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MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS OF FREELANCE MATERIAL

A reader asked me to address this topic. She had an article to query to publications and didn't want to wait for one answer at a time. Could she pitch to several markets at once, she asked. The answer isn't a simple Yes or No. It's actually Yes AND No. And I have my own personal anecdote for this lesson. 

Back in my earlier freelance days, I proposed articles on writers and grants to Writer's Digest as well as The Writer. Each was a unique pitch, written differently, but on the same subject. I'd just gone full time as a freelancer and knew the odds of both nationally-recognized magazines accepting my pieces was slim to none. One of the publications accepted within a month but never stated when the story would come out. The other didn't get in touch for almost a year but told me when the article would appear.

They both came out in the same month. I received a contributor's copy feeling completely ecstatic. Then I opened the other envelope in the mail and saw where the other publication sent me their contributor's copy. The thrill of opening one was replaced with dread and despair. Sure enough, one of the editors contacted me seething. The other never said a word. I was afraid to pitch either of them for years.

When is it okay to pitch the same article to different publications?

1) When the publications are not in a competing market - OR -  
2) When you mention in the query that you have also pitched the piece elsewhere.

For instance, if you pitch a story on how to maintain grass in a cemetery (yes, I actually published that piece), it can be simultaneously pitched to a turfgrass magazine and a genealogy magazine since they are not competing publications. However, when one accepts, it behooves you to let the other know. Sure, they may kill your piece, but you don't want to burn the bridge to future gigs. Even if you write completely different articles, if they are about the same topic consider them too similar to pitch to competing markets, but understand that noncompeting markets may not care, with both accepting your piece.

And while we're talking freelancing, I want to mention a remarkable guide book on becoming a freelance writer. Writer's Digest Guide to Magazine Article Writing is your practical guide to selling pitches, crafting strong articles, and earning more bylines. It even tells you how to use freelance writing to further your novel career. 

I stand solidly behind this book, written by Kerrie Flanagan. For those of you who remember Jenna Glatzer when she was a freelancer and the guru of that arena, and her guideline from 2004, you'll embrace this one as its heir apparent. I cannot say enough good about the guidance in this book. It's a keeper on my shelf, and I don't keep many.








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SUPER SPONSOR WORTH NOTING

HOPE'S HOLIDAY SPECIAL

Purchase any three of Hope’s novels at the discounted price of $50 and receive the fourth free. (Plus shipping of $7 limited to the continental U.S.) 

Or send Hope your receipt for the purchase of those three books anywhere, and receive your fourth free. 

HOPE'S APPEARANCES

 

SUCCESS QUOTE

SUccess Story

Dear Hope,
 
In November of 2004, I ordered a copy of The Shy Writer. When it arrived, I put it in a stack of books about writing. Before I took the time to read it, my wife passed away; and my world went a little crazy. I did nothing with writing for over a year. I taught high school English for one more year (my 28th year at that school) and then quit. I had lost my passion for teaching.
 
During the next 12 years I moved six times and re-married. I allowed rearing two step children and working extremely long days to push writing to a back burner for nearly eight years. Earlier this year I pulled my still unread copy of your book from the writing book section of my library and began to read it.
 
I bought your book because I have always been a shy writer. Reading it was like sitting in a café, talking with you. That book helped me more than any other book on writing has. I was listening to a kindred spirit - another shy writer - who showed me how to do what I need to do as a writer even though I'm shy. My wife (we've been married for 11 years) has been encouraging me to pursue writing more aggressively. As I shared portions of this incredible book with her, she encouraged me even more.
 
I will go back through this book as I return to the role of a writer. I just had to thank you for making the effort to share your heart with others. I will probably never be excited about school visits or book signings, but I know that I can handle them. Thank you for your encouragement and enlightenment.
 
Sincerely,
 
Mark L. Redmond
www.marklredmond.com 

 

Featured article

House-Sitting Puts Ink in the Travel Writer’s Pen

By Tom Bentley

Staying for extended stretches in exotic and culturally rich places for free? Then being paid for pieces you’ve written about your stay? Sounds unreal, but the reality is anything but: over the past several years I’ve spent one- to two-month periods in Hawaii, Mexico, Panama, the Bahamas and St. Vincent and the Grenadines with my sweetheart Alice, without paying a cent for lodging.

