|
SPONSOR OF THE WEEK
Third annual Business of Writing International Summit - August 1-2, 2014 in Louisville, KY.
Learn
how to grow your book sales and build your author platform at this
annual two day event for writers, authors and small publishers. 30+
sessions on self-publishing, small press publishing, book promotion,
marketing, eBooks, social media, and the craft of writing. Enjoy great
food; outstanding networking opportunities; meet published authors,
publishers and other industry experts; study the latest tools and
resources.
Pre-Summit Workshop on July 31, 2014: All-day Self
Publishing Workshop with Peggy DeKay, author of Self Publishing For
Virgins. This class will lead you through the process of self publishing
using CreateSpace and Microsoft Word. You can self-publish a book with
little money and limited computer skills.
Questions or to register by phone, call: Larry DeKay 502-303-7926
 502-303-7926
Editor's THOUGHTS
LET YOURSELF SHINE PRETTY
I'm going to ask you a simple question . . . a simple yet extremely important question:
Do you enjoy writing?
We
all enjoy HAVING written, but if you could not publish, if the odds
were so ridiculously against you making enough sales to buy groceries
for the month, would you still sit down and spin a tale?
The
reason I ask is that a dark undercurrent of unrest and dissatisfaction
from writers flows across social media these days. Comments and
complaints surrounding:
1) The difficulty of promotion;
2) The enormous overbearing nature of Amazon;
3) The choice of indie publishing;
4) The credibility of traditional/legacy publishing;
5) The ignorance of most reviews;
6) The quality of the edits in published works.
I
could go on for another dozen lines, but you know what I'm talking
about. For some reason, fussing about the odds, the difficulties, the
competition, and the processes we must endure has become commonplace -
way too commonplace.
So stop and take note . . . the grand majority of successful authors are not making noise. They are quietly writing.
And
they are smiling. They enjoy their work. They enjoy their
story-telling. They do not waste time talking about the journey, and
instead just keep putting one foot in front of the other.
What
if potential readers see your posts? What if someone who's considered
reading your work sees a snarky remark on Facebook and changes her mind?
What if you put down someone or something that the reader feels the
polar opposite about?
Don't
give in to the dark side. You're more appealing when you are all about
your stories. Readers love seeing you more passionate about your next
release than how much you're making from sales.
Our profession is all about the readers we attract, not the headaches of the business. Nobody likes a whiner.
-Hope Clark
 |
HAWKSNEST WRITERS CONFERENCE
Speakers
include Lyle Ernst, Kim Sigafus, Lori Perkins, Anthony Wedgeworth and
Keynote C. Hope Clark of FundsforWriters and The Carolina Slade Mystery
Series
Saturday, July 12, 2914 9 a.m. -- 4 p.m.
State Bank of Cross Plains Conference Room
Black Earth, WI
Cost $50 (includes catered lunch)
|
|
WORDS OF SUCCESS
Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.
~Louis L'Amour
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Carolina Slade Mystery Series
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
did it, I finally did it. I have been working off and on for 15 years
on a book project and finally have a printed copy of it in my grubby
little mitts. Your website gave me the little hints, the confidence
that it could be done, and so many other small but important nuggets to
push on and finish my book.
It is titled Extraordinary Comfort
and is a powerful true story of my mother's near-death experience where
she met the son she lost many years earlier to stillbirth. Mom had been
in and out of hospitals numerous times in the past several years (prior
to 1998) with several health issues including cancer and diabetes.
My
book launch is scheduled for July 18, 2014 in Atlanta, and I begin an
eight-week book signing tour in mid August. I have included the preface
of the book along with a link to my website, www.extraordinarycomfort.com.
Thank you for your continued support for the writing community and keep up the great work.
Many thanks
Dave Asay
featured article
How to Boost Engagement on Your Facebook Page
By Frances Caballo
If
you already have a Facebook profile, you may be wondering why you would
even need a Facebook author page. Here's my answer: Facebook profiles
are for people. They are a venue to connect with friends and
acquaintances to share information about your lives. A Facebook profile
can't be used to market businesses or products, such as your books and
workshops.
