FundsforWriters - October 20, 2017 - Customer or Competition Driven?

Published: Fri, 10/20/17

Volume 17, Issue 42 | OCTOBER 20, 2017

Message from the Editor

I knew my plate was too full. A novel deadline, selling my parents' home 120 miles away, emptying out the house (as in physically doing it with only my husband to help), dealing with court for my parents, a funeral for a dear friend's mother. . . then came the bug. Knocked me on my butt for a few days this week, but I'm on the mend.

While our best laid plans can go awry, it's still best to have plans. Sure, it's frustrating to watch your schedule erode, maybe even your income, but without planning, you don't know what to recuperate back to.

When you plan, you have priorities. The major ones, the mid-sized ones, and the minor ones. That pertain to markets, word count, promotion, pitching, any and all of this profession.

I recently did an interview on multi-tasking for the blog Just the Facts Ma'am in which I explained how I set priorities and multi-task. I thought you might like to read it. Instead of just throwing up your hands and saying you have too much to do, categorize which items are still doable, and which go on the back burner for now.

It's best to know what drives your writing life so that when the rest of your life throws you a curve ball, you understand where to give your attention when time is scarce.

NOTE: To show that I practice what I preach, I've regrettably bowed out of the BookBaby Conference in Philadelphia. I SOOOO wanted to go. I had books. I had signage. Motel reservations and a lesson already planned. Sorry if you planned to be there to see me. I wanted to see you, too.

This newsletter is. . .

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.

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EDitor’s THOUGHTS

CUSTOMER OR COMPETITION DRIVEN?

If you’re competitor-focused, you have to wait until there is a competitor doing something. Being customer-focused allows you to be more pioneering. ~Jeff Bezos

All too often we watch what all the other writers are doing in both writing and marketing, then try to snare which gimmick we can copy to work for us. Writing and self-promoting based upon our competition.

I dare say the majority of early writers don't start off that way. Most want nothing more than for readers to flock to their story and gobble it up. It's probably why they started writing in the first place . . . to share a tale.

However, reality sets in quick and harsh. Readers already have an abundance of reading material. So how can struggling writers be seen, heard, or better yet, read with so much competition?

As a result, writers then gravitate to those more successful in the field, emulating the ads, the touring, the whatever-else they are doing. It becomes all about the numbers . . . yet the numbers aren't that easy to come by.

Then we commiserate with other writers. We join organizations, newsletters, Facebook groups comprised of writers, to learn how to be a more successful writer. But we have limited hours in the day.

What goes lacking is the communication with potential readers. We forget we're supposed to be customer-focused instead of competitor-focused. The goal is to reach out to where readers are: libraries, schools, book fairs, radio, podcasts, niche organizations, maybe even your local paper. If you write romance, where do these souls tend to collect both in person and online? Ditto any other genre or subgenre.

Do not stray from your reader being right up front in your writing world. Do not forget you are feeding them, educating them, entertaining them, using your talents to be the best you can be for them. Slowly and steadily, keep reaching out, respecting and adoring them. Readers are your market, not your competitors.

NOTE: As you may know, I'm a big fan of crowdfunding for authors. If you are attempting to raise funds for your book, magazine, or journal, please let me know at hope@fundsforwriters.com and we'll mention it in our social media and in the newsletter. Maybe even on the website!

The crowdfunding project for this week is a very simple one for a children's book: Good Day, Sad Day, Same Day by Sharon Henry - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/576231391/good-day-sad-day-same-day

As you can see, it's not asking for much money, and it's for a simple project. Below is a more elaborate one. The Untamed Beastiary: A Field Guide to Marvelous Monsters - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/347008021/the-untamed-beastiary-a-field-guide-to-marvelous-m

WORDS OF SUCCESS

I’d be writing these books if I were sitting on a desert island with my monkey friends.

~Robert Olen Butler

Success Story

Hope,

A notice in your newsletter from Hippocampus Books for their 2018 publication, Air: A Radio Anthology, emboldened me to give creative nonfiction a try. I had never submitted creative nonfiction, nor had I written to spec before. Usually I write stories, then look for places to submit them.

But my story, "Robin Williams, the Ticktockman, and Me" fit their guidelines. I wrote it and sent it in, and they accepted it for the anthology.

Your newsletter, your voice, has such a can-do attitude. Thank you for all you do for writers. If you ever get tired of your name, you could always call yourself Help!

