FundsforWriters - December 13, 2013

Published: Fri, 12/13/13

Volume 13, Issue 50 | december 13, 2013

Message from the Editor

Trying to decorate the Christmas tree with Roo. She loves pretending she's a reindeer. Don't forget to involve your animals in your holiday celebrations.

Editor, FundsforWriters
Email Hope | Visit Website
Newsletter: ISSN: 1533-1326
FFW has proudly been on the Writer's Digest's 101 Best Websites for Writers list every year since 2001

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

GET WEBSITES THAT ROCK, BOOK COVERS THAT SIZZLE

Shaila Abdullah has over a decade of experience designing websites for authors. Being an award-winning 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.

MENTION THIS AD AND GET 10% OFF (NEW CLIENTS ONLY)

EXISTING CLIENTS EARN 8% REFERRAL FEE FOR SENDING IN NEW CLIENTS

E-mail Shaila: info@myhouseofdesign.com View portfolio: http://myhouseofdesign.com/authors/ Services for authors: http://myhouseofdesign.com/services-for-authors/

A few testimonials from happy clients:

"Superb work, excellent customer service. Just marvelous overall.” —C. Hope Clark, author, founder of FundsforWriters, http://chopeclark.com | http://www.fundsforwriters.com

"Since working with Shaila I now have a beautiful book that hit #1 one on Amazon, a monthly newsletter that captures the attention of my valued readers, and a beautiful website that has generated a tremendous amount of interest in my subject matter with over 245,000 hits." —Carolyn Brent, author of Why Wait? http://www.caregiverstory.com/

"When I first saw Shaila’s work, I was struck by the fact that each site she designs is not only beautiful but also perfectly reflects the personality of the business it represents. Her suggestions, insight, and artistic talent made the final product much better than what I’d envisioned on my own.” —Jacqueline Adams, writer, http://jacqueline-adams.com

Editor’s THOUGHTS

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

===

TOO MANY OPTIONS SCREW US UP

I just received another Facebook message asking me whether a writer should self-publish or traditionally publish. No, this isn't one of THOSE editorials discussing the pros and cons of the publishing world. But the self-pub vs. traditional pub argument is a prime example of how too many options screw with our heads.

Options can be great. They can also confuse us into inaction.

In this world of free-rolling-speech at our fingertips, we get bombarded with too many opinions. You ought to read all the blogs I peruse to select those to post on Facebook and Twitter. (If you don't follow me on either or both of those venues, you're missing out!) I'll read one agent talk about what she wants, then another define what she prefers, then each of them can say they don't knock what other agents want.

Even if you are self-publishing, just look at the instructions in Smashwords, versus CreateSpace, versus NOOK, versus Kobo, etc. What formats well. What doesn't.

If you are selling ebooks, note the diversity in sales. Some sell loads of books at $1.99. Some do well at $8.99. I know one cozy author who made $20,000 last year selling 99 cent books only via Kindle.

It goes on and on and, frankly, it makes me weary. Some days I don't open blog posts at all if the title is going to touch on something I know will run contrary to what I've read recently. I really don't want to get caught up in the confusion of what's right and what's wrong, because in most cases, it's not black and white. It's opinion. It's personal experience, which in most cases, is not vast and well-proven. People think one experience makes them an expert.

Writing is the same way. Passive voice, adverbs, backstory, showing vs. telling ... you'll find a contrarian in any writing or publishing topic.

So, what do you do?

You learn to trust the person giving the advice. You look for proven experience and success. Once upon a time, before every person with fingers (and some without) could tout his expertise, you didn't hire someone, or sit at the feet of someone, or read someone, without checking out his abilities, his history, his accolades. Why not do that now? Don't be so quick to listen to anyone with a website.

If you are confused where to start in your writing or publishing, consider those who've blazed well-known trails before you. If nothing else, those people have more to lose if they are wrong.

~HOPE

WEBSITE - http://www.chopeclark.com
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://www.pinterest.com/chopeclark

THANKS FROM HOPE - in case you missed her message and tokens of appreciation Thanksgiving week: http://chopeclark.com/thanks-from-hope/

WORDS OF SUCCESS

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."

—Thomas Edison

THE SHY WRITER

Introversion may seem like a major obstacle to building a successful writing career, but this wonderful “covers-all-the-bases” book handily debunks the notion. ~Peter Bowerman, Author “The Well-Fed Writer” series

Hope has solutions in The Shy Writer Reborn that let you make the most of who you are instead of asking you to change your personality. ~Linda Formichelli, The Renegade Writer

The Carolina Slade Mystery Series
http://www.chopeclark.com/

On Tidewater Murder: Terrific. Smart, knowing, clever…and completely original. A taut, high-tension page-turned—in a unique and fascinating setting. An absolute winner! ~Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha, Anthony and Macavity winning author

On Lowcountry Bribe: With a story that moves so fast you are sure to get a case of literary whiplash, LOWCOUNTRY BRIBE is almost impossible to put down. Written with grace and ferocity, I for one can hardly wait for a second helping of this unpredictably un-pretentious and hard-scrabble down-home gal. ~Rachel Gladstone, Dish Magazine

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

Success Story

NOTE FROM HOPE:
This has to be one of my best Christmas presents ever!

