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SPONSOR OF THE WEEK
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WRITE DAILY OR NOT?

 

P.S. TOTAL FundsforWriters is the extended version of this newsletter, with 70 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.  NOTE: TOTAL will be going up in price November 1. Now might be the time to get in at the prize that's been around for a decade! Click here to consider TOTAL.

Click here to see all of Hope's books.

-Hope Clark


For the most up-to-date information about Hope, contests, writing industry information and giveaways, keep up with Hope on Twitter and Facebook. Things get more interesting in real time!

 

WORDS OF SUCCESS

 

Conditions are never just right. People who delay action until all factors are favorable are the kind who do nothing.

~ William Feather

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SUCCESS STORY
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Hi Hope,

It's time I write to thank you for the work you do every week with FundsforWriters. Over the years, your articles have offered important information, inspiration, and an occasional kick in the pants to start writing when I couldn't find the motivation anywhere else.

As a result of submissions to markets listed in FFW, I've had articles published by Writer's Digest (http://amazon.com/dp/1599638479/) and Hippocampus Magazine (http://www.hippocampusmagazine.com/2015/07/dick-jokes-and-dirty-puns-by-dana-sitar/) and been a finalist in Writer's Digest's Annual Writing Competition – but my latest win tops them all! I wasn't actively seeking a full-time job, but I was compelled to apply to a dream position listed in FFW recently - and I got it! Starting in a few days, I will be a Staff Writer for Taylor Media (The Penny Hoarder). This position is moving me across the country and opening an exciting and unexpected new chapter in my writing career. I would never have applied if I hadn't happened across it in FundsforWriters, so I can't say enough: Thank you for all you do!

Cheers,
Dana Sitar
danasitar.com

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FEATURED ARTICLE
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My Self-Publishing Suite

By Stephanie Allen Crist

Publishing my own work was a business decision, not a path chosen in a fit of pique. The success of my investment depended on two primary factors. First, every hour I spent away from my regular work cost me money, so I had to protect my time. Second, my book needed to be readily available in all the formats my readers would want, so I had to maximize my book’s distribution. There was just one problem: No single service would give me all the pros I needed to overcome the cons of self-publication.

Self-publishing provides a great deal of benefits. For me, the most important was the ability to publish on an accelerated schedule while maintaining my quality standards. Unfortunately, the publishing process required considerable time and money. At first, I thought there would be a single-point service available that would deliver everything I needed to make my book a success. After extensive research, however, I realized that I would need to piece together the suite of services I needed from among several different providers.

The first step was for me to upgrade my website. I needed a professionally designed website in order to market and sell my books. I hired Robb Digital Marketing, one of my marketing clients, to design and build my new site. When it came to my new logo, Tamara Robb recommended 99Designs.com. I was so impressed with their production process that I turned around and hired them to produce my cover art, too!

Based on my experience with my website, I’d already learned that when it comes to design, the opportunity costs of a do-it-yourself job cost are greater than the cost of hiring a pro in the long run, so I was looking for a publishing service that could layout, publish, and distribute my book in print and digital formats.

BookBaby’s digital distribution services would ensure my book was available for Kindle, Nook, iPad, and other online retailers. Unfortunately, they lacked distribution services for printed books. A friend told me CreateSpace could deliver print-on-demand books through Amazon. I would also be able to buy print books to sell on my website. Unfortunately, CreateSpace wasn’t a complete solution, because their digital books were only for Kindle. The solution for me was to combine them. Using both BookBaby and CreateSpace cost extra, but it maximized the availability of both formats of my books.

As a professional marketer, I knew better than to beleive that my book was finished just because it was published. I also knew I was weak in two vital areas: publicity contacts and social media consistency. Once again, I turned to my network.

I hired Ascot Media Group to handle my book’s publicity and I went back to Robb Digital Marketing for their social media and newsletter creation services. Finally, all the pieces were in place. It took more time and more money than I had initially expected, but the results were outstanding. My first book was so successful that I was able to publish my second book the very next month!

When I first brought this idea to Hope, she said, “Each decision is unique, depending upon budget, fiction/NF, online savvy, speaking talent, etc.” She’s right, of course. Your platform is different from mine. You have different assets, different skills, and different needs. You can’t expect to achieve the same outstanding results for your book by duplicating my suite of services.

But you don’t have to settle for a package deal either.

Self-publishing gives you control over your publishing experience. Exercise your control with care by selecting the unique combination of services you need to make your book a success.

 
BIO:
Stephanie Allen Crist is a writer, advocate, and marketer. Stephanie’s first two books, Discovering Autism / Discovering Neurodiversity: A Memoir and First Steps: Understanding Autism, are available now. Learn more by visiting www.StephanieAllenCrist.com and be sure to check out Caressing the Muse, Stephanie’s writing blog.