With some careful prep, and an open eye and mind for stories when you get there, you can set yourself up for exciting travel—and even some green from writing about that excitement.

Finding the Opportunities

For the past few years, mindmyhouse.com has been our house-sitting site of choice. The site provides descriptions and photos of the properties, dates and length of stays, and what the homeowner wants you to do in exchange for staying at their home.



MindMyHouse emails listings almost daily, and they are truly from all over the world. Some owners want you to do things like manage multiple Airbnbs or groom their herd of buffalo, but most of them want someone to take care of pets, water plants and keep the house secure.

The Net, Cast Wide

To be doable, you have to have work that allows you to leave your house for relatively long stretches of time. The Internet has opened the floodgates for such “solopreneurs.” Both Alice and I have been freelancing out of our home for years.

Of course, house-sitting means someone probably has to take care of your home as well. We have a cat who needs attention, as well as a garden, and we’ve found house-sitters on MindMyHouse who have done fine jobs. We wrote a small manual of the idiosyncrasies of our house so that there aren’t any surprises and have made sure the bills are set up to be paid in advance.

One sour surprise is when the Internet is spotty in the house-sit home, or worse, out for days at a time. That’s happened to us in the Bahamas, and that didn’t help with some deadlines. However, that does allow for time to engage in travel writing.

Look for Angles, Before, During and After

Look for story angles in advance to see if there’s any editor interest. I pitched stories about biking to the lava flow on the Big Island and on things to do in Hilo before we spent time there, and later had the pieces published in the Los Angeles Times and the San Jose Mercury News.

At the same time, it’s smart—and fun—to be open to story ideas that crop up. When we stayed in the Grenadine Islands, we found out that there’s a rum distillery on St. Vincent and took a private tour there. Haven’t placed that story yet, but I did place a fun one on looking for whiskey on an island of rum.

Always have your camera at the ready when you’re out and about, as you’re likely to find sights for your lenses that most short-visit tourists wouldn’t. 

And I never travel without a notepad, making sure to type up my scrawled notes about people, places and things within a day or two of scrawling them, when my memory is fresh.

Your Office Is the World

Even if you have to take care of ill or psychologically-damaged pets (a couple of times for us), or a psychologically-damaged owner (once, and that was enough), the opportunities for travel writing as a house-sitter are deep. 

House-sitting puts you in a great position to see splendid sights—and then set them on the paying page. 

BIO: Tom Bentley is a business writer and editor, an essayist, and a fiction writer. He's had hundreds of freelance pieces published—ranging from first-person essays to travel pieces to more journalistic subjects—in newspapers, magazines, and online. His self-published book on finding and cultivating your writer's voice, Think Like a Writer: How to Write the Stories You See was published in June of 2015. You can see his lurid website confessions at www.tombentley.com. Mr. Bentley would like you to pour him a Manhattan right at five.


 

COmpetitions

DISQUIET LITERARY PRIZE
http://disquietinternational.org/the-program/contests-scholarships/
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 10, 2019. Three winners will be published in Granta.com (fiction), NinthLetter.com (nonfiction) or The Common (poetry). One grand prize winner will receive a full scholarship, accommodations, and travel stipend to attend the ninth annual DISQUIET International Literary Program in Lisbon taking place June 23 – July 5, 2019. Runners-up and other outstanding entrants will also be considered for financial aid.



WELLS COLLEGE PRESS CHAPBOOK CONTEST
https://wellscollegepress.submittable.com/submit
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 15, 2019. The author of the chosen manuscript will receive ten copies of the letterpress-printed, hand-sewn chapbook. The author will also be invited to read from the new chapbook at Wells College in the fall of 2019. The poet will receive a $1,000 honorarium plus room and board for the reading. We print editions of 150 signed and numbered copies. Submit 18-30 manuscript pages (with no more than one poem per page). 



PRESS 53 AWARD FOR SHORT FICTION
https://press53.submittable.com/submit
$30 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 31, 2018. The Press 53 Award for Short Fiction is awarded annually to an outstanding, unpublished short story collection. This contest is open to any writer, regardless of his or her publication history, provided the manuscript is written in English and the author lives in the United States or one of its territories. The winner will receive publication by Press 53, a $1,000 cash advance and fifty copies of the book; all prizes will be awarded upon publication. Total page count should be around 100 to 250 pages in length, double-spaced in a standard 12-point font. 



