Editor: C. Hope Clark
Website: http://www.fundsforwriters.com
Email: Hope@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.


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

MARGARET REID POETRY CONTEST FOR TRADITIONAL VERSE

Ninth year. Ten cash prizes totaling $5,550. Top prize $3,000.
Submit poems in traditional verse forms. All entries that win
cash prizes will be published on WinningWriters.com (over one
million page views per year) and announced in the Winning
Writers Newsletter, with over 40,000 subscribers.

Both published and unpublished work accepted. Entry fee is $8
for every 25 lines, payable to Winning Writers. Postmark
deadline: June 30. Judges: John H. Reid, Dee C. Konrad. Submit
online or mail to Winning Writers, Attn: Margaret Reid Poetry
Contest, 351 Pleasant Street, PMB 222, Northampton, MA 01060.

Winning Writers is one of the "101 Best Websites for Writers"
(Writer's Digest, 2005-2012).

More information: www.winningwriters.com/margaret




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

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

=====


STARTING OFF . . . AS A FICTION WRITER

After last week's editorial about becoming known as a writer
first by writing for magazines, before writing THE BOOK, a
reader contacted me with this:

<<Interesting article, but with so few magazines publishing
fiction, what are we to do, write for the “little magazines”
for no pay?>>

My bad. I was not clear. What I meant to say is that you need
to become known as a writer first . . . in any way possible
. . . even in magazines. Even if you write fiction, you can
write nonfiction for magazines, which gets you used to
deadlines, writing tight, and adhering to editorial guidelines.
Once people realize you write, they follow you to your fiction.

The average person doesn't recognize that you are a fiction
writer or nonfiction writer. They just know you write.

Call me a blasphemer for making you write outside your genre.
I'm being practical, pragmatic, and common sensical. I'm a
left brain person. Nonfiction pays. Fiction doesn't until you
bust all the odds over a long period of time. So . . . if you
want to write FOR A LIVING . . . you write nonfiction for a
while to become established.

Also, fiction has an advantage that nonfiction doesn't have.
Contests. There are ten or twenty times the number of contests
for fiction than nonfiction. Especially if you write short
stories, from flash to 15,000 words. So, while you're writing
all that nonfiction that might go against the grain, you can
keep preening and honing your fiction for contests. Win one
or two contests, and opportunities open up more.

What other options do you have as a fiction writer? Write for
literary magazines, for little to nothing. Write for genre
magazines, for little to nothing. Yes, the clips count. Yes,
agents and publishers will admire you for getting published.
Just be realistic and accept the fact it is hard to earn a
living writing short fiction for magazines and lit journals.

But seriously, what nonfiction can you write about as a fiction
author? Ideas you can use...

-how to write or be a writer pieces
(The Writer, Writer's Digest)

-become a specialist about your genre
(Amanda Hocking blogged about fantasy)

-become a specialist about your setting
(rural, inner city, beach, government, a state, a country)

-become a specialist about your time period
( http://bluestockingball.blogspot.com )

-write for trades in your profession represented in your stories
(cake decorator, doctor, police, computer techie, dog trainer)

-write for mags that use your voice
(humor, noir, cozy, sexy)

-beliefs or causes
(Mary Alice Monroe and environmental conservation)

-subject matter research or methods
(PI Magazine on forensics or police procedure if you're a mystery author)

-geography
(Pat Conroy and Dorothea Benton Frank on South Carolina)

Hopefully your mind is spinning with ideas now!



Hope


AUTHOR SITE - http://www.chopeclark.com
THE BLOG - http://www.chopeclark.com/blog
TWITTER - http://twitter.com/hopeclark
FACEBOOK - http://www.facebook.com/chopeclark
ABOUT.ME - http://about.me/hopeclark
GOODREADS - http://www.goodreads.com/hopeclark 

=====

LOWCOUNTRY BRIBE is out!

The Carolina Slade Mystery Series is live with its premier
book Lowcountry Bribe. Welcome to the world of Carolina Slade.

She's a simple government employee offered a bribe.
She follows the rules and tells the authorities.
Then all hell breaks loose because she did.

Learn more at http://www.chopeclark.com

Available at: Amazon, B&N, Bell Bridge Books and Indie bookstores

=====

YOU SAID IT!!!

THE LATEST COMMENT ABOUT LOWCOUNTRY BRIBE....

Hi Hope, I downloaded your book into my Kindle when you put out
your free offer, and had a chance to start reading today at my
doctor's office normal 45 minute wait. I was so engrossed that
I did not hear the nurse call my name and I missed my turn!

