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SPONSOR OF THE WEEK
WHERE: Online.
WHEN: Immediately after you've registered. Start the course whenever you wish.
WHY: Master ten essential tools to give your writing precision and energy.
WHO: Join a great group of serious aspiring and professional writers who are already engaged in the course. We're working on novels, memoirs, essays, articles, young adult fiction, sci-fi, academic manuscripts, and more.
"[After engaging in the course] I noticed that I approached the manuscript very differently, looking at the sentences themselves with a more critical awareness and clarity. Joan Dempsey is an amazing educator, and this course is beautifully designed."
~ Current participant, MFA grad, non-fiction manuscript scheduled for 2015 publication
LEARN MORE
Editor's THOUGHTS
WRITING MANTRAS
I'm not a fan of interviews, which might sound a little self-centered because I have been interviewed many times. But I have to admit that when I see an interview of an author with all the stereotypical questions, I hit delete.
I don't know how I managed to remain on this author's interview page long enough to read to the end of it, to the juicy part, but I did. And I immediately thought, "My readers need to know this."
http://www.lucberthelette.com/#!author---elizabeth-gilbert/c1vg0
Elizabeth Gilbert is author of several books, most notably Eat, Pray, Love. The interviewer asked a few cliche questions, but luckily Ms. Gilbert answered with genius. Rather than describe the interview, I chose to pull out snippets that I label as "mantras." If you've read The Shy Writer Reborn (www.chopeclark.com), you know that I am a believer in mantras to instill willpower.
"The simplest path seems to be to embrace what you are good at, which is like swimming with the current, rather than against it."
"...to figure out what, indeed, your own life is all about requires a ferocious level of attention to the way you are tuned, and equally ferocious stewardship of the Self..."
"...once I began writing, it became clear to me: This is not a foreign language; this is my native tongue."
"You must write the book that you feel is missing from your bookshelf."
"My suggestion is to focus not on becoming successful, but on becoming great."
"...don't demand that your art supports your life. Instead, make a promise that your life will always support your art."
"A degree in writing is not what makes you a writer. Writing every day is what makes you a writer. And writing every day is absolutely free."
And when asked for a final word, she said, "ONWARD." I smiled because mine is "MOVE FORWARD." Always has been. Your mission is to live forward, not backward. Make each step new and fresh, not one that re-walks old ground.
P.S. A reminder that Palmetto Poison, the third in the Carolina Slade Mystery Series, is $1.99 on Kindle through the end of January.
P.P.S. Another reminder that TOTAL FundsforWriters is the extended version of this newsletter, with 75 markets, contests, grants, etc. and still at the ten-year-old cost of $15 for 26 issues. A great way to find opportunities to make money, without the hours of searching. Some subscribers have been around since TOTAL's origin a decade ago...they swear by it that much.
-Hope Clark
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Upcoming Book Signings and Classes!
January 24 2015 - Sisters in Crime -Richland Main Library, Columbia, SC - 1-3 PM
January 25, 2015 - Friends of the Library, Newberry, SC
March 3, 2015 - Story Structure Class, Irmo, SC Library - 7 PM
March 7, 2015 - Multi-author signing, Irmo, SC Library - 2-5 PM
March 22-24, 2015 - PubSense, Charleston, SC, Francis Marion Hotel
April 7, 2015 - Chapin Women's Club, Lake Murray Sailing Club, Chapin, SC
April 25, 2015 - One-day Fiction Class, HawksNest Writers, Madison, WI
May 29, 2015 - Savannah Book Club, Savannah, GA - 6 PM
June 20-21, 2015 - Southeast Writers Conf, St Simons Island, GA
June 25-27, 2015 - Freelance Writing, Midwest Writing Center, Davenport, IA
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WORDS OF SUCCESS
I'm not a very good writer, but I'm an excellent rewriter. ~ James Michener
The beautiful part of writing is that you don't have to get it right the first time, unlike, say, a brain surgeon. ~ Michael Crichton
The wastebasket is a writer's best friend. ~ Isaac Bashevis Singer
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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
Dear Hope,
2014 was a tough year - but I made more money from my writing than ever before, and tried new things. I put this down to a couple of factors. The first is taking good advice: I've made good and bad decisions in my writing career, but one of the best was to sign up for FundsforWriters and to pay close attention to it. Whether providing practical advice, much-needed support or useful markets for work, it's been invaluable. The second has been opening my mind a bit and trying things that I haven't tried before. One writing competition won me a holiday to Rome - I had to describe my perfect moment in 50 words or fewer, and I decided to treat it as a writing prompt. Then a poem of mine. 'The Poetry Diet', was read out on 'Poetry Please' on Radio 4 (Britain's posh national radio station!) which was wonderful. I also pitched my second poetry collection, 'Look at All the Women', to a new publisher (Mother's Milk Books) - and it was accepted and published, and
(a personal dream come true) described as 'wickedly funny' in the magazine Mslexia. Other publications and performances followed, even when I was too ill to travel or do much.
