SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

ALL-INCLUSIVE WRITING VACATION IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

Murphy Writing of Stockton University Presents
LIVE FREE AND WRITE
August 14-19, 2016, Dexter's Inn, Sunapee, NH

Join us in New Hampshire for a supportive writing retreat. Spend a week working on your memoir or poetry chapbook. Enjoy the refreshing New England summer with plentiful writing time, encouraging workshops, homemade meals and time to relax. Scholarships available.

Workshops include: “Reimagining Memoir” with Mimi Schwartz and “Poetry Chapbook Workshop” with Lois Marie Harrod; retreat hosted by Peter Murphy.

"I've never done an overnight writing retreat before and was amazed at how much writing happened just being away from home. The atmosphere was perfect: open, honest, sincere and so encouraging. Definitely worth the money, the drive and the time!" — Anne, Belmont, MA

Register by July 1 and save: www.stockton.edu/murphywriting 


 

Editor’s THOUGHTS

MARKET TO YOUR PREFERRED READERSHIP

What do you lead with when you publish a book and broadcast news about it? What is the first line of your promotional copy? What leads on your website? How do you word your social media? If it's "99 cents for a limited time," you are choosing to market first to those who gravitate to cheap prices instead of those who want a great story. If it's "FREE for a limited time," you are catering to those who often want something for nothing.

You may argue with me, but hey, you decide what you think will grab the most attention of your customer base. If you start with price, then you think they make their choices with price. If you start with a story hook, then you cater to the reader who doesn't let price dicate their reading choices. 

There are other options:

-Begin with setting, like I often do with Edisto Beach, to grab tourists and beach readers.
-Begin with the author's name, assuming you have a burgeoning platform of readers awaiting your next story.
-Begin with the genre: mystery, romance, sci-fi, young adult, etc.

But out of all of those, many authors, especially new ones, begin with the price. You might reconsider that choice.

If you lead with price, you also may turn aside the serious reader . . . that reader willing to pay the bigger price. These days, that price isn't all that much, especially with ebooks. At the risk of stepping on the toes of many of my indie-published readers, you tell the world that income and price is your driving force for writing . . . not a legacy to the world of stories.

I came to this conclusion as I was going through so many emails, Facebook posts, and small press advertisements, deleting all the ones that began with FREE or 99 CENTS or REDUCED FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY. These days we are deluged with DEALS. So many deals, in fact, that the word has the potential to cheapen. 

Instead, when I consider a book, I look for recommendations, blurb endorsements, taglines, and a great gotcha hook in my genre. I want to know what others think of the book. With my TBR stack numbering 50 not including what's on my Kindle, and so many stories pushed out daily, I want to read a good one. Price may not grab a large number of people, but great word-of-mouth always will.


 

WE HAVE 2 NEWSLETTERS - THE FREEBIE and THE PAID SUBSCRIPTION . . . 

Remember that FundsforWriters, this newsletter, is free. Send it to whomever you like and share it liberally. But if you are serious about writing income resources, and your time is limited, consider subscribing to TOTAL FundsforWriters. It comes out biweekly, with 70 contests, markets, grants, retreats, publishers, freelance gigs, magazines and more, It's huge, but it saves you a lot of time searching. It's $18.75 for a year, or 26 issues. To subscribe, simply go towww.paypal.me/chopeclark/18.75 . It will be sent to the email you used unless you specify otherwise.

NOTE TO THE WISE: Send a receipt for one of Hope's books and receive TOTAL for free.    
(**and feel free to steal this graphic for your own site!)




Take a look at our Resources page at the FundsforWriters website. Hope has read each and every one of these books, and most are still dog-eared and highlighted on her book shelf and come highly recommended. 




