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SPONSOR OF THE WEEK
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Upcoming Contest Deadlines
Halloween Poetry Contest and Halloween Horror
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Diamante Poetry Contest
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The Text Message
Write a story of any type where at some point the main character receives a text message(s) with instructions. Cash prize to the winner. Deadline is Nov 17th.
Acrostic Poetry Contest
Write an acrostic poem where the first letter of each line spells out a word (downwards). See an example in the announcement . Deadline: Nov. 23rd. Cash prize to the winner!
View our full contest listing . 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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NO ROOM FOR SNARK
Unless you are JA Konrath and your brand is snark, don't try to weave it into your writing persona. It will backfire. Someone will label you crass. Many will quit buying your work - readers as well as editors.
As an editor, pitches come to me in the guise of Sunday clothes and good manners, which is good. We should present our best self. However, the true person arises when I reject a pitch.
"Well, if this doesn't work, then what does?"
"Just give me a subject and I'll write it if you don't like this."
"Why doesn't this work? I'm most certain it fits your guidelines."
"Whatever."
"Screw you" or "Forget you" or "Fill-in-the-blank you."
"Do you discriminate against fill-in-the-blank?"
"You are an elitist b----."
While these writers may not have been memorable before, they become memorable after these remarks.
It works the reverse as well. I listen at conferences, workshops, and events where names bigger than mine put on shows, shake hands, meet and greet the room and represent themselves to authors as well as each other. There are a few agents I would never pitch because I've heard them make fun of their clients, the writers around them, even the speakers at the podium. There's a big name in the publishing industry I heard making fun of someone on a panel for "pretending to be
an author."
Many people forget that shy writers listen harder.
You are a professional. Keep it professional. Yes, I know as well as anyone that some days you want to snap back and speak your mind. This newsletter is my outlet, and luckily I have a teeny bit of snark woven into my brand to give me room for release. But on someone else's blog? In an email? In front of people who buy my books, ask me to speak, or want to advertise with me? Never.
Why slit my own throat?
The publishing world is teeming with authors, writers and others climbing the ladder. Everyone is watching everyone else. What is she doing that works? What is he saying that you can take advantage of? How is she slipping up, and how is he making mistakes? Everyone is trying so hard.
When the public is your client, you are on display. There are no soundproof rooms.
So paint on that smile. Pull out your best behavior. Make anyone you meet happy to have met you. Why on earth would you ever be snarky to anyone in this business as you are fighting your way to publication?
= = =
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 of this trailer for you to see why.
Thanks
- Hope
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Upcoming Book Signings and Classes!
Nov 9 - Habits for Writing Success - Calhoun Co. Library, SC - 6:30-7:30 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
"When I was young I observed that nine out of every ten things I did were failures, so I did ten times more work."
~George Bernard Shaw
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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.
http://www.chopeclark.com/
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,
I'm writing to thank you for all your inspiration and help through your indispensable newsletters over the last few years. I had been struggling with writing my debut novel. Through one of your recommended books, Immediate Fiction by Jerry Cleaver, I was able to change my approach and ensured I found time to write every day despite a day job and family commitments. A few years later and my thriller, The Mind of God, has finally been completed. I'm excited to announce that it
is now available in paperback and as an e-book. So that is why you get a mention in my 'Acknowledgements' page. Thank you Hope for being a beacon on a writer's journey.
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FEATURED ARTICLE
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Go Mobile
By Devyani Borade
According to tech monitor SmallBizTrends.com, over 60 percent of online traffic now comes from mobile devices.
Unbeknownst to you, your own website may — right now! — be looking like a bad bowl of alphabet soup: text indecipherably tiny, images disproportionately huge, menus misaligned and the contact form stretched out of bounds of a finger-tap. There goes your chance of that interested editor getting in touch with you for a possible commission or that writers' group wishing to purchase your book in bulk for their next reading project!
With more people buying smart-phones every day, you need to capitalize on this fast-growing market on the Web: ensure you can reach your mobile audience and they can reach you. The easiest way to do this is to create a mobile-optimized website. This is a version of your desktop website customized for the constraints of mobile viewing, especially the small size of the screen and vertical "page" alignment.
While mobile websites are cost-effective and have a wide reach (anyone with a browser can access a website), they do have two constraints: They are limited in what they can do because they are browser-dependent, and features like Flash and Javascript can be tricky to incorporate.
Start your website plan by considering your target audience. Is your typical reader a stay-at-home mother with a college degree or an affluent forty-something homeowner with two cars? Does your average editor run a university department journal or a niche glossy for the jet-setters?
Other considerations will include your available budget, your intended purpose and your must-have features. Want to tout your latest award? Or are you more interested in collecting rave reviews for your debut novel? Perhaps you'd like to highlight your flexible rates for ghost-writing services.
There are a variety of tools, some free, to help you create a mobile-friendly version of your existing website. Google Mobile Optimizer is the most accessible, but also the least customizable. WordPress offers some plugins, GoDaddy has an automated system, other online plug-and-play platforms are GetGoMobi.com and Onswipe.com. Simply search online for "How to set up a mobile website" to get thousands of
useful results. Do some due diligence, play around with a few options to explore and get a feel of the technology.
