| |
Volume 15, Issue 45, November 6, 2015 |
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
Message from the Editor
Here I am at the banquet at Killer Nashville, accepting Palmetto Poison's Silver Falchion Award, which blew me away. Y'all don't know the competition . . . it was fierce. I'm thrilled. What was also wonderful is that I was recognized for my short story "Rich Talk," featured in Killer Nashville Noir's first anthology Cold-Blooded. It was a big weekend, and though I left with a big fat cold, it was all worth it. FundsforWriters reader Dr. Janet
Brantley ran me down and we sat together at the banquet and had a great conversation! I gave away four copies of Palmetto Poison to FundsforWriters readers!
Editor, FundsforWriters
Email Hope | Visit Website
Newsletter: ISSN: 1533-1326
FFW has proudly been on the Writer's Digest's 101 Best Websites for Writers list every year since 2001
Our subscriber list is NOT made available to others. Use information listed at your own risk. FundsforWriters gives no warranty to completeness, accuracy, or fitness of the markets, contests and grants although research is done to the best of our ability.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
_______________________________________________________________________
SPONSOR OF THE WEEK
_______________________________________________________________________
JOIN US IN THE WINNER CIRCLE!
Where Writers Win - Use Code VIPW20
Normally $59.95, this special code will get you a full year's access to Where Writers Win's popular Winner Circle for only $39.95. What is the Winner Circle? We "shrink the web" for authors, to get you to those all-important influencers who can shout about your book to the widest audience. You'll enjoy access to vetted book reviewers and book bloggers by genre, interactive map of hundreds of live book
clubs, indie bookstores, interactive calendars of festivals, conferences and competitions, plus tools, tutorials, PR templates, discounts on partner services and more!
_______________________________________________________________________
EDITOR'S THOUGHTS
_______________________________________________________________________
VANITY PRESSES
The world would be glorious indeed if authors could write then hand off the manuscript to an entity that published the book, put it out there, and made it sell. We'd come up from our deep mental state of storytelling, occasionally check on statistics, cash the checks, and create to our heart's content.
We wouldn't have to do social media every day. No speaking in public. No guest blogging. No shaking hands with bookstore owners or cold-calling book clubs in hopes of being selected for one of its 2016 choices.
But an author isn't allowed to just write. He is if he doesn't care how many books sell, but if he isn't writing to be read, why is he writing at all?
Here lately, I've had a rash of requests from frustrated new authors. Way more than usual. They state they have a publisher who believes in their work, and for their investment of $3,000, $4,000, even $9,000, their book would be everywhere . . . even on Amazon!
So, let's define a vanity press for those of you who are not sure how to avoid these people who will take your money and not care whether you sold your first child into slavery to do it.
1) They offer an entire turnkey program so you don't have to worry . . . for a four-figure fee.
2) They try to sell you a marketing package. Sorry, but you are the marketer. And bookstores know these vanity presses and don't want to read those pretty marketing publications that supposedly go out to an eager world of book buyers.
3) The price on your book is higher than the norm. How do you know this? Because you have done your homework and look in the bookstores or on Amazon to see what the norm is. Twenty dollars for a romance paperback isn't the norm.
4) They offer payment plans.
5) Their websites talk more about how to publish than about the books that have been highly successful. Their business is selling publishing packages, not books, unless they are selling those books to hungry authors. The reader is not the focus of their business.
Most of you know to avoid vanity presses. There are too many other ways to publish in which you have more control and make far more money, but like anything in publishing, you have to do the promotion.
If you write a book for family and friends and don't care about how books are made or sold, then vanity press publishing might be the answer. But the next time you are in the bookstore, take a list of vanity presses with you . . . and let me know how many of their books you see on the shelves.
= = =
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
Holiday savings galore!
Lowcountry Bribe and Tidewater Murder (ebooks) are featured by Amazon (and
therefore B&N) in a monthly holiday special. $1.99 for November only.
Murder on Edisto is a BookBub featured special as well, but only until Nov 9. $1.99 for the ebook.
 |
Upcoming Book Signings and Classes!
Nov 21 - Palmetto Chapter Sisters in Crime, Grecian, West Cola, SC - Noon
Dec 19 - Palmetto Chapter Sisters in Crime, Private Residence - 2PM
Feb 1 - Night Harbor Book Club, Chapin, SC - 7PM
Feb. 13 - Workshop - Georgia Writers Assoc, Kennesaw, GA
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!
|
WORDS OF SUCCESS
"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."
~Thomas A. Edison
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
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.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
__________________________________________________________________
SUCCESS STORY
__________________________________________________________________
Hi Hope,
I just wanted to email you with my success story. I'm an author of kids books based in Florida. I have had an article published in your illustrious FFW online and also had a success story a few years back. Well since then I was put on an author's panel at - of all things - a comic book convention (Tampa Bay Comic Con - this year) AND in mid November I will be doing a presentation at the 2015 Winter Wheat Writer's Convention at Bowling Green State University to local authors.
