Volume 11, Issue 7
February 18, 2011

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
          
FUNDS FOR WRITERS

Writer's Digest's 101 Best Websites for Writers
2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PAID SPONSOR OF THE WEEK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

February 19, 2011

http://www.awaionline.com/signup/work-at-home-summit/?refid=B8  

During this completely virtual event you'll learn about 8
proven work-at-home opportunities in 2011 from work-at-home
professionals who are successfully doing them, including how
you can get started, too. Jobs such as copywriter, social
media expert, resume writer, grant writer, publisher,
desktop manager, Internet researcher and graphic designer.

No charge for the seminar. We know what you want, we know
how to get you there, and most importantly, after being in
this industry for over 14 years, we know what makes a good
work-at-home career or home-based business.

                 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EDITOR'S THOUGHTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

=====

NOTE : Patchwork Path Books has closed.
http://patchworkpath.com/index.php/latest-news

=====

MY LATEST TAKE ON BOOK PUBLISHING

Most people know I'm not a big self-publishing fan - unless
the writer has a great platform or online charisma to beat
the odds. So hear I sit, after years of following the rules,
with an agent and a traditional publishing contract, and
I'm wondering...is traditional print on its way out in my
lifetime?

Writing success is determined by one measure in this business,
and that is sales. No matter which method you use to put
your book in print or electronic form, the bottom line is...
the bottom line.

Your job and mine is to sell books. Write them then sell them.
They are commodities. All this talk about being an artist,
not having time to market, turning up a nose at social media,
are markers on the path to failure.

I came to the realization that the top six houses are
floundering. Floundering hard. Those huge cogs turn slowly,
and this business is flashing by at warp speed. So when I
landed a contract with Bell Bridge Books, I was pleased.
They are large enough to be credible, savvy enough to jump
on board with electronic publishing way before most publishers
did, and small enough to make decisions without an act of
Congress. They are of the size to be capable of change,
when change is needed.

The absolute biggest part of deciding how and where to
publish is what suits your personality and skill set.
Somebody else's experience doesn't drive your journey.

Ebooks vs. print.
Self-pub vs. vanity.
Large press vs. small press.
Agent vs. unagented.

There isn't one way. Pick the one that makes you sleep
the best at night. Don't be blind to the fact others may
excel at another route. However, I still stand by my
rule of measure:

How many books can you get in the hands of readers?
Success is in your sales. Whatever route you take,
throw yourself into it with enough passion to make it
work. Second guessing is an invitation to crash and burn.

     Hope

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

WORDS OF SUCCESS

There is a criterion by which you can ascertain whether or not
your work on earth is over. The criterion is: Are you still alive?
If you are, there is still more work for you to do.

~ Shantidasa

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SUCCESS STORY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I can't believe it - this time it's me!!
I have read about others' success regarding some writing
achievement, most often after learning about an opportunity
through FundsforWriters. I usually think, "how nice for them",
and move on.

I am very pleased to announce that I received an honorable
mention for my essay, "Practical Lessons", in the 2010
Family Circle Fiction Contest.   Although I will not receive
any monetary compensation, this is my first recognition in a
national magazine and I am so excited!  Of course, I learned
about the contest via Funds for Writers.

I have mostly been a haphazard writer, entering contests
sporadically over the years; however, this "success" has
prompted me to create a practical, realistic writing schedule. 

As others have mentioned, your publication is a godsend for
us; please keep it up.

Thank you!

Val King
 
 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ARTICLE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By Lisa McGonigle

You know how it goes, come to British Columbia for one winter,
stay for four...

In November 2005 I left my native Ireland to spend a ski-season
in Fernie BC. I worked the usual panoply of seasonal jobs--server,
receptionist, cashier--and snowboarded as much as I could.  But
you know how when you're heading off on your travels, people hug
you goodbye and say keep in touch? In snatches of time after
earning minimum wage, I wrote lengthy mass emails to my friends,
2,000 to 3,000 words each, about Fernie Alpine Resort, about the
town of Fernie itself, about smashing myself repeatedly in the
terrain park, about duct-taping over the holes in my ski-gear,
about the mind-blowing quality and volume of powder snow.  

I never got around to leaving town.  I kept writing emails through
all the adventures that ensued, including the brouhaha when I
dropped out of a PhD at Oxford and came back to Canada to
snowboard some more. Several visa dances with Immigration later,
I still rattled around BC in spring 2009 when I saw a poster for
the Fernie Writers Conference. It occurred to me that my sheaf of
emails might just add up to something more than a fond souvenir of
the past few years. Indeed, when I did a quick word count they
totaled 80,000 words. Whaddya know. Maybe I'd written a book
without realising it. 

