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Sports Fiction and Essay Contest

Now in its third year. $3,000 in prizes, including $1,000 for best story and $1,000 for the best essay. Submit published or unpublished books of prose on sports-related themes, up to 6,000 words per entry. All entries that win prizes will be published at www.winningwriters.com and announced in the Winning Writers newsletter, with over 50,000 subscribers. Fee is $16 per entry. Submit online by May 31. FInal judge: Jendi Reiter. Winning Writers is one of the "101 Best Websites for Writers" (Writer's Digest, 2005-2013). See guidelines, past winners, and enter at www.winningwriters.comsports

Editor's THOUGHTS

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

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MAY IS INDIE MONTH AT FUNDSFORWRITERS

The feature articles in this newsletter for the month of May will involve aspects of indie publishing. INDIE... There's something liberating about using the term indie instead of self-published. It defines writers as being free rather than compartmentalized. As one who was not fond of self-publishing at the beginning, I readily admit today that some authors are making darn fine incomes through indie publishing.

Publishing and selling one's work can be exciting. It's also hard. Someone asked me today, as I write this, how she could aggressively find readers for her work. I gave her ideas on branding, promoting, social networking, and such. She came back and said that she didn't understand why she had to brand, because after all, she wasn't selling some sort of kitchen appliance.

Well, you're selling your work or you're writing for fun. And as an indie author, it's all on your shoulders to make enough noise, in a unique enough way, to be found amidst all the publishing racket out there. What's unique about you, your writing, your humor, your way of life, doesn't matter what it is. Readers today want more than a good story. They want to know more about the writer and the origins of the story, the artistic voice, the work it takes to write.

"I want to share my work with the world but don't want to get involved with sales and such, because that's just wrong. I'm creating art for others to enjoy."

Bunk, y'all. If you want to give your work away, then write it and post it everywhere, or print up copies to leave on benches and magazine racks. But if you're selling it, you run a business. That's the most important lesson I can beat into a writer's head, I think. I don't teach writing. I teach writers how to earn a living. Embrace your authorpreneurship or face it: You write for a hobby.

And these days, the serious authorpreneurs are running over those who don't like the feel of selling their work.

One little rant I will squeeze in here is this: Why do indie bookstores steer away from indie authors? The concept is the same. They don't want Amazon and Barnes & Noble to run the show. They want to show that independent stores with all their flavor and ambiance, are worth the attention of readers. They have a right to exist. Well, duh, so do indie authors, yet an indie bookstore rarely sells indie works. They can make more money selling traditional books because the authors are more widely known.

Well, the logic is the same with traditional and self-publishing resources. Amazon isn't totally better or worse than an indie bookstore, just like the traditional world isn't totally better or worse than the self-publishing world. People, there's room for all, and the best writers and the savviest promoters will rise to the top regardless of how they put the words on the paper or screen. And word-of-mouth still runs the show.

I hope you enjoy May's Indie Month theme.

~HOPE

WEBSITE - http://www.chopeclark.com
BLOG - http://www.chopeclark.com/blog
TWITTER - http://twitter.com/hopeclark
FACEBOOK - http://www.facebook.com/chopeclark
GOODREADS - http://www.goodreads.com/hopeclark

WHERE TO FIND HOPE IN MAY:

May 7 - Wed, 6:30 PM - SC Writers Workshop, Library, West Columbia, SC
May 8 - Thurs, 9 AM - Freelance Round Table Chat, Google Hangout
May 8 - Thurs, 9 PM - #k8chat - Twitter chat
May 12-13 - Mon/Tues - Muse Pub Authors listgroup chat on Yahoo
May 20 - Tues, 2:30 PM - Newberry, SC Literary Social Club, Newberry Library
May 21 - Wed, 6:30 PM - SC Writers Workshop, Library, West Columbia, SC
May 31 - Sat, 1-2:30 PM - Books on Broad, Signing, Camden, SC

WORDS OF SUCCESS

"The first draft of a book -- even a long one -- should take no more than three months, the length of a season."

