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LOVING OUR FELLOW AUTHOR

I believe that appreciation is a holy thing – that when we look for what's best in a person we happen to be with at the moment, we're doing what God does all the time. So in loving and appreciating our neighbor, we're participating in something sacred. ~ Fred Rogers

I had a brand-spanking new author approach me about coaching not long ago. His goal was a memoir. When I inquired as to his experience, he let me know in no uncertain terms that nonfiction came from reality and didn't require the imagination or skill of fiction where everything was made up. Then he commenced to tell me about how other authors had written their memoirs with too much literary license and should be ashamed (one had actually published a book that was made into a movie). His was the better story though it hadn't been written yet.

Bitterness oozed between his words. The man was done before he started because he had a negative view of the profession and those who'd gone before him. Not many people will want to work with him in this journey that's already tremendously difficult to maneuver. 

Wishing the best for other authors ought to be a more natural feeling than envy. Being there for other authors can result in others being there for you. You learn from how they've succeeded. And most of all, your mind is more open to suggestion and growth by admiring how others performed. 

Give back, support your fellow author, and limit the chastisement. Think of blessings and best wishes for your peers in this profession. It can't help but make you a better person . . . and better writer.

 


WORDS OF SUCCESS

I believe that appreciation is a holy thing – 
that when we look for what's best 
in a person we happen to be with at the moment, 
we're doing what God does all the time. 
So in loving and appreciating our neighbor, 
we're participating in something sacred.

~ Fred Rogers


 

Success Story

Dear Hope,

In December 2014, you posted Stoneslide Corrective's call for fiction submissions in your FundsforWriters newsletter. Though I work as a copywriter and have written nonfiction articles, at that point I had never written fiction. It scared me -- my thoughts and imaginings out there for the world to see? No, thanks. I'll hide behind the facts. 

Something about that post though, and the other inspiring stories in your newsletter including your own, encouraged me to try writing something for Stoneslide Corrective's short story contest, so I wrote what came to mind - a story about a girl who becomes a refugee when her family is taken during a revolution in the United States in the year 2056. 

Though I didn't win the contest, my family and friends who had read the story encouraged me to turn it into a novel. So, as you've described several times, I set a word count goal for myself: 500 words per day. And I did it. I wrote at least 500 words per day for over a year. If I didn't meet my goal one day, say I only wrote 420 words, then I had to write 580 the next day. 

When the novel was complete, I started submitting it to agents. No one wanted to sign me. Then I started with publishers, and eventually I found one who was interested. All in all, it took a little over two years from when I wrote my first word until my novel, Compass Rose, was published by Radion Media earlier this year. I'm now doing readings and signings in Southern California, where I live, and the book is doing well! 

Many thanks for posting that original listing, and continuing to inspire me with your experiences as a full-time writer. I'm already working on the sequel to Compass Rose, and looking into other freelance opportunities.

All the best,
Elizabeth Austin
American University of Paris, M.A. International Affairs
University of St. Andrews, M.A. International Relations
elizabethanneaustin.com

featured article

How I Got My Sweat's Worth Out of a Content Mill

by Lisa Maloney 

Brace yourself. I'm about to say something nice about content mills.

First, the not-so-nice parts: If you've ever written for a content mill, you already know that they're all about quantity, not quality, and management tends to be better at drawing people in than fostering morale or editorial standards. There's a reason such places have been dubbed the sweatshops of online writing.

And yet, content mills helped me leap from ferociously insecure writer to someone with a robust, independent writing career. Here's how it worked for me.

My first writing job was a one-off newspaper article that eventually turned into six years of weekly columns and a book deal. Freelance gold, right? But I didn't know how successful it would be, and at the time I suffered from deep insecurity that, combined with the lack of feedback in the days before social media was a "thing," left me convinced that my nascent column was a fluke.

So, instead of pitching ideas to other publications, I sought refuge in the low expectations and anonymity of content mills that paid by the piece. I was a fast writer and researcher, so within a few months I was clearing $30 to $60 per hour with little effort and no need for long-term commitment.

Suddenly, writing was far more lucrative than the side job I'd been working. I became a full-time freelancer, even if it didn't look anything like I'd imagined when, at about six years old, I started telling people that would be my career path. Encouraged by my new job title, I finally sent out a few more pitches. Some of them were accepted. 

Soon, I was straddling two career paths. On one side, seemingly endless access to a pool of easy money; all I had to do was endure a series of small indignities that I could escape by clicking "Log Out." On the other side, a non-content-mill career that was growing along with my confidence, and had the potential to actually take me somewhere. 

