SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

Short & Helpful Online Writer Workshops
 
STEP IT UP FOR SPRING - April, May, June

Spring Collection : Conflict, Backstory, Self-Editing
Summer Collection: Memoir, World Building, Researching
Autumn Collection: Premise, Voice & POV, Setting
Winter Collection: Character, Dialogue, Beginnings & Endings 
 
Each workshop has a video, pdf work-along, interaction with a published author who answers YOUR questions.
FREE workbook with every collection.
 
http://ShortandHelpfulOnlineWriterWorkShops.com (or use http://showws.com)
 
Use Hope2017 discount code for 15% off any registration.




 

THROWING AWAY TIME

We do it when we're young, thinking we have all the time in the world.
We do it when we're older, thinking we have to rush due to our limited days.
Then sometimes the young go too fast, and the old take too much time.

Regardless, we all waste time. 

Time is a commodity, no different from our money, property, and tools. We have it all in our hands, and how we use it is completely up to us. All too often, we blame its waste on other people when that isn't necessarily so. Instead, what we identify as other people wasting our time is simply us not making choices. 

These are the examples I readily hear from writers who scream wasting time:

1) I'm waiting until my kids are in school to write/publish.
2) I'm waiting until I'm retired.
3) I'm too old to traditionally publish.
4) I'm not feeling the muse.
5) I have writer's block.
6) The story isn't talking to me.
7) I can't find any ideas.
8) I'm afraid of rejection.
9) Agents, editors, publishers, etc. are scammers.
10) Contests are fixed.
11) I need to write for free to get my legs under me.
12) I don't have enough big blocks of time.
13) I don't know grammar so I need to pay someone to clean up my manuscript.
14) I cannot travel to promote.
15) I don't understand computers well enough.
16) I cannot afford a website.

I could fill this page with excuses on why writing is not successful to so many souls. I just spoke to a writers conference in Safety Harbor, Florida (neighboring Clearwater). I began the keynote talking success, and how success is in every writer's hands. The room was highly enthused by the time I finished. All were eager to write. It made my day.

You can look for how to be successful, or you can look for how NOT to be successful. Call it the glass half-empty or half-full syndrome, but the fact is you want to make writing work or you don't. You are the taskmaster . . . you have the key.


 





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

“Happy people plan actions, they don’t plan results.”

~Dennis Waitley
 

Success Story

Dear Hope, first I wanted to thank you for all you do in support of writers.. I also have great news to share. Unable to find a publisher, April 2016, I self published Random Notes (About Life, "Stuff" And Finally Leaning to Exhale), the third book in a series that women have fondly coined girlfriend books because of their humorously, albeit inspiring female-themed essays. While Gilded Pearls (Vibrant Thoughts, Tips and Tidbits For A Full Life) shares my love of recycling, repurposing and finding new uses for common household items.
 
Secondly, I just learned that my Chicken Soup For the Soul: Military Families piece, sharing my 21 years of military service, will be published in May. I saw the Chicken Soup series mentioned in FundsforWriters, so thank you. All the above successes shows what can happen if you want something bad enough.
 
Carol Gee
venuschronicles.net
www.facebook.com/A-Feast-Of-WordsLLC

featured article

Energize Your Career with Purposeful Writing Projects

By W. Bradford Swift

Several years ago, I found my enjoyment of writing for magazines fading. At that time, most of my writing revolved around my previous career as a small animal veterinarian, but writing about animal health issues lost my interest.

So, I invented a writing project, but not just any project. One of my favorite vet-related assignments had been to interview Bill Irwin and his dog, Orient. Irwin was the first blind man to walk the entire Appalachian Trail, and Orient led the way. I loved working on the piece and craved similar articles that might give me a greater sense of purpose. 

So, I created Project Purpose: 
To write and publish articles about people and institutions whose lives and missions are dedicated to a bold and inspired purpose or vision. 

