SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

GET AWAY TO WRITE - SPAIN
July 11-18, 2017, Tavertet, Spain
Led by Peter E. Murphy with Roberta Clipper & Christine E. Salvatore

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 clifftop views, excursions to Barcelona and more.

"Peter is simply one of the finest writing teachers I have ever encountered. His craft talks were inventive, astute and insightful. His imaginative prompts often inspired startlingly fresh and innovative writing. In short, Peter empowers his students to write, while offering instruction and feedback that allows them to make leaps and bounds in their writing." — Patty Paine, Doha, Qatar - Founding editor of Diode Poetry Journal and author of four books

This retreat will fill. Register now: www.stockton.edu/murphywriting   

HOW MANY BOOKS CAN ANYONE READ?

Recently on Facebook, I asked the question, "Do you buy books without reading them?" I was surprised at the responses and the subsequent reasons why. Comments fell into these categories:

1) I've bought multiple copies of the same book and still not read them.
2) It's what book addicts do.
3) I occasionally do. I am so sorry.
4) I can never walk out of a bookstore without one or ten books.
5) It takes longer than planned to read them. 
6) Some sit on the shelf, forgotten.
7) All the time. Good intentions. 
8) I like to have plenty in case I don't have money. (Or get snowed in. Or get older.)
9) Guilty. No reason and no excuse.
10) My Kindle library is a mess.

They spoke as if buying books was a vice, which was cute. Not a bad vice to have. But the point made here is that readers cannot read faster just because more people are writing books. While there are tons of new authors, as well as established authors publishing multiple books, the number of readers and the number of books that those readers read are not increasing. 

So what does this mean? It means that the easier it gets to publish, the less likely it is that your book will be bought and read. Regardless the price or the genre, there's competition out there. So what's a writer to do?

Think brand, platform, and marketing. I know those words reek, and those nouns are not indicative of how you'd like to spend your precious writing time, but avid readers are saying above that they can only read so many books. Chances are they have favorite authors they always go to. Your job is to lure them away.

There is no right way to perform those self-promotional tasks, either. If you are doing what everyone else is doing, then you are no better off when it comes to selling your books. Standing out is important. 

Be as unique in your marketing as you are in your writing. One is precious to the other.


 





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

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”

~Mahatma Gandhi
 

Success Story

Hi Hope,

Just got another "yes" from the folks at Lookout Magazine. I had sent several pitches to them without response, so I was surprised to get word in the affirmative this time. 

I confess, I have been one of those linear pitch and wait people. Until I hear back, I don't pitch again. It was good, but hard, to hear from you (at the Safety Harbor Writers conference) that most times you won't hear back. I was about to give up on this one (my 3rd without response). I pitched on January 19 and heard back on March 20. This time I had included some questions my article would answer and attached a photo that symbolized the journey that brought me to this place. Apparently, that resonated.

Hope, you've inspired me to call myself a freelance writer and to tackle this thing like a professional. I have lots of new ideas now that I think about all the things I may know a bit about and all the places who might welcome an article. Why not have a dozen pitches aloft? 

The world can drag a heart down, these days. Surely, we writers can be part of the mending.

Many thanks,
Wendy R LeBolt, PhD
Author: Fit2Finish: Keeping Your Soccer Players in the Game
Fit2Finish.com 

featured article

Should Freelancers Write for Free?

By Joel Foster

This past year, I finally gained the courage to launch into a full-time freelance writing career. While I’m happy, I feel a bit guilty because I arrived in part by breaking the first rule of freelancing: Thou shalt not work for free. By sharing my story, I hope that other aspiring freelancers understand the rare cases where writing for low or no pay can improve your shot at future paid writing gigs.

Scams Aplenty

Anyone who’s dipped their toes into the freelancing pool knows that writers are subject to more scammers than you knew existed. Sometimes it feels as though an aspiring writer is a frightened fawn, unprotected in a forest full of hungry wolves.

Many writers settle for low pay, assuming that their work isn’t worth a monetary reward, and agree to write that 500-word post about the 10 Best Ways to (insert here), hoping that it leads to something better. Others find themselves in the ghettos of the content mills, writing uninspiring SEO garbage for barely enough to buy lunch. 

