SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

ATTRACTING SUCCESS

Here lately, I've been analyzing the difference between the successful and the rest. Not that the rest aren't trying, or don't want to write, or don't want to be successful, but when someone rises from the fray and becomes a known commodity, there has to be a reason. And no . . . it isn't chance, and it's definitely not luck.

It's being proactive. 

Success is attracted to those being strongly proactive, making hard strides to be better. Not be rich. Not be perfect. The successful view their days as time to improve whoever they are, whatever they do, the best they can, as long as it takes. They don't want "to arrive." They want to perpectually get better.

Everyone "thinks" they want to improve as a writer, but upon close analysis, they are waiting. 

1) Waiting for something different to change in their lives to force them to try harder.
2) Waiting for a lucky break. Such as waiting to be accepted instead of constantly pitching better.
3) Waiting for more time.  
4) Waiting for the little things they are doing to add up to something bigger, when instead they need to define that big goal and make plans to reach it.
5) Waiting for the right, good, best idea. 
6) Waiting until after the wedding, after the kids are gone, for the weekend. 
7) Waiting for the right deal, opportunity, or person to come along and help. 
8) Waiting for the book to sell on Amazon.
9) Waiting to be discovered after listing the book on Amazon.

Sometimes the success you desire isn't achieved by a straight line. When you cannot sell the novel, then freelance. Podcast or blog to achieve recognition, then publish the book. Enter contests to pursue publication. Keep moving forward to get better and make your career happen. 

Success is fickle and elusive. Do whatever you have to do to pursue it, to keep learning, to make your writing career happen. You never know when that one extra effort to be better is the power it takes to open doors.


 





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

We’ve had three big ideas at Amazon that we’ve stuck with for 18 years, and they’re the reason we’re successful: Put the customer first. Invent. And be patient.

~Jeff Bezos
 

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

Making Money with Poetry Workshops

By Anastasia Clark 
 
I always wanted to be a teacher. I always wanted to be a poet.  In reality, I ended up in the Marine Corps -  which led to a career in aviation. Hmm, not very poetic!
 
However, my dreams to be a teacher and a poet never subsided and I now make money, yes, real money creating and teaching poetry workshops at local libraries.  This is a robust market and fairly easy to penetrate! 
 
Most libraries have discretionary funds available to them via the Friends of the Library group associated with their particular branch. This is a nationwide network of non-profit groups that raise money to help local libraries. Groups conduct book sales and bake sales and often operate small gift shops at the library to raise money. Funds are used to pay for additional library equipment, employee appreciation luncheons, special events - and yes, even poetry workshops!   
 
The best way to find the money is to contact the local library manager or event manager with a poetry workshop proposal.  These people are able to review and endorse your idea and forward your proposal to the Friends Group to seek funding for your workshop.  Response time is generally within a month because the groups tend to meet on a monthly basis.

In my experience, a two-hour poetry workshop typically pays $50 to $200 per event. Note, these are for workshops you teach at YOUR local libraries.  If you would require funding for travel and expenses to other libraries, you would need to ask for more money.
 
A poetry workshop proposal should be neat and succinct. One page is sufficient. Something that provides only the salient details: title of the workshop, summary (one or two sentences), purpose (one sentence), participants (for example, suitable for adults versus children), duration (recommend 90 minutes to two hours), materials (mention if participants need to bring their own pens and paper or if you will provide), set-up (for example, indicate if you need a podium, conference table and chairs), cost (flat rate works best), class size and a brief literary bio about yourself. This one page format makes it easy to email and review.
 
Send workshop proposals to several libraries at once. Develop points of contact and try to email them every time you have a new workshop idea. Sometimes libraries have special themes during certain times of year, and you might want to correlate your workshop idea with their theme. For example, a holiday poetry workshop might work for the October/November timeframe.
 
Deliver the workshop you promise. Bring props, visual aids, handouts. (Sometimes this is my favorite part of the project!) Engage the participants. My workshops are typically one-third teaching time, one-third writing time, and one-third time for people to share their work. Note! Use the opportunity to gather names for a mailing list for future workshops. 
 
Poetry workshops are a definite way to earn some real money, but also provide a continuing platform to stay in touch with local poets, both new and emerging. They also provide a meaningful way to bring public awareness to the poetry community. Sometimes libraries will even display the work created at these workshops.
 
So, yes, I have a career in aviation, and yet, I have created and continue to teach poetry workshops that pay! Some of my workshops include Poetry Noir Workshop (creating poetry inspired by film noir styles), Sad Clowns Poetry Workshop (exploring irony and imagery in poetry), Pirate Poetry Workshop (focusing on imagery, vocabulary and style) and Caliente! The Poetry of Love! (incorporating passion in poetry).
 