Hi Hope,

I am sitting in a ferry terminal, waiting for the next boat to take me to the Turkeyland Cove Foundation Writer's Retreat on Martha's Vineyard Island. Am I excited? You bet I am! Why? Because this is the first time in my life that I have been offered the gift of time and space for an entire
two weeks to focus on what I love to do most: WRITE! I was accepted months ago and "anticipation" has been my middle name.

The timeliness of this couldn't be more perfect. Maine Authors Publishing just released my collection of twenty-two inspirational essays a few days ago! "Lighting Your Spiritual Passion" is a book that is intended to support and inspire deeper spiritual roots - no matter what belief system the reader embraces. One of those essays was chosen for 3rd place in the Writers' Digest Contest Inspirational category a couple of years ago, spurring me on to publish a collection of essays. When I opened the AMAZON page for my newest book, I cried with relief and joy.

The common thread here is you, Hope Clark, and your FundsforWriters. You inspire me to have more courage, to reach higher, and you offer me threads of hope that I, too, can continue to grow and contribute something of worth to the world. Do you have ANY idea how much you mean to all of us who sit at our computers on Friday afternoon, waiting for your email to come in? I cut and paste every opportunity into a computer document that remains "open" on my desktop so that I can refer back to it any time I feel discouraged.

Thank you for helping me find the Writers' Digest competitions, for posting the Turkeyland Cove Foundation's A-I-R application information, and for your dedication to sharing the roller-coaster ride of writing. You are a gifted teacher and mentor.

With deep appreciation,

Laura Lee Perkins
www.LauraLeePerkinsAuthor.com
spiritualquest@earthlink.net

featured article

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR YOUR AGENT LATELY?

By Mridu Khullar Relph

When a writer friend e-mailed to tell me that her agent had now been ignoring her for almost a year, I was offended and outraged on her behalf. But then I heard the rest of the story: The agent had taken her first book out on submission, it hadn’t sold, they each promised to work on the next book together, and then, as happens frequently, she stopped writing and the agent stopped checking in. Communication came to a complete halt. The agent hadn’t e-mailed my friend for almost a year, but what’s worse, my friend hadn’t picked up the phone either.

This, I suppose, is what they call “being in limbo” and it sure isn’t pretty.

As the world of publishing changes around us, writers have more control than ever before over our own careers, what publishing deals we accept, and how we choose to publish in the first place. In this world of platforms and literary celebrities, agents want writers who can take over some of that control, who can be in charge, who know what it means to work towards not one book, but an entire career.

The bitter truth is this: An agent can be your best ally, your biggest fan, and your most aggressive salesperson. But she can only work with what she has. If publishers are looking for clients with platforms, she’s going to have a hard time convincing them of your marketability if you’re not even on Twitter.

So how can you make your relationship with your agent a two-way street and help your own career by doing things your agent will appreciate? Try the following.

1. Make your platform irresistible. When my agent discovered a health issue a few weeks after signing me on, he gave me the option of waiting for his treatment to finish or finding new representation. I stayed on, and in the three months before we communicated again, I started building my platform and growing my reach. When he returned, I had placed articles and essays in Elle magazine’s Indian edition and a New York Times blog on the subject of my book and been interviewed by a major women’s website. When my agent and I got back in touch, I had a list of things that he could now add to my book proposal bio when he took it to publishers. Instead of simply waiting when things are slow, be proactive. Build your credentials.

2. Make yourself irresistible. When you’re in submission, you’re going to be speaking to your agent a lot. Maybe your book sells, maybe it doesn’t. Things get quiet. I had an unofficial “rule” during these times, which was that every time I got back in touch with my agent, I should have something new to report—a new article, maybe, or an interview request, even a new book idea. I had a file on my computer called “Updates for [Agent]” in which I made notes of anything new happening that was worth mentioning so that when we did touch base every few days, I had something to share that he could use.

3. Make your ideas irresistible . Think career, not book. Too many writers are attached to one single book and don’t think beyond that. The job of any good agent is not only to sell that first book for the highest possible advance, but also to help you plan, nurture, and grow your career. These are not discussions you’ll be having when you’re in the middle of a sale, but when that’s done and things are moving slower, is it time perhaps for a conversation about what your next book should be or whether that unwritten novel in the drawer is worth finishing? Agents don’t represent books, they represent authors. It’s important to remember that.