I focused my efforts on assignments that might fit Project Purpose by mentioning it in my query letters. Three months after my first query, I received my first Project Purpose assignment from New Age Journal  (since renamed Body and Soul) to write a profile of Bo Lozoff of The Human Kindness Foundation in Carrboro, North Carolina. My largest assignment ever, both in prestige and paycheck. In fact, the check was twice what I'd ever received as a writer.
 
I thoroughly enjoyed the assignment, from the research to writing the piece. I even enjoyed the revision process, because I worked on something close to my heart. When the check arrived, I knew I had hit upon something really important. As Greg Braendel of Career Dreams, Inc., another of my Project Purpose profile subjects says, "Passion always sells; obsession never does."

Create Your Own Revitalizing Project

The energizing power of this project reconnected me to a sense of purpose. Ask yourself: What stirs your passion? Take the question seriously. Many people have lost touch with their passion, the inner spark that ignites them to inspired action. The following exercise will help you down this path. Find a quiet place where you won't be disturbed as you go through this five-minute exercise.

Identify the Passion

Let’s say investigators (think IRS) are on the way to your home with a mission to take away everything you're passionate about. Your only hope is to write down those things in life that are really important to you. If it's not written down, the investigators will take it away, never to be in your world again.

Be as precise as possible. For instance, if relationships are important to you, write down which relationships are important. If you love animals, which ones do you love the most and why? Describe specific details of your passion. What do you want left in your world after the investigators leave? Take five minutes to record this information in your notebook, then set the list aside for a day or two. When you return, analyze the list and keep in mind the various markets that might be interested in those subjects. Boil your mission down to a simple statement and include it in future queries. 

Here's an example: 
This article is part of a long-term writing project — Project Purpose: to write and publish articles about people whose lives are dedicated to a bold and inspiring purpose or vision. This project eventually led me to co-found Life On Purpose Institute after writing about dozens of purposeful people (samples at http://www.lifeonpurpose.com/projectpurpose ).

I found that including a clear statement like this helped me stay focused on the type of writing I most enjoyed. It also added credibility to queries as my list of Project Purpose articles increased. Over the years, I profiled several dozen people like John Robbins, author of Diet for a New Planet in Reclaiming Your Health which appeared in Yoga Journal. One of my favorite interviews that appeared in The Sun was with Daniel Quinn, shortly after he won the $500,000 Turner Tomorrow Award for Ishmael. 

Just be forewarned. It's impossible to predict where a purposeful, passion-filled writing project might lead you, but I can promise that you won't be disappointed by the final destination. 

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 New. 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

EVENT NONFICTION CONTEST
https://www.eventmagazine.ca/contest-nf/
$34.95 ENTRY FEE.
Deadline April 15, 2017. Prize: $1,500 in prizes plus publication in EVENT. EVENT reserves the right to award the prize money as it sees fit (e.g., two prizes valued at $750, three at $500, or one at $1,000 and one at $500, etc.) in accordance with the judge’s decision. Published entries will be paid our standard publication payment in addition to any prize money. Limit 5,000 words.



SLATE ROOF PRESS POETRY CHAPBOOK CONTEST
https://slateroofpresscontest.submittable.com/submit
$10 ENTRY FEE.
The winner of this year's contest will be awarded the 2017 Elyse Wolf Prize of $500. We produce beautiful books with letterpress covers by an award-winning bookmaker, using high-quality papers. The winner will become an active member of the press, making a three-year commitment of eight to ten hours per month, gaining valuable experience in publishing, and participating in the tasks of running the press. Based in Greenfield, Massachusetts, Slate Roof is a member-run, not-for-profit collaborative, which has published art-quality chapbooks since 2004. Deadline June 15, 2017. 



EXIT EARTH SHORT STORY COMPETITION
https://storgy.com/2017/02/24/exit-earth-short-story-competition/
£10 ENTRY FEE.
The STORGY "EXIT EARTH" Short Story Competition is open to all. We are looking for fiction that explores life – be it past, present, or future, on or off, this beautiful, yet fragile, world of ours. Dystopian or utopian, realist or fantasy, horror or sci-fi, comedy or romance, we explicitly welcome entries in all genres. Deadline May 31, 2017. 1st Prize – £1,000. 2nd Prize – £500. 3rd Prize – £250. Finalists will be published in The STORGY Short Story Competition Anthology.



