SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

INTERRUPTING OURSELVES

“The most regretful people on earth are those who felt the call to creative work, who felt their own creative power restive and uprising, and gave to it neither power nor time.” ~Poet Mary Oliver (more at BrainPickings)

In this remarkable piece, writer Maria Popova speaks of poet Mary Oliver and her insight on our commitment to our creative side. . . and how we so often neglect it. Concentration is difficult for the grand majority of us. 

We are infamous for the array of excuses we draw from, ranging from cooking dinner for the family to answering the door to somebody dropping in and consuming the entire afternoon. Even when we are tending the ill or even sick ourselves, we still manage the time to watch a little television or check our smartphones; we just don't mention those parts when reciting how incredibly too busy we've been to write.

Mary Oliver believes the creatives are more prone to tap their deep, internal side, but like all people, are drawn away from it as well. Creativity has to be fully embraced. It has to become part of the self, not a hobby, not a thing-that-I-do, or worse, thing-that-I-try-to-do. While the habit of writing helps to yoke us to the doing, there's a sense of creative self that should embody us. 

To become an artist, we should recognize the need for loyalty to the craft. That entails concentration and refusal to be interrupted. 

After all, what would happen if we ignored the phone calls, didn't answer the door, and left others to their own devices for dinner? How wonderful would it be if we committed deeply enough to write until we exhausted ourselves, letting all potential interruptions go uninvited? I imagine from that deep of a well would evolve some amazing work.






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SUPER SPONSOR WORTH NOTING

THE 28th ANNUAL MISSOURI REVIEW JEFFREY E. SMITH EDITORS' PRIZE

$5,000 prize and publication to winners in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Open for submissions now. Deadline: October 1. 

https://www.missourireview.com/contests/jeffrey-e-smith-editors-prize/
 

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(NOTE: If you've had a success thanks to FundsforWriters, let us know! Email hope@chopeclark.com) 

 

Featured article

Three Tips and Best Practices for Freelance Magazine Writers

By Roy Stevenson 

To maintain a livable income from freelance magazine writing, I've had to maintain a high level of productivity (I've had more than 1,000 articles published). Our pay rates vary tremendously in this field—from as little as 10 cents/word to $1/word—so we have to hustle!  

I've had to find smart ways to increase my productivity, and to avoid feeling overwhelmed by all the work required as a freelancing one-man-band.  

About half my published articles are in the health, fitness, running and triathlon training techniques field, while the other half is travel writing. Fortunately, there's an abundance of regional, national, and international magazines in these genres. This advice applies to freelancers of other stripes. 

Sell Your Reprints

I've had outstanding success selling evergreen article reprints to multiple genre magazines. Here's one of my successes: I've resold an article about protecting your skin from sun damage to ten magazines. Because skin health is important with any outdoor activity, I've resold the same piece to health, running, triathlon, fitness, tennis, golf, yachting, kite-boarding, gardening, and hiking magazines. This piece reaped more than $3,500, and I'm still selling it today.  

Another reprint sales strategy I use is sending them to national publications in other English-speaking countries. I've frequently had the same running or triathlon article appear near simultaneously in the U.S.A, England, Canada, and Australia. Their circulations don't overlap, so it's all been legitimate. Nationally distributed magazines pay well, and I'll often make $1,500-$2,000/article.  

Then, when these national publications have run their course, I'll wait six months and sell them to regional magazines that don't have overlapping circulation. 

I've sold dozens of reprints simultaneously sold to U.S. regional running magazines. Although the "regionals" have smaller payouts ($50-$100), this quickly add up when you resell the same story to four or six or eight regional magazines.  

Growing Repeat Business

Another highly profitable technique has been pitching an editor a new story idea when I turn in an article manuscript. I simply send another query along with the due article.  

This strategy works 54% of the time for me. In other words, every second pitch had reaped a new assignment with the editor. This adds up to hundreds of new assignments! I'm always surprised when my freelance peers tell me this is a good idea. I thought everyone was doing this!  

I also send an occasional "reminder" email to every editor I've worked with. This email reminds them that I'm always available for last-minute assignments. I've scored several new assignments doing this, and I continue to work with one of those editors to this day, years later. 