First, admit that your writing has value, then kick these types to the curb. This type of free writing won’t lead to better opportunities. 

My Freebie Exception

When starting out, I found myself in a situation familiar to many beginning writers: I had no clips. I pitched and queried my heart out, with not so much as a response from a paying market. Meanwhile, I found myself interested in local politics and showed up regularly to any political gathering that I could. 

That’s when I had a light-bulb moment.

One of the rallies I attended concerned homelessness issues in the city of Boston. I was familiar with a local publication, The Spare Change News, that focused on news affecting the homeless. Figuring that they would be interested in the rally, I emailed a quick pitch to the editor. Within a half hour, he answered me back. I wrote up a summary of the rally, interviewed a few folks and jumped in elation as I finally saw my name in print. 

Since then, I’ve attracted regular clients in the journalism field using my Spare Change clips. I hadn’t originally intended on using the article for anything. I just wanted to write. But in this case, volunteering my time paid off.

When to Write for Free

There are always times when it’s okay to break the rules and writing for free is no exception. But if you're going to write for free, the work should satisfy the following conditions:

1. You personally support the organization
Many small non-profits genuinely don’t have funds to pay writers. These organizations rely on volunteer work to carry out their operations. Just as in any volunteer work, donate your writing time if you support their cause.

2. The organization doesn’t profit off your work
No one should make money off your work if you don’t. It doesn’t matter if your work will be read by thousands. By providing free work, you enable the race to the bottom to continue, diminishing your chances for good-paying work in the future.

3. The work will benefit your portfolio
Make sure that the task aligns with your writing goals. If you aspire to be a healthcare blogger, it makes no sense to take on a free job writing about Pokemon Go. Think about the clips that your ideal client would like to see. 

Your time is the scarcest resource of all. Value your time as you would your money and never allow others to take advantage of your talents. 

Bio: Joel Foster is a Tucson-based freelance journalist, blogger, and screenwriter. He mainly lives in the shadows as a spooky ghostwriter so you may have read his work and not even known it. You can find him at https://joelfosterblog.wordpress.com/ or on Twitter @Foster978.

 

COmpetitions

PLOUGHSHARES EMERGING WRITER'S CONTEST
https://www.pshares.org/submit/emerging-writers-contest
$24 ENTRY FEE.
The Emerging Writer's Contest is open to writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry who have yet to publish or self-publish a book. The winner in each genre will be awarded $2,000. Deadline May 15, 2017. Fiction and Nonfiction: Under 6,000 words. Poetry: three to five pages. 



ABR ELIZABETH JOLLEY SHORT STORY PRIZE
https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/prizes/elizabeth-jolley-story-prize/current-jolley
$15-25 ENTRY FEE.
Australian Book Review welcomes entries in the 2017 ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize, one of the world’s leading prizes for an original short story. We are seeking stories of between 2,000 and 5,000 words, written in English. Stories must not have been previously published or be on offer to other prizes or publications for the duration of the Jolley Prize. The Jolley Prize is open to anyone in the world who is writing in English. The 2017 Jolley Prize is worth a total of $12,500, with a first prize of $7,000 and supplementary prizes of $2,000 and $1,000. The judges will also commend three additional stories, the authors of which will each receive $850. Deadline April 10, 2017. 



FAR HORIZONS AWARD FOR SHORT FICTION
http://www.malahatreview.ca/contests/far_horizons_fiction/info.html
$25-35 ENTRY FEE.
Eligible authors have yet to publish their fiction in book form (a book is defined to have a length of 48 pages or more). Publication in literary magazines is acceptable. One prize of CA$1,000 is awarded. Deadline May 1, 2017. Limit 3,500 words. 



BATH NOVEL AWARD
https://bathnovelaward.co.uk/
£25 ENTRY FEE.
The Bath Novel Award is an international £2,000 prize for unpublished and independently published novelists. £500 shortlist award and literary agent introductions. Novels may be in any genre and submissions are the first 5,000 words plus one page synopsis. Deadline is April 24, 2017. The Bath Novel Award is a competition open to novelists, of any nationality, who have yet to sign a traditional publishing deal For the purposes of this competition, a “traditional publishing deal” is defined as an offer of publication which includes an advance payment Self-published novelists are eligible. 