 

Upcoming Book Signings and Classes! (All times in Eastern.)    Jun 7 - McCaskill Book Club - St Andrews Ctr, Cola, SC - 9:30 AM   June 21 - Skype - Rinehart Book Club, Florida   Jun 23-25 - Midwest Writers Center Conference - Davenport, IA   July 8-11 - Writers Retreat, Bellwood, NE   July 13-20 - Las Vegas, NV (Open to appearances)   Aug 1 - Batesburg Library Mystery Club, Batesburg, SC -6PM   Aug 9 - Hanahan, SC Library Mystery Book Club - 6PM   Sept 18 - Columbia County Library, Evans, GA - 2:30 PM   Sept 25 - Columbia County Library, Evans, GA - 2:30 PM   Oct 2 - Columbia County Library, Evans, GA - 2:30 PM   Oct 9 - Columbia County Library, Evans, GA - 2:30 PM   Oct 28-Nov 4 - Edisto Beach, SC - booksigning

	THE EDISTO ISLAND MYSTERY SERIES http://www.chopeclark.com/ "A sparkling Edisto Island setting, a flawed heroine, a riveting mystery, and the hint of a paranormal twist makes EDISTO JINX the book for your beach bag. Author C. Hope Clark brings to life the uniqueness that is Edisto, peppering the island with endearing and strong-minded characters that linger in your mind long after the last page is turned." --Karen White, New York Times Bestselling Author, www.karen-white.com On MURDER ON EDISTO - “A taut, high-tension page-turner—in a unique and fascinating setting. An absolute winner!” –Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha, Anthony and Macavity winning author Purchase any of Hope's books and receive a one-year subscription to TOTAL FFW free. Send receipt to hope@fundsforwriters.com For an autographed version, click here.
	ANNOUNCEMENT!!! Beginning midnight tonight, May 27, Goodreads has two giveaways for C. Hope Clark books - Murder on Edisto and Edisto Jinx. We are close to accepting pre-orders for Echoes of Edisto, and in honor of the third Edisto release, we want to giveaway books one and two to introduce the Edisto Island Mysteries to new readers. SPREAD THE WORD! https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/188212-murder-on-edisto https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/188214-edisto-jinx

Success Story

Hello Hope, 

Sitting on the sidelines, listening and dreaming of what it must feel like when you receive that notice "Your story has been selected" has finally happened. I just wanted to say a well deserved "Thanks!" to you. I really appreciate the weekly e-letters that keep me grounded and motivated to plod on. I'll be published in Chicken Soup of the Soul: Americana, due out in June 2016, and I am still a little shell shocked that it's happening!

Thanks, 
Carmen Vande Stroet 
http://cjwrite.com/

 

featured article

How to Break into the Greeting Card Industry

By Christine Edwards

Making extra income doesn't have to take hours away from your leisure time. In fact, if you have a way with words, you can make as much as $75 in as little as half an hour.

The greeting card industry is enormous and boasts billions of dollars in sales annually. Greeting card companies are always on the lookout for the next best idea and pay contributors very well. The pay scale ranges from $75 to $300 for a few heartwarming, romantic or funny lines. This makes greeting card writing one of the best-paid gigs for clever writers. 

Anyone who has ever stood in a greeting card aisle and thought, "I could write a better card than that," is welcome to send submissions to the dozens of card lines looking for freelance writers. 

There's some basics that writers should know before pitching their ideas to card publishers:

1. Artists and writers are hired separately.

A writer's input on artwork may or not be solicited. Don't send your artwork unless it's expressly permitted in the publisher's submission guidelines.

2. Shop markets akin to your writing.

Blue Mountain Arts creates poetic cards. Smart Alex creates racy humor cards. Peruse the company's current line so that you don't accidentally submit a raunchy birthday card to a devoutly Christian publisher and get yourself blacklisted.

3. Track markets and submissions. 

Refrain from simultaneous submissions of card ideas. Feel free to submit rejected content to similar markets once it's returned to you. Create a spreadsheet to help you keep track of when and where you sent each submission. Number your card ideas to make them easier to track.

4. Less is more.

Writing cards isn't rocket science, but it is a distinct style of writing. Use words sparingly and intentionally. Cards are written in a conversational tone, not glittering Elizabethan prose. You should write greeting cards as if you are talking to your best friend, spouse or grandma, but not at the same time. That may make for an awkward card.

