SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

FREELANCE TO SUPPORT YOUR BOOK

A week ago, a reader told me she turned to freelancing when her book wasn't selling. Because the book's story included a service dog, she pitched three stories to magazines that might be interested in such a story, and she sold two. And chances are more people will read her writing in those magazines in a week than will read her book in a year.

Ever read magazines and seen books advertised? I read a lot of magazines about farming, gardening, and the rural life, and it's amazing at how many authors and publishers advertise in those periodicals. That equates to anyone who'd read a magazine would read a book. Advertising is the best way to determine a magazine's reading demographics, you know.

Now, look at your book. Note the type of reader, subject content of the overall story, minor topics in the subplots, setting, time period, and hobbies or careers of the characters. Maybe there's a cause represented in the story. All the aspects of your book can make for freelance articles for magazines, websites, newsletters, and blogs. Not only can you get paid for these pieces, but they can lead readers to your book(s). 

I've always shouted that any writer can freelance. Absolutely any writer. And getting articles published can only help your writing career...regardless the type of career that may be. 


 





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

“There are more things to alarm us than to harm us, and we suffer more often in apprehension than reality.”

~Seneca
 

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

Breaking into the Lucrative Magazine Market with the Big R Game

By W. Bradford Swift

Many people have a tremendous amount of baggage when it comes to one of the smallest words in the English language: no. It's mostly a learned behavior. As I've watched my daughter growing up, the first few years she didn't seem to have a problem with rejection. For example, while learning to walk, balance rejected her countless times. Each time she fell, she'd sit there for a few moments, then giggle and start all over.

This is not the case for many fledgling writers. In fact, I've talked to quite a few who have so much fear of being rejected they won't submit their material. While that's one way to avoid rejection, it will stop you from building a writing career. 

But what if you could turn the process of rejection to your favor? When I decided to write for magazines, I created a writing game. I call it the Big R Game. The rules are simple; in fact, there's only one, and it's summarized in the object of the game:

Collect as many rejections as you can, as fast as you can, while writing as well as you can.

I set my target for 100. This might sound crazy. Why would anyone set a goal to collect a hundred rejection letters? Aren't rejection letters to be avoided? Well, maybe in a perfect world, but the writing and publishing world is far from perfect. My rationale for such a game was simple. I knew that if I won at this game I'd do at least two things right: I'd write a lot, and I'd submit what I wrote. These are the two most important activities a writer needs to do if he wants to succeed at the larger game of being a published and profitable writer. 

Playing the Big R Game also took the edge off of receiving rejection letters. Each time one arrived in the mail, I was winning the game, not only the Big R Game but also the much larger game of becoming a successful writer. Each rejection carried me one step closer to learning my craft. If you have a problem with rejection, try a game or two of the Big R. You may find it lifting your spirit and dissolving the resistance you've added to writing.

The other big benefit of the game is that if you set out to collect 100 rejections, you’ll surprisingly receive a fair amount of acceptances. Since playing the Big R Game, I've published over 350 magazine articles in such publications as Unity Magazine, AARP (then Modern Maturity), Body and Soul (then New Age Journal), Yoga Journal, and Better Homes and Gardens, to mention just a few. Many of them have been part of my pet writing project, Project Purpose: to write and publish articles about people whose lives are dedicated to a bold and inspiring purpose or vision. But more about that in a future article.

Bio
Besides his extensive magazine writing experience, W. Bradford Swift is also the author of From Spark to Flame: Fanning Your Passion & Ideas into Money-making Magazine Articles that Make a Difference, and Life On Purpose: Six Passages to an Inspired Life - an award-winning finalist in the Self-Help: Motivational division of the Best Books 2007 Awards sponsored by USA News. Swift is also the author of 11 books of speculative fiction including the Kindred Series and the FreeForm series under the pen name of Orrin Jason Bradford. His website is www.wbradfordswift.com .
 

