FundsforWriters - September 8, 2017 - To Worry or Not to Worry

Published: Fri, 09/08/17

Volume 17, Issue 36 | SEPTEMBER 8, 2017

Message from the Editor

BIG sigh. 2017 is not the most fun year in my house. Both parents with Alzheimer's, some other relatives losing their minds more figuratively, a book deadline that's looming way too soon, and a hurricane. . . maybe two. I won't lie. . . I've had days I wanted to just stop and crawl into a hole. I'd kill to be doing nothing but writing stories. Wouldn't even care if they sold . . . just let me write my stories.

Ever felt that way? Few of my family reads my work. Heck, when my parents moved, they weren't even concerned about carrying the copies of my books with them. On the positive side, the assisted living would like a set of my books, and I have a place to donate all the good books I read. I still try to belong to a book club. We cover some good stories, and those books need homes.

Frankly, consider donating books to assisted living facilities. All of them have a library of some sort. These are folks with lots of time on their hands to read.

Back to the hurricane . . . it appears it will miss me in Columbia, and won't devastate my parents' home in Charleston. I could call that a blessing, but that would mean I am happy the storm is hitting someone else. No, it's not a blessing. It is what it is, and I pray that all of you in Florida and Georgia stay safe.

And to my friends on Edisto Beach, who have had to evacuate, please know I'm praying for you along all of my readers who've become familiar with your beautiful island.

C. Hope Clark
Editor, FundsforWriters
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	e love you Edisto Beach. Stay safe! Love, Winnie and Roo


	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

Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest - Last Call!

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 Both published and unpublished work accepted.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

Editor’s THOUGHTS

TO WORRY OR NOT TO WORRY

"How often has the unexpected happened! How often has the expected never come to pass! And even though it is ordained to be, what does it avail to run out to meet your suffering? You will suffer soon enough, when it arrives; so look forward meanwhile to better things." ~Seneca, the great first-century Roman philosopher (click here for more on this article)

I had to share this snippet from Brain Pickings that spoke of antidotes to anxiety. Most of us entered this business because we wanted the peaceful world of writing. Instead, we learned that to sell a book we have to compete, market, and hock our souls to be seen and read.

Then, writers everywhere who've experienced unexpected challenges throw up their horror stories on blogs and social media. We read about these issues and get tentative. We fear rejection, fear making a wrong publishing decision, and fear writing well enough to have a story that sells. Do this, don't do that. Everyone has an opinion and we even fear which one to listen to.

The computer has caused a lot of this. Fake news and drama. Exaggerated relays of writing nightmares. One person's bad experience misinterpreted as everyone's. This worry can ruin our aspirations of being writers and suck the life right out of the passion.

While this may be hard to do, decide not to worry. Write like it's fun. Publish with enthusiasm and expected promise. Decide to enjoy the process and learn from whatever happens. Avoid the negative thinking. You wanted to write. So write.

Defy anything or anyone who wants to tell you what to fear. Instead, take all that information you hear and weed out the sarcasm, negativity, and complaints. Retain only the good . . . the guidance that will take you where you want to be.

Hope's Appearances

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

--September 24 - 7PM - The Writers Chatroom with Hope

--October 9 - 3PM - Nonfiction Authors Association

--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

"When your story is ready for rewrite, cut it to the bone. Get rid of every ounce of excess fat. This is going to hurt; revising a story down to the bare essentials is always a little like murdering children, but it must be done."

-Stephen King, in Writer's Digest

Success Story

If you've had a success as a result of reading FundsforWriters, please let us know. We want to share it with our readers!!! Be sure to include a website or blog address. Email to hope@chopeclark.com

Hosting a Book Launch Party on Facebook

By Katherine Mayfield

Whether or not you’re a Facebook fan, hosting an online launch party for your just-published book can gather readers and sell books. Real-world book launches are useful for getting the word out about your print book via press releases to newspapers, but sometimes the response in terms of actual attendees leaves something to be desired.

