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SPONSOR OF THE WEEK
Editor's THOUGHTS
MURDER ON EDISTO
If you follow me on Facebook, you see all this talk about a gorgeous book cover, a unique setting, and a brand new series. Yep, that's all mine. And I'm excited.
Murder on Edisto released on September 22, 2014.
Murder on Edisto is not a Carolina Slade mystery. Instead it's an Edisto Island Mystery, and this release is the first book in the series. Nope, Slade isn't dead. She's taking a breather to let Edisto take front and center for now.
Did I say I'm excited?
Anyone who reads my fiction recognizes that setting is a character for my stories. Place is my brand. I want location to matter as much as the protagonist, sometimes serving as an obstacle, other times a balm.
Slade's three books each took place in a different South Carolina locale: Edisto Island and Charleston, St. Helena Island and Beaufort, Pelion and Columbia. This time, however, we've set an entire series on Edisto Beach.
I can hear the collective AAHHH out there. A beach setting, cool. I've already heard from people who know Edisto Beach. Yeah, they get it already. It's secluded, without franchises, no noise. Sand and beach houses. Marshes and sunsets. Loggerheads and pelicans, gulls and deer. You want to go there, right?
I've been guest blogging all week and will continue for the next several weeks all over the blogosphere (and if you are interested in a guest blog on your site, just give me a holler). Here are a few of the posts:
How to Come Up With a Story - http://jeanettesandersen.blogspot.com/2014/09/murder-on-edisto.html
How Much of Your Novel is Real - http://bdtharp.com/archives/3382
Another Murder, Another Mystery - http://lindaoconnell.blogspot.com/2014/09/another-murder-another-mystery.html
http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Edisto-Island-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B00NT5YVWG/
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-on-edisto-c-hope-clark/1120380090?ean=9781611945416
Autographed copies available at: http://chopeclark.com/autographed-books/
As always, thanks for your support. Scroll down and read the blurb. It's awesome.
-Hope Clark
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full-day, low-cost writing seminar designed to teach participants the essential
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Dramatic Structure & Plot - Laura
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Setting & Description - Richie
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Writing as Re-Writing - Hallie Ephron
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Saturday, October 18, 2014
Westin Peachtree Plaza, Chastain D & E, 6th
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210 Peachtree Street NW, Atlanta, GA
Cost: $50 for members and $75 for nonmembers
To register, go to: http://mysterywriters.org/mwa-university/mwa-university-atlanta/ |
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WORDS OF SUCCESS
"A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing, and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself, he always appears to be doing both."
~French writer Chateaubriand
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IT'S OUT! . . .
MURDER ON EDISTO
A big city detective
A Lowcountry crime
When her husband is murdered by the Russian
mob, Boston detective Callie Jean Morgan suffers a mental break and
relinquishes her badge to return home to South Carolina. She has no idea how to
proceed with her life, but her son deserves to move on with his, so she relocates
them to the family vacation home.
But the day they arrive on Edisto Beach, Callie
finds her childhood mentor and elderly neighbor murdered. Her fragile sanity is
threatened when the murderer taunts her, and the home that was to be her
sanctuary is repeatedly violated. Callie loses her fight to walk away from law
enforcement as she becomes the only person able to pursue the culprit who's turned
the coastal paradise into a paranoid patch of sand where nobody's safe. But what
will it cost her?
Purchase any of Hope's books and receive a one-year subscription to TOTAL FFW free. Send receipt to hope@fundsforwriters.com |
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Success Story
Hi, Hope!
The minute I discovered your weekly "FundsforWriters" newsletter back in March of 2013, I knew I was onto something valuable. I found out just how valuable a year later, almost to the day, when I received my first book contract from a publisher I had learned about from you.
I was in the final stages of pruning and polishing my first novel in preparation for the long submission process, when I noticed Cup of Tea Books, an imprint of PageSpring Publishing, listed among the publishers featured in your January 17, 2014, newsletter. I queried PageSpring Publishing on March 4, and exactly one month later, I had a contract! My novel, Dust Bunnies and Dead Bodies, a cozy mystery, is scheduled for release October 15.
Who knows where my novel would be today if not for your newsletter, but I do know where it is because of it. And so I share this success with you. Thank you, Hope, for your wonderful newsletter and for all the valuable tips and resources you provide to the writing community.
For me, and probably thousands of other writers, you have become not just an indispensable writing resource; I feel like you've become a friend. I hope I get the opportunity to meet you someday.
