Volume 11, Issue 27
July 8, 2011


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FUNDS FOR WRITERS

Chosen for Writer's Digest Magazine
101 Best Websites for Writers
2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005,
2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011

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~~~~~~****~~~~~~

WORDS OF SUCCESS

You must have a room, or a certain hour or so a day, where
you don't know what was in the newspapers that morning, you
don't know who your friends are, you don't know what you owe
anybody, you don't know what anybody owes to you. This is a
place where you can simply experience and bring forth what
you are and what you might be. This is the place of creative
incubation. At first you may find that nothing happens there.
But if you have a sacred place and use it, something
eventually will happen.

~JOSEPH CAMPBELL

 
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WARNING OF THE WEEK
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SPIRIT MAGAZINE - Official Magazine of Southwest Airlines
No longer accepting freelance submissions in spite of what
the online guidelines state.

http://www.spiritmag.com/contact_spirit/

 
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SUCCESS OF THE WEEK
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Hi Hope,

I have been reading the newsletters for quite some time.
The articles have been quite helpful and you and your readers
inspiring. I'm writing because my debut novel, Windmaster,
was released in June by Champagne Books. The sequel,
Windmaster Legacy, is also under contract.

Now the work begins. Writing the next novel and querying...
querying...querying. And oh yeah, promoting...promoting...
promoting.

Thanks for all you do.

Helen Henderson     
www.helenhenderson-author.webs.com


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ARTICLE
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Why Readers Read a Newsletter

By James C. Sandefer

Readers. These must be the people on top of your priority list.
Constantly remind yourself that you're writing your articles to
inform, persuade, educate, and entertain these people. It's
essential that you give them the exact information they need
and want so they'll have a valid reason to read your articles,
and continue doing so. Otherwise, they will quickly move on to
other providers that meet their needs, and their online options
are virtually endless.

A critical element often overlooked by writers is the average
attention span of today's reader, and it's remarkably short.
Readers, like personnel specialists who screen applicant resumes,
spend an average of 90 seconds scanning a resume. Readers of
media content spend about the same amount of time glancing
through your written words. Gain their attention within the
first 10-15 seconds or they won't last the full 90 seconds,
let alone read the entire article. And they tell their friends.
Writing for publication versus writing for personal pleasure is
as different as night and day. The most stunning discovery by
those whose work is presented for public consumption is that not
everyone who reads it will agree with it or even like it. For
example, I received correspondence from a reader regarding a
newspaper piece I'd written six months earlier. According to her,
a sentence in the first paragraph just didn't resonate and she
wanted to let me know about it. The reader also confessed it was
the first time she'd ever responded to a writer.

I always respond to writers because I believe it's the
professional, courteous thing to do, so I dug into my files,
retrieved the article, found the sentence in question, re-read
the entire document, and then crafted a straightforward, polite
response.

She was so surprised to receive my response that she sent a
follow-up letter to the editor expressing her appreciation and
noted that she was a member of one of the largest reading/
discussion groups in her locale. Her group read and discussed
my response at their next meeting, and vowed to remain avid
readers of my column. It pays to respect the needs of your
readers with worthwhile content wherever it's published and take
advantage of making an appropriate connection when given the
opportunity. Had I not responded, I could have lost a solid base
of readership.    

There's another small contingent of readers who constantly
scour publications, particularly those online, for content
that conflicts with their views and interests. The obvious
question is, "Why don't they read what they agree with and
enjoy?" The not so obvious response, "Who cares" comes to mind,
but that wouldn't prove helpful in connecting with these readers.
The truth is we don't learn much by associating only to those
who always agree with us. The cliché "thick skin" comes to mind
when receiving criticism or a challenge of content. Don't take it
personal; use the opportunity to clearly explain your position,
and, if possible, cite supportable, reputable facts. You may or
may not gain a convert and regular reader, but at least you've
reinforced your professionalism by constructing a reputable
response. In today's instantaneous, high-tech world of
publication and communication, what you write can be used for
or against you immediately.

When writing for publication/general consumption you're doing it
in a glass environment. Keeping your readers informed, entertained
and happy is a challenge you face every time you offer your
writing to the public. It's also potentially rewarding, and
that's the motivation to focus on with every keystroke.  

Remember: It's about the reader, not you.

BIO:
James is a retired U.S. Army officer who began writing for
publication during the initial years of his military career
and routinely sought newspapers that were in close proximity
to his geographic assignment areas. He served a tour of duty
as a Department of the Army Personnel Staff Officer with
additional responsibilities in the Office of Legislative
Liaison as a contributing speechwriter for various department
directors including recurrent input/editing for speeches and
presentations by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. During his career
he earned four college degrees including a Ph.D. in human
resources. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Army War College
with a master's specialty in strategic studies.



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COMPETITIONS
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TENNESSEE WILLIAMS FESTIVAL CONTESTS
http://www.tennesseewilliams.net/contests
---

One-Act Play Contest
$25 ENTRY FEE
Accepting original one-act plays of any theme that run no
longer than one hour in length. Deadline: November 1, 2011.
Grand Prize: $1,500, staged reading at the 26th annual Festival
(March 21-25, 2012), full production in 2013, VIP All-Access
Festival pass for 2012 and 2013 ($1,000 value), publication
in Bayou.