~Stephen King

TOTAL FUNDSFORWRITERS

TOTAL is the paid subscription to FundsforWriters. 70+ grants, contests, markets, publishers and more for the serious writer. $15 annual subscription for 26 biweekly Friday issues to your email. www.fundsforwriters.com - Or receive a free subscription with the full-price purchase of a Carolina Slade Mystery or The Shy Writer Reborn - ebook or print.

	The Carolina Slade Mystery Series http://www.chopeclark.com/Book Three is out!!!!!Carolina Slade is the real deal - Southern charm, a steely determination, and a vulnerability she'll never admit to. Slade is at her absolute best in C. Hope Clark's Palmetto Poison so hold on for the ride! ~Lynn Chandler-Willis, best selling author and winner of the 2013 Minotaur Books/PWA Best First Private Eye Novel Competition   Clark's intensely lush and conversational writing will keep you...turning the pages faster than you can read them. ~Dish Magazine   Autographed copies available: see www.chopeclark.com

Success Story

Dear Hope,

Do you remember your piece in a recent FFW Newsletter - Wall Building? You described the way people talk themselves out of writing, entering, submitting, and so on. That has been me so many times!

I love cats, and last year you featured a call from Chicken Soup for cat stories and poems. I sat there and thought, am I really a Chicken Soup sort of writer? They probably wouldn't want my stuff. There'll be such hot competition for spaces, too - is it worth even trying? And so on, and so on, I'm afraid.

Anyway - I sent a poem off anyway. I try to remind myself these days that if your piece fits the spec, then send it - there's nothing to lose. And that's why my poem, 'A Tiger Sleeps' will be in 'Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Cat Did WHAT?' later this year! I'll get $200 and ten free copies, plus all the pleasure of having my work in such a prestigious publication.

Cathy Bryant

featured article

Navigating Amazonland

By Gina Barlean

So, you want to sell your books on Amazon? There is no magic to it, just hard work. Before you bother trying to figure out the secret handshake, I'll tell you what most authors will tell you: First, write a darn good book.

If you're an indie author, the next thing you should do is hire a darn good editor, then a professional cover designer, then write an amazing book blurb. Write the kind of blurb that will grab the readers by the front of their shirt and hold their attention.

For indies, it's all about free. You can create a FaceBook page for your book to build excitement, list your book on Goodreads, make a book trailer and then  advertise it on indietrailers.wordpress.com. All of these things are free.

Keep getting your name out there. You can make an About me page. Get on Twitter. Run contests or give aways on your FB page and on Goodreads. Coax your local papers into running press releases. Chat it up on Kindle Boards. Run an ad inBookbub, or on EReader News Today. All of these ideas will work in your favor, some free, some not.

But let's talk free promotion on Amazon. First go to Author Central, a free webpage you can create on the Amazon site. Show the world who you are. Here, readers can see your latest tweet, read your biography and see your head shot and bibliography. This is my Amazon author page: Gina's Amazon Page !

To publish on Kindle, go to this link: https://kdp.amazon.com/ This is where indie authors upload books to Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and fill out the rights, pricing, and book information. You can change the information after publication, if need be. The ability to change is nice as you can play with your price and the blurb.

KDP Select is an Amazon program you can opt into for additional promotion. There are rules to KDP Select, so read it until you understand before you agree to sign up. With KDP Select, you make a 90-day commitment to sell that ebook only on Amazon. For this commitment, Amazon allows you to make your book free for five days during the 90-day period. The hope is during your free days you will give away enough books to bump your sales ranking higher so the world will actually see your book. The people who pick up your free book will, hopefully, recommend it to others and when you put the price back, people will still buy it.

Gather reviews. Ten is a good number. Ask for them from your beta readers, offer people an Advanced Reader Copy for a fair review, and run giveaways on your Facebook page to encourage reviews. Reviews like these are required for some advertising.

EReader News Today will promote your book for one day and send you a bill for a percentage of sales you make. To advertise on EReader, or Bookbub, or , you will need a certain number of reviews.

Through Kindle Countdown Deals, customers watch your book drop in price and then rise again over a period of days. You must be signed up with KDP Select to use it. I did not see sales when I tried this, but other authors have said Kindle Countdown works best when done along with other offers, e.g., offering one of your books free and running a Countdown on another.

