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SPONSOR OF THE WEEK
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Get Feedback For Your Writing and Enter Writing Contests At FanStory.com
Learn from feedback that will be written on everything you write. Share your poetry, stories and book chapters.
Enter fun writing contests with cash prizes. Choose from over 50 writing contests every month. View our contest listing. (link "view our contest listing" to http://9nl.es/jfqu) .
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Upcoming Contest Deadlines
5-7-5 Poetry Contest
A 5-7-5 is a fun poetry type with no limitation to topic. The first line has 5 syllables, second 7 and third 7. $100 cash prize! Deadline: October 8.
Tanka Poetry Contest
Tanka is a form of poetry that often follows a specific syllable count. Line 1 - 5 syllables, line 2 - 7 syllables, line 3 - 5 syllables, line 4 - 7 syllables, line 5 - 7 syllables. Cash prize. Deadline: October. 14.
Antonym Poetry Contest
Write a four line poem. Words that are opposite or nearly opposite in meaning are called antonyms. Examples are big and small, or long and short. $100 cash prize. Deadline is October 20.
Flash Fiction Writing Contest
Write a story with the topic of "fear". Deadline: October 27. Cash prize to the winner!
It's a great time to participate. Start getting feedback in five minutes!
To find out more about FanStory click here.
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EDITOR'S THOUGHTS
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BOOK TRAILERS
Yes, I am Hope, and I'm a book trailer addict. If I see one in your bio, on your Facebook account, in your Twitter feed, or in your newsletter, I will click on it. After all, they're only 30 to 90 seconds. Yes, they've made me buy books.
Humans are visual creatures. That's why so many people read rather than listen to audio. Or at least that's my opinion. But I've learned over the last few years of dabbling with trailers that they can be horribly done . . . or beautifully crafted, leaving the viewer (potential reader) hungry for the whole story. I search for the latter, because I know if the author put that much effort into a trailer, the book's got to be good.
Two years ago, in a Huffington Post article titled Are Book Trailers the Next Big Thing in Publishing, I read about how exciting trailers were going to be. Since then, however, we've seen trailer creation evolve like indie publishing. Those who take it seriously do marvelous, the result being book sales. Then there are those trailers barely a step above Power Point presentations,
made from free photos, free music, on free software. The creators think nobody will notice. And they don't notice . . . the trailer or the book.
Some publishers argue for trailers, and others against. Some authors ask me if trailers make a difference in sales, and are afraid to invest in the promotional tool. But if you look at the successful authors, both traditional and indie, you see attention to marketing. Those with trailers make passing readers stop and take a moment. Just a moment, mind you. That's why trailers should be around a minute, because you'll rarely capture more attention from readers in a hurry.
But if you can make magic with that minute, and reward the reader with an experience that lingers after the final second, the second where they're seeing the frame that informs where your book is sold, you win.
Now . . . take a peek at the video trailer for Edisto Jinx. It was created by Jerome McCain, from BookFrenzyStudios.com I'll never try to make a trailer on my own again, and it won't take the whole minute for you to see why.
Thanks
- Hope
March to a Bestseller 3 - coming October 9 on Facebook . . .
Sometimes, self-publishing seems completely overwhelming. There's so much to learn and not enough time to do it. What if you could learn it all and get a ton of cheap self-publishing resources all in a single day?
March to a Bestseller 3 is a one-day sale on books for authors, but it's so much more. Eighteen bestselling masters of marketing, writing, and publishing chat with aspiring authors all day long on a live Facebook event page. You get your questions answered by the best in the biz, and you can pick up their incredible books at a steep discount (99 cents each). As one of the authors, I'll be there in the trenches, answering as many questions on writing and marketing
as I can!
Click here to RSVP for the Friday, October 9th event.
https://www.facebook.com/events/614162795392038/
I can't wait to answer your questions live on Facebook! Chat with you on the 9th from 9-11 AM Eastern. You might win copies of The Shy Writer Reborn and subscriptions to TOTAL FFW not to mention the giveaways from the other authors. ~HOPE
 SILVER FALCHION AWARDS
Palmetto Poison and Murder on Edisto are entered in the Silver Falchion Awards affiliated with the glorious Killer Nashville Mystery Conference. One of the awards is the Reader's Choice, and I'd be honored if you'd consider voting for either or both of these books. You'll find one under Cozy/Traditional Mystery and the other under Private
Detective/Procedural Mystery. Bless you if you do! (And bless you if you don't.) http://www.killernashville.com/vote-for-the-silver-falchion-readers-choice-award/
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Upcoming Book Signings and Classes!
