FundsforWriters - June 9, 2017 - Are You a Genuine Author?

Published: Fri, 06/09/17

Volume 17, Issue 23 | JUNE 9, 2017

Message from the Editor

The week turned out busier than I cared it to be. We can't always control our time, but I at least try to make it productive if not memorable.

Had a book signing at the Edisto Bookstore yesterday for Edisto Stranger, and it was quite nice, as always. Owner Karen Carter has a bookstore to get lost in, always with an emphasis on the perfect beach reads. We had snacks and I signed well over a hundred books, if not two hundred. It felt like a thousand.

But one of the highlights was a visit by my 10th grade high school teacher, Janet Hilton. She was THE person who pushed me toward writing. She continues to support me and come to local signings. But this time, she brought a present.

She introduced me a few years ago to Chris Soloman and their book club of retired high school teachers from my alma mater in Summerville, SC. Every time I had a book out, they loved having me, and we talked stories. Then the other teachers would pat Mrs. Hilton on the back, complimenting her on having a successful student such as myself. Always such a feel good evening. My hubby would sit in the den with the cat and watch television.

The house was covered with Chris' art - on every piece of furniture and every inch of the walls. Pottery, paintings, needlepoint....she was gifted. She was also witty, outgoing, always smiling, and a lover of people. However, she suddenly died last month from lung cancer she never saw coming, and left an empty hole in people's lives. She had no children, no husband, and all I could think of was all that art needing a home. So I asked for a piece.

The picture to the right is their gift to me. I'm so touched. It now sits in my study, and I feel that Chris can now watch over my shoulder, seeing how the stories she seemed to thoroughly enjoy, come to life.

Thanks for allowing me to share. . . and enjoy your weekend!

C. Hope Clark
Editor, FundsforWriters
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SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

At FanStory you'll get:

Feedback for everything you write.
Contests with cash prizes. All contests are free with upgraded membership. No entry fees.
Fun. Be a part of a writing community that supports writers of all skill levels.

Find out More | Watch The Video

Here are some of the Upcoming Contests with cash prizes.

Cinquain Poetry
Write a five line poem with a specific syllable count. Cash prize goes to the winner of this contest. Deadline is this this Sunday, June 11th.

Write A Screenplay
You can do it. The market is always looking for a great screenplay. Write a short script for this contest with a cash prize. Deadline: This Thursday, June 15th.

2-4-2 Poetry Contest
Write a poem with only three lines. Each line has a specific syllable count. Cash Prize! Deadline is Tuesday, June 20th.

Write About This
Write about the image shown in the contest announcement. Deadline is June 25th.

5-7-5 Poetry Contest
Write a poem with only three lines with the syllable count of 5-7-5. Cash Prize! Deadline is Friday, June 30th.

This is just a few of our contests. View our full listing here. Find out more about FanStory here.

Editor’s THOUGHTS

ARE YOU A GENUINE AUTHOR?

Sure you are. Writing is in your blood. You adore telling stories, and if you could, you'd do nothing but write for a living . . . forever and ever.

But do your readers know that?

The majority of writers struggle to make that connection between themselves and readers. They assume their book speaks for them. But there are a gadzillion books out there, and until a reader loves the book and decides to know more about the author, that connection isn't made.

Let me say it another way . . . do readers like you? Do they feel they are getting to know you? Are you reachable? Are you personable? How do readers know?

They don't have to be groupie-in-love with you, but are they curious? Do they like what you represent? Sometimes it's simply do they like your smile? Your love of cars, your love of travel. The fact you bake quiche, paint chicken pictures, or garden spaghetti squash. How can they relate to you? After all, you wouldn't put yourself out there if you didn't want to be friends, right?

Your job as an author is not only to write a good book and market it well, but you have to make readers enjoy the fact you are there for them. And to do that is to act like you appreciate them.

You don't have time for all of that? Then how do you expect readers to have time to read your work? The connection is more about relationships than you may think.

