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

KEEP 13 IN PLAY

I cover this subject annually, and each year it seems to draw lots of appreciative emails in return. 

All writers should freelance. It's a grand way to develop a platform as well as get paid. But we often don't know when to submit, or how many times is enough. We can become so wrapped up in waiting to hear back that we neglect pitching, too. So here's a plan to aid you in managing the freelance writing part of your career. 

Keep 13 in Play is my tool. It consists of three spreadsheets (or just lists, if you like). In essence, you switch the same information around for the three lists, but you'll see why.

SHEET 1) - Date sent, name of article, name of publication, contact, follow-up date, notes
SHEET 2) - Name of article, name of publication, date, follow-up date, notes
SHEET 3) - Name of publication, name of articles, date, follow-up date, notes

Why the difference? 

With Sheet 1, you keep up with your activity on a daily basis - measuring your work output and offering a sheet to be used for your income tax filing. 

With Sheet 2, you keep up with where you continue to send any particular article. For instance, if it doesn't work for Magazine A, you sent it to Magazine B, and when you're rejected by Magazine B, you sent it to Magazine C. You monitor where an article is at any time.

With Sheet 3, you keep up with markets. This way you don't accidentally pitch the same piece to the same market. It also shows you over time the types of articles certain publications appreciate.

This system keeps you streamlined and organized, which should raise your acceptance rate. So what's the 13 mean? Frankly, you can pick whatever number you desire. I use 13 just so I can stare the unlucky number in the eye in defiance, but you can use 10, 25, or whatever you prefer. While those numbers seem high, they are not. You'll never be accepted for all 13 at once, but still, if you are, that's just plain marvelous. 

Your goal is to perpetually keep 13 in play. Your number drop to 12 because of an acceptance or rejection? Stop and pitch to maintain that 13. Keep 13 queries in play . . . always. You'll soon learn to forget the list until someone responds, and then you instantly refill it to 13. It becomes all about the pitching, not the looking back and waiting for a reply. 


 

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.    
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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 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

Dear Hope,
I have been reading your newsletter for a number of years now. With so many talented writers vying for an agent's or editor's attention, it's easy to get lost in the crowd. It takes courage and support from fellow writers to hang in there, keep submitting, and never give up. Recently, I entered the James Patterson co-author contest, knowing it was a long shot. Lo and behold, I was chosen as one of the top three finalists. I have now submitted my novel outline and am waiting to hear the results. Regardless of the final outcome, it has been a boost to my self-confidence and a great experience. Thank you for always supporting your fellow writers. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Theresa Schultz
 

featured article

Optimize Your Writer Website for Maximum Income

By Tasha Lessey

Are you using your website as nothing more than a glorified catalog of your work? If so, you are leaving money on the table. Utilize some or all of the following tools to maximize its full income potential.
    
Earn a commission on your books
    
Whether you are self or traditionally published, your book should be available for sale on the world's biggest bookstore, Amazon. Sign up as an Amazon Associate and put links to buy your book on your website. Every time someone heads over to Amazon and buys your book, you earn a four percent commission in addition to your royalties.  Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and iBooks all have similar programs.
    
Make money recommending products you use and love
    
Word of mouth is one of the most effective forms of advertising, and companies know it. Most of them have affiliate programs where you earn a commission whenever someone buys a product based on your recommendation. Let's say you love using Scrivener to write. Sign up for their  affiliate program,  and you will receive a unique link to add to your website. Tell your website visitors why you love Scrivener and include this link. When someone clicks on this link and goes to Scrivener's website to buy it, you earn 20 percent of the sale. Not bad for recommending a product you rave about anyway! 
    
Sell advertisement space
    
Capitalize on visitors to your site by selling advertising space. The easiest way to get started is to use an advertising network like BuySellAds.com. First, determine your advertising inventory, which is the number of advertisements you are willing to run, their size, placement and prices. BuySellAds.com, for a 25 percent commission, will match you with interested advertisers and handle the payments. You can approve or reject each ad, and the money you earned is deposited to your PayPal account at the end of every month. 
  
Build your email list 
  
You often have no idea who bought your books. Retailers don't release this information, a huge disadvantage to writers. Those  buyers are the ideal candidates to buy your next book! Why not capture your fan's contact information on your website? At the end of your book, make your readers a special offer. It could be a short story, a deleted chapter or anything that will entice them to go to your website. Once there, at a minimum, collect their names and email addresses. You now have a way to contact your fans when your new book launches or you run a promotion.
    
