FundsforWriters - March 9, 2018 - Do You Have a Long-Term Writing Plan?

Published: Fri, 03/09/18

Volume 18, Issue 10 | MARCH 9, 2018

Message from the Editor

Spring tried to disappear for a few days, dipping the nights into the upper 30s, but in the daytime we still have the daffodils, flowering peach and pear trees, and 70 degrees. My garden sign in the pic has a chicken on it saying "Let It Snow." I look at it as daring nature to even try. We are celebrating Spring down South!

Received my hardback copies of the books this week. Oh my, and I thought holding a paperback was a special enjoyment. Wow.

So, that said, like I announced last week, if you are interested in hardback, take a look at Amazon and get them while they still exist. Those available are Lowcountry Bribe, Palmetto Poison, Murder on Edisto, Edisto Jinx, and Echoes of Edisto. One day, when I'm extremely famous, they'll be worth a fortune!

Send me a copy of your receipt, and I'll send you a free copy of The Best of FundsforWriters, too. And if and when I ever see you, let me autograph those babies for you.

C. Hope Clark
Editor, FundsforWriters
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TWITTER - http://twitter.com/hopeclark
AUTHOR SITE - http://www.chopeclark.com
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GOODREADS - http://www.goodreads.com/hopeclark
BOOKBUB - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/c-hope-clark

"Hope Clark has created another fascinating heroine in former Boston PD detective Callie Morgan. Her books are fast-paced mysteries set against the backdrop of a tiny South Carolina island where murder never happens—or so the locals would like to believe. I'm happy to recommend it." - Kathryn R. Wall, author, the Bay Tanner mysteries

"I have never before experienced the caring of a place like C Hope Clark instilled in me with stories of the people and the mysteries of Edisto Island. Through the recent hurricanes I always gravitated toward the news of this real place with Hope's fictional characters. Some day I must go there. Thanks for a new place on my bucket list!" - reader/reviewer Delores Feeken Schmidt

SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

EDitor’s THOUGHTS

GUIDANCE FOR YOUR LONG-TERM WRITING PLAN

I am a Jeff Bezos fan. Whether you love or hate Amazon, you cannot deny how it changed the publishing world, opened doors for authors, and, heck, changed the world. There's genius in all that. And if someone that successful can boil down his magic into a few short lines of lesson, my ears are open.

https://www.lifeoptimizer.org/2018/01/19/success-principles-jeff-bezos/

1) Minimize regret.

Took me a second to grasp this one, but it whammed me in the face when it hit home. Take the action that will minimize your future regrets. In other words, what is it you'd love to do, that if you did NOT do it, you'd regret it the most painfully downstream when your life is waning. "Why didn't I do that?" When times get tough or decisions complicated, throw this mantra up and see where it lands.

2) Think long-term.

These days, most people are so well occupied or entertained in the moment, that they do not plan downstream. Instead they do a long, endless list of mini-tasks that mean little. How do you want to see yourself years down the road? What is the big picture that you want to hang your reputation on when you get older? (NOTE: It isn't usually about money.)

3) Be stubborn about vision.

What is that big thing you want to be known for? Define it, name it, brand it, and stick to it. You can always change how to get to that vision, but never change what that vision is.

4) Be flexible on details.

Your vision might be to write ten novels with a certain theme. However, you can publish them any of a dozen ways. You can become known as an author. However, you can spend a year speaking to build platform or go crazy with social media in order to do it. Big picture first and foremost, but you have choices in how to maintain that big picture.

5) Experiment.

Most authors I see are absolutely frightened to death to experiment with their writing, their publishing, their platform building. They fear making mistakes. The most successful do not fear success. Instead, they love the risk, because the higher the risk, the greater the reward. You don't learn without experimenting, failing, and trying new angles.

6) Be Obsessed with Creating Value.

Of course you'd expect Bezos to preach this one, but what about you? Whatever you do, strive for quality in your work, your brand, and your vision . . . while at the same time improving the world of others. Whether you are helping other writers or improving quality of life for your readers, it's about making our lives better. Don't be cheap. Function as if you are heavily impacting others with your efforts. Hopefully you are.

