It's been great being home for a solid month. The chickens
love me again, and I hung a new rooster flag in the yard in
their honor! And yes, that's a new tie-dye shirt. Love them!!!

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.

 

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

MarketingNewAuthors.com (MANA) is sponsoring a very special
writers' contest. The MANA Sunrise Writers' Contest will
award the author of the best submitted manuscript, poetry or
prose, fiction or non-fiction, the following: $500, his
manuscript published and marketed for free. Also, the contest
offers more!

Interested, contact us at: info@marketingnewauthors.com 

Until we hear from you, staff members of MANA wish you many
Sunrises and Sunsets!
 

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

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

====

WHEN TO WRITE FOR FREE

Anyone who has known me for very long, recalls that I'm
all about writing for money. And I'm vehemently opposed to
writing mills.

Writing Mills = Sites known as Content Aggregators. They
pay pennies. You earn based on quantity of articles, not
quality. They always advertise for new writers (mainly
because of the turnover once writers learn the deal).

Granted, they are enticing. You don't really answer to an
editor. You rarely get rejected. But those clips mean nothing
in your portfolio. Why? Because people in the industry
recognize writing mill work for what it is. Words thrown
together to grab searches in hopes the people searching
happen to click on the advertisements.

However, blogs have changed everything.

1. You write free on your own blog.

2. You write free when you guest blog.

3. You write free on major website blogs.

Yes, there are a few blogs that pay, but most don't. Blogs
can be opportunity, even though they do not pay much if at all.
Just remember the rules.

1. Write for free if you are breaking in to a well-known blog.

Carol Tice is a freelance copywriter making a good living
at it. Look at what she's published, and note that many of
them are blog posts. http://www.caroltice.com/articles
When a market is competitive, offer a sharp blog post for
free, to get your foot in the door. Maybe even two, three,
even ten posts. Get them used to you, then ask for compensation,
or maybe even a regular gig.

2. Write for free if you are breaking in to a magazine.

Today many magazines have a sister blog. Pitch the editor of
the blog. Your resume will still say you wrote for Family Circle
(or fill in the mag name). And once they learn to love your
posts, you can pitch to the print.

3. Write for free if you are selling something else.

Blog tours/virtual tours for books can generate income
via book sales. Just make sure the post is good and a
stand alone even if you didn't have a book. Or else write
about a subject that's in the book, but don't hard-sell
the book. Just show you're an expert in what you do.

See? There are times to write for free. Just be smart about it.

PAYING BLOG SITES

http://www.bloggerjobs.biz/
http://www.makealivingwriting.com/why-i-pay-writers/
http://www.therenegadewriter.com/2012/06/21/the-renegade-writer-blog-is-now-paying-for-guest-posts/
http://readlearnwrite.com/guest-post/
http://jobs.problogger.net/


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 
PINTEREST - http://pinterest.com/chopeclark/

=====


TEEN WRITERS INTERVIEW C. HOPE CLARK!!!

Tune into the radio program, Express Yourself!™, the #1 YA radio
program in the world on August 14th at NOON Pacific where I'll
be interviewed. You can listen from your computer by going to

http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/2014/express-yourself

If you miss the live show, you can find it archived at
http://www.starstyleradio.com  or http://www.BTSYA.com

Thanks for supporting the voices of young adults in our efforts
to spread positive messages.

Teens talk, the world listens on Express Yourself!™

=====

 

YOU SAID IT!!!

THE LATEST COMMENT ABOUT LOWCOUNTRY BRIBE....

"If anyone can write an authentic Southern mystery, it's C. Hope
Clark. Her plots are as tangled as the kudzu vines that snake over
rural roofs, and the characters so real, I know I know them. For
a riveting ride, pour yourself a tall glass of bourbon, curl up
on your porch swing, and read Lowcountry Bribe."

