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

Dialogue Only Writing Contest
Write a story but only use dialogue. No narration, descriptions or sentence tags. Cash Prize! Deadline is this Sunday, Mar. 5th.

Free Verse Poetry Contest 
This is a method of writing poetry, which does not essentially follow any structure or style. There is no fixed meter and no structure regarding rhyme and lines in each stanza.   Cash Prize! Deadline:  Wednesday, Mar. 8th

Acrostic Poetry Contest  
Write an acrostic poem where the first letter of each line spells out a word (downwards).  The winner will receive a cash prize! Deadline: Thursday, Mar. 9th

Character 
Write a story that somehow uses the image shown in the contest announcement. Cash prize! Deadline: Tuesday, Mar. 14th

This is just a few of our contests. View our full listing here. Find out more about FanStory here. Watch our video here.

 

THE WILL TO WRITE

Your income from writing is directly correlated to the time you spend writing. And the more you write, the faster your income increases. It's a simple concept that the majority of fairly new writers do not comprehend. 

In other words . . . write every day.

All the professionals write daily. . . you know, those full-time writers like you'd love to be. I just read a blog post by a traditionally-published writer who was complaining about not having time to write. Christmas, redecorating her home, kids . . . the article actually made me mad by the time I reached the end of it. There she was, with a traditional contract, which many writers would kill for, and she was fussing about not having the time to write. If you had a traditional contract and an agent, and you had finally reached the point where you could call yourself a professional writer, wouldn't you darn sure make the time each and every day to write? (Speak to the hand, girl.) 

Writers write. There are good days and bad days, but you write. You may not write on the novel, but you write on a feature, a blog post, a guest blog post, or an editorial. You put words down in some fashion to keep the writing arteries unclogged. That way when you sit down on the good days, you don't have to re-prime the pump.

So your days are hectic. Everybody wants a piece of you. Here are some suggestions:

1) Pick something and someone to say no to, then take that new time and write. No excuses.
2) At home, close the door and tell people not to bother you for 30 minutes. Write. No excuses. No interruptions allowed. 
3) Get up half an hour earlier and write, or go to bed half an hour later.
4) Turn off television, email, or social media for half an hour and write.
5) Use lunch to write.
6) Use your commute to write.
7) Quit cleaning house and write. Dust bunnies won't kill you. 

Each additional word propels you to some semblance of success . . . assuming you don't let weeks and months come between the writing of those words. In those cases, you practically have to start over. Time is precious. Life is short. Other people are writing daily and passing you by. Honey....it's all on you.


 





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

The most important thing I can tell you about aging is this: If you really feel that you want to have an off-the-shoulder blouse and some big beads and thong sandals and a dirndl skirt and a magnolia in your hair, do it. Even if you’re wrinkled.

~Maya Angelou
 

Success Story

If FundsforWriters has opened a door to success, please let us share with the rest of the FFW readership. Email hope@fundsforwriters.com

featured article

What I’ve Learned Writing Internationally

By Alex J Coyne

I’m based in South Africa, but many of my clients aren’t. Writing internationally opens you up to a whole new reader-base, and it means access to more paying gigs! 

Getting in

Break in by building contacts; introduce yourself to new editors and pitch them ideas. I wrote on spec a lot. Search things like “write for us”, “writer’s guidelines”, “markets that pay” and “guest posts” to find new places. Don’t see rejection as a setback. A new editor’s rejection letter means a new contact. Keep pitching! The Writer’s Market Guide is a great resource, and sites like WritersMarket.com and WorldwideFreelance.com can point you to more markets. Get people to know you, and get to know people. 

Language and style switches  

Read the publications you aim to pitch. Keep language and style differences in mind: UK, US and South African English differ, and it pays to know why. While saying “robot” to mean “traffic light” is fine in SA English, it’ll confuse readers anywhere else! Books like The UK to USA Dictionary are a big help. 

Keep an eye on exchange rates

Exchange rates affect your budget when writing internationally. In my case, the South African rand weakened drastically against the U.S. dollar (approximately R15.39 per one US dollar) last year, and it meant a minor bump in pay for a while. But of course, that fluctuates. 