5. Broad approach has greater reach.

Not everyone has had a Persian cat named Pocahontas recently pass away. However, there are many people who have recently lost a beloved pet. To those card buyers I send my condolences, because it's awful to lose a pet. To card writers, I offer a piece of advice: Keep your ideas broad enough that they appeal to a large market, but narrow enough that they feel genuine to readers.

6. Request writer's guidelines or research them online.

Each card publisher has distinct tastes and submission preferences. In that way, they are very similar to literary agents and publishers. Take the time to do your homework. Many card publishers post their submission guidelines on their sites. Some will send their guidelines and current needs if you request them. This is the preferred method, because it clues you in to what they are shopping for in their next line.


7. Follow the publisher's submission format.

Greeting card publishers do not subscribe to a specified submission format. In this way they are akin to literary agents and publishers, but that's where the similarities end. Greeting card submissions are much shorter and far easier to compose than queries. This doesn't mean writers may fling grammatical caution to the wind. Be sure to follow the format so your submission isn't tossed. If the submission guidelines don't specify a format, the one provided below is acceptable:

OCCASION: Birthday
OUTSIDE TEXT: Place outside text here
INSIDE TEXT: Place inside text here
OUTSIDE IMAGE SUGGESTION: Place any art ideas here 

Marilyn Dunroe, mdunroe@gmail.com, 321-321-3321

8. Search for additional markets.

Check the backs of the cards being sold in your local chain and specialty stores for publisher info. Most cards are imprints of American Greetings and other large publishers. They occasionally hold contests, but hire staff writers to create their content. Smaller publishers are more apt to accept unsolicited submissions.

 

Card writing is a great way to earn extra income from the comfort of your home for the small sum of your clever quips. Ready to get started? Good. Here's a list of card publishers that accept submissions from freelance writers:

Oatmeal Studios: Style: lighthearted humor

Blue Mountain Arts: Style: poetic heartfelt verse

Calypso Cards: Style: modern, sassy (offers a line of divorce cards)

Smart Alex: Style: controversial and crude humor

BIO: 
Christine Edwards was once an educator, but always a writer. One day, she realized she wanted to make a career change. It took her a solid year complete the transition from teaching to writing full-time, but it was worth it. Today, she is a freelance writer with several magazines and newspapers in her local area, a professional blogger and a greeting card author. Christine shares helpful tips with aspiring writers on her blog: christinedwards.blogspot.com. 
 


 

COmpetitions

$50,000 INTERNATIONAL LITERARY AWARD FOR UNPUBLISHED WORK
https://halftheworld.media/?r=fe.entryrules
$20 ENTRY FEE.
We are looking for short stories, novels and screenplays, written in English, that give a voice to the inner lives of women. Your work can be romantic, a tale of science fiction, a sensual or erotic exploration, a comic caper, or a thrilling mystery or a biographical memoir. We ask only that it gives fresh insight into the lives of women. Generous cash prize and global exposure. Collaboration opportunities in multiple areas of entertainment. Open to works across a range of genres. Deadline June 8, 2016. The Competition is open to all individual persons aged 13 or older.



MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT SHELLEY AWARD
http://www.rsbd.net/NEW/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=76:shelley&catid=35:contests&Itemid=54
NOTE:
This year we are offering a special discount for FundsForWriters subscribers. Just include the code PXFFW on the memo line of your check, and take $5 off the regular $15 entry fee.

Rosebud? magazine announces the sixth biennial Shelley Award competition for imaginative fiction. Original works of fantasy, science fiction, mystery and horror are welcome, but the editor is also open to any pieces that reach beyond the boundaries of those genres, take literary and creative risks, and tell a good story. Pieces must be under 5,000 words. First prize is $1,000, with four runner-up prizes of $100 each. Entry deadline is June 15, 2016.