On
a Facebook author page, you can market your books, promote your
readings and workshops, and notify fans about your discounted prices and
Goodreads giveaways. In short, this is where you can communicate
meaningful content that your fans will want to know as well as promote
books and other products and services you may offer.
In
addition, a Facebook page will help you to build your brand, engage
with your readers, and improve your search engine results, which in turn
will boost sales of your books and attendance at your workshops.
Here are some of my favorite tips for increasing shares and Likes on my page.
1.
Focus on producing quality content, writing short posts (80 to 190
characters), and always including images that are colorful, unique, and
compelling.
2. Respond quickly to your fans' comments, promote their publishing successes, and just enjoy the experience.
3.
Balance the mundane with the meaningful. Cute kitten pictures are
mundane while posts with links to solid content are meaningful status
updates. I balance my page by posting meaningful content in the morning
while in the afternoon I post a quote about writing or a comic about
writers. For example, a Hemingway quote I included on my page was seen
by 1,666 Facebook users even though I have 836 page likes. The
additional users saw the post because my fans shared it.
4.
Gear your messages towards your audience. If your audience loves YA
books, don't post information about literary fiction. Keep to the topics
they care about.
5. Use stellar images. Facebook users love them.
6. Post videos. They are popular on Facebook.
7.
Experiment with your posts, study your Insights - Facebook's free
analytical feature - and learn what works best for your audience.
What works best on your Facebook page?
BIO:
Frances Caballo is a social media manager for writers and author of
Avoid Social Media Time Suck: A Blueprint for Writers to Create Online
Buzz for Their Books and Still Have Time to Write; Social Media Just for
Writers: The Best Online Marketing Tips for Selling Your Books; and
Blogging Just for Writers. Presently, she is the Social Media Manager
for the Women's National Book Association-SF Chapter, the San Francisco
Writers Conference, and the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association.
You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and
Google+.
competitions
MALAHAT REVIEW CONSTANCE ROOSE CREATIVE NONFICTION CONTEST
ENTRY FEE $35 for Canadian entries, $40 for U.S. entries, and $45 elsewhere.
Canada's
premier literary magazine invites emerging and established writers from
Canada, the United States, and elsewhere to enter the 2014 Constance
Rooke Creative Nonfiction Contest. A prize of $1,000 will be awarded to
the best work that embraces, but is not limited to, the personal essay,
memoir, narrative nonfiction, social commentary, travel writing,
historical accounts, and biography, all enhanced by such elements as
description, dramatic scenes, dialogue, and characterization. All
entries should be previously unpublished, and between 2,000-3,000
wordsin length. Deadline August 1, 2014 (postmark date). Entries can be
sent by regular mail or email.
THE PORTICO BROTHERTON POETRY PRIZE
http://www.theportico.org.uk/prizes/poetry-prize
£5 ENTRY FEE. FREE FOR YOUTH.
Deadline August 31, 2014. Prizes offered in two categories for a poem on 'Conflict and Community'.
Entries
may want to focus on particular conflicts and their effect on a
community or write from the perspective of an individual experiencing
conflict. OPEN CATEGORY (Over 16s). 1st: £250, 2nd: £150, 3rd: £100.
Poems, up to 40 lines, in English. YOUNG CATEGORY (Under 18s). 1st: book
tokens, 2nd: book tokens, 3rd: book tokens. Poems, up to 40 lines, in
English.
VALLUM POETRY PRIZE
http://www.vallummag.com/contestww.html
ENTRY FEE (3 poems): $25 USD, $25 CDN, INCLUDES SUBSCRIPTION.
Deadline
July 15, 2014. First prize: $750; second prize: $250; both prizes earn
publication in Vallum. Submit up to 1-3 poems of maximum 60 lines each.
