SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

At FanStory you'll get:

• Feedback for everything you write.

• Contests with cash prizes. Over 50 every month!

• Fun. Be a part of a writing community that supports writers of all skill levels.

Find out More  | Watch Our Video 

Here are some of the Upcoming Contests with cash prizes. 

Share Your Story 
Write about an event in your life.  Deadline is Tuesday, Feb. 7th.

Horror Story 
Write a horror or thriller story.  Deadline: Sunday, Feb. 12th.

Valentine's Poetry 
Write a love poem. But there is a twist. Write your love poem as an acrostic. Deadline is Valentines Day, Feb. 14th.

Tanka Poetry Contest
A tanka has a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable count. Write a poem about anything but follow the syllable count. Deadline is Thursday, Feb. 16th

Enter all these contests and many more with a one time entry fee. There are over 50 every month. View our full listing here. Find out more about FanStory here.

THE GROWING NUMBER OF NONPAYING FREELANCE MARKETS

We see them more and more, ranging from the Huffington Post to ScaryMommy.com - publications that only offer exposure and not payment. And the more frustrating part is seeing our peers and cohorts continuing to submit their writing to them, perpetuating the machine that eats up the future of the writing profession.

So is all their work being written for free? Has the internet and all its free reading material ruined a writer's ability to earn a living as a freelancer?

No. Our future is not lost. It's just shifted. 

Every profession goes through change, where the people of today function differently that those of the past, and it's those who learn how to adjust who make a success of the change. 

"Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change." ~Stephen Hawking

But we still need to feed our families and pay for the roof over our heads. If markets are drying up, what are we to do?

1) Hunt for NEW markets that pay. New publications are birthed weekly. Google "Write for Us," or "Contributors Guidelines," or "Writer Submissions" or other similar phrases. Skip the first four or five pages of results and leap deeper in, where most of the other writers never reach.

2) Consider applying to be an employee of a publication. For example: http://www.thepennyhoarder.com/careers/ 

3) Learn to juggle. For instance, The Penny Hoarder pays $200 for a piece, or gives the author a link to their website. At first the $200 sounds wonderful, but what if you time a sale, book, class, or product promotion about the time that article comes out on The Penny Hoarder? They have four million Facebook readers, 26 thousand Twitter followers, and 1.7 million email members. Think strategically. They do.

4) Offer blog posts. They may not pay, but they are easier to write and more time sensitive than articles. It might be easier to break into a blog for a publication than the print or online version, plus it introduces you to the editors.

5) Propose a column. They tend to be shorter than feature stories and are easier to write. Offer ten column pieces and suggest a trial period at a reduced payment rate. At the end of that period, decide if this market is for you. And if you part ways, you have the history of a column under your belt to pitch to the next guy . . . for a higher price.

6) Use the 25/50/25 tool. Pitch 25 percent of the time to easy markets. Pitch 50 percent of the time to markets that pay and challenge you, but are within reach (think 50/50 rejection/acceptance rate). Then pitch 25 percent to markets you only dream of. Do this religiously. Over time, you'll find the scale sliding to the more complicated markets, and your fee rising.

Give up and you only hurt yourself, because the industry will keep chugging on, with or without you, and they  don't care how you used to do things in the past.


 







"As close to perfection as you're going to find in the world of ebook and POD publishing. The ebook royalties are the highest I've ever seen, and the print royalties are better than average. BookLocker understands what new authors experience, and has put together a package that is the best in the business. You can't go wrong here. Plus, they're selective and won't publish any manuscript just because it's accompanied by a check. Also, the web site is well trafficked. If you can find a POD or epublisher with as much integrity and dedication to selling authors' books, but with lower POD publishing fees, please let me know."   – Attorney Mark Levine, author of The Fine Print of Self-Publishing 






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

By perseverance the snail reached the ark.

~Charles Haddon Spurgeon
 

Success Story

If FundsforWriters has aided you in your effort to write for a living, let us know so we can share it with the readers. Email hope@fundsforwriters.com 

featured article

Should I Hire Someone to Upload My Ebook or Do it Myself?

