FundsforWriters - June 15, 2018 - Time Saving 101: Skip These Topics

Published: Fri, 06/15/18

Volume 18, Issue 24 | JUNE 15, 2018

Message from the Editor

Hmm, not my best pose. It's the frozen pose they used in posting the television interview I had yesterday on WLTX-TV, but the interview was tremendous!

Chris Delcamp is the news anchor who came to my home on the lake and spent several hours filming so many things: poses, conversation, edits, my study, my typing - LOL. He took such careful attention in doing it, and I am truly honored. Even gave him two dozen of my finest eggs from my lady hens as thanks.

People ask how I landed a TV interview, and I really cannot say other than I kept putting myself out there. Chris stumbled across me when he was doing another story, one on the library's audio for the blind program.

You can never say what works and what doesn't when it comes to promo. You just keep on keeping on, trying to be polished, with the writing never ending. Someone asked me this week when I was starting another book. I said, "Honey, I never stop writing on a book."

You can watch the interview here on WLTX-TV.

Oh yeah. . . Palmetto Poison is $1.99 through today.

C. Hope Clark
Editor, FundsforWriters
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Strong, well rounded characters are a hallmark of Hope Clark’s books, and this one is no exception.

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The author is a captivating storyteller. It left me wanting to drive a Ford truck, wear a Bull Dogs tee, investigate for Ag, and ask my husband to grow a beard.

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Wow, wow, wow. Stellar addition to the Carolina Slade series! Once again the author exceeds herself in writing this 4th book of the series.

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EDitor’s THOUGHTS

TIME SAVING 101: SKIP THESE TOPICS

I read a lot of blogs, newsletters, magazines, and websites. As a fast reader and research guru, I can hardly resist to let some resource pass me by. However, with so limited time, I've had to decide which topics are worth my time. While my logic might not be yours, you might give my reasoning some thought. Or at least test-drive my theory.

First and foremost, give yourself credit for knowing what you need and what you don't. Not everyone is an expert and not every piece of expert advice is worth reading. Topics I will immediately discard:

1) Writer's block. This is so dang personal that nobody can tell someone else what to do. I happen to be one who believes in either writing through writer's block or taking a nap to wake up and start writing refreshed. I don't believe in it much, and I definitely don't want to hear about someone else's.

2) Self-editing. There are so many ways to self-edit, so many angles, so many levels. There isn't one right way. If you understand good writing and appreciate proper grammar, then figure it out.

3) The best way to market. Marketing depends on your extrovert level, your wallet, your tech savvy, your social media appreciation, your genre, your platform, your region, your experience in other arenas. The best way is to analyze your strengths, and the strengths of a handful of successful people you trust and admire, and just do it. You can't do everything that's touted out there or you'll go crazy and definitely get it wrong.

4) Outlining or pantser. I delete those instantly. Each writer has to test both ways and figure it out.

5) Religion or politics. Enough said.

6) Finding time to write. This isn't a secret. You make time, or you don't. You prioritize, or you don't. If your life is full, you have to give something else up to make time to write. Only you can decide what that is.

So many of these topics online are the result of someone needing to write filler so they choose to write about an "evergreen" subject. Some writers dwell on these subjects to avoid their more serious writing. Some want to sound experienced when they are not. Fact is, these are not unique topics. They are generations old. They are washing machine items, constantly spinning around in the tub.

How do I know to discard them without reading them? I read the email subject lines, first lines in the first paragraph, and/or titles. Yes, I practice what we hear preached all the time...letting the opening hook dictate whether I read further or not. When I have 300-500 emails per day, I need some sort of gleaning mechanism, and why not that which we teach...opening with a bang, or at least with enough meat to suck me in.

They need to show me they have a new twist on these worn out topics that will totally wow me and change my mind. I'm just not holding my breath.

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HOPE'S 2018 APPEARANCES
(Times in Eastern)

July 6 - 3-5 PM- Edisto Bookstore, Edisto, SC
July 27-29 - Mississippi Writers Guild Conference
October 1 - 3-5 PM- Edisto Bookstore, Edisto, SC (also celebrating my birthday!)
November 2-4 - BookBaby Indie Conference, Philadelphia, PA

WORDS OF SUCCESS

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-Anne Frank

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Featured article

NOTE FROM HOPE: After a small moment of crisis I had at the end of a book, this writer composed a poem for me. This is George, and he used to belong to a critique group I was in, long ago. I love his stories, but here he wrote a poem, and I felt this gift to me might be applicable to many of you. So...for a change, here's a poem about being a writer.

