FundsforWriters - June 30, 2017 - Why They Extend Contest Deadlines

Published: Sat, 07/01/17

Volume 17, Issue 26 | JUNE 30, 2017

Message from the Editor

You may have received our Uh Oh - Oh Crap message Friday afternoon and wondered what the heck? What happened is that when I went to shoot your newsletter to you, my newsletter service not only stopped it, but gobbled it up and ate it! Gone!

Apparently, with so many people reading on mobile devices, and due to the newsletter's size with its myriad markets, contests, grants, advertisements, graphics, and so on, deliverability had become difficult for different email providers.

So . . . Aweber.com seized it and asked that we make some changes. We can cooperate with that. After all, we don't want to outlive our usefulness or hurt our partners.

TOTAL FundsforWriters, the paid subscription, will be located online, with the link being valid only for the two-week period between issues. Of course those subscribers will receive an abbreviated newsletter from us with links to the complete issue online, giving them a hint and sneak peek at what's out that week. Still with at least 65 markets, grants, contests, etc.

This newsletter, FundsforWriters, will come out as usual, just maybe tweaked in places to aid delivery.

Thanks so much for understanding! We've grown so big, and growth means change. And that's a good thing!

C. Hope Clark
Editor, FundsforWriters
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	"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.

SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

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August 13-18, 2017, Dexter's Inn, Sunapee, NH

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Workshops include: “Writing Your Story” with Laura McCullough and “Poetry and Wanderlust: Taking the Long Way” with Kathleen Graber; retreat hosted by Peter Murphy.

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Register early and save: www.stockton.edu/murphywriting

Editor’s THOUGHTS

WHY THEY EXTEND CONTEST DEADLINES

I have a writing friend who gets downright angry when a contest extends the deadline. He considers it an insult, or that the editors are looking for specific people who didn't make the deadline. In reality, contests are run by people and they make mistakes or misjudge or simply didn't plan well enough ahead.

Here's how I see it when a contest announces a later deadline for submissions:

1. The obvious. They didn't receive enough quality submissions.

Keep in mind that their reputation is based upon what they publish as a result of contest entries. So, if they extend the deadline in order to obtain better material, is that so wrong? However, if I had entered on time and saw an extended deadline, admittedly, I would interpret that as my work not being acceptable enough. Professionally, however, I see this as the contest not being organized enough to get the word out properly. Just my two cents.

2. They received fewer entries than expected.

Contests like to grow over time. When I ran the FundsforWriters Essay Contest for nine years, the submissions grew in number each year. . . such that I could not manage it any longer and write novels at the same time. That number is representative of a contest's success in reaching the masses - the talented writers out there. If last year a contest brought in 325 entries, and this year, a week before the deadline, they've only received 150, something went awry. The contest doesn't want it known that the numbers dropped, so they extend the deadline.

3. They need more money to cover prize money.

This reason isn't as common as one might think, but I'm sure it happens. Let's say a journal promotes a $1,000 prize and publication. The entry fee is $15. The first prize figure merits a need for 67 entries to break even. That's not considering the cost of publication and paying a judge . . . maybe advertising. Even in the world of the arts, budgets are a factor. But again, I read this as poor planning.

4. Crisis management.

You never know if something happened that sabotaged the event. Maybe the ads didn't make it out in time. Maybe the judge got sick. A sponsor may have backed out. What if the online entry form was down for a week prohibiting entries?

So, you can look at deadline extensions as tricks by the sponsor or an opportunity for you. Who knows? You might be the just the type of writing they weren't able to find before the original deadline.

Hope's Appearances

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

--August 5, 2017 - 1PM - Writer's Digest Online Mystery and Thriller Conference

--September 12 - 1PM - Mark Dawson Podcast Self-Publishing Formula

--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.

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. Biweekly, with 65 contests, markets, grants, retreats, publishers, freelance gigs, magazines and more. $18.75 for a year, or 26 issues. To subscribe, simply go to www.paypal.me/chopeclark/18.75 or read more at FundsforWriters.com.

