SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

TURNING DOWN THE GIG

I just turned down a reprint offer. Someone wanted me to rewrite an article I wrote for them a year ago. It's brought a lot of traffic to their website, but it had dated links in it. They asked me to just do it (for all the exposure it would bring me, they said), then when I asked about compensation, they said $50 and they deactivate the link in my bio (meaning people cannot locate me), or I write for free and they give me an active link so people can find me and purchase my work. 

This sort of gimmick irritates the crap out of me. It's like they are holding your byline hostage. You can write for exposure or for money, but not both.

Please let me know if you have experienced one of these types of sites. Not only would I like to keep a list, but I would love to hear from you as to your opinion of this setup. Maybe I'm overlooking something. Maybe there are pros that I'm overlooking. Brainstorming here, I see the pros and cons as follows:

PRO: If the site has a huge following, it might be a good deal for a new writer.
CON: If the author has a huge following, it's a better deal for the site.

PRO: It pays.
CON: You cannot benefit from the exposure because there are no links to you. Trust me, nobody searches Google for a writer in a lone article in hopes of finding them. Instead, that same reader would wonder why the writer of the article has no link.

It's an arm-twisting technique, in my opinion. Why not just pay you? Why not give you a link with the payment? A site benefits from exposure as well as the writer, and why not swap readers? It's bad enough that Huffington Post pays nothing, but this new method of nonpayment is not cool at all.



 





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.

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 WORDS OF SUCCESS

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”

~Herman Cain
 

Success Story

If FundsforWriters has aided you in your writing journey, please drop us a note so we can share it with the readers. Email hope@chopeclark.com 

featured article

Entertainment Writing Jobs You May Not Have Considered – Part 1 of 2

By Mark Heidelberger

As a former literary manager, I represented film and television writers for the better part of eight years. Many of the talented but less experienced writers who hadn’t yet made a living at the craft were solely interested in creating original screenplays that would be shopped to production companies, studios and packaging agents. They never wished to consider the myriad other ways they could make money in the industry with far less competition, even if such work might lead to their ultimate goals. Here are a few such ideas for those writers seeking to take the road less traveled:

Become a Writer’s Assistant

Feature film and television writers have assistants that do everything from menial work like rolling calls and faxing to more creative pursuits like researching, writing synopses, doing coverage, and even giving development notes. The hours might be long and the grunt work tiresome, but it’s one of the best ways to see how scripts get produced. It also allows you to make connections with other professionals like agents and producers. 

In the case of television, you see how a writer’s room runs while taking notes for the staff writers. Moreover, TV shows often promote from within, giving promising assistants an episode to write after a season or two. To get such a job requires tenacity and fortitude, but high turnover rate among industry assistants means jobs are opening up all the time. Join online writers’ groups and attend events to network with other assistants, scour entertainment job aggregators like the UTA Joblist, and post your assistant profile on job sites like Media Match to try and get in the door.

Voice-Over Copywriting

You hear voice-over in movie trailers all the time. You know the guy who begins by saying, “In a world where XYZ happens?” Well, someone is paid to write those lines – usually a copywriter who works for or has a relationship with the trailer house that produces the content. Since many writers don’t consider this type of work, there are far fewer of them querying trailer houses for work than studios or production companies. Search online for contact info on trailer houses and send queries to their in-house producers along with any relevant writing samples you may have. Offer to do a test run on one film for free to see if they like your work, and tell them you’ll only charge if they want to use it. If they agree, they’ll usually give you a movie to watch and some creative direction. Make sure you are clear on format, length and style requirements. In addition, since voice-over work is prevalent in other areas like radio and television commercials, you may do well to reach out to ad agency executives who are also in the market for someone who can capture the voice of a campaign.

Write Educational Materials

Those with a more extensive track record and knowledge of the entertainment world could use their talents to help others. Educational materials such as how-to books, film history guides, and resource manuals have become a more viable option with the rise of downloadable ebooks and self-publishing. Having some specific know-how in a given area, whether it’s fundraising, non-linear editing or Italian New Wave directors, makes you more appealing. 