Some ideas to show your care:

1) Make every single blurb you sign in your book different, and relatable.
2) Answer all emails from readers timely.
3) Wish people happy birthday on Facebook . . . and say more than just Happy Birthday.
4) Give advice when asked. You don't have to write a thousand words. Just the fact you gave back matters.
5) Give back. Review other books often. Not only will the author appreciate it, but others who read the reviews will recognize your name, your sincerity, and your respect for reviews.
6) Appear at someone else's reading, speaking engagement, class, presentation.
7) Recommend others.
8) Congratulate others.
9) Welcome others.
10) Thank others.

It isn't about your book. It isn't just about you. It's about making readers and other authors (who are your readers, too) feel good that they are in your world. It isn't hard once you think about it.

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 65 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: Purchase an autographed copy or new copy of Hope's book and receive TOTAL for free. Send the receipt to hope@fundsforwriters.com (**and feel free to steal this graphic for your own site!)

Hope's Appearances

--June 20, 2017 - Writer's Digest Webinar, How to Fund Your Self-Publishing Career - 1 PM

--July 11, 2017 - Scribbler to Savant Club, Isle of Palms Exchange, Isle of Palms, SC - 6:30-8:30 PM

--November 3-5, 2017 - Independent Writers Conference - Philadelphia, PA - and guess who is one of the presenters! I'd love to meet a herd of FundsforWriters followers while I'm there.
Check it out.

WORDS OF SUCCESS

Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true.

~Leon J. Suenens

Edisto Stranger

Book Four in the series.

A cold case heats up . . .

A dead man in Big Bay Creek, spring break, and a rogue FBI agent would be enough to drive Chief Callie Jean Morgan to drink . . . if she hadn't already quietly crawled inside a bottle of gin to drown her sorrows over a life ripped apart by too many losses. When her investigation into the stranger's death heats up an unsolved abduction case, Callie finds herself pitted against the town council, her son, the agent, and even the raucous college kids enjoying idyllic Edisto Beach. Amidst it all, Callie must find a way to reconcile her grief and her precious taste for gin before anyone else is killed.

"Those who haven't read any of C. Hope Clark's books are short-changing themselves. You can't begin a C. Hope Clark book and then put it down." - Clay Stafford, author / filmmaker, founder of Killer Nashville and publisher of Killer Nashville Magazine.

Autographed copies available via www.chopeclark.com

Success Story

Dear Hope,

I've always liked how you managed your writing from nonfiction and the newsletters to book after book, and more than one series. It's helped me take a thoughtful look at how I could do something similar.

I started out with a magazine article, went on to add web content, more magazines features, ghost writing, newsletters, and then short stories. The first four short stories were sold as singles. From there, I submitted to anthologies and got accepted in several.

Now a collection of my short stories (ten of them) is done. Published by Untreed Reads, it's available in their store, on Amazon, Kindle and all the usual suspects. Short stories are great for when people only have a few minutes to read and don't want to get caught up in a book length storyline. It's only 99c so how could anybody object to the price? Collections sell best at that point.

I look on this collection not only as my first book but as a learning experience on how to get reviews, sales, distribution to libraries and how to price it to sell. I added people to my email list and leaked the news of its acceptance first, then the cover art and now the publication. Then on to Facebook and LinkedIn and more.

Thanks for sharing your publishing journey. My steps may not be as sure but I'm making forward progress with your example - and having a good time, too.

The title is From Hay to Eternity, Ten Devilish Tales of Crime and Deception.

Sandy Murphy

Your Income Depends on How Well You Cope with Rejection

By Michael Alvear

To make money as a freelance writer you can't just play offense (networking, learning how to pitch, improving your craft, finding new markets, negotiating). You also have to play defense. And that means developing something researchers have identified as crucial to financial success: a higher threshold for failure.

The eminent psychologist Dean Simonton, in his masterpiece On the Origins of Genius, investigated personality traits of highly successful creative types. What exactly made them successful? With all had talent, discipline, creativity and intelligence, why did some succeed and others fail?

It turns out that the most successful had a high threshold for failure. They owned a coping strategy for rejection. The unsuccessful tended to give up sooner, approaching their work with more fear and trepidation and, hence, could not raise their creativity to the level it needed to be.

What's your coping strategy for rejections?

I realized I had to change after a series of painful rejections threatened to derail my writing career. So I studied up on the latest research on resiliency and interviewed a host of "grit" experts.

