FundsforWriters - June 13, 2014

Published: Fri, 06/13/14

Volume 14, Issue 24 | june 13, 2014

Message from the Editor
New hair do - all chopped off for summer. I'm enjoying summer this year. Gardening, writing, calm days at the lake. July means a trip to Vegas, Wisconsin and guests from my international writers group who are going to enjoy two days at a retreat at my house. August will mean a big day in the real Pelion, SC (setting for Palmetto Poison) for their Peanut Party, a day trip to Charlotte for a writers luncheon, and a trip to the Killer Nashville conference. But for now, I'm enjoying the laid back days, with no hair to keep up with!

Editor, FundsforWriters
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Newsletter: ISSN: 1533-1326
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WEBSITE - http://www.chopeclark.com
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iTUNES - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/c.-hope-clark/id885577265

SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

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ALSO - Our cover templates are out as of today!

Pricing will be $57, and the template actually comes with 3 different files, one each for CreateSpace, Lightning Source/Spark, and a generic template for other printers. We've also packaged the template with 20 fonts to make using it even easier.

And while the launch sale is going on for the cover template, everything on the template site will be 25% off until Wednesday, June 18 at midnight, when the sale ends. These amazing tools make publishing print and ebooks faster and easier than ever.

Editor's THOUGHTS

MATCHING YOUR MARKET

Several times this week I've declined advertisers. I know. Why turn down money, right? But they wanted to advertise romance, fantasy and children's books in FundsforWriters. Nothing against those souls. They are seeking venues to sell their books, and FundsforWriters has a sizeable following. I'm actually flattered they come to me with their lovely babies. I write. I get that.

But as I try to tactfully explain to them, they aren't reaching their audience via my newsletter. FundsforWriters is a sea of writers, all dreaming about one day selling enough of their words to earn a living. They aren't signing up to see what other writers are selling. They don't want to buy children's books, women's fiction, sci-fi or poetry. They want to know how to be a successful writer.

They are the competition, not the audience these advertisers seek.

You might ask why I sell my mysteries in my newsletters, but they are part of my brand. I fully understand that a gross minority of the readers are not mystery fans, but since I'm connected to this readership, I toss my books out there for consideration. Also, much of the readership has seen how I've traveled from novice to freelancer to struggling author to an agented author to a traditional author who also chose hybrid. It's a journey to learn from. Or at least I hope it is.

But it would be an injustice for me to take money from people to advertise their books. And it would be an injustice for me to put advertising in FundsforWriters that doesn't jive with the mission of FFW.

The point is, you need to stop and think about who reads your type of book. Then you head out and find them. How?

Identify:

1) your genre
2) the age of your reader
3) the geography of your work
4) the time period of your work
5) the gender the book leans toward (it can be both, or one over another)
6) the leaders in your genre

Then find places online and in your community that connect somehow to one or more of these traits. Write guest blog posts. Participate in chats. Volunteer to help a cause. Offer to speak at libraries, bookstores and clubs. There are Twitter chats, Google+ interviews, Skype, your blog, professional groups with their forums, and more. Be seen. Be heard.

People don't just want books anymore. They want the author, too. Whether you like it or not, you have to become a brand and develop a face, because books are a dime a dozen. But don't waste your time scattering your book anywhere and everywhere. Strategically place it where you think your readership resides. Time is precious. Use it wisely.

-Hope Clark

Hope signs Palmetto Poison at Edisto Bookstore on beautiful Edisto Island on Friday, June 13, 3:00-5:00 PM.

WORDS OF SUCCESS

âoeYou learn best by reading a lot and writing a lot, and the most valuable lessons of all are the ones you teach yourself.â

~Stephen King

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

Dear Hope,

I have been a consistent subscriber for more than a few years. I love your informative newsletter and have diligently mailed off my material to various magazines and contests whose information I receive in your timely newsletter e-mails.

Recently, to my pleasant surprise, a short story I mailed off nearly a year ago was bought by "Chicken Soup for the Soul: Recovering from Traumatic Brain Injuries: 101 Stories of Hope, Healing and Hard Work" with a foreword by Lee Woodruff (wife of Bob Woodruff, the former ABC television news anchor). My story is titled, "Singing My Way Through Adversity".

In the bio portion of the book it reads: Dee Dee McNeil is a freelance journalist, poet, singer/songwriter and educator. She has performed as a jazz singer in over twenty countries and is a Motown Records songwriter from Detroit, MI. She writes a music blog for www.lajazz.com. Her poetry book Haiku In My Neighborhood was published in 2012 with photographs by Roland Charles.

The book was published and released to the public in June of 2014. Thank you Hope for getting the information and opportunity out there and available to freelance writers like me.

