.aspx

One on the one-armed jazz trumpet player, Wingy Manone:
http://jazzstage.net/2011/02/13/trumpeter-and-big-band-leader-wingy-manone----off-the-cuff.aspx

Your newsletters and information products are great sources of
information and wisdom.

Thank you for challenging my thinking and helping me to chart a course!

Fondly,
Jean Calvert
Swingingly Hot Jazz ... Sultry-Cool Blues...

www.myspace.com/jeancalvertandcompany
www.vivalesdivas.com
 
 

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ARTICLE
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The "No-Kidding" $80,000+ Writing Career (Part 1 of 2)
Earn $60-125+ an hour writing for business and make time for your creative writing

By Peter Bowerman

An eight-page corporate image brochure (~22 hours): $2800.
Editing of web site copy (~8 hours): $1100. A 12-page marketing
brochure for a global materials handling firm (~45 hours): $5000.
A tri-fold sales brochure (~9 hours): $1200. Three direct mail
postcards for specialized school (~13 hours): $1800. Crafting of
short two-line sales "blurbs" for supermarket displays
(~47 hours): $5600. A two-page sales flyer (~6 hours): $850.
All projects I've worked on and all examples of the lucrative -
and surprisingly accessible - world of commercial writing.

And let's not forget the lifestyle: Work at home, rise when you
want (no alarm clocks), take off when you want, earn $60-$125+/
hour, work in your sweats. Hey, we're writers. It's a lifestyle
tailor-made for us, right?      

For the past few decades - and even more so recently - downsizing
and outsourcing have sculpted the corporate American landscape.
Companies everywhere are doing more with less. For many, that
includes relying heavily on well-paid freelancers to write their
marketing brochures, ad copy, newsletters, direct mail campaigns,
video scripts, web content, and a ton of other projects. I hear it
all the time from clients: how hard it is to find good, smart,
reliable writers who "get it." Might that describe you? 

It gets better. Given the times, many companies that formerly
hired pricey ad agencies and design firms are shedding them in
favor of more economical freelancers (especially talented designer/
writer teams), and discovering they get better work at far less
cost.    

So, what do you need to get your share of this lucrative work?

Writing Ability?

Let's get real: no one'll pay you up to $125+ an hour if you're
lousy. But, there are plenty of fields such as healthcare,
financial services, manufacturing, high-tech, and beaucoup others,
which have steady, ongoing needs for clear, concise copywriting
that doesn't have to be a work of art. Start studying your junk
mail, the little newsletter inserts in your electric bill, the
rack brochures at your bank. Could you write that? I'm guessing
yes.  

Marketing Ability?

Sure, first and foremost, this business is a sales and marketing
venture. But, fret not. Marketing isn't some arcane science
understood only by Wharton MBA's. And it's NOT about being a
slick, pushy salesperson. Marketing is simply letting your market
know you (or the clients you write for) are out there, consistently,
and in a variety of ways that cut through the clutter.

Get a few fundamental sales and marketing principles under your
belt - i.e., Audience (understanding who you're writing to and
trying to "reach"); The Features/Benefits equation (focusing on
what's important to readers, NOT talking about your product,
service or company); and USP (Unique Selling Proposition; what you/
your client does better than anyone else) - and you'll set yourself
apart from most writers. Not to mention being able to talk
intelligently - and write for - just about any client.

NOTE:
In our next post, Peter will explain why there's so much
potential work in the "commercial" writing arena, how you can
go about landing it, and the first steps you can take now to
start positioning yourself for success in this field. 

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COMPETITIONS
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BECHTEL PRIZE
http://www.twc.org/publications/bechtel-prize
---
$20 ENTRY FEE
The essay selected to receive the Bechtel Prize appears in Teachers
& Writers magazine and on the T&W website, and the author receives
a $1,000 honorarium. Honoraria totaling $500 are shared by the
authors of entries selected as finalists for the prize, which may
also be published in Teachers & Writers. Possible topics for Bechtel
Prize submissions include contemporary issues in classroom teaching,
innovative approaches to teaching literary forms and genres, and the
intersection between literature and imaginative writing. Limit
3,500 words. Deadline June 30, 2011. Submissions should relate to
creative writing education and/or literary studies.