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HOPE'S 2018 APPEARANCES
(Times in Eastern)

April 18 - 3PM, Pelion, SC Library, 206 Pine Street
May 1 - Noon, Newberry, SC, Friends of the Library Luncheon, celebrating release of Newberry Sin ($20 admission)
May 8 - 6PM, Chapin, SC, The Coffee Shelf celebrating release of Newberry Sin (coffee and goodies)
May 19 - 1PM, Chapin, SC, The Coffee Shelf
June TBD - Edisto Bookstore, Edisto, SC
June 11 - 6PM, Chapin, SC Library booksigning
June 24 - 7PM, WritersChatroom.com
July 27-29 - Mississippi Writers Guild Conference
October (1st week) - Edisto Bookstore, Edisto, SC

WORDS OF SUCCESS

Speak your mind even if your voice shakes.

~Maggie Kuhn

SUccess Story

Thank you, Hope, for giving me the courage to step out of my comfort zone.

Years ago I wrote and submitted only true stories and had pretty good acceptance. Then I just stopped writing to care for my terminally ill husband. After he died, I felt God leading me to write again.Well, I wrote a trilogy--Christian Fiction--and it just sat there for eight years as I continued to write shorts, novellas, and novels. I had no motivation to get anything published.

Then I started following you online and found the courage to write and submit. Last year I published two stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul. This year they have accepted another. But, those were in my comfort zone. So, I stepped out and published three ebooks on Kindle.

However, the biggest news is that I can now hold the first book in my trilogy "In Search of the Key of David: The Symbol of Knowledge" in my hand and it just hit the bookstores.

Thank you for giving me the confidence to step out and try. I turn 70 this year and didn't think I could do it.

Bless you, for all that you do.

PS: I have every one of your books and waiting for the next one.

DS Sistare.
debbieblessesu2@yahoo.com

How to Connect with Book Clubs

By Tara Lynn Masih

It can be difficult to find sources that allow authors access to book clubs. Clubs often like to choose their own books. So what’s an author to do if she doesn’t have a Top 5 publisher promoting her to clubs? Here are a few proven options that use a variety of methods and budgets to reach book clubs, plus free tips if you can’t afford the cost.

For Book Club Lists: Where Writer’s Win

Shari Stauch is CEO and creator of an online marketing site for emerging writers, Where Writer’s Win. The site puts authors in charge of their own marketing for a reasonable annual fee. “Winner Circle is a place where you can find a list of vetted book clubs that you may approach and pitch your book as a book club selection.” The clubs on this site are up to date and open to pitches, and a template for querying clubs is provided. Writers such as William Lobb and J.C. Sasser have used it successfully. Both were picked up by multiple book clubs, and Sasser’s book was selected for the popular Pulpwood Queen’s Book Club.

Stauch is offering a discount: $20 off the first year of membership; use code VIPW20 to pay $39.95. Visit https://writerswin.com/join-today/ to sign up/access these book club lists.

And This Free Tip: Use Twitter and Goodreads to find book club bloggers, and check in at local libraries to see if they host book clubs. Some bookstores do as well.

For Book Club Giveaways and Outreach: BookClubCookbook

Since 2004, BookClubCookbook.com has been connecting fiction and nonfiction authors and publishers with thousands of devoted book discussion group members. I used them in 2010 and spoke to several book clubs that contacted me after finding the book on the site. They’ve grown exponentially since then.

“It’s a loyal community of book lovers sharing books, recipes, and ideas to spice up book club discussions. . . . . Our promotions highlight messages from authors, book tours, book club speaking availability, and offer giveaways. We also provide author recipes and book club menu ideas, and are happy to help authors select or develop recipes to accompany their promotions,” writes cofounder Judy Gelman.

See opportunities for authors and publishers. For children’s, MG, and YA authors, see the KidsBookClubbing.

And This Free Tip: Include contact information on your website specifically soliciting book clubs; join Skype for long distance interviews/talks.

For Book Club Advertising: AuthorBuzz

For me, AuthorBuzz was invaluable for putting me directly in touch with readers, increasing my mailing list by hundreds. I treasure small gifts readers sent after reading my story collection (especially the tatted heart someone made for me). Founder M.J. Rose writes, “For book clubs, we offer promotions at Bookmovement.com. It is the #1 book club site online, with readers and [book club] leaders of more than 50,000 registered clubs, representing more than 500,000 individual members.”