So, it's got me!

Irene Paine

====

SOUTHEASTERN WRITERS WORKSHOP AT EPWORTH BY THE SEA, GEORGIA

http://southeasternwriters.org/2012_Writers_Workshop.html

Wonderful conference. Choose anywhere from one to four days
at this beautiful resort on St Simons Island, Georgia.
June 15-19, 2012. Hope Clark will be presenting on the
business side of being a writer.



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

WORDS OF SUCCESS


You are obligated to understand
that you are unique in the world.
There has never been anyone like you
because, if there were,
there would be no need for you to exist.
You are an utterly new thing in creation.
Your life goal is to realize this uniqueness.

~ Aaron Perlow (Itturay Torah)





~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SUCCESS OF THE WEEK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Hi Hope!

How are you? I wonder how many emails you get like the one I'm about to write...

I've been a FFW subscriber for a number of years. I read every
Friday night on my iPhone while nursing my dear daughter to sleep.
I count on my FFW to inspire me, and inspire me it does!

I taught English for almost a decade and wrote during the evening
(tired) hours. But after a particularly poignant editorial, I
decided to resign at the end of the year and write full-time.

Three years later, I'm a published author with a book that is
gaining momentum and a confidence I truly don't think I would
have had without those late Friday night snippets of yours.

So thanks, Hope, from another happy fan, and happy writer.

Sincerely,
Megan McGrory Massaro
co-author
The Other Baby Book: A Natural Approach to Baby's First Year.
http://theotherbabybook.com/
http://theotherbabybook.wordpress.com/
https://twitter.com/#!/otherbabybook


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


From Phobic Writer to Published Author

By Leslie Truex

Writing terrified me. Ever since I failed the eighth grade
writing proficiency exam – twice – writing was like getting
a shot; necessary, but scary. So it's as much as a surprise
to me as it is to my English teachers that I'm a published
author.

It's not that I couldn't write. I earned good grades on essays
and reports, passed the writing proficiency exam in ninth grade,
and eventually earned bachelor and master's degrees. As a
social worker, I wrote clinical biographies. Later I became
an online entrepreneur writing web content, ebooks, sales
pages and press releases related to working at home. But the
experience of failing the writing test in middle school stayed
with me, causing self-doubt in my writing skills.

By 2000, I noticed that most people who contacted me wanted to
telecommute, but no books existed on how to get work-at-home
job. So I decided to write one. I studied book proposals,
writing what I thought was a compelling pitch, and mailed it
to four agents. They all rejected it. I was back in eighth grade
again, failing to meet the standard required. Instead of editing
the proposal to improve its chances, I gave up.

I'm not sure why I decided to pitch the book again in 2006,
except that there was still very little about telecommuting
while the demand for information grew. Once again, I studied
books on writing proposals this time focusing on the concepts
of “platforms” and “hooks”. I prepared a query about working in
my pajamas and emailed it to six agents, all of whom sent back
a “not for us” response. I had that same sense of failure that
plagued me since eighth grade, but since I had a list of five
more agents, I sent the query to them. Two responded requesting
the full proposal and both offered to represent me. I selected
one and within a few months the book was not only sold, but
expanded. Instead of a book on telecommuting, it became the be-
all book on working at home; The Work-At-Home Success Bible
(Adams Media 2009).

The voice of my writing was the key difference between my first
and second proposals. The message in the two documents was the
same, but the first read like a college thesis. It had good content,
but the delivery was dry. After my disaster in eighth grade, I'd
developed a writing style that was brief, direct, and boring,
which is acceptable in school, but doesn't sell books. The second
proposal was written in the voice of the pajama-clad work-at-home
mom I'd become. I allowed my personality to come through creating
a lively and engaging proposal.

The six years also gave me time to create a name for myself.
Publishers today put a lot of stock in a writer's platform. I'm
not entirely comfortable with tooting my own horn, but when it
came to selling the book, I had to toot loud and long telling agents
and publishers about the press I'd received, the numbers of people
visiting my website and reading my newsletter, and the places that
I was touted as an expert. I suspect that if I submitted a better
proposal in 2000, it still would have been rejected because my
platform was just a step-stool at that time.

When it comes to selling your book idea, my advice isn't original
because the old standards work. Write often. Develop your voice.
Promote yourself to garner a following. And don't quit!

