Volume 13, Issue 1
January 4, 2013

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FUNDS FOR WRITERS

Chosen for Writer's Digest's
101 Best Websites for Writers
2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006,
2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012

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Yep, she's always in my lap, including at the keyboard. She is spoiled
rotten and we're still working on the "come" command, but she's a cuddler.
She's been helping me edit the last chapter of Carolina Slade's third book!

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.

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PAID SPONSOR OF THE WEEK
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Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest - No Fee!

12th annual free contest sponsored by Winning Writers. $2,000
in cash prizes, including a top prize of $1,000. Submit one humor
poem by April 1 deadline. No fee to enter. 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. Final judge: Jendi Reiter.
Winning Writers is one of the "101 Best Writing Websites" (Writer's
Digest, 2005-2012). See guidelines, past winners, and enter online
at www.winningwriters.com/wergle

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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

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NEW YEAR, WHERE TO START?

Some of you have been wondering how to start off the new year.
Others are newer to the craft, wondering how to jumpstart a writing
career at all. In many ways, your dilemmas are the same.

Here are some questions to ponder, to help you gain perspective:

Money or project?

If you need the money from your writing, then stick with those
writing efforts that . . . wait for it . . . earn money in the
short run. That means copywriting, magazine articles, blogging
for paying sites, resume-writing. No, your books will not earn
you much money. That is a long-term project that you'll do
AFTER you've done your short-term projects, and you'll write
books with the understanding that they are a long-tail business
venture. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_tail)

If you have the financial means to go straight to your dream
project that has no immediate financial reward, then do so,
but don't force your project to make money in the short run.

Short or long writing?

Do you prefer flash, short stories, journalism pieces, or magazine
features? Or do you prefer the months/years-long investment of a
book project? Pick which one will drive your attention in 2013.
One has to be your priority. Yes, I know you can write both but
decide, silly. Which one will be most important?

Art or platform?

Is 2013 your year to accomplish a ton of writing, probably on
some major project or two? Or is it the year you want to make
that writing earn you a living? If it's the latter, then you've
chosen door number two, my friend. You need to fight for a face
amongst all the other writers out there. That means platform.
And no . . . there isn't one place where you can learn how to build
a platform. Just like there isn't one plan we all choose from to
build a house, there isn't one guru resource that will build your
platform. The point is simply to make your name known however
you can. If that means visiting every book fair in a five state
area, then fine. If that means managing three blogs, two websites
and a newsletter, then fine. If you speak, great. If you want to
ride the coattails of someone more famous, fine. Just own what
you do . . . oh yeah, and don't judge what someonen else is doing.

Freelance or books?

You often don't have to advertise as a freelancer. Your clients
and testimonials do that for you. If you write books, however,
you need a home base so people can study you and determine if
your project is worth the purchase. Freelance also means hunting
and studying markets as part of your day. Freelance means quicker
replies on submissions, and faster checks in the mail. But these
are two totally different hats. There's nothing wrong with never
writing a book. I recently asked my Facebook readers who were
freelancers, since all the noise in the writing world is usually
about books. I probably had more comments on that question than
any other in the past year. Freelancing is alive and well, and
my guess is they are making more than the book writers.

That's it. Answer those questions, and you might have a better
focus on the direction of your 2013 writing career. Make your
decisions and take responsibility for them. Pursue your choices
with fervor. Don't second-guess. It's only a year, and even if
you wonder if you made the wrong choice, stick with the original
decision. At the end of the year, after you've driven that car
for a whole twelve months, you might find you've gotten good at
your selection . . . and might just stick it out for 2014.

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
GOODREADS - http://www.goodreads.com/hopeclark
PINTEREST - http://www.pinterest.com/chopeclark

http://www.amazon.com/Lowcountry-Bribe-ebook/dp/B007A4CQ1U/

Tidewater Murder, Book Two of The Carolina Slade Series, expected April 2013.

(Purchase any of my books, send me a copy of the receipt,
and you get a subscription to TOTAL for free.)