BACKBONE PRESS CHAPBOOK COMPETITION
http://backbonepress.org/submissions/2018-chapbook-competition/
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 19, 2019. Poets of all levels are encouraged to submit. Entries must consist of 18-30 pages. First Prize receives $250 and publication plus ten author copies. Finalist (if selected) receives $100 and publication plus ten author copies. 



THE FOURTH RIVER POETRY PRIZE
https://4thriver.submittable.com/submit/67198/the-fourth-river-folio-contest
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 31, 2018. The winning entry will be published as a 10 to 15-page feature in the fall, 2019 online issue. The author will also receive a cash prize of $500, and a subscription to The Fourth River’s print edition.  



MANY VOICES POETRY PROJECT
https://newriverspress.submittable.com/submit
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 31, 2018. The Many Voices Project is the distinguished annual competition (since 1981) to find new and emerging writers. (An emerging writer has not published more than two books of poetry with a commercial, university, or national small press.) The poetry prize is open to anyone writing in English. The winning title will be published in fall 2020 by New Rivers Press and distributed nationally. The winning author will receive $1,000 and a standard book contract. Manuscript length: 50 - 90 pages. 



MANY VOICES PROSE PROJECT
https://newriverspress.submittable.com/submit
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 31, 2018. The Many Voices Project is the distinguished annual competition (since 1981) to find new and emerging writers. (An emerging writer has not published more than two books of creative writing with a commercial, university, or national small press.) The winning title will be published in fall 2020 by New Rivers Press and distributed nationally. The winning author will receive $1,000 and a standard book contract. Manuscript length: short fiction/nonfiction collections: 100-200 pages; novels and memoirs: up to 400 pages. Any writer writing in English is eligible.

 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

STEINBECK FELLOWS PROGRAM
http://www.sjsu.edu/steinbeck/fellows/steinbeckfellows_apply/
Deadline January 3, 2019. The emphasis of the program is on helping writers who have had some success, but not published extensively, and whose promising work would be aided by the financial support. One-year fellowships, each with a stipend of US$15,000 (increased from $10,000 in 2018), are open to writers of fiction, drama, creative nonfiction, and biography. Applicants do not need to be U.S. citizens. The number of fellowships offered varies each year; for 2018/19 there were six fellows. Writers may not be enrolled in an academic degree program during the fellowship period and there is no application fee. The selected fellows must give a public reading once each semester during the fellowship and are expected to live in the San José area during the academic year (approximately 1 September 2019 to 20 May 2020).



ZOEGLOSSIA FELLOWSHIPS
http://www.zoeglossia.org/bio/
Deadline January 15, 2019. Through the creation of an annual retreat, poets from all backgrounds will have the opportunity to learn and develop from prominent, established writers who also have disabilities. The three-day retreat will admit approximately eight poets, who will be mentored by two prominent poets with disabilities. A third writer will be responsible for delivering a keynote lecture and panel participation. All attendees—teachers and students—will present their literary writing at a series of readings open to the public. Location San Antonio, Texas. Date to be determined. 



SCHOLARSHIP AVAILABLE FOR NEW YEAR’S WRITING RETREAT
http://www.stockton.edu/murphywriting 
Deadline December 16, 2018. Murphy Writing of Stockton University is offering two scholarships to first-time participants to attend the New Year’s Writing Retreat, January 12-13, 2019 in Atlantic City, NJ. Resolve to make your writing a priority in 2019. Join us at Stockton University’s new beachfront campus for energizing workshops in fiction, nonfiction, memoir, poetry and storytelling. Head home inspired with a few new pieces and the warmth that comes from spending time in our encouraging community of writers.



IDAHO FELLOWSHIPS
https://arts.idaho.gov/grants/fellowships/
Deadline January 31, 2019. This annual award recognizes the outstanding work of Idaho artists and writers. They reward the pursuit of artistic excellence, promote public awareness of the arts, and help advance an artist’s career. Disciplines rotate on a three-year cycle. Literature (2019) • Visual Arts, Design, & Craft (2020) • Performing and Media Arts (2021). Must be a practicing artist, at least 18, a US citizen, legal resident or refugee, and be an Idaho resident for at least one year. Award amount $5,000. 