The content mills made my choice easy by collapsing. It was sink or swim time and I swam, buoyed by a series of lessons and skills that, in retrospect, I acquired from one of the most unlikely places. 

It's in the content mills that I first learned the quality of my work is more important than where it runs, that there's no substitute for spending a lot of time writing (no matter the circumstances), and that having a prestigious job title like "editor" doesn't guarantee the person actually knows what they're talking about.

I also learned that flexibility, resiliency, and a willingness to "make it work" are what really make a freelance career go; and that you'll be paid and treated just as poorly, or as well, as you allow. The latter may be the most important lesson of my freelance career - scratch that, my life - and has guided me every time I decide how to handle difficult colleagues or a challenging situation.

Over the years, I have also learned that not all online content brokers follow the content mill model. Contently pays magazine rates and is a pleasure to work with. I hear that ClearVoice might pay similarly, although I haven't yet had the pleasure; and Ebyline usually pays at least newspaper rates. I would argue that makes all the above very different from content mills, but the bottom line is that it's up to you to decide which content companies are - or aren't - worth your time. 

BIO
Lisa is a freelance writer and editor based in Anchorage, Alaska. She's the author of "50 Hikes Around Anchorage," the 11th edition of "Moon Alaska," and the forthcoming "Day Hiking Alaska" from Mountaineers Books. She did a stint as senior editor of Alaska magazine, and has published a number of magazine and newspaper articles about travel, the outdoors, and profiles of anyone that's willing to tolerate her natural nosiness. Contact her at lisa@maloneywrites.com or find her at maloneywrites.com

 

COmpetitions

PIGEON PAGES FLEDGLING PROSE CONTEST
https://pigeonpagesnyc.com/literary-journal/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 1, 2017. We seek previously unpublished prose pieces of up to 4,000 words. We will accept submissions from any genre or hybrid-genre, with lyric or experimental prose welcome. The author of the winning submission will receive $250 cash, with two runners-up receiving $50 cash each. All three winners will be published in Pigeon Pages, and all entries—winning or not—will be considered for publication. One entry per person. 



CAFE WRITERS OPEN POETRY COMPETITION 2017
http://cafewriters.co.uk/home/poetry-competition/
£4 ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 30, 2017. First prize £1,000. Second prize £300. Third prize £200. Six Commended Prizes of £50. Funniest Poem £100. The Norfolk Prize of £100 is awarded to the best poem from a permanent Norfolk resident not winning another prize. Maximum of 40 lines (excluding title) on one side of A4. The prize is open to anyone other than Café Writers’ committee members. Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must never have been published,self-published, published on any website or broadcast.



ONE-ACT PLAY COMPETITION
http://www.30byninety.com/special-events.html
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 31, 2017. On March 17 and 18, 2018, 30 by Ninety Theatre will present four original one act plays! Submit your one act play to us and you could be one of the finalists to see their play brought to life before a live audience at the Louisiana Northshore' s Best Live Local Theater as voted by the public in Sophisticated Woman Magazine. Submissions will be accepted from October 1st through October 31st 2017. Electronic submissions only, please. Plays should be approximately 10-20 minutes when performed. The finalists will be announced in January. After performances on both March 17 and 18, the audience will vote and declare one play the winner of a $500 grand prize!



STRINGYBARK MALICIOUS MYSTERIES SHORT STORY AWARD
http://www.stringybarkstories.net/
A$12 ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 5, 2017. Any tale with a mysterious element and perhaps a sting-in-the-tail is wanted for this intriguing short story competition. The  prize value for this competition is more than $1,000 in cash and books.  International entries are most welcome. Limit 1,500 words. (Note the dollars are in Australian.)






THE 27th ANNUAL MISSOURI REVIEW JEFFREY E. SMITH EDITORS' PRIZE 
https://www.missourireview.com/contests/jeffrey-e-smith-editors-prize/
Awards $5,000 and publication to the prize-winners in fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Now open for submissions!  Deadline: October 2. 
 

GRANTS

PUBLIC SPACE FELLOWSHIPS
https://apublicspace.org/blog/detail/the_2018_public_space_fellowships
Deadline October 15, 2017. Location New York City. The aim of these fellowships is to seek out and support writers who embrace risk in their work and their own singular vision. Writers who have not yet contracted to publish a book are invited to apply. Three fellowships will be awarded, which will include: six months of editorial support from A Public Space editors to prepare a piece for publication in the magazine; a $1,000 honorarium; the opportunity to meet with members of the publishing community, including agents, editors, and published writers; and the opportunity to participate in a public reading and conversation in New York City with A Public Space editors and contributors. International applicants are encouraged to apply, but we are only able to consider submissions in English. 