Fiction Contest
$25 ENTRY FEE
Accepting original short stories up to 7,000 words in length.
Deadline: November 15, 2011. Grand Prize: $1,500, domestic
airfare (up to $500) and French Quarter accommodations to
attend the 26th annual Festival in New Orleans (March 21-25,
2012), VIP All-Access Festival pass for 2012 ($500 value),
public reading at a literary panel at the 2012 Festival,  
publication in Louisiana Literature. Up to 7,000 words.
Open only to writers who have not published a book of fiction.
 
Poetry Contest
$20 ENTRY FEE
Accepting 2-4 original poems of any style or theme with a
combined length of up to 400 lines. Deadline: August 18, 2011.
Grand Prize: $1,000, VIP All Access Pass ($500 value) for
the 26th annual Festival: March 21-25, 2012, publication in
Louisiana Cultural Vistas magazine, public reading at the
2012 Festival.

The top ten finalists of each contest will receive a panel
pass ($75 value) to attend the 2012 Festival, and
names will be published on www.tennesseewilliams.net

=====

WELLS FESTIVAL OF LITERATURE CONTESTS
http://www.wellslitfest.org.uk/competitions.php
---
£5 ENTRY FEE
All entrants to the competitions are invited to attend on
Sunday, October 16, 2011. There will be opportunities
for you to read your own poem to an audience, to buy a booklet
of the short-listed poems, and to vote for the one you like
best.  Only at the end of the day will the judges announce the
results and award the prizes. Deadline July 31, 2011.

1st Prize, £500. 2nd Prize, £200. 3rd Prize, £100. Wyvern
Prize, £100.  (Reserved for entrants who live within the
postal codes beginning BA, BS, and TA.) Poems should be
original and not more than 40 lines in length. Poets may
submit up to 5 poems on any subject. Stories should be
original and should be between 1,800 and  2,000  words in
length. They may be on any subject. Limit 5 entries.

=====

CATCH A STAR THEATRICAL PLAYERS CONTEST
http://www.castplayers.org/
---
$10 ENTRY FEE
One-Act Playwriting Competition.  Aspiring playwrights of
all ages who reside within the United States are invited
to submit their unpublished works. All styles and genres
are welcome. Top plays will be showcased at the 2012 One
Act festival to be held in Beaumont, CA. The top ten plays
and authors will be listed on CAST Players website through
December 31, 2012.  The top six plays will each receive $100
and three performances at the One-Act festival in June, 2012,
plus one all-access festival Pass.  At the conclusion of the
festival, additional monetary prizes of $400 for First Place,
$300 for Second Place and $200 for Third Place will be
awarded, as will $100 for the play voted Audience Favorite.
The deadline for submission is December 31, 2011.


 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GRANTS
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MALICE DOMESTIC GRANTS
http://www.malicedomestic.org/grants.html
---
The William F. Deeck-Malice Domestic Grants Program for
Unpublished Writers will award grants to two unpublished
writers in the malice domestic genre at Malice Domestic 24
in April 2012. Each grant may be used to offset registration,
travel, or other expenses related to attendance at a writers'
conference or workshop within a year of the date of the award
(no later than May 2013). In the case of nonfiction, the grant
may be used to offset research expenses. The Malice Domestic,
Ltd.'s Board of Directors may consider publishing the work
of a nonfiction grant winner. Each grant currently includes
a $1,500 award plus a comprehensive registration for the
following year's convention and two nights' lodging at the
convention hotel, but does not include travel to the convention
or meals. A Definition of the Malice Domestic Genre: The genre
is loosely described as mystery stories of the Agatha Christie
type--i.e., "traditional mysteries". These works usually feature
no excessive gore, gratuitous violence, or explicit sex.
Deadline November 15, 2011. Submit a resume, a typed letter
of application explaining the writer's qualifications for the
grant and the conference or workshop to be attended or the
research to be funded; a letter of reference from someone
familiar with the writer's work; and a plot synopsis of no
more than 300 words and three CONSECUTIVE chapters of the
writer's Malice Domestic-genre book in progress, preferably
the first three chapters.

=====

HYPATIA-IN-THE-WOODS RESIDENCIES
http://www.hypatiainthewoods.org/
---
$20 APPLICATION FEE
Operating costs for the residence are $35/day. While we do not
want to exclude applicants on the basis of ability to pay,
we need to know whether you can make a donation to assist us
in managing the Holly House. We can manage a limited number
of no-cost stays each year. Past residents unable to pay
have helped by giving benefit workshops or performances.
Location Shelton, WA. Now completely remodeled, the cozy
retreat welcomes women artists for residencies ranging from
one week to one month.

=====

GRUB STREET SCHOLARSHIPS
http://www.grubstreet.org/index.php?id=573
---
Grub Street is happy to be able to offer fifteen partial
(50% discount) scholarships for our newly expanded daytime
course curriculum to writers who have been impacted by the
economic downturn. Scholarships are valid for one year from
date of issuance, and can be used towards any weekday Grub
Street class that takes place between the hours of 9am - 5pm.
To see a sampling of our current daytime offerings, click here:
http://bit.ly/pf5gnv. Starting in Fall 2011, we'll have a more
robust calendar of daytime events.