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COMPETITIONS
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ERNEST HEMINGWAY FLASH FICTION AWARD
 
$10 ENTRY FEE.
Entries for the Ernest Hemingway Flash Fiction Prize should be approximately 1,500 words or less. Deadline December 1, 2015. All entries will be considered for publication in Fiction Southeast. Winner – $200 and publication in Fiction Southeast. Runners-up – publication in Fiction Southeast



MISSISSIPPI REVIEW CONTEST
https://mississippireview.submittable.com/submit
$16 ENTRY FEE.
Our annual contest awards prizes of $1,000 in fiction and in poetry. Winners and finalists will make up next summer’s print issue of the national literary magazine Mississippi Review. Contest is open to all writers in English except current or former students or employees of The University of Southern Mississippi. Fiction entries should be 1,000-8,000 words; poetry entries should be three to five poems totaling ten pages or less. Please attach as one document. There is no limit on the number of entries you may submit. Each entrant will receive a copy of the prize issue. Deadline is January 1, 2016.



TENNESSEE WILLIAMS LITERARY FESTIVAL FICTION COMPETITION
http://www.tennesseewilliams.net/2015-16-fiction-contest
$25 ENTRY FEE.
The winning story receives a prize of $1,500, a reading at the Festival, and publication in Louisiana Literature. Plus – this is a huge plus – a domestic economy flight to New Orleans and hotel accommodation at the very historic and very literary Hotel Monteleone! The top nine finalists will receive a panel pass ($75 value) to the Festival. Their names will be published on the site. This contest is open only to writers who have not yet published a book of fiction. Published books include self-published books with ISBN numbers. Those who have published books in other genres besides fiction remain eligible. A submission is one original short story, written in English, up to 7,000 words. Deadline November 30, 2015.



LITERAL LATTE PERSONAL ESSAY CONTEST
http://www.literal-latte.com/contests/essay-awards/
$10 ENTRY FEE.
Submit personal essay on any subject, up to 10,000 words. Deadline September 30, 2015. First prize $1,000. Second Prize $300. Third Prize $200. All submissions considered for publication. All subject and styles welcome. 

 
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GRANTS
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SUNDRESS ACADEMY FOR THE ARTS
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 applications for our winter residency period, which runs from November 30th to January 31st as well as our spring residency period, which runs from February 1st to May 29th.  The deadline for winter residencies is September 15, 2015, while the deadline for spring residencies is November 15, 2015. Fellowships and scholarships are available those with financial need as well as for graduate students (winter) and LGBTQ writers (spring). Location Knoxville, TN.



SUREL'S PLACE
http://www.suresplace.org/
Surel's Place is a residency program that offers private use of a modern live-work space right by the Boise river and minutes from downtown Boise via bicycle on the river path. Application deadline: March 1, September 1. Travel stipends vary depending on length of stay. Living stipends are currently $100 per month, but all expenses are paid including rent, utilities, bike maintenance, and tickets to art programming.



SPILLWAYS RESIDENCIES
http://press-street.org/spillways/
Residents will be awarded paid travel to and from New Orleans, an initial two week stay in Press Street’s residency space, a $1,000 Honorarium, and introductions to local stakeholders in their areas of interest. Spillways focuses on process over production, so in these initial immersive two weeks, residents are encouraged to come with an open mind and let their ideas adapt to what they’ll learn. Each resident’s experience will be built to spark projects that react in unique and interesting ways to the cultural fabric of the city. Deadline September 30, 2015.



ECKERD COLLEGE WRITERS' CONFERENCE
http://writersinparadise.eckerd.edu
Located on the coast of the picturesque Boca Ciega Bay, the Twelfth Annual Eckerd College Writers’ Conference: Writers in Paradise offers an intimate eight-day experience of workshop classes, roundtables, panel discussions, Q&As, readings book signings, and receptions with our award-winning faculty and guest speakers. We offer at least 20 fellowships and scholarships on a competitive basis, many specifically for current MFA students and recent MFA graduates (2010-2015) and AWP members. All participants are given the opportunity to submit work for consideration in Sabal, a literary journal featuring writing by conference participants. The writers selected by the directors for “The Best Of” will receive two copies of Sabal, and a subscription to the next year’s Sabal.

 

 

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FREELANCE MARKETS
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VIBRANT LIFE
http://www.vibrantlife.com/?page_id=1369
Vibrant Life is a bimonthly lifestyle magazine that promotes physical health, mental clarity, and spiritual balance from a practical, Christian perspective. Vibrant Life focuses on the typical adult man or woman and family. Articles should be written in an informal, interesting, easy-to-read style, avoiding hard-to-understand medical jargon. Articles should focus on one topic and stay with that subject to the end. Short articles (450 to 650 words) are always in demand. Feature articles should not exceed 1,000 words and, if the article is informational, should include at least one sidebar (helpful tips, steps to take to accomplish a goal, and additional resource information, etc.). Payment for articles ranges from $100 to $300.



