FundsforWriters - June 10, 2016 - "Please Consider Me for Money"

Published: Fri, 06/10/16

Volume 16, Issue 24 | June 10, 2016

Message from the Editor

I've had several readers ask if I still had the chickens. Alex, my lone rooster, is proof positive. He is the only chicken I have that I raised from an egg, and he is definitely king of the roost. He watches over his nine senior hens (seven years old), and lets us know when we walk outside that he expects us to come to the coop for a visit. I love the sound of a rooster (and no, they don't just crow at dawn). He's a good guard for his ladies when they wander around the place, but we don't do it now unless we're outside as well. A pair of foxes snared one of my old buff Orpingtons two weeks ago as she strayed from the flock eating bugs. There's a reason for that sly as a fox saying. So, yes, chickens are still a pastime, and we eat many eggs in my house!

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 2000

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.

TWITTER - http://twitter.com/hopeclark
AUTHOR SITE - http://www.chopeclark.com
FACEBOOK - http://www.facebook.com/chopeclark
GOODREADS - http://www.goodreads.com/hopeclark
BOOKBUB - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/c-hope-clark

SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

North Street Book Prize for Self-Published Books - Last Call!

2nd year. $6,000 in cash prizes. Three categories: Mainstream/Literary Fiction, Genre Fiction, and Creative Nonfiction. The winner of each category will receive $1,500, a credit towards the high-quality publishing services at BookBaby, free advertising in our email newsletter, and expert marketing advice from Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of The Frugal Book Promoter. Gift for everyone who enters. Deadline: June 30. Judges: Jendi Reiter and Ellen LaFleche. Entry fee: $50. Submit online or by mail. Winning Writers is one of "101 Best Websites for Writers" (Writer's Digest). See guidelines, past winners, and enter at www.winningwriters.com/north

Editor’s THOUGHTS

"PLEASE CONSIDER ME FOR MONEY"

Our title FundsforWriters draws a lot of attention in Google searches, especially if someone seeks money. The people who contact me the most are often:

1) from developing countries
2) brand new writers
3) broke from all other resources and in a financial bind
4) retired academics

A lot of writers think grants and support money are only available for people who fall into demographic, race, age, educational, or ethnic categories ahead of the writing talent, but in every single case, who you are is less important than your project. You present proposals to be considered for grants, and most grantors refuse money for marketing, self-publishing (especially with vanity presses), and living expenses, unless you're a proven writer, and then in rare instances.

In many of the cases, the individual has decided that writing will elevate them from whatever lifestyle they are in and hope to escape from. Nicely, I attempt to explain that making money as a writer isn't like deciding to deliver newspapers for extra money. Doing so flies in the face of writers who've fought to learn the craft and the business.

I've probably been snubbed as much by academics as people from developing countries who want to make six figures writing SEO articles. One scholarly gentleman actually scolded me for not sending him the names of people with means and willingness to support credentialed souls with obvious intellect worthy of such endorsement. Accused me of withholding those names for a selected few.

New writers want financial assistance to break free or justify taking the time away from other distasteful income, and the broke ones are grasping at last resorts, hoping that publishing a book will keep the wolf at bay. Writing doesn't exactly work that way. Quick money ain't gonna happen in this environment. We have to learn the craft, then strategically seek the right avenues to publish and market. Grants are out there, but they are a tool, not a God-send.

But regardless the person's background, request, or experience, I send them to these sources:

1) their state arts council
2) their state humanities council
3) crowdfunding sites (kickstarter.com or indiegogo.com )
4) any nonprofit or educational institution that might be interested in their subject/research. While the institutions may not have the funds, they can serve as fiscal agent, acquiring the grant on a writer's behalf and administering the grant. See http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/tutorials/fiscal/ .
5) check out http://www.fracturedatlas.com or http://creative-capital.org/aboutus/whatwedo/services or http://www.nyfa.org - These sites offer to be fiscal agents for grants, and they might have something to fit a writer's project.
6) local community foundations where small grants are made available to those living in a geographic area.

With the small cost of indie publishing, and the negligible cost of traditional publishing, grants are not needed to become a published author. And most of all, the project is the driving force of receiving a grant. The quality of work, the human message, the overall impact of the art/artist upon society and readers, are what matter. As with writing, it's more about the impact on the reading public than the author. Remember this when seeking funding: It's more about the bigger picture.

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.)