During implementation, bear in mind the following three key points:
1. Identify . . . the context and content most relevant to your readers/editors.
Remember, they are "mobile" users, which means they are on the move. They don't want to read pages of PDF of sample articles or biographic sagas with your entire life history. A few small but significant published clips, a bunch of reviews and testimonials, a two-click process to buy your latest book, a neat contact form — these are basic things your readers will expect.
2. Organize . . . paying particular attention to navigation and graphics.
Put popular and important information readers/editors will be looking for at the front. Keep your branding elements (fonts, colors) consistent.
3. Optimize . . . review, revise and cut down to the bare bones.
Here's where your writer skills come in handy like never before! Can you use the camera option? Can you make your telephone number a "tap-and-call"? Can you exploit the gyro function?
Think of the direction in which your writing AS A BUSINESS is moving and align your next steps accordingly. What image do you want to project? What niche do you want to build? Plan, keep it simple, and use the mobile device's inherent features.
Going mobile is a significant game-changing step. It is also inevitable for a writer who means business and intends to keep ahead of the competition.
BIO:
Devyani Borade writes on the humor and pathos of everyday life. Her articles on the craft, business and heart of writing have been accepted/published by nearly all writing-related publications in the USA and UK. She likes to eat chocolates, read comic books and try her husband's patience! Visit her website Verbolatry at http://devyaniborade.blogspot.com to contact her and read her other work.
COMPETITIONS
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WOMEN'S NATIONAL BOOK ASSOCIATION AWARDS
http://www.wnba-books.org/contest
$15-$20 ENTRY FEE.
First place winners receive $250 cash prize. Second, third and honorable mentions will be published with the first place winners in the contest edition of The Bookwoman. Open to all writers 18 or older writing in English. Deadline January 15, 2016. Fiction includes short fiction, novel excerpts and flash fiction. 3,000 words maximum. Nonfiction includes memoir, personal essay and commentary. 2,500 words maximum. Poetry includes three to five pages of poems.
RASH AWARDS
http://broadriverreview.org/official-contest-rules/
$15 ENTRY FEE.
The Broad River Review will be reading general submissions and Rash Award contest entries through November 15, 2015. Writers have two avenues for submission, either a general submission or a submission to our contests, the Rash Awards, which offer $500 first prizes in both Fiction and Poetry. Poetry submissions are restricted to five poems, with no more ten pages total per submission. Fiction and nonfiction submissions must be no more than 5,000 words.
TRIO HOUSE PRESS AWARDS
https://triohousepress.submittable.com/submit
$25 ENTRY FEE.
Opens November 1, 2015 and closes April 30, 2016. Trio House Press gives two awards annually: the Trio Award for First or Second Book for emerging poets, and the Louise Bogan Award for Artistic Merit and Excellence for a book of poems contributing in an innovative and distinct way to American poetry. Each award winner receives $1000 and twenty copies of his or her book. Additionally, each winner must serve as a Collective Member of Trio House Press for twenty-four months after publication
in order to assist with the press and bringing more Trio books into print. The Trio Award for First or Second Book is only open to poets with less than two books published. The Louise Bogan Award for Artistic Merit and Excellence is open to ALL poets, regardless of publication history. Manuscripts must be between 48-70 pages, written in English by a poet residing within the U.S.
THE TUPELO QUARTERLY PRIZES
https://tupeloquarterly.submittable.com/submit
$20 ENTRY FEE.
To be considered for the Poetry Prize, send up to five unpublished poems of any style or sensibility. The author of the winning poem will receive $1,000 and publication in TQ9. Finalists will also be named and published. To be considered for the Prose Open Prize, submit one piece of short fiction or creative nonfiction, 15 pages or less. Both fiction and nonfiction are eligible; neither genre preferred. The author of the winning piece of short fiction or creative nonfiction will receive
$1,000 and publication. Finalists will also be named and published. Deadline December 1, 2015.
GRANTS
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VIRGINIA ARTISTS IN EDUCATION GRANTS
http://www.arts.virginia.gov/grants_education.html
To provide opportunities for young people throughout Virginia to participate in and learn about the arts by working with high quality professional artists, these grants provide elementary and secondary students and teachers opportunities to work with professional artists either in a school setting or through after-school or summer activities. Applicants may request a maximum of $10,000 and must provide at least a one-to-one cash match of the requested grant.
SEATTLE ARTS GRANTS
http://www.seattle.gov/arts/cityartist-projects
Individual artists are the core of a creative community. The CityArtist Projects supports individual artists and curators residing in Seattle to develop and present their work. This funding program focuses on different disciplines in alternating years. Priority is given to projects with clear public access as community impact and benefit. We encourage a broad range of artistic and cultural expression that reflects Seattle's diversity. Deadline July 2016. Next cycle open to
scriptwriting.
