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*Determine how your own psychology might be getting in the way of doing your best writing;
*Accept yourself as the writer you truly are (and not the writer you fancy yourself to be); and
*Identify new tools that will help you advance your skills as a writer.  

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NOTE FROM HOPE:
Joan Dempsey is highly recommended from me. Do you want honest, down-to-earth help from someone who cares? This is your gal. I cannot say enough good about her. This training from her is a great way to raise your writing ability AND your confidence.   ~HOPE

 

Editor’s THOUGHTS

THIS IS YOUR PLATFORM

Jane Friedman is a brilliant woman in the publishing world. She'd been editor of Writer's Digest and the Virginia Quarterly. Now she's just an in-demand guru, and trust me, I read everything of hers that comes across my screen.

One of her most famous posts on her blog is A Definition of Author Platform - https://janefriedman.com/author-platform-definition/ 

<<Platform building requires consistent, ongoing effort over the course of a career. It also means making incremental improvements in extending your network. It’s about making waves that attract other people to you — not about begging others to pay attention. The following list is not exhaustive, but helps give you an idea of how platform can grow.

1) Publishing or distributing quality work in outlets you want to be identified with and that your target audience reads.

2) Producing a body of work on your own platform — e.g., blog, e-mail newsletter, social network, podcast, video, digital downloads, etc—that gathers quality followers or a community of people who are interested in what you have to say. This is usually a longterm process.

3) Speaking at and/or attending events where you meet new people and extend your network of contacts.

4) Finding meaningful ways to engage with and develop your target audience, whether through content, events, online marketing/promotion, etc.

5) Partnering with peers or influencers to tackle a new project and/or extend your visibility.>>


I have taught classes on platform, and the most common confusion I see across those seas of faces is how to clearly define what platform is, so that those writers can follow some magical formula to get it. It's not a well-defined path. 

Here is my definition of platform:

1) Platform is you and your work and the magnetism it has on the public. 
2) Add to that your ability to develop a reputation.
3) And finally add to that your ability to maintain a momentum, because platform isn't something you build and expect it to remain structurally sound forever.

Platform is a long-term goal. Jane summarizes it as "An ability to sell books because of who you are or who you can reach." Yes, that's spot on. But there's also an unspoken understanding that platform can't erode. Platform has no laurels to rest upon . . . you have to work with it every day to keep it alive and well.



 

PS - 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

"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change." 

—Charles Darwin
 

Success Story

Dear Hope,

In January of this year, you posted a link to a contest at Gemini Magazine:

GEMINI SHORT STORY CONTEST
http://www.gemini-magazine.com/contest.html
$5 ENTRY FEE.
Deadline March 1, 2016. Grand prize $1,000. Second prize $100. Three honorable mentions $25. Five finalists published online in the June 2016 issue of Gemini. We are open to ANY subject, style, genre or length. 

Well, I won! Thank you for posting the contest in your email!  I wouldn't have known about it otherwise. I DO adore Funds For Writers! 

Here's a link to the announcement:
http://www.gemini-magazine.com/

Much thanks. Much happy!  :D

Laura Lovic-Lindsay, semi-new writer, long-time subscriber.

featured article

No More One-And-Done Jobs

By Kristy Rice

All writers know that building a career in words is only two parts  writing and sixty parts marketing. For new writers especially, the  ratio of marketing to writing is high. Writing regularly for a handful  of publications means less marketing and more actual paying work.

You probably have a few editors you'd like to work with again, but  don't stop there.

Dream Clients

Keep a list. Decide where you want to write and pursue those  publications. Decide what types of writing you want in your  day-to-day. If your goal is to write health and wellness pieces, pitch  those markets. You might not jump straight to the ranks of Oxygen  magazine but keep them on your list while you build clips from other  fitness publications. Eventually, you can show off those by-lines to  the big dogs.

Now What?

You've landed an assignment at a publication you'd like to write for  again. You rocked the article, you liked your editor and your piece is  approaching publication. Now what? Submit another idea...or two.