  June 21 - Skype - Rinehart Book Club, Florida
  Jun 23-25 - Midwest Writers Center Conference - Davenport, IA
  July 8-11 - Writers Retreat, Bellwood, NE
  July 18 - Writers Group - Las Vegas, NV
  Aug 1 - Batesburg Library Mystery Club, Batesburg, SC -6PM
  Aug 5 - ECHOES OF EDISTO - NEW BOOK RELEASE EVENT AT EDISTO BOOKSTORE, SC - 4PM
  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
  Sept 26 - Anderson County LIbrary, Anderson, SC - 6PM
  Oct 2 - Columbia County Library, Evans, GA - 2:30 PM
  Oct 9 - Columbia County Library, Evans, GA - 2:30 PM
  Oct 24 - Anderson County LIbrary, Anderson, SC - 6PM
  Oct 28-Nov 4 - Edisto Beach, SC - booksigning

WORDS OF SUCCESS

Show me a completely smooth operation and I’ll show you someone who’s covering mistakes. Real boats rock.

~Frank Herbert

THE EDISTO ISLAND MYSTERY SERIES
http://www.chopeclark.com/

Edisto Island is a paradise where people escape from the mainstream world. Yet for newly sworn-in Edisto Police Chief Callie Jean Morgan, the trouble has just begun . . .

When a rookie officer drowns in a freak crash in the marsh, Callie’s instincts tell her it wasn’t an accident. As suspects and clues mount, Callie’s outlandish mother complicates the investigation, and Callie’s long-time friendship with Officer Mike Seabrook takes a turn toward something new—but is shadowed by the unsolved mystery of his wife’s death. Everyone’s past rises to the surface, entangling with death that cuts to the bone.

"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

Echoes of Edisto release date! August 5, 2016.

As always, 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!!!
Goodreads has two giveaways for 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 a few copies 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

If you've had any sort of success from receiving FundsforWriters, we want to hear about it. Toot your own horn and ours, too!. Send no more than 150 words to hope@chopeclark.com with SUCCESS STORY in the title.

featured article

What Is Platform and How Do I Build It?

By Leslie Truex

I first came across the word "platform" in the mid-2000s when researching how to pitch a book. Like many would-be authors, I didn't quite understand. I thought platform was a tagline, like Bill Nye the Science Guy. A tagline and brand are components of a platform, but not the platform itself.

The definition I finally understood came from Jane Friedman. She defines platform as the representation of your authority, visibility, and reach to a target market. Your platform is:

1) How much influence you have. (Authority)
2) The number of people who know and listen to you. (Visibility and reach)
3) The most likely reader of your book. (Target market)

Platform building starts by defining the type of writer you want to be. When I say, "Nora Roberts," you likely think romance. Saying "John Grisham" makes you think of legal thrillers. What do you write? Steampunk? New Adult? Once you know your type, it's easy to define your reader.

If you write cross-genre or multiple genres, your market can be trickier. In cross-genre, pick the one you think will attract the most readers. For example, I have a friend who writes sexy cozies, which should attract both the romance and mystery markets. However, she says most of her readers lean toward romance, as many cozy readers don't like sex in their mysteries. If you write in multiple genres, start platform building with your first book, as that's the one you want to sell. You can build on and expand your platform when subsequent books come out. Another option is to build a separate platform using a pen name.

Once you've defined yourself and your market, it's time to build a platform. I'm a concrete person, so I imagine a center platform with five radiating spokes of activity, all of which work together to build influence, visibility and reach to my desired market. The center platform, or hub, is a blog or website. A blog or website can market your books, but also, it's a place for readers to learn more about you and other books you've written. The spokes are:

1) Your books. Your books give you authority. If you include your website in your book, it can lead readers to your hub where they can learn more about you and your books and events, as well as connect through social media.

2) Social/Community. Readers enjoy interacting with authors. Through social media and forums, you engage with fans, building a community around yourself and/or your book(s) that leads to an ongoing relationship with readers. Some writers actively build "street teams" where their fans earn extra access to the author and free goodies in return for sharing Tweets and other content. An email list is another ideal way to keep in touch with readers.

3) Outreach. Reach out to bloggers, participating in groups and forums run by others, and appear on podcasts.

4) Media/PR. Every author should have a media kit posted on their website. Sending press releases to media outlets that target your market, as well as taking advantage of the opportunities offered through Help a Reporter Out (HARO), increase your credibility, and expand your visibility and reach.