Research Multiple Freelance Travel Stories Simultaneously

While I'm researching a travel destination for story ideas, I'll create lists of multiple potential story ideas. Many travel writers believe you only need one story about your destination; we call them "one-and-done" writers. But if you're at a destination for several days and then spend a day writing the piece, and are getting paid for one story, you're probably only earning minimum wage, at best.  

Selling multiple story ideas about a destination or tourist attraction makes it far more profitable and worthwhile. When I'm on sponsored press trips, I usually have two or three assignments, and will average $200-$250/day.  

I once sold articles about an antique aeroplane and automobile museum in Hood River, Oregon, to Aviation History Magazine, Warbird Digest Magazine, Gorge Guide Magazine, Military Machines International Magazine (U.K.), and Jeep Action (Australia). Not a bad haul for a four-hour museum tour! 

These three techniques have worked well for me. They've enabled me to sell more stories with less effort. I hope that you try these strategies and meet with the same success I've had.  

Roy Stevenson has had more than one thousand published articles in two hundred regional, national, and international magazines, newspapers, trade journals, custom publications, specialty magazines, in-flights, on-boards, and online travel magazines. From 2008 – 2014, Roy had magazines continuously on the bookstore racks in the U.S.A. and the U.K. 

You can check him out at www.Roy-Stevenson.com and www.PitchTravelWrite.com. His PitchTravelWrite.com website was listed in Writer's Digest magazine's "101 Best Websites for Writers" list. 

COmpetitions

CIVIL BEAT'S EMERGING WRITERS CONTEST
https://www.civilbeat.org/2018/09/enter-civil-beats-emerging-writers-contest/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 15, 2018. We’re seeking original columns, essays or commentary — nonfiction — written in distinctive and diverse voices that focus on local public affairs, social concerns or other topics that affect the daily lives of people in your community, so you need to live in Hawaii to enter. The top three entries will win cash prizes: $500 for first place, $300 for second place and $200 for third place. The winning entries will be published in Civil Beat – and could lead to a paid, regular spot as a columnist. Please keep your submission under 1,200 words. 



AUTUMN HOUSE PRESS POETRY CHAPBOOK CONTEST
https://autumnhousepress.submittable.com/submit/106834/2018-chapbook-contest
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 1, 2018. Submit a poetry manuscript of 12 to 20 pages. Winner receives $1,000 and publication. 



WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING FALL FLASH FICTION CONTEST
http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/contest.php
$10 ENTRY FEE; CRITIQUE OPTION FOR AN ADDITIONAL $10. Deadline November 30, 2018. The honorable guest judge this season is Literary Agent Heather Flaherty with The Bent Agency. Seeking short fiction of any genre between 250 - 750 words. Electronic submissions via email only; reprints are okay; multiple submissions are okay as long as they are submitted in their own individual email. Open internationally. Limit: 300 entries. First Place: $400, publication, interview, and $25 Amazon Gift Certificate; second place: $300, publication, interview, and $25 Amazon Gift Certificate; third place: $200, publication, interview and $25 Amazon Gift Certificate; seven runners up receive $25 Amazon Gift Cards, publication and interview; and ten Honorable mentions receive a $20 Amazon Gift Certificate. Top ten stories are published in the WOW! Women On Writing ezine, and contestants are interviewed on WOW's blog, The Muffin.



GEMINI MAGAZINE POETRY OPEN
http://www.gemini-magazine.com/poetryopen.html
$7 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 2, 2019. First prize $1,000. Second prize $100. Honorable mentions (four) $25. All finalist published in the March 2019 issue of Gemini. No restrictions on form, length, subject or style. Poems must be unpublished but work on personal blogs is eligible.



NORTHERN LAKE PUBLISHING INDIE STAR BOOK AWARD
http://northernlakepublishing.com/indie-star-book-award/
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 1, 2019. Open to any author publisher independently or via small press. Books published January 1, 2014 – January 1, 2019. All fiction genres, except for children's. YA is acceptable. Minimum word count is 25,000. All books must be available on Amazon. All books will be measured by the same overall standards of quality, including cover design, interior design, editing, and, of course, writing. Award $500. 