You don't have to wait months or start from scratch somewhere else.  Remind the editor of your previous work together and submit a couple  new article ideas with an offer to send an outline on any that pique  an interest. If you met your deadline and delivered what you promised,  you're already ahead of 99 percent of the submissions in her inbox. I landed a regular column this way.

Keep In Contact

Ways to maintain relationships and create new ones include:

Social Media

Retweet, share, like and tag those posts. Follow your dream editors on  Twitter and LinkedIn. Friend them on Facebook. Not only will it keep  your name in front of them but it will also keep you informed and  current and might even get you some 'inside' info, like birthdays and  pet peeves.

The Comment Box

“Nice post” is not enough. You have to contribute meaningful and  helpful comments. Remember that the purpose of a blog is to help the  readers. Bloggers, whether you've written for them before or not, will  notice your willingness to assist their readers and your knowledge of  the subject.

Subscriptions, duh

No brainer, right? This is cheaper with online publications because  most digital newsletters are free and you'll probably get the latest  download in exchange for your email! For print publications, read the  letter from the editor every month and note any changes in format or  the masthead.

In your pitch, mention something recent to show you're informed on  what the publication has been up to. A quick “congrats on being named  one of the top fifty blogs in the universe” or “excited for the  release of your [insert upcoming product here]” demonstrates your  continued interest.

The Editorial Calendar

A pitch aimed at the editorial calendar shows you're professional, do  your homework and are there to make the editor's life a little easier.  Find their 'lead time' which will tell you how far into the calendar  you should focus. If you can't find an editorial calendar, you can  always shoot a quick email asking if there are upcoming themes for a  publication.

Narrowing your client list can lead to steady sources of work and less  time marketing, which means more time writing and earning. Be  professional and respectful. Meet your deadlines. Deliver what you  promise and if you maintain those relationships, editors will be  relieved when they see your name in their inbox again and again.


Bio: Kristy Rice is a freelancer, blogger and Etsypreneur who focuses  her writing on personal development and helping other writers reach  their potential. For more writing advice, check out 50+ Writing  Markets And Resources To Get More Clients And Increase Your Income.  


 

COmpetitions

SHELF UNBOUND BEST INDIE/SELF-PUBLISHED BOOK COMPETITION
http://www.shelfmediagroup.com/pages/competition.html
$50 ENTRY FEE.
Any independently published book in any genre is eligible for entry. Entries are not divided into genre categories. The author of the book named as the Best Independently Published book will receive $500 and editorial coverage in the December/January 2017 issue of Shelf Unbound. Five finalists will receive editorial coverage in the December/January 2017 issue of Shelf Unbound. More than 100 books deemed by the editors as "notable" entries in the competition will also be featured in the December/January 2017 issue of Shelf Unbound. The winner of the Pete Delohery Award for Best Sports Book will receive $1,000. The deadline for entry is midnight on October 1, 2016. 



THE ALICE JAMES AWARD
http://alicejamesbooks.org/alice-james-award/
$30 ENTRY FEE.
Alice James Books is accepting submissions of poetry manuscripts to the Alice James Award (formerly the Beatrice Hawley Award) postmarked through November 1, 2016. The Alice James Award welcomes submissions from emerging as well as established poets. Entrants must reside in the United States. The winner receives $2,000, book publication, and distribution through Consortium. In addition to the winning manuscript, one or more additional manuscripts may be chosen for publication as the Editor’s Choice. Manuscripts must be typed in a no less than 12 point font, paginated, and 48 – 80 pages in length (single spaced). We accept double sided manuscripts.



BRICK ROAD POETRY BOOK CONTEST
https://brickroadpoetrypress.submittable.com/Submit
$25 ENTRY FEE.
Between August 1st and November 1st, we accept entries in our poetry book contest. The first place winner receives a publication contract with Brick Road Poetry Press and $1,000 prize. The poets we are looking for are those who are avid readers (and purchasers) of contemporary poetry. We give preference to poets who are actively submitting their work to journals, magazines and contests, and who take part at writer's conferences/festivals-as an organizer, instructor or participant. Book-length poetry manuscripts only. Original collection of 50 to 100 pages of poetry, excluding cover page, contents, acknowledgments, etc.