Still penniless, I applied for and was granted a scholarship to
the Non-Fiction group of the conference. Thrilled as I was, having
never been to any sort of writers' event, I was wary turning up
the first day, afraid there'd be a sea of "writerly" types trying
to connect with their inner-child or reciting reams of
sub-Dylanesque prose-"Rage! Rage!"-while staring moodily into the
distance.  

Luckily my fears were unfounded. Our group was led by the
reassuringly down-to-earth Sid Marty, and writers became ordinary
people. The group included Carolyn, an ex-airline captain writing
her memoirs, Jeanette, torn between writing up her family lore in
fictional or non-fictional format, and Kyle who, like me, had
chosen the way of the snow over a more structured path (in his case,
law school) and wrote about his travels. 

Every morning we'd workshop up at Fernie Alpine Resort, sitting
outside in the dry summer warmth that the Kootenays are blessed
with, sharing feedback on our work. In the afternoon we either
did our own thing or attended panels given by established authors
and figures from the publishing industry. For the uninitiated like
me, learning about editors' selection criteria and what happens
between book deal and bookshelf felt like gaining insight into the
workings of the Freemasons. I was enrapt.

Encouraged, on the Friday night of the conference I read my work
aloud at an event in the Fernie Arts Station and the following
afternoon met with a sales rep and editor from Oolichan Books. We
went for a coffee, I gave them a brief outline of my story to date,
and they asked me to send them my manuscript, such as it was. 

This was-and remains-the most exciting thing that had ever happened
to me in my life.  (To add to the surreality of events, at the time
I was training for a marathon and that morning I'd been up at
5:30 AM to run sixteen kilometres before the heat of the day,
shouting "woo hoo!" every couple of hundred metres to alert any
lurking bears to my presence along forest trails.) I was dizzy
with tiredness and elation. 

Oolichan emailed me back a few months later saying they'd be happy
to publish the book (simply known as "the book" for an alarmingly
long time before acquiring the title of Snowdrift). Man, the real
adventures were about to start...

BIO
Lisa McGonigle grew up in North County Dublin, Ireland. She
attended Trinity College Dublin and the University of Aberdeen,
Scotland before coming to British Columbia in 2005. Having spent
several years skiing, snowboarding and hiking in the Kootenays,
she is currently studying for a PhD in Irish Studies at the
University of Otago, New Zealand. Snowdrift is published by
Oolichan Books (ISBN 9780889822719). Find Snowdrift at
http://www.amazon.ca/Snowdrift-Lisa-McGonigle/dp/0889822719/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
COMPETITIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

St. PETERSBURG REVIEW POETRY CONTEST
http://www.stpetersburgreview.com/events.html
---
$15 ENTRY FEE
Postmark deadline (extended): March 1, 2011 for publication
in fall 2011. All entrants will be considered for publication.
Prize: $1,000 and publication in St. Petersburg Review 2011.

=====

THE SECOND ANNUAL NORMAL PRIZE
IN FICTION, NONFICTION, & POETRY
http://www.thenormalschool.com/contestguidelines_2.html
---
$20 ENTRY FEE
Fiction Prize: $1,000 & Publication
Nonfiction Prize: $1,000 & Publication
Poetry Prize: $1,000 & Publication
Deadline March 4, 2011. All fiction and nonfiction submissions
must be 10,087 words or less, double-spaced, 12 pt. font.
Poetry submissions should not exceed five pages or five poems
total. Please submit all poems in a single document.

=====

THE GATEKEEPERS DISCOVERY WRITING AWARDS
http://www.gatekeeperspost.com/uncategorized/wattpad-presents-the-gatekeepers-discovery-writing-awards/
---
Post the first 50 pages of your YA novel onto Wattpad by
March 30, 2011. The top 100 entries with the most votes by
March 30 will be read by The Gatekeepers Post Staff. Those
writers selected by The Gatekeepers Post staff from Round 1
will be invited to post the next 50 pages of their novel
onto Wattpad by April 30.  Top editors and agents, will read
and select the nominees for Round 3. The nominees selected
in Round 2 will be invited to post the remainder of their work
onto Wattpad by May 30.  A winner will be announced on June 25.
Prize: $500 cash prize to the grand prize winner. Must be at
least 13 years of age to enter and a member of Wattpad.