The wealth of exposure I have come to receive after subscribing to FFW is priceless... now if I can only get an agent to respond :-) Well, one day at a time.
Thank You
Marc Rod (aka Rod Martinez)
Author of "The Juniors" and "Who is The Gray Man?"
http://rodmartinez.us
__________________________________________________________________
FEATURED ARTICLE
__________________________________________________________________
What I've Learned, and Earned, Using This Newsletter
By Yvonne Pesquera
I have been subscribing to Hope Clark’s Funds for Writers newsletter for ten years. Initially, the listings overwhelmed me, because I hadn’t yet “turned pro” and only wrote when I felt like it. But here’s how I learned to use the FundsforWriters listings to structure my writing practice and eventually earn income as a professional writer:
Competitions
Not every contest is right for you – but every writing prompt is. The goal is not to write a perfect, submittable poem, short story, or essay. Instead, practice so your craft improves to the point of actually having a worthwhile submission one day.
Years ago, a contest listing called for car essays. I used the prompt, wrote a terrible first draft in five minutes, and filed it away. Recently, a local publisher placed a call for car essays. I dusted off that draft and revised it for submission. That essay “My Baby Prius” is now published in the book Storied Wheels.
Grants
If you’re not an undergraduate journalism student, don’t apply for such a fellowship. Similarly, if you’re not interested in spending two months in a National Park cabin, don’t apply for that retreat. But every grant link is highly informative. You learn about the grant-giving organization, their requirements, and the nuts and bolts of an application packet.
Information like this is valuable so that when the right opportunity comes along, you can recognize it. You can’t recognize the opportunity just by looking at the grant name in the newsletter.
In the past 12 months, I applied for three grants. Two applications were rejected, but one is under consideration. Wish me luck.
Freelance Markets
Often, aspiring freelancers mistake an idea for a pitch. A pitch requires three elements: idea, angle, and timeliness. Using the listings for freelance markets, challenge yourself to push past ideas and write a viable pitch. It’s hard to nail all three elements, but it is essential practice.
In 2013, I saw a listing for The Writer magazine. I had an idea and fleshed out a pitch. It was the 10-year anniversary of the Tony Hillerman Writers Conference in Santa Fe. The conference is run by his daughter, Anne Hillerman [angle], who just published her first novel, “Spider Woman’s Daughter,” which won an award [timeliness]. The Writer published my article in May 2014.
Jobs
Job ads are gold mines because they reflect the state of changing times. Most ads are straightforward, but if a particular writing skill is listed and I have no idea what they’re talking about, I start researching. In this way, the job ads have helped me to keep my skills relevant.
At the start of this year, I clicked on an ad and landed a part-time assignment as an SEO writer consulting with the web designers. If I hadn’t taken the time to learn how to broaden the foundation of good writing to these new standards, I would have lost out on this steady writing income.
Ads
The sponsored ads in this newsletter promote services and events, offer discounts, and sometimes include a testimonial from Hope. But wait, spend money to earn money? Yes. Not only have I earned writing income through this newsletter, but I have also used the advertised services to make valuable investments in my career.
For example, I contacted Shaila Abdullah through her House of Design ad (see below). She helped me build a website that truly reflects my spirit and is not some cookie-cutter template. I keep the site up-to-date with recent clips and it is an essential part of my daily pitching routine.
Time may not permit you to practice on all of these listings in a given week. But if you are new to a writing career, studying the listings and practicing your writing can help you figure out the type of writing you want to do.
On the other hand, if you are a seasoned writer and know exactly what you want, then you have great leads.
Yet for all writers, practice always precedes publication. Where there is “Hope,” there is opportunity.
Bio:
Yvonne Pesquera is a freelance writer for magazines and newspapers. She has not only earned writing income through this newsletter, but she has also found spectacular services that have been a tremendous help to her career. If you like her website www.yvonnepesquera.com check out the House of Design ad below!
______________________________________________________________________
COMPETITIONS
______________________________________________________________________
HOURGLASS LITERARY MAGAZINE CONTEST
http://hourglassonline.org/contest/
$8 ENTRY FEE.
The winning entry in each category (short story, essay and poem) will receive $1,000, a symbolic artifact (clepsydra), digital stamp and diploma. Winning entries will be published in the first issue of the Hourglass Literary Magazine, in the original language (English / BCMS languages) and translated (BCMS/English). Authors will also receive three printed copies of the first issue of the Hourglass Literary Magazine. The jury has the right to give a special prize of $500 in each category.
Ten Finalists in each category will be published in the first issue of the literary magazine. All published works will be financially compensated and finalists will be provided with one copy of the printed edition of the Hourglass Literary Magazine. Deadline December 31, 2015.
