SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

How Savvy Authors Publish and Optimize their Books
for Blockbuster Sales on Amazon
 

Self-publishing expert Tracy Atkins has created an amazing set of tools and methods you can use to publish and optimize your book on Amazon—the right way. By following Tracy's simple, four-phase Amazon Success Method, you'll get an in-depth understand of the real Amazon, and to give your book a significant advantage over the competition.

This toolkit includes step-by-step instruction on how to publish your print book, Kindle eBook, and audiobook using Amazon’s publishing platforms: CreateSpace, Kindle Direct Publishing, and ACX.

Tracy also shows you how to use your Author Central account to take control of your book’s Amazon product page, and then tweak it to perfection.

You'll also get ten excellent worksheets and checklists to make the entire process easy to manage. You'll learn to make powerful choices that will help you sell more books on the world’s largest book retailer.

NOTE FROM HOPE! Get a special 25% off for your list with a coupon code,  AST25OFF

 

ARE YOU UNIQUE ENOUGH?

Telling a good story, whether via a freelance feature or a romance novel, means you have to stand out in this crazy, noisy world of writers. What you want is for someone to find your work lyrical, easy to read, rewarding to have been read. Wait...what?

In other words, when someone reads your writing, did they walk away feeling they wasted their time or that the reading was a sound investment? Was the story different from anything else they've read? Did they enjoy the experience? Were you worth their hours and dollars?

In case you hadn't noticed, the reading experience isn't about you, the author. It's about them, the readers. 

Many new writers want to write a story, but they don't quite have the tools to bridge that gap between the author trying to be good and the story that begs telling. It's a mindset, a collection of talent, an effort to learn new tools, and ability to show that story in such a way it almost craves to be visual. 

Writing isn't just getting a story published. It's solely about satisfying readers. Ask any editor or publisher. Because that satisfaction becomes sales, becomes a brand, becomes success. But without the rich flavor of uniqueness in a story, the rest falls short.

So, before you publish, give your work to beta readers (not your best friends, children or parents) and ask honestly if this story is unlike anything else they've read. You need to hit that vein to gain traction and make your writing sell. It's how you gain traction as a writer that readers hope is diligently at a desk writing more.

"Most of us find our own voices only after we've sounded like a lot of other people." --Neil Gaiman​​​​​​​


 





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 advantage of a bad memory 
is that one enjoys several times 
the same good things for the first time.

~ Friedrich Nietzsche
 

Success Story

FundsforWriters readers are eager to hear how FFW has aided your career. Send your contest, grant, market or publishing accomplishments to us at hope@fundsforwriters.com​​​​​​​

featured article

How to Save for Retirement When You're a Freelance Writer

By Mandy Gardner

Here's the bottom line: As a freelancer, you don't have an employer-sponsored retirement plan. You're going to need to do one of two things immediately to ensure that you aren't still working when you hit retirement age: Purchase a retirement savings plan through a financial institution, or save your own money to invest as you see fit. Ideally, a freelancer should do both of these things, starting with either a Solo 401(k), an Individual Retirement Account (IRA), or a Simplified Employee Pension (SEP IRA). Next, use your own savings to make your retirement even more secure.

Step One: Budget

Everything comes down to budgeting, whether it’s cat food or a tropical cruise 40 years down the road. This is where you’ll find the funds to allocate to retirement, and it will help you understand just how much money you will actually need when the time comes. 

You need to include all monthly expenses in your budget, and keep them conservative. The income of a freelance writer can fluctuate, so be sure to pay your budgeted items before doing any other kind of spending. On top of monthly budgeting for rent/mortgage, food, utilities, car payments, insurance, and other necessities, experts suggest putting at least 10 percent of your pay into savings, starting right now. You should also be putting a similar amount into your retirement fund each month.

Step Two: Open a High-Yield Savings Account

Your budgeted savings shouldn't just be left in your checking account or stuffed into a wall safe. Open a high-yield savings account where you can place your savings securely and turn them into more money thanks to a high interest rate.

Take a look at your current bank's interest rate, and compare with other banks to find the highest return on your small investment. The point of this type of account is to stop you from spending your savings, and to eventually yield small returns on the initial amount. You should try to always have your savings in this type of account, whether the amount is small or large.

