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Editor's THOUGHTS

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
May has been Indie Month at FundsforWriters. Some readers unsubscribed as a result of it. Some cheered. Some tried to take my "can't we all get along" mentality and bash one side or the other for not being more willing to get along with their way. The dynamics was interesting to watch.

One person fussed that traditional publishers take advantage, are condescending, with an attitude that comes from having to defend their overhead.  

Another fussed that writing organizations that cater to traditional authors are dinosaurs and need to open their doors to the self-published. Now that indies are cool, many indie authors like her want anything traditional to fess up and admit that indies are on equal footing and welcome to the club.

Another writer wanted to stop immature writers who aren't ready to publish. "How will they learn if we don't educate them?" he said. I told him calmly that they have the right to use the tools out there. Sure, they may choose the wrong tools, or use them the wrong way, or throw out bad writing, but so be it. "But how will they learn what they're doing wrong?" he said, very concerned. "From lack of sales," I said. "They learn to change or quit. Experience is the best teacher."

From what I'm seeing, the loudest protesters, on either side of the fence, are the ones struggling and backsliding. The calm protesters, the ones laying out facts and justifying their choices, are usually the successful. These are the ones who can talk the talk.

When I'm seeking information, when I want to study the details of either side of the publishing world:

1) I search for resources that state facts, in a civil, educational, professional manner. When I reach the bottom line, after I've read the rationalization of the author for the choices he made, I want to believe I've been fed facts, not emotionalism, sarcasm, and temper.

2) I look at the source. Has the writer published? How successful was he? Has he failed in one direction and excelled in another? Has he sold books? Someone who has not followed through and published, to include serious marketing, has not earned my ear.

Bottom line lesson is this: Focus on you. Focus on writing, editing, and then deciding which publishing method serves you. Then dive into it. Quit thinking how others will judge you. Quit passing judgment on the decisions others make.

You may think you have the right to belittle the other side, but you do not have the right to my respect when you do. If you haven't practiced what you preach, if you haven't shown what works and what doesn't from your own experience, why are you preaching . . . when you ought to be writing.

Your goal is selling books to readers, not pleasing your peers.

-Hope Clark

Hope signs Palmetto Poison at Books on Broad bookstore in beautiful, historic Camden, SC. Saturday, May 31, 1:00-2:30 PM.

WORDS OF SUCCESS
"Writing books is certainly a most unpleasant occupation. It is lonesome, unsanitary, and maddening. Many authors go crazy."

 -- H. L. Mencken

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

Here's where we post your successes!
Successes based upon what you've gleaned from FundsforWriters.
Don't be afraid...share your success so others may learn.
Submit your story to hope@fundsforwriters.com 

featured article

PUBLISHING OPPORTUNITIES VIA COOPS
By Mina R. Raulston

The debate between traditional and self publishing continues, sometimes becoming very heated. In the midst of this debate a new publishing opportunity has arisen called Cooperative Publishing, sometimes billed as a middle option between traditional and self publishing.

Sidebar: According to the Small Business Association, http://www.sba.gov/content/cooperative, the definition of a cooperative business is "a business or organization owned by and operated for the benefit of those using its services. Profits and earnings generated by the cooperative are distributed among the members, also known as user-owners."

A publishing cooperative, in its purest sense, includes a group of authors, editors, proofreaders and sometimes graphic designers and marketing experts, who join together to publish one another's books. No one in the group receives a salary and they each receive royalties from the sales of the books. This is a fairly new business model for publishing that is growing in momentum around the country.

One such coop is the Columbus Creative Cooperative in Columbus, Ohio led by Brad Pauquette, who owns several small businesses related to publishing. Pauquette began the cooperative based partly on a project one of his friends did while in college where he and a group of fellow students combined their efforts and funds to produce an anthology. "CCC's first anthology included work from an eclectic collection of writers in Columbus," Pauquette said. According to Pauquette he was not aware of other publishing coops, "We were inventing the wheel with our idea." They included paid advertisements in their book and everyone bought copies to sell in order to build seed money for more projects.

