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Editor’s THOUGHTS

WHY AWE MATTERS MORE THAN QUANTITY

DailyGood.org is a favorite site of mine. It takes life, slows it down, and teaches me how to give it more substance and deep down quality. It makes me ponder my existence. We all need that periodically. Maybe we need it more often than that.

This post stopped me longer than most, "Why We Need To Cultivate Awe In The Workplace." http://www.dailygood.org/story/1342/why-we-need-to-cultivate-awe-in-the-workplace-homaira-kabir/

Humans crave to be part of something larger than self . . . and once we think about it, we actually call it awe. We teach it to our children, or in many cases, we remember it by watching our children as they feel the excitement of experiencing life larger than themselves. 

Awe is akin to soul. I believe that when we sense something bigger than ourselves, when awe stops us in our tracks, we are tapping into our soul. We allow that door to open a tad, letting out emotion we are often afraid to embrace. As adults we tend to guard ourselves, fearful of letting down the wall.

As stated in this piece, when we sense awe, "We see our fragility and vulnerability, which gives us a profound sense of humility." We don't like feeling fragile or vulnerable, and all too often, we let that fear inhibit us in how we write, how we publish, and how we market ourselves. 

Yet, we are "in awe" of those authors who dare to write a daring tale, expose their inner thoughts, and throw themselves before the public's eye. And the author who writes the memorable story is revered more than the author who wrote 15 stories and made money, though we cannot recall the characters. 

We should strive to be in awe of our work, and awe-struck by others. Instead of production, maybe we ought to focus on our power to seek and create awe. After all, wouldn't you rather be remembered for the one, lone book than the fact you published a lot of forgettable stories? Or maybe you can find a place in the middle, but to do so, you need to slow down and think about the quality you produce . . . and let the quantity sit on the back burner for the time being. It's about the awe-some moment you give a reader . . . and yourself.




 

PS - To celebrate the release of Echoes of Edisto, Tidewater Murder is on sale through August 15 for $1.99, book two in the Carolina Slade Mystery Series. 

PPS - C. Hope Clark is starting a newsletter just about the books. Join now to learn about giveaways, new releases, and appearances. Here's where you can raise your hand for review copies (and she does this a lot). Here's where you might find insight on the next book, or what direction Hope might be taking a character. Sign up at http://chopeclark.com/  - see SUBSCRIBE at the top.








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 to www.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!)


 

WORDS OF SUCCESS

Somewhere on the journey to progress, we seem to have lost our soul.

~by Homaira Kabir7
 

Success Story

Dear Hope,

I hope you are doing well. Thanks so much for all the work you put into FundsforWriters. I wanted to let you know about my success story. In July 2015, you listed in your grants section the North Carolina Regional Artist Project Grant (RAPG). Last autumn I applied for a RAPG through the Arts and Science Council (my local arts council) with the intention of using the funds to attend the Wildacres Writing Workshop and Retreat in July 2016. Last December, I learned the Arts and Science Council selected me as one of the grant recipients. 

At the beginning of July, thanks to the Arts and Science Council and thanks to the listing in FundsforWriters, I had the opportunity to spend two productive weeks at the Wildacres Writing Workshop and Retreat. I'm currently at work on a collection of essays, and I'm still in awe of the progress I made on this project during my time away. In addition, I wrote a short essay while at the retreat that aired late last month as a radio commentary on my local NPR station (http://wfae.org/post/my-husband-driving-down-mountain). 

Thank you so much for FundsforWriters. Your work is helpful!

All the best,

Patrice Gopo
www.patricegopo.com

featured article

Knowin’ When to Hold ‘em

By Kathryn J. Martin

Now I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know a thing about poker. If Kenny Rogers hadn’t sung “The Gambler”, I wouldn’t even know about holdin’ and foldin’. But one thing I do know, there’s a time to submit my works and there’s a time to “hold” ‘em. And I know that because I came close to lettin’ go at the wrong time. 

Twenty and excited about entering a radio station’s poetry contest, I rushed through the rules, eager to start writing. All night I lost myself in the narrator, an elderly lady on her porch reliving memories. I chuckled watching the children grow from playing to courting on the porch, I cried seeing the now-empty porch, and rejoiced picturing future reunions on the porch.

The next morning, ready to mail my entry, I read the rules again and froze. I’d overlooked “Whether or not your poem wins, it will become the property of the radio station.” 

Whoa! With little chance of winning, I could never submit my poem anywhere else or use it myself? Disappointed, I slipped it in a drawer where it stayed for 15 years until I resigned as college professor to enter full time the field of writing and speaking.