For a Facebook launch party, attendance is only limited by the number of friends you have (and the number of friends your friends have). And you can do a launch party for an ebook, if you haven’t printed books yet. You can also post an event for a real-world launch or reading.

Before you sign on to Facebook to create the event, you’ll need to design a header for the event page, the same size as your Facebook header (or get a design friend to put it together). As in all design, colorful and eye-catching will draw the most interest. Make sure the header gives all necessary info about the event in one glance (i.e., include the words “Book Launch”).

Next, log on to your Facebook page and click on “Create an Event” on the right side of the page. Upload your cover photo, choose the date, and fill in the rest of the fields. One to two hours is a good amount of time—it takes a while for people to read and comment, and you don’t want to tire your fingers too much (once it DOES get going, you may be typing constantly). When you’re done, click “Publish.”

Post an opening comment to explain the event, and click on “Share” to invite your friends. You can also add the event to your news feed. You’re ready to go! If there will be some time passing between the setup and the event, check the page regularly for questions (“How does this work?” comes fairly frequently).

Now for an important tip: Before the party starts, gather some snippets of information—short excerpts, a bit about why you wrote the book, the cover graphic, table of contents, a short bio—and have them ready in a Word document so you can copy and post them on the event page at intervals. Once the party begins, you’ll be too busy answering questions and addressing your readers’ comments to write long posts. With your book info ready to go, you can grab something quickly and post it, and keep answering questions.

I like to open a launch party with a cheery welcome, a brief description of the book, and a request for questions about the book or my writing process. This encourages people to post. Also, consider a giveaway—a drawing for a free copy of your book, or if feel generous, other items like gift cards, coupons, baskets, or a free course.

It’s challenging to address all the comments—don’t get stressed if some slip by, because you can always go back and answer them later. Be sure to Like at least some of the comments (try to Like each poster at least once).

Here’s an even more important tip: You have to keep refreshing the page in order to see new comments and questions. When someone posts, their picture will usually show up at the bottom left of your screen, and clicking on it will take you to their post so you can respond. You can also click on “Notifications,” top right of the screen, to refresh the page.

One critical note: Don’t give too much away in your excerpts. You want to whet readers’ appetites so they want to buy your book, not satisfy them completely. Pick compelling scenes for your excerpts to hook your readers.

Finally, stick around until the end and be sure to graciously thank everyone. Be generous with praise and gratitude. These are your fans and your word-of-mouth activity that will bring readers to your books.

Good luck!

BIO - Katherine Mayfield is the author of the award-winning memoir, The Box of Daughter, a book of poems, three books of essays, a book on writing memoir, and several books on coping with emotional trauma and bullying in the family, at school, and at work (www.katherine-mayfield.com). She teaches memoir writing online and blogs on dysfunctional families on her website, www.TheBoxofDaughter.com.

COmpetitions

THE SHARED DREAM CHAPBOOK CONTEST
http://backbonepress.org/submissions/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline: November 30, 2017. In times of anti-immigrant sentiment and racial intolerance, Backbone Press is pleased to announce The Shared Dream Chapbook Contest for immigrant poets. The winning manuscript with be published by Backbone Press, and the author will receive a prize of $250. Submit chapbook-length manuscripts, 18-30 pages.

THE TWO SYLVIAS PRESS 2017 WILDER SERIES POETRY BOOK PRIZE
http://www.twosylviaspress.com/wilder-series-poetry-book-prize.html
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 30, 2017. The Wilder Series Book Prize is open to women over 50 years of age (established or emerging poets) and includes a $1,000 prize, publication by Two Sylvias Press, 20 copies of the winning book, and a vintage, art nouveau pendant. Women submitting manuscripts may be poets with one or more previously published chapbooks/books or poets without any prior chapbook/book publications. Length: 60-100 pages of poems.