What will your poetry workshop be about?

BIO
Anastasia Clark is the author of several poetry books, including a chapbook, Confetti Stampede (Finishing Line Press, 2013). Her work has appeared in Ascent Aspirations, FLARE: The Flagler Review, Red River Review and Subtletea among others. She served as Broward County, Florida Poet-in-Residence for six years. She leads workshops and serves as a judge for poetry contests.

COmpetitions

THE HOPPER POETRY PRIZE
https://greenwriterspress.submittable.com/submit
$25 ENTRY FEE.
Deadline July 1, 2017. This contest is open to poets with an identified interest in the natural world and whose work explores issues tied to our ever-changing environment. The winning poetry manuscript will be selected by the editors of The Hopper in collaboration with Dede Cummings, publisher of Green Writers Press, to be published by Green Writers Press as a collection in the spring of 2018. The winning poet will also receive $250 in prize money. The competition is open to all poets, regardless of publication history. Publication is contingent on the poet’s agreeing to the terms of the publishing agreement. The manuscript must be a minimum of 45 pages and a maximum of 90 pages in length. All manuscripts must be paginated. Each new poem must start on a new page.



SPRING CLEANING CONTEST - THE WRITER MAGAZINE
https://writermag.submittable.com/submit
$25-70 ENTRY FEE.
Deadline May 8, 2017. Spring is finally here. To celebrate, we’re encouraging our readers to do a little spring cleaning of their own…in their draft folders. Pick your very best draft, polish it up, and send it for consideration in our short story contest. No theme, no genre restrictions, just your favorite draft in 2,000 words or less. Don’t have a draft in progress? Clean out your “idea bank” and write a new one! Grand prize: $1,000 and publication in our magazine. Other prizes: Our second-place winner will receive $500 and publication on our website, writermag.com; our third-place winner will receive $250 and publication on writermag.com as well.  



BRIDPORT PRIZE
https://www.bridportprize.org.uk/
£8 to £20 ENTRY FEE. 
The poem and short story categories each have a first prize of £5,000, second prize £1,000 and third prize £500. An additional ten highly commended prizes (for each category) of £100 each are awarded. All 13 winning entries in both categories are published in the anthology each year. A new category for flash fiction with a prize of £1,000 was launched in 2010. There is a second prize of £500, 3rd prize of £250 and three highly commended prizes of £100. The six winning entries are published in the anthology each year. The first prize for novel is £1,000 plus a up to a year’s mentoring from The Literary Consultancy through their Chapter & Verse scheme. A runner-up prize of £500 is also offered. Three shortlisted writers will receive £100. The opening chapters from the winning novel and the runner-up novel will be published on the website. The Dorset Award is a prize specifically for Dorset writers. Thanks to the sponsorship of The Book Shop of Bridport, £100 is awarded to the highest placed Dorset writer in the Bridport Prize each year. Judges 2017: Lemn Sissay - poetry; Peter Hobbs - short stories; Kit de Waal - flash fiction; and Nathan Filer - first novel award. Deadline May 31, 2017. 



THE REHOBOTH BEACH READS SHORT STORY CONTEST
http://catandmousepress.com/contest/
$10 ENTRY FEE.
The goal of the Rehoboth Beach Reads contest is to showcase good writing while creating a great book for summer reading. One of the most popular activities for residents and visitors is reading on the beach, and the contest seeks to collect the kinds of short, engaging stories that help readers relax, escape, and enjoy their time at the beach. Theme: BEACH LIFE. Length must be 500–3,500 words. Deadline July 1, 2017. 
 

GRANTS

VISITING ARTISTS AND WRITERS PROGRAM - VERMONT STUDIO CENTER
http://vermontstudiocenter.org/visiting-artists-writers/
VSC's residency format includes six distinguished Visiting Artists and Writers per month. Each Visitor offers a public slide talk or reading, and is available for a private studio visit/writing conference with residents working in their medium/genre. Visiting Writers also offer a craft talk for the writing residents.



MENDOCINO COAST CONFERENCE SCHOLARSHIPS
http://mcwc.org/scholarships-and-awards/
Want to hone your writing craft in stimulating and supportive company amidst beautiful surroundings? Registration is now open for the 2017 Mendocino Coast Writers' Conference (MCWC), a vibrant, interactive gathering of award-winning authors and aspiring writers, held from August 3 to August 5, at the Mendocino Middle School in Mendocino, California. We are pleased to offer a range of scholarships (20 total) to make our conference accessible to writers from diverse backgrounds and to reward writing of outstanding merit. 