Bookmovement advertises giveaways and new releases and provides reading guides and book lists to clubs. Contact either AuthorBuzz.com or KidsBuzz.com to start your promotional package. Packages can be customized, but the basic price for reaching this large number of book clubs is $750 for “BookClubbing.” Pricey, but this site has repeat customers and has launched many bestsellers.

Note KidsBuzz has lower advertising rates. See kids pricing page.

And This Free Tip: Posting on YouTube is free. Upload a video of you reading an excerpt and include a pitch to book clubs.

Finally, be sure to develop a Reader’s Guide you can upload to your site or put at the back of the book, never be pushy when contacting clubs directly, and send thank you’s if you are selected or interviewed.

BIO
Tara Lynn Masih has won multiple book awards as editor of The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Writing Flash Fiction and The Chalk Circle. She is author of Where the Dog Star Never Glows: Stories and Founding Series Editor for The Best Small Fictions annual anthology. Awards include the Lou P. Bunce Creative Writing Award, The Ledge Magazine’s Fiction Award, a finalist fiction grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Wigleaf Top 50 recognition, and Pushcart Prize, Best New American Voices, and Best of the Web nominations. My Real Name Is Hanna, a novel set in WW II Ukraine, is forthcoming in Sept. 2018 from Mandel Vilar Press. www.taramasih.com

COmpetitions

LITERARY TAXIDERMY SHORT STORY COMPETITION FOR 2018
http://literarytaxidermy.com
$10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 4, 2018. The Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition is open to all. To enter, writers must provide an original story of up to 3,000 words in any genre. The catch: We provide your opening and closing lines chosen from a classic work of literature. There are three different opening lines and three different categories. Three winning stories will be selected, for a total prize of $1,500. In addition, winners and runners-up will be published by Regulus Press in a forthcoming 2018 Anthology of Literary Taxidermy.

NANTUCKET POETRY CONTEST
http://nantucketdirectory.com/poetry/PoetryContestEntryForm.pdf
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 10, 2018. The winning poet will receive $250 and have his or her work published in the print and online editions of the Nantucket Directory. Submit up to three unpublished poems about any aspect of Nantucket Island or life on Nantucket written in English.

THE PAPER DARTS SHORT FICTION AWARD
http://www.paperdarts.org/blog/2018/1/15/introducing-the-paper-darts-short-fiction-award-judged-by-carmen-maria-machado
$6 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 15, 2018. Limit 1,200 words. Grand prize award $500.

WILLIE MORRIS AWARD FOR SOUTHERN FICTION
https://williemorrisaward.org/
NO ENTRY FEE. The winning book is chosen for the quality of its prose, its originality, its sense of place and period, and the authenticity and appeal of its characters. The book must be set in the South, defined as one or more states of the original Confederacy (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia). The recipient of the Willie Morris Award receives $10,000, and an expense paid trip to New York City. The author must come to New York to receive the award, attend a luncheon with the contest judges and a reception in his/her honor. Must have been published in 2017.

GRANTS

SPECULATIVE LITERATURE OLDER WRITERS GRANT
http://speculativeliterature.org/grants/slf-older-writers-grant/
Deadline March 31, 2018. The SLF $500 Older Writers Grant is awarded annually to a writer who is fifty years of age or older at the time of grant application, and is intended to assist such writers who are just starting to work at a professional level. We are currently offering two $500 grants annually, to be used as each writer determines will best assist his or her work. This grant, as with all SLF grants, is intended to help writers working with speculative literature.

MARTHA'S VINEYARD PARENT-WRITER FELLOWSHIPS
http://www.mvicw.com/fellowshipinfo
Deadline April 21, 2018. Our Parent-Writer Fellowships are intended to give parents both the time and financial support to devote a week to themselves and their writing at MVICW. These fellowships offer funding to attend a week of choice at the Martha's Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing. The fellowships are open to anyone who has a child age 16 or younger living with them. Two recipients (one in poetry and one in fiction) will receive the full retreat package, covering tuition and lodging. Two runners-up (one in each genre) will receive $500 credit toward the cost of tuition.