Charge clients the same rates, but convert your per hour or page rate into the applicable currency (and yes, it’s okay to round off). Sites like XE (http://www.xe.com) help you convert currencies (http://www.xe.com/currencyconverter) and keep an eye on applicable exchange rates.

Payment

Different countries use different payment systems. While a direct bank transfer is fine for local clients, my international clients pay via PayPal. Do your research on which payment system is the most popular in the country you’ll be writing for, so you don’t get any nasty delayed payment surprises. Cashing money paid via PayPal to my bank account takes an additional five to eight business days, so I’ve learned to account for that.

Taxes internationally

Know the tax rules in your country and theirs. In addition to my own tax forms, I’ve had to fill out a W-8BEN (Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner) form for international vendors. I’ll also have to consider PayPal income from international clients part of my tax returns, and so will you. http://www.investopedia.com/terms/w/w8form.asp

It’s about time

Always mind time zones, especially for meetings, off days and holidays. Ensure you know what the time (and sometimes occasion) is elsewhere. This helps when pitching seasonal content, too, but also makes sure you’re on the same calendar page with your client.

The process is constant

Don’t ever think you’re “done” breaking into the market. I’m always coming up with new ideas and getting to know new markets. That way, you don’t stay too reliant on one source for an income. That’s dangerous ground for a freelancer! Having a pitching cycle (say,  sitting down to pitch every Monday and Thursday) helps you keep a continuous rhythm to it. 

More markets

Many markets came from just picking a publication, finding the editor and asking. Allindiewriters.com, Writersweekly.com , and WritersJobBoard.com are more market sources.  Search engine tricks like these are also useful:
-    Specific sites: site:sitename keyword 
-    Exact phrases: ‘search term’ (searches an exact phrase, like ‘writers market’ or ‘$50’)
-    Adding results: +searchterm
-    Decluttering results: -searchterm

BIO: Alex J Coyne is a freelance journalist, author and language practitioner. He writes regularly for publications like MoneyPantry, The Dollar Stretcher and The Investor, and he has even been featured on radio (Radio Namakwaland, KayaFM). Currently, he writes from the mountains, living with his wife and cats.

COmpetitions

ABLE MUSE WRITE PRIZE CONTEST
http://www.ablemusepress.com/ablemuse-write-prize
$15 ENTRY FEE. 
$500 prize for the best poem, and $500 prize for the best short story (flash fiction), plus publication in Able Muse (the print journal). Finalists in each category will also be considered for publication. Deadline March 15, 2017. For poetry entries, all styles are welcome (metrical or free verse). For poetry entries, each entry may contain one to five poems maximum, but all the poems combined should not exceed 16 pages per entry. For fiction entries, each entry may contain one to two stories maximum (each story should be flash fiction/short-short-short under 1,500 words each, typed double-spaced).



MODERN LOVE COLLEGE ESSAY CONTEST
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/02/09/style/modern-love-college-essay-contest.html
NO ENTRY FEE.
We’re inviting college students nationwide to open their hearts and laptops and write an essay that tells the truth about what love is like for them today. The winning author will receive $1,000 and his or her essay will be published in a special Modern Love column in late April. Email your essay (1,500-1,700 words, attached as a Word document. Deadline March 19, 2017.



CARRIE MCCRAY MEMORIAL LITERARY AWARD
http://www.myscwa.org/contests/
$20-$25 ENTRY FEE.
Winning entries in each category will receive $200 for first place, $100 for second place and $50 for third place and will be published in The Petigru Review. One contributor copy will be given to each author for winning entries. The contest is open to anyone, from any country, anywhere in the world. However, entries must be written in English. Submissions open March 1 and close May 1 each year. The Carrie McCray Awards will feature four genres: First Chapter of a Novel, Short Story, Creative Nonfiction, and Poetry. First Chapter of a Novel – 3,500 word limit. Fiction – word count limit 3,000. Creative Nonfiction – word count limit 3,000 . Poetry – submit up to three (3) poems, not to exceed 80 lines in total. Deadline May 1, 2017. 



NEW OHIO REVIEW CONTEST - FICTION, NONFICTION, POETRY
https://newohioreview.submittable.com/submit
$20 ENTRY FEE.
Deadline April 15, 2017. Prose should be typed, double-spaced, and be no longer than 20 pages. Up to six single-spaced pages of poetry per submission entry. $1,000 prizes in each category as well as publication.
 