TUCSON FESTIVAL OF BOOKS LITERARY AWARDS
http://tucsonfestivalofbooks.org/?id=436
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 31, 2018. Categories fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. First-place winners in each category will receive $1,000. Second-place winners receive $500, and third-place winners $250. All winners will be awarded scholarships to the Tucson Festival of Books Masters Workshop, March 4 and 5, 2019, on the University of Arizona campus, following the Tucson Festival of Books (tucsonfestivalofbooks.org). The top 50 entrants will be invited to attend the Masters Workshop ($300). Submit five poems of any length, a short story or novel chapter, or a nonfiction piece or book chapter per submission. Maximum length for prose is 5,000 words per submission.



BOOK PIPELINE COMPETITION
https://bookpipeline.com/#submissioncriteria
$70 ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 15, 2018. For novels, novellas, and other full-length books: approximately the first 5,000 words + full synopsis (one to three pages). For plays, graphic novels, proposals, and short stories: the complete manuscript + full synopsis (one to three pages). All entries are judged on the basis of concept originality, writing ability, and the property’s viability as a film or television series in the current marketplace. Every entrant will receive general feedback on their submission, specifically on the material’s adaptation potential. Comments are emailed after final judging is completed in March 2019. Material may be published or unpublished; if published, the film AND television rights must be available. Open worldwide. Grand prize $10,000



HONICKMAN FIRST BOOK POETRY PRIZE
https://americanpoetryreview.submittable.com/submit
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 1, 2018. The prize of $3,000, with an introduction by the judge and distribution of the winning book by Copper Canyon Press through Consortium. The author will receive a standard book publishing contract, with royalties paid in addition to the $3,000 prize, and will give a reading as a guest of the University of the Arts Visiting Writers Series in 2020. The prize is open to poets who have not published a book-length collection of poems with a registered ISBN. Submit a manuscript of 48 pages or more. 
 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

MASSACHSUETTS MATCHED SAVINGS GRANT PROGRAM
https://www.assetsforartists.org/blog/2017/9/6/apply-now-massachusetts-artists-gypz7
Deadline October 22, 2018. MASS MoCA’s Assets for Artists program is now accepting applications for its 2018 matched savings grant program and fall workshops. Interested artists are welcome to apply for either or both of our programming tracks. With the grant program, participants are provided with grants of $1,000 or $2,000 to match a corresponding amount of savings, and the combined amount is used by the artist toward implementing a plan to strengthen their creative practice. Our free workshops are geared to help artists strengthen their professional practices. This fall/winter, we’re offering six expert-led workshops to help artists in all disciplines. You may apply to participate in as many workshops as you think would be a good fit for you!



POND FARM RESIDENCIES
https://stewardscr.submittable.com/submit
Deadline November 1, 2018. This is a unique opportunity for artists of all kinds, to be immersed in nature and inspired by the spirit of past Pond Farmers, as Marguerite’s students are known, and to have the space and time to create. Ideally, we are looking for artists who have a connection to the story and significance of Pond Farm and the park. We are looking for someone who wants to bring awareness of Pond Farm and the state park to a broader audience and who has a deep appreciation for the larger historical and cultural contexts that inform artistic endeavors. We welcome artists and academics of all types, whether painters, writers, art historians, potters, architects, weavers, metalsmiths, anthropologists, poets, musicians, etc. Pond Farm is located in a California State Park Recreation Area therefore artwork impacting the landscape such as large-scale sculpture and earth art many not be appropriate for the site. 



SUNDRESS ACADEMY FOR THE ARTS
http://www.sundresspublications.com/safta/
Deadline January 15, 2019. The Sundress Academy for the Arts (SAFTA), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is an artists' retreat on a 45-acre farm in Knoxville, Tennessee that offers residencies to writers, visual artists, filmmakers, composers, and more, from across the country. Each farmhouse residency costs $250/week. Residencies in the Writer's Coop are $150/week. 
There are limited partial scholarships for those with large scale financial hardship; please indicate this in your application if you feel you qualify. Our full scholarship opportunities for each residency period will be listed below. No other full scholarships are available. For the summer residency period, SAFTA will be offering the following scholarships: one full and one 50% scholarship for writers and artists of color. Limited partial (15-30%) scholarships are also available to applicants with financial need. 
 

