Last week I had the unique experience of being interviewed by
SC Educational Television (SC ETV) for their Literary Map of SC
series for high schools. It won't be available until after
December, but I'm excited about being in a program that will
be available to schools for years to come. The interview took
place in my home, which made the nerves less, but still . . .
I scrubbed my house down and cleaned up the yard like crazy!

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.

 

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

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

=====


 
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN

As I read reviews and book releases of younger authors, it pains
me just a little bit to see them finding their stride so early
in life. I had no clue what I wanted to be when I grew up. I
had whimsical dreams of being a veterinarian because I loved
dogs. Then I wanted to save wildlife and travel the globe tackling
environmental abuse. I thought about being an astronaut for years,
way before women did such a thing. See . . . my parents taught
me I could be whatever I wanted. The trouble was, I had too many
options, and I couldn't make up my mind.

Of course I wrote from a young age, like most writers whose
brains tapped them on the shoulder incessantly that this might
be a path to follow. But I wanted to do what people would
respect me for the most. Having talent in math and science,
I majored in the sciences. I was offered fellowships in journalism
and agricultural economics, and I declined, afraid they weren't
right for me. I laugh at that because I eventually worked in
agricultural economics with the federal government and then wrote
for a living.

There isn't one perfect moment to start writing. If I had launched
initially as a writer, I would never have created Lowcountry
Bribe, which evolved from a dark moment in my government career
when I was offered a bribe.

We cannot dictate that the planets be aligned in order to write.
You do not postpone writing because the kids are small or the
spouse is ill. While both are oh so important, you have time
in your days to write. You may have another job and volunteer
on the side, but you can find moments each day to write.

Thinking back, I find that my journey led back to writing
numerous times. I was too busy designing my life, thinking I
had to find a right and proper life.

Don't worry about what might have been or what you neglected
to take advantage of. As long as you are breathing, you are
still on your journey. You do not know which choice was right
and which was wrong, or even if there is such a answer. Life
is a test . . . a personal one. Only you can define whether
it's dictated by money, by what others think of you, or by the
stories you leave as a legacy. There are no right answers.
And we can't let ourselves be deceived that we've exhausted
our options.

We can write. At anytime, we can write. It will be hard, as
anything worth having is. But it will be so delicious in the
end as one day you look back and see that you alone made the
choice to be a story teller.

If you are stalling, stop. Pick up your pen. Open a blank
page on your screen. Fill up the space with words.

"It is never too late to be what you might have been."

- George Eliot -





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/ 

=====

A QUOTE FROM LOWCOUNTRY BRIBE!

The Carolina Slade Mystery Series is available with its
premier book Lowcountry Bribe. Welcome to the world of
Carolina Slade. Here's a blurb:

"He tousled the fur on Smokey's head and walked toward
me with a laid-back air and an expressionless face. More
a Texas Ranger than a James Bond, more sour mash whiskey
than a dry martini. The government's eclectic taste in
agents surpassed my expectation.

He flipped open his wallet credentials, and sunlight glinted
off the badge. 'I'm Senior Special Agent Wayne Largo.' "

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

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

=====


SIGN UP FOR TOTAL FUNDSFORWRITERS. . .

TOTAL FundsforWriters is our largest newsletters - 75 markets,
contests, grants, publishers, agents and jobs for writers.
Just envision FundsforWriters, only five times larger.
Delivered biweekly to you by email. $15/year for 26 issues.

www.fundsforwriters.com/total.htm 

(Free w/ proof of purchase of Lowcountry Bribe.)

=====

YOU SAID IT!!!

THE LATEST COMMENT ABOUT LOWCOUNTRY BRIBE....

Lowcountry Bribe was an unexpected pleasure with strong, believable
characters and astonishing twists and turns. Hope Clark did a
remarkable job with her first mystery novel. I especially enjoyed
the way she used interesting, fresh phrases in exchange for the
usual clichés. The opening line, for example, is priceless. Like
so many other readers, I'm eager to read the next in the series.

~Patricia L. Fry, http://matilijapress.com/index.html


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

WORDS OF SUCCESS

"I put a piece of paper under my pillow, and when I
could not sleep I wrote in the dark."

~Henry David Thoreau,
American Author and Poet
(1817 - 1862 )




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

Just a brief note to thank you for offering valuable resources
to writers & artists everywhere. You are an inspiration!