My writing mantra isn't clever or subtle or brilliant, but it works: "Have a go." Thanks for helping me to have a go!
Best wishes,
Cathy Bryant
www.cathybryant.co.uk
featured article
How to Generate a Steady Income Writing from Corporate Clients
By Tasha Lessey
Ever wish there was some way you could earn an income you can depend on from your writing? Enter the corporate client and the retainer agreement. Corporations often have a huge need for regular writers, especially those with a strong online presence. They need fresh content for their website, blog and newsletters. Rebecca Matter, President of American Writers & Artists Inc (AWAI) advises writers to use retainers, and so does copywriter Angela Booth and content marketer Trent Dyrsmid.
A retainer is a sum of money a company agrees to pay a writer a certain sum of money for an agreed upon amount of work. It is a win-win situation for both parties. Companies are guaranteed quality writing from a dependable source and writers can rest easy knowing they have steady money coming in every month.
Ready markets for retainers
Retainers are most suitable where there is a need for regular writing. Blogs need to be updated frequently. and many companies send out weekly newsletters to their clients. Businesses that want to rank well in Google need create fresh content. When writing for these companies, you must thoroughly research the industry and capture the voice of the business.
How to find clients
Start by identifying a subject area you are familiar with and locate companies in that niche. For example, if you used to write articles for health magazines, your first step is to find companies that sell health products and look at their website. Do they update it frequently? Do they have a blog or send out a newsletter? How often do they post to their blog or send out the newsletter? Compile a list of companies and send each a letter of introduction, outlining your expertise and how you can help them.
Another way to find clients is to search job boards like http://jobs.problogger.net/ and http://www.bloggingpro.com/jobs/ . You can also optimize your Linkedin profile, as companies also use the network to find freelance writers.
Get prospects to say yes to a retainer
When pitching a retainer deal, remember that clients expect a price break. Be sure to point out that by keeping you on retainer, you will have a deep knowledge of their target audience and their products and services. This leads to higher quality work which can be delivered in a more timely manner (as opposed to a new writer who would have to familiarize herself with their business). They can rest easy knowing they have a dependable writer they can trust.
How to price your services for success
Prices should reflect not only the time you spend on the client but also the time you save not looking for other clients and getting to know their needs.You also need to consider what the rate would be if each task you'll be performing were contracted separately and what savings to offer the client. Most importantly, decide on the minimum fee that would make the deal worthwhile for you and keep this in mind when negotiating.
Protect yourself
Avoid misunderstandings by including the following in your retainer contract:
- The amount and date of payment
- The amount and type of writing
- Invoicing procedures
- How each party can terminate the agreement
For new clients, you should also request 50 percent upfront for the first month and include a date when the agreement will be reviewed.
It is possible to earn consistent money writing for corporations. Focus on businesses with high volume writing needs, and hook them with a retainer agreement.
BIO
Tasha Lessey is a freelance writer and author of the sci-fi thriller, Smokescreen. She would love to hear from you! Connect with her on LinkedIn.
competitions
CENTRAL PA MAGAZINE WRITING CONTEST
http://www.witf.org/contests/2014/10/Enter-the-2015-central-pa-writing-contest.php
NO ENTRY FEE.