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

WORDS OF SUCCESS

Your joy is your sorrow unmasked. And the selfsame well from
which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.

- Kahlil Gibran -

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SUCCESS OF THE WEEK
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Dear Hope,

Thanks to you, I will be published in one of the Chicken Soup
for the Soul books, I Can't Believe My Cat Did That!

As a FundsforWriter subscriber, I saw Chicken Soup's call for
writers and submitted a story. My writing career has been
sporadic over the years, and I was shocked and delighted to
receive an acceptance. There's nothing like getting published
to boost a writer's confidence! Since then I've set a regular
schedule for writing each day, started a blog, begun researching
markets again, started querying, and recently entered a contest.

Thanks again for all you do, Hope, and wishing you continued
success with the Carolina Slade mystery series.

Sincerely,

Tracie Hornung
http://thcommunications.net

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ARTICLE
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HOW I BREAK UP MY DAY!

By C. Hope Clark

I've been asked to write this article, and at first blush, felt
it too self-focused. But I receive the question often, and upon
pondering it, have decided to follow through and answer the requests.

How do I schedule my day to write?

Frankly, a lot of my motivation comes after I sit my butt in
the chair. Somehow, seated before the screen, seeing my calendar
and notebook before me, seeing 400-500 emails waiting for me,
makes me start. Putting yourself in the physical position to
write makes a world of difference and is the first step in
removing the complacency, and starting the momentum.

I rise between 9 and 10 AM. Okay, throw tomatoes at the fact I
can sleep in. But when I left the day job and started writing
full-time, I decided to do it based upon my biological clock.
So, after breakfast (and maybe a glance at a recorded mystery
on the tube from the night before), I go to work.

By day, I jump into FundsforWriters and freelance work.
Emails are numero uno, answering editors, readers and fans as
quickly as I can. Then research for FundsforWriters. Sometimes
that info comes from editors themselves, sometimes I read my
reference books for ideas, and other times I actually Google.
Regardless, it's time consuming, and time can escape me as I
research the day away.

Around 3 PM I garden, go to the gym, feed the chickens, cook
dinner (if I'm inclined to cook that day), do shopping, etc.
Dinner around 6 PM.

Back to work, oftentimes picking up a freelance piece to write,
or a blog post, or editorials for FundsforWriters. As you can
see, I'm leaning more toward the creative side now, wanting to
actually produce writing.

Break from 9-11 PM, to watch another mystery. I adore mysteries.
I just purchased a Roku device for my television to get all the
UK mysteries whenever I want through a company called Acorn.
Right now, my favorite shows in the US are Elementary (so smart),
Mentalist (very savvy, love Patrick Jane) and Revenge. Hubby and
I love to solve crime shows.

At eleven, back to work, and this is when I'll usually pick up
the novel in progress adn pick up speed. I'll write and/or edit
until 2 AM.

Not all days are the same. Speaking engagements can disrupt that
routine, and on Mondays, my days are heavily FundsforWriters in
order to have them ready for the proofreader and returned by
Friday. Then when edits come in for a book, I have to focus more
time on fiction. And when a hot streak develops for the fiction,
I may just toss the schedule to the wind and write until I can't
write anymore.

So, you're thinking that I have all this time, right? I started
when I had three children at home and a professional career that
kept me from home ten hours minimum per day. Lowcountry Bribe's
first draft was written during that time period. FundsforWriters
was started at the same time. So how did I do it then?

Fifteen minutes per day. When I decided to take writing seriously,
I demanded fifteen minutes per day. Family could not interrupt.
I could not sleep. The chores could go undone, but I did my 15
minutes. That evolved into 20, 30, etc. The point was to create
the habit. My family soon realized that Momma meant business
when she wrote, and when the door was shut, they didn't dare knock.

My schedule isn't the secret, though. The habit is. When writing
becomes your habit, you don't put it off until other things
are done. You put off the other things.