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

WORDS OF SUCCESS

Wanting something is not enough. You must hunger for it. Your motivation must be absolutely compelling in order to overcome the obstacles that will invariably come your way.

~Les Brown

Success Story

Hope -

A couple years ago, I followed up on a listing in FundsforWriters for an upcoming edition of Chicken Soup for the Soul. A month went by. Hearing nothing, my story fell out of my head.

In May 2017, an associate publisher emailed that my story was a finalist for their August 2017 edition. Though it was no guarantee that my story would be selected, would I please fill out the online permission form, print, sign, and snail mail a copy to the address given?

Two weeks ago, this very professional, easy-to-work-with associate publisher emailed again. Would I please approve their edits? I looked over their edits and compared them with my original story. They had made only slight punctuation changes and a couple of word changes, but the final paragraph had my full attention. The editor had removed a bit of the drama I had felt the piece deserved. I rewrote it, using most of my original copy, and lobbied for my revision. A day or two later, she emailed that they would use my revision.

This week, I received official confirmation that my story will appear in the new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul My Kind of America. I could officially be excited now!

So thanks to FundsforWriters, I found the listing and felt empowered to submit my story, largely because of the "can-do" feel I always get when I read your newsletter. I'd say you played a major role in this success story!

Natalie M. Rotunda
Rotunda Writing
rotunda56303@hotmail.com

How to Build Word of Mouth

By Alex J. Coyne

As a new freelancer scrounging advice, “word of mouth” was a common response from the more experienced. If I wanted to increase my work and income, that’s what it was down to: Word of mouth. It drove me nuts. What was word of mouth and how could I get myself there?

Build contacts. Make it your job to know people. Attend events and book releases, join online forums, get in touch with editors via the staff-section of magazines. Contact websites and business that catch your interest. Where there’s opportunity, introduce yourself. Random conversations have led to year-long contacts (and referrals). Just one example: An avid card player, I struck up a conversation with a friend about local Bridge clubs: They put me in touch with the editor of Great Bridge Links, and I’ve been on-board ever since.

Be accessible. People should always have access to your portfolio and have a way to reach you. Two birds with one stone is a well-designed website that strikes the right chords. You want professionalism and efficiency. Have at least writing samples, links and an about section on your official website. Expand your network further with other contactable profiles like Amazon Author Central or your own blog separately from your website.

Spread your reach. Now and then (I do it once a month), write something for free and send it somewhere meaningful: A guest post, magazine. This is only about expanding your reach: Introduce yourself to a new market, and make sure your website is updated when a prospective client types your details into Google.

Ask. Many referrals have come from simply asking happy clients to refer others. Other times, unsuccessful cold queries have resulted in a “we’ll be sure to pass your info on” that paid off later down the line.

Gather testimonials. In addition to referrals, ask clients for testimonials to go on your website. These are your references, and it shows that you can do the job. If you can grab a testimonial from a well-known client or author, so much better: Author Francois Bloemhof was more than happy to offer up a review for the NB Publishers anthology short story “Boelie” (Afrikaans for bully), and it’s just because I’d asked.

Reputation is everything almost goes without saying. Don’t burn bridges, don’t miss deadlines, don’t gossip or bitch about clients and colleagues – and yes, I’ve sadly seen this – stay accurate and stick to your work-ethic. Protect your reputation; it’s everything for word of mouth. People are going to talk about your work, and you want what they’re saying to be good.

Reach out. Sometimes you have to reach out first, or people will never hear about you! Getting people to know me (and get in touch later) involved a lot of cold calling – not just to magazines, but business who looked like they could use my services.

Incentive is great for attracting word of mouth. Use social media to launch a competition, offer a 15 percent discount for referred clients, put a short story up for download, host a course or start a newsletter; The bottom line is getting people to talk, share, interact and refer.

Refer others. Refer clients to other freelancers in your contacts library, too. Sometimes a job comes along that I might not have time for, and I’m happy to recommend a friend. This, of course, encourages them to refer others back to you. That, dear writer, is the cycle of word of mouth.