5) Events. Attend workshops, seminars, and conferences geared toward writers, as well as readers. Blog and podcast tours also fall under the "events" spoke.

By engaging regularly and consistently in the above activities, you'll build your platform. As you do, always keep in mind that your goal is to increase your authority, visibility and reach to a specific market.

BIO - Leslie Truex is the author of Digital Writer Success: How to Make a Living Blogging, Freelance Writing and Publishing Online. By day she's a blogger, freelance writer, and online entrepreneur focusing on the topics of working at home, writing, and health and wellness. Along with writing, she speaks and consults on writing, marketing and work-life balance. Learn more about Leslie at her website.

COmpetitions

RICHARD MARGOLIS AWARD
http://award.margolis.com
NO ENTRY FEE.
Deadline July 1, 2015.
Combines a one-month residency at Blue Mountain Center with a $5,000 prize. Awarded annually to a promising new journalist or essayist whose work combines warmth, humor, wisdom and concern with social justice.

AUSTRALIAN S.D. HARVEY SHORT STORY AWARD
https://killyourdarlings.submittable.com/submit/38196
$15 ENTRY FEE.
The winner of the 2016 S.D. Harvey Short Story Award will receive a first prize that has increased to $1,500. Kill Your Darlings is proud to once again be publishing the winning entry. This year there is also a second prize of $500. All shortlisted entries will also receive a complimentary online subscription to KYD. Deadline June 15, 2016. Entries can be submitted by published and unpublished writers and can be either fiction or nonfiction stories. Stories must be between 2,000 and 4,000 words in length. The author must be an Australian by birth or citizenship; OR the author’s principal residence must be in Australia.

CURT JOHNSON PROSE AWARD
http://decembermag.org/2016-curt-johnson-prose-awards/
$20 ENTRY FEE.
$1,500 and publication in our Fall/Winter 2016 issue for First Place (fiction and nonfiction); $500 and publication in our Fall/Winter 2016 issue for honorable mention (fiction and nonfiction). Maximum of 8,000 words for fiction and non-fiction. Deadline June 15, 2016.

SIR PETER USTINOV TELEVISION SCRIPTWRITING AWARD
http://www.iemmys.tv/foundation.aspx
NO ENTRY FEE.
The competition is designed to motivate non-American novice writers under the age of 30, and offer them the recognition and encouragement that might lead to a successful career in television scriptwriting. Entrants are asked to create a completed half-hour to one-hour English-language television drama script. The award winner receives $2,500, a trip to New York City, and an invitation to the International Emmy® Awards Gala in November. Deadline is July 1, 2016.

GRANTS

ELEANOR TAYLOR BLAND AWARD
http://www.sistersincrime.org/page/EleanorTaylorBland
Sisters in Crime is currently taking submissions for its annual grant of $1,500 for an emerging writer of color. An unpublished writer is preferred, although publication of one work of short fiction or academic work will not disqualify an applicant. This grant is intended to support the recipient in activities related to crime fiction writing and career development. Deadline July 1, 2016.

BECJMAN EMERGING ARTIST FELLOWSHIPS - INDIANAPOLIS
http://www.indyartsguide.org/classified/beckmann-emerging-artist-fellowship/
The Arts Council of Indianapolis (ACI) is currently accepting applications for the Robert D. Beckman, Jr. Emerging Artist Fellowship Program. The program awards two $3,500 fellowships each year to qualified and talented emerging Indianapolis artists in music, dance, theatre, literature, media and / or the visual arts. Introduced in 2008, the awards have provided 18 emerging artists with a total of $63,000. For the purpose of this fellowship, ACI defines an emerging artist as "an artist who shows exceptional promise, who has mastered the basic techniques in his / her art form, and who is attempting to launch a professional career in the arts. The deadline for application is June 24, 2016.

ILLINOIS ROAD SCHOLAR SPEAKERS BUREAU
https://www.ilhumanities.org/program/road-scholars-speakers-bureau/
Our Road Scholars Speakers Bureau invites Illinois authors, artists, and scholars to share their expertise and enthusiasm with people in communities throughout our state. It also enables local nonprofit organizations to present compelling, free-admission cultural programs to their communities at little cost to them. Deadline June 17, 2016.

LEHIGH VALLEY ARTS COUNCIL GRANTS
http://www.lvartscouncil.org/what-we-do/ppa-funding/
The PPA Project Stream Grant awards up to $2,500 to eligible individuals, community groups, and non-profit organizations to conduct arts projects which have a significant public component. Open to all artists, community groups and arts organizations of Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties in Pennsylvania. Deadline June 20, 2016.