PICTURE BOOK PRIZE
https://www.writers-online.co.uk/writing-competitions/open-competitions/writers-competitions-wj-swchildren/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 29, 2017. The award is open to all unpublished and unagented writers and is an opportunity for you to submit your picture book texts. We are not looking for illustrated stories or accompanying sample illustrations – please just send the story text. The first prize winner will be offered a lunch consultation with top children’s fiction agent Julia Churchill, a year’s subscription to Writing Magazine and £200. The second prize winner will be offered a picture book critique by Amy Sparkes through Writing Magazine Writing Courses, a year's subscription to WM and £50. The third prize winner will win a year’s subscription to WM. The story should be fiction and can be rhyming or non-rhyming. The word count should be no more than 800 words. Your story can be split up into spreads (usually 12-14 spreads) or be one continuous piece of writing.

SOLUTION LOANS SHORT STORY COMPETITION
http://www.solution-loans.co.uk/competitions/short-story-writing-competition/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 30, 2017. The winner will receive £200 and publication on the Solution Loans website, with £50 and publication for three runners-up. We’re looking for short stories with the theme of "coins." Stories should be works of fiction, not personal accounts or experiences. You may choose to interpret the theme however you wish. Send us your story, between 1,000 to 2,000 words. Entry is open to UK writers aged 18 or over.

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

THE AUTHORS' FOUNDATION
http://www.societyofauthors.org/SOA/MediaLibrary/SOAWebsite/Documents-for-download/AF-updated-sept-2017-form-new-awards.pdf
Deadline September 30, 2017. For those in the UK. Several categories of fiction. The foundation provides grants to writers to assist them while writing books. There are two rounds of grants each year, awarded in the summer and in the winter. You may apply if you have a contract with a commercial British publisher to write a full-length work of fiction, poetry, or nonfiction. Also if you are without a contract with a publisher but have had at least one book published commercially by a British publisher.

HARPO FOUNDATION NATIVE AMERICAN RESIDENCY
http://www.harpofoundation.org/apply/native-american-felowship/
The foundation is accepting applications for its Native American Fellowships at the Vermont Studio Center program. Each year, the program awards two residency fellowships to Native American artists at the Vermont Studio Center, an historic artist colony located along the Gihon River in Johnson, Vermont, a village in the heart of the northern Green Mountains. Each one-month residency includes room and board, a private studio, and a $500 travel stipend. To be eligible, applicants must be a Native American artist who demonstrates strong artistic ability, an evolving practice that is at a pivotal moment in its development, and a practice that engages a dialogue between the artist's indigenous world and the surrounding culture.

ARTS COUNCIL LITERATURE BURSARY AWARD IRELAND
https://www.writing.ie/resources/grants-and-bursaries-available-in-ireland/
The award emphasises the value and benefit to a writer’s development that is derived from concentrating on their writing for a period of time. The award therefore provides writers with the time and resources to think, research, reflect and write, usually by releasing them from financial commitments. The award is open to artists working in all genres and at all stages in their professional careers. To be eligible to apply applicants must have been born in, or be resident in, the Republic of Ireland; and be professional practicing artists. Although they may not necessarily earn income continuously from their arts practice, they must identify themselves and be recognized by their peers as professional practicing artists. The maximum Bursary Award available is €15,000 per year. In a very limited number of cases the Arts Council may also support applications for multi-annual bursaries of up to €30,000 for a two-year period or €45,000 for a three-year period.

THE HAVEN FOUNDATION
http://www.thehavenfdn.org/guidelines
The mission of The Haven Foundation is to strengthen and sustain the careers of freelance professional writers, artists, and others connected with the entertainment industry across the United States (“qualified persons”). The Foundation accomplishes its mission through direct financial assistance to qualified persons, including financial support. Grants can be for financial need or due to chronic illness or injury.

FREELANCE MARKETS

SKIRT!
http://www.skirt.com/contribute/
skirt! publishes two personal essays every month on topics relating to women and women’s interests. All essays for consideration should be submitted in their entirety and be between 800 and 1,100 words. Essays must fit one of our monthly themes. Payment for essays is $200. We reserve the right to edit articles for length and content.