Have you got people talking?

Bio: Alex J. Coyne is an internationally-known author, ghostwriter, freelance journalist and
copyeditor. His contributions have appeared for publications like FundsforWriters, People Magazine,
Moneyweb, Great Bridge Links and NB Publishers.

COmpetitions

FUTURESCAPES
http://www.futurescapescontest.com/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 13, 2017. FutureScapes asks writers to envision a particular future, and tell its story. Theme is “Blue Sky Cities.” We’re seeking stories set in a near-future city where significant strides have been made toward improving air quality, climate adaptation, or even net positive impacts on climate and air quality. Submit fiction up to 8,000 words. Prizes are $2,000 first place, $500 to each of the five runners-up. An anthology will be published and distributed to mayors, governors and members of the US Congress.

FIFTEENTH ANNUAL DOGFISH HEAD POETRY PRIZE
http://www.thebroadkillriverpress.com/dogfish-head-poetry-prize
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline midnight, August 15, 2017. For book-length manuscripts by poets residing in the Mid-Atlantic states (DE, MD, VA, PA, NJ, NY, WVA, NC and District of Columbia). Grand prize $500, two cases of Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Beer*, manuscript publication by Broadkill River Press, and 10 copies of the book. One submission per entrant.

ROYAL DRAGONFLY BOOK AWARD
https://www.dragonflybookawards.com/royal-dragonfly
$60 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 1, 2017. Honors published authors of all types of literature — fiction and nonfiction — in 66 categories. The grand prize winner receives $500, a certificate commemorating their accomplishment, and 100 Grand Prize seals. All first place book contest winners of all categories will be put into a drawing for a $100 prize. In addition, each first place winner in each category receives a certificate commemorating their accomplishment, and 25 award seals.

THE HG WELLS SHORT STORY CONTEST
https://hgwellscompetition.com/competition-rules-2017/
0-£10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 16, 2017. The Margaret and Reg Turnill Competition is for young writers of 21 years and under, for which the prize winner receives £1,000, and a competition for the over 21s which offers the Grand Prize of £250. This year’s theme is “Light”. Entries must be in English. There are no entry fees for those aged 21 years and under on 16 July 2017. Over 21s must pay an entry fee. The length is 1,500 to 5,000 words.

GRANTS

MANHATTAN ARTS CREATIVE ENGAGEMENT GRANTS
http://lmcc.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Creative-Engagement-Guidelines-2018.pdf
Deadline September 12, 2017. Funding is provided for projects in the performing, literary, media, and visual arts, ranging from folk/traditional forms to contemporary and socially-engaged artistic practices. Creative Engagement strongly supports the payment of artist fees. Grants are $750 to $8,000.

360 XOCHI QUETZAL
http://www.360xochiquetzal.com
A FREE artist and writer’s residency located on Lake Chapala, Mexico. The deadline for the Winter Residency Program is Sunday, July 30, 2017 (for the December 14, 2017 – January 13, 2018 residency). International visual artists, writers, playwrights, photographers, dancers, new media makers and musicians can apply.

NEW ENGLAND FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS TOURING GRANT
https://www.nefa.org/grants_programs/grants/nest_new_england_states_touring_grant
Deadlines August 1, 2017 for projects beginning on or after November 1, 2017; December 1, 2017 for projects beginning on or after March 1, 2018; and April 2, 2018 for projects beginning on or after July 1, 2018. NEST (New England States Touring) funds presentations of New England-based performing artists from outside of a presenter’s state. CreativeGround houses the directory of all artists who may be chosen by NEST applicants for funding (called NEST artists). Therefore, all artists who wish to qualify for NEST funding must maintain an artist profile on CreativeGround. Grants are up to $4,000.