Dee Dee McNeil

featured article

HONEST NUMBERS ABOUT AN AMAZON INDIE EBOOK GIVEAWAY

By Sean McLachlan

One problem facing indie authors is the lack of honest sales figures. Self-reporting is often vague or exaggerated. While Hugh Howey'^(TM)s Author Earnings page is a good source, more data are needed. I recently did a five-day free promotion on Amazon and would like to share my results.

Iâ^(TM)m writing a series of post-apocalyptic novels titled the Toxic World. Book One, Radio Hope, came out in February. In March I published a 10,000-word short story titled The Scavenger. The series is in the KDP Select program so I can take advantage of free giveaways and countdown deals.

The Scavenger is priced at 99 cents. It'^(TM)s not intended to make money, but to advertise the series, so I use my free days. I get five days to offer it for free every ninety-day period. My first promotion was from Friday, April 4 through Tuesday, April 8. I did little promotion. I mentioned it on my blog and several times on my Twitter feed. Several blogger buddies mentioned it. A few nice people tweeted.

Hereâ^(TM)s the daily breakdown, with the number of downloads for each country in parentheses.

Friday, April 4: US (79), UK (13), Spain (5), Germany (2), Canada (3), India (1). Total: 103.

Saturday, April 5: US (82), UK (9), Germany (1), Canada (1), Australia (1). Total: 94.

Sunday, April 6: US (58), UK (2), Germany (1), Canada (3), Australia (1). Total: 65.

Monday, April 7: US (61), UK (11), Australia (1). Total: 73.

Tuesday, April 8: US (47), UK (8), Spain (1). Total: 56.

Grand Total: US (327), UK (43), Canada (7), Spain (6), Germany (4), Australia (3), India (1).
Grand Total for all markets: 391.

The giveaway numbers mirror my sales â" the U.S. is by far the biggest market, with the UK a distant second and the rest of the world a small but significant last.

My first day was my biggest. Fridays and Saturdays are good sales days as people look for weekend reading. There'^(TM)s a severe drop off at the beginning of the week. This was reflected in my giveaway numbers.

That good first day got me into the top 20 in the Post-Apocalyptic and Dystopian categories on Amazon UK and into the top 20 oeKindle Short Reads on Amazon US. This increased visibility and encouraged more downloads, creating a positive feedback loop and getting the attention of some oefree ebook websites and Twitter feeds, which presumably helped keep numbers up.

Reader reaction was prompt. While the giveaway was still on, someone added The Scavenger to Goodreads and I got three reviews.

What about sales of Radio Hope? During the giveaway I sold six, twice what I sold in the same five-day period a week earlier. I have since had several sales of Radio Hope to people who said they'^(TM)d been pulled in by The Scavenger.

So what did I learn?

Don'^(TM)t expect astronomical numbers. As a little-known author in a flooded genre, you won'^(TM)t hit number one.

The friend factor only goes so far. Few downloads were by people who know me. Most had already bought or been given a copy, or don'^(TM)t read this genre. Only a few spread the news.

The first day is essential. Getting those numbers up quickly makes you visible. This encourages more downloads that will keep you visible.

Weekends are better. Split it across two weekends instead of a single five-day block.

You a^(TM)re building a tower, not launching a rocket. While this giveaway didn'^(TM)t get me lots of sales, it did get my series onto nearly 400 Kindles. That'^(TM)s a start.

BIO: Sean McLachlan is the author of several books of fiction and history. Check him out at his Amazon page and on Midlist Writer.

competitions

ROOM'S ANNUAL WRITING CONTEST
http://www.roommagazine.com/node/59
ENTRY FEE $32.50 CAN.
Categories: Fiction, Poetry and Creative Non-Fiction. Prizes in each category. First prize: $500 + publication. Second prize: $250 + publication. Honorable mention: publication. For fiction and creative non-fiction, one submission includes one short story or essay of up to 3,500 words. For poetry, one submission includes up to three poems or 150 lines of poetry. All submissions include a one-year subscription to Room.

TUSCANY PRIZE FOR CATHOLIC FICTION
http://tuscanypress.com/tuscany-prize.php
$10 ENTRY FEE.
The Tuscany Prize for Catholic Fiction is a literary prize to promote writers and great undiscovered stories of Catholic fiction. What is Catholic fiction? Stories that capture the imagination of the reader and are infused with the presence of God and faith â" subtly, symbolically or deliberately. Think of Flannery Oâ^(TM)Connor, Graham Greene, J.R.R. Tolkien and G.K. Chesterton and many others whose writings reflected the thoughts of the great writer Gerard Manley Hopkins: âoeThe world is charged with the grandeur of God.â Deadline June 30, 2014. In addition to prize winners, worthy manuscripts will be offered publishing contracts. Novel first place $5,000. YA novel first place $3,000. Short story first place $1,000 (other prizes of $200 through $350). Honorable mentions - five prizes $100 each.