My best to you always,
Janis Thornton
DUST BUNNIES AND DEAD BODIES
(Available for pre-order on Amazon.com: http://tinyurl.com/mynl96o)
www.janis-thornton.com
www.facebook.com/janis.thornton.96
featured article
7 Must-Have Items for Your Author Media Kit
By Joan Stewart
You're finally done with your book.
But you're exhausted. And vulnerable to making mistakes.
Before you plunge ahead with marketing, don't miss a critical tool whose absence could push your book into the remainder bin. You must create a complete, well-written author media kit.
This package of marketing materials brands you and your print or digital book. If built correctly, the media kit includes items that will help journalists, bloggers, reviewers, retailers, individual buyers, event planners and others promote, sell and buzz about your book.
Here are seven things indie authors shouldn't do without in an author media kit:
1. Cheat Sheet for Book Reviewers
Three out of four authors who ask me to review their books fail to send the bare minimum - a press release. If I don't find one, I put the book on my bookshelf. A year later, when I'm de-junking, your book ends up in a cardboard box I donate to the church rummage sale.
Tuck a short note in your book with a link that leads me to your digital media kit. Help me find your press release, great photos and a cheat sheet that tie into your title, and I'm interested.
2. Sell Sheet for Retailers
Bookstore buyers don't want the same information you'd give to a reviewer. They want what's referred to as a sell sheet.
A sell sheet includes a short summary of your book. Additional information about your marketing plan will help buyers compare your book to similar books on their shelves, and shows them how hard you work to help them sell your book. This should be full-color, and professionally designed, printed on 100 lb. Text-Gloss paper.
3. "How to Order" Form for Readers
You'll need a marketing piece that explains about the book, and includes several killer endorsements and a "How to Order" form. The order form must address issues such as bulk orders, sales tax, C.O.D. payments, shipping and how to pay with a credit card. It's similar to the sell sheet for bookstores, but it's for individual book buyers, not sellers.
4. Press Release with a High-Res Cover Image
Consumer and industry magazines love featuring books. The New Product Section of these publications could be the perfect home for your book if you can provide a high-resolution photo of your book cover. Editors tell me they are practically begging for good-quality photos for these sections.
5. Interview Topics or Questions
If you write and deliver a pitch that gets you booked on a talk show, don't show up at the station without a list of questions the interviewer can ask you. Most talk show hosts will not read your book. Broadcasters rely on these questions as a crutch.
6. Author Bio for Events
Meeting planners love booking authors who make their job easier. Don't force them to wade through your website hunting info about you. Provide your author bio in several different formats for their use.
7. Introduction for Events and Speaking Engagements
You're taking the stage in five minutes, and the person who will introduce you must "wing it." This never goes well. Bring your own introduction and avoid mishaps.
After you've created this author media kit, you're ready for prime time. People will have what they need to help make your book a success.
BIO: Publicity expert Joan Stewart, author of 10 books, works with authors and experts who need free publicity to promote their expertise and grow their businesses. Twice a week, she emails snack-size tips about how to get free publicity. Subscribe at http://www.PublicityHound.com/tips.
Over at BookDesignTemplates.com we've teamed up with Joan Stewart to create a complete set of Media Kit Templates for Microsoft Word. Joan's tips and guidance are embedded in the templates, and they are on sale right now at 30 percent off until Tuesday night, 9/30. To find out more, click here: Joan Stewart's Media Kit Templates.
competitions
NEW VISIONS AWARD
https://www.leeandlow.com/writers-illustrators/new-visions-award
NO ENTRY FEE.
TU BOOKS, the fantasy, science fiction, and mystery imprint of LEE & LOW BOOKS, award-winning publisher of children's books, is pleased to announce the second annual NEW VISIONS AWARD. The NEW VISIONS AWARD will be given for a middle grade or young adult fantasy, science fiction, or mystery novel by a writer of color. The Award winner receives a cash prize of $1000 and our standard publication contract, including our basic advance and royalties for a first time author. An Honor Award winner will receive $500. Deadline October 31, 2014.
ANTHONY HECHT POETRY PRIZE
http://waywiser-press.com/hechtprize10.html
$27 ENTRY FEE.