GRAYSON BOOKS POETRY PRIZE
http://www.graysonbooks.com
$25 ENTRY FEE.
Deadline August 15, 2014. Winner receives $1,000, publication, and 10 copies. Submit manuscripts
of 50-80 pages; include a Table of Contents.
BARTHELME PRIZE FOR SHORT PROSE
ENTRY
FEE. Deadline August 31, 2014. The contest is open to pieces of prose
poetry, flash fiction, and micro-essays of 500 words or fewer. The
contest awards its winner $1,000 and publication in the journal. Two
honorable mentions receive $250 and will also appear in issue 27.2, due
out in April 2015. All entries will be considered for paid publication
on our website as Online Exclusives. We accept submissions both via our
online submissions manager and via postal mail, and all entrants receive
a one-year subscription to Gulf Coast. Entrants may submit up to three
pieces with each entry fee.
GRANTS
VIRGINIA QUARTERLY REVIEW CONFERENCE SCHOLARSHIPS
http://www.vqronline.org/2014-conference
Conference participants pay $950 (which includes box lunches and Saturday banquet). Auditors pay
$800 (which includes box lunches and Saturday banquet). Once admitted to the conference, a
nonrefundable
deposit of $200 is due by July 31. The balance is due at or before
registration. Payment may be made by check or credit card. A limited
number of $350 scholarships will be made available based on the
potential for literary excellence. To be considered for a scholarship,
you must apply by July 15.
MISSISSIPPI ARTS COUNCIL GRANTS
http://www.arts.ms.gov/programs/arts-industry-ind.php
Fellowships are awarded to visual artists, photographers, choreographers, sculptors, poets,
playwrights,
fiction writers and others working in the visual, performing and
literary arts. These $5,000 awards are given annually but not always in
every discipline. The Mississippi Artist Roster is made available each
year to local arts agencies, schools, festivals, libraries and other
organizations interested in presenting Mississippi artists. Each year,
Mississippi artists are encouraged to apply for the Roster to afford
themselves opportunities to perform and lead workshops in schools and
communities throughout the state. Presenters may apply to the Commission
for Minigrants to cover up to half of an artists' fee.
FLINT AND STEEL RESIDENCIES
http://astudiointhewoods.blogspot.com/2014/05/call-to-artists-flint-and-steel.html
Flint
and Steel are five-week residencies designed to allow artists to join
forces with a Tulane University faculty member to inspire each other in
the development of new work, to excite the public, and to ignite social
change. We ask artists to describe in detail how the opportunity will
affect their work, to propose a public component to their residency and
to suggest ways in which they will engage with the local community.
Deadline August 1, 2014. Location New Orleans.
CAMAC
http://www.camac.org
CAMAC
is a creative center offering international residency programs for
artists, scientists and technologists working with new media. Our
ambition is to foster exchange and develop meaningful communication by
providing a unique environment for individuals and collaborative groups
working on the evolution of ideas or the realization of a body of work.
Location Marnay sur Seine: France. Deadline July 31, 2014. Special
grants, fellowships, and subsidies are available.
WILLAPA BAY RESIDENCIES
Willapa
Bay AiR offers month-long, self-directed residencies to emerging and
established artists, writers, scholars, musical composers and
songwriters. Situated on 16 acres in coastal southwest Washington State,
the Residency provides lodging, meals, and work space, at no cost, to
five residents each month, from March 1 through September 30 of the
year. Willapa Bay AiR provides lodging, work space, and meals without
charge. Location Oysterville, Washington.
FREELANCE MARKETS
YOUTHWORKER
YouthWorker Journal is inviting freelance writers to submit nonfiction articles. Pays $20 to $200
for
200 to 1,800-word articles. We serve thousands of committed men and
women who work in a variety of church, parachurch and other ministry
settings around the world and are devoted to helping young people know,
love and serve Jesus Christ. Everything we publish is designed to help
youth workers be more effective in fulfilling this important calling.