KNIGHTVILLE POETRY CONTEST
http://www.newguardreview.com/tng-contests/
$20 ENTRY FEE.
$1,500 and publication for an exceptional poem in any form. Up to three poems per entry. Up to 150 lines per poem. Please submit all three poems in a single document. Finalists and semi-finalists receive one free copy of The New Guard; winners receive two copies. Winners and selected finalists and semi-finalists will be published in our print publication. Deadline August 15, 2016. 



MACHIGONNE FICTION CONTEST
http://www.newguardreview.com/tng-contests/
$20 ENTRY FEE.
$1,500 and publication for an exceptional work of fiction in any genre. Submit up to 5,000 words: anything from flash to the long story. Novel excerpts are welcome if the excerpt functions as a stand-alone story. Finalists and semi-finalists receive one free copy of The New Guard; winners receive two copies. Winners and selected finalists and semi-finalists will be published in our print publication. Deadline August 15, 2016. 



FIRST EDITION CHILDREN'S BOOK WRITING CONTEST
http://www.firsteditionproject.com
$50 ENTRY FEE.
Southwest Human Development is seeking children’s book manuscripts in the First Edition Children’s Book Writing Contest. The manuscript should be 600 words or less and suitable for children birth to five years old. The winning author will receive a $1,000 advance, an 8 percent royalty, and have their book professionally edited, illustrated and promoted. The book will be sold using a buy-one-give-one model similar to Tom’s Shoes. Deadline August 15. 

GRANTS

NORWICH WRITERS CENTRE - IN UK SEEKING WRITERS FROM JAPAN
http://www.writerscentrenorwich.org.uk/Events-all/callforapplicationsresidencyopportunityforjapanesewritersandtranslators.aspx
The residencies are open to creative writers and literary translators based in Japan, with an interest in spending time in the UK. You will need to demonstrate some track record of publication. We will give priority to applicants with a good working knowledge of English. Deadline May 31, 2016. 




SCHOLARSHIP AVAILABLE FOR LIVE FREE AND WRITE RETREAT 
https://murphywriting.submittable.com/submit/55679 
Murphy Writing of Stockton University is offering a $500 scholarship to a first-time participant. The Live Free and Write program will take place August 14-19, 2016 in Sunapee, NH. Join us in New Hampshire for a supportive writing retreat. Spend a week working on your memoir or poetry chapbook. Enjoy the refreshing New England summer with plentiful writing time, encouraging workshops, homemade meals and time to relax. Application deadline June 9, 2016.




SEEDFUL ART AGING GRANTS
http://azarts.gov/arts-op/national-grant-opportunity-seeding-artful-aging-aroha-philanthropies/
Aroha Philanthropies is launching a new initiative and national grant opportunity, “Seeding Artful Aging.” As a subset of the broader field of creative aging, artful aging programs inspire and enable older adults to learn, make and share the arts in ways that are novel, complex and socially engaging. Successful artful aging programs are led by teaching artists whose creative process and understanding of older adults bring joy, connection, improved health and well-being, and a renewed sense of purpose to older adults in community and residential settings. NOTE: You will need to partner with a nonprofit. Aroha will select up to 15 nonprofit organizations to participate in this demonstration project through a two-part application process. Grant awards will range from $15,000 to $50,000 for programming to begin on or after January 1, 2017 and be completed by November 30, 2017. 



AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT REGIONAL ARTS FUND
http://regionalartsnsw.com.au/grants/qtg/
Made available under the Regional Arts Fund allocation for NSW, Quick Response Grants (‘Quicks’) offer funding of up to $1,500 for regional artists, arts organisations and communities to respond to unique arts opportunities that present themselves at very short notice. The program is intended to support professional development opportunities for artists and artsworkers involved in community programs that will increase their knowledge, skills and experience
support skills and or arts development for individuals and groups in regional communities through the employment of arts and cultural workers to conduct workshops, seminars and forums.
 