The best advice anyone can ever give is to keep learning. Read until your eyes hurt then read some more. The information is out there. You just have to search for it. To start, read the information on the websites linked in this article.

BIO
Gina M. Barlean is the author of four novels. Her most recent, Thorns of Rosewood, a cozy mystery, sold over 1,100 digital copies in April 2014. For more information about Barlean's books visit, GMBarlean.com.

competitions

THE ELIXIR PRESS FICTION AWARD http://elixirpress.com/fiction-guidelines --- $40 ENTRY FEE. Elixir Press is sponsoring a fiction contest open to all writers writing in English. Both short story collections and novels are eligible. The prize will be $2,500. Deadline May 31, 2014.

 
2014 MIND MAGAZINE INSIGHT POETRY PRIZE COMPETITION http://www.mindmagazine.net/ --- $10 ENTRY FEE. $300 for first prize, $150 for second prize, and $50 each for three honorable mentions. Winners will be published in Mind Magazine's top talent showcase section. All poems submitted will be considered for standard publication.  Submit 1-3 unpublished poems, up to three pages each. Deadline for all entries is August 15, 2014. Winner will be announced in September, 2014. The Mind Magazine 2014 INSIGHT Poetry Prize Competition will be judged by award winning poet Michael Spring and Editor-in-chief Rich Norman.

 
LOVE ON THE ROAD http://malinkipress.com/lotr2014 --- $10 ENTRY FEE. We're looking for stories about two people making a connection, whether this connection is platonic, the kind that leads to a wedding, the kind that just leads to a bed, or the kind that leads to a heartbreak. We're interested in stories about two people traveling together, a traveler who meets someone while on the road, or a person who meets a traveler passing through. Submissions should be 4,000 to 6,000 words and can be fiction or nonfiction. They must be original and cannot have been previously published. Submissions from LGBTQ writers are welcome. Deadline July 31, 2014. Malinki Press will choose 12 submissions and send those to our independent panel of judges. The judges will choose first-, second-, and third-prize winners. We'll announce the winners in September and award them prizes of $200, $100, and $50, respectively, paid that month.

 
BANFF MOUNTAIN BOOK COMPETITION   ttp://www.banffcentre.ca/mountainfestival/competitions/book/ --- NO ENTRY FEE, BUT MUST ENTER SIX COPIES OF THE BOOK. Deadline June 30, 2014. Categories are Adventure Travel, Mountain Fiction and Poetry, Mountain Guidebooks, Mountain Image, Mountain and Winderness Literature Nonfiction. To be eligible for the 2014 Banff Mountain Book Competition, entries must be first editions published in 2013 or 2014. Prizes in each category are $1,000 or $2,000.

 
UTAH ORIGINAL WRITING COMPETITION http://heritage.utah.gov/arts-and-museums/ops-competition-original-writing-competition --- NO ENTRY FEE. The competition identifies and awards Utah writers for works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry in the form of short stories, essays, poems, and full-length manuscripts for readers of all ages. Deadline June 27, 2014. There are several first book categories. First prizes $1,000 and second prizes $500.

GRANTS / CROWDFUNDING

JAMES AND MARION MILLER FOUNDATION http://www.millerfound.org/apply/application-guidelines/  --- Interested in advancing the arts in Oregon. Only grants to groups, but an individual artist/writer can collaborate with a group, or even lead a program with a group, and coordinate a program where writers can get paid for their service. For instance, a school, nonprofit, library or literary group can apply on behalf of writers. Deadline July 21, 2014.

 
LUMINARTS CREATIVE WRITING PROGRAM https://luminarts.submittable.com/submit/23823 --- Applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 30 years old, be enrolled in, or have graduated from, a degree program, and live within 150 miles of the Union League Club of Chicago. While applicants may reapply to Luminarts programs every year, they are only eligible to receive the award once. However, once designated a Luminarts Fellow you are eligible to apply for a project grant through the Foundation. The Chicago-based organization recognizes the talents of emerging writers and awards five grants of $5,000 to each writer of poetry or prose. Deadline June 1, 2014.