THRIVING FAMILY
http://www.thrivingfamily.com/extra/call-for-submissions
Theme: Teens and Depression. The article should focus on parenting a teenager who struggles with
depression. This should be a come-alongside tone, not teaching or preaching. Submit 750 to 800
words.
Pays $250 on acceptance. Deadline July 11, 2014 for this theme. For
general submissions: departments run 50 to 200 words and pay $50/piece;
Feature articles run 1200-1500 words and pay 25
cents/word; Devotions (150-200 words) pay $50 each.
TEXAS HOME SCHOOL COALITION REVIEW
http://thsc.org/about-thsc/opportunities-at-thsc/writing-opportunities/
Pays $100 for 800 words. Deadline August 1, 2014. Needs stories on the theme "Developing a Love of
Learning"--submissions can cover practical advice on forging an enthusiasm of and commitment to
teaching students.
DEATH ANTHOLOGY
http://everywherenowpress.com/books/anthology-about-our-experience-of-death/
Death
Where the Nights are Long is an anthology of writing about the idea and
experience of death. We are asking approximately thirty writers from
Canada, the U.S. and Iceland to deliver an account of death in its many
varied forms. We are seeking essays, memoirs, poetry and creative
non-fiction, with a suggested length of between 2,500 and 5,000 words.
If your piece is accepted, you will be paid $250 on completed delivery
and acceptance. You will
receive another $250 on publication. If the book does very well - as we
hope it will - we will also consider a success fee to each contributor
in an amount to be determined. Deadline November 1, 2014.
CHICKEN SOUP - HEARTFELT STORIES BY MOMS
Pays
$200 for 1,200 words. Deadline September 30, 2014. Stories can deal
with the pains and highlights of motherhood, the wonders of parenting
grandchildren, special moments of raising a newborn, being a role model
to a teenager, or anything that touches the heart of a mom.
JOBS
EDITORIAL AND SALES POSITIONS
Location San Francisco, CA.
http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/jobview.asp?c=jfennf&joid=167642
Editor
requirements B.A. or greater in Journalism or English and five years of
print magazine experience. Sales positions have high commission
potential. Print and online media sales. This is a work from home,
freelance position, commission only or salary + commission.
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Location Montclair, NJ.
http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/jobview.asp?c=jfennf&joid=167884
Shelterforce
Magazine. Has a commitment to social justice, the empowerment of
low-income people, and the right of everyone to live in a healthy
neighborhood. Direct familiarity with the fields of community
development, affordable housing, economic development, neighborhood
revitalization, urban planning, community organizing, or related topics a
plus.
SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR
Location New York.
http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/jobview.asp?c=jfennf&joid=167865
SC
Magazine, a Haymarket Media information resource and publication, is in
the market for a Special Projects Editor. In addition to being based in
our NYC headquarters, this position also could be located in the San
Francisco Bay Area or in Boston if just the right candidate is able to
operate from a home office.
publishers/agents
COSMIC EGGS BOOKS
If
your passion is Fantasy (including magical realism and spiritual
fantasy), Metaphysical Cosmology, Horror or Science Fiction (including
Steampunk), Cosmic Egg books will feed your hunger. Our curiosity shop
contains treasures you will enjoy unearthing.
SOHO CRIME PRESS
http://www.sohocrime.com/resources/submissions
Soho
Press primarily publishes fiction, with the occasional autobiography or
cultural historical account. Completed manuscripts should be 60,000
words or more. While many of our published works arrive here through
agents, we place a high priority on publishing quality unsolicited
materials from new writers. Though eager to accept a wide range of
literary fiction, we do not consider formula fiction, young adult
dramas, stock romances, juvenile literature, short story collections,
cookbooks, how-to books, self-help, fantasy, and anything that might
recommend itself as a "quick read." Further, we do not consider electronic submissions.
