SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

Filled with anecdotes from her own faith journey in the midst of trials, Everything to God in Prayer by Kelly Boyer Sagert is a unique devotional for Christian writers. You will love Kelly's warm style, grace-filled prayers, and insightful exercises designed to recharge your motivation to write. I highly recommend it!"

~Jeanette Levellie, author of Two Scoops of Grace with Chuckles on Top, The Heart of Humor, and Shock the Clock: Time Management Strategies for Writers

"Everything to God in Prayer is a devotional book that will inspire you to a fresh understanding, a new beginning, and a positive outlook, through transformational prayer and Scripture application."

~Linda Kozar, author of Babes With A Beatitude: Devotions For Smart, Savvy Women of Faith and the Christian cozy mystery series, When the Fat Ladies Sing

Autographed copies of Everything to God in Prayer are available at http://www.everythingtogodinprayer.com – and, if you mention this ad, we pay the tax and shipping! Hardback books are $19.99, paperbacks are $13.99. Christian poetry magnet sets are $5.00.

THE FREELANCER AND THEIR WEBSITE

Not long ago, FundsforWriters didn't care whether a freelance writer had a website. Then I started noticing a trend. The better writers had websites. They were eager to show me who they were and what they had written before. Even if they hadn't published much, they had a site that at least showed me how serious they were about writing. 

Then as FundsforWriters's name spread around the globe, and more writers pitched to have their article included in the newsletters and on the website, we received a surge of queries slapped together without much thought. Before, we were known in the writing world. Now we are known in all the world, and anyone who thought for five minutes they wanted to write or who thought they'd pitch to us in hopes they'd earn a dollar or two, started sending in stories. 

We received a lot of "Dear Editor" stuff, and we all know how that doesn't work. Many of them said "Dear Sir." Yeah, you can imagine how successful they were. No record of where they've published before, or what qualifies them to write the piece they are pitching.

With 35,000 readers, 6,000 of those who read religiously week after week (yes, I can tell), I want to keep them happy. I want these readers to digest an article, have an AHA moment, then want to click to the guest writer's website and learn more. I then want the writer's website to help catapult FundsforWriters in return. It's about cultivating a win-win situation. These days, you have a much better chance of magazine/ezine/website acceptance if you have a following or a web presence. It isn't just about good material anymore. It's about reach as well. 

So, if you are a freelancer, and do not have a website, I strongly ask you reconsider. Let people know who you are, what you do, and what your aspirations are. Make it very tight, polished, and professional. Appear like you are in business, not writing for a hobby (even if you are). 




 




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

If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.

~Elmore Leonard

 

Success Story

If FundsforWriters has aided you in any sort of success we want to hear about it! Email hope@fundsforwriters.com 

featured article

An Interview with Mark Gottlieb of Trident Media Group – 
The Scoop on Dealing with a Big Literary Agency During These Crazy Publishing Times
(PART 4 of 4)

By C. Hope Clark

Mark Gottlieb is an agent with Trident Media Group, a strong literary agency well known for its successes. FundsforWriters was lucky enough to land him for an interview, and with his great answers, our features for the month of November (National Novel Writing Month – NaNoWriMo) will be dedicated to this interview. This is Part 4 of a four-week feature. (Find Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 here.)

HOPE: Does an online presence rank high on your list when you consider new clients? 

MARK: The importance of online presence in a fiction author's career is important. In seeking an ideal fiction client with a platform, I look for authors with good credentials such as experience with writing workshops, conferences, or smaller publications like respected literary magazines. Awards, bestseller status, a strong online presence, or pre-publication blurbs in-hand for one's manuscript are also very promising to a literary agent.
 
Platform, however, is even more important in considering nonfiction authors. It is not enough for an author of nonfiction to be a respected authority—it's important to publishers to know that such authors have a big online presence or social media following. That's why selling celebrity material to publishers is almost a no-brainer. Publishers get this strange thought in their minds that if anyone has 100,000+ followers, maybe ten percent will buy the book. 

HOPE: Dispel a myth about agents.

MARK: I find that many authors believe literary agents are A-type personalities and very full of themselves, probably since literary agents prefer to exude success. In fact, I once had an experience at a conference where an author running a booth at the conference called me over to ask me what was the big deal. He found everyone at the conference enamored with the literary agents, probably due to what the authors were perceiving as a holier-than-thou air from some of the attendees. Personally speaking, that sort of standoffish attitude tends to alienate prospective clients. I'm certainly not a holy man and would prefer that people think of me as approachable. There are other down-to-earth literary agents that subvert that stereotype and feel the same. The irony was that the author asking me, a literary agent, that question wasn't aware of Trident Media Group's stature as the leading literary agency in publishing. I informed the author about our rankings on Publishers Marketplace and he was greatly surprised to find my attitude kind and uninflated. The high level of work our literary agency does speaks loud enough. Your ego is not your amigo.  