 

FREELANCE MARKETS

WEEDMAPS
https://hire.withgoogle.com/public/jobs/weedmapscom/view/P_AAAAAADAADnBZOqqEqAPfP
We’re looking for freelance reporters with a strong background in journalism and a dedication to factual, fair reporting on issues that affect the cannabis community. Qualified candidates will have experience reporting on law, politics, crime, social issues or developments in the consumer, business and medical industries. 



BACK TO COLLEGE
http://www.back2college.com/guide.htm
Back to College® is a news and information resource for adult re-entry students pursuing professional development or an advanced degree. We feature articles that address issues of importance to the older student: obtaining financial aid, on campus and online education, finding the right program, graduate school, or attaining academic excellence (study skills and success strategies). 



THE CHANGE AGENT
https://changeagent.nelrc.org/write-for-us/
Deadline November 2, 2018. The Change Agent features writing by adult learners. All submissions must be received by the deadline to be considered for publication. Suggested length is 200-1,000 words. We pay $50 stipends to adult education students whose work is accepted for publication. The upcoming issue focuses on the theme: Indigenous Peoples. 



METROPARENT - MICHIGAN
https://www.metroparent.com/write-for-metro-parent-magazine-and-website/
Are you an organized, experienced freelance writer who wants to cover the parenting scene in southeast Michigan? Metro Parent is always looking for strong journalists who can report swiftly and accurately and write engaging, informative content – all on deadline. Features 1,200-2,500 words with two to four local sources. Pays $200-plus. Various shorter columns pay $25-$75. 



FAMILYFUN
http://images.meredith.com/parents/pdf/WritersGuidelines2013.pdf
FamilyFun is the country’s number-one magazine for families with children ages three to 12.  On every page, we give parents the information and inspiration they need to create unforgettable family moments. We’re the trusted experts on family cooking, vacations, parties, holidays, crafts, and learning—all the essentials that enrich the precious time families share. Length: 850 to 3,000 words. Compensation: $1.25 per word upon acceptance. Send to: queries.familyfun@meredith.com. Subject line: Features. 



YMC - YUMMY MUMMY CLUB
http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/ymc-editorial-info
YMC is the lens through which Canadian women with kids find inclusive, intelligent, and unfiltered stories and opinions, as well as the little things to help them win the day. We especially love parenting humour, smart analysis on timely topics, lists, and personal stories. We accept nonfiction storytelling, opinion, listsicles, slideshows, compilation or “best of” posts, and informative/to-do/DIY posts. 



MONEY PANTRY
https://moneypantry.com/contribute/
We’re looking for anyone with unusual and interesting, yet practical, ideas for earning and saving more money. You’ll be paid anywhere from $30 to $150 via PayPal. Aim for no less than 700 words. Generally, we like longer articles in 1,000 to 2,000 words range. 



CLUBHOUSE
https://www.clubhousemagazine.com/submission-guidelines
Focus on the Family Clubhouse is a 32-page magazine designed to inspire, entertain and teach Christian values to children ages eight to twelve.  Contemporary stories with multicultural or ethnic settings (1,800 words). Fantasy or science-fiction stories, avoiding graphic descriptions of evil creatures and sorcery (1,800 words). Historical fiction featuring great Christians or Christians who lived during great times (900 or 1,800 words, depending on the story). Choose-your-own adventure stories (1,800-2,000 words). Humor with a point (500 words). Nonfiction stories should fall between 400-500 or 800-1,000 words in length. We generally pay between 15 and 25 cents per word, depending on the amount of editing required. Feature-length fiction stories are usually bought for $200 and up. Nonfiction pieces are purchased for $150 and up. 



 

Publishers/agents

SHADE MOUNTAIN PRESS
http://www.shademountainpress.com/contact.php
Deadline November 30, 2018. Shade Mountain Press is seeking literary fiction, either novels or short story collections, ONLY by D/deaf and/or disabled women. No children’s books or young adult fiction, please. Minimum 70,000 words. 