 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GRANTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AWESOME FOUNDATION
http://awesomefoundation.org/blog/about/
---
The Awesome Foundation for the Arts and Sciences is an ever-growing,
worldwide network of people devoted to forwarding the interest of
awesomeness in the universe. Created in the long hot summer days
of 2009 in Boston, the Foundation distributes a series of monthly
$1,000 grants to projects and their creators. The money is given
upfront in cash, check, or gold doubloons by groups of ten or so
self-organizing "micro-trustees," who form autonomous chapters
around geographic areas or topics of interest. The Foundation
provides these grants with no strings attached and claims no
ownership over the projects it supports. It is, in the words of
one of our trustees, a micro-genius grant for flashes of micro-
brilliance. Since its humble beginnings, many Awesome Foundation
chapters have sprung up globally to conserve, sustain, and support
the worldwide ecosystem of awesomeness. Projects have included
efforts in a wide range of areas including technology, arts, social
good, and beyond.

=====

TOURWEST GRANT PROGRAM
http://westaf.cgweb.org/
---
Deadline April 1, 2011. TourWest is a competitive grant program
that provides subsidies to arts and community organizations for
the presentation of out-of-state touring performers and literary
artists. In order to receive funding from this program, applicants
should demonstrate their commitment to several key elements:

a) high artistic quality;
b) collaboration and block booking;
c) the presentation of diverse art forms; and
d) audience development.

TourWest is a program of WESTAF (the Western States Arts
Federation) and is supported by a grant from the National
Endowment for the Arts. Funding for the 2011-2012 cycle is
available for projects that take place between September 1,
2011 to August 30, 2012.

=====

ROBERT LORD RESIDENCY -NEW ZEALAND
http://www.playmarket.org.nz/opportunities/robert_lord_residency
---
Robert Lord's hundred-year-old worker's cottage (three furnished
rooms and a courtyard garden) is run as a rent-free residency
for writers. Applications for the residencies in 2012 for periods
of 3 to 6 months are now being received. This residency is also
open to writers in all genres. The six-month residency from
February to July offers a stipend and the option of living in the
Robert Lord Cottage.
 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FREELANCE MARKETS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 
CONSUMER SEARCH
http://write-jobs.blogspot.com/2011/02/freelance-writing-consumersearchcom.html
---
ConsumerSearch.com, which is owned by About.com and is a part
of The New York Times Company, is actively seeking freelance
writers. We are in particular need of writers with expertise
in personal computers, consumer electronics and photo/video.
Writing for ConsumerSearch requires uncommon research and
analytical skills. Contributors need to be detail-oriented,
critical and organized, and must be able to adapt to our format
and tone. Payment varies, but is never less than $350.
Compensation fluctuates according to how much work is required
and depending on a writer's expertise.

=====

DRAMATICS MAGAZINE
http://schooltheatre.org/publications/dramatics/guidelines
---
We buy four to eight articles for each issue, ranging in length
from 800 to 4,000 words. Articles are accepted on any area of
the performing arts, including film, video, and dance. We print
seven one-act and full-length plays a year. We occasionally
reprint plays, but prefer that they be unpublished. Plays should
be performable in high schools, which places some restrictions
on language and subject matter; however, we tend not to publish
children's theatre pieces, teen angst dramas, and overtly
didactic "message" plays. We buy one-time, non-exclusive
publication rights to plays. Honorariums of $25 to $400 are
paid for accepted work.

=====

RED THREAD MAGAZINE
http://www.redthreadmagazine.com
---
Red Thread magazine (redthreadmagazine.com), the new monthly
features magazine from the publisher of the Detroit Jewish
News, is soliciting for story pitches. We are a Jewish
publication with a target audience between ages 25 - 45.
We try and promote the good things about living in the Detroit
area without the syrup or Saccharine. Please do not send
articles on spec. Send story ideas/pitches on the following
subjects:

Business stories/profiles of principles
Employment/Career advice that is helpful
Home-based business profiles
Humor
Parenting Issues
Religion Issues
Detroit-Israel Issues/Analysis
Sports
Feature Articles: Stories that resonate with the community
and need to be told in a longer, more compelling format.