FREELANCE MARKETS

KNITTY
http://www.knitty.com/subguide.php
Once your work is published in Knitty, you may include a picture on your website with a link to the Knitty website. After the issue has been archived (three months later), you may do whatever you wish with your work, including self-publishing or submitting it to other publications. The honorarium ranges from $120-200 per published submission as of January 3, 2016. We are now soliciting patterns for our Deep Fall issue which goes live September 2016. The submission deadline is June 1, 2016.



MAKING A LIVING WRITING
http://www.makealivingwriting.com/why-i-pay-writers/
Pays $50 to $100 per post on topics about making a living as a writer. A list of needed topics is posted at the website. Posts are usually around 500 words, but there are some topics where the editor requests longer posts.



SLICE
http://www.slicemagazine.org/submit-your-work/
Slice magazine welcomes submissions for short fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. We're looking for anyone with a fresh voice and a compelling story to share. In each issue, a specific cultural theme becomes the catalyst for articles and interviews from renowned writers and lesser known voices alike. Along with these pieces, we publish fiction and poetry that isn’t bound by the theme — we simply look for works by writers who promise to become tomorrow’s literary legends. We offer all contributors of Slice a monetary award for their work ($250 for stories and essays and $75 for poems).



MAD
http://www.madmagazine.com/submissions-form
We welcome all humor submissions and the best way to know what we’re looking for is to take a look at what we’re doing now! Originality and visual humor are especially prized! We’re interested in material focusing on evergreen topics, such as dating, family, school and work, plus topical material about celebrities, sports, politics, news and social trends. In addition, we will consider submissions for our Fundalini Pages and annual MAD 20 (The Dumbest People, Events and Things of the Year). We also welcome submissions for our Strip Club (artist-writers or artist-writer teams preferred).

 

JOBS

publishers/agents

ARCHER HILL PUBLISHING
http://www.archerhillpublishing.com/
Based in South Carolina’s capital, Columbia, Archer Hill is an independent publisher of books for the general, educated audience in the fields of Southern fiction; literary fiction (novels and short story collections), creative nonfiction (memoir), and nonfiction. Currently, we are emphasizing Southern fiction, literary fiction, and creative nonfiction by Southern authors, especially those living in or writing about the Carolinas. Fiction: Literary, regional, tasteful mainstream/contemporary, women’s, young adult (We do not accept genre fiction.) Nonfiction: Creative nonfiction (memoir), psychology, personal growth/self-help, how-to.



LEE & LOW BOOKS
https://www.leeandlow.com/writers-illustrators/writing-guidelines
LEE & LOW BOOKS is a quality children's book publisher that specializes in multicultural themes. Our goal is to meet the need for books that address children of color by providing books that all children can enjoy and which promote a greater understanding of one another. We publish multicultural literature that is relevant to young readers. Our focus is on fiction and nonfiction featuring children/people of color, for readers ages five to twelve. Of special interest are realistic fiction, historical fiction, and nonfiction with a distinct voice or unique approach. We do not publish folklore and animal stories.



PANTS ON FIRE PRESS
http://pantsonfirepress.com/submissions/
At this time we are not accepting Picture Book or Chapter Book submissions. We are acquiring Middle-Grade, Young Adult and New Adult books. We are looking for strong writers who are excited about marketing their stories and building a following of readers. For novels, the body of the email should include your query and the first three chapters along with a synopsis, the genre, word count, short pitch, marketing plan, writing credentials, your contact info, agent info (if applicable), complete bio, list of any and all previous titles with sales history.



ALLWORTH PRESS
http://www.allworth.com/guidelines/
We are open to receiving submissions for proposed books in the following categories: Graphic Design, Business,  Performing Arts, Interior Design, Art, Theater, Web Design, Book Arts, Photography, and Crafts.
 
 

SPONSORS

Other websites:
http://sbalexander.com/
http://wagnerjulia.com/
http://lisakwinkler.com/
http://kbhyde.com/
http://meredithwargo.com/








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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
http://www.fundsforwriters.com

Copyright 2000-2016, C. Hope Clark
ISSN: 1533-1326

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