~Cynthia Brian
Producer/Host StarStyle®-Be the Star You Are!® Radio
and New York Times best selling author
http://www.StarStyleRadio.com

(Available at www.chopeclark.com , Amazon, B&N. Books A Million, and most bookstores)


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

WORDS OF SUCCESS


Knowledge is the antidote to fear.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson




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


Continued success with Lowcountry Bribe! And thanks for the
many leads you provide on a weekly basis.

Here are two of my success stories due to your newsletter:
Edge Of The Pond ( Popcorn Press, 2012) , and First Prize
in the 2007 Hammons Prizes for Poetry.

Edge Of The Pond is selected haiku and tanka and includes
many of my works that have won international awards.

It is available in Kindle, ePub, on Amazon.com and from the
publisher at www.popcornpress.com  . I found the Popcorn Press
listing in your August 12, 2011 issue of FundsforWriters.

Again, many thanks for all you do for writers.

All the Best,
Darrell Lindsey
http://tinyurl.com/ccaqz3g


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


WINNING JUVENILE FICTION WRITING CONTESTS

By Randi Lynn Mrvos

Over the past two years, I’ve won nine contest prizes for my
picture story books. Winning for juvenile fiction writing can
be challenging, but not impossible. Though other writers may
have different approaches to winning contests, here’s what I do:

*I make sure that my manuscript is within the specified word
count. For juvenile fiction, less is more. Most children’s
stories run about 500 – 700 words. But if the contest limits
entries to 300 words, it’s time to trim. My story When Sheep
Won’t Leap, a grand prize winner, was originally 500 words.
I had to remove non-essential phrases and keep the ones that
would move the plot along.

*I strive to make my rhymes perfect, if I’m submitting a
rhyming story. According to Liz Waniewski, an editor at Dial
Books for Young Children, rhymes have to be spot on. There’s
no cheating. I relied on a thesaurus and an online rhyming
dictionary when writing When Sheep Won’t Leap.

*I aim to create a story that will be unique. To set When
Sheep Won’t Leap apart from the other entries, I used word
play and alliteration. More importantly, I considered the
visual impact of the story. For example, I changed the font
sizes of words:

"But Ella sighs, 'I’ve tried them all,
beasts and fowl from BIG to small.'"

I also suggested motion:

"She slips from bed and creeps d o w n s t a i r s "
(letters trailing down the page)

I give the main character a quest with stakes and ensure that
she solves the problem by herself (no help from adults). In
When Sheep Won’t Leap the main character Ella must find a way
to get uncooperative sheep to leap over her bed so that she
can count them to help her fall asleep. She solves the problem
herself by giving them an offer they can’t refuse.

*I develop a main character that readers will care about. In
another award-winning story, Maggie and the First Grade
Blues, readers are drawn to Maggie because she is kind and
loving to her pet dog. In addition, the audience roots for
Maggie because of her quirky phrases. For instance: When a
friend asks Maggie what she is bringing to show the class,
Maggie says,

“I drop to the ground. I draw a circle. The fact is: I had nothing.
Zip. Zilch. Zero.”

I present the conflict early on. It’s essential in writing
for children that you hook the readers and engage them right away.
In Maggie and the First Grade Blues the conflict is presented by
the first fifty words.

I create a logical, sequential plot and throw in several
complications before the climax. Lastly I conclude with a
satisfying ending, perhaps with a twist. Again, in Maggie and
the First Grade Blues things go from bad to worse for Maggie.
In the end everything works out and for the twist, she brings
her dog to school—but readers don’t learn until the last few
words of the story that her beloved pet only has three legs.

I enjoy entering contests because there are many benefits:

*They give writers a challenge

*They Encourage writers to create an outstanding piece

*They put a writer’s work before a judge

*They require a writer to follow the guidelines

*They build a writer’s resume

*They promote writer recognition

*They offer awards and prizes


Winning a juvenile fiction writing contest is thrilling and
helps boost my confidence as a writer. I usually enter the
contests listed below. You too, may want to consider entering
them.