BOSTON WRITERS' ROOM FELLOWSHIPS
http://www.writersroomofboston.org/fellowship/
Deadline January 15, 2019. The Writers’ Room of Boston is committed to supporting emerging local writers of limited means by providing a secure, accessible workspace with 24-hour access. We are proud to offer our Writers Fellowship Program, which gives four juried writers full access to the workspace for one year. Awards are based upon the quality of the submitted writing sample, the project description, and the statement of need. Fellowships are available to writers at any stage in their career, published or unpublished, grad student, developing writer, or professional, so long as the writer is serious about their craft. The Fellowships are awarded for any genre or form: fiction, poetry, memoir, biography, journalism, screenwriting, playwriting, young adult and children's writing, graphic novel writing, traditional and experimental forms. Each year, we attempt to select excellent work across a range of genres, emphasizing diversity of technique and approach to writing among our fellows.

 

FREELANCE MARKETS

MARYLAND REPORTER
https://www.journalismjobs.com/1649246-legislative-reporter-marylandreportercom-inc
MarylandReporter.com, a nine-year old news website covering state government and politics, is looking for a freelance writer to help cover the Maryland General Assembly from January through early April. We are also looking for someone to fill in for our State Roundup editor, doing aggregation 6-8 a.m. Fridays and other days as needed.



TALENT, INC.
https://www.talentinc.com/job-description?id=283
We're currently expanding the blog for our international brand, TopCV, and looking for freelance writers who can take on regular assignments on all things related to managing your career and successfully navigating the modern job search. Topics include but are not limited to: salary negotiation, interview preparation, CV writing, personal branding, networking, applying for vacancies, goal setting, working with recruiters and so forth. Currently or previously lived or worked in the UK or Europe, or have extensive experience using British English and grammar. 
Knowledge of idioms and other slang terms unique to the UK.



ADLANTA MAGAZINE
https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=e4adc70f5fee61f9
ADLANTA, "Creative Lifestyle" MAGAZINE is currently looking for writers with a fresh perspective on Atlanta's growing creative community. If you have an article or topic of interest related to the arts, entertainment and creative culture. We are a preeminent source for quality advertisements for businesses, professional entrepreneurs and creative freelancers in the Atlanta area. If you are interested in becoming an ongoing contributor or content writer, our guidelines include creating articles or stories that add interest to the ADLANTA MAGAZINE readers. Writers should create content that is thought provoking and engaging to readers on a personal level.



ARE EXAM PREP CONTENT WRITERS
https://blackspectacles.workable.com/j/17A1C7896E
We’re looking for licensed architects with a range of experience – from seasoned veterans to newly licensed professionals. You must be well-versed in the ARE curriculum and learning objectives. Experience in test question writing or lecturing is preferred. Most importantly, you must have a passion for helping young, aspiring architects pass the ARE and get licensed. 



FREELANCE EBOOK WRITER
https://www.komando.com/careers/freelance-ebook-writer
The Freelance eBook Writer’s responsibility is to produce high quality written content for Kim Komando’s Club members who follow Kim’s advice and rely on expert content. The eBooks will be ghost-written and provide in-depth understanding of various topics. 



FREELANCE WRITER FOR ED MEHLMAN AND ASSOCIATES
http://www.edmehlman.com/careers/
We are seeking a freelance writer to research business related topics and publish biweekly blogs for EMA. Candidates can have any education background but a degree in Business or Journalism is a plus. Your writing will be published on a corporate blog and viewed by major players in Fortune 1000 companies all over the nation. The work you perform for EMA will be a great asset to include in your resume and writing portfolio. 



FREELANCE WRITER FOR STAR OF HONOLULU
https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=bdfdf30473239571
Star of Honolulu Cruises and Events is seeking a Freelance Writer to join our 'ohana! An immediate position is open for a fun, friendly, positive, intelligent, and hardworking individual who can write all about our different products on Oahu. Prefer four-year degree in Communications, however other bachelor's degrees are acceptable. 