Reach out directly to university film departments to gauge their interest in your material, even before you create it. If they’re not interested, they may be willing to offer suggestions on materials that would better fit their curriculum. Smaller colleges and certificate schools may be more accessible for those writers who don’t have a master’s degree and a lengthy resume. You can also contact organizations like US-based TES, Journeys in Film or British-based Film Education to see if they’re willing to let you create paid lesson plans or other original teaching materials for their programs.

(Tune in next week for Part 2 of Entertainment Writing Jobs You May Not Have Considered)

BIO - 
Mark Heidelberger co-founded Beverly Hills-based Treasure Entertainment in 2000, serving as a film executive, content creator and literary manager until 2011 before leaving to become a freelance producer. He has produced music videos for artists Janelle Monae, Snoop Dogg, Cam'ron, and John Michael Montgomery as well as commercials for Lamborghini, Con Air, and Cox Media, to name a few. His feature film credits include Harsh Times, Man Overboard, Ninja Apocalypse, It's Not You, It's Me and Flintown Kids. He also developed and packaged the thriller Don McKay, produced the Chopper web series, and executive produced Hallmark Channel's You've Got a Friend. He is a member of the Producers Guild of America. He holds a BA in Film Studies from UCSB and a MFA in Producing from UCLA's School of Theater, Film, and Television.

http://www.markheidelberger.com/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0373914/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/markheidelberger?trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile

 

COmpetitions

2017 ADVENTURE WRITERS COMPETITION
http://www.adventurewriterscompetition.com/
$25 ENTRY FEE.
The 2017 Adventure Writer’s Competition is sponsored by the Clive Cussler Collector’s Society. If your novel has sold or given away less than 5,000 copies, you can enter it! Read the complete rules to make sure you qualify! Even if you wrote a million seller before, enter your new book. There is no synopsis round this year. Instead, there is an "Opening Round" where judges read the first 3,000-5,000 words and score the manuscript based on that opening section. Top ten scores (semi-finalists) will then go to the full "Manuscript Round" where judges can read as much as they want/need to score the manuscript. The top three from the manuscript round are our finalists. We are the only contest we know of that focuses on Adventure Writing. No vampires or romance novels to compete with here! The competition is open to all writers over the age of 18 as of March 1, 2017. Deadline June 30, 2017. The winner will be announced at the Clive Cussler Collector’s Society Dinner in October and by press release to the general media as well as receive a $1,000 prize.



THE NEWCOMER PRIZE FOR SHORT STORIES
http://www.thefictiondesk.com/submissions/newcomer-short-story-prize.php
£8 ENTRY FEE.
We're always working to discover new authors and new stories to publish alongside our regular contributors. The Newcomer Prize is part of this: It's only open to authors who have not been previously published by The Fiction Desk, and who have not yet published a novel or collection of short stories on paper. This deadline for this year's competition is midnight (UK time) on 31 May 2017. The first prize is £500, and there is a second prize of £250. The entry fee is £8. Stories should be between 1,000 and 7,000 words in length. The competition is judged by Rob Redman, editor of the anthology series and founder of The Fiction Desk.



THE PEN PARENTIS WRITING FELLOWSHIP FOR NEW PARENTS
http://www.penparentis.org/fellowships/guidelines/
$15 ENTRY FEE.
In addition to a full year of promotion and the publication of the winning story by Brain, Child Magazine, a $1,000 prize will be presented to the new Pen Parentis Writing Fellow at a public reading of the winning work at our September Salon Season Opener in Manhattan. Entrants must be the parent of at least one child under 10 years of age, but there are no style or genre limitations on the works of fiction submitted for consideration. Entrants can be at any level of their literary careers. Deadline April 17, 2017. Submissions call for a new, never-published fiction story — any genre, on any subject — of up to 800 words. 



BOA SHORT FICTION PRIZE
https://www.boaeditions.org/pages/boa-short-fiction-prize
$25 ENTRY FEE.
Deadline May 31, 2017. $1,000 and book publication. As with all BOA fiction titles, our prize-winning short story collections are more concerned with the artfulness of writing than the twists and turns of plot. It is our belief that short story writing is a valuable and underserved literary form that we are proud to support, nurture, and celebrate. Minimum of 90 pages; maximum of 200 pages.