Deadline December 1, 2014. The winner receives £1,750 or US$3,000, paid in May 2015; publication of the winning manuscript by Waywiser both in the UK and in the USA in the autumn of 2015; a reading with the judge at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., in autumn 2015. Entrants should not have published more than one full-length previous collection of poems. Manuscripts should be a minimum of 48 and a maximum of 88 pages.
WRITE TO DONE FLASH FICTION CONTEST
http://writetodone.com/writetodone-flash-fiction-contest/
$10 ENTRY FEE.
In our Flash Fiction contest, the entries should be 500 words or less. Deadline October 5, 2014. The contest is open to everyone; there are no age restrictions. The Prize will be $500, and the stories submitted by the winner and two runners-up will be published along with the results on Friday, October 17, 2014.
STORIES OF RESILIENCE CONTEST
http://ourstoryproject.herokuapp.com/pages/contest
NO ENTRY FEE.
In recognition of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the greater community is invited to add their voices through the "Stories of Resilience" contest. Submissions are being sought that reflect the broad impact of abuse -- through stories, personal essays or poems. First prize of $500 and two second prizes of $100. Deadline October 20, 2014. We are interested in a wide range of submissions, from very brief to a maximum of 1,500 words. Survivors, friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, children - all perspectives on the effects of domestic abuse are welcome.
POETRY CENTER'S 2015 SUMMER RESIDENCY CONTEST
http://poetry.arizona.edu/awards-residencies/summer-residency-program
NO ENTRY FEE.
Since 1994, the Poetry Center's Residency Program has offered writers an opportunity to develop their work. The Poetry Center will award one residency each summer for one poet to spend two weeks in Tucson, Arizona developing his/her work. The residency includes a $500 stipend and a two week stay in a studio apartment located within steps of the Center's renowned library of contemporary poetry. The residency is offered between June 1 and August 31. Deadline: December 15, 2014.
GRANTS
MILLAY COLONY
http://www.millaycolony.org/apply
The Millay Colony for the Arts has taken a dramatic step to increase access to its programs by adding a second annual application deadline. Artists may now apply in October for the first half of the residency season and in March for the second half. Deadline October 1, 2014. The Millay Colony for the Arts offers one-month or two-week residencies to visual artists, composers and writers between the months of April and November. Resident artists get private rooms, personal studios, and all meals during their stay at Millay's pastoral campus.
SUNDRESS ACADEMY
http://www.sundresspublications.com/safta/
Sundress Academy for the Arts is excited to announce that they are now accepting applications for short-term artists' residencies in creative writing, visual art, film/theater, music, and more. Each residency includes a room of one's own, access to a communal kitchen, bathroom, office, and living space, plus wireless internet and cable. The length of a residency can run from one to week to two months. SAFTA is currently accepting rolling applications for the next three residency periods:
October 26--December 13, 2014
December 14, 2014--January 31, 2015
February 1--May 31, 2015
The SAFTA farmhouse is located on a working farm that rests on a 29-acre wooded plot in a Tennessee "holler" perfect for hiking, camping, and nature walks. Located less than a half hour from downtown Knoxville, an exciting and creative city of 200,000 in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, SAFTA is an ideal location for those looking for a rural get-away with access to urban amenities.
IOWA PROJECT GRANTS
http://www.iowaartscouncil.org/funding/overview.shtml
Deadline: November 3, 2014. For grant activity taking place between January 1, 2015 and June 30, 2015. Project Grants create opportunities for the arts to flourish in Iowa by investing in projects that positively impact the vitality of the arts in the state, demonstrate public value, and support Iowa Arts Council funding priorities.
THE FEMINIST WIRE
http://thefeministwire.com/2014/06/feminist-wires-1st-annual-poetry-contest/
$10 ENTRY FEE.
The winner will receive publication in The Feminist Wire and $200. The 1st runner up will receive publication in The Feminist Wire and $100. Deadline October 1, 2014. Submit up to 3 poems (no more than a total of 5 pages).
HERSTORIES PROJECT - MOTHERING THROUGH THE DARKNESS
http://www.herstoriesproject.com/next-call-submissions-writing-contest/
$10 ENTRY FEE.
The HerStories Project will award $500 to one submission for Best Essay and $100 to two runners-up. All three essays will be published in the book, and each winner will receive a paperback copy. Previously unpublished stories between 1,500 and 3,000 words. Deadline December 1, 2014. Mothering Through the Darkness: Stories of Postpartum Struggles will be a unique anthology with the goal of breaking that silence.