For my first tour, I retyped the poem on a more modern typewriter and had 100 copies made on plain white paper. The first evening, in costume as story teller, I quoted a bit of the poem and following as myself, mentioned it would be available afterward.

I’d laid out 25 copies with a sign, “Poems: Donation of any size” and while greeting folks heard a yell, “Go get more poems!” Already all 25 had sold!

I hurriedly brought in 25 more only to hear in another few minutes, “Go get the rest of the poems!” Except for two to use for copying along the way, all had sold. It was the same each place on the two-week tour.

Back home I chose a ream of quality buff-colored faux parchment paper and learned if I’d wait a few days until the store used dark brown ink, the printing could be done commercially for less money. From then on, whether driving or being flown I’ve taken the poems, although by request I changed the sign to “Donation of Any Size: Suggested minimum $1”.  People give from $1 to $5 or more, often framing the poem or using it as a gift.

Folks want to take something home from an event but not everyone can buy our books or DVD’s. Smaller printed or craft items make buying possible for those who can’t and lagniappe for those who can. (Lagniappe [lan’ yap], an oft-used term here in Southeastern Louisiana meaning “a little something extra”.)

If I’d entered that early contest and won, I’d have received eight copies of a cheap magazine with few readers. BUT, by holdin’, that simple poem has touched thousands of lives over years of speaking across the United States and Canada, providing extra income each place.

Glad I decided “No” to “sold” and “Yes” to “hold”!

BIO-
Author of one book, many magazine articles and years of weekly columns in regional newspapers, Kathryn thought of herself only as speaker - humorist as Miz Maudie and "inspirationalist" as herself - until realizing she was the only one in her writers group earning a living. Encouraged by professionals such as "Minnie Pearl", early on she resigned as college professor to go full-time into speaking and writing but has loved writing since the age of two when she scribbled on the family history page of her mother's Bible then caught the writing bug when first published at 15. Her two books are Believe It or Not-Mama Likes the Nursing Home and Long Way from Lonely. http://www.mizmaudie.com

 

Free Picture: Four Ten - ID: 196526
© Freds | Dreamstime Stock Photos

COmpetitions

SLIPPERY ELM PRIZE
https://slipperyelm.submittable.com/submit
$15 ENTRY FEE. 
Deadline September 1, 2016. Submit up to three original, unpublished poems in a single document. Or submit one original, unpublished essay or short story up to 5,000 words. Entrants receive a copy of the issue. $1,000 split in the prizes. 



BLACK WATER RIVER CONTEST
http://bwr.ua.edu/submit/contest/
$20 ENTRY FEE.
Deadline September 1, 2016. Submit fiction or nonfiction up to 7,000 words, or a packet of up to three poems. Winners in each genre receive $1,000 and publication in BWR 43.2, our Spring/Summer 2017 issue. One runner-up in each genre receives $100 and acknowledgment in that issue. We may consider any submission for general publication.



JACK GRAPES POETRY PRIZE
https://culturalweekly.submittable.com/submit/61469
$3 ENTRY FEE.
Deadline August 31, 2016. Cash prizes of $250 for first place, $150 for second place, and $100 for third place, including publication in Cultural Weekly. In addition, five finalists will be chosen and awarded $50 each, including publication in Cultural Weekly. You may submit up to three previously unpublished poems. 



THE PUBLISHING LAB AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS
http://unopress.org/lab.aspx
$18 ENTRY FEE.
The selected author will receive $1,000 advance on royalties and a contract to publish with UNO Press. The work does not have to be regionally focused. UNO Press is based at the University of New Orleans and distributed by Hopkins Fulfillment Services. There is no word limit. There is no limit on subjects covered. Deadline August 15, 2016. 

GRANTS

KATHY FISH FELLOWSHIP
http://www.smokelong.com/kathy-fish-fellowship/
The winner of the 2017 Kathy Fish Fellowship will be considered a “writer-in-residence” at SmokeLong (note: position is virtual) for four quarterly issues (March, June, September, and December 2017). Each issue will include one flash by the Fellowship winner. The winner of the Fellowship will also receive $500, to be paid as follows: $100 on announcement of the winner, and $100 upon publication of each of the four issues in 2017. Fellows will have the opportunity to work with SmokeLong staff and participate in online writing workshops. Deadline September 15, 2016.



INDIANA ARTS IN THE PARKS AND HISTORICAL SITES - 2017
http://www.in.gov/arts/2910.htm
Arts in the Parks and Historic Sites draws upon traditional and non-traditional arts and artists in Indiana, weaving arts into our state’s natural beauty and rural settings. Arts in the Parks and Historic Sites provides funding for arts program related projects that encourage the creation of and public engagement with art about the Indiana state park/forest system as well as Indiana State Historic Sites. Funding provides nonprofit organizations and individual artists to bring arts programs, services and artist in residencies to local communities. Deadline for individuals September 13, 2016. Up to $3,000 per project.