The centerpiece of my coping strategy, and the one I teach fellow writers, revolves around purpose. Why do you write? If it's to see your name in lights, impress people you've never met, and have your calls answered by important muckity-mucks, you will have an ego-driven response to rejection. The kind that'll send you into a vortex of despair and futility.

But if you write to help solve other people's problems, shed light in darkened areas, and maybe ease someone’s burden with a little laughter, you have a purpose-driven response to rejection. The kind that leaves you empowered instead of gutted.

My friend, Lisa McLeod, a thought leader in performance, likes to ask her CEO clients this question: "Does your company have a purpose or does it just sell stuff?"

Lisa's research shows that if, for example, a pharmaceutical company operates strictly out of revenue goals, it will generate x number of sales. If it emphasizes "purpose" (i.e. selling a drug that saves the life of a young mother so she can see her daughter grow up) then it will generate significantly more revenue than "x".

Lisa's work found that selling to achieve a noble purpose produces more income than selling to meet revenue goals. Why? Because you become more resilient, more hopeful, more resourceful, more determined to succeed with that loftier purpose.

I applied that to my writing and in a matter of months my income exploded, my hit rate increased, and I was in "high cotton" as they say in the south. The rejections didn't stop (they never do), but now they don't paralyze me.

Of course, operating out of your purpose rather than your ego isn't the only thing needed to develop a coping strategy, but it's a great place to start. They say the proof is in the pudding, but in this case, look in your wallet. A coping strategy for constant rejection is almost guaranteed to fatten it.

BIO: Michael Alvear is the author of The Bulletproof Writer: How to Overcome Constant Rejection to Become An Unstoppable Author (Woodpecker Media January 2017). http://writingforaliving.us/how-to-overcome-constant-rejection/ He's been a frequent contributor to National Public Radio's All Things Considered and his work has appeared in Newsweek, The Washington Post, Reader's Digest, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and The Huffington Post.

COmpetitions

STRINGYBARK DOG EAT DOG SHORT STORY CONTEST
http://www.stringybarkstories.net/competitions/open-competitions.html
ENTRY FEE A$12.
Following our popular thematic Stringybark Erotic Fiction Award 2015 where the story related to the name of a cocktail, this award gives writers free-rein to dance with the Devil and break the ground rules of good writing by submitting a story which contains a common cliché and is titled that cliché. There are some great lists of clichés on the web to whet your appetite. NOTE: This competition is not to see how many clichés you can shoehorn into your story. Rather it is to inspire you to write a great story. We don’t like clichés and wouldn’t want to see more than one in your tale. The Prize value for this competition is over $1000 in cash and books. International entries are most welcome. Deadline July 16, 2017. First, second, and third prizes offer publication, copy of the ebook, copy of the paperback, and any two Stringybark anthologies. In addition, first prize pays A$450, second prize A$250, and third prize A$100. The maximum length of each entry is 1,500 words excluding the title.

UNDER THE GUM TREE ESSAY CONTEST
https://underthegumtree.submittable.com/submit/79188/disempowered-annual-anniversary-essay-contest
$20 ENTRY FEE.
Deadline June 30, 2017. Contest entries must be previously unpublished, submitted blind, and not exceed 5,000 words. Winner and any honorable mention(s) will be announced in Fall 2017. One winner will receive a $500 cash prize, publication in our January 2018 issue, and a one-year subscription in 2018 to keep or gift. The winner also receives the option to guest-edit a section of a future issue of Under the Gum Tree; in this way, we desire to push the limits of our aesthetic and include more and more voices. Honorable mention(s) will be published and receive a one-year subscription to keep or gift, plus a mystery box of inspirational CNF goodies including books and UTGT schwag.

WINCHESTER POETRY PRIZE
http://www.winchesterpoetryfestival.org/poetryprize
£5 ENTRY FEE.
First Prize: £1,000. Second Prize: £500. Third Prize: £250. Deadline July 31, 2017. In addition to receiving cash prizes winners will be invited to read at a special prize-giving event at Winchester Poetry Day on Saturday October 14, 2017. Winning and commended poems will also be published in a competition anthology.