Step Three: Invest

When  your savings have begun to grow, it's time to use some of those funds for investments. There are many ways to invest a few hundred or a few thousand dollars depending on where you live. You might choose savings bonds; perhaps you’re more inclined to microloans. Wherever you do choose to invest, make sure it is as secure as possible (in other words, no stock market purchases based on a hunch).

The U.S. Series EE and Series I Savings Bonds are available in denominations as low as $50 and as high as $10,000. They offer higher interest and rate of return than other kinds of  savings, which makes them a great option to consider once you've begun to grow your nest egg. 

Microloan investments, such as those offered through Lending Club, allow you to choose the person or group your money will finance, and receive monthly repayments plus interest. 

Once you've increased your money through investment? Roll it over and keep the process going. A Certificate of Deposit from your bank is a safe way to invest $10,000 or more.

It's Never Too Early to Start

The most important thing to remember is that you need to start saving today – not tomorrow, next month or next season when you have the extra money lying around. Budget concisely, invest wisely and watch your money grow. 

BIO
Mandy Gardner is a freelance writer, cat mom, seamstress and wannabe novelist. She lives in sunny Mexico with her Chilango husband and several multinational cats. Her work tends to focus on personal finance, animals, the environment, and travel. 

Check out her websites:
The Freelancer Society - http://www.thefreelancersociety.com/mandy-gardner.html
The Cat Box - http://thecatbox.weebly.com/​​​​​​​
 

COmpetitions

EMERALD THEATRE 10-MINUTE PLAY CONTEST
http://www.etcmemphistheater.com/upcoming-season.html
$10 ENTRY FEE. 
Theme: "That's so gay." The words, "That's so gay." Must be spoken by a character. Every script must have two to four characters. No children's shows or musicals. Ten pages (10 minutes) max. Will be staged in strict "black box" style. Deadline June 30, 2017. 1st prize $300 - plus a trophy. 2nd prize $200 - plus a medal. 3rd prize $100 - plus a medal. 



PRIME NUMBER MAGAZINE AWARDS IN POETRY AND SHORT FICTION
http://www.primenumbermagazine.com/Awards_2017.html
$15 ENTRY FEE.
Deadline April 15, 2017. First Prize: $1,000 plus publication in Prime Number Magazine. Finalists: A list of nine finalists will be listed in Prime Number Magazine. (Prime Number Magazine is a Press 53 publication.) Poem should be no more than three pages in length (no word count needed) with numbered pages and spaced according to the poet’s intended style. Short story should be 53 to 5,300 words, double-spaced in 12-pt. type with numbered pages. Writers may enter either or both categories. Multiple entries require separate reading fees.



ST MARTIN'S MINOTAUR/MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA FIRST CRIME NOVEL COMPETITION
http://mysterywriters.org/about-mwa/st-martins/
The Competition is open to any writer, regardless of nationality, aged 18 or older, who has never been the author of any Published Novel (in any genre)(except that authors of self-published works only may enter, as long as the manuscript submitted is not the self-published work) and is not under contract with a publisher for publication of a novel. Murder or another serious crime or crimes is at the heart of the story.



KINDLE STORYTELLER PRIZE
https://www.amazon.co.uk/b?ie=UTF8&node=12061299031
The Kindle Storyteller Prize carries a cash award of £20,000: far smaller than the £50,000 Man Booker Prize, but equal to the winner's purse offered by the country's two biggest poetry book awards, the TS Eliot Prize and Forward Prize. The prize is open to any author who publishes their book through Kindle Direct Publishing between February 20 and May 19 this year. Entries from any genre are eligible – including fiction, nonfiction and collections of short stories – so long as they are more than 5,000 words and previously unpublished. Once published, individual printed copies of any of the books can also be ordered via Amazon's print-on-demand service. Deadline May 19, 2017. 
 

GRANTS

THE OXFORD AMERICAN JEFF BASKIN WRITERS FELLOWSHIP
http://www.oxfordamerican.org/about/fellowship
Fellow will receive a $10,000 living stipend, housing, and an editorial apprenticeship with the Oxford American toward a nine-month residency in the thriving creative capital, Central Arkansas. Writers of any genre are invited to apply. Although the writer may have published books in other genres, the proposed project must be for a debut book of creative nonfiction. The manuscript may, however, be in any stage of development: draft, agency representation, contracted, or not. For the purposes of this fellowship, creative nonfiction is defined as literary journalism, memoir, reportage, criticism, or the lyric essay. Deadline March 30, 2017. 