FABULIST AND FANTASTIC FLASH FICTION CONTEST
https://gatewayreview.wordpress.com/writing-competition/
$5 ENTRY FEE. 
Each entry can contain one or two pieces of flash fiction, each no longer than 1,000 words. All work should fit within the traditions of fabulism, surrealism, or magic realism.  We are not interested in science fiction or high fantasy, and these are unlikely to be selected as winners by the contest judge. First Place Winner receives 40 percent of net entry fees. Runner-Up receives 20 percent of net entry fees. Deadline November 15, 2016. 
 

GRANTS

INDIANA ARTS COMMISSION
http://www.in.gov/arts/files/AitPHS-CY17_Guidelines.pdf
The Arts in the Parks and Historic Sites grant program offers up to $3,000 in art project funds to eligible individual artists and nonprofit organizations. The program draws upon traditional and non-traditional arts and artists in Indiana, weaving arts into our state's natural and cultural settings. This bicentennial legacy program provides nonprofit organizations and individual artists funding to bring arts programs, services and artist in residencies to local communities. Application Deadline for Individuals September 13, 2016, 4:30 p.m.



UNDER THE VOLCANO RESIDENCIES
http://underthevolcano.org/?page_id=2221
In addition to the partial financial aid we offer qualified participants (please email info@underthevolcano.org for guidelines), we are pleased to provide full support to exceptional candidates who meet the criteria for special fellowships created by generous patrons and partners. Interested candidates for 2017 can apply in fiction, poetry, memoir or cultural journalism. The fellowship covers tuition and housing for the ten-day intensive but not transportation to and from Mexico. Interested applicants may opt to stay for the two-week extension residency at their own expense. 



LMCC CREATIVE LEARNING PROGRAM
http://lmcc.net/program/creative-learning/
The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council is accepting applications for its Creative Learning program. Grants of up to $8,000 will support teaching artists and small arts organizations working to provide in-depth, community-based arts education and enrichment projects and programming to participants of all ages, including youth, adults, and seniors. Project activities must take place between January 1 and December 31, 2017. Eligible individual artists and collectives include teaching artists, as well as collectives, project-based collaborations, and unincorporated groups. Individual teaching artists must reside in Manhattan. Deadline September 30, 2016. 



THE JACK STRAW ARTIST RESIDENCY PROGRAMS - FOR WRITERS
http://www.jackstraw.org/programs/asp/2017/WP2017_application.shtml
Twelve writers working in all forms and styles are selected by an invited curator. Participants create new work during the residency to be presented through live readings, recorded interviews, a published anthology, and via podcasts on our web site. Participants also receive professional training in voice and microphone technique, performance and delivery, and interviews. Applications must be postmarked or delivered by 5:00 pm, Monday, October 31, 2016. 

 

FREELANCE MARKETS

TEACHING TOLERANCE
http://www.tolerance.org/writing-for-teaching-tolerance
Teaching Tolerance provides several opportunities for supporters to contribute freelance articles and lessons. All of these require simple, lively, concise writing. Please keep in mind that ours is a national audience of preK-12 educators interested in diversity, multiculturalism, anti-bias and social justice topics. Columns 600 words. Features 800-1,600 words. Pays up to $1/word. 



BLACK BELT
http://www.blackbeltmag.com/about/writers-guidelines-magazine/
Thank you for your interest in writing for Black Belt, the oldest martial arts publication in the United States. The magazine’s subjects include all styles and their techniques, training methods, history, philosophy, and health and fitness teachings—as well as interviews with prominent practitioners. Manuscripts should be 1,000 to 3,000 words long. Feature articles with good photos receive $150 to $300, which is paid upon publication. Articles without photos receive less. 



1859
https://www.1859oregonmagazine.com/business/writers-guidelines
Thank you for your interest in 1859 Oregon’s Magazine, the magazine about how Oregonians live, work and play. 1859 is a high-quality, regional magazine published monthly by Statehood Media. Articles are written primarily by freelance writers. Departments like “Food & Home,” “Ventures” and “Local Habit” will resonate with residents of Oregon. Departments like “Trip Planner” and “Adventures” are visual and editorial pollen that attracts the travel bee. Payment varies from $0.30/word to $0.50/word. We pay on publication. 1859 Oregon’s Magazine buys all rights, although there can be some exceptions.