NEVADA SECOND QUARTER JACKPOT GRANTS
http://nac.culturegrants.org/
Don't delay, the application deadline for FY17 Second Quarter Jackpot Grants is Monday, August 15, 2016, at 5 pm (for projects taking place October 1 - December 30, 2016). All applications must be submitted through the Grants Online (GO) system. Competitive Jackpot Grants support first-time or sudden opportunity arts and arts learning/education projects initiated by artists, teaching artists, schools, nonprofit organizations and public institutions. For more information contact a member of our Grants Management Team at 775.687.6680, or email Grants@nevadaculture.org.



GEORGIA VIBRANT COMMUNITIES GRANT
http://gaarts.org/grant-funding/apply-for-a-grant/available-funding
The Vibrant Communities grant will fund arts projects in counties in which no organization received an FY17 GCA Project or Partner Grant. The complete list of eligible counties is available in the guidelines. This grant will fund programs such as performances, exhibits, residencies, workshops, festivals, etc. The grant is open to any non-profit, government entity, library or school. Applicants may request $1,000-$5,000. The grant requires a 50 percent cash match. The deadline to apply is August 31, 2016. The project must be completed by June 1, 2017.
 

FREELANCE MARKETS

SALVO
http://www.salvomag.com/new/mag/subguides.php
Salvo publishes an eclectic range of articles in the areas of sex, science, and society. What distinguishes our content is its systematic deconstruction of false ideologies, philosophies, and worldviews. Articles should be well-researched and logically sound, as well as somewhat timeless in subject matter. Salvo is intended as a permanent resource; thus, articles that are overly tied to current events will be rejected. We do not accept fiction or poetry. We do not accept articles that are overtly religious, that proselytize, or that contain scripture references. We do not review current movies or music. Articles should be no less than 600 words and no more than 2,500. Original articles are given an honorarium of 20 cents/published word. Authors receive one author's copy of the magazine.



ON SECOND THOUGHT
http://www.ndhumanities.org/submit-an-article.html
The Sense of Place issue of On Second Thought magazine is an annual collection of essays, poems, and stories showcasing some of the best writing from or about North Dakota.  You do not have to be a current resident or a North Dakota native to submit. Poetry submissions must not exceed 60 lines. Fiction, creative nonfiction, essay, and memoir submissions must be 1,000–3,000 words. Submission deadline is September 1, 2016. The NDHC will pay $250 for selected pieces. 



EARTH ISLAND JOURNAL
http://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/guidelines/
Earth Island Journal is always looking for compelling and distinctive stories that anticipate environmental concerns before they become pressing problems, stories that scan the horizon for the next big issue. We want stories that will surprise, provoke, and entertain our readers and that explore new territory overlooked by other publications. We cover the entire spectrum of environmental issues, including: wildlife and lands conservation; innovations in science and technology; public policy and the politics of environmental protection; climate and energy; animal rights; public health; environmental justice and cultural survival; and environmentally related film, music, and books. We pay writers 25 cents/word for shorter dispatches (1,200-1,500 words) and for longer investigative features (2,500-3,000 words). You can expect to earn about $750-$1000 for an in-depth feature story. For online reports, the fee ranges from $50 to $100. 



CHICKEN SOUP FOR TEACHERS
http://www.chickensoup.com
We are looking for true stories by and about teachers. All stories should be true — we do not publish fiction — and should be no longer than 1,200 words. If your story is chosen, you will be a published author and your bio will be printed in the book if you so choose. You will also receive a check for $200 and 10 free copies of your book, worth more than $100. Deadline October 30, 2016. 
 

JOBS

WRITER-EDITOR
Location Washington DC.
https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/447250900/
Deadline August 24, 2016. $53,435 to $69,460 / Per Year. Writes newsletter articles, annual reports, brochures, press releases, and related publications for release to Copyright Office staff and the public concerning copyright law, copyright-related subjects, and the Copyright Office. 



COMMUNICATIONS ANALYST
https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/446736500/
The primary role of a Communications Analyst/Written (CA/W) is to assist in the development and production of reports, correspondence, testimonies, and other written products. CA/Ws review and revise information of a technical nature to help ensure its logic, clarity, consistency, and grammatical correctness. To perform these duties well, CA/Ws must be able to think critically, work effectively and diplomatically in teams, and make technical information understandable to audiences unfamiliar with a topic. Six jobs located in Los Angeles, CA, Washington DC, Atlanta, GA, Dallas, TX, Norfolk, VA.