The CCC has grown to a larger model over the six years they have been together according to Pauquette. It's decentralized with each person doing their own thing. No one receives a salary and they receive a percentage of the profits at the end of the year. In addition to the publishing opportunities CCC offers writing workshops, writing critique sessions and writing contests to develop their writing talents.

Columbus Creative Cooperative publishes print and e-books and thus far has stayed with the anthology genre. Pauqette decides on a theme and announce the call for submissions; the paid members go through several layers of review until Pauquette makes the final decision on which stories will make the final cut for the book in process. Authors then sign a contract for the sales and profits for an equal share of the profits. Once the choices are made the book goes through the editing, proofreading and final production stage.

The group has three different member levels, each with a different cost and having different benefits, all of which are explained on the website. Although there are not required responsibilities for the members Pauqette feels it works out fairly for everyone because, "You get back what you put in."

Pauqette says they sell their books through several local retailers such as coffee shops, restaurants, etc. as well as attending festivals. Their vendor program encourages authors to attend the festivals and to submit their other books for consideration to be included at local vendors, festivals and on the CCC website if accepted. They also offer a self publishing option for authors looking for a quality and affordable means to self publish their own books. "CCC has no benefactors so our titles have to be successful in the book market. If we don't put out quality books that people want to buy, the cycle breaks down."

Other publishing cooperatives include:

Maine Authors Publishing http://www.maineauthorspublishing.com
Book View Café http://bookviewcafe.com/bookstore/about-book-view-cafe
Vala Publishers http://www.valapublishers.coop/about-vala
Word Branch Publishing http://www.wordbranch.com/faqs.html

BIO: Mina R Raulston has been a freelance writer for more than 15 years with articles published in community newspapers, denominational magazines, web sites and speeches for EZ Speech. She has also self published her first book, Home Should Be Safe: Hope and Help for Domestic Violence Victims. Readers can view her work and purchase copies of her book at www.minaraulston.com.

competitions

MIND MAGAZINE INSIGHT POETRY COMPETITION
http://www.mindmagazine.net/#!contests-and-submissions/c1j72
$10 ENTRY FEE. (one to three poems)
Deadline August 15, 2014.
First place $300, Gold Medal Standing, and publication.
Second place $150, Silver Medal Standing, and publication.
Third place $50, Bronze Medal Standing, and publication.
Fourth place $50, Mind Magazine T-Shirt and publication.
Fifth place $50 and publication.

AFRICAN POETRY CONTEST
http://africanpoetrybf.unl.edu/?page_id=21#glenna
NO ENTRY FEE.
Winning poet receives $5,000. Books must be submitted in the year after their publication, which means that books published in 2013 must be submitted for consideration between May 1 and July 1, 2014. The 2014 contest is open to any book of original poetry, in English, published during 2013 in a standard edition by a full-length collection of poetry written by any African national, African resident, or poet of African parentage with roots from any country, living anywhere in the world. A standard edition is 48 pages or more in length. Books of translation are welcome and eligible for consideration for the prize. Self-published books are not eligible.


THE WRITEIDEA PRIZE
http://paulmcveigh.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/write-idea-festival-short-story.html
£5 ENTRY FEE.
First Prize: £500. Tower Hamlets Prize: £500. Five finalists' prizes:  £100 each. The six finalists and local winner will be invited to read their stories alongside the judge, Alex Wheatle, at the Writeidea Festival on Sunday 16 November 2014 at 2:00pm. Deadline July 31, 2014. Entry to the prize is £5 or FREE to Tower Hamlets residents who are Idea Store members.


TWISTED STRINGYBARK SHORT STORY COMPETITION
http://goo.gl/IGGVsn
ENTRY FEE A$9.95.
First Prize - A$375, publication and more. Second Prize - A$175, publication and more. Third Prize - A$75, publication and more. Authors of highly commended stories may also be invited to have their stories published and if so receive a free copy of the e-book. Deadline June 29, 2014. Two main conditions: Firstly, that the story has a nifty twist at the end (or the middle, or beginning) that surprises the reader and secondly, that the story has some link, no matter how tenuous, to Australia.