SPLIT LIP LIVERSHOT MEMOIR CONTEST
https://splitlip.submittable.com/submit
NO ENTRY FEE.
Deadline November 16, 2015. $200 + Publication in our Spring 2016 Issue. Two Runners-Up receive publication in Spring 2016 issue plus Split Lip swag bag. Memoir/Personal Essay of 750 words or less.
WRITERS' VILLAGE CONTEST
http://www.writers-village.org
$24 ENTRY FEE.
$1600 is the top prize short stories in the Writers' Village International Short Fiction Award. The second prize is $800, third prize $400 and five runner up prizes of $80. Ten further Highly Commended entrants will have their stories acknowledged at the site and gain a free entry in the next round. Everyone wins because every contestant, win or lose, gains feedback on how their stories were graded - plus tips for improvement. Any genre of prose fiction may be submitted up to 3,000
words, except playscripts and poetry. Entries are welcomed world-wide. Deadline November 30, 2015.
CHILDHOOD ESSAYS
https://www.creativenonfiction.org/submissions/childhood
$20 ENTRY FEE.
For an upcoming issue, Creative Nonfiction is seeking new essays that explore the joys and struggles, the indignities and infinite possibilities of childhood. Creative Nonfiction editors will award $1,000 for Best Essay and $500 for runner-up. All essays will be considered for publication in a special "Childhood" issue of the magazine to be published in summer 2016. Essays must be previously unpublished and no longer than 4,000 words. Deadline November 16, 2015.
_______________________________________________________________________
GRANTS
_______________________________________________________________________
THE TIME AND PLACE PRIZE/GRANT
http://www.timeandplaceprize.com/contactus.html
Deadline November 30, 2015. Every summer, the hosts of the Time and Place Prize in Gourin, France, provide a
lucky writer with round-trip airfare, a month's stay in a beautiful cottage in Brittany, plus meals - all so that he or she can have the perfect place and window of time to get some real writing done. Requirements: an unpublished manuscript (poetry, nonfiction, or fiction) of no more than 5,000 words, plus a $25 entry fee.
BINDERCON SCHOLARSHIPS
http://la.bindercon.com/apply-scholarship/
The Out of the Binders Scholarship Program is designed to increase diversity by offering free admission to up to 50 promising writers who might not otherwise be able to attend due to financial hardship. Diversity includes but is not limited to: age; racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds; sexual orientation; gender identity; marital and parental status; disability. The scholarships include free attendance to all the events on Saturday, March 19 and Sunday, March 20, networking
opportunities to meet agents and editors, and a ticket to the VIP party, but do not include airfare and/or accommodations, or food. (Some meals may be provided as part of the conference programming.) Deadline December 1, 2015. Location Los Angeles. (Thanks www.erikadreifus.com)
TICKNER WRITING FELLOWSHIP
http://www.gilman.edu/tickner-writing-fellow
Deadline December 9, 2015. Gilman School, an independent boys' school, seeks an emerging poet or playwright. Responsibilities include teaching one senior elective in creative writing each semester, organizing a series of readings, advising the literary magazine, and working one-to-one with students in the Tickner Writing Center. The Tickner Fellow teaches every other day, affording time for independent writing projects. Salary $35,000, plus full benefits package.
__________________________________________________________________
FREELANCE MARKETS
__________________________________________________________________
HOOF BEATS
http://www.hoofbeatsmagazine.com/contact.cfm
So you want to write for the world’s most widely read harness racing magazine... One of the reasons that Hoof Beats is so popular among our readers is because we feature the best writers in racing. Writers should be as familiar with harness racing as our readers are. We don’t need any general how–to stories. Topics of interest include unique horse stories, veterinary care, tips on equipment or feed innovations, historical perspectives, unique first-person perspectives,
and stories on issues or trends. Payment is made upon publication and ranges from $100 (departments) to $500 (features).
MYSTERION
http://www.mysterionanthology.com/p/submission-guidelines.html
We're looking for speculative stories - science fiction, fantasy, horror - with Christian themes, characters, or cosmology. Stories can be up to 10,000 words. The anthology will be published in ebook and paperback formats. We pay six cents/word for original stories (or original translations of stories that have not previously appeared in English), and three cents/word for reprints. Deadline December 25, 2015.
HANA HOU!
http://www.hanahou.com/pages/about.asp?PageID=2#WritersGuidelines
In general, we are looking for creative nonfiction that takes a fresh approach to aspects of travel, culture, people and life in general in Hawaii, and occasionally in one of the other destinations served by Hawaiian Airlines. We stress an "insider's" point of view, so a background of extended residency in the place you're writing about is preferred. With a new writer, we generally want to start with a short piece for our front-of-the-book "Native
Intelligence" section (250 words or less), so it is best to submit proposals that would be appropriate for that length. Native Intelligence: $175. Features and departments: 40 cents per word. Best of the Islands: $50.
CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL - CANADIAN
http://www.chickensoup.com
In 2017 Canada will celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation. Our Canadian writers and readers will be focused on what Canada, and being Canadian, means. Send us your stories about what it means to be a Canadian, whether you're talking about hockey or camping, Celtic fiddle music and step dancing or singing "O Canada," or any of the other things that make you so proud — and grateful — to be Canadian. Pays $200 for up to 1,200 words and ten copies. Deadline
March 31, 2016.
____________________________________________________________________
JOBS
____________________________________________________________________
STAFF WRITER
TheBlaze - Telecommute
https://theblaze.workable.com/jobs/149602
A Staff Writer on TheBlaze News team will research and write stories for TheBlaze.com and may appear on our multimedia programs. The workload and pace are likely to be intense. If you are a total news junkie and an excellent writer, this job could be for you. The ability to write quickly and accurately is essential. Must be very familiar with issues and figures of interest to a center-right audience.
__________________________________________________________________
AGENTS / PUBLISHERS
__________________________________________________________________
HEROES AND HEARTBREAKERS (SHORT STORIES)
http://www.heroesandheartbreakers.com/page/submissions
HeroesandHeartbreakers.com welcomes submissions of original romance stories in all subgenres (erotica, contemporary, paranormal/urban fantasy, women’s fiction/chick lit, historical, romantic suspense, etc). We are not interested in “true confessions” or other non-fiction material. We are looking for short stories (15k-30k words), novellas (30k-50k words), and category-length. We pay $1,000 to $2,000 (depending on word count) against a 25 percent royalty.
CHOICE OF GAMES
https://www.choiceofgames.com/looking-for-writers/
At Choice of Games LLC, we’re looking for authors to write more interactive novels and multiple-choice games, in the style of Choice of the Dragon and Choice of Broadsides. Our games are like “choose a path” gamebooks, but longer, deeper, and richer. If we accept your outline, we’ll offer you a contract, under one of the following terms: 25 percent royalties: We’ll pay a $500 advance when we accept your outline, plus a $4,500 advance when we accept your
finished game. You’ll retain full IP rights to the story and characters in your work, granting us an exclusive license to publish your multiple-choice game electronically - OR - 0 percent royalties with a larger advance: 0 percent royalties; Choice of Games LLC gets the IP rights to your game. We’ll pay a total of $10,000 over a series of milestones.
FUSE LITERARY
http://www.fuseliterary.com/
Fuse Literary (formerly Foreword Literary) is a full-service, hybrid literary agency based in the Silicon Valley with offices in New York, Chicago, Vancouver and San Diego. Fuse manages a wide variety of clients, from bestsellers to debut authors, working with fiction and non-fiction for children and adults worldwide.
AYESHA PANDE LITERARY AGENCY
http://pandeliterary.com/about/
We love to work with writers who dare to innovate, take risks, express something meaningful about our world. We bring conviction and passion to everything we do: from developing concepts and ideas to strategizing long-term career goals, selling foreign, film and other subsidiary rights, brainstorming marketing and publicity plans; and advocating for our authors. Covers all genres.
________________________________________________________________
SPONSORS
________________________________________________________________
Murphy Writing of Stockton University Presents the 23rd Annual
WINTER POETRY & PROSE GETAWAY
January 15-18, 2016, Stockton Seaview Resort, Atlantic City, NJ area
Treat yourself to a writing getaway that will advance your craft and energize your writing. Enjoy challenging and supportive workshops, insightful feedback and an encouraging community. Choose from fiction, memoir, screenwriting, songwriting and poetry. Scholarships available.
"I had a more enriching experience at the retreat than in the book-writing group I attended for a year. Our workshop leader was at the top of the scale, keeping the workshop intensive, genuine, supportive and inspiring." — Juliet, Aspiring Novelist, Philadelphia, PA
LITERARY TECHNIQUES FOR GENRE WRITERS
Want to move from encouraging rejections to actual acceptances?
Cat Rambo's "Literary Techniques for Genre Writers" can help you
take your writing to the next level. This on-demand class can be
taken at your own pace, letting you work through sections and
exercises when time permits.
Rambo, a Nebula and World Fantasy Award nominee with over
200 fiction credits, is a clear and compelling teacher who mixes
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.
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
Click here to visit Book Design Templates.- Instead of trying to decide what your books should look like, we've made all the decisions for you. Just follow our friendly instructional guide, pour in your text and your book will be ready to go. All your styles and formatting needs are coded into our templates for easy use.
Enthusiastically endorsed by Hope!
Joel has created coupon code FFW35 for FFW readers. When you use FFW35 at BookDesignTemplates.com shopping cart, it will give you a 35% discount on anything on the site.
=====
____________________________________________________________________
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
**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.
|
|
|
|