MARK TWAIN HOUSE AND MUSEUM NONESUCH HUMOR WRITING CONTEST
https://twainhouse.submittable.com/submit
ENTRY FEE $12 or $22.
Two age categories: Adult (18 and over) and Young Author (17 and under). Submit 10,000 words (or fewer) of any original work of humor writing. Submissions must be in English. Submissions are not required to be in the style of Mark Twain or about Mark Twain. We want to hear your voice. And we want you to make us laugh! Deadline June 30, 2014. Prizes are in each category. All 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Prize winners in both the âoeYoung Author/17 and underâ and âoeAdult/18 and overâ categories will be invited to attend "Mark My Words" and go backstage to meet bestselling authors. (Winners are responsible for their travel and accommodations.)

1st Prize: $1,000 (Adult & Young Author)
2nd Prize: $500 (Adult & Young Author)
3rd Prize: $250 (Adult & Young Author)
Three Honorable Mention Prizes: $100 Gift Certificate for the Mark Twain Museum Store (Adult & Young Author).

RUBY IRENE POETRY CHAPBOOK CONTEST
http://www.arcadiamagazine.org/contests.html
$20 ENTRY FEE.
Arcadia magazine awards $1,000 and twenty-five author copies for the winning poetry chapbook. Submit fifteen to thirty-five pages of poetry. Deadline August 15, 2014.

GOOD HOUSEKEEPING'S ALL ABOUT LOVE WRITING CONTEST
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/family/blogs-books/all-about-love-writing-contest
NO ENTRY FEE.
Good Housekeeping magazine seeks stories for its All About Love Writing Contest. First prize of $2,000 to the writer who has written the best story about love or romance. Deadline September 1, 2014.

GRANTS

WORD RIOT TRAVEL GRANT
http://wordriot.us/travel-grants/
We are currently accepting applications from small press writers for $100 to $500 travel grants. In the small press world, a little funding can make the world of difference in a projectâ^(TM)s success. Word Riot Inc. travel grants will help offset the costs a writer incurs participating in readings and literary events around the country. Grants will be made on a quarterly basis. The number of grants and the amount awarded each quarter will depend on the quality and thoroughness of the applications received. A minimum of one grant of at least $100 will be awarded each quarter. Preference will be given to applicants who extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations by participating in readings or literary events in those communities. Deadline June 30, 2014.

ISLE ROYALE ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE
http://www.nps.gov/isro/upload/Art%20in%20Residence%20Brochure.pdf
Location Houghton, MI. Isle Royale, a remote wilderness island, is located in the northwestern section of Lake Superior. The park provides an isolated rustic cabin in Tobin Harbor and the use of a canoe at no cost to the artist. Complimentary transportation to the park is provided on the National Park Service vessel the Ranger III, a 165-foot ship operating out of Houghton, Michigan.
During the residency, the artist will be asked to share their experience with the public by demonstration, talk, or other means. The presentation will depend on the artistâ^(TM)s medium, interests, and experience and will consume a few hours of their stay. The artist is required, within a year, to donate a piece of work inspired on the island. Deadline February each year.

HOMESTEAD NATIONAL MONUMENT RESIDENCY
http://www.nps.gov/home/supportyourpark/artist-in-residence-program.htm
Location Nebraska. The Artist-in-Residence program at Homestead National Monument of America offers professional artists (fine art painters, sculptors, fine art photographers, performers, writers, video/filmmakers, composers or other fine art media) the opportunity to spend a period of time working on their artwork and living in park housing. Residency periods can vary from 2 to 4 weeks, and take place during the months of April through October. Deadline March each year.

HUBBELL TRADING POST RESIDENCY
http://www.nps.gov/hutr/planyourvisit/artist-in-residence.htm
Location Arizona. The Hubbell Trading Post and Navajo Nation landscapes will inspire you to paint, draw, photograph or write while living in a historic, fully furnished stone hogan. The Hubbell Artist in Residence Program allows creative professionals a place to stay while working on special projects. Consider joining us for one or two weeks to create art. Applications are accepted each December for the following year.

FREELANCE MARKETS

WRITERS WEEKLY
http://writersweekly.com/misc/guidelines.php
Weâ^(TM)re out of Success Stories! Have a Freelance Success Story to share? We pay $40 on acceptance, non-exclusive electronic rights only. Success Stories run around 300 words but weâ^(TM)re very flexible.

FIRESIDE
http://firesidefictioncompany.com/submissions/
Fireside is open to submissions of flash fiction and short stories through June 30, 2014. Fireside is seeking original, previously unpublished flash fiction of 1,000 words or less and original, previously unpublished short stories of 1,000 to 4,000 words. (Firm limit.) We pay 12.5 cents per word, with payment on completion of edits. We buy first world publication rights and six-month exclusivity, as well as the right to reprint the story once, non-exclusively, in a Fireside anthology.