By Pam McCutcheon

When Hope saw my Fiverr gig on uploading ebooks to ebookstores for $5 each, she asked me how I could do it so easily and so cheaply. Actually, uploading is the easiest part of self-publishing, and you probably already have everything you need. Here's what you should know to upload your ebook (varies by platform, but this should cover what's required for most of them, and is what I ask my clients for):
 
·       An account with the vendor (Amazon, iTunes Connect, Nook Press, Kobo, etc.)
·       Book title and subtitle (optional)
·       Series name and number (optional)
·       Author name(s)
·       Publisher (you can just use your name, e.g.: Amy Author Books)
·       Description (back cover blurb)
·       Book categories (you can find BISAC codes here; two to five categories, depending on the platform)
·       Age range (for children's books)
·       Print length (optional)
·       Language it's written in
·       ISBN-13 (optional) from Bowker in the U.S., plus the print ISBN-13 if there is a print version
·       Base Currency (yours — USD, CAN, GBP, EUR, AU, etc.)
·       Book price in your currency
·       Book price for other countries (either use their default at the exchange rate or change to end in .99)
·       Keywords (what the reader will search for to find your book)
·       Whether you want Digital Rights Management (DRM)
·       If it's not in the public domain, verification that you have the rights to publish it
·       An ebook file (most will take .doc files, but an .epub looks better)
·       A cover (in .jpg or .png format)
 
Once the client provides me with all of this information, it's easy to just copy and paste. If a problem comes up, it's usually in iBooks, related to the cover. The outside cover shown on the site needs to be a minimum of 1,400 pixels wide. However, the cover on the inside of the book must be smaller (no more than four million pixels). The same is true for all interior images.
 
So, if it's so easy to upload, why would anyone hire someone else to do it? Usually, it's because they don't have access. For example, uploading to iBooks requires a Mac. If you don't have a Mac, you can use Mac in Cloud for a fee, go through an aggregator like Draft2Digital or Smashwords, or hire someone to do it for you.
 
The learning curve for Mac in Cloud could be costly, and, if you go through an aggregator, you will be charged 10-15 percent of all sales you make. That's why people will pay someone on Fiverr to upload to iBooks for them. It does require that you give a stranger your userid and password to your account, but if you find someone with good reviews, it's not much of a risk, and you can always change your password immediately after they upload.
 
Another reason people might hire someone else to upload their ebook is if they live outside the U.S. and want to publish their book on Nook Press. I understand it's difficult, if not impossible. So, hiring someone to do it for a few bucks makes sense.
 
I hope I took some of the mystery (and fear) out of uploading for you, and helped you make your decision whether to do it yourself or hire someone to do it for you. And, hey, if you need assistance, check out my Fiverr gig. I'd be happy to help you.
 
BIO - Pam McCutcheon is a freelance writer, editor, and speaker, and the author of the popular Writing the Fiction Synopsis and The Writer's Brainstorming Kit.

 

COmpetitions

PALOOKA PRESS
http://palookamag.com/palooka-press
$10 ENTRY FEE.
Please send your best fiction, poetry, nonfiction, graphic narrative, or hybrid genres. Manuscripts should be roughly 35 to 50 pages, but we're flexible. Winner receives publication by Palooka Press (a perfect-bound book with a glossy color cover), $200 honorarium, 20 free copies of the book, a bio and photo featured on our website, chapbook sent out for review and promotion. Deadline May 15, 2017. 



GINOSKO LITERARY JOURNAL FLASH FICTION CONTEST
https://ginosko.submittable.com/submit
$5 ENTRY FEE.
$500 award. Deadline March 1, 2017. Submit up to two pieces, 800 words maximum each piece. Awarded work will be published on the website. 



FRIENDS OF FALUN GONG POETRY CONTEST
http://fofg.org/act-now/poetry-contest/
NO ENTRY FEE.
This contest is an excellent opportunity for those who have never encountered Falun Gong before to research and learn about it, and through poetry, raise awareness among others who have not heard about the practice and its persecution in China. Submit one or two poems of no more than 50 lines each. Poems must encompass at least one of the following themes: Advocate for Falun Gong practitioner’s fundamental human rights; Expose the crimes against Falun Gong perpetrated by the Chinese Communist Party; or Share in the beauty, peacefulness and good nature of Falun Gong. Traditional poetry with rhyme and meter is recommended but all styles and forms are welcomed. No profanity please. Poems should be submitted as a word file or PDF file to competition@fofg.org by April 30, 2017, midnight EST. Adults: first prize $500, second prize $250, third price $100. College: first prize $250, second prize $100. High school: first prize $100, second prize $50. 



EX OPHIDIA PRESS POETRY BOOK
https://exophidiapress.submittable.com/submit/52356/second-annual-ex-ophidia-press-poetry-book-contest
$25 ENTRY FEE.
Deadline August 15, 2017. The winning author shall receive a $1,000 cash prize and 15 author copies of the book. Open to all English-language authors (of any age, ethnicity, gender, or orientation) for a book of poetry. Suggested length of manuscript is between 64 and 84 pages, single-spaced. The winning volume will be published by Ex Ophidia Press and distributed through Amazon. Five finalists will also be announced along with the winner.
 