A CANADA 150 WRITING CONTEST
https://atwaterlibraryandcomputercentre.submittable.com/submit
NO ENTRY FEE.
What do you have to say about Canada? Do you have a story to tell, a point of view to express, an experience to share - and can you make it short? Enter your story, 150 words or less, to win $150. Choose one of three categories - if you are 20 or younger, enter your short piece of writing, fiction or nonfiction, in the Youth category. If you are 21 or older enter either to win the Fiction category or the Nonfiction category. Write about nature, about our history, about your life; write about canoes or computers, hockey or Habitants, ulus or the underground city. Maybe your grandmother was an immigrant - or you are. Maybe your ancestors have been here for thousands of years. Deadline March 31, 2017. 
 

GRANTS

DISPLACED ARTIST FUND
http://vermontstudiocenter.org/displaced-artists-fund
The Vermont Studio Center’s Displaced Artists Fund exists to assist visual artists and writers displaced due to natural disasters, climate change, or political turmoil or threat by providing residencies in a safe and supportive community of creative peers. By providing a creative community of refuge in Vermont, these residencies restore normalcy to studio practice, ease the isolation that often accompanies displacement, and extend VSC’s founding spirit of “artists supporting artists” to those most in need. Artists and writers from anywhere in the world who have been directly affected by natural disaster may apply for Displaced Artist Fund residencies. These residencies are four to six weeks in duration.



AWP SCHOLARSHIPS
https://www.awpwriter.org/contests/wcc_scholarships_overview
AWP offers three annual scholarships of $500 each to emerging writers who wish to attend a writers’ conference, center, retreat, festival, or residency. We encourage writers of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction to enter. The scholarships are applied to fees for winners who attend one of the member programs in AWP’s Directory of Conferences & Centers. Winners and six finalists also receive a one-year individual membership in AWP. Deadline March 30, 2017. 



CATAPULT REPORTAGE GRANT
https://catapult.submittable.com/submit/79558/catapult-reportage-grant-online-magazine-only
Deadline March 31, 2017. We invite writers and reporters to submit to us one paragraph pitching a human interest piece, flexibly defined, and two clips. The writer of the winning proposal will receive a $500 grant to do a clearly-defined project intended to yield a reported essay of 2,000 to 6,000 words which a) stands on its own as a remarkable piece of writing and b) tells us something about the place where you live. Women and people of color, especially those beginning their careers, are strongly encouraged to apply. The grant will be given in full to the writer to spend at their discretion — we hope that it will fund writer’s time, local travel, and daily expenses. Our magazine is open to considering projects which incorporate photo, sound, or video, in addition to text. The narrative that comes of this project will be published on our online magazine, Catapult (catapult.co), and the writer may co-publish with a print magazine or newspaper.



OXFORD AMERICAN JEFF BASKIN WRITERS FELLOWSHIP
https://oxfordamerican.submittable.com/submit/77435/the-oxford-american-jeff-baskin-writers-fellowship
$30 ENTRY FEE.
Deadline March 30, 2017. To support the writing of a debut book of creative nonfiction. Recipient will receive a $10,000 living stipend, housing, and an editorial apprenticeship with the Oxford American toward a nine-month residency in the thriving creative capital of Little Rock, Arkansas. 

FREELANCE MARKETS

ONE STORY
https://www.one-story.com/index.php?page=submit
Deadline May 31, 2017. One Story is seeking literary fiction. Because of our format, we can only accept stories between 3,000 and 8,000 words. They can be any style and on any subject as long as they are good. We are looking for stories that leave readers feeling satisfied and are strong enough to stand alone. One Story pays $500 and 25 contributor copies for First Serial North American rights. All rights will revert to the author following publication.