COLLINS POETRY RESIDENCY
http://www.mwcqc.org/contests/collins-poetry-residency/
The Midwest Writing Center is currently seeking applications to be the Fall 2017 Collins Poet-in-Residence. The residency supports community-based poetry and a regional poet who has not yet published a full-length poetry collection and who resides in the six-county Quad City area (Rock Island, Henry, Mercer in Illinois; Scott, Clinton, and Muscatine in Iowa). The residency is coordinated by the Midwest Writing Center and will take place between September-November 2017. Deadline April 1, 2017. In addition to the limited-edition broadside, the Collins Poet-In-Residence will also receive a stipend of $250 and travel reimbursement up to $100.



ASIAN WOMEN GIVING CIRCLE
http://forwomen.org/grants-2/awgc-2017-rfp/
AWGC will award grants of up to $15,000 to Asian American women-led organizations and individual artists in New York City who are using arts and culture to bring about progressive social change; raise awareness and catalyze action around critical issues that affect Asian American women, girls, and families; and highlight and promote the central role of women as leaders, creators, developers, and managers of these projects. All artistic disciplines, including cross-disciplinary work, will be considered. Projects must incorporate the arts in an integral way and highlight women's leadership and/or central role. In addition, projects must demonstrate a deep commitment to a specific community in New York City. Deadline March 17, 2017.



IRENE ADLER PRIZE
http://www.lucasaykroyd.com/scholarships
I’ve traveled the world from Sweden to South Africa, from the Golden Globes to the Olympic women’s hockey finals. I’ve photographed a mother polar bear and her cubs and profiled stars like ABBA, Jennifer Garner and Katarina Witt. And I couldn’t have done it without women. I’ve been very fortunate, and it’s time for me to give back. With the Irene Adler Prize, I’m awarding a $1,000 scholarship to a woman pursuing a degree in journalism, creative writing, or literature at a recognized post-secondary institution in the U.S. or Canada, based on an essay competition. No age restriction. Must be U.S. or Canadian citizen. Deadline April 30, 2017. The competition is open to women commencing or continuing to pursue a bachelor’s, master’s, or Ph.D degree in journalism, creative writing, or literature at a recognized post-secondary institution in the United States or Canada in 2017-18. Submit a 500-word essay in English on one of the following three topics:
“Who is a female role model who inspires you?”
“What do you dream of accomplishing with your writing career?”
“If you could travel to one place in the world, where would it be, and why?”

 

FREELANCE MARKETS

GREAT JONES STREET
https://www.greatjonesstreet.press/submissions/
To submit to Great Jones Street, you must reach out to one of their existing writers. This is a site about community. The writer then makes an introduction to the editor. They have a Fresh Writers Series for newer writers. Their writers are diverse. Many of them will read stories for a fee and most of them teach. Many are editors at literary journals. The goal is to build a definitive catalog of short fiction in all genres, and by established and emerging artists. They buy 1,000 stories per year. Pays between $250 and $500 for new stories of any length. Commissioned serials pay more and are negotiated. Pays $50 minimum for reprints. For flash fiction of 1,500 words or less, pays $50-$150. Will resume accepting submissions in June.



HERIZONS
http://www.herizons.ca/contribute
The purpose of Herizons is to empower women; to inspire hope and foster a state of wellness that enriches women's lives; to build awareness of issues as they affect women; to foster a spirit of co operation; to promote the strength, wisdom and creativity of women; to broaden the boundaries of feminism to include building coalitions and support among other marginalized peoples; to foster peace and ecological awareness and to expand the influence of feminist principles in the world. Herizons is a non-profit organization based in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada. Payment is made in Canadian funds upon publication. Articles in Herizons are licensed for first time North American rights @ .25 cents per word with an additional three cents per word for non-exclusive subsidiary rights, including the right to transfer articles to CD rom for educational/academic libraries and/or secure on-line database services. 