If I could teach anything to writers about setting themselves up
to write, it would be this . . . 15 minutes per day, without
exception. Like jogging, the routine becomes a need once it's
ingrained, and when the need is established it has to be fed.
When you have that feeling, you're on the right track.

Frankly, I'm an addict, and everybody who knows me, knows it.
Make those around you realize it about you, too.

BIO
C. Hope Clark is author of The Carolina Slade Mystery Series, set
in rural South Carolina, introducing mystery fans to serious,
nasty, unique and crazy crime in the country. www.chopeclark.com
She is also editor of FundsforWriters.com, reaching 40,000
readers each week.

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COMPETITIONS
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DORA AND ALEXANDER RAYNES POETRY PRIZE
http://jewishcurrents.org/poetry-prize
---
$18 ENTRY FEE (up to 3 poems)
Theme: The American Dream. First prize: $1,000. Two second prizes:
$180 each. The top 36 poems will be published as a chapbook by
Blue Thread, an imprint of Jewish Currents, in the summer of 2013.
All submissions will be considered for publication in Jewish Currents.
Deadline January 15, 2013.

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A ROOM OF HER OWN - ORLANDO PRIZES
http://www.aroho.org/
---
$15 ENTRY FEE
Four prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Los Angeles Review
are given twice yearly for a poem, a short story, a short short
story, and an essay by women writers. Submit a poem of no more than
36 lines, a short story of up to 1,500 words, a short short story of
up to 500 words, or an essay of up to 1,500 words. Deadline January
31, 2013.

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WILLIAM KLOEFKORN AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN POETRY
http://www.mtmc.edu/paddlefish/kloefkorn.aspx
---
$12 ENTRY FEE
One winner receives $500 and publication in PADDLEFISH. All poets
submitting to the contest receive a copy of the forthcoming journal.
All submissions will also be considered for the forthcoming issue
of PADDLEFISH. All contest entrants can submit up to two poems for
consideration each year. Each poem should not exceed two pages
single-spaced. NO previously published work. Deadline February 28.

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LIBARTS LONDON PRIZE
http://www.libartslondon.co.uk/change/
---
NO ENTRY FEE
If you could single out one thing that needs to change, what would
it be? Use text, video, audio, photographs, or a combination of
these to tell your story. Deadline February 28, 2013. First prize:
£200. Second prize: £100. Open internationally.

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DZANC BOOKS NOVEL COMPETITION
http://www.dzancbooks.org/submissions/
---
$25 ENTRY FEE
We are looking specifically for a writer with at least two full-
length previously published books, either novels, short story
collections, and/or non-fiction. Entry to our novel prize involves
sending a copy of your full manuscript and a cover letter detailing
your previously published full-length books. The deadline is January
31, 2013. There will be a winner selected, guaranteed, and this book
will receive our standard publishing contract to be published both
in print and as an eBook in November 2014, including a $1.000 advance
and promotional efforts such as arranging a book tour.

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GRANTS
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CALIFORNIA HUMANITIES STORIES GRANT PROGRAM
http://calhum.org/grants/community-stories-grant
---
A competitive grants program designed to support story-based public
humanities projects that collect, preserve, interpret, and share
the stories of California communities — past and present. Application
eligibility is limited to California-based nonprofit organizations
and local/state public agencies or institutions. Grant awards range
up to $10,000, and a cash or in-kind match is required. Deadline
February 15, 2013.

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ARTIST TRUST FELLOWSHIPS FOR WASHINGTON ARTISTS
http://artisttrust.org/index.php/for-artists/money#fellowships
---
The fellowship program gives annual awards to artists working in
eight disciplines. In 2013, sixteen artists who work in emerging
fields and cross-disciplinary arts, and the performing, visual,
traditional and folk arts categories will receive fellowships.
(Fellowships to artists working in music, media, literary, and
craft arts are awarded in even-numbered years.) The total award
amount is $7,500; $7,000 is unrestricted and $500 is payable to
artists upon completion of a Meet the Artist event. Deadline
February 18, 2013.