Oct 7 - Bouchercon, Raleigh, NC, James Scott Bell class (as attendee), 1-5 PM
Oct 9 - Lexington, SC Book Club - ON EDISTO BEACH!
Oct 10 - Release of Edisto Jinx, Edisto Beach, SC, Edisto Bookstore, 4-6 PM
Oct 17 - Class on Dialogue - Greenwood Arts Center (Room 102), Greenwood, SC - Open to public with small entrance fee - 10 AM to Noon
Oct 29-Nov 1 - Killer Nashville Con, Nashville, TN
Nov 7 - Local Authors Presentation - Cayce-West Columbia Library, SC, 2-5 PM -
Open to public
Check out all of Hope's books
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!
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WORDS OF SUCCESS
"You cannot dream yourself into character; you must hammer and forge yourself one."
~Henry David Thoreau
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EDISTO JINX
Is it a flesh and blood killer -
or restless spirits?
According to Sophie, the resident yoga mistress and psychic, beautiful Edisto Beach becomes a hotbed of troublemaking spirits every August. But when a visitor dies mysteriously during a beach house party, former big-city detective Callie Morgan and Edisto Beach police chief Mike Seabrook hunt for motives and suspects among the living. With tourists filling the beaches and local business owners anxious to squelch rumors of a murderer on the loose, Callie will need all the help she
can get - especially once the killer's attention turns toward her.
COMING OCTOBER 1st!
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
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Dear Hope,
For years I've been a teacher who freelanced on the side - sporadically. Now I'm retired but it wasn't happening. Lots of excuses. Lots of frustration. Then I read your September 4 editorial, "Write Daily or Not?" It hit a chord. If I want to be a writer, I have to write. Every day. Whether I feel like it or not. That very day I wrote my first three "morning" pages a la Julia Cameron.
It's funny how the universe works. Shortly after I wrote those pages my phone rang. A producer for whom I'd written video scripts years ago was in need of a writer; was I available? So now I have a writing gig with money on the table. A couple days later I sent a spec article to Writer's Digest. Today I got an email saying they are considering my piece for their 2016 calendar.
Because of your editorial, I am now writing every day whether I get paid or not. I start each day with my morning pages and then work on my projects, and of course I'll work on any paid projects that come my way. But the point is: I will write every day. And I'll make time to volunteer tutor at my former school as a way to give back for providing me with a retirement that allows me to be the writer I've always dreamed of being.
Your editorial was blunt, on-the-nose, and exactly what I needed when I needed it. How could you have known? Thank you.
Peggy Williams
http://peggywilliamsauthor.com/
On the Road Mystery Series http://ontheroadmysteries.com/
Musings of a MadCityWriter http://madcitywriter.blogspot.com/
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FEATURED ARTICLE
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How to Use Video to Stand Out as an Author
By C. Hope Clark
I adore trailers, and I was thrilled to have the chance to interview Jerome McLain from BookFrenzyStudios.com about the relevance of book trailers for authors as well as the importance of having a professional one done. My eyes were opened! Hopefully my questions drew out information you, as writers and authors, can use in your marketing. Note...book trailers aren't necessarily for novels! Enjoy.
1) Visual is a strong attraction for most people as has been demonstrated on Facebook and other social media. Have you seen video work for books as well?
Yes. Larger publishing companies have entire departments devoted to video and book trailer creation because they realize video drives engagement on the web more than any other content. If combined with a video marketing strategy, book trailers are a fantastic book marketing tool.
2) Can a video take a book from obscure to a sales success?
No. A book's sales success depends on many moving parts such as launch strategy, content and timing in the marketplace. What a video CAN do is get the book noticed among its competitors. According to Invodo.com, 80 percent of consumers are more likely to make a purchase after seeing a prom video. Placing the book trailer on a webpage that contains book purchase links is highly recommended because the trailer can prompt an impulse buy response.