ADVENTURE TRAVEL MAGAZINE
http://www.adventuretravelmagazine.co.uk/index.php/about-us/contributor-guide
Adventure Travel core destination features cover active outdoor travel and in particular trekking and mountaineering. Articles on train journeys, wine tasting or dancing with elephants in Antarctica all have their place, but it isn’t in Adventure Travel. Our definition of trekking is quite broad and ranges from day hikes in the UK right up to serious multi-day or multi-week wilderness expeditions in the Arctic. We’re just as interested in classic ‘must do’ routes like the Inca Trail or Kilimanjaro as in more obscure expeditions. Though it has to be said, a fresh angle and new perspective is even more critical on these routes. We also run inspirational pieces on mountaineering generally, but not always, drawing the line at trekking peaks. Something like Aconcagua, a high, serious undertaking, involving genuine risk, serious determination and great fitness, but not a highly technical climb. That said, we do publish the occasional extreme feature.
 

JOBS

WRITER-EDITOR
Location Landover, MD
https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/464228400/
Deadline February 28, 2017. Pays $54,972 to $71,467 per year. This position is located in the Exhibits Planning department, Smithsonian Exhibits (SIE), Smithsonian Institution (SI). The employee communicates through the museum exhibition medium by writing/editing exhibit scripts and developing interpretive strategies for messaging.



COPYWRITER SPECIALIST
Location Columbia, SC
http://jobs.pwc.com/ShowJob/Id/865396/Copywriter
Demonstrates some knowledge of, and/or proven record of success, utilizing technical training in writing and editing content for web pages, email, social media, and blog posts, while maintaining a consistent voice across channels, preferably in an agency environment or global network of professional services firms. Demonstrates some abilities and/or proven record of success in writing in a variety of formats, styles, and tones as it relates to various end-users, preferably in an agency environment or global network of professional services firms, including the following: Creating editorial content development, editing, and proofreading, with a command of the English language, business writing and grammar rules, without reliance on spell checkers and grammar checkers; and, managing multiple projects simultaneously.
 

Publishers/agents

39 WEST PRESS
https://39westpress.com/submit
39 West Press publishes books of art, poetry, literary fiction, and creative nonfiction. We are looking for innovative and well-crafted, high-quality works by new and established authors. Our desire is to promote and publish a diverse range of experiences and voices, including but not limited to people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA, as well as ethnic and cultural minorities. We accept open submissions for full-length poetry volumes (approximately 70 pages or more) only; at this time, we do not accept unsolicited manuscripts in any other category or genre.



BARRICADE BOOKS
http://www.barricadebooks.com/index.php/about/single/submission_guidelines/
We publish very little fiction. And we do not publish poetry or children's books. We look for quality nonfiction manuscripts - preferably that lean toward the controversial. We are a publicity-driven publisher and look for books with authors who are committed to promoting themselves and their titles. 



BELGRAVE HOUSE
https://www.belgravehouse.com/online/index.php?main_page=page_2
We are especially interested in publishing women's fiction, mysteries, contemporary, and historical romance. Our sister site, Regency Reads, is acquiring Regency and Georgian romance. 



BLACK MOUNTAIN PRESS
http://theblackmountainpress.com/submit.html
Black Mountain Press is a literary press for outstanding emerging writers publishing several different genres of books annually. For the next five years from 2016 through the end of 2021 our focus will be in collections of poetry, memoir, novels, and collections of short stories. Our editors are looking for the highest quality literary fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry that combines a distinct voice and vision.

 

SPONSORS

Writing a book? Confused about publishing options? Need a marketing plan? Don’t miss the 7th annual Nonfiction Writers Conference—a virtual event unlike any other. Join 15 top speakers May 3-5, 2017 from the comfort of your home or office.

Details and registration: NonfictionWritersConference.com 

“NFWC is the best investment I make each year in my nonfiction author career. The caliber and accessibility of the presenters is unusually high, the topics well chosen and diverse, and I can honestly say that at least half of the presentations would have been worth the cost of the whole conference alone.” – Mary Shafer, Devastation on the Delaware, 55Flood.com

“The Non-Fiction Writers E-Conference is a wonderful event! I’ve attended many in-person writers conferences over the years at considerable expense. It was great to be able to be at home in my office and just participate in the sessions that most interested me — at a very reasonable cost!” – Doreen Pendgracs, Author of “Chocolatour: A Quest for the World’s Best Chocolate,” http://chocolatour.net










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. 

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EXISTING CLIENTS EARN 8% REFERRAL FEE FOR SENDING IN NEW CLIENTS 

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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

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"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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http://kbhyde.com/
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I LOVE THIS LADY!!!!  If you want to improve your writing, she is the person to go to. ~C. Hope Clark

 

INE 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 2000-2017, C. Hope Clark
ISSN: 1533-1326

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