Volume 13, Issue 33
August 16, 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, 2013

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Playing like a tourist in the North Carolina mountains, on my way back from a conference in Kentucky.

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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SPONSOR OF THE WEEK
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Ozark Creative Writers Conference
October 10-12, 2013
Eureka Springs, Arkansas

The 46th Ozark Creative Writers Conference brings together new
and professional writers for a weekend of information, panel
discussions, pitch opportunities, networking, awards and fun!

Speakers include:
Award-winning writer Kevin Brockmeier, author of THE HISTORY
OF THE DEAD and THE ILLUMINATION, literary agent Jim Donovan,
editors Dan Case, Dr. Susan Swartwout, Margo Dill, Lou Turner
and more, and authors Pat Carr and Velda Brotherton. Pitch
sessions with Mr. Donovan and the editors will be available
to registered attendees.

Learn about:
• Digital publishing
• Self-publishing
• Platform building
• Creating an irresistible story
• What an editor really wants
• And more!

OCW also features 19 writing contests with cash prizes!
Pre-registration and contest deadline is August 31

www.ozarkcreativewriters.com

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EDITOR'S THOUGHTS
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Read newsletter online at: http://www.fundsforwriters.com/fundsforwriters
Read past issues at: http://www.aweber.com/z/article/?fundsforwriters

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THE WORST, THE BEST, THE UGLIEST

Superlatives rock in the freelance world. Throw out a headline
like this and people will click:

AMERICA'S WORST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR
http://247wallst.com/special-report/2013/07/19/americas-worst-companies-to-work-for-2/

It's not that readers are job hunting, necessarily. Chances are they
hate where they work, so they want to see if their employer made
the cut. Or they want to read about other people who hate their
jobs as badly or more than they do. Or they want to read the
criteria used in the judging. Regardless, that title is tempting.
Heck, I clicked on it, and I have no dog in that fight at all.

I've watched this story make the rounds in newsletters and blogs
since its release on July 19, 2013. And the headlines get more
dynamic and eye-popping:

THE WORST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR IN THE US

then...

THE 9 WORST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR IN THE US

then someone got wise and almost gave it a drumroll...

THE WORST U.S. COMPANY TO WORK FOR IS...

The above articles came from a press release/story in 247 Wall St.
that everyone read and regurgitated to their readers. That's a
brilliant tool I recommend to all freelancers: taking a news release
and spinning it into a story of your own, then selling it to another
site, blog, magazine or newsletter.

No, you're not stealing. You're reporting, with your own spin, using
data collected from someone else whom you give full credit to in your
piece. Listen...press releases are the BEST sources for good freelance
material.

Subscribe to these press release sites, not to send out your
information, but to read info from other sources...for material.

www.prnewswire.com
www.prweb.com
www.pr.com
www.ap.org

Read anything, everything, then once you snare an idea, locate
a magazine that fits. This exercise opens the door for you to pitch
all sorts of magazines. And you don't have to be an expert at the
subject, because most likely, you have experts in those releases.
All you have to do is make the subject matter yours in a new way.

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
AUTHOR SITE - http://www.chopeclark.com

====

Purchase any of Hope's books and receive a one-year subscription to TOTAL FFW free.
Send receipt to hope@fundsforwriters.com

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

WORDS OF SUCCESS

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

~Mary Oliver, Poet

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ARTICLE
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Tips for Creating a Better Script for Video/Photo-Montage

By Holly Adams

Although I am a writer, I am also a Voice Talent for webmercials,
e-learning, and audiobooks. This week, I have been hired for a
real-estate agency's web video, and find myself in a common
situation: The person creating the script is not familiar with
writing for this medium. Hence, I created a 'how-to', useful
whether you are creating a video-trailer for your book or writing
for a corporate website!

* TIME (step one)

Watchable time is 3 minutes, and most quick web pieces are less.
Three two-minute pieces are better than one 6 minute piece; most
people click away at 1.5 minutes. 200 words is around 1.5 minutes,
so aim for 200-350 words.

With that in mind, write down EVERYTHING that you think is important.
Read aloud at a medium pace, and time it. Your written piece is
probably five minutes. Now prioritize what you think is important,
and write those concepts down in bullet form. Note if you like a
certain 'tone' (Cheery? Mellow? Dramatic? Authoritarian? Snarky?).

* IMAGES (step two)

Ask yourself:

==Do I have images for each of my bulleted ideas? Make a note next
to your bullets of how many images you have for each and what they
look like. Yes, you can write an image into more than one category-
although you will not SHOW the image twice, writing it in two places
gives you placement options. If there are ideas WITH NO IMAGES, then
you need to get some OR decide to use written text (like “Comes in
red as well”) OR save that idea for a later project.