WOVEN TALE PRESS COMPETITION
http://www.thewoventalepress.net/literary-competition-prose/
$20 ENTRY FEE.
Deadline July 31, 2017. Submit 6,000 words maximum of literary fiction or creative nonfiction. All submissions considered for publication. First prize is a one-week writing retreat in the legendary Hamptons in New York. Seven nights and accommodations for two in a spacious, four-bedroom residence within walking distance to the beach and town. Also, publication and a complimentary copy. Second prize is $300 and publication. Third prize is $100 and publication.

GRANTS

HAVEN FOUNDATION
http://www.thehavenfdn.org/guidelines
The Haven Foundation awards grants to writers, audio readers and other freelance artists in need. The foundation prioritizes those suffering from chronic illness, medical emergencies or catastrophic events. The Haven Foundation awards its annual grants based on need. And while artists suffering from the above-described conditions or situations take funding priority, the foundation also awards general financial support to artists in need. To qualify for a grant, artists must be freelance professionals who earn at least one-third of their incomes over the past three years from his or her freelance work.

THE PETER BLAZEY FELLOWSHIP - AUSTRALIA
http://arts.unimelb.edu.au/scholarships/prizes-and-scholarships/peter-blazey-fellowship
Deadline June 12, 2017. The Fellowship is awarded annually to writers in the non-fiction fields of biography, autobiography and life writing and is intended to further a work in progress. Applications will be judged on literary merit, and the winner will be supported in their work by a prize of approximately $15,000, and a one-month writer-in-residency at The Australia Centre.

VERMONT STUDIO FELLOWSHIPS
http://vermontstudiocenter.org/fellowships/
Deadline June 15, 2017. Twenty-five (25) VSC fellowships open to ALL artists and writers living and working anywhere in the world. All applicants will be automatically considered for one of these 25 unrestricted awards. These awards are for residencies scheduled between September 2017 and May 2018.

LANESBORO ARTIST RESIDENCY
http://lanesboroarts.org/artist-residency-program/
Deadline July 31, 2017. We are currently accepting applications for the 2018 Lanesboro Artist Residency Program. Artists must be residents of Minnesota or the five boroughs of New York City to be eligible to apply. Artists are paid $1,000/week and are provided studio and lodging space. Artists are eligible to apply for two or four-week residencies, and residency dates can be flexible.

FREELANCE MARKETS

CREATIVE LOAFING CHARLOTTE
http://clclt.com/charlotte/FreelancingforCreativeLoafingCharlotte/Page
Creative Loafing Charlotte is always looking for that next great story. We’re a small staff, you see, and much of our print and online editions are supplemented by freelance writers who can craft an interesting read, whether that be in the form of a profile, investigative piece, polemical essay or a well-reported story about a local institution. We also publish reviews of movies, theater, the visual arts, music, books, video games and dance. Reviews range between 500 words and 1,000 words in length. The pay scale for freelance work varies widely, but we generally start off at 10 cents a word in print. All freelance pieces are accepted on spec.

BINGE-WATCHING CURE
http://bingewatchingcure.com/horror/
The Binge-Watching Cure II, our all horror edition is open for submissions. We want to see your most terrifying prose. We’re interested in the full range of horror fiction genres and topics: dark fantasy, vampires, zombies, werewolves, Cthulhu Mythos, pure horror, psychological horror, ghost stories, East European myths, kind fairies gone rogue, Japanese monsters, apocalyptic horror, gothic, and plain scary monsters. If your imagination can conjure it, we want to read it. The deadline for submissions is September 30, 2017. We pay $200 for stories under 5,000 words and $500 for stories 5,000 words and longer. Contributors also receive a paper copy of the book.

LIMINAL STORIES
http://liminalstoriesmag.com/submissions/
Open for submissions through June 15, 2017. Liminal is searching for stories of a particular tone and tenor, regardless of form. We like stories that are strange and unsettling, sharp-edged and evocative. Although we will consider any genre, we have a soft spot for weird fiction, magical realism, soft science fiction, and those uncategorizable stories that straddle the line between genres. Liminal stories should linger in the mind and evoke emotion in the reader. We will consider stories up to 10,000 words, and pay six cents/word on publication. Liminal isn't a market for reprints, or non-fiction. We don't accept simultaneous or multiple submissions of fiction.