HOPE: Describe the perfect dream client. 

MARK: An ideal project from a prospective client would carry an important social message or moral to the story, and while not only being beautifully written, it should have some aspects of commercialism to the writing, even if it is literary fiction. I also seek authors with good writing credentials, platform, awards, online presence or pre-publication blurbs in-hand. 

From there I would hope that an author understand that their role is central in the process. The biggest myth about book publishing is that once the manuscript is delivered, an author’s role pretty much ends there. That is no longer the case. Authors are key in the marketing/promotional process, as ultimately fans will want to hear directly from the author. Anything an author can do in the way of blog outreach, readings/talks and interviews, will ultimately help their publication.

HOPE: Describe the perfect query letter.

MARK: My advice to authors is to really nail the writing of that query letter. A well-written query letter indicates the manuscript will similarly read well, inclining the literary agent to request a manuscript. Oftentimes the query letter can go on to become the publisher's jacket copy, were the publisher to acquire the manuscript.
 
A good query letter is: upfront in one-two sentences what the book is about in hook or elevator pitch fashion. It should mention the title, lend a sense of genre, and contain one to three competitive/comparative titles that were bestsellers or award-winners, published within the last few years. If the author has pre-publication blurbs, those can appear before those first two sentences. Next, a couple of body paragraphs detail plot without too many spoilers. In that space, the literary merits of the manuscript can be mentioned. The last paragraph is usually reserved for a short author bio, mentioning relevant writing experience/credentials, and a link to an author site or social media page(s).

HOPE: Explain what you love most about being a literary agent.

MARK: There is no average day in the life of a literary agent, or at least there shouldn't be, for when a literary agent's days begin to stagnate and look the same, then that person's career is in trouble. Every day that I walk into the office, I try to reinvent myself to be more creative, innovative, and competitive, while improving the careers of the authors I work with. Of course a few things are daily typical such as reading query letters, meeting/calls/lunches/drinks with editors and publishers as well as clients, pitching manuscripts to publishers, meeting with film/TV companies, and attending conferences.

If I could attribute my success to anything, it would be my restless soul. Book publishing has become more of a lifestyle than work for me. Spending my time as a literary agent excites me and makes for an interesting life. It's not always easy but I love what I do. 


BIO
Mark Gottlieb attended Emerson College and was President of its Publishing Club, establishing the Wilde Press. After graduating with a degree in writing, literature & publishing, he began his career with Penguin's VP. Mark's first position at Publishers Marketplace's #1-ranked literary agency, Trident Media Group, was in foreign rights. Mark was EA to Trident's Chairman and ran the Audio Department. Mark is currently working with his own client list, helping to manage and grow author careers with the unique resources available to Trident. He has ranked #1 among Literary Agents on publishersmarketplace.com in Overall Deals and other categories.

 

COmpetitions

BOOKSIE FALL SHORT STORY CONTEST
https://www.booksie.com/contest/Booksie+Fall+2016+Short+Story+Contest-2
$3.95 ENTRY FEE.
Deadline November 30, 2016. Winner receives $200 cash and featured writing spot. Two runner-ups receive $50. The contest is open to all genres and themes. You can enter a previously posted story on Booksie or post a new one and enter it.



PROLE POETRY COMPETITION
http://prolebooks.co.uk/poetry%20competition.html
£3 ENTRY FEE.
Winner: £200, Publication in Prole 22 in April 2017 and publication on the Prole website. Two runner up prizes of £50, publication in Prole 22, and publication on the Prole website. Deadline January 31, 2017. We are, as ever, open regarding style, content, and length. What we are after is poetry that epitomises the editorial values of Prole: to make writing engaging, accessible, entertaining, and challenging.



THE TIMES / CHICKEN HOUSE CHILDREN'S FICTION COMPETITION
http://doublecluck.com/submissions/#about
£15 ENTRY FEE.
The winning writer will receive a worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House with a royalty advance of £10,000 (US$12,000), plus representation from a top children’s literary agent. To enter this competition you must have written a completed full-length novel suitable for children aged somewhere between 7 and 18 years. By full-length the organisers suggest a minimum of 30,000 words and ask that manuscripts do not exceed 80,000 words in length. The competition is open to writers around the world, regardless of nationality or residency status. To enter writers must not have had a children’s book commercially before and can not be currently represented by a literary agent. Deadline December 18, 2016. 