GRANTS

WRITERS EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FUND
http://www.asja.org/for-writers/weaf/
This mission of the Writers Emergency Assistance Fund is to help established freelance writers who, because of advanced age, illness, disability, a natural disaster, or an extraordinary professional crisis are unable to work. A writer need not be a member of ASJA to qualify for a grant. However, applicants must establish a record of past professional freelance nonfiction writing over a sustained period of years, which means qualifications generally similar to those of ASJA members. WEAF does not award grants to beginning freelancers seeking funding for writing projects, nor does it fund works-in-progress of any kind.


THE AUTHORS LEAGUE FUND
http://www.authorsleaguefund.org/
Since 1917, the Authors League Fund has been helping professional writers and dramatists who find themselves in financial need because of medical or health-related problems, temporary loss of income or other misfortune. The Authors League Fund, recently featured in the New York Times, gives open-ended, interest-free, no-strings-attached loans. These loans are not grants or scholarships meant to subsidize personal writing projects.


BOOK INDUSTRY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
http://www.bincfoundation.org/
The Binc Foundation provides financial assistance to brick and mortar bookstore employees working full-time or part-time who demonstrate a personal financial need arising from severe hardship and/or emergency circumstances.


MID-ATLANTIC ARTS FOUNDATION - MARYLAND
http://www.midatlanticarts.org/funding/artists_programs/fellowships/md.html
Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation administers individual artist award and fellowship programs on behalf of the state art agencies of Maryland and New Jersey. The categories for 2015 Maryland Individual Artists Awards are Crafts, Non-Classical Music Composition, Non-Classical Music Solo Performance, Photography, and Playwriting. The application deadline for the 2015 Maryland Awards is July 24, 2014.


MID-ATLANTIC ARTS FOUNDATION - NEW JERSEY
http://www.midatlanticarts.org/funding/artists_programs/fellowships/nj.html
New Jersey Individual Artist Fellowship categories for 2015 are Crafts, Photography, and Playwriting. The application deadline for the 2015 New Jersey Fellowships is July 15, 2014.

FREELANCE MARKETS

CLARKESWORLD
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/submissions/
Clarkesworld Magazine is a Hugo Award-winning science fiction and fantasy magazine that publishes short stories, interviews, articles and audio fiction. Pays ten cents/word. Word Limit: 1,000-8,000 words (preferred length is 4,000).


MIRACLES OF KINDNESS
http://stlouis.craigslist.org/wrg/4484665373.html
http://www.themiraclespage.com
Pays $150. "Miracles of Kindness" is nearing completion but we are looking for a last few stories to fill out the full scope of our book. Have you ever been in a predicament, clueless how to proceed, only to be saved by a person you never knew before? Has your life been changed significantly by a simple act of kindness from someone you did know, someone who, aware of your need, decided to step in and help. These are the kind of stories we are looking for, although two kinds of stories top our priority list:

• if you've been helped, guided or assisted by a teacher or a mentor in some significant way, if a person you knew through school or through some other connection stepped up and helped you achieve your potential or reach a specific dream, let us know.
• if you have reached sobriety with someone else's help ... a sponsor or a therapist or just a friend, if your life was brought back to order and normalcy after an addiction to either drugs or alcohol by some one other person who cared enough to get involved, let us know.

CREATIVE LOAFING
http://clatl.com/atlanta/FAQ/Page
With a distribution of 80,000, Creative Loafing is Atlanta's #1 print product. We are known for candor. We also are known for our coverage of politics, public affairs, social issues, culture, music, movies and the arts. Our stories must be fair and accurate, but can have a strong point of a view and even a little attitude. Our stories must be original: They must offer either a compellingly fresh look at a subject familiar to readers or a look at an entirely new but interesting subject. Cover stories 1,500 to 3,000 words. Inside features on the arts, music, movies, travel and news (600-1,200 words). Reviews on the arts, music, restaurants and movies (400-800 words).


