Volume 11, Issue 10
March 11, 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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19th year. Ten cash prizes totaling $5,550. Top prize $3,000.
Seeks short stories, essays and other works of prose, up to
5,000 words. Winning entries published online. Both published
and unpublished work accepted. Fee per entry is $15, payable
to Winning Writers. Postmark deadline: March 31. Judges:
John H. Reid, Dee C. Konrad. Submit online or mail to Winning
Writers, Attn: Tom Howard Short Story Contest, 351 Pleasant
Street, PMB 222, Northampton, MA 01060. Winning Writers is
proud to be one of the "101 Best Websites for Writers"
(Writer's Digest, 2005-2010).

More information: www.winningwriters.com/tomstory

 
                 
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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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SCARY NIGHTS

As I sit here at one a.m., I stop. An owl, a huge owl from the
sound of him, hoots with an eerie echo from the cove at the
edge of our place. In case you haven't heard owls at night,
it's not like a cartoon owl. Nothing sounds cute about them.
They creep me out.

Then I hear an animal clicking. Raccoon - who knows? It's
pitch black outside in the country. Then I hear the owl, then
something fussing in a manner I've never heard. By now
the article in my head has scattered in a zillion directions.
All I can focus on is what I can't see, what is causing havoc
only a hundred feet from my study window, what I can't see in
the dark and hides in the day.

Ick...there he goes again. Each time he stops me in mid-sentence.

The writing business scares most of us. The thought of learning
how to publish an e-book in any of a dozen formats. The fear of
querying to high-powered New York agents who might be snickering
into their cappuccino as they read we're from North Dakota,
South Carolina, Idaho or Iowa. The rapidly changing payment
structures of Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

Are vampires out? Werewolves in? Is historical romance old hat
now? How complicated does our sci-fi world have to be?

Speaking, blog-building, Tweet twittering - how do we really
know what works and what is a waste of time in our efforts
to be seen?

The simple fact we are freelancing is scary enough. We are the
drivers of our own destiny. We can blame change, but in reality,
because we are our own boss, we are the catalyst or the wet
blanket on our writing future.

Then pile on the fact that the industry is in turmoil. The
big publishers are huge cogs slow to turn with change. The
indie publishers aren't as financially stable. Self-publishing
is a crap shoot for the newbie writer.

If we wrap ourselves up in too much drama, we risk freezing
in our chairs, fingers afraid to type - listening to owls.

It's so darn scary to venture into the dark. All too often
too many of us don't. We stay indoors, reading emails,
Facebooking, playing online games, and flittering away time
at the keyboard, not willing to step out and take a chance.

In the light, we see that the owl is eighteen inches in height.
In the night he sounds six feet tall. We can hover inside in
the dark and wonder what he looks like, or we can go out and
shed light on the reality that he isn't the menace everyone
plays him out to be.

It takes guts, I know. But do you want to shiver in your
shoes with worry, or reveal the truth - that you can handle
the unknown of publishing and submitting by updating
yourself, learning the ropes, shining light on what really
isn't all that bad after all.

Because actually, the owl is a beautiful bird.

     Hope

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:

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

TWITTER - http://twitter.com/hopeclark

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

  ~~~~~~****~~~~~~

WORDS OF SUCCESS

It doesn't matter what you are trying to accomplish.
It's all a matter of discipline.

Wilma Rudolph
 

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ARTICLE
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A NEW CONTENT MILL ANGLE

There is much debate on the pros and cons of writing for
content mills.  Personally, I write for them and have written
for them over the past 4 years.  Let me back up for a bit.
I've worked in the business world as a licensed insurance
broker representing fortune 100 companies and have also worked
as a technical writer. I have over 20 years of business and
writing experience. When my job moved several hundred miles
south (and I didn't' move with it), I decided to give freelance
writing a try.

I did land a nice high-paying gig with a trade magazine within
the first 30 days of my freelance writing career. Unfortunately,
it took several months and attorney letters to receive payment.  
During the interim between writing and getting paid, I
discovered content mills.

My first venture into the world of content mills was writing
for Suite101.  I started writing for them in April of 2007.
Suite came about because I didn't get the position writing for
About.com.  During the About.com interview process, I was
invited to create a mock site for them. After several months
of waiting, I was told I didn't get land the spot. 

Turning Rejection Around

Everything happens for a reason so when I didn't get the About
position, the articles I created for the mock site ended up on
Suite 101 and that began my residual income career. Through
Suite I learned quite a bit about writing web content. The
editors provided valuable feedback on how to transition my
writing from offline to online writing.  I had to learn about
things like keywords, keyword phrases and search engine
optimization. If you write the article correctly, the reader
is oblivious to the keywords and keyword phrases.

In my first partial month with Suite I earned a little over $5
(with 4 articles).  The next month it was just shy of $30 (I
added 7 more articles) and so on. As I was learning the ropes
with Suite, I ventured out to other online writing venues such
as eHow, HubPages and Bukisa (I quickly discovered which sites
worked for me and which ones didn't). I used Demand Media
Studios and private clients to bring in up-front cash while I
developed my foundation of residual articles on other sites. 

Why Content Mills Worked for Me

In addition to writing for content mills, I created my own
sites/blogs. I have an acute case of job-aversion-itis
(allergic to anything that feels like a job) and am unable or
unwilling to endure job-like situations.  Demand Media Studios
and my private clients started to feel like a job to me.  Once
I got that dreaded job like feeling I knew I had to shape my
online writing career in such a fashion so that I could
eventually drop them from my freelance writing arsenal and
concentrate on residuals.

I first hit the $2,000 residual income mark last year in
November 2010, a little over 3½ years into my freelance writing
career.  As of today (this is a moving target), my average per
article residual rate is $50.57 (calculated by dividing my
monthly residual earnings by the number of articles I've
written for the month).  Last year my average daily residual
income was just shy of $65.  Fortunately, that number continues
to climb.

I probably would have reached the $2,000 mark quicker if I
had spent more time on residuals and not wasted so much time
for Demand Media Studios and private clients. Anyway, I'm here
now and am focusing 95 to 98% of my time on residual writing.
I'm guilty of taking on an occasional $17.50 Demand Media
Studio article.  It helps to fund my daughter's unexpected
emergencies or "must have" requests.

Fortunately, by using NaturallySpeaking voice recognition
software, I can dictate two articles within 10 minutes, edit
them, upload them to DMS and have earned $35 in about a half
hour. I only write about what I know and choose titles that
don't require research. I believe in working smarter, not harder.

Taking a Mini Break

At this point in time, I'm taking a "smelling the roses" break
in my writing career.  With my residuals growing steadily from
content mills and other sources, I can slow down for a bit and
smell the roses.  February 9th 2011 will mark the 4-year
anniversary of my online freelance writing career. I equate
it with getting a 4-year college degree, except instead of
paying for my education, I allowed the educators to pay me for
my "on the job" training.

Going forward, I intend to wean myself from content sites and
focus my energy on developing my own sites and writing a few
books. As my regular blog readers know, my ultimate goal is to
reach $10,000 a month in residual income so I can purchase an
RV and tour the US.  I'd like to meet all of the people who
have become my online support system.

There you have it in a nutshell. Content mills are what you
make of them. There are good and bad in both online and offline
writing.  It's up to the individual to choose her career path
and make the best of it.

About the Author:
Felicia A. Williams is a full-time freelance writer and blogger. 