3) How do you cram an entire book into a thirty second, one minute, or ninety-minute segment? What is the art to a great short video trailer?
I always begin by asking myself: What is the story? What essential book information does the trailer need to convey? Instead of trying to include tons of details, I create visual cues that go along with the basic who, when, where and what of the story. An effective trailer needs a great beginning (to hold viewer attention) and a great ending (to make them remember the book or take action). The real art of the trailer is knowing what to leave out to keep the message as concise and
compelling as possible.
4) Are some genres more conducive or appropriate for book trailers?
I believe all book genres can benefit from a trailer. It just needs to be appropriate for the tone of the book. For example, trailers don't always need to be fast-paced and dramatic. They can take a subdued approach and be just as powerful. A popular trailer style used currently is to edit together interview clips of the author discussing the book. So, it’s really a matter of creating a trailer in the style that best compliments the book.
5) Do book trailers cost a lot to do well, or are they like most things, you get what you pay for?
You definitely get what you pay for. Creating a really good book trailer requires time, creativity and technical expertise. Throwing together a PowerPoint slideshow with some dramatic music does not entice many people to buy. It comes off cheap. You don't need to spend a fortune but you do need to invest enough to look professional. Pricing can range between $500 for a very nice :30 teaser video to $10,000+ which includes live actors, location filming, etc.
6) What makes for a bad trailer?
All bad trailers have these elements in common:
==> no clear or interesting story arc
==> too many book details (if you tell them everything, why read the book?)
==> poorly chosen music (audio is 50 percent of the video!)
==> copyrighted music and or images (this error can prove costly!)
==> unprofessionally edited (images stay up longer than necessary, bad transitions, etc.)
==> too long in length (:30 to :60 is a good rule of thumb)
7) Can authors create trailers themselves with little experience?
They definitely can create a trailer without experience but it will most likely be perceived as amateurish. Online video editing software or DIY video apps allow you to easily create video. But no software or online app can replace the knowledge, skill and talent required to produce a professional book trailer. It's like an author creating their own book cover: If they are not also experienced in graphic design and typography, it probably won't turn out well.
8) When should an author decide to do a trailer for their upcoming book?
When the marketing plan for the book is being developed is a great time to consider how to use a promo video/book trailer to amplify exposure and publicity. The trailer can be used to create buzz and awareness on social media platforms as well as a visual "elevator pitch" for the book to the media. Also, sending a professional book trailer out to prospective reviewers creates a great first impression of the book.
9) What's the one brief word of advice you have for authors who are on the fence about investing in a short video for their projects?
You've spent a considerable amount of time writing. You've invested in professional editing and book cover design. Don't let the first impression of your book be determined by an amateurish video.
Find out more:
BookFrenzy Studios provides professional video marketing services for authors including Cinematic Book Trailers, Promotional Videos and Social Media Video Ads. To learn more, visit their website at www.bookfrenzystudios.com
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COMPETITIONS
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FICTION SOUTHEAST's ERNEST HEMINGWAY FLASH FICTION AWARD
http://fictionsoutheast.org/ernest-hemingway-flash-fiction-award/
$10 ENTRY FEE.
Deadline December 1, 2015. For stories 1,500 words or fewer. All entries will be considered for publication in Fiction Southeast. Winner – $200 and publication in Fiction Southeast Runners-up – publication in Fiction Southeast.
RUBY IRENE POETRY CHAPBOOK CONTEST
https://arcadiajournal.submittable.com/submit/20101
$20 ENTRY FEE.
Deadline November 15, 2015. A prize of $1,000 and 25 author copies is given annually for a poetry chapbook. The chapbook will also be published by Arcadia and distributed to our subscribers as the winter issue. Submit a manuscript of fifteen to thirty-five pages.
BOULEVARD SHORT FICTION CONTEST FOR EMERGING WRITERS
http://www.boulevardmagazine.org/short-fiction-contest/
$15 ENTRY FEE.