COFFEE HOUSE PRESS
http://www.coffeehousepress.org/submission-guidelines/
Coffee House Press will only accept submissions during two annual reading periods: March 1 - April
30
and September 1 - October 31. Coffee House Press publishes literary
novels, full-length short story collections, poetry, and a small number
of essay collections and memoirs. CHP does not accept submissions for
anthologies. CHP also does not publish genre fiction such as mysteries,
Gothic romances, Westerns, science fiction, or books for children.
Please note: Coffee House Press is not currently accepting unsolicited
poetry submissions.
ALGONQUIN BOOKS
http:///www.algonquin.com
Algonquin
Books publishes literary fiction and nonfiction. We don't publish
poetry, genre fiction (romance, science fiction, etc.), or children's
books.
SPONSORS
2014 Houston Writers Guild Fall Contest is open for submission!
Entry fee $35 for fiction/nonfiction. $25 for poetry.
Open to all writers, regardless of publishing status.
Winners will be announced at our annual Fall Conference.
$75 prize awarded to first place in each category.
Entering is easy. Deadline is September 1.
For more information visit http://houstonwritersguild.org/contests
Enter the BookGoodies Book Cover Contest! Deadline 7/6/2014
We have 10 categories and the winner in each category will receive an advertising package prize worth $200+. Overall winner gets $100 Amazon Gift Card plus Category Prizes.
Here are the categories: General Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery/Thriller/Suspense, Romance, SciFi, Poetry, Children, YA, Nonfiction, Memoir.
Come check out the prizes and enter!
Special $5 discount on entry free using FFW5.
http://bookgoodies.com/book-cover-contest/
Build A Writing Team
Genre: Non-Fiction. Self-help. Critique. Networking. Team building.
Author: G. M. Barlean
Publishing Imprint: Less Traveled Roads Publishing
You are competing with the best, so write the best book you can.
Building a support team is not as complicated as you think.
Available on Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords.
Call for Entries: Writers & Poets!
Dream Quest One Poetry &
Writing Contest. Write a poem, 30 lines or fewer on any subject or
write a short story, 5 pages maximum length on any theme, single or
double-line spacing, neatly hand printed or typed.
Writing First Prize: $500, 2nd: $125; 3rd: $100
Poetry First Prize: $250, 2nd: $125; 3rd: $50.
Entry fees: $5 per poem, $10 per story. Postmark deadline: July 31, 2014
How to enter, visit: http://www.dreamquestone.com
Click here to visit Book Design Templates.- Instead
of trying to decide what your books should look like, we've made all
the decisions for you. Just follow our friendly instructional guide,
pour in your text and your book will be ready to go. All your styles and
formatting needs are coded into our templates for easy use. Enthusiastically endorsed by Hope!
ALSO - Our cover templates are out!
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.
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 CODE FFW2014 AND GET 10% OFF (NEW CLIENTS ONLY)
EXISTING CLIENTS EARN 8% REFERRAL FEE FOR SENDING IN NEW CLIENTS
A few testimonials from happy clients:
"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/
"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
A few client sites:
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 Copyright 2000-2014, C. Hope Clark
ISSN: 1533-1326
**Note
that FundsforWriters.com places paid advertising in this newsletter,
ALL ads being related to writers and the business of writing, screened
by FundsforWriters to make sure the information is suitable for writers
and their endeavors to improve their careers. But the mailing list is
not sold to third parties. You will not receive this newsletter without
your permission. It's physically impossible since recipients must
opt-in, giving us permission to send the newsletter. If at any time you
no longer with to receive the newsletter, click the UNSUBSCRIBE link at
the bottom of each newsletter. We want you to enjoy this newsletter at
your pleasure, not be forced to read anything you do not wish to
receive. The website is not advertised using unsolicited messages by
Aweber, affiliates or other third parties. Direct any complaints,
suggestions, and accolades to Hope Clark at hope@fundsforwriters.com. We are an anti-spam site.
|
|