BIO
Leslie Truex, aka the Pajama Mama, is the author of The Work-At-
Home Success Bible and a freelance writer of work-at-home, small
business, and health and wellness articles. Along with writing,
she speaks and consults on writing, marketing and work-life
balance. Learn more about Leslie at http://www.leslietruex.com



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

BUKOWSKI TAVERN WRITING CONTEST
http://bukowskitavern.net/cambridge/events
---
NO ENTRY FEE
Submission deadline Monday, June 18
Announcement Party Tuesday, June 26

Stories must include the words: PINT, PEN, DIG, and HARPOON.
500-750 words in any form of prose (short story, poetry,
screenplay, etc...) Entries must be typed. Contestants must
be 21 years of age or older. You can't work here. And you
gotta drop it off here in Cambridge or at Bukowski in Boston.
,
First Prize: $2,500
Second Prize: $1,000
Third Prize: Set of Dirty-Ass Steak Knives

=====

DREAMQUEST CONTEST
http://www.dreamquestone.com/
---
ENTRY FEE: $10 per short story, $5 per poem.
Write a poem, thirty lines or fewer on any subject, style, or
form, typed or neatly hand printed. And/or write a short story,
five pages maximum length, on any subject or theme, creative
writing fiction or non-fiction (including essay compositions,
diary, journal entries and screenwriting). Also, must be typed
or neatly hand printed. Multiple poetry and short story entries
are accepted. Deadline: July 31, 2012. All contest winners will
be announced on August 31, 2012. Writing Contest First Prize
is $500. Second Prize: $250. Third Prize: $100. Poetry Contest
First Prize is $250. Second Prize: $125. Third Prize: $50.

=====

AUGURY BOOKS PRIZE IN POETRY
http://augurybooks.com/submissions/
---
$20 ENTRY FEE
Deadline July 31, 2012. The winner will receive a $750 honorarium
and publication with Augury Books as well as 20 complimentary
copies of the book. Submit up to 40-75 pages of poetry.


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


MORDECAI SIEGAL SCHOLARSHIP
http://www.petwritingconference.com/mordecai-siegal-scholarship.html
---
In memory of Mordecai Siegal, the Business of Pet Writing
Conference is offering a scholarship to a member of the Dog
Writers Association of America in 2013! Scholarship includes:

1. Free Conference Registration and the Networking Lunch.

2. Ticket to the Dog Writers Association of America Annual
Banquet which is being offered by Aaronco Publishing

3. Tickets for both nights to Westminster's Annual Dog Show
which will be donated by David Frei

Please send us a one page letter describing yourself and your
financial need, outlining your writing career and how coming
to the pet writing conference can help you. Please send the
letter to Charlotte Reed, 362 Broome Street, #20, New York,
New York 10013, between May 1st and August 31st. Scholarship
winner will be announced before November 1st.

=====

SAN FRANCISCO WRITERS CONFERENCE SCHOLARSHIPS
http://sfwriters.org/scholarships/
---

The Kevin Smokler Scholarship

Write a 250-word article or story telling us why writing is
important to you and/or why you want to write. Send submissions
to Elizabeth Pomada at sfwriterscon@aol.com . The prize is a 
registration to the Conference. Deadline for entries is January
12, 2013.

The Bharti Kirchner- Ethnic Writing Scholarship

To enter, please send the first 5-8 double spaced pages of a
novel-in-progress in which the protagonist is a person of
ethnicity, living in either the U.S., or abroad, contemporary
or historical. The manuscript must have a title. Also include
a one-paragraph description of the work. Submission guidelines:
send two email copies with no attachments, one to Bharti
Kirchner at bhartik@aol.com  and the other to Elizabeth Pomada
at sfwriterscon@aol.com . Please include your name, address,
phone number, and email address. Deadline January 2, 2013.
The prize is a registration to the Conference.

=====

THE GLIMPSE CORRESPONDENTS PROGRAM
http://www.glimpse.org
---
The Glimpse Correspondents Program is currently accepting
applications from writers, journalists, photographers and
filmmakers who are working, living, studying or volunteering
outside of their home countries for a period of at least 10
weeks. If you are abroad and are looking for editorial support
for a work-in-progress or a funded opportunity to develop a
particular story, we want to hear from you. Each fall and spring,
Glimpse accepts 10 correspondents into the program. These
correspondents are expected to produce two long-form feature
stories and/or photo essays, and in return receive one-on-one
support from professional editors, free tuition to MatadorU
(worth $350), career training in travel writing and photography,
a $600 stipend, and publication on MatadorNetwork.com and
Glimpse.org. Applications for the Fall 2012 session are open
until July 30, 2012.