CANADIAN WOMEN ARTISTS' AWARD
https://apply.nyfa.org/submit/46175/canadian-women-artists-award
The Canadian Women Artists’ Award is open to female Canadian citizens between the ages of 21 and 35 who are living and working in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut, including students in bachelor’s or master’s degree programs. Deadline June 30, 2017. Awards are $5,000.



THE STUDIOS OF KEY WEST
https://tskw.slideroom.com/#/login
The Studios of Key West offers up to 35 juried one-month residencies per year to working artists and writers from around the world. Residencies are awarded to visual artists, writers, composers, performers, and interdisciplinary artists. Deadline May 15, 2017. 

 

FREELANCE MARKETS

THE NEW HAVEN REVIEW
http://www.newhavenreview.com/submissions/
We like to see submissions from writers who can claim some connection to Greater New Haven, no matter how spurious, though it's not mandatory. We also like to see book reviews that are better than the book reviews you usually see out there, for whatever reason. But that said, we mostly publish essays, fiction (of any genre), poetry, and occasionally photojournalism. You might be able to convince us to publish something other than any of these things, if we think it's really, really good. So write to us and tell us what you've got. We pay at least $500 for prose pieces, fiction or nonfiction. We pay at least $25 per poem, and are often amenable to publishing more than one of an author's poems. 



SCOUT
https://scout.submittable.com/submit
Scout.ai, an online community that combines science fiction and journalism, is seeking speculative and science fiction vignettes that illustrate the social impacts of emerging technologies. We pay eight cents per word for vignettes and short stories, most often between 250 and 2,000 words. We seldom buy stories longer than 3,000 words, and we don’t serialize novels. 



BLIND SPOT
http://blindspot.pub/guidelines/
Seeks original scifi and fantasy up to 10,000 words. Pays eight cents/word.



DRAFT
http://draftmag.com/submissions/
Though many pitches have merit, DRAFT can only assign and publish the most tightly focused, error-free queries that meet our needs and guidelines. Pitches need not be beer-centric, but those that are should focus on beer/brewery news, trends and ideas, rather than the technical aspects of brewing and/or profiles. Aside from beer, we happily accept pitches on topics ranging from food, sports (both professional and leisure), travel, and many other topics. Whatever the focus, it must appeal to DRAFT’s audience, and should cover a new idea or story, or provide a unique angle on a topic that’s already received media attention. Pays well, as much as 80 cents/word.

 

JOBS

Publishers/agents

ARTAGE PUBLICATIONS' SENIOR THEATRE RESOURCE CENTER
http://www.seniortheatre.com/writers-guidelines-2/
Senior Theatres perform plays and musicals of all lengths, but short shows which run up to 20 minutes are the most popular. Directors look for comedies with mainly female casts that require few technical elements and can be staged as readers theatre. Successfully performed shows have senior casts (or mostly senior) with up-to-date, feisty characters in current situations. Roles should challenge performers, yet be fun to stage. Playwrights receives a percentage of each sale and of each production fee (royalty.)



WHITNEY DAVIS LITERARY
http://www.whitneydavisliterary.com/
At Whitney Davis Literary, we offer a full range of services to help you achieve your creative goals. Whether you are a new writer developing your first TV pilot, feature screenplay or novel, or you're a seasoned writer with several projects under your belt, we can help you create a polished, professional product that will get you noticed. From conceptual development to helping you get your work in the right hands,  we are here for you every step of the way.



THE FEDD AGENCY
https://thefeddagency.com/
The Fedd Agency was founded in 2003 by Esther Fedorkevich and is located in Austin, Texas. We focus our representation on authors in the Adult faith and secular markets, occasionally selecting Young Adult and Children’s works.



HOTCHKISS AND ASSOCIATES
http://www.hotchkissandassociates.com/
Hotchkiss and Associates, Inc. is a literary agency representing books, articles, and life story rights for adaptation to feature films, television movies, scripted television series, and reality television series. We are especially interested in great stories and great characters coming from narrative non-fiction, memoir, biography, literary fiction, women’s fiction (other than romance); and children’s stories including fantasy, sci-fi, young adult novels, middle-grade chapter books, and picture books.  We also have a specialty in working with the life story rights of interesting people from newspaper articles, magazine articles, websites, and online videos to adapt their stories for film and television.

 

SPONSORS

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.










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   



 

 
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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