==Do I have enough images for a whole sentence? This is a biggie.
Watchable time for each image is 2-3 seconds. Lovely long compound
sentences do not work, nor do sentences where the main object or
verb is at the end of the sentence — people need to hear information
that explains, modifies, colors what they are seeing.

==Which images are strong and should be first? I know it seems bass-
ackwards to think about how it looks rather than what you want to say,
but this is a visual medium first and foremost — your message is embedded
in the images, not the other way around.

==What if I am having a video/photo professional create my images or
use my existing images to decide which goes where? Highly recommended.
HOWEVER, you should still have a notion of what KIND of images best
show your idea and what kind of image might be a most-compelling
initial visual!

* SEQUENCE (step three)

Start and end with the strongest images. Which ideas do they match
on your bullet sheet? You may have to do some realigning of ideas
and images, and that is okay. The strongest image/concept-clump is now
first. What should come next? The second section is often a lesser
point. In general, organize your sequence with main points separated
by smaller points (e.g. 'main, small, main').

* SCRIPT! (step four)

Remember—SHORT AND SWEET. How can you talk about your ideas beautifully,
dynamically and succinctly? Remember, each 'slide' will only be 2 or 3
seconds and that your total time is 1.5 to 2.5 minutes. Now touch base
with your visual artist (if you have one). As an expert in the visuals,
s/he will tweak your concept to give the piece have your tone and tell
an interesting story.

* REVISIT/REVISE (final step)

Your video-photo person will send you the piece for alterations. Send
back your thoughts with any script changes, then wait for the final
awesome project!!

BIO

Holly Adams is the lead writer for Mystery & Adventure Agency, a
successful children's playwright, and has been published in the
Teaching Artist Journal, the NYS Autism journal, Brespols' Silk
Roads Art & Architecture, and Kinvene Magazine. Her work on Autism
and the Arts is posted in three countries. A performer as well,
Holly loves narrating audiobooks and web projects.

http://shearwaterproductions.com/

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COMPETITIONS
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KAREN AND PHILIP CUSHMAN LATE BLOOMER AWARD
http://www.scbwi.org/Pages.aspx/Karen-and-Philip-Cushman-Late-Bloomer-Award
---
NO ENTRY FEE
The Karen and Philip Cushman Late Bloomer Award is for authors over
the age of fifty who have not been traditionally published in the
children’s literature field. The award is open to both unpublished
children’s book authors or author/illustrators over the age of fifty,
and one winner will be chosen from the pool of those who have submitted
material for the SCBWI Work-In-Progress Grants. The winner will receive
$500 in cash, and free tuition to any worldwide SCBWI conference. The
first winner will be selected this year and announced along with the
other Work-in-Progress Grant recipients. This award is opened for
submissions only in the month of March.

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THE DAILY TELEGRAPH CRIME WRITING CONTEST
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/crime-writing-competition/10165215/How-to-enter-the-Telegraph-Harvill-Secker-Crime-Writing-Competition.html
---
£5 ENTRY FEE
The new Telegraph Harvill Secker crime writing competition offers
aspiring writers an unprecedented opportunity to be published at one
of the country’s leading literary imprints, and receive a £5,000 advance
for his or her novel. Would-be crime writers must submit the first 5,000
words of their crime novel, along with a detailed, two-page double-spaced
synopsis of how the rest of the book unfolds, including the ending. The
book does not have to be finished for you to enter, but you must have a
detailed plan. In keeping with the international nature of Harvill Secker’s
profile, the crime book must contain an international element of some sort.
Deadline November 30, 2013.

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UNDERGROUND VOICES SHORT STORY COMPETITION
http://www.undergroundvoices.com/UVCompetition.html
---
$15 ENTRY FEE
Limit 25 pages. Underground Voices is sponsoring an exciting short
story competition with partial proceeds going to READING IS FUNDAMENTAL,
a nonprofit program that gets books and literacy resources to kids who
need them most. Deadline September 21, 2013.

The winner wins $700, publication in the 2013 print anthology of
Underground Voices and the story online at Underground Voices' website.

2nd place wins $300, publication in the 2013 print anthology of
Underground Voices and the story online at Underground Voices' website.

3rd place wins $100, publication in the 2013 print anthology of
Underground Voices and the story online at Underground Voices' website.

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JERRY MOGFORD PRIZE FOR FOOD AND DRINK WRITING
http://oxfordliteraryfestival.org/news/article/a-dish-of-chocolate-ice-cream-scoops-7500-award
---
NO ENTRY FEE
Your short story should be up to 2500 words in total in English and
have a food and drink theme at its heart. Entries should be submitted
by email as a Word document to the mogfordprize@oxfordliteraryfestival.org
by October 1, 2013 (one submission per person and not previously published).
The winning entry will be announced at the Sunday Times Oxford Literary
Festival in March 2014. The winner will receive £7500. Deadline October
1, 2013.