JOBS

SENIOR WRITER
Muhlenberg College
https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/322512798/
Write, edit, research and deliver compelling content that engages audiences & advances the College’s communications strategy. Location Allentown, Pennsylvania.

SUPERVISING WRITER
https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/305624282/
Blizzard Entertainment is looking for a talented and experienced individual to join the Creative Development as a Supervising Writer. Duties will focus on screenwriting, dialog writing for games, comics, short fiction, and general collaborative story development. The ideal candidate will have proven success as an animation writer or screenwriter, outstanding people skills, experience leading a writers' room setting, and an absolute passion to tell great stories in various cinematic mediums. Location Irvine, California.

STAFF WRITER
https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=6422340308da9439
Employer Google Ink. As a member of the Global Communications and Public Affairs team, you will work cross-functionally to help communicate with journalists and other thought leaders; devise specific communications materials and campaigns based on understanding of journalists' interests; engage in face-to-face meetings with commentators and other opinion formers; develop print and web-based material supporting these campaigns; and counter misinformation that might interfere with our business and ability to serve our users. We're looking for great communicators who can understand complex issues and explain them in person and also via well written, simple blog posts, FAQs, video scripts and more.

Publishers/agents

GREY GECKO PRESS
http://greygeckopress.com/
Horror, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Biography, Humor, Thriller, Action-Adventure. Grey Gecko focuses on new and emerging authors and great books that might not otherwise get a chance to see the light of day. We publish all our titles in hardcover, trade paperback, and ebook formats.

GREEN WRITERS PRESS
http://greenwriterspress.com/contact/submissions/
Green Writers Press is dedicated to spreading environmental awareness and social justice by publishing authors who proliferate messages of hope and renewal through place-based writing and environmental activism. We are a literary press that publishes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and youth literature from picture books to young adult, with our imprint Sprouts for Kids being used for our picture books and for our younger readers books (like our award-winning Josie Goes Green series). We also have a new imprint called Green Place Books that curates books that tell literary and compelling stories with a focus on writing about place—these books are more personal stories/memoir and biographies.

FITZHENRY AND WHITESIDE LIMITED
https://www.fitzhenry.ca/fitzhenry-submissions
Fitzhenry & Whiteside encourages new talent and Canadian authors and illustrators. If you are interested in submitting a manuscript for consideration, please review our submission guidelines for adult and children’s books. We are no longer accepting manuscripts for board books, narrative poetry, seasonal stories or books designed to be a series. Nor are we interested in manuscripts written to convey a lesson or a moral but are currently seeking manuscripts for the following:

Primary picture book text (approx. 500 to 800 words) for children ages 3 to 5,
Middle Grade fiction text (approx. 25,000 to 35,000 words) for children ages 8 to 12,
Young Adult fiction text (approx. 40,000 to 50,000 words) for children 12 and up,
Non-fiction texts for juvenile picture books 5 and up - school curriculum related,
Non-fiction texts for older readers 8 and up - school curriculum related, and
Non-Fiction manuscripts for Young Adult Readers 12 and up.

ISLANDPORT PRESS
http://www.islandportpress.com/submission-guidelines
Islandport is a dynamic, award-winning publisher dedicated to stories rooted in the essence and sensibilities of New England. We strive to capture and explore the grit, heart, beauty, and infectious spirit of the region by telling tales, real and imagined, that can be appreciated in many forms by readers, dreamers, and adventurers everywhere. We do accept and review unsolicited completed manuscripts as well as agented submissions. We will not accept or review a project based on a query only. We specialize in non-fiction, but also consider fiction, gift, and other trade titles, including food, art, humor, and novelty. The adult genres we do not publish include poetry, fantasy, thriller, self-help, erotica, and science fiction. For children's books, we will consider picture books, story books, middle grade chapter books, and young adult titles. For middle grade and YA titles, you must submit a completed manuscript as well as a one-page synopsis of the book. We are not currently publishing poetry or early readers.