LIFE IN A KILT
http://www.lifeinakilt.com/contributor-guidelines/
Interested in all things kilts but we are also an outlet for a wide variety of other topics that will be of interest to kilt-wearers and kilt-lovers. Not only would we be interested in an article about the history of a specific tartan but we would also publish an article about a vacation destination, a motorcycle, a brand of scotch or craft beer, as those things may relate to kilt-wearers across the world. Features 1,500 to 2,500 words. Articles 500 to 1,000 words. Pays 20 to 30 cents/word.



DOLLAR STRETCHER
http://www.stretcher.com/menu/writers.cfm
The Dollar Stretcher is a group of publications dedicated to "Living Better...for Less". The goal is to provide readers with ways to help them save time and money. Occasionally we will also include material on ways to make money at home. Payment is at the rate of $0.10 per published word.

 

JOBS

Publishers/agents

NOTE REGARDING A POST LAST WEEK -
We heard from folks with experience with the Loiacono Agency, and one sent us her letter from them about the cost of doing business with their agency. Charging these fees is unethical, so reader take heed.

<<The $500 fee for the first year is for a complete edit, submission package, publicity, shopping the manuscript, progress reports, and anything else that is required to contract the manuscript with a publisher (small, medium and large). This eliminates the need for a freelance editor to polish the manuscript, which ranges from $2500-$5000, depending on the genre, word count, and how much work it needs. Should it not be acquired with in a year, the writer has an option to renew for $250 or cancel at no charge. It is plainly stated on the About LLA page and in depth in the LLA contract we offer if we are interested in representation. 

We appreciate your interest.

Sincerely,

Jeanie Loiacono, President and CEO
Loiacono Literary Agency, LLC
448 Lacebark Dr. Irving, Texas 75063
912-230-2207
Jeanie.L@llallc.net
www.llallc.net>>



 
PUBLISHIZER
https://publishizer.com/about/
How Publishizer works:
1) Submit a book proposal. It’s free! A book proposal explains your book to readers and publishers. Be guided step-by-step using our book proposal template.
2) Sell pre-orders and get queried to publishers. Publishizer queries your book proposal to publishers based on their filters such as categories, location, and pre-orders.
3) Sign with the best publisher for your book. Interested publishers message you, and you’ll receive a range of offers. Select the best publisher for your book, and get your funds via PayPal. Our team of agents are on standby to answer any questions you have.



LEVEL BEST BOOKS
https://levelbestbooks.com/submissions/submissions-novels/
We are seeking crime fiction novels in the following categories: mystery, thriller, suspense, historical, traditional, and contemporary. We are not considering works of erotica or science fiction at this time. Both authors represented by agents and un-agented writers are welcome to submit.



GOLD WAKE
https://goldwakepress.submittable.com/submit
Gold Wake holds one Open Reading period per year, held in the spring, and open to full-length manuscripts in all genres. We do not charge a separate contest/submission fee - if you buy a Gold Wake book through Submittable, you get a free manuscript submission. This supports our writers, gets you a book, and is more ethical than charging a reading fee. We select books exclusively through this Open Reading period, and publish roughly four to six titles per year from the submissions we receive. If your book is selected, you can count on a positive, personal experience. Gold Wake Press is an independent literary house founded in the suburbs of Boston. Deadline March 31, 2017.



GO LITERARY
http://www.go-lit.com/
GO Literary is actively seeking both fiction and non-fiction works that wed compelling writing with a strong narrative and tackle big issues in engaging, accessible, and even surprising ways. Beyond working toward the success of each individual book, GO Literary strives to establish long-term relationships with its authors to help them build satisfying and enduring careers. In addition to contract negotiation, GO Literary works closely with its clients throughout every step of the publishing process, from concept development through publication and beyond. GO Literary takes a particular interest in the editorial process, offering skilled advice and guidance to help clients bring out the best in their writing.
 

SPONSORS

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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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. 


 

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

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

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