 
OREGON LITERARY FELLOWSHIPS
http://www.literary-arts.org/what-we-do/oba-home/fellowships/fellowships/ --- Deadline June 27, 2014. Oregon Literary Fellowships are intended to help Oregon writers initiate, develop or complete literary projects in poetry, fiction, literary nonfiction, drama and young readers literature. Writers in the early stages of their career are encouraged to apply. The awards are merit-based. Prizes $2,500.

 
ANDREWS RESIDENCY http://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/centers-and-initiatives/spring-creek-project/ --- The H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest offers one-week residencies to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers in October, November, and December in the Oregon Cascades, 40 miles east of Eugene. The residency is open to writers whose work "reflects a keen awareness of the natural world." Residents are provided with an apartment, which includes kitchen facilities, access to the forest research site, and a $250 stipend. Submit three copies of up to 10 pages of poetry or 15 pages of prose, a one-page project description, and a curriculum vitae by May 15, 2014.

FREELANCE MARKETS

HOMESCHOOLING TODAY http://homeschoolingtoday.com/write-for-us/ --- Pays 10 cents/word. We focus on providing information and tools for those who homeschool, shared from a Christian perspective. The magazine doesn't just offer encouragement but also ready-to-use lessons and activities for anyone who wants to expand the educational experience of their children, while keeping the approach to learning natural. Our goal is to help parents create an environment "Where The Love of Learning Takes Root".

 
COLUMBUS PARENT http://www.columbusparent.com/content/topic/site/faq.html --- We now publish only assigned articles written by staff or local freelance writers who are under contract to the magazine. If you would like to be considered for freelance writing work, please send a resume and three writing samples which reflect Columbus Parent's topics and current writing style to Editor Jane Hawes. The magazine focuses on providing news, event information and family-oriented activity ideas and reviews for families residing in central Ohio. It has established itself as the "Go-To Guide for Central Ohio Families."

 
INDY'S CHILD http://www.indyschild.com/CallPage-13825.114134-Write-for-us.html --- Indy's Child is always looking for talented, experienced freelance writers to enhance our magazine. Our general goal is to have a good mix of fun and substantive local stories of interest to local parents. Features 600-800 words: $60-$100. IC Columns: $60-$75.

 
METRO PARENT http://www.metroparent.com/Metro-Parent/Write-For-Us/ --- Metro Parent Publishing Group is always looking for talented, experienced freelance writers to enhance our magazine, ancillary publications and website. Our general goal is to have a good mix of fun and substantive local stories of interest to local parents. Features 1,000-2,500 words: $150-$350, depending on complexity of topic and number of sources required to do the story justice. Department columns: $50-$75. Parent Pipeline pieces: $35-$50. Reprints: $35. We're looking for stories and sources that reflect the communities we cover: Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne counties. Therefore, southeast Michigan ideas and sources are preferred.

 
TODAY'S PARENT http://www.todaysparent.com/about-us/ --- Today's Parent is Canada's #1 source for parenting content that informs, inspires and builds a sense of community. We help parents celebrate the happy chaos that comes with having a family and remind them that they are not alone. If you have children from birth to ages 9+, you'll get insightful information for all ages and stages on discipline, health, behavior, education, plus easy and nutritious recipes and so much more. Pays up to $1/word.

JOBS

WRITER/REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER - Location Germany. (TEMP ASSIGNMENT) - https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/368911100 --- Deadline May 16, 2014. Pays $35K to $45K. Temporary 13-month assignment for Stars & Stripes publication in Kaiserslautern, Germany. Stars and Stripes has reported first-hand on military conflicts since the Civil War and continuously since World War II by reporting information and news of interest and value. We offer the military community a choice of media to assure access by service members, their families, veteran's civilian employees, and other interested readers. Our news gathering and publishing activities are guided by the principles of a free press and are free of any and all outside control. Kaiserslautern in a town of about 100,000 people, many of them Americans attached to the US military. reporter will spend at least 60 percent of the time in Afghanistan or other areas where US troops are forward deployed, such as the Middle East and Africa.