Boulevard is accepting entries for its annual short fiction contest for emerging writers. The winner will receive US $1,500 and have their story published in the magazine. Boulevard’s Short Fiction Contest for Emerging Writers is open people who have not yet published a book of fiction, poetry or creative non-fiction with a nationally distributed press. Stories may be up to 8,000 words and must be previously unpublished. Deadline December 15, 2015.
PRESS 53 AWARD FOR SHORT FICTION
http://www.Press53.com
$30 ENTRY FEE.
Awarded to an outstanding, unpublished collection of short stories. $1,000 cash advance, quarter-page ad with author photo in Poets & Writers Magazine announcing our winner, publication of winning short story collection. Deadline December 31, 2015. Publication in October 2016.
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GRANTS
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BUILD YOUR OWN BLOG NEW WRITER SCHOLARSHIP 2015
http://www.buildyourownblog.net/scholarship/
Are you a student with ambitions to become a writer? Or perhaps you’re more advanced in age yet still dream about sharing your writing passion with others. Whatever your story, this opportunity could be your big break. We’re looking for a talented writer to support through the New Writer Scholarship 2015. The scholarship award is $4,000. Deadline November 29, 2015.
WASHINGTON AWARD
http://sandr.org/programs/washington-award
Are you an aspiring visual artist, dancer, photographer, musician, film maker, or writer? If so you can now apply for the S&R Foundation Washington Award! This year S&R Foundation is looking to increase the number of applications from artists in the field of visual, interdisciplinary, photography, dance, and film. Each winner will be awarded the cash prize of $5,000. In addition, the Awards Committee may designate a Grand Prize winner who receives an additional $5,000 and will be
eligible for a Foundation sponsored event showcasing the winner’s talents, such as a concert hall debut, gallery showing, or screening (depending on the artist’s medium and career goals). Award winners are honored annually in the spring at the Washington Award Gala. Deadline October 15, 2015.
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FREELANCE MARKETS
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CHICKEN SOUP - WHAT'S YOUR STORY? - This is a different Chicken Soup
http://whatsyourstory.amplifiertv.com/
Hey, college students! Here are exciting opportunities for you to be part of two new Chicken Soup for the Soul projects we are working on. Both projects are about tolerance, respect, and compassion. How have racial, religious, cultural, and physical beliefs, prejudices, and stereotypes — about you or about others — affected your life? Have you ever been held back by a bias someone had about you? What about a bias you had about someone else? Did you meet someone on social media
first before meeting in person? How did that shape your views on that individual? Did your expectation match reality? Were you raised in a family with prejudices and biases? How did you overcome them? You'll have a chance to have your written work published in our 2016 book for college students and you'll have a chance to have your video posted on our website or even shown on our THE CBS DREAM TEAM, IT'S EPIC! Saturday morning television show, Chicken Soup for the Soul's Hidden
Heroes. Written is limited to 800 to 1,200 words. 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. Video Form: Upload your story in MPEG 4 video format (or similar), shot on an iPhone, or Android, or if you are in a TV and Film program, in any high-resolution format. Themes for the video are tolerance, respect, and compassion: how have racial, religious,
cultural, and physical beliefs, prejudices, and stereotypes — about you or about others — affected your life? If your video is shown in an edited or unedited form on Chicken Soup for the Soul's Hidden Heroes, you (or your group) will receive an honorarium of $1,000. By submitting a video, you agree to allow it to be shown on our website, social media, and on any other non-televised format for no fee. The deadline for story and video submissions is January 15, 2016.
CHICKEN SOUP: GRATITUDE
http://www.chickensoup.com
We're looking for your stories and poems about how you used the power of gratitude to change your own life. You'll help readers through your examples and your personal tips on how to use thankfulness. Remember that all stories should be true — we do not publish fiction — and should be no longer than 1,200 words. 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, which has a list price of $14.95. Deadline December 15, 2015.
SCARY MOMMY
http://www.scarymommy.com/write-for-scary-mommy/
We are always in search of highly relatable and general humor material. Lists and short essays (under 900 words) seem to work best, while personal anecdotes or specific personal stories do not. Scary Mommy will pay $100 per original piece of content.