Sincerely,
Petrea Burchard
PetreaBurchard.com
@PetreaBurchard
Facebook/PetreaBurchard
instagram/petreabs

Why You Should Consider Uploading Your Books to IngramSpark

by Katherine Mayfield

How can you add another stream of passive book-sale income? Upload your books to IngramSpark.

Ingram has been a global book distributor for decades, and partnered with Lightning Source in 2009 to become a print-on-demand publisher. The beauty of print-on-demand is that you don’t have to pay for a print run—books aren’t printed until they’re actually ordered. As a long-time global distributor, Ingram makes books available for distribution to every outlet in the world, including libraries, indie bookstores, and university bookstores.

Some authors have complained that even local bookstores who love local authors won’t carry books printed by CreateSpace, because indie bookstore owners feel that Amazon has usurped so much of their business that they’re boycotting CreateSpace books.

Other authors complain about CreateSpace’s bad customer service, hidden costs, and the quality of the books. I’m not saying CreateSpace isn’t a great option, because I personally know several authors who are very happy with their experience of publishing with CreateSpace.

But why not take advantage of every market? I especially appreciate having my books available on Indiebound.org for readers who carry torches for indie bookstores. And the real plus for IngramSpark is that you can send a copy of your book for consideration to Barnes & Noble’s Small Press Department (http://www.barnesandnobleinc.com/publishers-authors/sell-your-book-at-barnes-noble/). So far, I’ve had three of my books accepted, and when I sent two together, B&N ordered 36 copies of each. Plus, if you promote your books with B&N links, there’s nobody there selling used copies of your books to take new sales away.

If you use IngramSpark, you can bop around to bookstores and let them know your book is available in Ingram’s database (or, if you’re an introvert, just call and ask if they have it — maybe they’ll order a couple!).

Before you quit your day job, there is a caveat: if you want to sell many books, you have to choose the 55 percent discount to booksellers, and make the books returnable. After Ingram takes their cut, I only make a bit over $4 per book. You can choose a 40 percent discount, but probably won’t sell as many books.

Here’s a tip: IngramSpark usually has two periods during the year when they offer a free promo (spring and fall), so you don’t have to pay their standard $49 (print) or $25 (ebook) setup fee. If you’re in a hurry, that’s not even a high price. You’ll need to buy an ISBN (https://www.myidentifiers.com/). I have a lot of books, so I made one quantity purchase when I began, which was my primary expense ($295 for 10 ISBNs). Buying your own ISBN lets you provide comprehensive details about your book (including searchable tags) for Bowker’s Books in Print database, which is used by libraries.

Unlike Amazon, IngramSpark provides no setup support—you’ll need to complete the entire pre-production process yourself or hire someone to do the editing and the interior and cover designs, so you have everything (interior and full-size cover) ready to upload. Interior design is not that hard, and IngramSpark offers very clear info about their specs to make the learning curve easier. It does take some time to master the process. After you upload, you’ll receive specific info about any changes that are needed.

There’s also a Cover Creator tool, which will send you a template to work with based on the size of your book.

Two more reasons: the quality of the books is generally very good, and customer service is excellent. You can even get chat support during office hours in the midst of a frustrating issue.
Some authors use both CreateSpace (to get Amazon’s attention) and IngramSpark. Might as well cover all the bases...

Happy Publishing!

BIO - Katherine Mayfield is the author of Stand Your Ground: How to Cope with a Dysfunctional Family and Recover from Trauma, What’s Your Story? – A Quick Guide to Writing Your Memoir, and a number of other books (www.katherine-mayfield.com). She teaches memoir writing online, is a book editor and formatter, and helps bloggers create books from their blogs. She blogs on dysfunctional families on her website, www.TheBoxofDaughter.com.

COmpetitions

INTO THE BLACK CONTEST
https://io9.gizmodo.com/write-a-short-story-about-the-economics-of-the-future-a-1800020162
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 1, 2017. io9 is pleased to announce the ESP’s Into the Black contest, which calls for writers to submit short speculative fiction entries based on how a basic individual income—that is, where everyone gets the money to meet their basic needs—could change the country as we know it. How different might America be without a class of have-nots? In 5,000 words or less, we want you to explore the impacts of a basic income on individual lives and on society at large. The contest is open to U.S. citizens 18 years of age and older. The writer who earns the grand prize will be awarded $12,000, or more precisely $1,000 a month—as a sort of basic income itself—throughout 2018. Short list winners will receive $1,000 upon publication.