Central PA magazine will be accepting original, unpublished work not exceeding 1,500 words. Entries can be fiction, humorous or serious, or short stories (original, unpublished, work of fiction only; no poetry or nonfiction). Deadline February 27, 2015. The contest is only open to legal residents of Pennsylvania who are at least 18 years old as of the date of entry. (Thanks to ErikaDreifus.com)
WINTER ANTHOLOGY CONTEST
http://winteranthology.com/?vol=4&page=contest
$10 ENTRY FEE.
Send up to 50 pages in any genre (a book or book-length manuscript somewhat over 50 pages is acceptable). Send writings of which you are the sole author and that were not written earlier than 1999. Two or three poems or a single story or essay are as welcome as entire books. Multiple entries are welcome, as are entries including a mix of genres. We accept entries until January 31, 2015. The winner will be published in Volume 5 of The Winter Anthology and receive a $1,000 honorarium. Finalists will also be considered for
publication.
DORIS BETTS FICTION PRIZE
https://nclr.submittable.com/submit
$20 ENTRY FEE.
Open to any writer who is a legal resident of North Carolina or a member of the North Carolina Writers' Network. North Carolina Literary Review subscribers with North Carolina connections (lives or has lived in NC) are also eligible. The competition is for previously unpublished short stories up to 6,000 words. One entry per writer. No novel excerpts. The Doris Betts Fiction Prize awards the first-prize winner $250 and publication in the North Carolina Literary Review. Deadline February 16, 2015.
2015 FOUR WAY BOOKS LEVIS PRIZE IN POETRY
http://fourwaybooks.com/site/levis-prize/
$28 ENTRY FEE.
Open to any poet writing in English regardless of publication history. Awarding publication of a book-length collection, a Four Way Books sponsored reading in NYC, and $1,000. Deadline March 31, 2015.
KELPIES PRIZES
http://www.florisbooks.co.uk/kelpiesprize/
NO ENTRY FEE.
Accepting submissions in three categories: Young Kelpies (6-8 years), Kelpies (8-11 years) and KelpiesTeen (11-14 years). Deadline February 28, 2015. The Kelpies Prize was set up in 2004 to encourage and reward new Scottish writing for children. Winning authors receive a £2,000 cash prize and have their novel published in the Kelpies range. Manuscripts must be set wholly, or mainly, in Scotland, and have Scottish characters or themes. The Kelpies Prize is open to all professions and nationalities.
GRANTS
NYC EMERGING WRITERS FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
http://www.centerforfiction.org/forwriters/grants-and-awards/
Nine writers will be selected in 2015 and during the one-year fellowship period will receive $4,000, the option to engage in a mentorship with a selected freelance editor, the opportunity to meet with agents who represent new writers, a Center for Fiction membership, free admission to all Center events for one year, including our Craftwork lectures series on writing, 30 percent discount on tuition at select writing workshops at The Center, two public readings as part of our annual program of events. Applicants must be current residents of one of the five boroughs, and must remain in New York City for the entire year of the fellowship. Deadline January 31, 2015.
RHODE ISLAND GRANTS FOR RURAL ARTISTS/WRITERS
http://www.arts.ri.gov/individuals/assets-for-artists-2015.php
The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, with additional funding from The US Department of Agriculture and the New England Foundation for the Arts, is proud to once again bring The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art's (MASS MoCA's) ASSETS FOR ARTISTS program to Rhode Island. Assets for Artists is a matched savings account program offering matching funds of $1,000 ($2,000 for artists meeting low-income eligibility criteria), workshops and personal training to improve artists' financial and professional/business skills. Open to artists who reside in towns that meet the US Department of Agriculture's definition of "rural." These include the towns of Burrillville, Charlestown, Coventry, Cumberland, East Greenwich, Exeter, Foster, Glocester, Hopkinton, Jamestown, Johnston, Little Compton, Narragansett, New Shoreham (Block Island), North Kingstown, North Smithfield, Richmond, Scituate, Smithfield, South Kingstown (including villages of Kingston, Wakefield & Peace Dale), Tiverton, West Greenwich, and Westerly. Deadline February 20, 2015.
