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

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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The day after the holidays, I headed to Edisto Beach.
What started as a mission to write and edit in the home of
a dear friend turned into a trek into the farms and marshes
of the area on the back of a Rhino RTV. Wonderful day
of tucked away marshes, white egrets and vistas to steal
your breath away. My friend lives with gusto, and she made
me do it, too. Great medicine.

Editor: C. Hope Clark
Mailto: Hope@fundsforwriters.com
Website: http://www.fundsforwriters.com
Newsletter: ISSN: 1533-1326

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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Writer's Resource: From Creation to Contract

Ghostwriting, rewriting, editing, queries, book proposals &
agent searches from an award-winning author with eighteen
years of experience. Laine Cunningham's opinion has been
sought by CNN Money, the National Writer's Union &
international media on the end of the Harry Potter series,
The Oprah Effect and Sarah Palin's ghostwriter.

Clients consistently receive attention from top publishers
and agents. Fiction & nonfiction, adult & juvenile.

Call today!
Toll-free 866-212-9805 or www.WritersResource.us

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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

=====

SECOND GUESSES


"When once a decision is reached, dismiss absolutely all
responsibility and care about the outcome."

~William James


Ever wonder why successful and charismatic people appear so
confident? They make decisions and move on, not looking back
except to learn from that experience. No stutter stepping,
no freezing in place, worried they made a bad choice.

Some writers come to me asking for guidance. They like writing
poetry, and plays, and romance novels, and (fill in the blank)
and they don't know what to do next. They've written half of
this story and a third of another. They have six first drafts
in their files and a dozen written pieces that haven't been
edited or submitted anywhere.

How do writers know what direction to take to begin a career?

Here's my two cents on how to proceed:

1. TIME OR MONEY?

Decide whether you need the money or the time. In other
words, do you need income ASAP? Then write for money, whether
it's magazines, copywriting, resume writing, or journalism.
If you don't need the money to eat dinner tonight, then choose
time, which means long-term projects like short story chapbooks,
novels or nonfiction books.

2. PRIORITIZE

If you chose money, then your novel and long-term projects go
on the back burner for now, until you have the income that
buys you the time to write them. If you chose time, then get
busy on that lone project that needs your attention.

3. GET FANATICAL

Live for whatever choice you made. Become excellent at it.
Practice it daily. Understand the movers and shakers in your
field. Know the markets. Polish your writing fifty times if
necessary to be better than the average writer. Seek to
take a piece to a critique group and have people say, "wow."
Wake up thinking about it. Go to sleep with your next page,
paragraph, plot point or character in mind. If people ask
what you write, tell them your project. You aren't "trying"
or "working at" or "struggling." You are writing a novel.
You are writing magazines articles for business publications.
You are designing copy for corporations. You are a resume
writer for hire.

What? You don't like your selection? Then roll it up, file
it away, and pick another. Then get fanatical again. However,
this is not blanket approval for you to do that every month.
Whatever path you choose, give it an entire year, living it
daily. Only after you've given it the attention it's due
have you earned the right to change gears. But you know what?
You might find that you've developed quite a talent for
what you've been doing for the last year. Some people might
even know your name now. Your novel might be somewhat impressive.

You only have so many years. You can't be an expert without
investing years in one directional effort. Choosing one
project today and another next week, then changing genre
again, then needing money and writing for trade mags the next
only makes you a Jack-of-all-trades and a master of none.
Soon your years are gone and nobody knows anything about
what you did as a writer.

Choose, focus, and get fanatical. Success will follow.


Hope


THE BLOG - http://www.hopeclark.blogspot.com
TWITTER - http://twitter.com/hopeclark
FACEBOOK - http://www.facebook.com/chopeclark
ABOUT.ME - http://about.me/hopeclark

 

THE 2012 BYLINES DESK CALENDAR IS BACK!

The 2012 Bylines Desk Calendar contains pieces from 53 writers
in 25 states, plus Ireland and the UK. If you've never seen a
Bylines Calendar, you're in for a treat. Each week contains a
short nonfiction piece from writers just like you. Even Hope has
a piece in this edition! This spiral bound week-to-week calendar
conveniently lies flat on your desk, for easy use. It's the
perfect size for . . . your desk, and since it's all about
writers, it's entertaining and educational as well as practical.

www.fundsforwriters.com/Bylines.htm



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

WORDS OF SUCCESS

"To dream anything that you want to dream, that is the beauty
of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do, that
is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself, to test
your limits, that is the courage to succeed."