GRANTS

LYCOMING COLLEGE CREATIVE WRITING SCHOLARSHIPS
http://www.lycoming.edu/financialAid/scholarshipOpportunities.aspx
The Lycoming College Creative Writing Scholarship. Lycoming is a small Pennsylvania college that offers a $3,000 scholarship to incoming freshmen and transfer undergraduate students who declare a creative writing major. The application requires a submission of five original poems or a 10-page maximum short story. Applicants have the option to submit both types of writing if they prefer, and this portfolio needs to be sent by mail to the college’s vice president of admissions and financial aid. 



KEROUAC PROJECT
https://kerouac.submittable.com/submit
The Kerouac Project provides four residencies a year to writers of any stripe or age, living anywhere in the world. In the past we have accepted writers with no formal writing education alongside those with MFA’s and impressive résumés. You will be judged on the quality of the writing sample you submit. Each residency consists of approximately a three month stay in the cottage where Jack Kerouac wrote his novel Dharma Bums. Utilities and a food stipend of $1,000 are included. As writer-in-residence, all you are required to do is live in the Kerouac House during your residency, work on your writing project, and participate in two events—a Welcome Potluck dinner for you, and a Final Reading of your work at the Kerouac House at the end of your residency. Should you desire them, the Kerouac Project can also offer opportunities for you to participate in other readings, lead workshops, and interact in other ways with the vibrant Central Florida literary community. Deadline March 12, 2017. 



THE ROSE O'NEILL LITERARY HOUSE
http://www.washcoll.edu/centers/lithouse/programs/cave-canem-residency.php
The Rose O’Neill Literary House partners with Cave Canem to provide a month-long residency in historic Chestertown, Maryland annually to one Cave Canem Fellow. The Cave Canem Residency at The Rose O’Neill Literary House includes a public reading as part of the annual Summer Poetry Salon Series. The Fellow is awarded the use of a private, single-family residence for the entire month of June, along with a $1000 honorarium for living expenses. The Fellow also has the option of a private manuscript consultation with the Interim Director of the Literary House, poet James Allen Hall. Applicants should send a brief statement of purpose, a CV, and a 10-page poetry sample. Deadline March 15, 2017. 



GRUBSTREET CONFERENCE SCHOLARSHIPS
https://form.jotform.com/GrubStreet/visiting-writer-scholarship-muse-20
If geography and cost have stopped you from registering for GrubStreet's Muse and the Marketplace Conference in Boston-- recently voted "the #1 Writing Conference in North America" by The Writer Magazine, apply for our first-ever Visiting Writer Scholarship! This scholarship offers full-weekend tuition (a $530 value) plus a $500 travel stipend to aspiring fiction and narrative nonfiction writers living primarily OUTSIDE of New England (Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Vermont). No previous publication or MFA required, and there is no submission fee. Deadline: Sunday, March 12th at midnight EST. Notification by March 20th.

 

FREELANCE MARKETS

BLINDSPOT
http://blindspot.pub/guidelines/
We’re looking for original science fiction and fantasy stories up to 10,000 words. Please specify the word count at the beginning of the story. Language: English or French. No multiple submissions. Pays eight cents per word (English texts).



SAMOVAR
http://samovar.strangehorizons.com/submit/
Samovar is a quarterly magazine of and about speculative fiction in translation, published by Strange Horizons. We want good speculative fiction stories! If your story doesn't have a speculative element, or strong speculative-fiction sensibilities, it's probably not for us. We like fiction from or about traditionally under-represented groups, unusual yet readable styles and inventive structures and narratives, and stories that address political issues in complex and nuanced ways, resisting oversimplification. For newly translated stories, accompanied by the original-language version, we pay six cents per word to the author, and six cents per word to the translator, up to a maximum word count of 5,000 words. (We can consider longer pieces, but regret that we will have to cap payment at $300 to the translator and $300 to the author). For reprints of translated stories, accompanied by the original-language version, we pay a flat $100 to the author and $100 to the translator, regardless of word count. 



