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Editor’s THOUGHTS

GIVING UP

I'm writing this after having studied my royalties statement from my publisher. Frankly, I have a love/hate relationship with receiving the twice-a-year statement and payment. Of course the first thing I do is flip to the check. And it's never what I thought it might be. Always and forever smaller. And then comes the emotional spiral.

My publisher is traditional. Some think that's great and others don't. In terms of income, it's not remarkable. Print royalties are eight percent and ebook royalties 40 percent. Trust me, eight percent sucks as a rate of return. And since traditional publishers don't do much in terms of promoting authors, at least for the mid-list and smaller authors, it makes me wonder each and every time why I'm not self-publishing. 

Now you see why I hate getting my check and statement. It makes me think of quitting. After I struggled for years to be where I am today.

Costica Bradatan is associate professor of humanities at Texas Tech University and honorary research associate professor of philosophy at the University of Queensland, Australia. He's writing a book for Harvard University Press called "In Praise of Failure." He recently wrote a piece in DailyGood.org on failure (on the day I opened my check, as a matter of fact), and I felt as if God scheduled it for me, for this day. http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?n=6891

Bradatan talks of failure, and our subsequent acceptance of our humility because of that failure, in three major phases (all three quoted from his article above):

PHASE 1) At this stage, shattered by failure and overwhelmed by the realisation of our fundamental precariousness, we rightly feel ‘crushed’, ‘flattened’, ‘reduced to dust’. Humility, thus, places us where we belong; we are brought back to our naked condition. 

PHASE 2) In a second movement, we realise that, thanks precisely to our being brought ‘to earth’, we are in fact in a better position because we are finally on firm ground. We can now stand on our own feet – we’ve undergone a rebirth of sorts. We come to be true to ourselves.

PHASE 3) The third movement is expansive: Thanks to having regained an existential equilibrium, we can move on to other, bigger things. The dreams now have the necessary ballast to be dreamt properly. There is nothing demeaning or inglorious about it; on the contrary, the humility is rejuvenating, enriching, emboldening. If humiliation leaves us paralyzed and powerless, humility empowers us greatly.

Which means with each and every royalty check, I strip myself down to the core and revisit some questions: 

1) Why do I write?
2) Do I really want to dump all my writing and find another interest?
3) Is writing therapy or purely an income mechanism?
4) Would I respect myself more as a writer or as something else?
5) Do I want to learn all the self-publishing details, or just write and let others do it?

As I teach in my novel plotting classes, there's a "look in the mirror" moment for the protagonist. Like a main character, this is my point in the story where I decide whether to accept the challenge and climb that mountain . . . or to walk away and give up the quest. I may alter my goals, shift what and when I write, but somehow I never cease writing. One day I might, but something big will have to damn sure take its place.

Then properly righted, my balance back, I tweak my goals . . . and keep writing. I'm back in the game. 




 

PPS -
C. Hope Clark has a newsletter just about herself and her fiction. 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.    
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 WORDS OF SUCCESS

The one way of tolerating existence is to lose oneself in literature as in a perpetual orgy.

~Gustave Flaubert

 

Success Story

Thank you Hope.

Your article in TOTAL FundsforWriters last week hit the nail on the head. I'm perched to sign a deal with a producer to write my first Sci-Fi script. I've never written a screenplay in that genre before. But I'm a writer, I can do this. If I hadn't taken a chance, I would have NEVER got the assignment.

The producer was heads over heels with the treatment. I've written pieces, here and there and been published. But this very small contract will give me enough funds to chunk it all and write full time.

Thank you for all you do.

Sabrina Z
Mz3 Productions

featured article

Tips for Breaking into Travel Writing

by Ashley Burnett

Being a travel writer has its perks. Travel publications pay well and on time, and once those initial articles are published, free trips start rolling in courtesy of public relations firms. But how do you acquire those first few published articles? 

Pick Locations Wisely

Know your fellow countrymen. United States residents prefer the Caribbean, Hawaii and Mexico, so U.S. travel magazines prefer stories on these regions. While Taipei may intrigue you, these other stories improve your odds of a sale.

Party Crashing 

Tourism boards, like Atout France or the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, will host events in big cities like Los Angeles or New York to give updates about the latest news in tourism, like new airports or hotel openings. You can use the information given at these events to write an article, even if you've never been to the country hosting the event. 