RASMUSON FOUNDATION ARTIST RESIDENCIES
http://www.rasmuson.org/grants/artist-residency-program/
Accepting applications from Alaska artists and writers interested in fully-funded two-month residencies in the lower forty-eight states. Disciplines currently eligible are Crafts, Folk and Traditional Arts; Literary Arts/Scriptworks; Media Arts; Social Practice; and Visual Arts.

FREELANCE MARKETS

AROUND CONCORD MAGAZINE
http://www.aroundconcord.com/
Around Concord magazine is looking for creative essays, short fiction, and poetry that is rooted in New Hampshire. We pay $250 for essays or collections of poems (three to five). To submit or send a query, please email the editor, James Buchanan, at: editor@aroundconcord.com.

STRANGE HORIZONS
http://strangehorizons.com/submit/fiction-submission-guidelines/
Speculative fiction, broadly defined. Up to 10,000 words (under 5,000 preferred). Payment of 8 cents/word. Special note on translations: our quarterly sister magazine Samovar specializes in translations and offers a better pay rate of 12 cents/word USD split between author and translator.

ALTERNATIVES JOURNAL
http://www.alternativesjournal.ca/contributor-guidelines-article
A\J is dedicated to in-depth analysis of environmental issues, including their ecological, social and economic dimensions. It combines the learned rigour of an academic journal with the accessible style and format of a general-interest magazine. Feature Articles 1,000 to 4,000 words. Reports 500 to 1200 words are less analytical than features and are usually written to convey a story or inform the reader of new initiatives or recent developments in policy, thought, technology or action. Pays 10 cents/word.

NORTHERN WOODLANDS
http://northernwoodlands.org/issues/writers-photographers
Articles and columns range in scope, and may include subjects such as woodlot management, wildlife species, scat, chainsaw maintenance, woodworking, and reflections on natural landscapes. We like to surprise our readers with stories they won't find anywhere else. We are not a trade magazine for the forest products industry or an advocacy magazine for preservationists. Pays 10 cents/word and up.

JOBS

POETRY OUT LOUD ASSISTANT - RENO, NEVADA
The Nevada Arts Council (NAC) is looking for a Poetry Out Loud Assistant who is located in the Reno area. This is a part-time position with varying hours (approximately 5 - 20 hours per week) beginning in September and ending in May. This is a temporary Manpower position. It is not a State of Nevada position. This position is supervised by the Arts Learning Program Director, and requires an individual that is self-motivated and exhibits professional communication and writing skills and excellent organization skills. Primary duties include assisting the Arts Learning Director with increasing school participation in Poetry Out Loud; distributing the POL Teacher Tool Kits and registering teachers; assisting with the coordination of district semi-final competitions and the state competition; and using social media to promote POL. Salary: up to $17/hr (based on experience). Please submit a cover letter, resume, and two references to mdorofachuk@nevadaculture.org. Upon review, you may be contacted for an interview. Deadline for applications is August 1, 2017. Please contact Maryjane Dorofachuk @ 702.486.3738 for more information.

Publishers/agents

ALIBI
http://www.randomhousebooks.com/alibi/
Alibi is Random House’s digital-only imprint focused on mystery and thriller fiction titles. Our program is managed with the same attention given all of our other imprints within the Penguin-Random House Publishing Group.

BRASH BOOKS
http://www.brash-books.com/about/
We publish the books that we love – the widely-acclaimed, award-winning novels that have inspired, entertained, and wowed countless readers as well as today’s bestselling authors of thrillers and mysteries. We also publish innovative thrillers and novels of suspense from well-established authors and exciting, new voices in crime fiction.

FELONY AND MAYHEM
http://felonyandmayhem.com/committing-your-own-mayhem/
At present, we publish only mystery fiction. There may come a time when we will publish other genres, but we do not currently have any plans to do so. Additionally, we are not equipped to publish novellas or short stories; our minimum length is about 75,000 words.

JOFFE BOOKS
http://www.joffebooks.com/submissions/
JOFFE BOOKS are one of the UK’s leading independent publishers of best-selling crime and mystery fiction. We are currently open to submissions from new and established authors.