COmpetitions

EDITOR'S REPRINT AWARD FOR FICTION AND NONFICTION
https://www.sequestrum.org/editors-reprint-award-fiction-and-nonfiction
$15 ENTRY FEE.
$200 and publication in Sequestrum will be awarded to one previously-published piece of fiction or nonfiction. A minimum of one runner-up will receive $25 and publication. Finalists listed on the site. Deadline April 30, 2017.



2017 MORCEAU AWARDS IN FICTION, POETRY & ART
http://www.grandmorceau.com/#morceau-awards
$20 ENTRY FEE
Deadline: March 31, 2017. Three prizes of $250 and publication are given to a short story, poem, and work of visual art. You may submit a story of up to 20 pages in length, five poems totaling 10 pages or less, or three works of visual art for consideration. All styles and themes accepted. 



BATH SHORT STORY AWARD
http://www.bathshortstoryaward.org/enter/
£8 ENTRY FEE.
Deadline May 1, 2017. Stories can be on any theme or subject but must be original and written in English. They must also be for adult or young adult readers. Nonfiction and fiction written for children under 13 years is not eligible. Entrants must be 16 years or over. Maximum length is 2,200 words. First prize £1,000; second £200; third £100, with a local prize of £50, for the best entry from any BA, BS, GL or SN postcode unplaced in the main competition. In addition there is The Acorn Award of £50 for the best entry from an unpublished writer, unplaced in the main competition. 



WATERSTON DESERT WRITING PRIZE
http://www.writingranch.com/waterston-prize-for-desert-writers/
NO ENTRY FEE.
Now in its fourth year, the Prize annually honors literary nonfiction that illustrates artistic excellence, sensitivity to place, and desert literacy - with the desert as both subject and setting. The prize will recognize one writer with a $2,000 cash award, a reading and reception at the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon, and a four-week residency at PLAYA at Summer Lake, Oregon. Deadline April 1, 2017. 
 

GRANTS

HIPPOCAMP OFFERING TWO SCHOLARSHIPS + TRAVEL STIPEND
http://www.hippocamp2017.hippocampusmagazine.com/2017/01/conference-funding-opp-hippocamp-offering-two-scholarships-travel-stipend/
The scholarship application period runs through March 31, 2017. Along with your essay submission, aside from the basic biographical information, there are also two required open-ended responses as part of the application form; you’ll have 200 words max for each section: 1) How would you benefit from attending a professional development conference for writers, such as HippoCamp? Please be specific, focusing in on this time in your life, at this stage in your career, about what you hope to gain, where you hope to go from here. 2) Please explain how and why you need this scholarship; for example, from a financial perspective, how would this prize help you participate in an event that you might not otherwise get to attend? Grand Prize Awards (2): Complimentary full conference registration to HippoCamp 2017 ($419 value) and the pre-conference workshop for your choice ($50 value); plus, a $150 travel stipend. Total value of award: $619. Two runner-ups will receive a partial scholarship ($200) toward the conference registration. The winning essay, as well as runner-ups, may appear as a Writing Life column in a future issue of Hippocampus Magazine. Location Lancaster, Pennsylvania.



OPEN MEADOWS FOUNDATION
https://sites.google.com/site/openmeadowsfoundation/
Open Meadows Foundation is a grant-making organization seeking projects that promote gender/racial/economic justice. The projects must be led by and benefit women and girls. We offer grants under $2,000 to projects that: Are designed and implemented by women and girls; reflect the diversity of the community served by the project in both its leadership and organization; promote building community power; and Have limited financial access. For the Spring Cycle, we will only review proposals received between 12:00 midnight EST January 1st to 12:00 midnight EST February 15th. For the Fall Cycle, we will only review proposals received between 12:00 midnight July 1 to 12:00 midnight August 15. 



WHITING CREATIVE NONFICTION GRANTS
http://www.whiting.org/awards/content/whiting-creative-nonfiction-grant
All creative nonfiction writers under contract with a publisher and at least two years into their contract are encouraged to apply by May 1, 2017. Applicants must be US citizens or residents. Whiting welcomes submissions for works of history, cultural or political reportage, biography, memoir, the sciences, philosophy, criticism, food or travel writing, and personal essays, among other categories. Grants are $40,000. 