Create a new piece or dust off your manuscript. Edit your work.
Then, submit it. Believe that your piece is worthy of a juvenile
fiction prize.

Contests:

Highlights for Children
http://www.highlights.com/highlights-fiction-contest 
No entry fee. Three prizes of $1,000 or tuition for any
Highlights Foundation workshop.

Institute of Children’s Literature
http://www.thechildrenswriter.com/af627/ 
No charge if you are a current subscriber to the Children’s
Writer; $15 fee otherwise. $500 grand prize.

Tennessee Mountain Writers
http://www.tmwi.org/index.html 
Entry fee $15. $100 grand prize.

Kay Snow Willamette Writers
http://www.willamettewriters.com/1/kaysnow.php 
$15 for non-members; $10 for members; Students are free.
This annual writing contest awards one first prize of $300,
one second place prize of $150, and a third place prize of $50
in each of the six categories: fiction, nonfiction, juvenile,
poetry, student writer and screenwriting. Student writers are
awarded $50 for first place in three grade divisions, $20 for
second place, and $10 for third place.

Alabama Writer’s Conclave
http://www.alabamawritersconclave.org/pdf/guidelines_2012.pdf
Entry fee $5 for members, $8 for nonmembers. $100 first place,
$75 second place, $50 third place, $25 for up to four honorable
mentions.

BIO:
Randi Lynn Mrvos writes for children's and writers' magazines.
She is an award-winning picture book writer, the nonfiction
editor for Stories for Children Magazine, a columnist for the
writers’ newsletter Extra Innings, and an editor for the
educational website www.Viatouch.com . Her publishing credits
include Funds for Writers, Byline, The Dabbling Mom, Visions,
and the Mid-south SCBWI newsletter Borderlines.



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


AMERICA'S FAVORITE AUTHOR CONTEST
http://www.authorsnetworkingsummit.com/america-favorite-authors-contest-guidelines.html
---
$25 ENTRY FEE
America’s Favorite Author is a “people’s choice” centered writing
contest. The three finalists will be judged “American Idol” style
incorporating the votes of the general public and a panel’s
decision. The winning contestant will receive $1,000. There will
also be a contest for America’s Favorite Author who has the highest
number of votes in their respective genres:

Fiction: Fantasy, Mystery, Historical, Romance, and Science Fiction.
Non-Fiction: Informational, Self-Help, Poetry, Autobio, and Inspirational.
These first place authors will receive $100.

All nominated authors must be published authors who have a
published work within the last five years. Nominations will
close July 25, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. (CST). Submit the following
by July 30, 2012:

- A 90-second video about "why" you should be America's Favorite Author
- $25 entry fee
- Your availability for a 10-minute interview on America's
Favorite Author blogtalkradio program in August or September
- Your writer's resume.

NOTE FROM HOPE: Short deadline. Also this is a new competition.

=====

FARMERS MARKET ESSAY PRIZE
http://farmersmarketcoalition.org/inspiration-award
---
NO ENTRY FEE
We’re looking for essay submissions from all corners of the nation
that depict concrete examples of farmers market impacts: on-farm
biodiversity, diversity among producers and customers, or diversity
in the partnerships that help your farmers markets best serve your
community. This year, we are specifically looking for essays written
by farmers/producers at farmers markets. Deadline August 11, 2012.
$1,000 cash prize to one (1) grand prize winner; Five (5) honorable
mentions will each receive a free one-year membership in the Farmers
Market Coalition, and a one year print subscription to Growing for
Market. Limit 1,200 words. Your essay should include at least one
quote from a fellow farmer, customer, market manager or community
partner.

=====

3-DAY NOVEL CONTEST
http://www.3daynovel.com/
---
Can you produce a masterwork of fiction in a mere 72 hours?
The annual International 3-Day Novel Contest is your chance
to find out. The contest runs every Labour Day long weekend,
as it has since 1977, and it now attracts writers from all
over the world. It's a thrill, a grind, and an awesome creative
experience. How many crazed plotlines, coffee-stained pages,
pangs of doubt and moments of genius will the next contest
bring forth? And what might you think up under pressure?
The 35th Annual 3-Day Novel Contest will take place September
1-3, 2012. Registration is now open.