Typically, attendees are invited via their publications, but emailing different tourism boards can land you an invite. Follow them on Twitter to find out when they'll be hosting events and shoot them an email request a few weeks in advance. 

Will Blog for Trips

PR firms constantly seek high traffic blogs and may offer bloggers free trips in exchange for a post or two, even if their blog themes are about topics besides travel. You don’t have to pitch editors or have experience to blog, so it’s a good way to break into travel writing by writing about subjects you already have expertise in. The main key is to just have the traffic.

Look into Less Popular Publications

Everyone knows Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler and AFAR, but what about magazines catering to travel agents? Magazines like Recommend, Travelweek and Travel Agent. Writing for trade publications is different from writing for consumer publications, but it's easy enough to get the hang of the style. Just remember that whoever is reading the article is not going on the trip themselves. Local newspapers also have travel sections. Check with them and see which locations are popular. 

Make Friends

The travel industry thrives on networking. Everyone you meet can offer you an in with an editor, a press trip, an invite to an event. Make friends on every trip you go on, with travel agents, and every publication you write for. 

When on assignment, always reach out to the tourism board of whatever country you're going to as well as local tour operators. They are more than happy to help you, and once you post an article about a location, you will be on their radar for future trips and opportunities. 

Pick Up and Move (or Stay Where You Are)

Travel magazines love when someone actually lives in the location they're writing for. If you live in Mexico, Myanmar, or Montevideo, search for publications that have newsletters related to these areas. They love having someone local to attend hotel openings or inaugural flights.

Twitter Chats

Twitter chats are when groups coordinate a time and hashtag to talk about travel-related topics. Many big publications like Conde Nast Traveler have their own (#TravelerChats). They are the perfect way to network, net followers, and place you on the radar of editors. To find out when they're happening, follow tour operators, travel agents and travel magazines on Twitter. Two you can start with are Conde Nast Traveler and Travel Weekly.

BIO - Ashley Burnett is a freelance worker living and working in California. Her articles have appeared in several travel publications, as well as on The Billfold, The Toast and Wyvern Lit. You can reach her via Twitter @AshleyDBurnett or through her website: www.ashleyburnett.net.


 

COmpetitions

STELLA KUPEFERBERG MEMORIAL SHORT STORY PRIZE
https://www.writingclasses.com/contest/stella-kupferberg-memorial-short-story-prize-2017
$25 ENTRY FEE.
The winning work will be performed and recorded live at a Selected Shorts performance at Symphony Space in May 2017, and published on Electric Literature. The winning writer will receive $1,000 and a free 10-week course with Gotham Writers. Entires should be 750 words or less. Stories can be on any theme.



GLIMMER TRAIN CONTEST FOR NEW WRITERS
https://glimmertrainpressinc.submittable.com/submit/54342
$18 ENTRY FEE.
Deadline October 31, 2016. Emerging writers are welcome in ALL categories, but this category is exclusively open to writers whose fiction has not appeared, nor is scheduled to appear, in any print publication with a circulation over 5,000. (Entries must not have appeared in any print publication. Previous online publication is fine.) Most entries run from 1,000-5,000 words, but any lengths up to 12,000 words are welcome. 
1st place wins $2,500, publication in Glimmer Train Stories, and 10 copies.
2nd place wins $500, or, if chosen for publication, $700 and 10 copies.
3rd place wins $300, or, if chosen for publication, $700 and 10 copies.



VELA’S SECOND NONFICTION CONTEST
http://velamag.com/second-nonfiction-contest/
$20 ENTRY FEE.
Deadline November 1. Winner will receive $1,000 and publication. We’re looking for creative nonfiction, written by women, with a strong voice, a compelling narrative, and/or a powerful driving question. We’re interested in a wide range of essays, including literary journalism, personal essays, memoir, and experimental essays. We are not a “women’s magazine,” and are not looking for work that is written solely for a female audience. Please submit original, unpublished nonfiction of up to 6,000 words. 



HARPUR PALATE AWARD FOR CREATIVE NONFICTION
https://harpurpalate.submittable.com/submit
$15 ENTRY FEE.
Deadline November 15, 2016. Creative nonfiction submissions should be previously unpublished, original work shorter than 8,000 words. The annual winner receives a $500 prize and publication in the following issue of Harpur Palate. 