OUTDOOR OKLAHOMA
https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/out_ok/freelance.htm
Payment for first-time publication rights is made within the following ranges: Feature length articles (over 1,500 words) - $300-450; Shorter articles (500-1,500 words) - $125-250; Sidebars and "Off the Beaten Path" articles - $75; Second-time publications rights are made at one-half the above rates. Hunting, fishing, wildlife conservation, natural history, camping and much more are yours when you subscribe to "Outdoor Oklahoma," the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s full-color, bi-monthly magazine.

ALMOST FEARLESS
https://almostfearless.submittable.com/submit
We work with first-time authors and seasoned pros. Our travel content is aimed at experienced travelers, who have read it all and want something new. Don't pitch us Morocco, pitch us a multi-sport excursion with tweens across Morocco. You know? For our adventure side we're looking at US and Canada destinations and ways to make your favorite sport accessible. We also want essays and think pieces on what it means to be a parent, raise kids and live a fulfilled life - many of our readers have traveled the world or deep dived into the outdoors and this influences everything. You can find the rate in each section on the website but generally pays $1/word for print and between $50-$250 flat for the web. (Thanks ErikaDreifus.com)

THE NEW QUARTERLY
https://tnq.ca/submissions/
We pay writers $250 for a short story or nonfiction entry, and $40 per poem or postscript story. In exchange, we get first Canadian publishing rights. You keep the copyright.

JOBS

FREELANCE REPORTER
https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/387749795/
The Breeze, the monthly local newspaper and daily website covering Bridgewater and Raritan in Somerset County, New Jersey, is looking for an experienced freelance reporter to cover government and board of education meetings in the two towns. The ideal candidate will have covered local government or school board of education meetings in the past, and be able to pitch and write original stories based on meetings.

WRITER
https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/384857244/
Location San Francisco, California. We are looking for a writer for Sephora Inside JCPenney. A writer who’s not only great with words, but is also comfortable in a fast-paced environment. A creative thinker who considers the client’s perspective when writing, knows what makes a pun work, and is nimble in juggling deadlines. This person will work on a variety of exciting projects including major campaigns and every manner of marketing communication, including store windows, direct mail pieces, digital copy, and email.

WRITER
https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/429535820/
Location Detroit, Michigan. Jack Morton has a unique opportunity for an experienced long-form writer to join the Chevrolet team in Detroit. In this key role, you will be responsible for preparing a wide variety of communications (from draft to delivery) including executive presentations and speeches, video treatments, and other materials that will be used for a variety of internal and external audiences. To be successful in this position, you must be adept at creatively synthesizing information and managing diverse tasks simultaneously. Exceptional oral and written communication skills, adherence to deadlines and utmost attention to detail are imperatives in this role.

Publishers/agents

TARTARUS PRESS
http://www.tartaruspress.com/submissions.html
We are looking for short story collections and novels of between 75,000 and 120,000 words. We would like to receive literary strange/supernatural fiction. We are not interested in high fantasy, violent horror or young adult fiction. If you write within a traditional genre such as vampire or ghost fiction then please make sure that the more clichéd trappings of your genre are, at best, a very marginal part of your work. Please note: we do not publish teen, children's or young adult fiction.

PYR
http://www.pyrsf.com/contactus.html
Pyr® publishes only science fiction and fantasy novels. We are not currently looking for short story collections, anthologies, novellas, or nonfiction. We prefer novels in the 100,000 to 130,000 word range. For science fiction, we do not consider material under 85,000 words in length. For fantasy, we do not consider material under 95,000 words in length. We are also looking for speculative Young Adult fiction in any subgenre. These manuscripts may be shorter.

ETRUSCAN PRESS
http://etruscanpress.org/
Housed at Wilkes University and partnering with Youngstown State University, Etruscan is a non-profit literary press working to produce and promote books that nurture the dialogue among genres, cultures, and voices. We publish books of poems, novels, short stories, creative non-fiction, criticism, translation, and anthologies.

WAYWISER PRESS
https://waywiser-press.com/
The Waywiser Press is a small independent company, with its main office in the UK, and a subsidiary in the USA. Waywiser is a literary press, first and foremost, with a special interest in modern poetry and fiction. From time to time, however, we also issue books belonging to other literary genres – e.g. memoir, criticism, history.