~ Bernard Edmonds ~


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SUCCESS OF THE WEEK
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RE: Last week's editorial in FFW Small Markets

Hope, I just had to write to cheer for your piece this week
on asking for recommendations. Right on, sistah! Tell the
world! The difference between people who get those
recommendations and those who don't is often simply who asks!

This year I signed a book deal for my memoir, Shepherd in
Residence, and I needed back-cover blurbs for the advance
reading copy. I asked seven people; four were writers I'd
met, three were radio people I'd worked with. Among the
seven were Stuart McLean, Bill Richardson and Lorne Elliot,
high-profile humour writers and performers, nationally
recognized in Canada. Lo and behold, three of the seven
wrote me lovely blurbs, and two of those three were Bill
Richardson and Lorne Elliot. All three said things about me
and my writing that were beyond my hopes or expectations. If
I'd let my reluctance to "bother" them stop me from asking,
I wouldn't have had those great blurbs. (My publisher was
pretty impressed, too - when I told him we had a blurb from
Lorne, he asked me if there was anyone I didn't know!)

I always look forward to your essays in FFW.
Great advice, Hope.

Cheers,
Elizabeth
--
Elizabeth Creith
Writer, Editor, Proofreader
Ghostwriting, Manuscript Preparation
elizabeth.creith@bell.net
http://askthelizardlady.wordpress.com/



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ARTICLE
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Eight Ways to Conduct Interviews That Resonate With Readers

By Jennifer Brown Banks

Pick up any consumer magazine or trade publication and it's
highly likely you'll hit upon an interview or two.

Interviews are popular reads because our natural curiosity
as human beings piques our interest in the private lives and
inner-workings of others. Whether it's the success story
behind power players, or Oprah's beauty secrets; inquiring
minds wanna' know.

As writers, we are entrusted with the important task of telling
others' stories, and to be the voice of the impoverished, the
afflicted, and even those blessed with the "it factor".

In my professional career, I have had the privilege of both
being the interviewer and interviewee, and based on this
experience, here's what I've discovered about conducting
interviews that connect with today's reader.

Timely tips on the art of the interview:

1. Start out with a clear agenda. In other words, what's your
purpose? (It shouldn't be just to "parrot" information). Is
it to increase awareness of a cause or movement? Promote an
event? Educate? Entertain? Provide a noteworthy individual
with his deserved 15 minutes of fame? Your agenda will
establish your approach, direction and the nature of your
questions.

2. Resist rookie questions like "Do you have a dog?" Or
"What's your favorite color?" It wastes valuable time, and
adds very little depth or value to your piece. Instead,
strive for things that delve into the person's life
philosophy, business strategy, or "ah-ha" moments.

3. Do your homework. Before assembling questions, do a
little online sleuth work. Many times, you can find
interesting facts and tidbits by visiting the subject's
blog, Facebook page, Linkedin profiles, and even quotes
from other articles. Consider interviewing someone who
knows or has worked with the interviewee for background
information, too.

4. Inject a little humor when appropriate. Humor is to
writing what spices are to cooking. Find a funny angle
from an anecdote shared. Or have him reveal his most
embarrassing moment, or a hidden talent. For example, I
was watching a program recently that documented the life
of Dr. Phil, and discovered that he enjoyed watching
cartoons, (even into adulthood). Who would have thought?
This definitely gave me a chuckle.

5. Decide the best way to capture the essence of the
interview, by knowing your strengths and weaknesses. If
you're a poor listener, have a short attention span, or
trouble sometimes deciphering your handwriting, it may be
wise to conduct the interview via email questions for
accuracy purposes. If on the other hand, you enjoy using
imagery, then a face-to-face, where you can assess body
language, tone, and use your skills of observation might
prove more successful.

6. Put yourself in the reader's shoes. What would you
like to know about the person being featured? What makes
him interesting or different? Why should readers care?

7. Enhance your interview with quality images. There's
great truth to the expression, "A picture is worth a
thousand words."

8. Watch and incorporate some of the trademark techniques
of talented TV interviewers like Barbara Walters, Oprah
Winfrey, and Diane Sawyer. Oprah, you'll find, is always
personal, witty and compassionate. Barbara is provocative,
sharp and unapologetic. While Diane is no-nonsense and
straight-forward.