AGNI
http://www.bu.edu/agni/submit.html
All submissions are considered for both the print and online magazines. The print magazine appears twice yearly, in spring and fall. The website grows biweekly with postings of new online-only fiction, poetry, essays, reviews, and interviews. AGNI welcomes unsolicited manuscripts between September 1 and May 31. AGNI now pays $20 per page for prose and $40 per page for poetry, with a $300 maximum. 



AQUILA
https://www.aquila.co.uk/images/docs/Author_guidelines_2016.pdf
The magazine has a readership of 40,000 children between eight and 13 years. The majority are in the nine- to twelve-year-old range. The content is designed to appeal to bright children who are confident and independent readers. The story should be between 1,000 and 1,150 words (to fill one double spread). If a feature is accepted, a fee of £90 will be payable on publication. 
 

JOBS

FREELANCE WRITER
Location Nashville, TN
https://boards.greenhouse.io/thrillist/jobs/14719?gh_src=r3nf56#.WLoHe_krLZQ
Thrillist.com is hiring a freelance writer to contribute bar, restaurant, nightlife, and event articles for its new Nashville 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. The ideal candidate has an intimate knowledge of the restaurant and bar scene in Nashville, as well as experience as a food, nightlife and/or destination guide writer in digital media. Additionally, candidates with strong photography skills with a DSLR camera are preferred. An understanding of SEO and social media is critical. This is a chance to work with a winning team in the men’s interest space and help build its future.



WRITER JOURNALIST
Location Itasca, IL
https://www4.recruitingcenter.net/Clients/nsc/PublicJobs/controller.cfm
The nation's leading safety advocate for more than 100 years, the National Safety Council is a nonprofit membership organization with the mission to save lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy. If you are interested in working to make the world, measurably safer, NSC is the place for you in 2017. Location Itasca, IL. Researches and writes editorial content for publications in print and online. Writes news briefs and longer feature articles clearly and accurately under tight deadlines. Edits and proofreads content, and obtains technical reviews when appropriate. Participates in social media efforts.

Publishers/agents

SOUTHERN SASS PUBLISHING
http://www.southernsasspublishingalliances.com/submissions.html
Southern Sass Publishing Alliances is a small publisher seeking to publish books we love to read ourselves. We plan to publish only a few books a year and accept submissions in the following genres: fiction for adults, MG, YA (no picture books), memoir for adults, nonfiction for adults. We do NOT accept erotica, sci-fi, fantasy. No poetry or plays at this time.


 
FOREVER YOURS
http://labs.hbgusa.com/web/forever-romance/submission-guidelines.html
Forever Yours is currently accepting romance submissions from all subgenres, including but not limited to: contemporary romance , New Adult, category romance stories, romantic suspense, western, historical, inspirational, paranormal, time-travel, and erotica. We are not accepting YA, mystery, general fiction, non-fiction, or poetry. Word count: We are accepting novella length works (12,000-35,000 words), as well as longer works from 35,000-100,000 words.



ALIBI
http://www.randomhousebooks.com/alibi/
Alibi is Random House’s* digital-only imprint focused on mystery and thriller fiction titles. More consumers are reading ebooks than ever before, and we’re looking to the future and seeking to partner with the most forward-thinking and up-and-coming authors to introduce them to an avid new audience of digital readers.



HARPERLEGEND
http://harperone.hc.com/harperlegend/
Here at HarperOne, we talk about "visionary fiction” on a regular basis. When you are the publisher of bestsellers like THE ALCHEMIST by Paulo Coelho, THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS & SPACE TRILOGY by C.S. Lewis, THE MONK WHO SOLD HIS FERRARI by Robin Sharma, BUDDHA by Deepak Chopra and LIFE’S GOLDEN TICKET by Brendon Burchard, it is hard not to talk about novels like these that have had such a transformative impact on readers. Call them visionary fiction, spiritual novels, or just stories of change, these are books that not only move us, but transform and illuminate. HarperLegend seeks to discover and publish new authors of visionary and transformational fiction in the digital first format. 

 

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








 

NOTE FROM HOPE: These Book Design Templates are recommended by so many in the industry for formatting your ebook and print books properly. Highly recommended. I own several of these, and they give your book an extremely polished look. Cannot speak highly enough about them. 


 

ow 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

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/










I LOVE THIS LADY!!!!  If you want to improve your writing, she is the person to go to. ~C. Hope Clark
 

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 2000-2017, 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.