SEA FOUNDATION
http://www.seafoundation.eu/call-applications-artist-residence-sea-foundation-netherlands/
Location: Tilburg, Netherlands. Deadline March 14, 2017. Eligibility: Professional artists, curators, and writers. Regardless, gender or region. Established, mid-career or emerging practice. Minimum age: 25 at the start of the residency. Artist duos may apply ,too. Residents may be accompanied by a partner. €30 application fee. 
 

FREELANCE MARKETS

TRAVELER'S TALES
http://travelerstales.com/submission-guidelines/
Has several anthologies open: Women's Travel Humor, More Travel Humor, and The Best Travel Writing. Pays $100. Prefers shorter stories. 



HOW TO MAN GUIDE
http://howtomanguide.com/get-paid-to-write/
We are seeking authors to write on a variety of subjects spanning the entire spectrum of all things manly. 
Stand out: Community articles get promoted on our social media profiles, extending author exposure to an extremely wide audience. We value your time, energy, and experience. This is why articles published in the How To Man Guide community have a payout of $100 for full-length articles, and lesser amounts offered for shorter, narrow-focused pieces. Authors get paid through PayPal.



EARLY AMERICAN LIFE
http://www.ealonline.com/editorial/guidelines.php
We cover a diversity of topics, all centered around America from its founding through the mid-1800s: history, architecture, decorating, antiques, studio crafts, and travel. A one-page story in Early American Life, such as Worth Seeing, runs about 750 words. A typical feature may run 2,500 words. We would estimate $500 for a first feature from a new writer, more if you are an experienced, skillful writer.

 

JOBS

Publishers/agents

CACTUS MOON
http://www.cactusmoonpublishing.com/submissions.html
Cactus Moon Publications, LLC is the parent company for Moon Lily Press, Kal-Ba Publishing, and Saturn’s Moon Press. We will not accept: Manuscripts that mention personal names and businesses without the proper permissions, or submissions for poetry, screenplays, novellas, fan-fiction, or graphic novels.

Kal-Ba Publishing accepts all nonfiction titles falling under the spiritual, paranormal (to include the occult), and self-help. We will accept titles under specific genres such as: Christian, Jewish, Islam, Pagan, and other paths of faith. We will NOT accept any title whose content seeks to divide and/or alienate readers on another path.

Saturn’s Moon Press is our YA and Children’s press. Preference is given to books with illustrations included and may mean a higher royalty. We do provide illustrators for our titles so it is NOT a requirement for acceptance.

Cactus Moon Publications accepts non-fiction titles under the political, historical, and mainstream health and wellness genres. Fiction titles include crime, detective, and general romance, paranormal, horror, mysteries, and thrillers. Romance and mild erotica is acceptable under these genres. We have no limit on fear and excitement!  We do not accept politically inflammatory titles or submissions without proper reference to information.



UNBRIDLED BOOKS
http://unbridledbooks.com/contact/
Unbridled Books is a premier publisher of works of rich literary quality that appeal to a broad audience.  We want to be able to continue our longtime discussion about what allows a novel to touch our hearts and our minds at once. And we want our readers, booksellers, and reviewers to trust that when they pick up an Unbridled book, we’re inviting them to enjoy that rarest of pleasures, a good read.



SHADOW MOUNTAIN PUBLISHING
http://shadowmountain.com/submission-guidelines/
Shadow Mountain is passionate about clean content and empowering values. We publish general fiction and nonfiction for all ages, all genres. We have a strong interest in middle grade fantasy and clean romance. We also publish a limited number of manuscripts in specialized genres including children’s picture books, family and parenting, and self-help. In addition, we are not interested in the following genres: business and finance, family histories/personal journals, religion, or poetry. We will consider manuscripts that are being submitted simultaneously to other publishers; however, please let us know you are submitting elsewhere so misunderstandings can be avoided.

Our Ensign Peak imprint specializes in books that are religious in nature but are intended for a general, nondenominational audience. Please submit manuscripts intended for this imprint through Shadow Mountain.
 

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/

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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

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