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THE TIMES STEPHEN SPENDER PRIZE
http://www.stephen-spender.org/entry_conditions.html
---
ENTRY FEE £3 - those 18 and under exempted from fee.
Deadline May 27, 2011. All winning entries published in a
booklet. Translate a poem from any language, classical or
modern, into English. Entrants must be British residents
or British citizens. (The Stephen Spender Trust encourages
submissions from children and adults who are British
residents but have roots in other countries.) There will
be three prizes in the Open and 18-and-under categories.
The winners of the Open prizes will receive £750 (first),
£500 (second) and £200 (third); the winners of the under-
18 prizes will win £250 (first), £150 (second) and £100
(third). There will be one prize (£100) awarded in the
14-and-under category.

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NICOLE BLIZZARD SHORT STORY CONTEST
http://www.radicalartsforwomen.org
---
NO ENTRY FEE
Every year, RAW encourages writers to write and sponsors a
short story contest open to all women living in Alaska. The
fiction pieces must be between 250 and 5,000 words and contain
some lesbian content. The grand prize is $500, second place
$300, and third place $100. Entries come from all over Alaska
and encourage you to enter! Deadline April 1, 2011.

 
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GRANTS
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GRANTS FOR UP-AND-COMING WRITERS - CALGARY, CANADA
http://www.calq.gouv.qc.ca/artistes/litterature_en.htm#releve
---
A writer who submits an application must have published at least
one book or published a minimum of three texts in a literary
genre eligible for a grant offered by the Conseil, i.e. a work
of fiction or an essay devoted to the arts or literature.
Publications in electronic format, works published at the
author's expense and self-publishing are also eligible.
The storyteller and the spoken word artist in the literary
field must have participated in at least three events
recognized by his peers. Up to $15,000. Deadline September
11, 2011. This grant category comprises the following sections:

Research, creation and exploration project
Advanced training
Travel

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ILLINOIS GRANT FUNDING FOR GENDER, MULTICULTURALISM, and
DETECTIVE FICTION
http://www.prairie.org/grants/funding/5327
---
The Illinois Humanities Council (IHC) funds public humanities
programs in Illinois that are shaped by and significantly
involve humanities scholars and/or other community experts.
It is our priority to support programs developed by, for, or
aimed at reaching new or historically neglected audiences.
All artists involved must be sponsored by a not-for-profit
organization. Mini-grants up to $2,000. Major grants $10,000.
Deadlines quarterly for mini-grants - next deadline April 15;
deadlines twice a year for major grants - January 10 and June 1.

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HAMBIDGE RESIDENCIES
http://www.hambidge.org/Residency/ProgramOverview/tabid/63/Default.aspx
---
Situated in the mountains of North Georgia, Hambidge is a
sanctuary of time and space that inspires artists by providing
them with the setting and the solitude to create works of the
highest caliber. Hambidge's Residency Program opens the first
week of February and closes mid to late, December through the
month of January. Application deadlines are:

January 15th for May through August
April 15th for September through December
September 15th for March and April of the following year.

Resident Fellows pay $150 per week (of the $1250 per week cost).
Limited scholarships are available.

 
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FREELANCE MARKETS
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AUSTRALIAN YOGA LIFE
http://www.ayl.com.au/contribute.html
---
We pay $500 for a published article of up to 2,500 words.
Articles accepted for publication will be paid for at the
time of acceptance, after lay-up, on the condition that AYL
has a 12-month release on the article. This is necessary, as
we are not always able to publish articles in the issue
initially intended. Articles will be used in the magazine,
on our web site and for electronic production of CDs/DVDs
once magazines are out of stock. Acceptance of payment for
any article is deemed as agreement to these conditions.
Welcomes contributions from yoga practitioners.