 

GRANTS

WRITERS EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FUND
http://asja.org/For-Writers/WEAF
The Writers Emergency Assistance Fund helps established freelance writers who, because of advanced age, illness, disability, a natural disaster, or an extraordinary professional crisis are unable to work. A writer need not be a member of ASJA to qualify for a grant. However, applicants must establish a record of past professional freelance nonfiction writing over a sustained period of years, which means qualifications generally similar to those of ASJA members. WEAF does not award grants to beginning freelancers seeking funding for writing projects, nor does it fund works-in-progress of any kind.



AUTHORS LEAGUE FUND
http://www.authorsleaguefund.org/
Since 1917, the Authors League Fund has been helping professional writers and dramatists who find themselves in financial need because of medical or health-related problems, temporary loss of income, or other misfortune. Most of those we help suffer severe health problems but have inadequate insurance; some face eviction; many are older writers whose income has ceased through no fault of their own. The Fund exists to help professional writers continue their careers, even their lives, with dignity by providing open-ended, interest-free, no-strings-attached loans to pay for pressing expenses.



THE HAVEN FOUNDATION
http://www.thehavenfdn.org/about
The Haven Foundation gives financial assistance to provide temporary support needed to safeguard and sustain the careers of established freelance artists, writers and other members of the arts and art production communities who have suffered disabilities or experienced a career-threatening illness, accident, natural disaster or personal catastrophe. Grants are awarded and renewed at the discretion of the Haven Foundation Board.



MAYER FOUNDATION
http://foundationcenter.org/grantmaker/mayer/about.html
The core mission of the Foundation is to make economic relief grants to needy individuals who are distressed or suffering as a result of poverty, low income or lack of financial resources, including as a result of natural or civil disasters, or from temporary impoverishment, loss of employment, death or incapacity of a family wage earner or damage to home and property; to provide health care to those who cannot afford health care or whose health insurance or financial resources are insufficient to cover medical needs.
 

FREELANCE MARKETS

101 HONEYMOONS
http://www.101holidays.co.uk/write-for-us/
If you are a travel writer, or hoping to get into the industry, we offer a number of ways you can contribute to 101 Holidays and 101 Honeymoons. If your article is selected for publication, we will pay you between £50 and £100 by direct bank transfer or PayPal within seven days of publication. Although we do not have strict word counts, most articles we publish are between 800 and 1,500 words.



SMARTER TRAVEL
https://www.smartertravel.com/submission-guidelines/
At SmarterTravel, we deliver expert travel tips, inspiring destination stories, and timely travel news—because we want to feed our readers’ passion for travel before, during, and after each trip. SmarterTravel accepts multi-page slideshows and both short- and feature-length stories on a range of consumer travel topics, including booking strategies, saving money, avoiding scams, packing tips, best places to go, travel tech, travel trends, and travel tips that represent all kinds of travelers and travel experiences. We pay $500 for long-form articles and multi-page slideshows, and $100 to $250 for shorter posts.



PTO TODAY
http://www.ptotoday.com/pto-today-submission-guidelines
PTO Today magazine is an essential resource for leaders of parent groups (often called parent-teacher organizations) at the 80,000 elementary and middle schools across the United States. Articles focus on helping the volunteer leaders of these groups run their organizations more efficiently and support their schools more effectively. Features run roughly 1,200 to 2,200 words, and the average assignment is 1,500 words. Department pieces run 600 to 1,200 words. Payment depends on the difficulty of the topic and the experience of the writer. We pay by the assignment, not by the word; our pay scale ranges from $200 to $700 for features and $150 to $400 for departments. 