===

The Life and Times of a Writer

By George W. Newport

ah,
the human condition,
oft times I wonder,
if what I do matters,
sometimes events occupy my time,
for the day,
so I do not work on my book,
but I keep coming back to it,
it must be an addiction,
can one overdose on writing?
It can get tedious at times,
no one will do it for me,
on the odd occasion,
I will open a file
I have not worked on in a long time,
I can see a change in my writing,
is it progress?
Deviation?
A lower level of depravity?
Sometimes I say to myself,
Self, who wrote this shit?
So I edit it to update it,
writing is a constant learning event for me.
Grammar,
the law says I have to attend school,
it does not say I have to learn anything,
will the world end if I stop writing?
Probably not,
the technology improves,
I go from chiseling my book into stone tablets,
to a compuker with word processing software,
which goes,
hey stupid you misspelled this word,
fragment revise,
it finds tense shifts and other horrible crimes,
which puts me at the top of
the FBI's ten most wanted list,
but,
I persevere,
on the odd occasion,
spell check cannot figure out what I am trying to spell,
I change some of the letters,
add some letters,
take out some letters,
then go to the thesaurus,
form a similar word,
to find the word I want,
then,
while in the thesaurus,
find a word I like better,
are there any self-help or therapy groups for writers?
On the world social scale,
are writers below cab drivers?
Is there a cure for writers?
Inquiring minds want to know?
Spell check ambushed me a dozen times in writing this,
I perceive the day I will not be able to spell 'it,'
then 'a,'
sometimes I wonder if I will ever be able to write error free,
then I remember conversation and dialog,
nobody talks using perfect grammar,
they drop the g from ing,
never do wells becomes ne'er do wells a long time ago,
a Bostonian cannot understand a word someone from San Francisco says,
imagine becomes 'magine,
does your Mom know you talk like this?
Will you rather have your oldest daughter,
date the leader of a biker gang,
than a writer?
Then the kat kitties take turns,
coming into my room.
Me, me, play with me,
right in the middle of frantically writing a thought,
before it gets away,
one jumps up on my compuker desk,
and wants to walk on my keyboard,
I should open a new document sometime,
then let them walk on my keyboard,
they may be able to write better than me,
horrors,
the very famous writer whose name I cannot recall,
will only write after he is falling down drunk,
Hemingway?
You can be paranoid and still have someone following you.

-George William Newport

COmpetitions

MEMOIR MAGAZINE RECOVERY ESSAY CONTEST
https://memoirmag.com/nonfiction/recovery-essay-contest/
$12 ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 30, 2018. Now accepting nonfiction submissions of 3,000 words or less on the theme of Recovery. Winners receive $250 first prize, $150 second prize, $100 third prize, and all submissions considered for publication. Open to all writers. Emerging writers and underrepresented voices are encouraged to submit!

CREATIVE NONFICTION CONTEST
https://www.creativenonfiction.org/submissions/lets-talk-about-sex
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 16, 2018. For the spring 2019 issue of Creative Nonfiction magazine, we’re looking for true stories about doing it. Whether you’re straight, gay, or other; alone, in a couple, or in a crowd; doing it for the first time or the last, or not doing it at all, we want to hear your story. Creative Nonfiction editors will award $1,000 for Best Essay and $500 for runner-up. All essays will be considered for publication in a special issue of the magazine to be published in spring 2019. Limit 4,000 words.

ARTS AND LETTERS UNCLASSIFIABLES CONTEST
http://artsandletters.gcsu.edu/unclassifiables-contest/
$8 ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 31, 2018. This contest is for unclassifiable works: works that blur, bend, blend, erase, or obliterate genre and other labels. Works of up to 5,000 words considered. The winner will receive $500. Only send us work that has not been previously published elsewhere.