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


CANOE & KAYAK
http://www.canoekayak.com/contributors-guidelines/
---
The most renowned magazine on paddlesports. We never run unsolicited
articles. Your best bet is to e-mail us a short, original, and
very succinct query about your idea, the photos available to
illustrate it, and your writing background/availability. C&K
pays $.50 per published word, on publication.

=====

CHILDREN'S WRITER
http://childrenswriter.com/
---
A 12-page monthly newsletter in two sections reporting on the
marketplace for children’s writing—books, articles, stories,
plays, activities, and more. Current news, trends, tips, how
to write to publish. Aimed at beginning to well-established
professional writers interested in learning more and keeping
up-to-date on writing for children, selling their writing,
and the juvenile publishing industry. Informs subscribers about,
and analyzes, current markets in articles, columns, and reporting
of editorial needs. Helps writers of all levels of expertise to
strengthen their writing with markets in mind. Features 1,700-
2,000 words. Submit a detailed query, listing potential interview
sources, proposed length, and proposed submission date. Payment
on acceptance, $300. Columns are each 750 words, with a sidebar
of approximately 125-words. Submit a detailed query. Payment,
on acceptance, $200.

=====

GAMES MAGAZINE
http://www.kappapublishing.com/corporate/pages/contact-us.html
---
GAMES, founded in 1977, is a consumer magazine featuring a wide
variety of verbal and visual puzzles, brainteasers, trivia
quizzes, and many other features, as well as reviews of new
board games and electronic games. Email query to
wschmittberger@kappapublishing.com . Articles 1,500 to 3,000
words. Columns and puzzles/games available as well. Pays up to
$1,000 for articles. Columns pay up to $250.



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

TECHNICAL WRITER (Geology)
Location Menlo Park, California
http://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/317692100
---
Rank and series - GS-1083-09. Employer Geological Survey.
Salary: $56,172 to $73,019/Year. Deadline June 11, 2012.
Reviews, electronically edits and revises scientific and
technical reports for publication. Corrects bibliographic
citations and their references as well as reviews illustrations
for clarity, internal consistency, & conformance to publication
standards. Suggests changes and rewrites or reorganizes
sections of manuscripts to make the presentation of ideas
logical, the expression clear and concise, and the
presentation of the data consistent with style and accepted
scientific practice.

NOTE: similar position in Sacramento, CA
http://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/317728600

=====

WRITER
Location Winston Salem, NC
http://jobs.winstonsalem.com/jobseeker/jobdetail.aspx?abbr=winsalem&jobid=3db15b64-f272-4320-8219-05d3984841ca
---
Develops content for print and digital collateral related
to University Advancement priorities and campaign initiatives.
General projects to include marketing pieces, donor/student
profiles, remarks for senior leadership and feature-length
copy for various collateral.

=====

FREELANCE COPYWRITER
Location POrtland, OR
https://jobs-razorfish.icims.com/jobs/11292/job
---
The Copywriter is responsible for conceptual development and
copy deliverables, including advertising, web sites, email and
other forms of interface design. These responsibilities include
creating and communicating concepts, implementing marketing
strategies and developing short and long form copy solutions.


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


ALGONQUIN BOOKS
http://www.workman.com/resources/submission_guidelines/
---
Algonquin Books publishes literary fiction and nonfiction.
We don’t publish poetry or genre fiction (romance, science
fiction, etc.). In late 2012 we will begin publishing literary
YA and middle-grade reader books. See at bottom for submissions
info. Unfortunately, we cannot accept unsolicited manuscripts or
any electronic submissions. We do accept queries and will contact
you if we would like to see the full manuscript. Send a short
(no more than 15-20 double-spaced pages) sample of your work,
a cover letter, a self-addressed envelope, and a check to cover
return postage.

=====

STOREY PUBLISHING
http://www.storey.com/about/proposals.php
---
The books we select include titles on gardening, small-scale
farming, building, cooking, home brewing, crafts, part-time
business, home improvement, woodworking, animals, nature,
natural living, personal care, and country living. We are
always pleased to review new proposals, which we try to
process expeditiously. We offer both work-for-hire and
standard royalty contracts.

=====

YEN PRESS
http://www.yenpress.com/about/
---
Yen Press is not looking for original projects from writers
who are not already working directly with an illustrator.
Please do not send us your original concepts in the hopes
that we will assign an illustrator to you. Such concept
pitches will be deleted unread. That said, if you are a writer
interested in working on projects on a for hire basis, please
feel free to submit your résumé citing your professional work.
We may have something for you, and it is a great way to get
your foot in the door!