PALOOKA PRESS CONTEST
http://palookamag.com/palooka-press
$10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 15, 2018. The press was founded to offer a publishing opportunity for writers seeking a home for shorter manuscripts. We consider manuscripts of all types, styles, and genres and aren't looking for a particular aesthetic. We're willing to give anything a fair chance. All pieces within entries are also considered for publication in the magazine. Please send your best fiction, poetry, nonfiction, graphic narrative, or hybrid genres. Manuscripts should be roughly 30-50 pages, but we're flexible. Winner receives publication by book, $300, and 20 free copies of the book.

PSYCHOPOMP MAGAZINE SHORT FICTION AWARD
https://psychopompmag.com/contests/
$10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 31, 2018. The Psychopomp Magazine Short Fiction Award recognizes outstanding pieces of fiction that push the boundaries of genre and/or form. First prize $500 and issue publication. Submit up to 6,000 words.

EVERYTHING CHANGE CLIMATE FICTION CONTEST
https://everythingchange.submittable.com/submit
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 28, 2018. Submit one piece of fiction up to 5,000 words using the impact of climate change. The winning story will receive a $1000 prize, and nine finalists will receive $50 prizes. Selected work will be published in an anthology by the Imagination and Climate Futures Initiative at Arizona State University.

GRANTS

THE UNIVERSAL WRITERS PROGRAM
https://www.aerogrammestudio.com/2017/10/11/universal-writers-program/
Deadline November 6, 2017. A year-long paid fellowship program for up-and-coming screenwriters. The program seeks to identify writers with unique, global perspectives and to develop storytellers with the intent to incorporate multicultural and global perspectives in screenwriting. The Universal Writers Program typically starts at the beginning of April and runs until the end of March the following year. The number of writers selected to participate varies each year. All participants will be based at the Universal Studios Lot in Universal City, California, for the duration of the program, and all will be hired under a writing service agreement requiring a full-time commitment of 40 hours per week. In return, each will be paid an annual salary of $72,662. Applicants must be able to legally work in the United States and be at least 21 years of age by 31 March 2018.

THE FORGE FELLOWSHIP
https://www.forgelitmag.com/flm/fellowship/
The Forge Fellowship is an experimental project designed to foster literary talent amongst often underrepresented groups of writers. In 2018, its inaugural year, the Forge will award two Fellowships: one to a writer of color and one to a writer over 50 years of age. The winners of the Forge Fellowship will be integrated into our online writing community, the Fiction Forge, to work on their own writing and to read and edit for the Forge Literary Magazine. At the end of the Fellowship (a period of 12 months), the fellows will have completed at least two publishable prose pieces (workshopped in the Fiction Forge) and selected one piece for publication from the submissions queue at FLM. The fellows will each receive an honorarium of $500, half of which is payable upon announcement of winners, and half upon completion of fellowship. (Thanks erikadreifus.com)

PROSE SWEDEN RESIDENCY
https://balticwritingresidency.submittable.com/submit
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 15, 2018.
The writer chosen for the Baltic Writing Residency in Sweden receives $1,000 and a free stay in a furnished cottage, based on a completed application. We are more than open to genre writing (YA, sci-fi, romance, thriller, crime, etc.). The Sweden Residency is located in Stockholm, and the writer resides for three to four weeks at a time most convenient for them in a furnished cottage.

ARIZONA PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANTS
https://azarts.gov/grant/professional-development/
Deadline February 1, 2018. Professional Development Grants (PDG) are designed to assist Arizona artists, arts administrators and arts educators with funding support for participation in professional development and skills-building activities which contribute to significant professional growth. Learning activities include (but are not limited to) participation in conferences or symposia, artist or administrator residencies, and training with mentors/master artists.

FREELANCE MARKETS

SLICE MAGAZINE
https://slicemagazine.org/submit/
Deadline December 1, 2017. SLICE magazine welcomes submissions for short fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. We’re looking for anyone with a fresh voice and a compelling story to share—basically any work that really knocks our socks off. We’re not drawn to experimental or heavy-handed genre fiction. We offer all contributors of Slice a monetary award for their work ($250 for stories and essays and $75 for poems).

TROUBLE THE WATERS: TALES FROM THE DEEP BLUE
http://rosariumpublishing.com/trouble-the-waters-submissions.html
Deadline: November 1, 2017. Tales from the Deep Blue will be 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. Science fiction, fantasy, horror, interstitial, and unclassifiable works are welcome. We are seeking original stories in English (2,500 – 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).