SPEAKING VOLUMES
http://www.speakingvolumes.us/products-submission-guidelines.asp
Speaking Volumes seeks manuscripts in most genres from veteran authors, to first time unpublished authors, award-winning scholars, poets and authors with an established following in their area of expertise. Our interests include Fiction, Nonfiction, Novels, Novellas, and collections of Short Stories in the following genres: Science Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Action Adventure, Horror, Young-Adult, Children's, Folklore, Poetry and Scholarly works. We seek manuscripts that are complete and have been copyedited, proofread, and fact-checked before submission to us. We also seek previous-published material whose rights have reverted back to the author.



PARVUS PRESS
https://parvuspress.com/about-us/
We are a publisher of speculative fiction, passionate about great stories, and committed to publishing the next generation of great creative minds. Parvus has sold over 10,000 copies of our titles to date and will release four novels and one amazing anthology of short fiction in 2018 for your reading pleasure. We are headquartered in Northern Virginia. 



STAIRWAY PRESS
http://www.stairwaypress.com/about/
Stairway Press publishes and markets literary books in various genres (including science, science fiction, short stories, political essays, literary thrillers and adventures). The main thing we focus on is writing quality – we represent the finest writers we can find…writers who might otherwise be overlooked in the world of the written word. We offer complete marketing services powered by online media, social media and internet communities, professional editing and world class graphic design.



SOHO PRESS
https://sohopress.com/soho-press/
Soho Press is not only the name of our press; it’s the imprint within Soho dedicated to literary fiction (and the occasional memoir). The Soho Press imprint publishes bold literary voices — authors who craft new and powerful stories and offer us fresh ways of seeing the world. 



SOHO CRIME
https://sohopress.com/soho-crime/
For more than twenty years, Soho Crime has been publishing atmospheric crime fiction set all over the world. Some of Soho’s most popular stories will whisk you away to France, China, England, Laos, Northern Ireland, Thailand, Australia, Japan, Germany, South Africa, Italy, Denmark, India, Cuba, and Palestine, to name but a few. Soho Crime’s list run the entire range of crime fiction—detective fiction, police procedurals, thrillers, espionage novels, revenge novels, stories of thieves, assassins, and underworld mob bosses—but you can count on an immersive adventure steeped in cultural and setting detail. 



SOHO TEEN
https://sohopress.com/soho-teen/
Soho Teen’s select list (seven to ten titles a year) began with YA mysteries and thrillers. Over the years, we’ve broadened this niche to allow for novels of adolescent identity and self-discovery, particularly those with a unique format or narrative structure. Our diverse authors include acclaimed YA icons, filmmakers and screenwriters, rock stars, and New York Times bestsellers—and above all, debuts from exciting voices. A NOTE TO AGENTS: Soho Teen is closed for submissions until January 7, 2019. We look forward to considering new projects in the new year!

 

SPONSORS

Every Two Step Approach Editing Package includes:

• Thoughtful feedback from both Margaret and Sid, each offering the viewpoint of an editor, critique partner, and beta reader.

• Openly disclosed prices. No haggles, no wondering.

• A glossary of writing terms to help you understand editing lingo.

• Practical pointers for not only the submitted material, but also suggestions and advice which can be applied to your future works.​  

Members--$50 / Nonmembers--$55 / Students--$25 with valid ID

*SPECIAL* E-Prime Ticket $100

• 1 conference ticket
• Special door prize entry at conference
• Name/Company Listed in registration package and on social media.

*NOTE! Online registration closes October 10. 
Limited Number of Scholarships Available

Speakers

Michael Bracken: Decision-Tree Story Creation
L Diane Wolfe: Market Your Books Like a Professional
Gina Ardito: Ten-Hut! Fall in for Basic Boot Camp!
Jerica Guillory:  The Key to Publication, Inspiration, & Motivation
John M Floyd: Writing & Selling Short Stories

More information here...






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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 2000-2018, C. Hope Clark
ISSN: 1533-1326

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