ANALOG
https://www.analogsf.com/information/submissions.shtml
Basically, we publish science fiction stories. That is, stories in which some aspect of future science or technology is so integral to the plot that, if that aspect were removed, the story would collapse. The science can be physical, sociological, psychological. The technology can be anything from electronic engineering to biogenetic engineering. Fact articles for Analog should be about 4,000 words in length and should deal with subjects of not only current but future interest, i.e., with topics at the present frontiers of research whose likely future developments have implications of wide interest. Analog pays 8-10 cents per word for short stories up to 7,500 words, 8-8.5 cents per word for longer material (Works between 7500 and approximately 10,000 words by authors who make more than 8 cents a word for short stories will receive a flat rate that will be no less than payment would be for a shorter story.), and 6 cents per word for serials. We prefer lengths between 2,000 and 7,000 words for shorts, 10,000-20,000 words for novelettes/novellas, and 40,000-80,000 for serials. Fact articles are paid for at the rate of 9 cents per word. We pay $1 a line for poetry, which should not exceed 40 lines.


 

JOBS

PART-TIME WRITER
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
http://umjobs.org/job_detail/130870/part-time_writer
The part-time writer will provide critical support in helping us to ramp up our content and delivery in support of our 2016-17 strategic plan, demonstrating the reach of our impact. This position will help the Marketing and Communications team execute the Institute’s overarching integrated marketing communications plan and will have individual responsibility for specific tasks such as writing and/or copy-editing of papers, interviews, articles and blogs in support of our Thought Leadership goals in the areas of Conscious Consumption, Corporate Governance, Global Change and Human and Community Development. Additional tasks may entail writing/editing newsletters (sent via MailChimp), and other promotional materials; taking, editing, and posting photos; graphic design support; event marketing; and other general support. 



CONTENT SPECIALIST
African Wildlife Foundation, Washington DC
http://www.awf.org/about/careers/content-specialist
The Content Specialist will help produce quality content on AWF’s work for use in organizational publications, on the website, and in proposals and donor reports, all with an eye toward providing engaging stories showcasing AWF’s impact. This role will have a primary focus on web content and storytelling for AWF publications, and is ideal for an early-career professional who has experience in both short- and long-form writing and multimedia content production. Write copy for African Wildlife News, Travel Africa and other AWF publications (including the annual report), and assist with editing and art directing as needed.



CONTENT EDITOR
Cadence Preferred, Redmond, WA
http://www.indeed.com/cmp/Cadence-Preferred/jobs/Content-Editor-968032f34ba98764
Cadence Preferred is hiring a Content Editor to help develop conversational experiences that will increase product user engagement. This role will be responsible for labeling / assessing the quality of human conversations, looking for patterns in these conversations and making recommendations based on findings. The ideal candidate will be an active user of social media, intimately familiar with online culture and have a great eye for conversational patterns. The person will also have experience in media, communications and creative writing.

Publishers/agents

SQUARE ONE PUBLISHERS
http://squareonepublishers.com/TopMenu/Submissions
Square One Publishers specializes in adult nonfiction books. Currently, we are interested in receiving manuscript proposals for the following categories : Alternative Health, Parenting, Collectibles, Personal Finance, Cooking,      Postcards, Gambling, Self-help, Health, Writing, and How To.



STERLING PUBLISHING
http://www.sterlingpublishing.com/author-guidelines.html
At present, the Sterling list is composed of a broad range of subject areas including: current events, diet and health, parenting, pop culture, reference, history, art and artists, music, and everything in between. Sterling Epicure focuses on food, wine, and spirits. Sterling Ethos is a rich list that covers all aspects of body, mind & spirit. Lark Crafts publishes books on crafting, decorating, and outdoor living. Finally, all books on puzzles and games, including: crosswords; cryptograms; sudoku; logic puzzles; and I.Q. builders are published under the Puzzlewright Press imprint. Sterling Children’s Books publishes both fiction and non-fiction, including the classics, picture books, joke books, and novelty formats, as well as books for babies and toddlers. Our FlashKids imprint publishes workbooks and flash cards for preschool, elementary, and middle school students in essential curriculum areas such as reading, math, writing, test preparation, and much more.