THE MILLAY COLONY FOR THE ARTS
http://www.millaycolony.org/programs/residencies-artists-millay-colony-arts/apply/
$35 APPLICATION FEE. Deadline October 1, 2017. Founded in 1973 and located on the former home of poet/activist Edna St. Vincent Millay, The Millay Colony for the Arts is an artists’ residency program and artists’ center located in the Berkshire foothills of Austerlitz, New York. The application process is competitive and The Millay Colony accepts residents solely on the basis of artistic merit. Transportation costs are the responsibility of the artist. The Colony does not pay any stipend or living allowance.



RHODE ISLAND FELLOWSHIPS
http://www.arts.ri.gov/grants/fellowshipguidelines-fy16-revised.pdf
Fellowships encourage the creative development of artists by enabling them to set aside time to
pursue their work and achieve specific creative and career goals. Fellowships are highly
competitive awards. Artists are encouraged to apply when they have created a substantial body
of work that they are prepared to present in a professional manner. Fellowship deadlines are April 1 and October 1 of each year, and each deadline carries different categories in the arts. 



UNDER THE VOLCANO FELLOWSHIPS
http://underthevolcano.org/wp-utv/splash.html
Under the Volcano is a modular program of writing master classes that convenes every January in Tepoztlán, Mexico, an hour outside Mexico City in the foothills of the great volcanoes. Our award-winning faculty spans the English-speaking and Hispanic worlds. Our full fellowships recognize emerging and established writers of exceptional talent. Recipients are chosen by committee on the basis of their accomplishment and literary promise and are required to submit a concise statement of their goals for the program and beyond. A cover letter and supporting materials for all fellowships must be received no later than October 1, 2017. Fellowship awards will be announced on October 10, 2017.

 

FREELANCE MARKETS

CHICKEN SOUP - THE BEST ADVICE I EVER HEARD
http://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/story-guidelines
Deadline February 28, 2018. We are looking for stories that contain a great piece of advice that you were given or advice that you gave to someone else. Whether the advice is about a little thing that improved your everyday life, or major epiphanies that can change a life completely, we want to hear about them and how they made a difference. You will receive a check for $200 and 10 complimentary copies of your book. You retain the copyright for your story and you retain the rights to resell it or self-publish it.



TROUBLE THE WATERS: Tales from the Deep Blue 
http://rosariumpublishing.com/trouble-the-waters-submissions.html
Deadline November 1, 2017. A new anthology of water-themed speculative short stories that explore all kinds of water lore and deities, ancient and new as well as unimagined tales. We want stories with memorable, engaging characters, great and small, epic tales and quieter stories of personal and communal growth. Science fiction, fantasy, horror, interstitial, and unclassifiable works are welcome. We are seeking original stories in English (2,500 to 7,000 words; pays six cents per word) from writers of all walks of life from this beautiful planet and will accept some select reprints (pays two cents per word). 



ISSUES IN EARTH SCIENCE
http://earthscienceissues.net/submissions/
We are interested in MG and YA fiction that incorporates Earth Science concepts as key, rather than incidental, elements.  Stories with adult characters but written for MG or YA will also be considered.  The science element should be more substantive than "cool facts" or jargon that is slipped into a story.  Rather, the Earth Science concept should both be integral to the story and represent a key idea that might be taught in an Earth Science classroom. Stories should be between 1,000 and 3,000 words, with preference for stories around 2,000 words. Payment will be $0.06/word ($60 minimum).  



GROWING MAGAZINE
https://www.growingmagazine.com/
Growing covers what rises above the green. Whether it be science, pest control, the art and business of farming fruits and vegetables or even the literal definition of “agriculture” – we cover what our audience deals with on a daily basis. For most, growing is a passion and a way of life that has been passed down from generation to generation. In the pages of Growing you will find content with tried-and-true practices along with new suggestions that will move our industry forward. Pays $175-$200 for columns, and $400 to $500 for features for 800 to 1,800 words.

 

JOBS

INVERSE
https://inverse.submittable.com/submit
We are seeking a part-time culture writer to contribute three full days per week out of our Brooklyn office. The successful candidate will have the ability to pitch responsively, write analytically, and think creatively about the subjects we take seriously. We are looking for someone interested in at least two of these three coverage areas: internet culture, how technology will effect social change, and future racial and sexual identities. Writers should feel comfortable expressing opinions, engaging in open debate, and reporting on everything from a viral meme to the automation economy. Curiosity is the single most important trait we look for in a writer. Facility with language is the second. 