EX OPHIDIA PRESS POETRY PRIZE
http://www.exophidiapress.org/Ex_Ophidia_Press/Ex_Ophidia_Poetry_Prize.html
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline August 31, 2018. The winning author shall receive a $1,000 cash prize and 15 author copies of the book. There will be five additional finalists. Open to all English-language authors (of any age, ethnicity, gender or orientation) for a book of poetry between 64 and 84 pages.

BOOKSIE POETRY CONTEST
https://www.booksie.com/contest/The+Booksie+2018+Poetry+Contest-13
$6.95 ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 30, 2018. The poetry can be of any type, length, or content, but it must be your own. Any theme accepted. One grand prize winner and two runners-up will be chosen by the Booksie Editorial team from the six finalists. Grand prize winner (Booksie Gold Poet Laureate) receives $1,000, gold winner badge, one free week of Boosts for their winning story (Boosting features the story in front of Booksie’s millions of monthly readers). Two runners-up (Booksie Silver Poet Laureates) receive $150, silver winner badge, and one week of Boosts.

FICTION WARS
https://www.fictionwar.com/2018q3
$30 ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 21, 2018. Do you write short/flash fiction? Enter the 3-DAY FICTION WAR™ and compete with writers from around the world. Pays $1,000 to the champion and $100 to 14 finalists. Top 15 published in Fiction Wars Magazine. Entries must be 1,000 words or fewer, including title. Entries must be original, previously unpublished work, created expressly for and during the current 3-DAY FICTION WAR™.

HIDDEN RIVER ARTS ALCOTT AWARD FOR YOUNG ADULT FICTION
https://hiddenriverarts.wordpress.com/awards-deadlines-and-guidelines/the-alcott-award-for-young-adult-fiction/
$22 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 15, 2018. For book-length YA fiction with strong female lead character. Prize is $1,000 and publication by Many Frog Press.

THE BRIGHTON PRIZE
http://www.brightonprize.com/
£6-£8 ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 1, 2018. Looking for flash fiction up to 350 words and short stories between 1,000 and 2,000 words. Winning short story: £1,000. Two runners-up: £100 each. Winning flash fiction: £500. Two runners-up: £50 each. Best story or flash fiction from a Sussex-based writer: £100 book token.

IMPRESS PRIZE
http://www.impress-books.co.uk/impress-prize/
£25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 29, 2018. The prize is a publishing contract with Impress Books in both print and eBook, and a £500 advance. Writers submit a 6,00- word sample of their manuscript, a synopsis, publishing rationale, and author biography to Impress. The prize is open to all writers who have not been traditionally published before (this makes eligible self-published authors, or writers who have had other work published including short stories, poetry, and academic work). We accept both fiction and nonfiction entries across all genres, but do not accept poetry.

ROYAL NONESUCH HUMOR WRITING CONTEST
https://twainhouse.submittable.com/submit
$23 ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 1, 2018. Open to anybody worldwide. First Prize: $1,000. Second Prize: $500. Third Prize: $250. Honorable Mention winners receive a $100 Gift Certificate for the Mark Twain Museum Store. Submissions must be original work created by the submitter and may not exceed 7,000 words.

SHEILA-NA-GIG FULL-LENGTH MANUSCRIPT CONTEST
https://sheilanagigblog.com/sheila-na-gig-online-first-annual-full-length-manuscript-contest/
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 1, 2018. Submit a full-length poetry manuscript of 60 to 100 pages. One manuscript will be selected for book publication by Sheila-Na-Gig Editions. The poet will also receive $1,000 and 25 copies of the published manuscript.

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

POETS ON THE COAST FELLOWSHIPS
http://poetsonthecoast.weebly.com/fellowship.html
Deadline July 6, 2018. The Gloria Burgess Fellowship is for one poet and includes a fully funded Poets on the Coast Retreat registration (approximate $500 value) to provide a weekend of writing and critiquing. (Note: Accommodations are not included) For Finalists, partial scholarships are offered. (Note: Accommodations not included). Each Fellow / Finalist will be asked to teach a small segment of the Retreat. Location La Conner, Washington.