So next time you’re worried about your agent not being in touch, do any one of those things and e-mail with an update. Your agent will appreciate it, but what’s more, it'll be another positive step forward in your own career. Because whenever you do something for your agent, you're really helping you.

BIO
Mridu Khullar Relph is an award-winning journalist. Get her free e-book “21 Query Letters That Sold” with queries that landed her in The New York Times, Time, Ms., Writer’s Digest, The Writer, and more, at http://www.mridukhullar.com/ebook-queries/

competitions

1,000 PROMPTS, 1,000 DOLLARS WRITING CONTEST
http://www.build-creative-writing-ideas.com/writing-contest.html
---
NO ENTRY FEE.
Writers who wish to enter the contest must pick one writing prompt on one of 10 pages of prompts listed on the website. All levels of writers are encouraged to submit an entry of 500-1,000 words that begins a larger story. We will accept entries of up to 1,500 words. The Grand Prize Winner receives a $500 Amazon gift card. Four first-prize winners receive a $50 Amazon gift card. 100 honorable mentions will receive a free digital copy of 1,000 Creative Writing Prompts, Volume 2 (Retail value: $2.99). Make sure your entry is posted to your blog by December 22, 2013 at 11:59 PM CST. Open to U.S. and U.K. residents only. Story must be longer than 500 words and shorter than 1,500 words.

ROSE POST CREATIVE NONFICTION COMPETITION
http://www.ncwriters.org/programs-and-services/competitions/27-rose-post-creative-nonfiction-competition
---
$10-$12 ENTRY FEE.
Encourages the creation of lasting nonfiction that is outside the realm of conventional journalism and has relevance to North Carolinians. Subjects may include traditional categories such as reviews, travel articles, profiles or interviews, place/history pieces, or culture criticism. The first-, second-, and third-place winners will receive $300, $200, and $100 respectively. The winning entry will be considered for publication by Southern Cultures magazine.

THE CHATTAHOOCHEE REVIEW
http://thechattahoocheereview.gpc.edu/prizes.htm
---
ENTRY FEE $15.
Submit fiction stories and nonfiction essays of up to 5,000 words. Prizes $1,000 and publication per category. Deadline January 31, 2014.

“EVERY MOTHER HAS A STORY” MEMOIR CONTEST
http://shebooks.net/gh-memoircontest
---
ENTRY FEE $15.
To be considered, the memoir must be between 3,000 and 7,500 words. Prizes: $2,000 and possible publication. Deadline December 15, 2013.

CANADIAN TALES OF THE FANTASTIC SHORT STORY COMPETITION
http://www.redtuquebooks.ca/publishers/books/distribution/100-Contest
---
ENTRY FEE $15.
All manuscripts must be original, unpublished fiction, typed and double-spaced, between 1,500 and 5,000 words and “Identifiably Canadian.” First place $500; Second place $150; Third place $100; Ten Honourable mentions: $25. Deadline: December 31, 2013.

GRANTS

THE BROWN HOUSE FELLOWS PROGRAM
http://www.mfah.org/fellowships/doramaarhouse/dora-maar-how-to-apply/
---
The Brown Foundation Fellows Program, based at the Dora Maar House in Menerbes, France, provides residencies of one to three months for mid-career professionals in the arts and humanities to concentrate on their fields of expertise. Applications must be submitted online by February 15 for fellowship terms beginning July 1 or after and ending no later than December 15.

GRANTS - ARIZONA
http://www.azarts.gov/programs/literary-art/
---
The Arts Commission provides assistance to individual artists through annual Artist Research and Development Grants. Artists apply for project-related funding up to $3,500 for research and development leading to the creation of a work of art in any artistic discipline. Previous Artist Project Grants winners may apply for and receive the Artist Project Grants every ten years.
-also-
Professional Development Grants provide funding support for participation in artistic development and skills building activities or opportunities that contribute to professional growth and career development.

CARNEGIE FUND FOR AUTHORS
One Old Country Road
Carle Place , NY 11514
516.877.2141
---
Offers grants-in-aid to qualified commercially published book authors who have suffered financial emergency as a result of illness or injury (their own or that of spouses or dependent children) or who have suffered some equivalent misfortune. Grant amounts vary according to need. Write for more details.

HELLMAN-HAMMETT GRANTS
http://www.hrw.org/en/node/75288
---
For writers who have been victims of political persecution or are in financial need. Hellman/Hammett grants typically range from $1,000 to a maximum of $10,000. In addition to providing much needed financial assistance, the Hellman/Hammett grants focus attention on repression of free speech and censorship by publicizing the persecution that the grant recipients endured.