WRITER
https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/407225094/
Location San Francisco, California. We’re looking for a writer to identify and create articles, social pieces, and a random assortment of other editorial work. The right candidate should be quick on his or her feet, eager to get out of the office and talk to people, and curious by nature. A sense of fun is important and should come through in your work. The right candidate should be comfortable working in a range of formats, including articles, infographics and videos. He or she also needs to be comfortable working with designers and people in a variety of marketing roles. The work is best described as equal parts journalism, design, and digital marketing. 



WRITER
https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/415647461/
Location New York, New York. JDRF, the leading global organization working to end type 1 diabetes, needs your talent, creativity and enthusiasm to drive our mission forward. As part of the national Marcom team, you will work with colleagues who spend every day curating inspiring narratives, brainstorming campaigns and finding better ways to reach more people and increase engagement with a worldwide movement that makes an impact.



WRITER
https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/447684815/
Location Cambridge, Massachusetts. The goal of Nieman Lab (www.niemanlab.org ) is to identify and encourage changes that can expand the production of quality journalism. We do so by identifying best practices, examining new business models, tracking innovation in journalistic craft, and trying to be a forward-looking voice in figuring out the future of journalism. The staff writer of the Lab will work with existing staff to reach the goal described above.

Publishers/agents

REGAL HOFFMAN AND ASSOCIATES
http://rhaliterary.com/
We represent works in a wide range of categories, with an emphasis on literary fiction, outstanding thriller and crime fiction, and serious narrative non-fiction.



THE BOOK GROUP
http://www.thebookgroup.com/
Welcome to The Book Group, a full-service literary agency located in the heart of Manhattan. Launched in 2015 by publishing industry veterans Julie Barer, Faye Bender, Brettne Bloom, and Elisabeth Weed, The Book Group shares a singular passion: to seek out and cultivate writers, and to serve as their champions throughout their careers. We represent a wide range of distinguished authors, including critically acclaimed and bestselling novelists, celebrated writers of children's literature, and award-winning historians, food writers, memoirists and journalists.



MASSIE & McQUILKIN AGENCY
http://www.mmqlit.com/about/
MASSIE & McQUILKIN is a full-service literary agency that focuses on bringing fiction and nonfiction of quality to the largest possible audience. See the contact page for a list of what each agents is seeking. 



VICKY BIJUR AGENCY
http://www.vickybijuragency.com/
We are not the right agency for screenplays, picture books, poetry, self-help, science fiction, fantasy, horror, or romance. Vicky is currently accepting submissions of literary fiction and commercial women’s fiction. 

 

SPONSORS

Charles Todd is coming to the Midlands of South Carolina! Together, the engaging mother-son duo has written dozens of historical mysteries, including the Bess Crawford Mysteries and the Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery Series. They've won the Mary Higgins Clark Award and the Barry Award, and been nominated for many others. 

Settings and the characters who live there will come alive for writers in a special program, followed by an interview with the ever-delightful and talented Cathy Pickens. 

The program will be held at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 1715 Bull St., Columbia, SC on September 30, 2017, from 9:30 am until 2:00 pm. The cost of the program, $15, includes breakfast and lunch.

Register here and pay at the door. Acceptable forms of payments are cash, or checks made out to Sisters in Crime Palmetto Chapter.
 
Please e-mail palmettochaptersinc@gmail.com with questions.






Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest - Last Call!

http://winningwriters.com/tompoetry 15th year. $4,000 in cash prizes, including $1,500 for a poem in any style and $1,500 for a poem that rhymes or has a traditional style. Both published and unpublished work accepted. All entries that win cash prizes will be published on WinningWriters.com. Entry fee is $12 per poem. Each poem may have up to 250 lines. Submit by September 30. 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/tompoetry









GET WEBSITES THAT ROCK, BOOK COVERS THAT SIZZLE

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MENTION THIS AD AND GET 10% OFF (NEW CLIENTS ONLY)
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"When I first saw Shaila’s work, I was struck by the fact that her designs are not only beautiful but also perfectly reflect the personality of the business it represents. Her suggestions, insight, and artistic talent made the final product much better than what I’d envisioned on my own.” —Jacqueline Adams, writer, http://jacqueline-adams.com/

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ttp://myhouseofdesign.com/services-for-authors/ 

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. 

 

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

 

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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