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NEW YORK FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS FELLOWSHIPS - NEW YORK
http://www.nyfa.org/level3.asp?id=44&fid=1&sid=1
---
The unrestricted $7,000 fellowships are intended to fund an
artist's vision or voice, regardless of the level of his or her
artistic development. NYFA is committed to supporting artists
from diverse cultural backgrounds at all stages of their
professional careers. In 2012, the foundation awarded ninety-four
fellowships. In the 2013 cycle, grants will be awarded in the
categories of Choreography, Music/Sound, Architecture/Environmental
Structures/Design, Playwriting/Screenwriting, and Photography.
Deadlines in January - various deadlines.

(In the 2014 cycle, grants will be awarded in categories of Digital/
Electronic Arts, Crafts/Sculpture, Nonfiction Literature, Poetry,
and Printmaking/Drawing/Book Arts. In the 2015 cycle, grants will
be awarded in Painting, including the Basil H. Alkazzi Award for
Excellence in Painting; Fiction; Interdisciplinary Work; Folk/
Traditional Arts; and Video/Film.)

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GOOGLE JOURNALISM FELLOWSHIPS
http://www.google.com/get/journalismfellowship
---
Deadline: January 31, 2013. The program is aimed at undergraduate,
graduate and journalism students interested in using technology to
tell stories in new and dynamic ways. There will be a focus on data
driven journalism, online free expression and rethinking the business
of journalism. The 10-week long Fellowship will open with a week at
the Knight Foundation and end with a week at Google, split between
Google News and YouTube. Participating organizations are based in
Berkeley, CA, Columbia, MO, Cambridge, MA, St. Petersburg/Miami, FL,
New York, NY and Washington, DC. Fellows will receive a stipend of
$7,500 USD for 10 weeks during the summer of 2013 (June-August) and
a travel budget of $1,000 USD.

(Much thanks to www.erikadreifus.com for this one)

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WALTER RUMSEY MARVIN GRANT
http://www.ohioana.org/awards/marvin.asp
---
The Marvin Grant is a $1,000 award given to an author under 30 years
of age who has not had a book published. In addition to the monetary
grant a portion of the winners entry may be published in the Ohioana
Quarterly. Deadline January 31, 2013. Applicant must have been born
in Ohio or have lived in Ohio for a minimum of five years. Applicant
must be no older than 30 years of age on January 31 of the year the
award is given. Applicant must not have had a book published.

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FREELANCE MARKETS
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COMMENTARY
http://www.commentarymagazine.com/about/contact/
---
Publishes essays and opinions of 2,000 to 8,000. Pays
$400 to $1,200. COMMENTARY is America’s premier monthly magazine
of opinion and a pivotal voice in American intellectual life.
Many of COMMENTARY’s articles have been controversial, and more
than a few have been hugely influential, touchstones for debate
and discussion in universities, among policy analysts in and out
of government, within the ranks of professionals and community
activists of all kinds, and in circles of serious thought
worldwide. A large number of articles can be counted as landmarks
of American letters and intellectual life.

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NEW HAVEN ADVOCATE
http://www.ct.com/news/advocates/
---
Covers alternative, investigative and cultural reporting with a
strong voice. Needs book excerpts, essays, expose, general interest,
humor and profiles. Query with clips. Pays up to $150 for up to
2,000 words. Location New Haven, CT. Email abromage@newhavenadvocate.com

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SHEPHERD EXPRESS
http://expressmilwaukee.com/flex-43-contact-us.html
---
News and art with a progressive edge and a hip entertainment perspective.
Milwaukee related. Welcomes book excerpts, essays, expose and
opinion. Pays up to $300 for 900 to 2,500 words.

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ARTHRITIS TODAY
http://www.arthritistoday.org/misc/contact-us.php
---
Pays $1 per word. Seeks general interest pieces, how-to, tips for
living with arthritis, inspirational pieces, essays, personal
experiences, photo features, technical, travel, news, nutrition,
health, lifestyle.