POETS IN NEED
http://www.poetsinneed.org/
---
Provides emergency assistance to poets who have an established presence in the literary community as innovators in the field and have a substantive body of published work. Assistance is given only in cases of current financial need that is in excess of and unrelated to the recipient's normal economic situation and that is the result of recent emergency (due, for example, to fire, flood, eviction, or a medical crisis).

FREELANCE MARKETS

FITNESS & PHYSIQUE MAGAZINE
http://thenaturalmusclenetwork.com/magazine/
---
Fitness & Physique Magazine is a publication published periodically that includes articles on nutrition, training, supplementation, contest preparation and more. It also covers amateur drug-free physique competitions.

WOMEN'S ADVENTURE
http://www.womensadventuremagazine.com/contributors-guidelines/
---
Many columns to choose from, as low as 400 words. Features are 1,800 to 4,000 words. Women’s Adventure is the only sports, travel, fitness and lifestyle magazine published specifically for active women.

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
http://www.csmonitor.com/About/Contributor-guidelines
---
The Christian Science Monitor is an independent international news organization that delivers thoughtful, global coverage. Our basic rate for a story is $200 to $225. But please be in touch with individual news and section editors (see entries below) about any variation from this rate. Longer stories can pay appreciably more. Short stories or sidebars often pay half the basic rate.

VEGNEWS
http://vegnews.com/pages/page.do?pageId=13
---
VegNews welcomes freelance inquiries and is open to a variety of subjects relating to vegetarianism. Our mission is to inform, make people think, and entertain. When sending a pitch, please include two to three writing samples (ideally published clips), either as a Word attachment, a list of urls, or by postal mail to our San Francisco offices. Please note that we never publish unsolicited pieces.

THE THREEPENNY REVIEW
http://threepennyreview.com/submissions.html
---
Please submit after January 1, 2014. At present The Threepenny Review is paying $400 per short story or article, $200 per poem or Table Talk piece. This payment buys first serial rights in our print and digital editions, and the copyright then reverts to the author immediately upon publication. As a rule, critical articles should be about 1200 to 2500 words, Table Talk items 1000 words or less, stories and memoirs 4000 words or less, and poetry 100 lines or less.

JOBS

SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE FEATURE WRITER
Location Washington DC
http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=1548766
---
Smithsonian Magazine seeks a versatile and enterprising feature writer. In an increasingly niche world, we’re looking for a wide-ranging generalist, someone equally comfortable chasing narwhal hunters in Greenland, analyzing the world of paleo art and digging into the history of lost languages. You should be an excellent writer with a keen sense of storytelling, someone who knows how to craft a 4,000-word narrative—and can easily knock out a 200-word blurb. You should be a dogged and accurate reporter with keen interviewing skills, who’s not afraid to dig into scientific documents and complex primary sources. You should have compelling story ideas (but be equally enthusiastic about pursuing our editors’ passions). You’ll be based in our Washington, DC office but occasional travel, sometimes to remote locations, is part of the job. Versatility, imagination and collegiality are a must.

PUBLISHERS

BOOKOUTURE
http://www.bookouture.com/submission-guidelines/
---
We’re looking for entertaining, emotional stories for smart, modern women. Books that effortlessly transport readers to another world and keep them turning the pages.

BLACK MOUNTAIN PRESS
http://www.theblackmountainpress.com/
---
Black Mountain Press is a literary press for outstanding emerging writers publishing several different genres of books annually. For the next three years from 2013 through the end of 2016 our focus will be in collections of poetry, memoir, novels and collections of short stories. Our editors are looking for the highest quality literary fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry that combines a distinct voice and vision.

NEW HORIZON PRESS
http://www.newhorizonpressbooks.com/submit.php3
---
We seek these categories: True crime, from the perspective of law enforcement, attorneys or loved ones seeking justice. Also self-help and psychological issues, such as phobias, teen suicide, blended families, relationship problems, etc. Timely topics for general audiences, preferably by credentialed professionals. Small advance and regular royalties. NO MEMOIRS OR NOVELS, PLEASE.

GREENHOUSE LITERARY AGENCY
http://greenhouseliterary.com/
---
Greenhouse exclusively represents and manages the careers of authors writing fiction for children, from picture books through middle grade novels to sophisticated teen fiction.

RENEE ZUCKERBROT LITERARY AGENCY
http://rzagency.com/
---
Based in Manhattan, the Renée Zuckerbrot Literary Agency represents a wide-ranging list that includes literary and commercial adult fiction, narrative non-fiction, and cookbooks. We represent writers at all stages of their careers, first-time and well-established authors alike, and the agency’s small, intimate scale fosters warm and long-lasting relationships with our clients.