MISSISSIPPI ARTIST MINI-GRANTS
http://www.arts.ms.gov/grants/artist-minigrant.php
The Artist Minigrant Program provides grants of up to $500 to support the professional development of individual artists by helping to fund: travel and registration for appropriate conferences, promotional efforts (such as printed invitations for a gallery opening), or artistic supplies (such as paint, film, or clay). Artist Minigrants are competitive and do not require a cash match. Opens in October for applications.
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FREELANCE MARKETS
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CHICKEN SOUP - SPIRIT OF AMERICA
http://www.chickensoup.com
With the elections and the 15th anniversary of 9/11, we'll all be very focused on what America means to us. Send us your stories about what it means to be an American, whether you're talking about apple pie and baseball, country music and our national anthem, barbecues, national holidays, our military heroes, first responders, American ingenuity, buying "made in America" goods (like our books!), our huge and varied country, our diversity and our tolerance, our energy and
spirit, and all the other things that make us proud Americans. Up to 1,200 words. Pays $200 and ten copies of the book. Deadline November 30, 2015.
SUSQUEHANNA LIFE
http://www.susquehannalife.com/pages/contact-us
http://www.susquehannalife.com/pages/web-editorial-calendar
Articles take a unique and positive look at a variety of aspects of life in Central Pennsylvania, and provide readers with information about places to go, things to do and history. We strive to provide information that is unique and unusual. Articles run about 850 words. Pays up to $150. Accepts queries or full-length pieces. Email ericasusquehannalife@gmail.com
LIGUORIAN
http://www.liguorian.org/submissions-and-rights-and-permissions/
Pays up to 20 cents/word. Articles must not exceed 2,200 words. Personal essays should be limited to 1,000. Fiction submissions should be approximately 2,000 words. Seasonal articles and stories must be received eight months in advance. Please allow eight to twelve weeks for our response. Founded in 1913 by the Redemptorists, Liguorian conveys a consistent joyful message of God’s plentiful redemption. In its tone and selection of material, it communicates a timely pastoral message to
Catholics on matters of the faith, practices, Christian living, and social justice.
NEW MOBILITY MAGAZINE
http://www.newmobility.com/magazine-for-active-wheelchair-users/writers-guidelines/
New Mobility covers active wheelchair lifestyle with articles on recreation, travel, people, health, relationships, media, culture, civil rights and resources. Eighty-five percent of our readers have disabilities, most caused by spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, post-polio syndrome, cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy. We tell stories directly and honestly, without sentimentality. We aren’t interested in “courageous” or “inspiring” tales of
“overcoming disability.” Pays 15 cents/word. Length 800 to 1,600 words.
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JOBS
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SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE UNIVERSITY ADJUNCT CREATIVE WRITING INSTRUCTORS
http://www.snhu.edu/teach
Our instructors provide high-quality academic experiences and support students as they work toward their educational goals. Online faculty members work collaboratively in a supportive academic environment, partnering with student advising and the academic team to ensure that each student has support, tools and resources he or she need to be successful. We are seeking instructors to teach the following courses: Screenwriting Fundamentals, Poetry Fundamentals, Fiction Fundamentals,
Nonfiction Fundamentals. Minimum qualifications: MFA degree in Creative Writing, Prior college level teaching preferred, Publications or productions within genre.
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AGENTS / PUBLISHERS
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CRIMSON ROMANCE
http://www.crimsonromance.com/submissions/
Our digital-first romance line is open to submissions in five popular subgenres: romantic suspense, contemporary, paranormal, historical, and spicy romance. We’re looking for previously unpublished full-length novels (between 55,000–90,000 words) and novellas (between 20,000–50,000 words). All authors — agented or unagented, beginner or veteran — are welcome to submit any works that have not been previously published in whole or in part in any media, including
self-publishing (Kindle, CreateSpace, etc.).
CITY LIGHTS
http://www.citylights.com/publishing/?fa=publishing_manuscripts
City Lights Books is an independent publisher of fiction, essays, memoirs, translations, poetry, and books on social and political issues. We do not publish New Age, self-help, children’s literature, how-to guides, or genre works such as romance, westerns, or science fiction. City Lights does not accept unsolicited manuscripts. We do consider book proposals.
COFFEE HOUSE PRESS
http://coffeehousepress.org/submission-guidelines/
Coffee House Press publishes literary novels, full-length short story collections, poetry, creative nonfiction, book-length essays and essay collections, and the occasional memoir. CHP does not accept submissions for anthologies. CHP also does not publish genre fiction such as mysteries, Gothic romances, Westerns, science fiction, or books for children.
CONUNDRUM PRESS
http://conundrum-press.com/submissions/
Conundrum publishes poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction — both essay and long-form works — primarily from authors who live in the Rocky Mountain region. As we branch out from poetry into other literature, we’re looking for thoughtful, provocative, and lucid writing that tells a compelling story.
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SPONSORS
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Rambo, a Nebula and World Fantasy Award nominee with over
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lecture, annotated examples, and exercises to help you learn how
to write selling fiction. Find out more about Rambo's on-demand
classes at http://catrambo.usefedora.com/
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
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.
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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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