2018 MOONDANCER FELLOWSHIP FOR WRITERS WHO LOVE THE OUTDOORS
http://www.writerscolony.org
Deadline April 30, 2018. Awarded to an author writing in any genre who expresses their love of and concern for the environment through their writing. This fellowship provides for two weeks of free residency at The Writers' Colony at Dairy Hollow in the historic arts village of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Each resident has a private suite with writing space, private bath, wireless hook-up, uninterrupted writing time, a European-style gourmet dinner prepared five nights a week and served in our community dining room, the camaraderie of other professional writers when you want it, and a community kitchen stocked with the basics for breakfast and lunch. Fellowship applications must be accompanied by two letters of reference and a non-refundable $35 application fee. Residencies must be completed by June 31, 2019. Fellows may elect to stay additional time at the rate of $525 a week.

EDUCATIONAL GRANT PROGRAM FOR SINC MEMBERS
http://www.sistersincrime.org/?page=EdGrant
The Education Grant program will award grants of up to $150 to individual Sisters in Crime members for writing-related education. Sisters in Crime will award grants to at least 100 members in 2018 on a first-come, first-served basis, until the budget of $15,000 for the scholarship program is allocated. If this program is successful, we will continue and expand it in 2019 and 2020. Eligibility: Must be a current member of SinC, and must have been a member for three consecutive years. The grant can be used in the third year. Apply at least 14 days ahead of the event.

FREELANCE MARKETS

PERFECT STRANGERS MAGAZINE
https://problogger.com/jobs/job/seeking-talented-writers-interested-in-cross-cultural-topics/
We seek pitches from talented writers on cross-cultural topics for the inaugural issue of Perfect Strangers magazine. We value beautiful and thoughtful writing, and encourage creativity. 'Cross-cultural' may be broadly interpreted according to the interests and experiences of the writer. Examples of potential topics of interest: an analysis of the rising popularity of Turkish TV series in Latin America; a reflective essay on teaching Korean in France; an eloquent reflection upon the significance of unexpected 23andMe genetic testing results; tongue-in-cheek observations regarding a culturally hybrid culinary phenomenon; an interview with or profile of a contemporary figure who has been shaped by diverse cultural influences in fascinating ways; etc. Interested writers are asked to send their proposed topics along with (at least) two writing samples, either attached or viewable online. For those whose proposals are accepted, compensation ranging from US$250 to 1,000 will be provided upon acceptable completion of the assignment.

THE PEOPLE'S FRIEND - FICTION
https://www.thepeoplesfriend.co.uk/guidelines/
OUR stories are 1,200, 2,000, and 3,000 words long, although stories of 4,000 words are welcome for our specials. And don’t forget our famous 10,000-word crime thrillers, featured in every second special! Our readers like reading about people of any age. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking we only use stories about grans and grandads, widows and widowers. Our readers also enjoy stories with up-todate, young themes. And remember, romance isn’t only for the young! There’s always a place for the lighthearted and humorous, too.

SESAME STUDIOS
http://sesamestudios.com/
The makers of Sesame Street are looking for submissions for their all-new YouTube channel. Looking for fresh creative talent to dazzle and delight preschoolers. They want timeless, character-driven stories for kids age two to five.

THE GEORGIA REVIEW
https://thegeorgiareview.com/submit/
Accepts submissions before May 15 and after August 15. No limit on fiction length but no novel excerpts. Submit three to five poems at a time. Only one essay at a time. The Georgia Review pays all contributors; the current standard rates are $50 per printed page for prose and $4 per line for poetry. Essay-reviews and standard reviews earn honoraria of $50/printed page; book briefs carry a fixed honorarium of $50. In addition, all contributors receive a one-year subscription to The Georgia Review, an extra copy of the issue in which their work appears, and a 50% discount on additional copies of that issue.

JOBS

SENIOR WRITER - California State University
https://www.mediabistro.com/jobs/description/368776/senior-writer/
The Senior Writer is responsible for developing storylines, writing and editing press announcements and digital content for distribution to news outlets, trade publications, online websites, blogs and over social media ecosystems. The senior writer must survey a wide range of sources to help develop content topics with the editorial team each week. He or she must be able to spot news pegs in academic topics and research and then present the information in a conversational, cohesive manner to help it reach a broader audience through press announcements and digital content. The position will also be called upon to ¿pitch¿ stories to key news media.

COPYEDITOR - Alexandria, VA
https://www.mediabistro.com/jobs/description/368800/copy-editor/
MeriTalk.com is a publishing, research, and events company focused in Federal information technology that covers Federal information technology trends, leaders, programs, and policies. MeriTalk.com, along with its affiliated websites and custom publications, produces news, analysis, and custom events focused on the government information technology market. We reach an influential audience of 115,000 government and industry newsletter subscribers. The copy editor serves as the primary editor of a daily email newsletter on information technology and business topics.

SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT WRITER - Charleston, SC
https://www.mediabistro.com/jobs/description/367808/social-media-content-writer/
Advantage Media Group has an exciting opportunity for a content writer. Advantage works with top tier business professionals to position, promote, and market them as the thought leader and expert in their industry, community, or marketplace. The mission for the Content Writer is to create engaging, targeted ghostwritten content on behalf of Advantage clients. The Content Writer will be responsible for creating content across all mediums and channels, and will be THE responsible party for ensuring the on time execution of the client editorial calendar as part of the client’s participation in our Authority Marketing System.

TRAVEL STAFF WRITER - New York, NY
https://www.mediabistro.com/jobs/description/365383/travel-staff-writer/
Thrillist’s travel team is seeking a staff writer to anchor our coverage of cool stuff to do in different locations all around the world. We take fun quite seriously. You’ll work hard at a job that, at its core, celebrates the right not to spend one’s life grinding away at work. You’ll have enthusiasm for parsing the hard-news and consumer-advocacy aspects of the beat: fuel prices, stock prices, FAA regs, passport rules, currency conversion, byzantine credit card points, frequent flyer programs, whatever the hell a “resort fee” is at a Midtown Manhattan hotel. And you’ll be a paranoiac for nailing facts and details about the places we cover, even as people you meet on your travels encourage you to just relax already. But you’ll also take big-kid joy in discovering and relaying to millions of monthly readers the most exhilarating, inspiring, worthwhile reasons to go explore the world.

Publishers/agents

THE PEOPLE'S FRIEND POCKET NOVELS
https://www.thepeoplesfriend.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/48/2017/04/PFPN-Guidelines.pdf
The People’s Friend Pocket Novels are a satellite publication of the popular weekly magazine. They offer, in one volume, the kind of story that would normally be serialised over several weeks in the “Friend”. Thus we are looking for stories with a strong emotional situation as their central theme, peopled by believable characters the reader cares about, sympathises and empathises with, and roots for in whatever crises they may face. The characters are almost more important than the plotline. As “The People’s Friend” themselves say in their own guidelines, the reader will remember a good character long after she’s forgotten other details. Stories can be modern, wartime, even turn-of-the 19th/20th century, and they can be set in Britain or abroad. Stories are around 42,000 words, and a synopsis and the first couple of chapters are required in the first instance to assess both the storyline and the writer’s style.

TELL-TALE PUBLISHING
https://www.tell-talepublishing.com/guidelines.html
Six imprints with current needs.
Dahlia: Romance: Romantic Suspense, Gothic Suspense, Regency, Single Title Contemporary
Stargazer: Fantasy: Paranormal, High Adventure Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Steampunk
Nightshade: Horror
Casablanca: Mystery
Thistle: Middle School, Young Adult, New Adult
Déjà Vu: Republication from all genres

DIAL BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS
http://www.penguin.com/static/html/aboutus/youngreaders/dialyrguidelines.pdf
You will not hear from Dial regarding the status of your submission unless we are interested in publishing it, in which case you can expect a reply from us within approximately four months. We at Dial accept entire picture book manuscripts, or a maximum of 10 pages for longer works (novels, easy-to-reads). When submitting a portion of a longer work, please provide an accompanying cover letter that briefly describes your manuscript's plot, genre (i.e. easy-to-read, middle grade or YA novel), the intended age group, and your publishing credits, if any.

HARPERLEGEND
https://www.harperone.com/harperlegend/
Here at HarperOne, we talk about "visionary fiction” on a regular basis. When you are the publisher of bestsellers like THE ALCHEMIST by Paulo Coelho, THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS & SPACE TRILOGY by C.S. Lewis, THE MONK WHO SOLD HIS FERRARI by Robin Sharma, BUDDHA by Deepak Chopra and LIFE’s GOLDEN TICKET by Brendon Burchard, it is hard not to talk about novels like these that have had such a transformative impact on readers. Call them visionary fiction, spiritual novels or just stories of change, these are books that not only move us, but transform and illuminate. HarperLegend seeks to discover and publish new authors of visionary and transformational fiction in the digital first format.