WRITER-EDITOR
Location Woodlawn, MD
https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/446402000/
Deadline August 16. 2016. You will serve as a senior writer and editor responsible for developing and maintaining training and content solutions/materials used by customer service representatives (CSRs) at the contact centers.


NOTE: These are federal governments positions. All federal writing positions pay very well compared to private sector. Keep up with more vacancies at www.usajobs.gov

Publishers/agents

THE BENT AGENCY
http://www.thebentagency.com/agent_jenny_bent.php
Jenny Bent represents literary and commercial adult, young adult, and middle grade fiction. She also represents nonfiction in the areas of memoir, humor and select narrative nonfiction. Victoria Cappello is looking for both commercial and literary fiction as well as young adult titles. Heather Flaherty represents children's, middle-grade, and young adult fiction and nonfiction, as well as select adult fiction and nonfiction. Molly Ker Hawn represents authors who write for the young adult and middle grade market. Beth Phelan represents authors who write young adult fiction, romance, select commercial and literary adult fiction, and nonfiction by way of lifestyle, cooking/food writing, humor, pop culture, LGBT and pets/animals. 



PROSPECT AGENCY
http://www.prospectagency.com/
Prospect Agency values literature that surprises, breaks conventions, transports the reader to a new world, but never forgets the basics of storytelling: strong characters and a gripping narrative. Agency specialties are romance, women's fiction, literary fiction, urban fantasy and sci-fi, mysteries and thrillers, young adult/children's literature, and picture book writers and illustrators. We are also open to strong memoirs, narrative nonfiction and selective works of nonfiction from authors with strong established areas of expertise. We do not accept poetry, textbooks, plays, or screenplays.



VICTORIA SANDERS & ASSOCIATES
http://www.victoriasanders.com/about
Ms. Sanders represents a multi-cultural roster of clients, who offer diverse styles, viewpoints, and storytelling. She finds it most rewarding discovering, fostering, and ushering great new voices into publication. Chris Kepner is open to all types of books as long as the writing is exceptional, though he tends to gravitate to literary and upmarket commercial fiction, as well as narrative nonfiction. Bernadette Baker-Baughman is currently interested in representing commercial adult, YA, and middle grade fiction, nonfiction, and graphic novels. In fiction she gravitates towards books with a wide audience access point—specifically books with cultural or contemporary touchstones (reimaginings, historical fiction, fiction based on legend or myth, fiction with fantastical elements that are part of the cultural collective imagination, Steampunk, etc). In nonfiction she is looking for image rich books, pop culture, art, quirky gift books, light sociology, and narrative nonfiction. In graphic novels she is seeking beautifully illustrated works of nonfiction, memoir, young adult or children’s fiction, high fantasy, funny character driven stories, and graphic literature. Bernadette is also willing to talk to writers who do not have art attached to their comic concept or illustrators willing to work with other authors.



REBECCA FRIEDMAN LITERARY AGENCY
https://rfliterary.com/about/
Rebecca Friedman is interested in commercial and literary fiction with a focus on literary novels of suspense, women’s fiction, contemporary romance, and young adult, as well as journalistic non-fiction and memoir. Kimberly Brower is interested in commercial and upmarket fiction, with an emphasis in contemporary romance, general fiction/women’s fiction, thrillers and young adult. Rachel Marks is interested in young adult, science fiction, fantasy, new adult and romance. Jess Fallow is interested in both YA and adult literary and commercial fiction with a focus in romance, thrillers, and women’s fiction. 


 

SPONSORS

Creative Writing Institute's Annual Short Story Contest
Entry fee $5

First place: Professionally designed Gold eMedal and $100, plus publication
Second place: Striking Silver eMedal and $50, plus publication
Third place: Brilliant Bronze eMedal and $25, plus publication
Fourth-Fifth places: Finalist eMedal, plus publication
Seven Judge’s Choice: eRibbon, plus publication



This is a themed contest and this exact sentence must appear in the story: "Explain how that happened."

Open genre. Limit 1,500-2,000 words. No swearing, profanity, explicit sexual scenes, graphic violence, etc. Must be unpublished. Creative Writing Institute has first, non-exclusive, electronic rights to publish the winners and Judge's Choice stories in our anthology. All other rights return to author upon publication. ONE submission per person. Deadline September 15, 2016, midnight, USA EST. No early or late submissions, please. Entries will only be accepted through the form at https://CreativeWritingInstitute.submittable.com/submit 

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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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