LIISBETH
https://www.liisbeth.com/contributors/guidelines/
LiisBeth welcomes queries from professional and emerging feminist writers anywhere along the gender continuum. We look for journalistic, edgy, positive, well-informed articles that offer readers a feminist’s perspective on entrepreneurship and innovation happenings, including policy and politics. Yes. We pay. On average $100-$2,000 per piece depending on the type of work, the original research involved, and length (typically 500-2,000 words).

YOGA INTERNATIONAL
https://yogainternational.com/article/view/write-or-teach-for-yoga-international
Aim under 1,000 words. If your article is selected for publication by Yoga International, you will receive a minimum payment of $50 USD. We pay more ($150–200 USD) for feature articles (articles that headline our bi-weekly eblasts). Feature articles are chosen based on topic, universal appeal, depth, and writing quality.

JOBS

WRITER FOR SPARKNOTES
https://www.mediabistro.com/jobs/description/363055/writer/
Deadline November 8, 2017. SparkNotes, purveyors of Barnes & Noble’s popular online and print study guides, is looking for writers to add content to the existing literature guides on our website (www.sparknotes.com). These supplemental guides will run about 10,000 words and will be composed of several 400-600 word essays on literary concepts (genre, style, tone, foreshadowing, etc), a compilation of quotes and resources, and three 800-1,000 word sample essays. We need a fairly quick turnaround, with the possibility of revisions, and our rates are competitive.

STAFF WRITER
https://www.mediabistro.com/jobs/description/362796/staff-writer/
Location Miami. LRP is seeking a Staff Writer who develops advice-driven articles for its Special Ed Connection® website and accompanying print products. Special Ed Connection® is an online, subscriber-based resource for K-12 school personnel and attorneys. This website details news and developments in special education and provides in-depth coverage and practical expert advice focused specifically on IDEA and Section 504 compliance, early childhood, behavior and discipline, technology, specific disabilities and legal decisions, among other issues. The Staff Writer has ownership of, and is responsible for, producing timely content with a focus on post-secondary transition, specific disabilities, discipline, and paraprofessionals.

FREELANCE WRITERS WITH HEARST
https://www.mediabistro.com/jobs/description/363005/freelance-writer/
Location New York City. This is a great opportunity for a talented Freelance Writer to showcase your work in leading biweekly B2B publication. FCW seeks talented writer for freelance projects. Content includes news, business, feature and design stories. Candidates must have the ability to conduct phone interviews; be deadline-oriented; and, create engaging content. Regular contributing freelance writers will be asked to attend edit meetings via conference call on occasion. All travel includes per diem and paid expenses. Pays 50 cents/word.

STAFF WRITER
https://www.mediabistro.com/jobs/description/363299/staff-writer-/
Location Philadelphia. Human Resource Executive® has been recognized for over 30 years as the premier publication focused on strategic issues in Human Resources. Stories cover all areas of human resource management, including HR technology, talent management, benefits and healthcare, training and development, relocation, retirement planning, and employment law. We are currently looking for a Staff Writer to develop polished, well-written stories for the publication and web site. As a Staff Writer, you will interview industry professionals to write weekly news pieces for the magazine’s website and feature stories for the monthly print issue.

Publishers/agents

THE COOKE AGENCY
http://www.cookeagency.ca/submissions.htm
The Cooke Agency represents authors of literary and commercial fiction (including science fiction, fantasy and crime); narrative-driven nonfiction (specifically in the areas of health and well-being, popular culture, science, history, politics, natural history and personal reference); mind/body/spirit resources; and middle-grade and young adult books.

STIMOLA LITERARY STUDIO
http://stimolaliterarystudio.com/#/Submissions
Eclectic in tastes but not in standards, the Stimola Literary Studio, highly selective in representation, invites unsolicited queries on picture books, novels, and graphic novels, as well as select projects in nonfiction, most of the year.

STRINGER LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.stringerlit.com/submissions/
Particularly seeking upmarket women’s fiction, fantasy, romance, and thrillers. StringerLit welcomes queries from both published and unpublished writers in our areas of interest. Average response time is up to two weeks on queries, and approximately two months on full manuscripts.

WOLF LITERARY SERVICES
http://wolflit.com/
Wolf Literary Services LLC is a full-service literary agency specializing in dynamic, quirky books written for all ages. As an agency, we have a deep respect for the place where “low” art meets high art—we like a good story, regardless of genre.