NIGHTLIGHT READINGS SHORT STORY WRITERS CONTEST
http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2016/10/30/2016-nightlight-readings-short-story-writers-contest/
NO ENTRY FEE.
The 2016 Nightlight Readings Short Story Writers Contest is open to short stories up to 5,000 words. Stories should appeal to at-risk boys in the 10-12 year age group who often stop reading for pleasure. This year’s theme is mystery. Prizes: First, second, and third place winners will receive prizes of up to $1,000 award plus certificate and publication of the story. All award winners will be publicized nationally by Nightlight Reading. Deadline December 31, 2016.



AUTUMN HOUSE RISING WRITERS CONTEST
http://www.autumnhouse.org/contest-submissions/rising-writers/
$25 ENTRY FEE.
The Rising Writer Contest is for a first full-length book of poetry by an author 33 years old or younger. Deadline January 31, 2017. The winner will be awarded publication of a full-length manuscript and $1,000. Poetry submissions should be approximately 50-80 pages.

 

GRANTS

TENNESSEE GRANTS
http://tnartscommission.org/grants-at-a-glance/
Tennessee individuals or organizations wishing to apply for grants are are strongly advised to register before December 15, 2016. Anyone registering after that date can expect delays in the processing of their grant applications. Individual fellowships provide monetary awards to outstanding professional artists, i.e. those individuals who by education, experience, or natural talent engage in a particular art form or discipline, and live and work in Tennessee. To qualify, an artist must be financially compensated for his or her work, and this compensation must be a significant source of support for their livelihood. No matching funds are required and no specific project has to be carried out with the funds. The Commission anticipates that each fellowship will be awarded $5,000. In a year, the Tennessee Arts Commission may award up to two (2) fellowships each in Craft, Media, Visual Art, Dance, Music, and Theater, as well as three (3) in the Literary category. Deadline: Monday, January 30, 2017. 



INDIANA INDIVIDUAL ARTIST GRANTS
http://www.in.gov/arts/individualartistprogram.htm
The Individual Artist Program (IAP) provides support to artists in all disciplines for career development projects. Applicants may request a maximum of $2,000. Grantees must plan a project, or phase of a project, which can be realized within the requested budget and completed within the proposed timeline. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and a legal resident of Indiana. Categories accepted this cycle include dance, literary arts, music, and theatre. Deadline February 3, 2017. 



NEBRASKA ARTIST ROSTER TAKING APPLICATIONS
http://www.artscouncil.nebraska.gov/artist-roster/apply-to-join-artist-roster.html
The Artist Roster lists participating artists in two separate programs: the Artists in Schools/Communities roster of teaching artists and the Nebraska Touring Program roster of touring artists and art exhibitions.New roster artists must apply in order to be considered for either roster. Applications are reviewed by a panel, which make recommendations to the Nebraska Arts Council for approval. New artists are encouraged to contact NAC staff well in advance of the application deadline to discuss their proposals. Artists applying for both programs must complete both applications. Applications due December 1, 2016.

 

FREELANCE MARKETS

THE THREEPENNY REVIEW
http://www.threepennyreview.com/submissions.html
At present The Threepenny Review is paying $400 per story or article, $200 per poem or Table Talk piece. This payment buys first serial rights in our print and digital editions, and the copyright then reverts to the author immediately upon publication. Begins accepting submissions January 1, 2017. 



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. Original articles are given an honorarium of twenty cents per published word.



RIDER MAGAZINE
http://ridermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Edit-Guide.pdf
Rider is written for the most mature, affluent and discerning readers in motorcycling. They are mostly experienced motorcycle enthusiasts. Rider readers are demanding critics; that's why many of the    manuscripts we receive are rejected. Payas $200 for mini travel stories that require a few good color photos, and about 700 to 900 words of copy. They're a nice genre to try because they are short, focused and relatively easy to write.    

 

JOBS

WRITER-EDITOR
https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/456727400/
Deadline November 28, 2016. Location Fort Meade, MD. Pays $54,435 to $84,044. Writes and edits service-level news stories, information products, feature articles and images in support of online and/or digitally distributed news and feature products. Develops and monitors short-range and long-range plans for news stories, information products, feature articles and images. Reviews news and features stories, commentaries, magazine articles, information products and image captions submitted for possible use or rewrite.