BLUEGRASS STANDARD
https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=3061b1eb6c215efe
The Bluegrass Standard (TBS) online magazine is the premier entertainment publication targeting bluegrass music. However, TBS also features gospel, Americana and folk music, the artists, the festivals and the events. TBS craves the story behind and beyond the usual “how did you get started?” story or the “what’s coming up with you?” story. What are or have been the challenges, the personal struggles, the love stories, the breakup stories, the family stories, stories of faith, stories of redemption, stories of rebellion, stories of home and setting. We look for writers willing to connect to the artists and offer them a safe space to share their stories. We also want writers to cover festival and music events in their area, as well as cuisine and setting that connects somehow to these genres of music. If you’re in the Appalachian area, that’s a plus, but we’d love to have writers connected to Austin, Denver, LA, Nashville and Memphis, as well as across to sea to Ireland and the UK.



IRONPAPER
https://www.ironpaper.com/jobs-apply-freelance-writer/
Our mission is to help our clients achieve growth through marketing and sales. We seek to unify the marketing and sales journey to deliver a more remarkable buyer experience and, ultimately, drive growth for our clients. See the form on the website to show your writing areas of interest.



FIERCECANNABIS
https://www.journalismjobs.com/1649212-freelance-writer-fiercecannabis
FierceMarkets, the publisher of FierceBiotech and FiercePharma, is looking for a freelance writer for the launch of our FierceCannabis publication.  FierceCannabis will cover the cannabis sector’s advance in the marketplace as legislative hurdles are overcome. We will focus heavily on the legal and regulatory aspects of the industry with an added focus on M&A, sales and marketing, and distribution. We are looking for a professional business journalist with experience writing about the cannabis industry.  The ideal candidate will have at least five years of experience in journalism with a minimum of 2 years of experience covering the business side of cannabis. 

 

Publishers/agents

FILLES VERTES PUBLISHING
https://www.fillesvertespublishing.com/submissions/
For submissions in all categories and genres, please email your query and the first chapter of your manuscript in the body of the email to submissions@fillesvertespublishing.com. For fiction and narrative nonfiction, please only submit completed and polished manuscripts that have been through vigorous self-editing. For all initial submissions, please allow an 8-12 week response time. We do not accept Picture Books, Children’s Literature, or Chapter Books, or anything previously published. We are not currently accepting novellas or erotica.



KNEERIM & WILLIAMS AGENCY
http://www.kwlit.com/theagency.html
KNEERIM & WILLIAMS is a full-service literary and dramatic rights agency with offices in Boston and New York. We handle the placement of American and foreign publication rights as well as film, television, audio, digital media, and merchandising rights for a wide range of clients. Since its founding in 1990 by Jill Kneerim and Ike Williams, our mission has been to help talented writers achieve their publishing goals. We welcome both first-time writers and well-established authors. Over the years, our client list has grown to include New York Times best-selling novelists, prize-winning historians, scientists, and journalists.



INKWELL MANAGEMENT
http://inkwellmanagement.com/
InkWell is one of the world’s leading literary agencies, proudly representing major literary prize winners as well as many of the world’s bestselling and best-loved authors. We enjoy a considerable international reputation as a significant and innovative player in the industry. In addition to its full-time agents and their assistants, the InkWell team includes a tireless foreign rights department and a meticulous contracts manager. We also join forces with leading literary agencies in every foreign market and have agents based in Australia, Boston, and Dallas. 



WOLFSON LITERARY AGENCY
https://wolfsonliterary.com/about/
We work closely with clients to execute a personalized plan for the entire process from submission through publication and beyond, including strategic management of their careers. We represent a range of commercial fiction and nonfiction projects. For a full list of genres we are currently considering, please look at our individual bios and submissions guidelines.



RED SOFA LITERARY AGENCY
https://redsofaliterary.com/representative-categories/
Red Sofa Literary is a boutique literary agency originally established in the St. Paul/Minneapolis. See each agent's bio to learn what each agent represents. 



UPSTART CROW LITERARY
http://www.upstartcrowliterary.com/blog/
This literary agency has multiple agents, each representing something different. However, the agency is strongly invested in children's books more so than any other genre.



MANSION STREET LITERARY MANAGEMENT
http://mansionstreet.com/
Mansion is primarily two agents. One specializes purely in children's books. The other agent specializes in lifestyle books, cookbooks, gift books, general nonfiction, and pop culture. 
 

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