She shares her transition from leaving the rat race to the work
at home pace on her NoJobforMom.com blog.

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COMPETITIONS
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THE TEXAS OBSERVER SHORT STORY PRIZE
https://www.texasobserver.org/2011-short-story-contest
---
$25 ENTRY FEE
GUEST JUDGE Larry McMurtry. Deadline May 1, 2011. The winning
author will receive $1,000, publication in the Summer Books
issue of the Texas Observer, three copies of Summer Books issue,
and a one-year print subscription. Finalists may be eligible
for publication online at TexasObserver.org . Contest is open
to any and all participants regardless of location. No theme/
genre restrictions, but entries with Texas setting or themes
are encouraged. Stories should not exceed 2,500 words.
For an additional $10, your story will be critiqued by Observer
Fiction Editor David Duhr.

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ALABAMA WRITERS' CONCLAVE 2011
http://alabamawritersconclave.com/2011_guidelines.html
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ENTRY FEES $5 TO $12.
Deadline: April 20, 2011 (postmark). Prizes: 1st: $100; 2nd:
$75; 3rd: $50; 4th: $25 and up to 4 Honorable Mentions.

Fiction - maximum 2500 words.
Short Fiction - maximum 1000 words.
Juvenile Fiction (stories for ages 4-12) - maximum 2500 words.
Nonfiction - maximum 2500 words.
Humor (fiction, nonfiction, or poetry) - max 2000 words or
      50 lines (for poems).
Traditional Poem - maximum 40 lines.
Free Verse Poem - maximum 60 lines.
First Chapter of Novel - up to 10 double-spaced pages,
      first chapter ONLY.

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AMERICAN SHORT(ER) FICTION CONTEST
http://www.americanshortfiction.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7
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$15 ENTRY FEE
We love short shorts! Our new contest highlights great work
in shorter fiction--stories of 1,000 words or less, to be
exact. First prize receives $500 and publication. Second prize
receives $250 and publication. Deadline May 1, 2011. All entries
must be unpublished and 1,000 words or less. Please type and
double-space. You may send up to three shorts per entry, but
make sure they are all combined into ONE file for uploading.
Each individual short may be up to 1,000 words, so the file
can contain a maximum of 3,000 words.

 
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GRANTS
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LEEWAY WOMEN ARTIST PROGRAMS
http://www.leeway.org/apply-for-grants/about-the-grants.html
---
The Art and Change Grants and the Leeway Transformation Awards
fund women and trans artists (including those identifying as
transgender, transsexual, and/or genderqueer) living in the
Delaware Valley region of Bucks, Camden, Chester, Delaware,
Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties, who engage in art and
social change work and have financial need. Leeway supports
the natural intersection of art and social change. Deadlines
March 15, May 15, September 15, 2011.

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OHIO GRANTS
www.oac.state.oh.us/grantsprogs/guidelines/individualcreativity.asp
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The principal funding program for individual artists is
through the Individual Excellence Awards, which provide
grants to creative artists for an exceptional body of work.
Traditional master artists and apprentices are supported
through the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship program. Project
funding is available for artists living in counties along the
Ohio River through the Ohio River Border Initiative, and for
artists with disabilities through the Artists with Disabilities
Access program. Individual artists receive commissions through
the Percent for Art program administered by the OAC. In addition
to grants, the OAC provides a wide range of resources and
services that help individual artists as they make important
contributions to life in communities across the state including
the Ohio Artists on Tour Directory and the Arts Learning Artist
Directory.

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CHRISTOPHER ISHERWOOD FOUNDATION FICTION FELLOWSHIPS
http://www.isherwoodfoundation.org/application_form.htm
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Deadline October 1. Grants awarded to writers who have published
at least one book of fiction to enable writers to set aside time
for writing. Mail completed applications to: James White,
Christopher Isherwood Foundation, 1708 21st Ave South #301,
Nashville, TN 37212. No entry fee.

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FREELANCE MARKETS
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BOHO MAGAZINE
http://www.bohomag.com/contact-us.html
---
Boho is a green fashion-lifestyle magazine founded on the
freedom to express your own personal style and live the life
you want. Each issue offers the latest in fashion, beauty,
and more, while inspiring you to help make a difference in
the world by giving back and going green. Pays 50 cents to
$1/word for up to 750 words.

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CAMPING LIFE
http://www.campinglife.com/about/
http://www.campinglife.com/contact/
---
Our magazine is focused on serving the needs of the family-style
camper and others who explore the nation's parks, rivers and