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CAREERS & THE DISABLED
http://www.eop.com/contact.php
---
CAREERS & the disABLED Magazine is the nation's first and only
career-guidance and recruitment magazine for people with disabilities
who are at undergraduate, graduate, or professional levels. Each
issue features a special Braille section. Pays ten cents/word
for articles of 1,000 to 2,500 words.

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PUBLISHERS/AGENTS
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FREE SPIRIT
http://www.freespirit.com/company/submissions.cfm
---
Our mission is to provide children and teens with the tools they
need to succeed in life and to make a difference in the world. We
publish high-quality nonfiction books and learning materials for
children and teens, parents, educators, counselors, and others who
live and work with young people. We do not publish:

general fiction or storybooks
books with animal or mythical characters
books with religious or New Age content
single biographies, autobiographies, or memoirs

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FRANCES LINCOLN PUBLISHERS
http://www.franceslincoln.com/
---
Frances Lincoln publishes a wide range of gardening, architecture,
art, outdoor guides and stationery.

Frances Lincoln Children’s Books continues to publish quality
cultural diversity titles, celebrating the colourful world we live
in and its varied ethnicities, as well as award-winning picture
story books, children’s art and religion titles.

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FRONT STREET BOOKS
http://www.boydsmillspress.com/reviews/front-street
---
High quality fiction for children and young adults and sophisticated
picture books from here and abroad. Front Street's young adult fiction
often deals with children in crisis or children at risk, offering hope
and succor, however difficult the subject. Our picture books emphasize
art and design. We strive to expose young readers to the best literature
available in other countries, cultures, and languages.

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CALKINS CREEK BOOKS
http://www.boydsmillspress.com/reviews/calkins-creek
---
Calkins Creek Books introduces children to the many people, places,
and events that shaped our country's history. Our picture books,
chapter books, and novels—nonfiction and historical fiction for
ages eight and up—combine original and extensive research with
creative, energetic writing. History is key at Calkins Creek-front
and center. Our authors transport their readers back in time to
recognizable places with living and breathing people.

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WORDSONG
http://www.boydsmillspress.com/reviews/wordsong
---
The only imprint in children's publishing in America dedicated to
poetry, Wordsong captures the vibrant, unexpected, emotional connections
between text and young readers. Our books range from the silly to the
serious and are infused with the wordplay and imagery that allow readers
to view the world in new and thoughtful ways.

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SPONSORS
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Good Oak Press helps self-publishing authors create books they
can be proud of. Whether you need a simple eBook conversion, or
a complete package with book design, POD printing, promotional
materials and distribution, Good Oak Press can help.

Please visit our website for more information, and be sure to
sign up for our free newsletter for special offers and promotions
available only to our subscribers.

www.goodoakpress.com

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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/
Services for authors: http://myhouseofdesign.com/services-for-authors/

Testimonial from Patricia Wagner, Quantum-Touch practitioner and
subscriber of FFW - www.LookingforLight.net

"Shaila Abdullah is an incredible website designer. The beauty of
her creative designs, her professionalism and responsiveness plus
her caring nature, created a teamwork atmosphere throughout my
site's development. She is a joy to work with and I don't say that
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game of Looking for Light."

=====

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

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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

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**Note that FundsforWriters.com places paid advertising in this newsletter, ALL ads being related to writers and the business of writing, screened by FundsforWriters to make sure the information is suitable for writers and their endeavors to improve their careers. But the mailing list is not sold to third parties. You will not receive this newsletter without your permission. It's physically impossible since recipients must opt-in, giving us permission to send the newsletter. If at any time you no longer with to receive the newsletter, click the UNSUBSCRIBE link at the bottom of each newsletter. We want you to enjoy this newsletter at your pleasure, not be forced to read anything you do not wish to receive. The website is not advertised using unsolicited messages by Aweber, affiliates or other third parties. Direct any complaints, suggestions, and accolades to Hope Clark at hope@fundsforwriters.com. We are an anti-spam site.