FREELANCE MARKETS
CHICKEN SOUP: HOLIDAY EDITION
http://www.chickensoup.com
Everyone loves holiday stories and that's why our holiday books are so popular. In fact, we create a new edition for Christmas/Hanukah every other year. We are now collecting stories for our Holiday 2015 book and we are defining Christmas as the entire December holiday season, including Hanukah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, and the New Year's festivities too. We want to hear about your holiday memories and traditions. If your story is chosen, you will be a published author and your bio will be printed in the book if you so choose. You will also receive a check for $200 and 10 free copies of your book, worth more than $100. You will retain the copyright for your story and you will retain the right to resell it. Deadline January 31, 2015.
PARABOLA
http://www.parabola.org/index.php
Parabola is a quarterly journal devoted to the exploration of the quest for meaning as it is expressed in the world's myths, symbols, and religious traditions, with particular emphasis on the relationship between this store of wisdom and our modern life. Each issue of Parabola is organized around a theme. Articles run 1,000-3,000 words. Book Reviews run approximately 500 words. Retellings of traditional stories run 500-1,500 words. Article payment generally ranges from $150 to $400. The payment for epicycles and book reviews is $75.
REFORM JUDAISM MAGAZINE
http://www.reformjudaismmag.org/writers-guidelines
Cover stories: 2,500 - 3,500 words
Major feature: 1,800 - 2,500 words
Secondary feature: 1,200 - 2,000 words
Department (e.g., Travel) 1,200 - 1,500 words.
Reform Judaism's feature stories are controversial, probing problems, exploring solutions, teaching, and inspiring. A special "Focus On" educational section presents multiple perspectives on a specific theme - Jewish ritual, history, beliefs, and issues - to stimulate further reading, study, and discussion. Subjects covered include: Jewish history, ethics, the Holocaust, Israel and Zionism, Jewish movements, family, texts, holidays, theology, and more. Our lifestyle columns showcase contentious opinions and model programs and services which enhance Jewish life.
NATIONAL RADIO PROJECT
http://www.radioproject.org/production/submission-guidelines/
Stories should avoid time-dating and should be relevant three to six months after broadcast: we distribute Making Contact to community groups and educators, and some radio stations use our website archives to fill holes in their broadcast schedules. Before pitching a story, be familiar with the mission of National Radio Project. Making Contact pays $450 for 6-8 minute produced segments. Other lengths, terms discussed. We accept unedited recordings of interviews, speeches and events.
JOBS
CREATIVE WEB CONTENT WRITERS NEEDED
Location Virtual and on-site in Agoura Hills, CA
https://jobs.ziprecruiter.com/job/Creative-Web-Content-Writer-Needed-Freelance/97c6f61a/
Based in Agoura Hills, California, and with offices around the world, National Positions has helped thousands of companies worldwide build their brand, expand their reach, and grow their business through dynamic digital marketing. We are looking for content creators that are able to write for many different project types. You can view our guidelines for each project type here: https://67.203.12.46/guideline/index.html
publishers/agents
CHALBERG & SUSSMAN
http://www.chalbergsussman.com/
Chalberg & Sussman is a literary agency representing a broad range of fiction and nonfiction authors in the areas of literary and commercial fiction, memoir, narrative nonfiction, lifestyle, humor, and pop culture.
SUSAN GOLOMB AGENCY
http://www.sgolombagency.com/
New agent Soumeya Bendimerad in the agency seeks literary fiction, upmarket/book club fiction, and select young-adult and middle grade. In non-fiction, she is seeking topics in popular culture, music and art history, unconventional business, politics, narrative non-fiction, sociology, cooking, travel, and memoir.
DARHANSOFF & VERRILL AGENCY
http://dvagency.com/submission-guidelines/
We are most interested in literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, memoir, sophisticated suspense, and both fiction and nonfiction for younger readers. Please note we do not represent theatrical plays or film scripts.
NEW LEAF LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.newleafliterary.com/index.cfm
Represents fiction - children's, YA, new adult, adult. Pitch individual agents listed. Has an extensive subrights department and handles film representation in-house.
HOWARD MORHAIM LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.morhaimliterary.com/agents.html
Please see the Agents page for background and information about our specific interests. To submit, you should email your query letter along with three sample chapters (for fiction) or full proposal (for non-fiction) to one of the agents listed. Average response time is 6 to 8 weeks.
SPONSORS
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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
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