 

GRANTS

DELAWARE INDIVIDUAL ARTIST OPPORTUNITY GRANTS
http://www.artsdel.org/grants/IndivArtistOpportunity.pdf
These competitive grants, not to exceed $750, support professional and artistic development and presentation opportunities for artists. Ongoing. Upcoming deadline: July 1, 2017 for activities occurring between August 15, 2017 and November 15, 2017.



SOUTH ARTS LITERARY ARTS TOURING GRANTS
https://www.southarts.org/grants/apply-for-a-grant/literary-arts-touring/
The Literary Arts Touring grant program offers presenting organizations the opportunity to receive financial support to engage writers (fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry) who reside outside of the presenter’s state. Support is awarded to literary projects that contain both a public reading and an educational component such as a writing workshop. The project can include a single engagement by a writer or multiple writers involved in an event (for example, writers series or festivals). The maximum request is 50 percent of the writers’ fees, up to a total grant of $2,500. Each writer is required to fully-participate in the reading and educational/outreach component. Projects must take place between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018. Literary Arts Touring applications must be submitted online by Monday, May 1, 2017 by 11:59 p.m. ET. We work in partnership with the state arts agencies of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. 



CREATIVE WORK FUND - CALIFORNIA
http://creativeworkfund.org/grant-guidelines
The Creative Work Fund invites artists and nonprofit organizations to create new art works through collaborations. It celebrates the role of artists as problem solvers and the making of art as a profound contribution to intellectual inquiry and to the strengthening of communities. In August 2017, the Fund will award approximately $600,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations and collaborating literary or traditional artists. Grants will range from $10,000 to $40,000. A literary or traditional arts project may culminate in any form, but it must feature a lead artist with a strong track record as a literary or traditional artist. Creative Work Fund projects feature one or more artists collaborating with 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. Fiscal sponsors are allowed. The principal collaborating artists must live in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, or Sonoma County and have lived there for at least two years prior to submitting a letter of inquiry. Collaborating organizations also must be based in one of the 11 counties.



LITERARY EVENTS GRANTS OF GEORGIA
http://gaarts.org/programs/literary-arts/programs-literary-events-grants
Literary Event Grants of Georgia (LEGG) operates in partnership with the Georgia Writers Registry and is managed exclusively by the Georgia Writer's Association.  The program exists to provide nonprofit organizations funding for literary events in Georgia counties. Organizations may apply for individual grants from $50 up to $250 to be used for writers’ fees. Grant awards are for writers’ fees only. If a writer is not listed in the Georgia Writers' Registry (GWR), the writer must apply for inclusion on the GWR through the Georgia Writer's Association.

 

FREELANCE MARKETS

GAMUT
http://gamut.online/about
Gamut is an online magazine of neo-noir, speculative fiction with a literary bent. Gamut will include mostly fiction (some original, some reprints) but also columns, nonfiction, art, flash fiction, poetry, and maybe even a serial memoir or novella. Our word range is about 500-5,000 with the sweet spot being 3,000. We will pay ten cents a word for original fiction and three cents a word for reprints (which cannot be online anywhere). 



PARENTS
http://www.parents.com/parents-magazine/writers-guidelines/
When querying us, please send a one-page letter detailing the topic you'd like to address as well as your strategy for writing the story. Demonstrate that you are adept at doing research by mentioning the kinds of sources you intend to use. Keep in mind that all of our articles include expert advice and real-parent examples as well as study data. It's unnecessary to send a completed manuscript; a query letter will do. We generally work only with writers who have some experience, so please make sure you list the publications you've written and include photocopied examples of your published work. We receive many submissions for essays; typically, we only publish those that come from experienced writers and essayists. We're a national publication, so we're mainly interested in stories that will appeal to a wide variety of parents. 



MOTHER JONES
http://www.motherjones.com/about/writer-guidelines
While much of our content comes from staff writers and freelancers with whom we've had long-standing relationships, Mother Jones magazine and MotherJones.com will consider solidly reported, hard-hitting, groundbreaking news stories. We're also open to thought-provoking, timely opinion and analysis pieces on important current issues. We're interested in just about anything that will raise our readers' eyebrows, but we focus especially on these areas: national politics, environmental issues, corporate wrongdoing, human rights, and political influence in all spheres. Please query with your résumé and two or three of your most relevant clips. If the clips are online, please provide the complete URLs. Web pieces are generally less than 1,500 words. Because we have staff reporters it is extremely rare that we will pay for a piece whose timeliness or other qualities work for the web only. Magazine pieces can range up to 5,000 words. There is at least a two-month lead time.