LITTLE INDIA
http://www.littleindia.com/writers.html
Little India is seeking full time, part time and freelance writers to write articles and features on overseas Indians worldwide and stories of interest to this community. Features and essays typically range from 500 to 3,500 words. Columns and commentaries run from 800- 1,500 words. The compensation for articles depends on treatment and length, ranging from $50 to $700 for articles that are published in the print edition. Typically, we pay between 6-12 cents a word.


READER'S DIGEST CANADA
http://www.readersdigest.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/eng/about-us/writing_for_the_digest.pdf
Our rates start at $1/word, and can go up according to shoe-leather, research and other factors involved. Features in RD range between 800-2,500 words. We do not pay for published jokes or anecdotes (non-professional authors of these short items do, however, receive a free subscription).
General interest magazine where voice is highly important.

JOBS

FREELANCE WRITER
Location Chattanooga, TN
http://goo.gl/PYuCdB
Freelance Writer / Communications professional needed for one of Chattanooga's largest employers and most desirable companies! This position is responsible for developing and managing communication projects to sell and promote company products and services through writing, designing, planning, and printing. Candidate must have 2+ years recent experience in a communications field and be able to complete projects within established deadlines.


HEALTHY LIVING MAGAZINE NEEDS A FREELANCE WRITER
Location Tri-Cities, TN.
http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=1590729
This person must be familiar with and reside in the Tri-Cities area of Tennesse (Bristol, Johnson City and Kingsport). Applicants must have editorial experience and experience conducting interviews for feature stories. Interested writers must possess the ability to work independently and under a strict production deadline. Featured stories will cover any and all health, wellness and lifestyle-related topics.

publishers/agents

AMERICAN PRESS PUBLISHERS
http://www.americanpresspublishers.com/
Prefers that authors teach courses for which the manuscripts are designed. Seeks agriculture, anthropology, archeology, art, architecture, business, economics, education, government, politics, health, medicine, history, horticulture, music, dance, psychology, science, sociology, sports.


AMIRA PRESS
http://www.amirapress.com/
Amira Press, LLC is a royalty-paying publisher of erotic romantic fiction. We are looking for stories that are original, creative, and compelling.


ARBORDALE PUBLISHING
http://www.arbordalepublishing.com/Submissions.htm
Our mission is to get children excited about science, math, and social studies (geography and different cultures) through fun-to-read picture book stories. We are looking for manuscripts that are either fictional stories with non-fiction facts woven into the story or non-fiction stories with a "cuddle" factor for parents to read with their children. Each of our books includes a several page "For Creative Minds" non-fiction section to reinforce the educational component of the book itself. This section will have a craft and/or game as well as "fun facts" to be shared by the parent, teacher, or other adult. Authors may be asked to provide separate facts that will be incorporated into this section. We do accept simultaneous submissions.


BANCROFT PRESS
http://bancroftpress.com
We publish trade fiction and non-fiction, and we publish what we like. Virtually every genre is represented by one of our fine authors; this is owed to their individual ability to tell a good story. From classic literature to political memoirs, from illustrated picture books to gripping suspense thrillers - the key is in the quality.

SPONSORS

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Join us in New Hampshire for a supportive writing retreat. Enjoy the refreshing New England summer with plentiful writing time, encouraging workshops, homemade meals and time to relax. Spend the week writing in either "Reimagining Memoir" with Mimi Schwartz or "Free-Writing Intensive" with Douglas Goetsch.

"I've never done an overnight writing retreat before and was amazed at how much writing happened just being away from home. The atmosphere was perfect: open, honest, sincere and so encouraging. Definitely worth the money, the drive and the time!" -- Anne, Belmont, MA

Register by July 1 and save $50: www.murphywriting.com/nh

Think Something New, Write Something New

Crack Open Your Fierce, Original Voice This Summer

Just three 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  612-801-2566612-801-2566

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

"Thank you for the gift of your creativity, insight, and problem-solving as I threw you question after question. The site captures my spirit and passion, and it honors my dream since childhood. I feel blessed to have come across you (thanks C Hope Clark!) and will recommend you to those who are in the market for a new site." --Lyn Fairchild Hawks, author, http://lynhawks.com/

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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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