Also, a special thank you: In September, I’m heading to Taos,
NM, for 3 months as a writing resident at Helene Wurlitzer
Foundation. I can’t thank you enough for your newsletter.
Funds for Writers is truly a gift!

Warmest regards (literally!),

Pam Daum
www.pamelazdaum.com



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


A Quiet Success Story: No Certainty Attached

By Robert Dean Lurie

"Find a topic you are passionate about, a topic that has an
audience, and let it rip." That seemingly obvious dictum is
the one piece of advice I would give if I were called back to
speak to MFA students at the University of North Carolina
Wilmington, my alma mater. When I attended the program from
2002-2005, I observed many of my classmates in the nonfiction
track writing memoirs for their theses. This seemed slightly
absurd to me as few of these writers had cracked the age of
thirty and even fewer had unique--in salable terms, at least--
stories to tell. In most cases the quality of the work was high,
but that is not always enough, as we know, to ensure publication.

At first glance, my own choice for thesis topic appeared equally
quixotic: I opted to write about my favorite rock band: a semi-
obscure (in the US, anyway) group from Australia called The Church.
However, even though The Church posed no chart threat to U2, the
band did have a fervent cult following. Also, the group's relative
non-fame meant that its members could easily be contacted for
interviews. I chose to focus my book primarily on The Church's
enigmatic front man, Steve Kilbey, and worked closely with him on
shaping the narrative. The end result--'No Certainty Attached:
Steve Kilbey and The Church'--quickly found a home with the
Portland, Oregon-based Verse Chorus Press (http://www.versechorus.com) 
and was published in Australia, The US, and the UK in 2009.

Working with a small publisher proved immensely rewarding, though
in some respects I had to adjust my expectations. For instance,
the initial print run was closer to what you might see from a
small university press than a Da Capo or HarperCollins. And, while
we did secure a publicity team for the Australian rollout, I ended
up doing a lot of hustling on my own to promote the U.S. release--
which included writing directly to publications such as The Big
Takeover and the website Slicing up Eyeballs to secure reviews
and interviews. Still, it was precisely this lack of overhead that
ensured that the book quickly went into profit and has continued to
sell steadily ever since, a situation helped in no small part by an
arrangement between Verse Chorus Press and The Church whereby the
band sells copies of the book directly from its website and at
concerts and retains a percentage of the profits.

In the words of Steve Kilbey himself, 'No Certainty Attached' is
"not exactly setting the New York Times Bestseller List on fire."
Yet the book has done well enough, and has proved a positive enough
personal experience for both publisher and writer, that I have
reached an agreement with Verse Chorus Press to write a second
music-themed book for them. Additionally, 'No Certainty Attached's
solid reviews--including one from Publisher's Weekly--have made
the process of submitting articles to paying publications
considerably easier. In short, I'm on my way. My garden has been
planted and flowers are slowly beginning to bloom. It's not a
bad a way to start a career.

BIO
Robert Dean Lurie is the author of 'No Certainty Attached: Steve
Kilbey and The Church' (Verse Chorus Press, 2009). Lurie holds a
Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Georgia and a
Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of
North Carolina Wilmington. His articles and essays have appeared
in Blurt Magazine, The American Culture, Bootleg, and Chronicles.


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


WRITERS VILLAGE CONTEST
http://www.writers-village.org
---
ENTRY FEE $16 (£10)
A first prize of $800 (£500) can be won in the fall round of
the Writers Village contest for short fiction up to 3,000 words
in any genre. Second prize is $400 (£250), third is $160 (£100)
and there are three further prizes of $80 (£50). Every story,
win or lose, also gains a free helpful critique - a feature thought
to be unique among low-fee writing contests. Winning stories will
be showcased at the site. Entries are welcomed worldwide. Deadline
September 30, 2012.

=====

THE CONNECTICUT POETRY SOCIETY
http://ct-poetry-society.org/
---
$15 ENTRY FEE
The Connecticut Poetry Society is pleased to announce that the
Connecticut River Review Poetry Contest is accepting submissions.
The judge is Jeff Mock. All poets are welcome. You do not need
to reside in Connecticut or belong to the Connecticut Poetry
Society. We offer prizes of $400, $100, and $50. Winning poems
will be published in the Connecticut River Review. Honorable
Mentions may also receive publication. For your entry fee you may
enter three unpublished poems, up to 80 lines each. Multiple and
simultaneous submissions are acceptable if you notify us immediately
upon acceptance elsewhere. Please submit two copies of each poem,
one with contact info and one completely anonymous. Deadline
September 30, 2012.