THESC REVIEW
http://www.thsc.org/about-thsc/opportunities-at-thsc/writing-opportunities/
THSC REVIEW is published quarterly in February, May, August, and November. We appreciate authors who are familiar with our magazine and its general content and style. We are interested in curriculum reviews as well as how-to articles that explore different approaches for various learning styles—in particular subject areas such as math, writing, spelling, history, good citizenship, etc. We welcome submissions that seek to encourage and inspire home school families. Note that themes
change over time, with assorted deadlines. The ideal length of an article is, for one page is 650 – 750, 1,000 – 1,250 for two pages. Pays $100 for all rights and $50 for partial rights.
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JOBS
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AGENTS / PUBLISHERS
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MANSION STREET LITERARY MANAGEMENT
http://mansionstreet.com/
Two agents on staff. Jean is interested in: Pop Culture, Cookbooks, Gift books, General Non-Fiction, Brand Extensions, Lifestyle/Design books, NOT interested in memoirs or medical/reference. Typically sports and self-help are not a good fit for me. I also do not represent travel books. To contact Jean: querymansionstreet@gmail.com. Michelle is interested in: Young Adult, Middle Grade, Children’s Non-fiction, Picture books, Early readers. To contact Michelle:
querymichelle@mansionstreet.com
SARAH JANE FREYMANN LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.sarahjanefreymann.com/
Categories/subjects agent Sarah Jane is most interested in: Nonfiction: spiritual, psychology, self-help, women/men’s issues, books by health experts (conventional and alternative), cookbooks, narrative non-fiction, natural science, nature, memoirs, cutting-edge journalism, travel, multicultural issues, parenting, lifestyle. Fiction: sophisticated mainstream and literary fiction with a distinctive voice. We are also looking for edgy Young Adult fiction.
Categories Steve Schwartz is most interested in: Guy Stuff: popular fiction (crime, thrillers, and historical novels), world and national affairs, business books, self-help, psychology, humor, sports and travel.
WAXMAN LEAVELL LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.waxmanleavell.com/about-agency
Childrens, nonfiction, fiction, the works. Check with the bio of each agent to determine who you need to pitch.
SADLER CHILDREN'S LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.sadlercreativeliterary.com/submissions.html
Especially interested in author-illustrators, well-paced picture books both fiction and nonfiction, commercial YA in all genres bt especially nonfiction. Also graphic MG and YA novels.
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SPONSORS
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They did mine for Edisto Jinx! ~Hope
To celebrate the beginning of fall and the quickly approaching Holiday Selling Season
we have decided to repeat a special that many of you took advantage of last year:
Purchase a 4 week home page feature on BookGoodies using this special link and you
will get a coupon in the confirmation to add your book to the Holiday Buyer's
Guide at no extra charge. You are getting 2 ads for the price of one.
This is a VERY limited offer, it ends on 10/5/2015
Use this link to book your ad and get the special deal:
http://bookgoodies.com/advertising/seasonal-features/
Here is the link to see the existing Book Buyer's guides and download them for free:
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/bookgoodies
Deborah Carney
http://BookGoodies.net Network of Sites for Book Lovers
Mediabistro is a bastion of creative professional development for people at any level of learning. We offer classes across all disciplines, from Novel Writing to Marketing, to Public Relations and Social Media.
For a limited time, we are offering new students 10% off any course! Visit our online course catalog to find the course that is right for you and register today.
 
NOTE: 30 percent off for FundsforWriters readers for a short time. Click here.
Grammarly sucked me in and owned me after only ten minutes of using it on my latest manuscript, Edisto Jinx. Though my grammar skills are solid, Grammarly pointed me toward flow issues, awkward wording, repeated wording, and yes, the occasional grammar oversight. I caught myself changing sentences and enjoying the second set of eyes. Grammarly is truly one of the simplest and most useful editing tools I've ever experienced. ~C. Hope Clark, award-winning mystery author, www.chopeclark.com, and editor of FundsforWriters.com
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NOTE TO POTENTIAL SPONSORS:
FundsforWriters advertising rates will be rising come November 1, 2015. Any ads purchased before that time, regardless of when you wish them published, will be honored at the old, lower rate. www.fundsforwriters.com/advertising
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Fine print
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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
**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 wish 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.
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