Early-bird registration deadline: August 15 ($50)
Final registration cutoff: August 31 ($55)

First prize is paid publication; second prize is $500; and
third prize is $100. Open internationally.


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


OPEN MEADOW FOUNDATION GRANTS
http://www.openmeadows.org
---
Funding to individuals and to nonprofit organizations for projects
that are led by and benefit women. Grants of up to $2,000 support
projects that are designed and implemented by women and girls;
reflect diversity of community served by project in both its
leadership and organization; promote building community power;
promote racial, social, economic, and environmental justice;
and have limited financial access or have encountered obstacles
in search for funding. Deadline: August 15, 2012.

=====

YADDO
http://www.yaddo.org
---
APPLICATION FEE: $35-$40
Locaton Saratoga Springs, NY. Residencies of an average of five
for writers working at the professional level in their fields.
Residency provides housing, meals, studio, travel assistance,
and materials stipend. Artists responsible for additional
materials or travel costs. Deadline: August 1, 2012.

=====

SOUTH ARTS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANTS
http://www.southarts.org/site/c.guIYLaMRJxE/b.7586109/k.57A5/Presenter_Assistance.htm
---
During these challenging times, South Arts understands the
importance of professional development for presenters throughout
the year. The intent of this grant program is to offer assistance
to presenters for opportunities that they normally would not be
able to afford. Applications will only be accepted for new
opportunities that presenters, under normal circumstances, are
unable to attend. Consideration will be given to presenters who
have experienced an ongoing hardship and have been unable to
continue their professional development.

This funding supports staff members to travel to conferences,
workshops, and other professional development opportunities.
These grants support travel expenses (for example, lodging and
air/ground transportation), admission/registration fees, and
other related expenses. The maximum request is 50% of the
conference/professional development expenses, up to $700.
Awarded funds are disbursed on a reimbursement basis only.
Applications are due at least 60 days prior to the event.
Presenters are limited to one Planning Grant and one Travel
Grant per South Arts fiscal year. All activities must take place
between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013. Must reside in Alabama,
Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina,
South Carolina, or Tennessee.


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


EARTH ISLAND JOURNAL
http://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/guidelines/
---
We are looking for stories that anticipate environmental
concerns before they become pressing problems, stories that
scan the horizon for the next big issue. Whenever possible,
we seek to tell the stories of individuals and communities
who are successfully defending and restoring the Earth. On-
the-ground reports from outside North America are especially
welcomed. We pay writers 20 cents/word for shorter dispatches
(1,200-1,500 words) and for longer investigative features
(2,500-3,000 words). We prefer that writers query us before
submitting a story.

=====

E: THE MAGAZINE
http://www.emagazine.com/writers-guidelines
---
E serves important roles as a voice for the environmental
movement and a vital information source on national and
international environmental issues. We request that writers
send queries by e-mail. Please indicate approximate article
length and which section of the magazine you are targeting,
allowing a three-month lead time. Please attach writing samples.
E pays 30 cents/word upon publication, and you'll receive a
contract that can be signed electronically if your article
has been assigned.

=====

ELKS MAGAZINE
http://www.elks.org/elksmag/contact.cfm
---
Buys 20 to 30 articles each year. Informative, upbeat,
entertaining writing on science, technology, nature, sports,
history, health, retirement, finance, leisure, seasonal ideas
and general Americana. Limit 1,200 to 2,000 words. Prefers
articles on spec. Photos preferred and paid extra. Expect
around 25 cents/word.



