SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

ARE BOOK SIGNINGS TOO OLD-FASHIONED?

This past week, a new author with a newly-released book asked how I approached libraries about holding a book signing. The question took me aback a second, because from my experiences over these last few years, there's almost no such thing as just a signing anymore. Out of my response to her, I molded this week's essay. 

First, I don't ask libraries for a book signing. I suggest a presentation for their customers. While books are set up in the back of the room for sale, that's not the point of the event. Libraries are educational, and writers have to think beyond just autographs. Signings by themselves can appear mildly selfish, so instead, you want to offer your services to libraries. Maybe do them in conjunction with a holiday or larger event. 

When I appear at libraries, I'm teaching writing, editing, publishing, marketing, and mysteries, not appearing to talk about selling my books. That's not to say that my books aren't woven into the presentation. But your chances improve for acceptance if you approach libraries with more opportunity for them than for you. 

The author responded that she didn't want to promote herself, only wanted readers to buy the book. So I replied:

If readers only wanted the book, they wouldn't want the signatures or the appearances and would just order the thing from Amazon. Readers want more of authors these days. They want to know the details behind the book, behind the author. Promotion is a big deal with so many people writing a book. Consider these appearances as events, more than book selling. Otherwise, you will continue selling five books here and five books there forever. 

There have been events where I sold not a single book...however, I found ways to have my appearance paid for. Yes, I'm am paid to appear at most library functions. My library events alone were about $8,000 of my income this year, because I was willing to speak about writing, publishing, editing, and the magic behind mysteries, making the books secondary. It's a balance, and you learn as you go. Become more than the author of a book. Assure librarians you are there for them. Become a professional author with the book being a tool. That's how you begin accruing a writing income. 




 




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 WORDS OF SUCCESS

A library is a good place to go when you feel unhappy, for there, in a book, you may find encouragement and comfort. A library is a good place to go when you feel bewildered or undecided, for there, in a book, you may have your question answered. Books are good company, in sad times and happy times, for books are people – people who have managed to stay alive by hiding between the covers of a book.

~E.B. White



 

Success Story

Dear Hope,

I have been reading FundsforWriters for several years now, and it has kept me devoted to writing through three children and countless rejections from publishers. Just this past October I signed a contract with Cedar Fort to publish my YA novel, The Unicorn Hunter. Thank you so much for all the words of motivation and encouragement. They got me where I am today. 

Rachel Kirkaldie

featured article

Just Write the Damn Thing!

By John Swanston

Joe and I scampered through the old Madrid cobblestone streets, dodging puddles and party recruiters, having no choice but to embrace the rain. I lived in the center of the city four years ago with Joe´s older brother, Ben. This night was Joe´s first in the Spanish capital.  

After a few street beers and too many patatas bravas, we settled under a bus stop to escape the unusually heavy Iberian rain. Never having spent time alone with Joe, we spoke open and honestly most of the night, as if my connection with Ben extended to his brother before me.

Joe writes. A lot. Joe writes for multiple sites based in London, where he studies abroad. At home in the states, Joe writes papers for his classes and for his friends at his large state university. He shared the intricacies of Germany´s transition from WWI to WWII as if he was there himself. Turns out he has written three papers for that class, a class he does not attend.

At our bus stop in Madrid´s Sol plaza, thousands of miles from the students Joe may be hurting by helping, I thought nothing of the possible moral dilemma and merely of this incredibly talented kid in front of me. With 20 years to my 25, Joe may not be a child, but his relentless mental activity makes me feel like I never was his age.

As conversation turned from life abroad and Joe´s muddy shoe to his writing adventures, I revealed my fear of putting pen to paper. I have jumped off 50 foot cliffs and squeeze my moped between cars on the streets of my new Andalucian hometown, but my fear of opening my world of ideas to the world of humans around me is one I have not conquered.

As Joe interrogated me for reasons, I felt minor embarrassment relaying them. Can a gunslinger who has written at least an article a day for three months understand why I want my 600 word blog entry to be perfect?

I feel... unworthy. I have a million ideas rattling around in my head and my iPhone notes, but my ideas cannot possibly be worth anybody´s time. Even scarier, the rough drafts of my ideas remain perfect inside my head and behind my fingerprint passcode. When exposed to a world of readers, they certainly will be misunderstood, right?

But what if they´re not? What if something I write resonates with a stranger from a faraway place or gives joy to a friend from down the street. What if I enjoy sharing myself with people? What if I actually am worthy?

"Just write the damn thing!" Joe says, as if stating the obvious.