Nix the middle man and sell your books yourself
  
If you are self published, in addition to having your book available on all the major online retailers, why not sell it on your website? You earn more money from each sale. Services like e-junkie make it easy for as low as $5 a month. Copy and paste the ready-made Buy Now or Add to Cart code to your website, and they handle the rest. When buyers place their orders, e-junkie verifies the payment and processes the order, including delivery of the ebook. If you are selling print books or fan merchandise, e-junkie collects the shipping details, and you ship the item yourself. 

Bonus

Start selling fan merchandise with cafepress.com. There are no upfront or inventory costs (items are made-to-order). 
    
Your website can be more than a means of displaying your work and connecting to your fans. Done correctly, it can be a valuable source of extra income.   

BIO
 
Tasha Lessey is a freelance writer and author of the sci-fi thriller, Smokescreen. She would love to hear from you! Connect with her on Linked In 

 

COmpetitions

WASAFIRI PRIZE
http://www.wasafiri.org/wasafiri-new-writing-prize.asp
£6 ENTRY FEE.
Offering three categories: Poetry, Fiction and Life Writing. Deadline July 15, 2016. Winners will receive £300 and their entries will be published in Wasafiri. £300 awarded to the winner in each category. 



ROLL OF THUNDER PUBLISHING CONTEST
http://www.penguin.com/rollofthunderpublishingcontest/
NO ENTRY FEE.
Submit your manuscript for a book about diversity for ages 8-14 and you could receive a publishing contract from Penguin Random House. Deadline June 21, 2016. Open to people of color (or those who self-identify as other than white) who are residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories and possessions, aged 18 and older. The confirmed winner will receive a book publishing contract for the publication of a novel for ages 8-14 by Penguin Random House, with an advance of $35,000, plus royalties as follows: (i) on hardcover, 10 percent up to 50,000 copies and 12.5 percent thereafter; (ii) on paperback, 6 percent up to 50,000 copies and 7 percent thereafter; (iii) on audio, 8 percent of net; (iv) ebook, 25 percent of net; (v) world rights/all subrights at a 50/50 split; and (vi) an option on their next children’s or YA novel.



HUMMINGBIRD FLASH FICTION CONTEST
http://pulpliterature.com/contests/the-hummingbird-flash-fiction-prize/
$15 ENTRY FEE.
Got something short, sharp and snappy to tell? Wow us with your most economical and brilliant storytelling. This contest is for short fiction under 1000 words. Want feedback on your story? Get a professional critique from one of the Pulp Literature editors for only $15 more. Deadline June 15, 2016. First Prize: $300. Runner up: $75.



FUTURESCAPES WRITING CONTEST
http://www.futurescapescontest.com/
NO ENTRY FEE.
FutureScapes is an annual writing competition that asks writers to envision a particular sort of world, and tell us a story about it. Limit 8,000 words of short fiction. $2,000 prize for first place, $1,000 prize for second place, and $500 prize to each of the four runners-up. Deadline is July 15, 2016. 

 

GRANTS

REGIONAL ARTS VICTORIA - GRANTS
http://www.rav.net.au/funding-opportunities/
The Australian Government’s Regional Arts Fund program supports sustainable cultural development in regional and remote Australia. The Regional Arts Fund is managed in Victoria by Regional Arts Victoria and is delivered in two main categories, Project Grants and Quick Response Grants. Project Grants of up to AU$15,000 are available for projects that involve regional artists, have a public outcome and significantly engage the community in which the project is based. Project Grants are available in two rounds per year. Quick Response grants of up to AU$1,500 for individuals and $3,000 for organisations are available throughout the year. 



ONTARIO WRITERS WORK-IN-PROGRESS GRANTS
http://www.arts.on.ca/Page118.aspx
Purpose to assist professional writers to complete book-length works of literary merit. Ontario-based professional writers may apply for support for the continuation of new work in poetry or prose. Graphic novels and other comic arts projects will be received at a separate deadline of December 1, 2016. Please see Writers' Works in Progress – Comic Arts for the guidelines and application. Deadline Dates June 15 and October 18, 2016.



MALICE DOMESTIC GRANT
http://www.malicedomestic.org/grants.html
The William F. Deeck-Malice Domestic Grants Program for Unpublished Writers will award one grant to an unpublished writer in the malice domestic genre at each year’s convention. This genre is called traditional mystery and loosely modeled after Agatha Christie. The grant includes a $2,500 award plus a comprehensive registration for the upcoming convention and two nights’ lodging at the convention hotel, but does not include travel to the convention or meals. Writers must not have published a book, short story, or dramatic work in the mystery field, either in print, electronic, or audio form. Deadline for receipt of materials is November 1. Materials will be accepted between May 1 and November 1.