REPORTERS - Location Newport News, VA http://www.journalismnext.com/jobdetails.cfm?jid=8563 --- The Daily Press, located in Newport News, Va., is looking for multiple reporters, including one to  cover local issues related to the military and veterans. The area is home to Langley Air Force Base, Fort Eustis, Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, and Hampton VA Medical Center. A large portion of our residents are active-duty or retired military. We need a journalist who can localize the major military and veterans issues while keeping our readers up to date about the local bases. We are also looking for journalists who are driven to dig up tough stories, hold public officials accountable and tell our readers why it all matters.

PUBLISHERS / AGENTS / SELF-PUB PROFESSIONAL

EVENING POST BOOKS http://www.eveningpostbooks.com/submissions/ --- We are currently accepting submissions for 2015 and beyond. We will begin notifying authors regarding accepted manuscripts in February 2015. We are especially interested in fiction titles (including short stories), titles for young adults, cookbooks, gift books, and books of photography.

 
MOTORBOOKS http://www.motorbooks.com/contactus/become-author.php --- There was an old Triumph ad slogan that read, "We eat, sleep, ride, talk, breathe, dream, live and love motorcycles!" Does that sum up your relationship with cars, motorcycles, racing or any other subject Motorbooks publishes? If so, and if you're a writer with an interesting book idea, we'd like to hear from you.

 
MOUNTAIN PRESS http://mountain-press.com/about_us.php --- Mountain Press Publishing Company publishes books on western U.S. history, natural history, and non technical earth science and ecology, as well as children's books. We also publish the popular Roadside Geology, Roadside History, reprints of Will James, and other series.

 
MVP BOOKS http://www.mvpbooks.com/ --- MVP Books publishes quality books for enthusiasts on a wide range of sports and fitness topics, from baseball and football to surfing and basketball. These include extensive team histories as large-format giftbooks, reference books, narratives and memoirs.

 
ZENITH PRESS http://www.zenithpress.com/ --- Zenith Press publishes historical nonfiction in narrative, illustrated, and graphic formats.  Building on a core of 19th and 20th century military history in America, Zenith also publishes titles on the history of aviation, technology, and science, and also in selected areas of cultural and social history -- all with a distinctly American angle.  From a narrative of a famed American WWII flying squadron to an illustrated celebration of NASA's famed Space Shuttle program to a cultural history of moonshine in the 19th and 20th centuries, Zenith books are engaging American stories with a firm historical foundation.

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SPONSORS

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WHICH IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

Self-publishing...e-publishing...conventional publishing?

The publishing world is changing quickly. Multi-published author Cynthia MacGregor gives you all the facts and helps you compare and decide.

AVAILABLE AS A BOOK OR DVD.

ALSO AVAILABLE: 2 CDs for writers: BREAK THAT WRITER'S BLOCK and if rejection slips have got you down, MOTIVATION & INSPIRATION FOR WRITERS.

~~ Available at: www.crescentcovecreativity.com

Think Something New, Write Something New

Crack Open Your Fierce, Original Voice This Summer

Just five spots remain for this unique writing retreat on a beautiful secluded island at Stout's Lodge, one of the most extraordinary historic lodges in the country. You will be guided away from repetitive thinking in order to break new ground in your work. Stout's is nestled on a wooded island all to itself amid a symphony of lapping waves and birdsong. But it's not just stepping back in time into deep peace, or the innovate writing workshops, or the daily yoga with live music, or the guided meditation that allows you to finally breathe, relax, and create. It's the journey back to your own fierce, original voice: that is the Elephant Rock Summer Solstice Retreat. All levels and genres welcome. Tuition includes 5 nights' lodging and all vegetarian meals, daily writing and yoga sessions, nightly bonfires with live music, evening of readings, private guitar concert, Solstice Eve celebration, and more. Inquire soon. This retreat sells out.

For all retreat details, visit Elephant Rock Retreats at: http://elephantrockretreats.com/upcoming-retreats/

Contact: Jeannine Ouellette - elephantrockretreats@gmail.com or call  612-801-2566 612-801-2566

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Fine print

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 2000-2014, C. Hope Clark
ISSN: 1533-1326

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