TECHNICAL WRITER-EDITOR
https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/456317600/
Location Chicago, IL. Deadline December 1, 2016. As a Technical Writer-Editor you will be responsible for the following: Write and edit technical and equipment manuals for the Information Technology Department; write and edit other publications (such as reports and articles) for the Information Technology Department; and write and edit publications on behalf of the Information Technology Department for the organization.
 

Publishers/agents

RUBIN PFEFFER CONTENT
http://www.rpcontent.com/
Rubin Pfeffer Content, LLC is a literary agency exclusively representing children’s and young adult literature, as well as content that will serve educational publishers and digital developers. 



MARTIN LITERARY MANAGEMENT
http://www.martinlit.com/
Martin Literary Management, founded in 2003, is a full service literary and media management agency. We focus on representing authors of adult nonfiction and books for children and young adults. 



DEE MURA LITERARY
http://www.deemuraliterary.com/
Categories for Fiction and Nonfiction: Action/adventure, animals, anthropology, archeology, arts & photography, biography, business, chick lit, comedy/humor, contemporary fiction, cooking, conservation & environmental issues, current affairs, entertainment, erotica, ethnic & Jewish, finance, fantasy, gay & lesbian, literary, government, health, historical, home & garden, inspirational, medical, memoirs, middle grade, military, mind & body, mystery, narrative nonfiction, new adult, New Age, outdoors & nature, paranormal, parenting & families, popular culture, psychology, religion/spirituality, romance, satire, science, science fiction, self-help & motivational, sports, thrillers & espionage, travel, women’s lit, young adult. At this time we are not considering screenplays or poetry.



STONESONG
http://stonesong.com/literary-agency/submissions/
Please review the agent biographies on the About Us page and submit your query addressed to one agent: Alison Fargis, Judy Linden, Emmanuelle Morgen, Maria Ribas, Leila Campoli, Alyssa Jennette, Melissa Edwards, or Madelyn Burt at submissions@stonesong.com. Categories we do not represent include plays, screenplays, and poetry. We also welcome queries from independent and self-published authors. If you have self-published your book and are interested in working with a publisher for future works, please include descriptions of published and forthcoming works, as well as information about sales and reviews.
 

SPONSORS

Call For Entries >>
International Atlantis Short Story Contest:
Cash prizes and in-depth feedback await unpublished writers. 

No theme or genre restrictions. Maximum 2,500 words. Entry fee: starts from $10 (depends on level of feedback wanted when the story does not place) 

Deadline: November 30, 2016 Submit here: http://www.atlantis-shortstorycontest.com/












Short & Helpful 
Online Writer Workshops
It’s not too late to sign up!
Purchase Single Workshop
Or set of 3 for FREE workbook
Or all 12 for HUGE SAVINGS

Set1: Premise & Structure, Voice & POV, Setting
Set2: Character, Dialogue, Beginnings & Endings
Set3: Conflict, Backstory, Self-Editing
Set4: Memoir, World Building, Researching
http://sandhbooks.com/online-writer-workshops

Add  CYBERMONDAY coupon code for 20% off any workshops.










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://bapsisidhwa.com/
http://wagnerjulia.com/
http://lisakwinkler.com/
http://kbhyde.com/
http://meredithwargo.com/


















Call for Entries: All Poets & Writers are Welcome!

Dream Quest One Poetry & Writing Contest.

Write a poem, 30 lines or fewer on any subject or write a short story, 5 pages maximum length on any theme, single or double line spacing, neatly hand printed or typed. No word count.

Writing First Prize: $500.00, 2nd: $250, 3rd: $100
Poetry First Prize: $250.00, 2nd: $125; 3rd: $50.

Entry fees: $5 per poem, $10 per story.
Postmark deadline: January 31, 2017

Visit http://www.dreamquestone.com for details and enter!











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

**Note that FundsforWriters.com places paid advertising in this newsletter, ALL ads being related to writers and the business of writing, screened by FundsforWriters to make sure the information is suitable for writers and their endeavors to improve their careers. But the mailing list is not sold to third parties. You will not receive this newsletter without your permission. It's physically impossible since recipients must opt-in, giving us permission to send the newsletter. If at any time you no longer with to receive the newsletter, click the UNSUBSCRIBE link at the bottom of each newsletter. We want you to enjoy this newsletter at your pleasure, not be forced to read anything you do not wish to receive. The website is not advertised using unsolicited messages by Aweber, affiliates or other third parties. Direct any complaints, suggestions, and accolades to Hope Clark at hope@fundsforwriters.com. We are an anti-spam site.