Please write "Article Pitch" in the subject of your email.
Provide a one paragraph explanation on the article you would
like to write. Attach two clips or include two links to
published pieces. Include a contact number and email address.
Pays $150 to over $300, depending on the quality, length
and experience of the author.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JOBS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 
WRITER-EDITOR
30 Vacancies throughout the US
http://jobview.usajobs.gov/GetJob.aspx?JobID=86545449&JobTitle=Writer-Editor&where=+South+Carolina&brd=3876&vw=b&FedEmp=N&FedPub=Y&x=0&y=0&pg=4&re=4&rad=20&rad_units=miles&AVSDM=2010-06-24+20%3a48%3a00
---
Writes and edits materials for content, such as reports,
regulations, news, newsletters, magazines, news releases,
training materials, brochures, interpretive handbooks,
pamphlets, guidebooks, scholarly works, reference works,
speeches, or scripts. The work requires the development,
analysis, and selection of appropriate information and
presentation of the information in a form and at a level
suitable for the intended audience.

=====

WORDPRESS BLOGGER - PRIVATE JET CHARTER SERVICE
http://jobs.problogger.net/view/4459
---
B Aviation, LLC is a worldwide leader in on-demand private
jet charter service. We are looking for an experienced WordPress
Blogger. 1,000 words minimum, no fluff, must include image
in the article, well versed on the subject of private jet travel.

=====

REAL ESTATE BLOGGER
http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/wri/2205574065.html
---
BrickUnderground.com, the leading content destination site
for NYC real estate consumers, is looking for a hard-working,
part-time, real-estate obsessed blogger who writes clean,
smart, engaging copy and is passionate about pulling back
the veil on the entire mind-boggling, Byzantine NYC real
estate experience.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PUBLISHERS/AGENTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE BENT AGENCY
http://thebentagency.com/submissions.html
---
Jenny is NOT currently considering the following genres:
Science fiction, Poetry, Picture books, Textbooks/academic books,
Serious history or biography, Political science/policy, Business,
Reference, Sports. To query Jenny, email queries@thebentagency.com

Susan represents authors who write for young adult or middle
grade. Susan is NOT considering queries in the following genres:
Picture books, Poetry, Sports, Textbooks/academic books,
Reference, Books for the adult market. To query Susan, please
email kidsqueries@thebentagency.com

=====

TOTAL E-BOUND
http://www.total-e-bound.com/submissionguidelines.asp?
---
Total-E-Bound is a royalty paying, full-service ePublisher.
This means that we do not charge fees for the author at any
time. We will edit your book, assign an ISBN number and create
the cover art for your title. We pay a royalty rate of 40% of
the RRP, based on our standard two-year contract. Our contracts
are for both electronic and print rights. We are currently
accepting manuscripts between 10,000 and 100,000+ words in
the following genres:

Action/Adventure, Bondage/BDSM, Comedy/Humour, Contemporary,
Cowboy/Western, Fantasy/Fairytale, Futuristic/Sci-fi, Gay/
Lesbian, Historical/Rubenesque, Ménage-à-trois/Multiple
Partners, Multicultural, Older Woman/Younger Man, Paranormal/
Timetravel, Thriller/Crime, Shapeshifters/Morphers, Vampire/
Werewolf.

(Thanks to http://www.cindimyersmarketnews.wordpress.com )

=====

HELEN HELLER AGENCY
http://www.helenhelleragency.com/
---
We are a full service boutique literary agency specializing
in internationally successful front-list adult and young adult
fiction and non-fiction. Location New York.

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

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.

Seeking submissions for Pentimento Magazine, a new literary
magazine for the disabled community.
 
Submissions can be by a disabled individual or an individual
who is part of the disabled community, such as a family member,
educator, therapist, etc. We are a paying market.
 
For more information, please visit www.pentimentomagazine.org

WRITE TIME. WRITE PLACE.

2011 Blue Ridge Writer's Conference
April 1-2, 2011
Blue Ridge, Georgia

Early Bird registration - $60 by March 1
Regular registration - $70 after March 1

http://www.blueridgewritersconference.com/

Guest speakers:

 
  
    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

 

Meet me in St. Louis!

 

at the Missouri Writers' Guild Just Write! Conference

A Weekend for All Writers

April 8-10, 2011

 

Sheraton Westport Plaza Hotel

Early-Arrival Seminar with FundsforWriters' C. Hope Clark

 

Pitches, networking and over 30 classes and workshops and more!

www.missouriwritersguild.org and http://mwgconference.blogspot.com

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 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BUSINESS STUFF
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

C. Hope Clark
E-mail: hope@fundsforwriters.com  

140-A Amicks Ferry Road #4
Chapin, SC 29036

http://www.fundsforwriters.com

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

-----------------------------