GRANTS

KIMMEL NELSOM CENTER FOR THE ARTS
http://www.khncenterforthearts.org/
The KHN Center accommodates up to five artists at a time for stays that vary from two to eight weeks. Each resident is provided with comfortable accommodations, ample studio space, and a weekly $100 stipend for the duration of their stay. Deadline March 1, 2017. Location Nebraska City, Nebraska.



THE SLF $750 WORKING CLASS WRITERS GRANT
http://speculativeliterature.org/grants/the-slf-working-class-impoverished-writers-750-grant/
Working class, blue-collar, poor, and homeless writers have been historically underrepresented in speculative fiction, due to financial barriers which have made it much harder for them to have access to the writing world. Such lack of access might include an inability to attend conventions, to purchase a computer, to buy books, to attend college or high school, to have the time to write (if, for example, you must work two jobs simply to pay rent and feed a family, or if you must spend all your waking hours job-hunting for months on end). The SLF would like to assist in finding more of these marginalized voices and bringing them into speculative fiction. You are eligible for this $750 grant if you come from a background such as described above, if you grew up (or are growing up) in homelessness, poverty, or a blue collar / working-class household, or if you have lived for a significant portion of your life in such conditions, especially if you had limited access to relatives/friends who could assist you financially. Must be American. Deadline February 28, 2017. 



OKLAHOMA WRITERS FEDERATION SCHOLARSHIP
https://www.owfi.org/conference2017/scholarships/
Wishing you could attend the Oklahoma Writers Federation Inc. 2017 Conference in May? Worried that your budget is busted and it will be possible for you to go? Even though this conference is one of the best bargains to be found for writers, we do have help available. Full (two-day) and Partial (one-day) Conference Scholarships are available for qualifying applicants. Lodging and extra tickets, lunches or workshops are not included. Membership in OWFI is not required, but suggested. Applications for scholarships must be received not later than March 1, with notification of selection by March 15. 



SCHOLARSHIP FOR GET AWAY TO WRITER IN SPAIN
http://murphywriting.com/writing-getaways/get-away-to-write-spain-writing-retreat.html#scholarship
Are you a writer who loves to travel? Retreat to beautiful northern Spain to immerse yourself in a supportive week-long writing experience that will energize and inspire you. Enjoy encouraging workshops, plentiful writing time, panoramic cliff top views, excursions to Barcelona and more. We are offering a $1,000 scholarship to a first-time participant in one of Murphy Writing of Stockton University’s international programs. Application deadline: March 9, 2017. July 11-18, 2017, Tavertet, Spain.

 

FREELANCE MARKETS

BRAIN, TEEN
https://brainchildmag.submittable.com/submit/66320/personal-essay-brain-teen
Accepting 1,000-4,000 words. In our fifth publication year, we are now considering personal essays for Brain Teen, our award-winning print magazine devoted to parenting teens (ages 13 and up) or having been a teen. We look for an authentic voice with a down-to-earth tone. We appreciate exquisite detail, vivid scenes and spot-on dialogue. We love to see new topics or interesting angles on familiar topics. Payment: $300. Each accepted essay is automatically entered into our "Best of Brain Teen" contest for a $1,000 prize.



FLAME TREE PUBLISHING
http://blog.flametreepublishing.com/fantasy-gothic/2017-short-story-submissions
So, for 2017 we’re opening short story submissions for the following titles: Lost Worlds, Supernatural Horror, Time Travel, and Heroic Fantasy. As always we need between twenty to thirty short stories by new writers to complement a selection of classic tales. We are keen to encourage new writers, without prejudice to age, background or previous publication history. It’s the story that matters, and the quality of writing. Word length is most likely to be successful at 2,000-4,000. We pay Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) rates of six cents per word.



THE NEW QUARTERLY
https://tnq.ca/submissions/
We pay writers $250 for a short story or non-fiction entry, and $40 per poem or postscript story. In exchange, we get first Canadian publishing rights. We will accept once piece per author, per genre, per calendar year. That is a grand total of one piece of fiction or non-fiction, up to three poems, and three postscripts. Limit 6,000 words but prefers shorter pieces. The longer the piece, the less likelihood it gets accepted due to the limited space in the publication.