SUNPENNY PUBLISHING
http://www.sunpenny.com/#!submissions
We are interested in book-length manuscript submissions. We accept fiction and non-fiction in most genres (and are especially seeking non-fiction), and Christian works. We produce secular (ie non-religious) books as well as Christian, but our standards for the secular will still be guided by our Christian leanings. DO NOT send us magic, horror, demons, witches, aliens, and the like. 

We enjoy wit and humour, entertainment, and upliftment. We love travel, sailing and boating books, adventure, historical novels, romance, women's fiction, mainstream and literary fiction, courage, challenges, and overcoming, gift books and coffee-table books, books for children and young teens, and commercial non-fiction such as self-help, memoirs, biographies, etc. (both secular and inspirational, in all cases).  What we won't even consider: "misery" books (ie books that don't involve triumph, just tragedy - about abusive/ abused childhoods, alcoholics, drug addicts, gang warfare etc), depressive/dark or self-contemplative styles, racism, gratuitous sex or violence or foul language, bad attitudes, anything inciting anger/ hatred against any other group or individual, or anything else that does not conform to good mainstream family values (and we get to be the judge!). Our taste does not run to the gothic or paranormal - vampires, werewolves, ghosts, supernatural spirits, and the like, or horror generally; nor do we enjoy gross, crass or crude, no matter how witty. If it's seedy or seamy, don't even try.

 

SPONSORS

The 26th Annual Missouri Review Jeffrey E. Smith Editors' Prize

Awards $5,000 and publication to the prize-winners in fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Now open for submissions! Deadline: October 1. Learn more and enter here: http://www.missourireview.com/tmrsubmissions/editors-prize-contest/








 

Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest 

14th year. $4,000 in cash prizes, including $1,500 for a poem in any style and $1,500 for a poem that rhymes or has a traditional style. Both published and unpublished work accepted. All entries that win cash prizes will be published on WinningWriters.com and announced in the Winning Writers Newsletter, with over 50,000 subscribers. Final judge: Soma Mei Sheng Frazier. Entry fee is $10 per poem. Each poem may have up to 250 lines. Submit by September 30. Winning Writers is one of "101 Best Websites for Writers" (Writer's Digest). See guidelines, past winners, and enter online at www.winningwriters.com/tompoetry

GET WEBSITES THAT ROCK, BOOK COVERS THAT SIZZLE

Shaila Abdullah has designed websites, book designs, marketing materials, and email campaigns for over 60 authors, writers and speakers. Being an award-winning author herself, she understands the industry, and will provide you with designs that reflect your unique style, genre, and personality. 

MENTION THIS AD AND GET 10% OFF (NEW CLIENTS ONLY)
EXISTING CLIENTS EARN 8% REFERRAL FEE FOR SENDING IN NEW CLIENTS 

E-mail Shaila: info@myhouseofdesign.com 
View portfolio: http://myhouseofdesign.com/author-portfolio/
Services for authors: http://myhouseofdesign.com/services-for-authors/

A few testimonials from happy clients:

"Superb work, excellent customer service. Just marvelous overall.” —C. Hope Clark, author, founder of FundsforWriters, http://www.fundsforwriters.com

"The site captures my spirit and passion, and it honors my dream since childhood." —Lyn Fairchild Hawks, author, http://lynhawks.com/

"Shaila is a terrific designer, highly professional and extremely creative and delivers amazing results. Her sense of humor and positive spirit has made the whole process of developing and launching my web site a pleasure. –James Hutchison, playwright, http://jameshutchison.ca/

"When I first saw Shaila’s work, I was struck by the fact that her designs are not only beautiful but also perfectly reflect the personality of the business it represents. Her suggestions, insight, and artistic talent made the final product much better than what I’d envisioned on my own.” —Jacqueline Adams, writer, http://jacqueline-adams.com/
Other websites:
http://sbalexander.com/
http://wagnerjulia.com/
http://lisakwinkler.com/
http://kbhyde.com/
http://meredithwargo.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!





 

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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