=====

FIRST ANNUAL SARANAC REVIEW WRITING CONTEST
http://research.plattsburgh.edu/saranacreview/
---
$15 ENTRY FEE
Deadline December 15, 2012. The Saranac Review is a literary
journal published by the Department of English under the auspices
of SUNY Plattsburgh. $500 for best poem and $500 for best story.
Both receive publication. The contest is open to all authors
writing in English regardless of nationality or residence.
Entry fee entitles applicant to one story or three poems.


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


BIG CYPRESS NATIONAL PRESERVE, FLORIDA ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE
http://www.nps.gov/bicy/supportyourpark/artist-in-residence-program.htm
---
The Artist-In-Residence Program at Big Cypress National Preserve
offers professional writers, composers, and visual and performing
artists the opportunity to pursue their artistic discipline while
being surrounded by the preserve's inspiring landscape. Big Cypress
primarily looks for short-term (less than one month) and long-term
(one to three months) residents during our wet (May through October)
and dry (November through April) seasons. In August of each year a
board of people will review the applicants for the following year
and select the participants for each opportunity.

=====

PETRIFIED FOREST NATIONAL PARK, ARIZONA ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE
http://www.nps.gov/pefo/parknews/artist-in-residence.htm
---
The Artist-In-Residence Program at Petrified Forest National Park
offers professional visual, performing, and literary artists the
opportunity to pursue their artistic discipline while being
surrounded by the park’s inspiring landscape. Selected artists
stay in park housing for two-week periods from April through October.
No stipend is provided. Artists must be prepared to work in high
desert, summer weather conditions that include high winds, low
relative humidity and temperatures reaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit
during the day and lows reaching roughly 40 degrees at night.
Applications will be accepted for the 2013 program with postmarks
dated through March 15, 2013.

=====

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, COLORADO ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE
http://www.nps.gov/romo/supportyourpark/artist_in_residence.htm
---
Entries are accepted for the 2013 Program with postmarks dated
October 1 through November 15, 2012. The Artist-In-Residence
Program at Rocky Mountain National Park offers professional
writers, composers, and visual and performing artists the
opportunity to pursue their artistic discipline while being
surrounded by the park's inspiring landscape. Selected artists
stay in a historic cabin for two-week periods from June through
September. No stipend is provided.


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


PENN STATER
http://pennstatermag.com/contact-us/
---
Published since 1910, Penn Stater is a bimonthly magazine sent
to dues-paying members of the Penn State Alumni Association.
Covers interesting people, events, history, and accomplishments
that make up the alumni and current members of Penn State
University. Articles are 1,000 to 2,500 words and pay $100
to $3,000. Loves national college trends as they pertain to
Penn State.

=====

THE PLAIN TRUTH
http://www.ptm.org/contact_fS.htm
---
Christianity without the religion. The Plain Truth (PT) is a
refreshing and welcome breath of fresh air in the midst of
tired, oppressive religious threats and guilt trips. Query
with an outline. Email managing.editor@ptm.org . Pays 25
cents/word for articles of varying lengths. Reprints pay
15 cents/word. Loves personal stories of relationships over
ritual when it comes to Christianity.

=====

POPULAR WOODWORKING
http://www.popularwoodworking.com/writersguidelines
---
End Grain: This one-page article, averaging about 600 words,
reflects on the writer’s thoughts about woodworking as a
profession or hobby. The article can be either humorous or
serious. Payment starts at $250. This is a good entry-point
for first-time freelancers. We purchase six of these columns
a year. The writer does not need to be a professional woodworker.
Submissions should be sent to Megan Fitzpatrick via e-mail:
megan.fitzpatrick@fwmedia.com or by post: Popular Woodworking
Magazine, 4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati OH 45236.



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


STAFF WRITER
Location McKinney, TX
http://careers.torchmarkcorp.com/
---
The Staff Writer reports to the Content Manager and completes
various writing projects that require strong attention to detail,
decision making, and communication with internal and external
customers and subject matter experts. The Staff Writer identifies
any potential risks to the creation of new copy and how it may
affect existing copy in other projects. The Staff Writer
demonstrates knowledge of multiple forms of writing, such as
feature, blogging, business, copy, script, SEO, technical, web,
etc. Torchmark is a financial services holding company whose
affiliate companies market life insurance and supplemental
health insurance to middle-income Americans. B.A. in English or
Journalism from four-year college or university; or equivalent
combination of education and experience. Must have 2-3 years
writing experience as part of employment history.