Case in point... Oprah admitted once on her show, that as
a young girl she was inspired to become a reporter from
observing Barbara Walters decades before.

Follow these eight tips to make the most of your next
interview, and ultimately make more money in your
freelancing career.


BIO
Jennifer Brown Banks
Veteran freelance writer, Columnist, Pro Blogger
http://penandprosper.blogspot.com/
Managing Editor, Coffeehouse for Writers
http://Coffeehouseforwriters.com/
Columnist, Technorati.com


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COMPETITIONS
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CLEVELAND STATE FIRST BOOK AND OPEN BOOK COMPETITION
http://www.csuohio.edu/poetrycenter/contest1.html
---
$25 ENTRY FEE
$1,000 and publication in the CSU Poetry Series is offered
for the best full-length volumes of original poetry in English
submitted between November 1, 2011 and will close February 15,
2012 (postmark deadline). The First Book Award is given to an
author who has not previously published a book of poetry. The
Open Competition is for poets who have previously published at
least one full-length collection. Manuscripts are eligible for
the First Book competition if the author has not published or
committed to publish a collection of his or her poetry in a book
of 48 or more pages with a press run of at least 500 copies; if
an author's prior books were all self-published or published by
subsidy presses, they should still enter the First Book competition.
Entry to the Open Competition is limited to authors who have
published at least one full-length collection of original poetry
in English (of 48 or more pages with a press run of at least 500
copies) with a non-subsidy press.

=====

KATHRYN A. MORTON PRIZE IN POETRY
http://www.sarabandebooks.org/?page_id=1099
---
$27 ENTRY FEE
Includes a $2,000 cash award, publication of a full-length
collection of poetry, and a standard royalty contract.
Deadline February 15, 2012. Contest is open to any writer
of English who is a citizen of the United States. A minimum
of 48 pages of poetry.

=====

WATER / MIREHOUSE POETRY COMPETITION
http://www.mirehouse.com/file/Mirehouse%20Comp%20Info.pdf
---
ENTRY FEE - £4
First prize £350. Also, the winning poem and eight highly
commended poems will be displayed on the Mirehouse Poetry
Walk and appear on the website. The eight commended poets
will also receive a box of new books with a value of £100.
Poems limited to 40 lines. English only. Deadline February
10, 2012.


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GRANTS
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ARTS & SCIENCE COUNCIL OF MECKLENBERG/CHARLOTTE, NC
http://directories.artsandscience.org/member/login
---
ASC's NEW and IMPROVED Artist Directory provides a place for
artists in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg region to get the word
out about the work they do, and to help those looking for
artists connect with them. Artists of all genres and disciplines
are now invited to create a login and submit your information
online...for FREE! By creating a profile on the online directory,
you can share your bio and contact information, upload photos
and video of your work, post upcoming events and so much more!

=====

CAPE COD DUNE SHACK RESIDENCIES FOR ARTISTS AND WRITERS
http://www.thecompact.org/
---
Applications are now being accepted for the Dune Shack Residencies
for Artists & Writers. Residency applications for 2012 are for the
Fowler and C-Scape Dune Shacks in the Cape Cod National Seashore.
One to three weeks stays available, including a 3-week $500
fellowship for a visual artist, and two funded weeks for writers.
Deadline: January 15, 2012.

NOTE: SHORT DEADLINE

=====

I-PARK RESIDENCIES
http://www.i-park.org/residency.html
---
I-Park announces its 12th season hosting its multi-disciplinary
residency program in a 450-acre natural woodland retreat in East
Haddam, CT. Self-directed artists' residencies will be offered
May-November 2012. Most sessions are four weeks in duration and
are offered to those working in the Visual Arts, Music Composition,
Creative Writing, Moving Image, and Landscape/Garden Design.
Except for the $30 application fee, the residency is offered at
no cost to accepted artists and includes comfortable private
living quarters, a private studio, and meal program. Deadline:
January 30, 2012.



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FREELANCE MARKETS
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SQUASH MAGAZINE, USA
http://www.squashmagazine.com/vcm/squashmagazine/CONTACTS/index.html
---
The magazine for the sport of squash, read by players (pro
and amateur), coaches, industry members and general squash
enthusiasts. Departments pay up to $200. Features pay up to
$1,500.