 

GRANTS

LIGHTHOUSE WORKS FELLOWSHIPS
http://www.thelighthouseworks.com/
The Lighthouse Works is devoted to encouraging the development of artists through a fellowship program and to the restoration of the year-round cultural vitality of Fishers Island, New York. The Lighthouse Works' Fellowship is six weeks in length and provides visiting fellows with room and board, studio space, and $1,750 in stipends. Deadline: October 15, 2016. While fellows' primary obligation is to the solitary pursuit of their creative projects, we do ask every artist to participate in a single studio tour, reading or performance for the public at the conclusion of their fellowship. In addition, fellows have the chance (though they are not required) to teach workshops, mentor students, or invite them for studio visits, and many of our past fellows have taken that opportunity.



CAREY INSTITUTE FOR GLOBAL GOOD NONFICTION RESIDENCY
http://careyinstitute.org/programs/nonfiction/nonfiction-residency/
The Carey Institute for Global Good believes that an informed, educated and engaged citizenry is essential to the functioning of democratic society. Our nonfiction program supports this belief by advancing deeply reported, longform nonfiction about the most pressing issues of the day and then helping to disseminate it on a variety of media platforms to the widest possible audience. Carey Institute Nonfiction residents are provided all the necessary tools to complete their critical work. Lodging, work space, sophisticated technological support (including Wi-Fi, a state-of-the-art screening room and dedicated space, equipment and software for video, film and radio editing) and meals are provided. Residents may also benefit from the mentorship of Tim Weiner, a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winning writer, as well as Carey Institute Vice-Chair Josh Friedman, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist. We also help selected print residents convert their work into audio, video or digital media through the expertise of our partners. Pre-application due October 7, 2016. 



UCROSS
http://www.ucrossfoundation.org/residency-program/apply/
There are two residency sessions annually. Application deadlines are March 1 for Fall Session, which runs from August through the first Friday in December, and October 1 for Spring Session, which runs from March through the first Friday in June. Residencies vary in length from two to six weeks. Applications are only accepted by online submission. Located on the High Plains in northeastern Wyoming, the Ucross Foundation is 27 miles southeast of Sheridan.



THE MUSE AND THE MARKETPLACE
http://museandthemarketplace.com/?mc_cid=e0e9718aaa&mc_eid=80a076e729
Want to attend #Muse17, GrubStreet's national conference for writers, but need financial support getting here? We are proud to offer numerous $250 scholarships for attendees. Apply by November 21, 2016, and we will notify applicants by December 15th! Held in Boston.

 

FREELANCE MARKETS

PODCASTLE
http://podcastle.org/guidelines/
PodCastle is looking for quality fantasy fiction. If you’re a writer with a speculative short story that you’d like to hear narrated by one of our performers, we’d like to see it. We pay $.06/word for original fiction 6000 words or less, $100 flat rate for reprints over 2,000 words, and $20 flat rate for flash fiction reprints (stories below 2,000 words). 



THE BOOK SMUGGLERS
http://thebooksmugglers.com/2016/08/book-smugglers-publishing-open-call-for-short-stories-submissions-summer-2017.html
We’re looking for original short stories from all around the world as long as they are written in English. Our goal is to publish at least three short stories, unified by a central theme. For the publication period between May and August 2017, the theme is: GODS AND MONSTERS. We are looking for original speculative fiction, between 1,500 and 17,500 words in length. Deadline December 31, 2016. We will be paying $0.06 per word up to $500.



CONFRONTATION
http://confrontationmagazine.org/submit/
We judge on quality of writing and thought or imagination, so we will accept genre fiction. However, it must have literary merit or it must transcend or challenge genre. Send complete manuscript. Length: Up to 7,200 words, one piece per submission; six pieces per submission for flash fiction (up to 500 words per piece). Payment: $175-$250; more for commissioned work. As for poetry, length should be kept to two pages. Send up to six poems per submission. Payment: $75-$100; more for commissioned work. Nonfiction - We publish personal as well as cultural, political and other kinds of essays, and (self-contained) sections of memoirs. Send complete manuscript. Length: 1,500-5,000 words, one piece per submission. Payment: $100-$150; more for commissioned work.