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IMAGINE LITTLE TOKYO SHORT STORY CONTEST
http://www.littletokyohs.org/short-story-contest.html
---
NO ENTRY FEE
First Place: $1,000 cash prize. Second Place: $500 cash prize.
Selection will be judged on storytelling ability and best use of
Little Tokyo as a cultural setting. The two winners will be invited
and encouraged to attend an awards ceremony in Little Tokyo.
Submitted manuscript should be 2,500 words or less and have a title.
Deadline January 31, 2014.

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GRANTS
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KENTUCKY PEER ADVISORY NETWORK
http://artscouncil.ky.gov/Opportunities/kpan_about.htm
---
Arts professionals on the KPAN roster are available to provide 3-
to 6-hour consultancies to assist eligible organizations and
individual artists with board development, grant writing, marketing
and promotions, strategic planning, festival planning and other
activities. Consultancy fees are paid by the Kentucky Arts Council.
Kentucky arts organizations, community groups and schools, as well
as individual artists who are currently participants in Kentucky
Arts Council programs are eligible. KPAN applications are accepted
year-round and should be submitted at least 30 days before the
preferred date for the consultancy. Applicants can be awarded two
KPAN consultancies per calendar year.

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DREIHAUS FOUNDATION GRANTS
www.driehausfoundation.org
---
Chicago area. Grants of $3,000-$10,000 for small nonprofit theatre
or dance companies that emphasize professional presentation rather
than education or community outreach. Eligible dance and theatre
companies must reside in Chicago metropolitan area, have produced at
least one show in Chicago area, and have annual operating budget of
less than $150,000. Deadline: September 9, 2013.

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MAINE THEATER FUND
http://www.mainecf.org/MaineTheater.aspx
---
Grants in the $2,500 – $5,000 range, although larger awards may
be considered to support both professional and community theatres
in production and presentation of live theater in Maine. Local,
regional, and statewide nonprofit theatres in Maine may apply for
programmatic, capacity-building, operating, and capital support.
Deadline: September 15, 2013.

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NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES - AMERICA'S MEDIA MAKERS GRANTS
http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/AmMediaMakers_development.html
---
Grants between $40,000 – $75,000 to support radio, television, and
digital projects that offer multiple formats and use new technology
to deliver humanities content that explores stories, ideas, and
beliefs that deepen our understanding of our lives and our world.
Grants are available for development or production of projects that
spark reflection upon culture, identity, and history in creative ways,
and that use more than one format to convey ideas to the public.
Receipt deadline August 14, 2013.

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MOXIEDOCS CO-PRODUCTION AWARD
www.moxie-films.com/moxienew/index.php?page=moxdocscontent
---
A production sponsorship program to support documentary film as a
turning point of art and activism, journalism and history. Award
provides funding and resources for complete production, post-production,
and theatrical distribution to the selected documentary proposal.
Application fee $25. Deadline: Rolling.

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FREELANCE MARKETS
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YANKEE MAGAZINE
http://www.yankeemagazine.com/contact/guidelines
---
Yankee Magazine covers the six New England states of Connecticut,
Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Our Feature articles, as well as the departments of Home, Food,
and Travel, reflect what is happening currently in the region.
Buys all rights. Articles are 500 to 2,000 words and pay
$1/word. Query with clips.

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AMERICAN DRYCLEANER
https://americandrycleaner.com/editorial-opportunities
---
America's No. 1 magazine for drycleaners, American Drycleaner
is the definitive source of industry information for plant
owners and operators. Designed to help readers run their
businesses better, with up-to-the-minute information on industry
news, events and trends; expert advice on management, marketing
and production; and specifics on the equipment and supplies
necessary to run a successful drycleaning business. Pays $50 to
$500 for articles. Pays ten percent kill fee.

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AMERICAN SCHOOL BOARD JOURNAL
http://www.asbj.com/MainMenuCategory/About
---
An award-winning, education magazine published monthly by
the National School Boards Association. American School Board
Journal chronicles change, interprets issues, and offers
readers—some 50,000 school board members and school
administrators—practical advice on a broad range of topics
pertinent to school governance and management, policy making,
student achievement, and the art of school leadership. In
addition, regular departments cover education news, school
law, research, and new books. Pays $800 and up for solicited
articles of 1,200 to 2,500 words. Does not pay for unsolicited
articles. Query first. Also pays for smaller department columns.