RODALE'S ORGANIC LIFE
http://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/content/work-us
We accept pitches for print and/or online articles that address some aspect of the magazine’s focus on living naturally in the modern world. Pitches for the front-of-book Gather section, the Food, Home, Garden, or Wellbeing sections, feature articles, or the back-of-book Almanac section should be succinct yet detailed. Pays up to $1/word.

 

JOBS

STAFF WRITER
https://journalism.berkeley.edu/career/jobs/detail/18816/
https://issuu.com/businessmonthly/docs/b.monthly_oct.16
Write business stories for Business Monthly magazine, the journal of the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt. 



ASSOCIATE WRITER, EARTHJUSTICE
https://journalism.berkeley.edu/career/jobs/detail/18836/
Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We take on the biggest, most precedent-setting cases across the country. Work closely with the Senior Development Writer (SDW) and other Development staff, particularly the Major Gifts and Events teams, and sometimes the Foundations team, to identify writing and editing needs. Research and review material prepared by frontline Development staff, Earthjustice attorneys, and Communications staff to develop written content. 
 

Publishers/agents

BAILIWICK PRESS
http://www.bailiwickpress.com/
We consider submissions, agented and unagented, for children's and young adult fiction. We're looking for smart, funny, and layered writing that kids will clamor for. Illustrated fiction is desired but not required.



LIBRARY TALES
http://www.librarytalespublishing.com
Library Tales Publishing is an independent book publishing company founded in 2011. The company is focused on publishing, marketing, and distributing self-help, memoirs, and niche fiction books by qualified and talented authors. Currently releasing an average of 20 to 30 new titles every year, Library Tales Publishing was founded during the peak of the digital publishing revolution and one of its very first releases was a memoir on Kindle. Today, Library Tales Publishing has domestic and international distribution, film rights, and sales representation throughout the world and is heavily invested in digital and physical distribution channels; its editorial choices are motivated primarily by quality content and long-term relationship potential with its authors.



PETER PAUPER PRESS
http://www.peterpauper.com/submission.php
We publish humor and gift books, stationery, journals, engagement calendars, personal organizers, children’s activity and picture books, and novelty formats. We consider proposals for art or manuscripts for works in each of these categories. Our target audience is primarily women, and our common themes are celebrating relationships (e.g., friendship, sisters, mothers, teachers) or special occasions (e.g., the birth of a child, graduation, wedding, holidays). We do not acquire poetry, short stories, novels, religious material, or “how-to” nonfiction.
 

SPONSORS

Do you wonder how some of the books at the top of the Amazon ranks get to be #1?





Wouldn’t you just love to sit down and grill some of those authors to find out exactly how they run ads, kick off launches, or get 1,000+ reviews on their books?

Well, my friend, Karen Dimmick, interviewed 26 authors and packaged it all together into The Book Marketing Summit, which starts on Jan 30th and is giving people access for free, for 48 hours. 

YOU CAN GRAB YOUR SPOT HERE

Best,
Miral Sattar
Bibliocrunch.com








 

 
 
Short & Helpful Online Writer Workshops
Sign up any time and jump on our carousel of workshops—one each month, rotating annually.
 
Winter Collection: Character, Dialogue, Beginnings & Endings
Spring Collection: Conflict, Backstory, Self-Editing
Summer Collection: Memoir, World Building, Researching
Autumn Collection: Premise & Structure, Voice & POV, Settings
 
Use HOPE2017 discount code for 15% off any registration.
Register for a single workshop, a collection with FREE workbook, or all 12 for substantial SAVINGS.
 
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ScreenplayCoverage.com along with its sister site NovelCoverage.com is a trusted writers' resource, serving thousands of authors over the last 8 years. The top 3 screenplays each month are offered exposure to thousands of industry professionals. They have the most experienced staff you'll find anywhere online, many of whom read for agents and studios for over 10 years before starting with them. 

They do coverage reports, treatments, proofreading, and even performed audio of your script! They haven't raised their rates since they began, and if you tell them Hope sent you, they'll knock 20% off for first-time clients as an introduction to the service. Just e-mail Skyler at info@screenplaycoverage.com and ask about the discount, or see if they're online right now through the chat widget on their site.  http://www.ScreenplayCoverage.com













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

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A few testimonials from happy clients:

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I LOVE THIS LADY!!!!  ~C. Hope Clark




 

FINE PRINT

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C. Hope Clark
E-mail: hope@fundsforwriters.com
140-A Amicks Ferry Road #4
Chapin, SC 29036
http://www.fundsforwriters.com

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

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