BUZZFEED LGBT
https://www.buzzfeed.com/shannonkeating/how-to-pitch-stories-to-buzzfeed-lgbt
We’re looking for personal essays, cultural criticism, profiles, and reported features that touch upon some aspect of the LGBT experience. Typically stories are somewhere between 800 and 2,000 words. Pays $200-300 an article. Contact Buzzfeed LGBT editor Shannon Keating, keating@buzzfeed.com. (Thanks, Carol Tice at www.makealivingwriting.com) 

 

JOBS

TECHNICAL WRITER - SEVERAL POSITIONS
https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/450136400/
Position(s) will be filled under the Department of the Army Recent Graduates Program. Deadline December 7, 2016. Location Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Pays $35,265 to $56,790 / year. Write and edit technical manuals to ensure compliance with the maintenance strategy of the equipment.



EDITOR
https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/450594300/
Employer is the Peace Corps. Location Washington, DC. Serves as lead editor of all training and reference materials produced by subject matter experts in the areas of health, education, environment, agriculture, community economic development, youth and development, training skills, language learning, and intercultural competence, diversity, and inclusion. Salary $68,142 to $100,070. Deadline October 5, 2016. 
 

Publishers/agents

S&H PUBLISHING
http://sandhbooks.com/get-published/
Just as the contemporary woman is not defined by interest or age, our manuscripts are not bound by genre, length, or style. We accept full-length manuscripts. Our preference is something between 70,000 to 100,000 words, but we realize that not every manuscript fits into the same box. We are looking for quality novel manuscripts that will appeal to the contemporary woman as a reader. Our interest in YA/NA is extremely limited and aims for readers 15 years old and older. We are not seeking works of nonfiction, poetry, or anthologies. Short stories are only accepted for our own anthologies, and submissions guidelines will be announced when we are open for submissions. While we all applaud a romantic interest within the stories, we are not currently interested in publishing romance fiction of any type. We do not accept children's books, middle grade fiction, or chapbooks. We do not accept erotica, or any scenes with descriptions of torture, child abuse, or material that we judge to be potentially offensive to readers. Editors must necessarily be subjective and the catalogue of the press will always reflect the taste and judgment of the editors. Please email a short query letter, a one or two page synopsis, and attach the first 50 pages as a .doc or .docx file.



REBECCA FRIEDMAN LITERARY AGENCY
https://rfliterary.com/submissions/
Rebecca 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 nonfiction and memoir. Rachel is interested in young adult, science fiction, fantasy, new adult and romance. Susan works with a broad range of genres, including fiction, cookbooks, and lifestyle. Brandie is a graduate of the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Workshop with a deep fondness for lyrical prose, imperfect characters, and striking voices. 



HEROES & HEARTBREAKERS
http://www.heroesandheartbreakers.com/page/submissions
HeroesandHeartbreakers.com welcomes submissions of original romance stories in all subgenres (erotica, contemporary, paranormal/urban fantasy, women’s fiction/chick lit, historical, romantic suspense, etc). We are not interested in “true confessions” or other non-fiction material. We are looking for short stories (15,000-30,000 words) as well as novellas (30,000-50,000 words) and category-length works (up to 60,000). Novellas and category-length romances would most likely be considered for publication as serial stories.



BOND LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.bondliteraryagency.com/about.html
Bond Literary Agency represents adult and young adult fiction, both literary and commercial, including mysteries and women's fiction, and many categories of nonfiction, including narrative, health, science, memoir, biography and business. In fact, because the agency's list is rather broad, it would be easier to list what it does not represent: romance, adult fantasy, poetry, and children's picture books. Based in Denver, Colorado.

 

SPONSORS

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Writers in the WritingStrides 21-Day Challenge have done more than write something new—they've found the courage to finally call themselves writers and gone on to write more short stories, memoirs, and even poetry collections. 

Register today for the WritingStrides 21-Day Challenge.  Runs October 24 – November 13. $37
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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/ 


 

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Fine print

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C. Hope Clark
E-mail: hope@fundsforwriters.com
140-A Amicks Ferry Road #4
Chapin, SC 29036
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Copyright 2000-2016, C. Hope Clark
ISSN: 1533-1326

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