NEW HAMPSHIRE ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE
http://www.nh.gov/nharts/grants/artists/aieroster.htm
The Council invites applications from professional artists in all disciplines who are experienced in their field/s and can make a strong personal commitment to working in an educational setting with students, educators, administrators and parents to apply to the Arts in Education (AIE) Roster. Interested artists should contact the Arts in Education Coordinator Catherine O'Brian to discuss their application prior to submitting it. Deadline May 1, 2015.
ARIZONA PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANTS FOR INDIVIDUALS
http://www.azarts.gov/grants/fast-track-grants/
The Arts Commission provides assistance to individual artists through Professional Development Grants. Professional Development Grants provide funding support for participation in artistic development and skills building activities or opportunities that contribute to professional growth and career development. Applicants may request grant support up to $750. Deadline February 5, 2015.
CREATIVE CAPITAL
http://www.creative-capital.org/apply
Creative Capital's call for Letters of Inquiry in Emerging Fields, Literature and Performing Arts projects opens on Monday, February 2, 2015. Creative Capital provides integrated financial and advisory support to artists pursuing adventurous projects in all disciplines.
FREELANCE MARKETS
U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT
http://usnews.hrmdirect.com/employment/job-openings.php?search=true&&cust_sort3=17279
U.S. News & World Report, a publisher of news and information that empowers people to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives, is actively seeking multiple, experienced contract/freelance higher education writers to expand the breadth of content available at usnews.com/education. U.S. News is based in Washington, D.C., but contractors/freelancers will work remotely.
RIVERFRONT TIMES
http://www.journalismjobs.com/job-listings/1615561
Riverfront Times is looking to increase its stable of freelance writers for long-form features and cover stories. Candidates must be able to pitch novel and newsworthy story ideas and write narrative articles that grab readers' attention and maintain their interest through a 2,000- to 4,000-word piece. Ideal applicants will have a solid understanding of the inner workings of St. Louis and the region and know how to effectively report a story through both interviews and research. Special consideration to those candidates with the proven ability to write hard news and investigative articles and tell a story through a variety of media, such as video, audio and graphics.
FIRESIDE PROVISIONS
http://www.freelancejobopenings.com/job/freelance-writer-san-francisco-ca-fireside-provisions-6cb6fd6d4a
Fireside Provisions is an outdoor start-up company, which offers easy-to-prepare meals for the car- and backcountry-camper alike. We provide all the non-perishable items, recipes and checklists specific to the number of days and people in a group. We are looking for content for our digital journal, which will run weekly, and provide people with camping tips, ideas on where to go, and how to do it. Our core market, is the amateur, family camper looking to take their kids away for the weekend. Sunset magazine does a great job of positioning in this market. We offer 25 cents/word, for short (500 words) and longer articles (2,000) that speak to this audience. NOTE: This is a new entity with no track record, with the website in transition.
CLEVELAND MAGAZINE
http://jobs.glpublishing.com/Jobs/JobListings/6.aspx
Cleveland Magazine is looking for experienced, Northeast Ohio-based freelance feature writers with vivid styles, tenacious reporting skills and the patience to rewrite. Please send us your resume, 5-6 published clips and a cover letter that tells us what you like writing about and the sections of our magazine to which you'd most like to contribute. Story pitches are welcome too.
JOBS
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Location Atlanta, GA
http://www.journalismjobs.com/job-listings/1615657
This Associate Editor's position assists the editor and managing editor in planning and producing GEORGIA Magazine's monthly print and digital editions.
publishers/agents
DANCING WITH BEARS PUBLISHING
http://www.dancingwithbearpublishing.com/submissionguidelines.htm
Submissions for 2015-2016 are now open. At Dancing With Bear Publishing, authors receive 50 percent of sales on their books. We are primarily a print book publisher, however, our books are also available on Kindle, audio, and soon, in Spanish. Accepts Christian fiction, Christian nonfiction, devotionals, Christian self-help books, study guides, and children's books.