My old soul was educated by the young gun. Freedom can be found in exposing, or rather expressing one's self. As when jumping from a cliff, despite the inevitability of being engulfed in water, freedom is experienced in the weightlessness of the journey.

So here I am, just writing the damn thing.

BIO - 
My name is John Swanston. I live in Jaén, Spain teaching English in a bilingual academy. People are what I find interesting. Our many similarities and our occasional differences make for beautiful cultural entanglements. The kind you won´t read about in the news, of course.

John Swanston, Language Assistant 
Colegio Bilingüe Altocastillo - Grupo Attendis
Jaén, Spain
JNSwanston@gmail.com
WhatsApp: +1 (314) 435 9923

 

COmpetitions

NDR CHAPBOOK CONTEST
http://ndrmag.org/uncategorized/2016/10/2016-2017-annual-chapbook-contest/
$17 ENTRY FEE.
For this contest NDR seeks between 20-40 pages of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and/or hybrid work that attempts, through form, content, or both, to push against traditional concepts of literature and art. We want to see you refuse to conform, and to impress us with your unique vision. $200, publication, and 25 author copies. Deadline January 1, 2017. 



WHO CAN YOU TRUST CONTEST
http://us.macmillan.com/static/smp/who-can-you-trust/
NO ENTRY FEE.
St. Martin’s Press is giving five lucky winners the opportunity to be published in A Divided Spy by New York Times bestselling author Charles Cumming. Each winner will also receive $250. The theme of trust looms large in A Divided Spy. Throughout the book, new and old confidants surround ex-spy Thomas Kell, providing him with sensitive information, and he (and the reader) don’t know whom he can trust until the very end of the book. How has trusting a family member, friend, or stranger affected your life? To enter the contest, write up to 1,000 words on how trust (or distrust) has changed your outlook. Entries will be judged on originality, creativity, style, and integrity. Only open to the US and Canada. Deadline January 16, 2017. 



FANTASY NOVELIST
http://www.inkitt.com/fantasynovelist?utm_source=cl_fundsforwriters
NO ENTRY FEE.
Submit your finished fantasy novel with 40,000+ words by December 11, 2016. Top 10 percent in the genre contests will be moved on to the Final Round where they will have a chance to win the grand prize of $1,000. 



THE EROTICA NOVELIST
http://www.inkitt.com/eroticanovelist?utm_source=cl_fundsforwriters
NO ENTRY FEE.
Submit your finished erotica novel with 40,000+ words by December 15, 2016. Top 10 percent in the genre contests will be moved on to the Final Round where they will have a chance to win the grand prize of $1,000.

 

GRANTS

SOUTH CAROLINA GRANTS
http://schumanities.org/grants/howtoapply/
Mini Grants are reviewed monthly with deadlines on the first business day of the month. Mini Grants are to support public humanities programs of modest cost. Awards are $2,000 or less. Mini Grant applications are accepted monthly on the first business day of the month for programs starting after the 15th of the following month. Fast Track Literary Grants are intended to support new or existing public literary programs such as (but not limited to) writers series, festivals, conferences, workshops, or writer’s residencies at schools. Awards are $3,000 or less.



CUTTYHUNK ISLAND WRITERS' RESIDENCY
http://www.cuttyhunkislandresidency.com/apply
Deadline February 1, 2017. Cuttyhunk Island Writers' Residency seeks applicants from all stages in their writing careers who demonstrate a consistent dedication to their work and an openness to sharing and learning within a focused group of like-minded participants. This year, we're accepting fiction and nonfiction writers. We are pleased to announce that we will be awarding four full scholarships in 2017. A scholarship includes tuition, housing, all meals, and a round-trip ferry ticket to Cuttyhunk from New Bedford, MA. All scholarship recipients will need to provide for their own transportation to and from New Bedford. 



ELLEN MELOY FUND FOR DESERT WRITERS
http://www.ellenmeloy.com/application-guidelines.html
The Ellen Meloy Fund for Desert Writers grants one $5,000 award in the spring of each year. Only literary or creative nonfiction proposals will be considered. No fiction or poetry proposals will be reviewed. The Fund supports writing that combines an engaging individual voice, literary sensibility, imagination and intellectual rigor to bring new perspectives and deeper meaning to the body of desert literature. All applications will be reviewed through a peer-panel process. Deadline January 15, 2017. 