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


WRITER-EDITOR
Location Washington DC
http://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/320211000
---
Deadline July 27, 2012. Employed US Economic Research Service.
The incumbent will be responsible for editing manuscripts and
articles for clarity and accuracy, preparing publications for
dissemination in print and on the Agency's website. The
incumbent will write report summaries and other materials as
assigned. Incumbent will also be responsible for using
electronic desktop publishing packages to prepare camera copy
(text, tables, graphics) for printing.

=====

EDITOR (NEWSPAPER COPY)
Location Kaiserslautern, Germany
http://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/321094600
---
Deadline July 27, 2012. US citizens only. Employer Stars and
Stripes. The Senior Editor edits news, sports and feature copy
for the web, digital editions and the daily newspaper. In
addition to copy editing, the Senior Editor works with reporters
on story development and structure, suggests story angles and
sources, sends stories back to the writer when warranted for
a rewrite with constructive suggestions for improvement. The
Senior Editor works closely with the Europe News Editor as
well as the Middle East Bureau Chief, web and sports editors
and photographers. The Senior Editor coordinates with reporters,
photographers and graphic designers to ensure stories have
photos, graphics, video or other elements as warranted.

=====

FREELANCE COPYWRITERS
Location Virginia Beach, VA
http://www.nexusdirect.com/employment/freelance-copywriter/
---
Nexus Direct is looking for assertive and energetic Freelance
Copywriters to add to our team of self-starters/overachievers.
Ideal candidates will be responsible for collaborating with our
creative group and our client-facing teams to create copy and
propose new concepts for targeted direct marketing campaigns.
To qualify, you must have 4 years of full-service direct marketing
experience and preferably a degree in English, marketing or
communications. Experience with political fundraising and non-
profit copywriting is a plus. To be considered, please send your
relevant work history and 2–3 writing samples.




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


STUART KRICHEVSKY LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.skagency.com/
---
The Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency is an independent New
York literary agency representing a distinguished list of
fiction and non-fiction authors, with an emphasis on narrative
non-fiction and literary journalism.

=====

KRAAS LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.kraasliteraryagency.com/events.htm
---
The agency is ONLY accepting new manuscripts in the genre of
adult thrillers and mysteries. Submissions should be the first
ten pages of a completed manuscript embedded in an email. Does
not open attachments or go to websites.

=====

LANGTONS INTERNATIONAL AGENCY
http://www.langtonsinternational.com/
---
Langtons International Agency is a literary agency specializing
in non-fiction, literary and commercial fiction, young adult and
middle grade books. Langtons International Agency also acts as
a consultant to The Museum of Modern Art to help capitalize on
their wonderful wealth of images and to extend their product
and sales base nationally.


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





=====

 

HOUSTON WRITERS GUILD CONFERENCE V
MARRIOTT HOTEL, PLANTATION ROOM
3060 City Walk, Sugar Land 77479

FRIDAY OCT 12, 2012, 1-5 PM
Nikki Loftin “BUILD YOUR WRITING TOOLKIT”
April Eberhardt “AN AGENT’S VIEW OF SELF-PUBLISHING”

SATURDAY OCT 13, 9 – 4:30
Margie Lawson
Empowering Characters’ Emotions:
Becoming a Psychologist on the Page
SPEAKING TO THE READER’S UNCONSCIOUS: COUNTING EMOTIONAL HITS

Below prices represent 20% OFF total ticket for members who
register by July 31, 2012. Check or PayPal accepted.

FRIDAY & SATURDAY: $120
FRIDAY ONLY: $40
SATURDAY ONLY: $100

Email: info@houstonwritersguild.org 
www.houstonwritersguild.org

=====

Your huge pretty ad could be right here.
FundsforWriters readers are loyal and read these ads.
See our testimonials at http://www.fundsforwriters.com/adrates.htm 



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

Please forward the newsletter in its entirety. To reprint
any editorials, contact hope@fundsforwriters.com  for permission.
Please do not assume that acknowledgements listed in your
publication is considered a valid right to publish.



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

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

http://www.fundsforwriters.com

Copyright 2000-2012, C. Hope Clark
ISSN: 1533-1326


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