forests. Camping Life is a magazine that delivers valuable and
useful information about a style of camping that's adventurous
and active, yet still relaxing. It's a handy resource for
campers, whether they use a camping trailer, truck camper or
tent as a base of operations. Pays 50-90 cents/word.

The greatest opportunities for contributors are the full-length
destination features, Weekenders, product buyer's guides and
how-tos. Full-length destination features are approximately
2,000-2,500 words in length, requiring in-depth research and
time spent at the destination to acquire photographs and
interviews. Send 20-40 original color slides. Weekenders are
approximately 750-1,000 words in length, requiring research
and photographs of the locations. Send 6-8 original color slides.
Query only. Request editorial calendar.

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CLEAN EATING MAGAZINE
http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/The-Magazine/Contact-Us.aspx
http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/The-Magazine/About-The-Magazine.aspx
---
Clean Eating takes you beyond the food you eat, exploring the
multitude of health and nutritional benefits that can be yours
when you subscribe to a clean lifestyle. In every way, clean
eating is all about consuming whole food in its most natural
state, or as close to it as possible. Request an editorial
calendar. Pays 25-50 cents/word.

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JOBS
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WRITER-EDITOR
Location Washington DC
http://jobview.usajobs.gov/GetJob.aspx?JobID=97306066
---
Deadline March 14, 2011. Agency: Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and
Trade Bureau. Compose and edit complex reports, correspondence,
statistical summaries, TTB Rulings, procedures, Federal Register,
industry circulars, reports and regulations. Prepare Division
reports, as well as technical amendments, generated by the
Regulations and Rulings Division. $74,872 - $97,333 /year

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ASSISTANT EDITOR
Threads Magazine
Location Newtown, CT
http://careers.taunton.com/ext/detail.asp?jobid=tp321
---
THREADS magazine, the premier publication for garment sewing
enthusiasts, is looking for an editor with outstanding editing,
writing and communication skills. 2-3 years experience.

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ASSOCIATE ONLINE EDITOR
Location New York
http://www.nytco.com/careers/ (Click Careers)
---
Associate Editors work with About.com Guides (freelance writers)
and the editorial staff to help provide practical solutions to
everyday problems facing About.com's millions of readers across
a wide variety of topics and interests. Work with freelance
writers and the editorial staff to improve content quality and
audience metrics, including uniques and pageviews. Work across
a variety of channels to help editors recruit, hire, train and
manage new Guides and Contributing Writers. Use Google tools and
internal metrics and tools to identify content opportunities on
the channel and GuideSite level. Review About.com GuideSites
regularly to judge quality of content and user experience.

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PUBLISHERS/AGENTS
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JOHNSON BOOKS
http://www.johnsonbooks.com/submissions.php
---
Johnson Books is a regional nonfiction publisher focusing on
titles pertaining to Colorado and the West. We do not publish
fiction or poetry.

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JUNO BOOKS
http://www.juno-books.com/guidelines.html
---
The novel must have a strong female protagonist. Please note,
this is a fantasy imprint. Techo-thrillers, suspense, crime,
science fiction, action-adventure, etc. without an element of
the fantastic are not fantasies. Nor are we interested in Young
Adult, teen, or children's books. We do not want novelettes,
novellas, collections of stories, anthologies, or poetry.

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JUST US BOOKS
http://www.justusbooks.com/
---
A premier publisher of Black-interest books for children, Just
Us Books has an active publishing program that produces four to
six new titles per year. This may include picture books,
biographies and nonfiction, chapter books for middle readers and
Young adult fiction. What we are looking for:
* fiction manuscripts targeted to readers age 13 and older
* realistic, contemporary characters
* compelling plot lines that introduce conflict and resolution
* high-interest readability
* cultural authenticity

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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.

Check out the Get Yourself Published Series from the
Living and Learning Division of Secret Cravings Publishing.

Book subjects include self-editing, outlinging, researching,
writing e-romance, writing children's books, ghostwriting,
before you write your book and writing believable fictional
characters.

www.secretcravingspublishing.com/LivingandLearningMain.html

Get the one pertaining to you or get all eight for one low
price! Written by multi-published authors with insight to
help you Get Published!

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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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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