ORCHARD LITERARY
http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/pr-firm-orchard-strategies-launches-literary-agency_b96026
For fiction, please send a query letter that includes an introduction to the work, a brief synopsis, and author biography. A writing sample from the work may be included in the body of the email. For non-fiction, kindly provide a proposal including all of the above, along with any supplementary information about the project, including the author's credentials for writing the book. We will respond if interested in the work.
SINFUL PRESS
https://sinfulpress.co.uk/?page_id=19
Although Sinful Press is new, its parent company, Horrific Tales Publishing, is an established press with an excellent reputation. We are following in their footsteps by offering an advance of $500 USD; 40 percent net royalties across digital, print and audio; professional editing and proofreading; and cover art. Considerable time and effort will be put into marketing your novel (although we do expect our authors to help with this and to help promote other authors published by us). In return we ask for publishing rights for digital, print and audio. Sinful Press is looking to publish erotic novels of 60-100k. We are not interested in novellas at this time. We are interested in well-written mainstream, dark or paranormal erotica with strong characters and a good plotline. Sex scenes must be believable and in keeping with the chosen sub-genre.
TYRUS BOOKS
http://www.tyrusbooks.com/submissions
We publish crime and literary fiction. Looking for 60,000 to 100,000 words.
TINDER PRESS
http://www.thebookseller.com/news/tinder-press-accept-unagented-manuscripts-march
Unagented authors will be able to send their manuscripts direct to the imprint for two weeks in March, with the event being held to celebrate two years of Tinder Press. The open submissions period will take place from March 2nd to 15th, with authors asked to submit 50 pages, an outline and an author biography. Only previously unpublished writers of fiction can take part, and short stories as well as novels will be considered. All submitted books must be complete, and written in English.
SPONSORS
New! North Street Book Prize for Self-Published Books
It's easier than ever to self-publish your book, but how can you stand out? Which services are worthwhile? Who can you trust? Winning Writers has developed the North Street Book Prize to help. Three winners will each receive $1,500, a credit towards the high-quality publishing services at BookBaby, free advertising in our email newsletter, and expert marketing advice from Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of The Frugal Book Promoter. We'll award cash prizes of $6,000 in all, with gifts for everyone who enters. Enter now through
June 30. Judges: Jendi Reiter and Ellen LaFleche. Learn more at www.winningwriters.com/north
MARBLE HOUSE
Explore
the many genres of nonfiction writing in a week long retreat at Marble
House. We are located close to several ski resorts so bring your pens
and poles!
Joan Didion wrote
about her migraines; Nora Ephron wrote about the wrinkles in her neck.
Norman Maclean wrote about the mystery and wonder of fly-fishing. We
write what we think we know, but in writing about it, we learn more
about the world and about ourselves.
Whether
you want to write for business or for pleasure or just to open a window
into your soul, this course will expose you to the many genres of
nonfiction writing, ranging from memoir and personal essay to travel,
food and
business writing. As Flannery O'Connor wrote, "I write to discover what I
know."
This workshop provides an overview
of nonfiction writing from idea to execution. Prerequisite: a burning
desire to see yourself in print.
Enjoy a FREE Master Class in Creative Writing Success
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a chapter with 'wow' impact, add new energy to a scene, build a
character in moments, sustain page-turning suspense even through long
passages of exposition... plus 97 other powerful ideas you can use at
once.
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Love writing again! Join us for a three-week online retreat that
guides and inspires through daily workshops, meditations, and exercises
to help you heal and let go of what doesn't nurture you, embrace your
writer-self, find your voice, and be the writer you were meant to be.
Invest in yourself. Join us, and help yourself heal, connect, inspire,
and love writing again!
"Retreat for the Writer's Soul" starts February 2.
Scholarships are available. Sign up now >>
Hey folks! Remember the Charleston, SC conference I raved about last
year? I've never been so excited about a conference in my life than I
was with that one. I will be there. Will you?
FundsforWriters
readers can use code FFW2015 when signing up for the conference. That
will entitle them to a 10% discount off VIP or Basic registration.
Discount will be reflected at check-out.
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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 2000-2015, C. Hope Clark
ISSN: 1533-1326
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that FundsforWriters.com places paid advertising in this newsletter,
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