TENNESSEE INDIVIDUAL ARTIST FELLOWSHIPS
http://tnartscommission.org/grants/individual/
Deadline January 29, 2018. Fellowships provide monetary awards to outstanding professional artists, i.e. those individuals who by education, experience, or natural talent engage in a particular art form or discipline, and live and work in Tennessee. To qualify, an artist must be financially compensated for his or her work, and this compensation must be a significant source of support for their livelihood. No matching funds are required, and no specific project has to be carried out with the funds. The Commission anticipates that each fellowship will be awarded $5,000. In a year, the Tennessee Arts Commission may award up to two fellowships each in Craft, Media, Visual Art, Dance, Music, and Theater, as well as three in the Literary category.

LOWCOUNTRY QUARTERLY ARTS GRANTS PROGRAM - SOUTH CAROLINA
http://www.charleston-sc.gov/index.aspx?NID=576
Funding for this program is provided by the City of Charleston, City of North Charleston, and the South Carolina Arts Commission. Grants of up to $1,000 are awarded on a quarterly basis. Deadlines for applications are February 15, May 15, August 15, and November 15 each year. Applicants may receive only two quarterly grants per fiscal year (July 1- June 30). Applicant must be professional artists, or an individual who devotes a major portion of their time to the practice and production of art through which he/she earns or endeavors to earn his/her livelihood.

CONNECTICUT ARTIST FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
http://www.cultureandtourism.org/cct/cwp/view.asp?a=3933&q=293740
Deadline July 25, 2018. The Artist Fellowship program encourages the continuing development of Connecticut artists. The program provides competitive Artistic Excellence grants of $5,000; Artist Fellowship grants of $3,000; and Emerging Recognition grants of $1,000. The funding provides an opportunity for artists to pursue new work and achieve specific creative and career goals.

DELAWARE INDIVIDUAL ARTIST FELLOWSHIPS
https://arts.delaware.gov/grants-for-artists/
Deadline August 1, 2018. Individual Artist Fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis for quality as demonstrated by creativity and skill in an art form. Applications are accepted in 18 artistic disciplines in the fields of choreography, folk art, jazz, literature, media arts, music, and visual arts. Awards are $3,000 for Emerging; $6,000 for Established; and $10,000 for Masters.

IDAHO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANTS FOR INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS
https://arts.idaho.gov/grants/profdev-individuals/
This quarterly grant opportunity supports the professional development of artists and arts administrators. Applicants may receive reimbursement for attending a conference, workshop, or other form of professional development. Pays up to $750.

INDIANA INDIVIDUAL ARTIST PROGRAM
https://www.in.gov/arts/individualartistprogram.htm
Deadline July 2, 2018. The Individual Artist Program (IAP) provided support to artists in all disciplines for career development projects. Applicants may request a maximum of $2,000.

MARYLAND INDIVIDUAL ARTIST AWARDS
https://www.msac.org/programs/individual-artist-award
Deadline July 25, 2018. Each year, MSAC recognizes the outstanding artistic achievements of artists from across Maryland with awards of $1,000, $3,000 and $6,000. These awards honor artists, showcasing their importance to the cultural fabric of our state, supporting their creative potential and strengthening their impact on the local level.

FREELANCE MARKETS

BLASTING NEWS
https://www.freelancewriting.com/listing/50934/
We are looking for passionate freelance web writers to be in charge of spreading the amazing, compelling and disruptive story of Blasting News. Blasting News represents a new concept of journalism - made by the people for the people! Publish high-quality news and stories about the topics covered by Blasting News including Breaking News, Business/Finance, Sport, Showbiz & TV, Style, Entertainment and Tech. Use a variety of formats, such as written articles, videos, photos and audio. Share and promote the news on social media platforms and through social networks (such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google +, YouTube) to increase the number of the readers. Compensation is up to £200 per article.

THE NEW YORKER - MUSIC EDITOR, CONTRACT
http://condenast.avature.net/careers/JobDetail/New-York-New-York-United-States-Music-Editor-Writer-Goings-On-About-Town-The-New-Yorker/10961
The function of this position is to create and edit the Classical Music and Night Life sections of Goings On About Town, and to write about music for newyorker.com. A good candidate is passionate about a wide range of music, and has a strong critical voice, excellent editorial and organizational skills, and an ability to meet deadlines.