TRAINS
http://trn.trains.com/en/Magazine/Contributor%20Guidelines/2010/07/Contributor%20Guidelines.aspx
TRAINS buys news stories and feature articles covering railroading's past and present, including first-person recollections. We do not buy travel stories, poetry, or fiction. Before submitting a feature-length article, we urge you to send a written inquiry to TRAINS Magazine at: editor@trainsmag.com. Pays 10 cents/word.

AMERICAN CRAFT
http://craftcouncil.org/magazine/writers-guidelines
We value freelancers who can write for a general creative audience with clarity and insight. We love good storytelling that explores a craft artistâ^(TM)s struggles, doubts, determination, and triumphs. We like to read about how craft shows up in modern life, particularly if the writing is bright and accessible. When touching on craft theory or history, writers should take special care to write clearly and for a non-academic audience.

AMERICAN QUILTER
http://www.americanquilter.com/documents/publications/aqs_article_submissions.pdf
Our mission is to inspire and empower artists of all ages, abilities, and styles to grow, challenge themselves, and to form bonds with others in the textile arts community. American Quilter is published six times per year; our readership is thoughtful, intelligent, and appreciative of well-written articles that cover a large variety of quilt-related topics. Articles may range from 500 to 1,500 words and have accompanying images.

JOBS

WRITER WHO KNOWS RETIREMENT PLANNING
Location Virtual.
http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/jobview.asp?joid=167198&page=1
Callisto Media, Inc., a book publishing start-up in the Bay Area, is seeking a freelance writer for a book on retirement planning. The book will be 35,000 to 45,000 words in length and follow a detailed outline that has already been created. It will cover basic financial advice in a step-by-step format. The writer must work fast, completing the entire manuscript in 3 weeks or less. Company located in Berkeley, CA.

COPYWRITER
Location Orlando, FL
http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/jobview.asp?joid=167155&page=1
Code School is seeking a copywriter to write and edit copy for a variety of company initiatives. This is a contractor position with the possibility for full-time employment.

publishers/agents

ESCARGOT BOOKS
http://www.escargot-books.com/submission
Escargot Books is accepting submissions from June 1-June 30, 2014. Seeking: Crime novels ranging from dark thrillers to cozy mysteries, Womenâ^(TM)s fiction, Romance (all sub-genres except erotica),
Health and fitness, Non-fiction (except for memoir, unless celebrity), Childrenâ^(TM)s and YA (all sub-genres), Science fiction and dystopian. All books are published in digital format and print. We do not offer an advance, but we offer higher royalties than most publishers, especially for direct sales from our website. Please only submit your best, edited work, agented or unagented, and make your query letter grab our attention! Along with your one-page query letter, please send us the first five pages of your manuscript. If we want to see more, weâ^(TM)ll ask for a synopsis and the first 50 pages. Submit to: escargotbooks@yahoo.com, attention Richard La Plante

NORTIA PRESS
http://www.nortiapress.com/
Nortia Press (nor-TEE-ah) is a boutique publisher based in Orange County, California. We focus on literary fiction and nonfiction with a global affairs bent. For fiction, we adopt titles of high literary merit that open our eyes to some part of the world, time in history, or profound social issue. For nonfiction, we embrace those books whose unique analytical vantage point help us rethink some issue of global consequence.

NO STARCH PRESS
http://www.nostarch.com/writeforus.htm
No Starch Press has long had a reputation for publishing unique books on technology, with a focus on open source, security, hacking, programming, alternative operating systems, LEGOÂ®, science, and math. Our titles have personality, our authors are passionate, and our books tackle topics that people care about. If you have a book in mind or just an idea for a book that you'd like us to consider, let us know. You can email our editors at editors@nostarch.com.

OCEANVIEW PUBLISHING
http://oceanviewpub.com/submissions/
Oceanview Publishing is accepting manuscripts of adult fiction with a primary interest in the mystery/thriller genre. Submissions will be accepted only if they meet one of the following criteria: An author represented via a literary agent; an author who has previously been published by a traditional publishing house (not self-published or published by a vanity press); an author specifically invited by an Oceanview representative or an Oceanview author. Oceanview representatives often attend mystery and thriller conferences; please refer to Events on our website. *Please note that we do not accept manuscripts in the following areas: childrenâ^(TM)s or young adult literature, poetry, memoirs, cookbooks, technical manuals, or short stories.

ONEWORLD
https://www.oneworld-publications.com/
Our fiction list showcases intelligent, challenging, and distinctive novels that sit at the intersection of the literary and the commercial: emotionally engaging stories with strong narratives and distinctive voices. In addition to being beautifully written, we hope our novels play their part in introducing the reader to a different culture or an interesting historical period/event, and deeply explore the human condition in all its vagaries. We aim to publish novels that matter, that stay with you long after the last page is turned.