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MASSAGE MAGAZINE
http://www.massagemag.com/Advertisers/mediakit/guidelines.php
---
Payment for articles ranges from $50 to $400, depending on the
subject matter, category, length and quality of writing. Payment
increases proportionately for longer and more weighty articles.
Payment is made upon publication. Our readers seek practical
information on how to help their clients, improve their techniques
and/or make their businesses more successful, as well as feature
articles that place massage therapy in a positive or inspiring
light. Since most of our readers are professional therapists,
we do not publish articles on topics like "how massage can help
you relax."

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AMERICAN EDUCATOR
http://www.aft.org/newspubs/periodicals/ae/article_submission.cfm
---
American Educator is the quarterly professional magazine of the
American Federation of Teachers. We are interested in articles
on a wide range of topics, including new trends in education,
politics, well-researched news features on current problems in
education, education law, professional ethics, and thoughtful
or thought-provoking essays that explore current social issues
relevant to American society. We also welcome articles on
international affairs and labor issues of interest to teachers
as AFT members. Articles may vary in length from 1,000 to 5,000
words, depending on the topic. The minimum payment is $300.

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JOBS
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HEALTHCARE REPORTER
Location  San Francisco, CA
http://careers.bloomberg.com/hire/jobs/job29027.html
---
Bloomberg News seeks a reporter to join the U.S. Health Team
in San Francisco, covering the pharmaceutical and biotechnology
industries. The successful applicant should have a proven ability
to report on finances, operations, medical innovation and R&D
activities at the fastest-growing biotech companies, and be
knowledgeable about the economic, social and market trends that
affect the industry.

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WEB EDITOR
Location Los Angeles, CA
http://journalism.berkeley.edu/jobs/detail/11896/
---
LA Weekly has an immediate opening for a web editor. This
position combines online journalism and social media marketing,
with the overall goal of growing LAWeekly.com's readership and
community.

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CONTRACT EDITOR POSITION
Location Virtual
http://journalism.berkeley.edu/jobs/detail/11893/
---
ESPN.com is hiring a contract editor for its College Recruiting
Network. This position primarily will be charged with editing
daily stories, editing appropriate photos, loading stories into
ESPN's administration system, managing story placement on the
website and cultivating writing and editing skills of writers
within the recruiting network. Work on nights and weekend hours
will often be required along with on-call responsibilities.

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PUBLISHERS/AGENTS
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JET LITERARY ASSOCIATES, INC.
http://www.jetliterary.com/
---
JET represents the full range of adult and YA fiction and
non-fiction, including humor and cookbooks. We do not handle
sci-fi, children's books or poetry.

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NATASHA KERN LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.natashakern.com/
---
We are a full-service agency representing both fiction and
nonfiction books.  The Natasha Kern Literary Agency has sold
over 1000 books!  We represent many best-selling authors in
a wide range of genres and subjects. Our clients live in
twenty-four states and range in age from early twenties to
late seventies.  Some are first-time authors and others have
had more than thirty books published.  We work with co-agents
in Hollywood and have subagents in all foreign markets.

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CAREN JOHNSON LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.johnsonliterary.com/
---
Johnson Lit Agency is a full-service literary agency based in
New York City. We represent all types of books and specialize
in romance, women's fiction, high-quality middle grade and
young adult fiction and narrative non-fiction.

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SPONSORS
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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.

Summer Workshop with Award-winning Playwright/TV Writer

Five days (Monday Aug-Friday Aug 19) near Woodstock, NY
focused on nuts-and-bolts technique for stage and screen
with Jeffrey Sweet - winner of the Writers Guild of America
Award, Emmy nominee, author of The Dramatist's Toolkit and
resident writer of Tony-winning Victory Gardens Theatre of
Chicago. Work on scenes, then hand them to resident actors to
test them in front of an audience. Look up Jeffrey Sweet
on Amazon.

Info: www.artisticnewdirections.org/retreats.html 
Questions? Write: DGSweet@aol.com

 
   
     Houston Writers Guild
    Spring Contest Now Open
     
    $1,000 First Prize
    $25 entry fee
    ($20 for 2nd/3rd entries)
     
    Submit one-page synopsis and first 10 pages of
    a Novel or Screenplay (send 2 copies)
     
    Deadline March 3, 2011.
    Winners announced April 15, 2011.
     
    www.houstonwritersguild.org

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

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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