To apply for a scholarship, please send an email of no more
than 500 words to scholarships@grubstreet.org describing
1) why you want to take a daytime class
2) your financial need.

Please also include a 5-page writing sample. Please put
"Daytime Scholarship" in the subject line of the email. These
scholarships were made possible by a grant from the National
Endowment for the Arts, and Grub Street is grateful for their
support. Application deadline: Monday, July 25, 2011. Location
Boston.

 

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

 
VIKING MAGAZINE
http://www.sofn.com/norwegian_culture/viking_index.jsp
---
Every month Viking magazine is sent to Sons of Norway members
--people who are enthusiastic about their heritage, who are
frequent travelers to Norway and other Scandinavian countries,
and are regular consumers of Scandinavian goods. Seventy percent
written by freelancers. Articles are 400 to 1,200 words.
Accepts fiction of 400 to 1,200 words. Departments are up
to 350 words. Pays $180 to $400 and sometimes higher.

=====

TRUE WEST
http://www.truewestmagazine.com/about/submissions/
---
TRUE WEST relates our American West history back to the
present day, to show readers the important role our heritage
plays in keeping the spirit of the West alive during our
everyday travels and adventures out West. With regards to
word length, we actively look for articles that range from:
1,500 words for features; 500 words for short features; 250
words or less for snapshot coverage. Great guidelines
available online. Pays 25 cents/word and 50 percent kill fee.

=====

TRAILER LIFE
http://www.trailerlife.com/Contact-Us/
---
We are America's champion for the fun, freedom, and adventure
of Recreation in Motion ... and we're the voice of RVers around
the world. Trailer Life magazine's core purpose is to enhance
the RV lifestyle by creating, collecting and distributing high-
quality news, tests and reports about all things RVing. Prefers
queries with clips but will consider manuscripts on spec. Mostly
written by freelancers. Features are 1,000 to 1,800 words.
Columns 50-200 words. Pays up to $700 for articles and $100 for
columns. Thirty percent kill fee.


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JOBS
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WEB CONTENT COPY EDITOR
Location Atlanta, GA
http://www.habitat.org/cd/hr/jobsDetail.aspx
----
Bachelor's degree in English, journalism, communications or
marketing and two to four - 2-4 years of relevant work
experience; 2-3 years of web copy writing and editing experience.
Coordinates all phases of copy development and production for
all HFHI's public, intranet and extranet Web sites.

=====

SCIENCE ASSESSMENT WRITER/EDITOR
Location Scranton, PA
http://www.linkedin.com/jobs?viewJob=&jobId=1730474
---
Northeast Editing, Inc., a leading developer of educational
content for publishers, has an immediate opening for a full-
time science assessment writer/editor. Develop assessment
items in scientific disciplines, such as chemistry, physics,
and biology, and correlate them to national and state standards.
Write and edit science ancillaries. Write and edit science
articles and textbook chapters.

=====

PROJECT WRITER
Location Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
http://www.linkedin.com/jobs?viewJob=&jobId=1734770
---
We are currently looking for a Project Writer. You will be
responsible for writing feature articles, blog posts and
website content for Brandpoint's clients on a wide range of
topics. Familiarity with journalism, public relations and
marketing, and editing for AP style preferred. This is a
full-time, on-site position. Bachelor's degree in journalism,
communications or related field preferred. One to three years
of writing and editing experience.



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PUBLISHERS/AGENTS
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TESSLER LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.tessleragency.com/
---
Based in the Flatiron District of Manhattan, we work with
authors of high quality non-fiction and literary and commercial
fiction. Our list is diverse and far-reaching. In non-fiction,
it includes popular science, reportage, memoir, history, biography,
psychology, business and travel -- and in many cases, we sign
authors who are especially adept at writing books that cross
many of these categories at once. In fiction, we handle literary,
women's, and commercial. We do not handle genre fiction or
children's books.

=====

THE UNTER AGENCY
http://www.theunteragency.com/
---
The Unter Agency represents quality fiction and general
nonfiction, with a particular interest in memoir, food/cooking,
nature/environment, biography, pop culture, travel/adventure,
true crime, politics and health/fitness. The Unter Agency also
represents all types of children's literature (picture books,
middle grade, and young adult).

=====

3 SEAS LITERARY AGENCY
http://threeseasagency.com/
---
We represent more than 50 authors who write romance, women's
fiction, science fiction/fantasy, thrillers, young adult and
middle grade fiction and select nonfiction titles. In the
eleven years since the agency doors were opened, our agents
have sold more than 400 books to all the major publishing
houses.


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SPONSORS
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Chalet is once again welcoming submissions.
We're looking for well-written, fresh works with strong
storylines in Fiction, YA, Fantasy, Mysteries, Thrillers.

http://www.chaletpublishers.com 

Let Chalet consider your work. We're looking for the best!