THOUGHTFULL
https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=22c9635ef84310a2
We're seeking smart, driven writers to help us create our daily content by mapping both sides of hot-button questions in the news. Freelance writers work closely with our editorial team to identify, research, and write about the most hotly-debated issues in politics, business & tech, culture, and beyond. Most top candidates have some background in journalism, debate, philosophy and/or political science, but we consider all applications. Working remotely is a completely acceptable for this position.

FREELANCE WRITERS - ANYWHERE FOR THE CAMBODIA DAILY
https://www.journalismjobs.com/1645189-freelance-writers-the-cambodia-daily
The Cambodia Daily is looking for contributors and freelancers to help expand our digital-only presence. With the suppression of press freedom in Cambodia, we have transitioned to an online-only publication with Khmer- and English-language news pieces published on our web and Facebook pages in text, audio and video format. As we continue to expand our reach we are seeking the help of experienced journalists both inside Cambodia and from further afield. Candidates must have solid news judgement, strong writing skills, and the ability to produce hard news stories and analytical pieces in English under tight deadline. Market rates. For inquiries, please contact us at info@cambodiadaily.com.

VALNET
https://www.journalismjobs.com/1645166-freelance-writer-for-luxury-site-valnet-inc
The editorial team at Valnet Inc. is looking for writers and journalists to contribute list-based articles for one of our sites, TheRichest.com. At the TheRichest, we need writers who are driven to succeed, have a way with words, and keep up with what's trending. We're looking for original, informative and eye-catching articles on topics people are craving to read about.

FREELANCE COPY EDITOR - SMART ELECTRIC POWER ALLIANCE, WASHINGTON DC
https://www.journalismjobs.com/1645616-freelance-copy-editor-smart-electric-power-alliance
Energy industry nonprofit is looking for a razor-sharp, freelance copy editor - with a very particular set of skills -- to help make our often data- and jargon-heavy reports accessible and engaging. Background in the utility industry and clean energy helpful but not essential if you are a quick study.

Publishers/agents

THE LOTTS AGENCY
http://www.lottsagency.com/sub-guidelines/
Chris Lotts - Seeks adult science fiction and fantasy, mostly skewing upmarket, and am also interested in hard-edged, innovative crime novels and thrillers; strong commercial writing is the most important criteria. Lara Lea Allen - Currently looking for upmarket commercial fiction across all genres. The common thread is a strong, interesting voice and an atmospheric sense of place. I appreciate a good sense of adventure and wit in a story--extra points if it has a strong female protagonist—but I’m not above an emotional pull if the story warrants it. More open to fantasy if it’s YA than adult, and I’m not looking for straightforward romance.

LITERARY COUNSEL LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.literarycounsel.com/how-to-submit.html
We are ONLY interested in Contemporary Romance, Coming of Age, Cozy, Mysteries/Thrillers, YA, Humor, Literary, and Commercial Fiction. Memoirs if they are platform supported, and well-written, unique and platform-based nonfiction. No paranormal romance. No vampires, no werewolves and no erotica.

THE BINDERY AGENCY
https://www.thebinderyagency.com/
Currently, we represent authors in the categories of General Nonfiction, Religion, Literary Fiction, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Biography and Memoir, Pop Culture, Leadership, Spiritual Growth, Christian Spirituality, and more.

FLETCHER & COMPANY LITERARY AGENCY
https://www.fletcherandco.com/staff-qa
This site does a fine job of listing each agent and what they want, the examples of books they've loved, what they are currently reading, what they have sold and is being published, and specifically what they do NOT want.

THE SPEILBURG LITERARY AGENCY
https://speilburgliterary.com/about-2/
Speilburg Literary Agency represents authors in fiction and nonfiction. Eva is looking to represent all subgenres of Romance, with the exclusion of inspirational romance, as well as Young Adult fiction. Alice is looking for authors with established platforms, especially journalists and academics, who are writing Cultural Narratives, Microhistory, and Pop Science when it comes to nonfiction. As for fiction, she seeks Historical Fiction, Mainstream Fiction with elements of Fantasy/Mystery/Horror, Fairytale/Folklore Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense, Young Adult.