ELECTRIC SCHOLARSHIPS
https://electricliterature.submittable.com/submit
Electric Literature's mission is to amplify the power of storytelling and maintain literature's place in pop culture by embracing new technologies, supporting writers, and building community. Now more than ever, it is important to support writers across economic strata to ensure that literature remains vital and inclusive. In that spirit, Electric Literature is proud to offer full scholarships for six- to 12-week writing workshops and weekend masterclasses co-presented with the innovative publisher Catapult. We are able to provide these scholarships thanks to the generosity of Catapult and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and as such, this is an New York City-specific opportunity, and all applicants must reside in New York City. There are no other requirements to apply. Scholarships will be awards on the basis of need and merit, and recipients will be assigned to courses based on their stated preferences and availability. All scholarships must be used between January 1, 2017 and June 30, 2017. Deadline December 15, 2016.

 

FREELANCE MARKETS

RECOMMENDED READING
https://electricliterature.submittable.com/submit
Recommended Reading is the weekly fiction magazine of Electric Literature, and with over 88,000 subscribers in just four years, it’s the fastest growing literary magazine around. Every week, the magazine publishes one story, each chosen by today’s best authors and editors. Submit your never-before-published stories in the range of 2,000 to 10,000 words; if selected, we can offer a payment of $300. Open for submissions until December 15, 2016. 



SLICE
https://slice.submittable.com/submit
Deadline December 15. All submissions considered for Issue 21. The theme for this issue is "Panic" and it will be released fall 2017. We offer all contributors of Slice a monetary award for their work ($250 for stories and essays and $75 for poems). Please note, we are unable to accept any submissions sent to us via email or post. The maximum word count for submissions is 5,000 words. 



COSMIC ROOTS
http://cosmicrootsandeldritchshores.com/submissions/
Open for scifi, fantasy, myth, legend, fairy tales, and eldritch in written, podcast, video and graphic story form from around the world. Considers 1,000 flash fiction on up. Pays six cents/word for original and two cents/word for reprints and fact-based work.



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. Each short story will be accompanied by one original piece of artwork from an artist commissioned by us separately. 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.

 

JOBS

FREELANCE WRITER
Location Minneapolis, MN
http://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=45999b789d00e095&q=writer&l=United+States&tk=1b3ah2u96a49rdp1&from=web
Thrillist.com is hiring a freelance writer to contribute bar, restaurant, nightlife, and event articles for its Minneapolis edition on an ongoing basis. Thrillist provides an opportunity to create exciting content that both local and visiting readers will find entertaining and informative, as well as share with friends on social media. 



FREELANCE SCRIPT WRITER
https://www.smartrecruiters.com/Filmless/103340274-freelance-script-writer
We’re looking for a flexible, creative, ambitious copywriter to write, edit and review video scripts. You must be able to generate great ideas and write scripts/treatments for a wide variety of client’s products and services. This is a work from home job so you can work from any city, state, or country. Specifically, you should be able to develop concepts, storyboards, and write script content for various types of videos (explainer, promo, and interview style videos); create the angle, content, and tone according to the needs of the client and the audience for each video; and collaborate with clients and team members. Location San Diego, CA.

 

Publishers/agents

DANCING CAT BOOKS
http://www.dancingcatbooks.com/submissions/
Dancing Cat Books is currently accepting submissions for young adult and middle grade fiction and non-fiction. We are not currently accepting children’s picture book submissions. Please note that we only publish Canadian authors.



DESERT BREEZE PUBLISHING
http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com/submissions/
Desert Breeze Publishing is a publisher of romance fiction in a variety of sub-genres, as well as mainstream women's fiction either with or without romantic elements. We also publish both Christian romance and Christian women's fiction, and a variety of young adult and new adult fiction. In those books categorized as romance, romance should be the prevailing theme of your manuscript, not romantic elements. We are seeking manuscripts from novella length (between 25,000 and 35,000 words approximately) to super novel length (exceeding 100,000 words), with a preference for novels between 55,000 and 80,000 words. We are more than willing to accept queries on book series, and will consider a series concept when at least one book is completed, a second novel is at least partially complete, and the series has been thoroughly formulated.



ELEVENTH HOUR LITERARY PRESS
http://www.eleventhhourliterary.com/
Eleventh Hour Literary Press is a new, exciting, small press that believes in the support and promotion of its authors. An Imprint of European Geeks Publishing, we focus on General Fiction – in Children's, Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult genres. Recently founded, we are currently building our Catalog, so please stay tuned for updates on our upcoming releases. In the meantime, feel free to look around and enjoy our blog where we discuss writing tips, submission tips, and more.

 

SPONSORS

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/

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8INE 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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