PENNSYLVANIA PARTNERS IN THE ARTS PROGRAM
https://www.philaculture.org/services/grantmaking/project-stream
The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, is accepting applications through its Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts grant program. Awards Project Stream Grants of up to $2,500 to individual artists and organizations for arts projects. The application deadline is Monday, June 20, 2016. To be eligible, projects must be an arts activity conducted for the benefit of the public (for-profit organizations are ineligible); take place in Buck County, Chester County, Delaware County, Montgomery County, or Philadelphia County; and have a public component.

FREELANCE MARKETS

THE DOLLAR STRETCHER
http://www.stretcher.com/menu/writers.cfm
We're looking for specific ways to help people save time and money. In depth articles with practical ideas that people can employ to help them stretch their dollars. Payment is at the rate of $0.10 per published word.

THE ESTABLISHMENT
http://www.theestablishment.co/pitchus/
The Establishment is looking to unearth overlooked stories, produce original reporting, and provide a platform for voices that have been marginalized by the mainstream media. And yes, we want your humor, wit, and good old-fashioned satire, too. We publish originally reported features, interviews, long-form journalism, personal essays, and multimedia of all shapes, sizes, and creeds. We pay $125 for feature stories, op-eds, and personal essays (800-1,500 words), and $500 for a select few long-form investigative pieces that involve original reporting and at least five interviews (3,000 words).

FAMILY TREE
http://www.familytreemagazine.com/article/writersguidelines
Family Tree Magazine is a special-interest consumer magazine that helps readers discover, preserve and celebrate their family's history. We cover genealogy, ethnic heritage, personal history, genealogy websites and software, photography and photo preservation, and other ways that families connect with their past. We do NOT publish personal experience stories (except brief stories in Tree Talk) or the histories of specific families. Nor do we publish generic family or parenting articles. Keep in mind that our focus is family history.

FEMME FEMINISM
https://haddayr.wordpress.com/2016/04/13/call-for-pitches-femme-feminism/
New publication coming out September 2016. A hybrid fashion blog and feminist magazine. The site’s mission is to create an inclusive community for all women, feminine and non-binary, to discuss the intersection of fashion, femmes and feminism. Each month they’ll be publishing personal essays and historical pieces examining these subjects within a monthly theme. Looking for writers interested in these topics to contribute 600-1,200 word essays. Payment is a flat $100/piece. Particularly looking for WOC and trans voices.

JOBS

COPYWRITER
https://regionalhelpwanted.com/des-moines/jobs-copywriter-prairie-meadows-hotel-altoona-ia/121113330/
Prairie Meadows Casino in Altoona, Iowa is accepted applications for Copywriter. Responsible for writing copy for website, signage, TV, radio and print advertising; supports Marketing Dept. staff with other copywriting assignments as required.

CONTENT WRITER AND BRAND JOURNALIST
http://www.simplyhired.com/job/content-writer-brand-journalist-full-time-job/apptio/kdn3bly7zb
We’re looking for journalists, bloggers and customer-whisperers who understand the difference between long and short form, audiences and personas, and the intersection of content creation, curation and promotion. The right person will bring their passion and sees their greatest impact through iconic traditional and digital storytelling. Location Bellevue, WA.

publishers/agents

BATH LITERARY AGENCY
http://bathliteraryagency.com/
Bath Literary Agency offers representation and career management to children’s authors and illustrators of fiction and non-fiction. We also offer authors the opportunity to work in partnership with their agent and aim to help them to become industry and market aware and ready for their future as a published author.

UNION LITERARY
http://unionliterary.com/bio/
Union Literary is a full-service boutique agency specializing in literary fiction, popular fiction, narrative non-fiction, memoir, social history, business and general big idea books, popular science, cookbooks and food writing. We excel at project development, hands-on editing and placing our projects with domestic and foreign publishers, film and television companies.

2M COMMUNICATIONS
http://www.2mcommunications.com/
2m Communications Ltd is unique: It is the only talent agency that solely represents professional ghostwriters, collaborators and editors.

BOOKENDS LITERARY AGENCY
http://bookendsliterary.com/index.php/about-us/
Representing fiction and nonfiction primarily for the adult, young adult and middle grade markets, BookEnds agents continue to live their dreams while helping authors achieve theirs.