=====

WRITER-EDITOR
Location Crystal City, VA / Federal Bureau of Investigation
http://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/325472600
---
Deadline September 10, 2012. Proposes changes to improve coverage,
presentation, and readability, and ensures that written materials
do not conflict with existing policies, procedures, or information
previously submitted. Prepares article revisions, organizing
information to ensure adequacy of topic treatment, clarity of
expression, logical sequence, and grammatical construction, as
well as other criteria governing form and substance.

=====

FEATURES WRITER
Location Seattle, WA
http://magazinejobs.org/jobsearch/display/206882193
---
The Marketing Writer composes fresh headlines and tight supporting
copy that both inspire the reader and sell product for Nordstrom's
online advertising program, as well as all marketing and customer
service emails. This position works closely with the design,
development and producer groups to develop effective and compelling
creative that reflects the Nordstrom brand.



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

LIVING WORD LITERARY
http://livingwordliterary.wordpress.com/
---
As a member of the ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publishers
Association), the CMA (Christian Media Association), advisory
staff of George Fox University, the Willamette Writers, and
12 years of publishing experience, Kimberly is pleased to
introduce Living Word Literary Agency where she will continue
to pursue her passion for helping new and hungry authors find
a home within the publishing community.

Submit an initial query with short synopsis and first chapter
via Word attachment (electronic submissions only). If the material
fits the agency’s interests, then a request for additional
material will be sent to you within one week. If you do not
receive a response, it means that your project simply doesn’t
fit the agency’s program, and we wish you well in your continued
pursuit of representation.

Living Word represents adult fiction (Amish and Historical
Romance needed), Christian living, dating/marriage, parenting,
self-help, apologetics, health, inspirational, environmental,
social issues, pop-culture, women’s issues, and men’s issues.
No YA fiction, artwork, cookbooks, children’s books, science
fiction or fantasy, novellas, devotionals, memoirs or
autobiographies, poetry, or screenplays.

=====

EINSTEIN THOMPSON AGENCY
http://www.einsteinthompson.com/about/
---
Einstein Thompson is a full-service literary agency based in
New York City. We represent a broad range of literary and
commercial fiction, including upmarket women’s fiction, crime
fiction, historical fiction and books for children and young
adults. Our non-fiction interests include popular science,
politics, blog-to-book projects, memoir, cookbooks, sports,
health and wellness, and popular culture.

=====

LOWENSTEIN ASSOCIATES, INC.
http://www.lowensteinassociates.com/submission.html
---
Lowenstein Associates accepts paper and electronic submissions
of both fiction and nonfiction; however it does not represent
the following material: horror, westerns, adult science-fiction,
textbooks, children's picture books and books in need of
translation. Check out each agent for specifics on what she is
seeking.

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

CALL FOR ENTRIES

Shelf Unbound Writing Competition for Best Self-Published Book.

Winner will be featured in December/January 2013 issue and will
receive a year of full-page ads in Shelf Unbound.

Details here:
http://www.shelfmediagroup.com/pages/competition.html


 

=====
 

HIRE AN AWARD WINNING DESIGNER/AUTHOR TO DEVELOP YOUR WEBSITES

Shaila Abdullah has over a decade of experience designing websites
for authors. Being an author herself, she understands the industry,
and will provide you with a content management website that reflects
your unique style, genre, and personality. Other design services
such as book covers & interiors, marketing materials, and email
campaigns (newsletters, announcements, etc.) also available.

E-mail Shaila: info@myhouseofdesign.com
View portfolio: http://myhouseofdesign.com/authors.html

Testimonial from John Holgerson, poet and subscriber of FFW -
http://johnlholgerson.com  :

“Working with Shaila to create my website was an absolute joy.
Her creative ability is unbounded. Give Shaila the seeds of
some ideas and she will grow your words into a magnificent
garden of visual imagery.”

=====

 

TOM HOWARD/JOHN H. REID POETRY CONTEST – CLOSING THIS MONTH

Tenth year. Ten cash prizes totaling $5,550, plus a new $250
bonus prize for humorous verse. Top prize $3,000. Submit poems
in any style or genre. Both published and unpublished work
accepted. 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.

Entry fee is $8 for every 25 lines, payable to Winning Writers.
Postmark deadline: September 30. Judges: John H. Reid, Dee C.
Konrad. Submit online or mail to Winning Writers, Attn: Tom
Howard 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/tompoetry

=====

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


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