BACKWOODS HOME
http://www.backwoodshome.com/docs/writerguidelines.html
Backwoods Home Magazine is a country- and self-reliance-oriented how-to magazine that specializes in showing people how to build their own home, produce independent energy, grow their own food, and how to make a living without being tied to a city. We also cover related subjects such as health, raising animals, food preservation, country skills, home schooling, arts and crafts, recipes, and book reviews. Payment ranges from $40 to $200 per article, payable upon acceptance. The easier you make it to use your writing, the more likely we are to accept it.
 

JOBS

Publishers/agents

ARSENAL PULP PRESS
http://www.arsenalpulp.com/contact.php
We are considering manuscripts only in the following subject areas: Cultural studies, Political/sociological studies, Regional non-fiction, in particular for British Columbia, Cookbooks, Craft books, LGBTQ fiction and nonfiction, including young adult and children's, Visual art, Multicultural fiction and nonfiction, Literary fiction and nonfiction (no genre fiction, such as mysteries, thrillers, or romance), Graphic novels, Youth culture and young adult literature, Books for children, especially those that emphasize diversity, Health. We are not considering poetry manuscripts at this time. 



AUNT LUTE PRESS
http://auntlute.com/contact/#submissions
We seek manuscripts, both fiction and nonfiction, by women from a variety of cultures, ethnic backgrounds and subcultures; women who are self-aware and who, in the face of all contradictory evidence, are still hopeful that the world can reserve a place of respect for each woman in it. We seek work that explores the specificities of the worlds from which we come and examines the intersections of the borders that we all inhabit. Currently, we only accept poetry if it is submitted as part of a larger body of work or an edited anthology. We generally do not consider, given our particular readership, works about therapy or self-help.



BARAKA BOOKS
http://www.barakabooks.com/about-us/
Baraka Books is a Quebec-based English-language book publisher specializing in creative and political nonfiction, history and historical fiction, and fiction. Our belief is that books are a haven of freedom and that they remain the foremost vector for change. Baraka Books is committed to providing English-speaking readers in Canada and elsewhere with ideas, points of view, and creative works that might otherwise be overlooked because of cultural or linguistic barriers.



BOOKTHUG
http://bookthug.ca/bookthug-submission-guidelines/
BookThug publishes contemporary literary fiction , non-fiction, poetry, and drama. We do not publish genre fiction (mystery, science fiction, historical romance), cookbooks, or self-help books.
BookThug is committed to an ongoing conversation about the possibilities of what literature is, or could be. We welcome submissions that will help us make this conversation as rich as possible. We especially encourage Indigenous writers, writers of colour, writers from the LGBTQ community, writers with disabilities, and women writers to submit their work for consideration.

 

SPONSORS

Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest - Last Call!

25th year. $4,000 in cash prizes, including $1,500 for the best story and $1,500 for the best essay. Submit short stories, essays, and other works of prose on any subject, up to 6,000 words each. All entries that win cash prizes will be published on WinningWriters.com. Both published and unpublished work accepted. Fee per entry is $18. Submit by April 30. New final judge: Judy Juanita. 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/tomstory








WRITE TO THE FINISH 2017: Online Course For Writers Working on a Book Project
Led by Award-Winning Authors - Starts May 6

Is this your year to write a book? 

Join our 9-month, online course by email and phone so you can take part wherever you are. Nobody can write your book for you, but you don’t have to be alone in the process. This small group course supports you with craft, community, focus, and feedback. Includes a full manuscript critique, online seminar days, craft lessons, monthly mentor calls with professional authors. Open to fiction and nonfiction/memoir writers, whether starting your book idea from scratch or finishing a work in progress.

Led by authors Tania Casselle (http://taniacasselle.com) and Hemingway Award winner Sean Murphy (http://www.murphyzen.com/events.htm). Info and testimonials from previous participants on our websites, or email MurphyCasselleWriteNow@gmail.com for dates, details & course outline.







 
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

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"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:
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http://wagnerjulia.com/
http://lisakwinkler.com/
http://kbhyde.com/
http://meredithwargo.com/

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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