AMERICAN EDUCATOR
http://www.aft.org/article-submission-guidelines
American Educator is the quarterly professional magazine of the American Federation of Teachers. We are interested in articles on a wide range of topics, including new trends in education, politics, well-researched news features on current problems in education, education law, professional ethics, and thoughtful or thought-provoking essays that explore current social issues relevant to American society. We also welcome articles on international affairs and labor issues of interest to teachers as AFT members. Articles may vary in length from 1,000 to 5,000 words, depending on the topic. Payment varies according to length and topic. The minimum payment for an article is $300. 
 

JOBS

Publishers/agents

HCI BOOKS
https://www.hcibooks.com/t-submission_guidelines.aspx
While HCI is a best known for recovery publishing, today recovery is only one part of a publishing program that includes titles in self-help and psychology, health and wellness, spirituality, inspiration, women’s and men’s issues, relationships, family, teens and children, memoirs, mind/body/spirit integration, and gift books. To continue our tradition of excellence in publishing, we seek high-caliber authors who produce original material that appeals to a broad readership. We are interested in nonfiction books that emphasize self-improvement, personal motivation, psychological health, overall wellness, or mind/body/spirit integration.



HOBBLEBUSH BOOKS
http://www.hobblebush.com/submissions
We publish only a small number of titles each year, and therefore do not accept unsolicited manuscripts. If you have a book that you think is a good fit for Hobblebush, please send us a query by email or mail, including biographical information and prior publishing history. We also publish poetry only in the Hobblebush Granite State Poetry Series and this is only for New Hampshire authors or authors with a very strong New Hampshire connection. Also, we publish fiction only in the Hobblebush Granite State Short Story Series and this is only for New Hampshire authors or authors with a very strong New Hampshire connection. 



HOMESTEAD PUBLISHING
https://www.homesteadpublishing.net/pages/submission
Homestead Publishing specializes in high-quality, reasonably priced trade book editions. Our titles include fine art, design, photography, and architecture; full-color nature books; national park guide books; cookbooks; biographies and literary fiction; Western Americana; regional and international travel guides —including Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Glacier-Waterton, and Banff-Jasper national parks; and a line of posters, postcard books, and notecards. We accept unsolicited manuscripts in each of these subject areas, especially outdoor guides — hiking, climbing, bicycling, canoeing, mountaineering, and travel books. 



INVISIBLE PUBLISHING
http://invisiblepublishing.com/submissions/
Invisible Publishing is currently accepting literary manuscript submissions, including works of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. All narrative works with contemporary themes will be considered, however, we are not interested in genre fiction or YA projects. That said, if you send it, we’ll read it. Show us your stuff. Invisible Publishing is committed to publishing diverse voices and experiences. In acknowledging historical and systemic barriers, and the limits of our existing catalogue, we strongly encourage LGBTQ2SIA+, Indigenous, and writers of color to submit their work.

 

SPONSORS

 
Special Offer: Santa Fe Writers Lab
Santa Fe Writers Lab is a new offering produced by the well-established Santa Fe Photographic Workshops. This May, take your pick of week-long or 1-day workshops with instruction by accomplished writers such as Natalie Goldberg, Tim Cahill, Sally Denton, Douglas Preston, Margaret Wrinkle, and Danny Rubin. Writers of all levels and genres are welcome.
 
Special offer to fans of FundsforWriters: call 505-983-1400 ext 111 and mention FFW200 to receive $200 off tuition for the week-long workshop of your choice. (FFW200 valid for new registrations only, expires April 27.)
 
Join us and be fully present for an experiential educational experience bound to change your life as a writer and as a person. 50 Mount Carmel Rd, 505-983-1400, writerslab.santafeworkshops.com































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/










Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest (no fee) - Last Call!

16th annual free contest sponsored by Winning Writers. $2,250 in cash prizes, including a top prize of $1,000. Submit one humor poem online by April 1. Your poem may have up to 250 lines. No fee to enter. Both published and unpublished work accepted. All entries that win cash prizes will be published on WinningWriters.com. Final judge: Jendi Reiter. Winning Writers is one of "101 Best Websites for Writers" (Writer's Digest). See guidelines, past winners, and enter online via Submittable at winningwriters.com/wergle

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. SIX new templates for genre authors that work for Word, Pages, and InDesign. $30 off this 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

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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