ARTIST ENTREPRENEUR BOOT CAMP - NEW YORK
http://current.nyfa.org/post/140870750128/new-york-state-artist-as-entrepreneur-boot-camp
Open to artists in all disciplines and career stages. Artists living and working in New York State. Customized for each location, the Artist as Entrepreneur Boot Camp is an intensive, multi-day professional development opportunity that delves into the fundamental principles of sustainability in the arts. Topics featured include finance, law, marketing, and fundraising. Participants work through a flexible and dynamic action plan that provides a blueprint for their future project, career, and business goals. Each participant receives specific feedback from experts in the field, as well as their peers. There is no charge to participate in the Artist as Entrepreneur Boot Camp. Artists interested in attending are required to apply, and participants are selected through a panel review process. Artists of all disciplines and career stages are encouraged to apply. Deadline August 4, 2016. 

 

FREELANCE MARKETS

INTERNATIONAL FREELANCER
http://www.theinternationalfreelancer.com/write-for-us/
Pays $100 for guest posts. Pay is on publication via PayPal. Blog posts run approximately 1,000 words, though exceptions are made for both shorter or longer posts when need be. Where screenshots or graphics are necessary, please provide them. The tone of The International Freelancer is different from the tone of other writing blogs and websites. It is more personal and aimed at the more experienced writer. If you’re new to this website, they recommend you sign up here to the weekly newsletter. 



CIVIL EATS
http://civileats.com/about/contributors_faq/
Experienced reporters interested in covering food policy, food justice, and science are especially encouraged to apply. At the moment, we’re especially interested in hearing from you if you’re based in Washington, D.C., or the Bay Area, but we welcome great writers and reporters from anywhere in the U.S. And yes, we pay. 



CULTURES & CUISINES
http://culturesandcuisines.com/submissions/
We believe strongly that writers should be compensated for their work. Initially, rates are set at $200/article. This rate is non-negotiable. Articles can be first-person or third-person, 800 words or 3,000, and can push the boundaries of the non-fiction genre in terms of style and form (we are not, however, looking for fiction). Informed, intelligent, well-written narratives about the places, both literal and imaginary, where food and travel meet, narratives that allow a luxurious word count, while keeping in mind that every word matters and shouldn’t be wasted, narratives that result not from in-and-out “parachute reporting,” but from a deep interest in and love of a particular place, and the desire to learn more about it and share that with others.



DAME
http://www.damemagazine.com/about
DAME’s tone is irreverent, witty, and provocative. Our objective is to move the conversation forward around trending and topical subjects most relevant to women — that is, when we're not starting the conversation. We accept narrative-driven reported features, first-person essays, Q&As, op-eds, and humor essays (especially satire). Stories are generally between 800 and 2,000 words, depending on the subject matter and the story format. Rate depends on the type of story being published and will be agreed upon with the writer once a submission has been accepted.

 

JOBS

publishers/agents

CATAPULT
https://catapult.submittable.com/submit
Catapult is an innovative publisher that celebrates extraordinary storytelling. We accept submissions of literary fiction, memoir, nonfiction, literary journalism and graphic narrative. We promote American and international fiction and narrative nonfiction that is alive, insightful, illuminating, stirring, and surprising by way of unique voices — whether emerging or established — that honor the craft of writing. We will consider unagented book-length submissions during the months of April and October each year. Please include a brief query letter along with your entire digital manuscript.



ADAMS LITERARY
http://www.adamsliterary.com/about-us/
Adams Literary is a full-service, boutique literary agency exclusively representing children's and young adult authors and artists. 



BETSY AMSTER LITERARY ENTERPRISES
http://amsterlit.com/site/
Betsy Amster Literary Enterprises is a full-service literary agency located in Los Angeles, California, and Portland, Oregon.  We handle publishing rights and all ancillary rights (such as film, TV, audio, electronic, and foreign) for the authors we represent. We work with both first-time and established writers and are known for our expert attention to every aspect of the publishing process. The agency’s areas of interest include:  Literary fiction, upscale commercial women’s fiction, voice-driven mysteries and thrillers, narrative nonfiction (especially by journalists), travelogues, memoirs (including graphic memoirs), social issues and trends, psychology, self-help, popular culture, women’s issues, history & biography, lifestyle, careers, health and medicine, parenting, cooking and nutrition, gardening, and quirky gift books. We do not represent romances, screenplays, poetry, westerns, fantasy, horror, science fiction, techno thrillers, spy capers, apocalyptic scenarios, self-published books, or political or religious arguments.



RAINBOW BOOKS
http://rainbowbooksinc.com/id68.html
Nonfiction: Self-help / how-to books on almost any subject. Fiction: Cozy murder mysteries.

 

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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