COUNTRY
http://www.country-magazine.com/contributor-guidelines/
We pay $250 for story submissions that run a page or more. Contributors published in “Mailbox” or “Little Humor” receive a gift certificate for a one-year subscription, or subscription extension, to Country Extra. Most other contributors will receive an authentic hand-forged iron dinner triangle. In our “Just For Fun” section, photos garner a dinner triangle; jokes and short items earn payment of $25. Country and Country Extra magazines celebrate the breathtaking beauty, engaging people, enduring values and spiritually rewarding lifestyle of the American countryside. Our enthusiastic community of more than 1 million readers contributes nearly three-fourths of each magazine’s content, sharing their inspirational stories, landscape photography and passion for a simpler, better life close to the land.



WHOLE LIFE TIMES
http://www.wholelifetimes.com/writers-guidelines/
We are open to stories on holistic and integrative health, alternative healing, green living, sustainability and organic food, yoga, spirituality and personal growth, social responsibility, conscious business, the environment—in short, anything that deals with a progressive, healthy lifestyle. WLT accepts up to three longer stories (800–1000 words) per issue, for which pay ranges from $75–150 depending on topic, research required and writer experience. In addition, we have a number of regular departments that pay $35–125 depending on topic, research required and writer experience. City of Angels is our FOB section featuring short, newsy blurbs on our coverage topics, generally in the context of Los Angeles. These are generally 300–400 words and pay $25-35 depending on length and topic. This is a great section for writers who are new to us. BackWords is a 750-word personal essay that often highlights a seminal moment or event in the life of the writer and pays $100.



AUTO RESTORER
http://www.autorestorermagazine.com/
Auto Restorer is a monthly how-to newsletter with in-depth articles and step-by-step photos on auto and truck restoration, written by people experienced and knowledgeable on the subject. It serves as a forum for readers to interact with experts and other restoration enthusiasts. Submit 250 to 2,000 words. Pays $150 per published page.

 

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JOBS
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WRITER (REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER)
https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/414335400
Deadline September 14, 2015. Two vacancies in Kaiserslautern, Germany. Selectee will report from Afghanistan and other conflict zones in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere as needed, including but not limited to embedding with military forces.  Selectee will report news, features and analyses, to be filed to editing staff in Germany for publication. Photos must accompany most stories. Duty station is Kaiserslautern, Germany, though repeated, prolonged travel to war zones is required.



TECHNICAL WRITER/EDITOR
Location Washington DC
https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/413296100
Deadline September 11, 2015. This position is located in the Report Development Division, Office of Marine Safety (OMS), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The Office investigates, or causes to be investigated, any major marine casualty occurring on the navigable waters or territorial seas of the United States, any major marine casualty involving a vessel of the United States, any marine accident involving a public vessel and any other vessel, and any other marine accident that occurs in connection with the transportation of people or property or that involves a problem of a recurring character. This mission includes preparation of reports on the facts, conditions and circumstances of each accident investigated to be made available to the public.
 

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AGENTS / PUBLISHERS
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WITNESS IMPULSE
http://wmmorrow.hc.com/witnessimpulse
Witness Impulse, an imprint of Harper Collins, launched in October 2013, and is already the publisher of a host of bestselling authors abroad and in the U.S. We're now acquiring material from new writers, as well. With WITNESS you get the best of both worlds. You will be a digital pioneer, blazing the quickest and most effective trail to market for new and evolving authors - and all book-length Witness titles are put into print, as well. Our authors enjoy the benefits of working with a legendary company steeped in a long tradition of publishing the very best in mysteries and thrillers, and are supported by an experienced team of publishing professionals. WITNESS authors will receive 50% royalties after the first 10,000 copies sold, and will start at 25 percent.



KOEHLER BOOKS
http://www.koehlerbooks.com/
Köehler Books Publishing is distributed by Ingram Content Group. We are currently accepting submissions from agents and authors in most genres with a concentration on YA, Mystery and Suspense, Non-fiction and Memoirs.



ALGONQUIN
http://algonquin.com/submission-guidelines/
Algonquin Books publishes literary fiction and nonfiction, and in late 2013 we launched Algonquin Young Readers, publishing literary fiction and a limited number of narrative non-fiction titles for middle grade and young adult readers. We don’t publish poetry (for adults or young readers), genre fiction (romance, science fiction, etc.) or picture books.



ARCADE PUBLISHING
http://www.arcadepub.com/guidelines/
We are open to receiving submissions for proposed books in the following categories:
Adventure and Travel
Fiction
History
Literary Nonfiction
Military History
Business
Memoir
Arts
Nature and Science
Food and Wine
Current Events

 
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SPONSORS