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ADIRONDACK LIFE
http://www.adirondacklife.com/content/view/27/112/
---
Adirondack Life serves a region that is defined not by state
borders but by environmental, political and economic boundaries.
It is the only publication that addresses the unique natural
and social aspects of New York State's Adirondack Park, and
that gives those concerns local and national exposure. For
new writers, the best way to break into the magazine is
through departments, which run from 1,200 to 2,000 words.
Features run from approximately 2,000 to 4,000 words. Pays
$.30/word approximately thirty days after publication. We are
not interested in poetry, fiction, editorial cartoons or
short essays of less than 1,000 words.

=====

ALABAMA HERITAGE
http://www.alabamaheritage.com/writers.htm
---
Alabama Heritage, a nonprofit publication of the University
of Alabama and the Alabama Department of Archives and History,
is a quarterly historical magazine designed for a general
audience. We publish articles on local, state, and regional
history, art, literature, language, archeology, music,
religion, architecture, and natural history. Most of our
feature articles contain approximately 2,000-4,500 words
and include additional material such as sidebars and
photographs. We will also consider short pieces, 250-1,200
words, for our departments. Our articles are heavily
illustrated. We encourage authors to provide photocopies of
suggested illustrations and photographs with the submitted
article. No fiction or poetry. Pays up to $350.



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JOBS
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CQ ROLL CALL NEEDING MULTIPLE POSITIONS FILLED
Location Washington DC
http://www.economistgroup.com/working_with_us/job_opportunities/americas/index.html
---
CQ State Information Researcher
Social Policy Editor
Staff Writer, Health Care
Editor, Executive Briefing Small Business
Editor, Executive Briefing Technology
Economics Editor
Deputy Editor, Economics

CQ Roll Call is the leading source of congressional news and
insight, legislative tracking and grassroots mobilization
services. With the largest press corps on Capitol Hill, CQ
Roll Call provides policy professionals and opinion leaders
with the essential information and tools they need to
understand and influence the US Congress.

=====

COPYWRITER / BLOGGER / STAFF WRITER
Location Roanoke, TX
http://jobs.allstarjobs.com/index.php?post_id=249727
---
Modern Dental Practice Marketing, (MDPM), is a rapidly growing,
boutique Internet marketing company that provides dentists with
websites, blog sites and online marketing material. At the heart
of all of our products is our 100% original, flawless,
copywriting. Now serving dentists in 26 states, and 3
countries, we are in need of an additional writer. At MDPM,
a staff writer composes SEO content for dentists' websites as
well as press releases, newsletters, e-mail blasts, articles,
and blogs.

=====

STAFF WRITER
Location Chicago, IL
http://www.jibe.com/jobs/staff-writer-groupon-chicago-il--4-0109-
---
Each day's Groupon features a write-up describing the deal
with thoroughly researched, informative selling points that
range from the straightforward to the whimsical and bizarre.
This person writes the paragraphs that explain the deal,
which is referred to as the details section. Staff writers
do not compile reviews, nor do they write the humor content
in the cat bubble.


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PUBLISHERS/AGENTS
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ELAINE ENGLISH, ATTORNEY AND LITERARY AGENT
http://www.elaineenglish.com/
---
This firm acts as a literary agent for exceptional authors
of commercial fiction. We represent authors of romance,
women's fiction, and cozy mysteries. We work with our authors
to secure publication and attention for their works in all
media throughout the world.

=====

FAIRBANK LITERARY REPRESENTATION
http://www.fairbankliterary.com/
---
A small, selective agency, Fairbank Literary Representation
is entering its ninth year. Clients range from first-time
authors to international best-sellers, prize winning-
journalists to professionals at the top of their fields.
Our tastes tend toward literary and international fiction,
mysteries/thrillers with a firm sense of place, memoir that
goes beyond the me-moir, and topical or narrative non-fiction,
with a strong interest in women's voices and class and race
issues, quality lifestyle books (food, wine, and design), pop
culture, craft, and gift and humor books. We are most likely
to pick up works that are of significance, newsworthy, or works
that speak to the human condition and the search for a greater
truth. Lately we have been doing extremely well in the humor/
gift/pop culture category, and we'd love to take on more
projects in those categories.

=====

FINEPRINT LITERARY MANAGEMENT
http://fineprintlit.com/
---
We welcome a wide range of fiction, both literary and commercial,
including thrillers, mysteries, fantasy, women's, romance, chick
lit, YA and middle grade readers. However, we are not the right
agency for poetry, plays, screenplays, or children's picture
books.



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SPONSORS
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