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AMERICAN THEATRE
http://www.tcg.org/publications/at/submissions.cfm
---
American Theatre covers trends and events in all types of
theatre, as well as economic and legislative developments
affecting the arts. The main focus, however, is on professional,
not-for-profit theatre. American Theatre rarely publishes
articles about commercial, amateur or university theatre, nor
about works that would widely be classified as dance or opera,
except at the editors' discretion. While significant productions
may be highlighted in the Critic's Notebook section, American
Theatre does not review productions (but does review theatre-
related books). Pays $350 for features os 1,500 to 3,000 words.
Departments pay $150 to $250. Fifty percent kill fee.

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CONVENIENCE DISTRIBUTION
http://www.awmanet.org/page/convenience-distribution-%E2%84%A2-writers-guide
---
The magazine is primarily targeted toward distributors of
candy, tobacco, snacks, general merchandise, health and
beauty care products, beverages, foodservice items, and
more. We often refer to these readers as "convenience
distributors." Convenience stores are the largest customer
base of our readers. However, our distributor audience also
serves grocery stores, drugstores, newsstands, institutions,
tobacco shops, gift shops, delis, restaurants, mass merchants,
fundraising organizations and many other outlets. Pays 50 cents
a word for experienced writers. New writers may receive a lower
rate to be determined by the editor in chief.

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PUBLISHERS/AGENTS
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BLACKWYRM PUBLISHING
https://www.facebook.com/BlackwyrmPublishing
http://www.blackwyrm.com
---
BlackWyrm publishing is a publisher of games, maps, and fiction.
We publish mostly sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and experimental fiction.
Include a little about your story, and why a reader would want to
pick it up. Two or three paragraphs max. Think of it as the "back
cover" to your finished book. If the idea strikes our fancy, we'll
contact you asking for a few chapters so that we can get an idea of
your writing style and ability. If we also like that, we'll extend
you a contract. Our typical contract stipulates that BlackWyrm provides
the editing, cover design, money for printing, promotion, and ebook
conversion. BlackWyrm keeps the revenue until the book breaks even,
then splits the money evenly with the author thereafter. How to jump
to "the top of the stack:" We prefer authors who can: promote themselves,
provide their own platform of followers, keep from scaring off the
readers, participate in social media, and line up their own appearances/
events/signings. Regional authors (within, say, one or two states of
Kentucky) are easiest for us to promote, since we know the regional
conventions and bookstore scene, but we'll also look at outside
locations.

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SOLSTICE PUBLISHING
http://www.solsticepublishing.com/
---
Solstice Shadows is looking for Paranormal stories only. Your story
must contain Vampires, Witches, Werewolves, Demons, or Ghost. Your
story can be any genre such as Romance, Mystery, etc. but it must
contain the above mentioned.

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FELONY & MAYHEM PRESS
http://felonyandmayhem.com/
---
We publish exclusively mystery fiction with a marked literary
bent, and have a particular interest in books with themes
related to art, music, history, academia, anthropology, and
other cultures. Anything that might be described as “cutting-
edge,” “neo-noir,” or “gritty and urban” is not appropriate
for us; nor do we publish thrillers, sci-fi crossovers, short
stories, true crime, or, for the most part, U.S.-based hard-
boiled.

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PAUL DRY PUBLISHING
http://pauldrybooks.com/
---
We publish fiction, both novels and short stories, and nonfiction—
biography, memoirs, history, and essays, covering subjects from Homer
to Chekhov, bird watching to jazz music, New York City to shogunate
Japan.

=====

SWAN ISLE PRESS
http://www.swanislepress.com/
---
Swan Isle Press is an independent, not-for-profit, literary
publisher dedicated to publishing works of poetry, fiction and
nonfiction that inspire and educate while advancing the knowledge
and appreciation of literature, art, and culture.

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SPONSORS
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=====

Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest

11th year. $5,500 in prizes will be awarded, including $2,000
for a poem in any style and $2,000 for a poem that rhymes or
has a traditional style. 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. Enter
online or by mail. Postmark deadline: September 30. Judges:
John H. Reid, Dee C. Konrad. Winning Writers is one of the
"101 Best Writing Websites" (Writer's Digest, 2005-2012).

See guidelines, past winners, and enter at
www.winningwriters.com/tompoetry

=====

A FREE Master Class in Creative Writing Success

Enroll FREE in a 14-part 'mini course' in short story writing
success. This highly acclaimed Writers' Village 'Master Class'
shows you how to get published - profitably - plus win cash
prizes in fiction awards.

Discover how to open a chapter with 'wow' impact, add new energy
to a scene, build a character in moments, sustain page-turning
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further powerful ideas you can use at once.

Enjoy the course without charge now at:
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=====

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 2000-2013, C. Hope Clark
ISSN: 1533-1326

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