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IS THE BUSINESS PASSING YOU BY?

Do you feel like you cannot keep up with what's required of you as a writer?

Do all the blog posts, newsletters, magazines, how-to books and conferences leave you feeling lagging. . . lost in the dust of the successful? You cannot fathom how THEY are keeping up. 

Maybe they have maids, rich spouses, inheritances, or well-behaved or grown children who consume less of them. Or they have publishing contracts with big advances that enable them to take their time writing every day instead of formatting manuscripts. 

Maybe they KNOW people and have a leg-up in the industry. As a result, they grab appearances, bookstore shelves, ads on billboards, and snare media options for their stories without blinking. 

Yes, the online world can make your head spin. And it becomes addictive trying to keep up with who has done what and how. We feel negligent not keeping up like they do. The end result is that we write less because we've spent so much energy researching, pondering, and fretting. 

What the successful do is focus. They write, write regularly, and write well. They hone their skills. They remember that writing is the basis for it all, and they give it priority. They write so much, and read so much good writing, that they can't help but improve, and climb, and stumble upon success as they go. 

They are not afraid of what cliff they jump off in terms of story. They do not get hung up on whether to indie or traditionally publish, a decision that stumps and stops most of us cold. They decide. Then they own it. They don't watch to see who chose the other decision, or second guess how they would've fared if they'd chosen the other route. 

Write first. Decide how and where to publish. Own it with all your heart. Rinse and repeat. Yes, it's that simple.








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Dear Hope;
 
I wanted to write and thank you for all your help. I have been reading FundsforWriters for several years, and I consider it a valuable resource. In fact, the submissions listings have led to a number of my poems being published. I have a book coming out next March as well - my second poetry collection Phoenix: Transformation Poems will be released by CW Books in 2019.
 
I live in Bluffton, just outside of Hilton Head, and I really enjoy how you capture the Lowcountry. Have you ever read anything by Anne Rivers Siddons? She's one of my favorites, and although she doesn't write mysteries, your work reminds me of hers. 
  
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Jessica Goody
Award-winning author of Defense Mechanisms
 

Featured article

Tips for Winning Writing Contests

By Renee Roberson 

Entering writing contests is great practice for writing, editing, revising and submitting your work, whether it is creative nonfiction or flash or longer fiction. The more awards you can obtain, the better it looks on your resume and makes you more attractive when applying for specific writing gigs and searching for a literary agent. Having won several different awards for my work over the years, I've developed three tips for finding success with writing contests. 

Select the right contest for your work. There are so many contests out there, it's important to do your research when deciding where to submit your work. Are you familiar with the publication or website offering the contest? Are the entry fees reasonable? I personally don't enter contests where the entry fee is more than $30, but that's a personal choice. Research previous winning stories to get a feel for what the contest is looking for.

When I entered the Writer's Digest Popular Fiction Awards last year, I looked over the categories and decided I wanted to use the contest as an opportunity to create two new short stories—one a suspense/thriller and one in the young adult category. I read back through several years' winners for the suspense category and then got to work. Admittedly, I didn't research the young adult category quite as much. My story, "The Polaroid," won first place in the 2017 Popular Fiction Awards suspense category. The young adult story didn't go anywhere, so I filed it away. 

Make your submission unique. Follow the guidelines for stories to the letter. If there's a prompt, follow it and stay within the requested word count. Think of a unique angle for a submission. As a judge for the WOW! Women on Writing quarterly flash fiction contest, I read through a lot of preliminary submissions. One subject we see a lot are stories that focus on dementia and Alzheimer's Disease or the disintegration of marriages. So, if you are going to write about those topics, take unique angles on them, such as sharing the story from the perspective of a neighbor or from the mind of the person with the illness, or giving a failing marriage short story a twist ending the reader isn't expecting. 

Use contests to find a home for work you've already produced. As I mentioned earlier, I had written a young adult story for the WD Popular Fiction Awards that didn't place. A few months later I came across another writing contest opportunity from the Women's National Book Association. I thought the story, titled "The Name You're Not Supposed to Call Women," would be a good fit for this particular contest. I read through a few of the previous winners and submitted my entry. Within two months I received notification that the story won Honorable Mention in the 2018 WNBA Writing Contest Young Adult Category. I was glad that I hadn't let the story languish and was able to find it a home in this particular contest, giving me another great credit for my resume. 

Writing short stories has helped breathe new life into my writing. There are also plenty of creative nonfiction contests out there, including one that WOW! Women on Writing holds each quarter. Try your hand at submitting using these tips and you may be surprised by the outcome (and the contest prizes aren't too bad, either!) 

Links:

WOW! Quarterly Flash Fiction Contest
http://wow-womenonwriting.com/contest.php#FlashFictionContest 

WOW! Quarterly Creative Nonfiction Essay Contest
http://wow-womenonwriting.com/contest.php#EssayContest

BIO: Renee Roberson is an award-winning writer who also works as a marketing director for a nonprofit theatre company. She has received accolades for magazine writing, flash and longer-length fiction and is researching literary agents for her contemporary young adult novel. Renee also blogs for WOW! Women on Writing. Visit her website at FinishedPages.com.

 

COmpetitions

SWEET FLASH NONFICTION ESSAY CONTEST
https://sweetlit.submittable.com/submit/108482/flash-non-fiction-essay-contest
$10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 30, 2018. The Flash Essay Contest winner will receive $500, publication in Sweet, and 20 copies of their essay bound into a hand-stitched chapbook. All other entries will be considered for regular publication in Sweet. Submissions should be between 500 - 1,000 words and double-spaced. 



UP NORTH POETRY PRIZE
https://upnorthlit.org/unpp/
$10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 15, 2018. Open to anyone with ties to or writing about the Midwest. Submit up to three poems (no more than ten pages). All work will be considered for inclusion in Up North Lit. Win $500 and publication. 



F(R)ICTION WINTER LITERARY CONTESTS - SHORT STORY, POETRY, FLASH FICTION, CREATIVE NONFICTION
https://tetheredbyletters.com/submissions/contest/
ENTRY FEES $8 to $15. Deadline December 15, 2018. F(r)iction is accepting previously unpublished works of short fiction, flash fiction, and poetry. We accept submissions from writers located anywhere in the world, as long as the work is in English. Our editorial staff favors stories that celebrate the weird, take risks, and are driven by a strong, unique voice. The winner of our short story contest will be awarded $1,000 and publication in F(r)iction. Five finalists will receive free professional edits on their submission and will be considered for publication. Criteria: Stories of any genre, ranging from 1,000 to 7,500 words. The winner of our poetry contest will be awarded $300 and publication in F(r)iction. Five finalists will receive free professional edits on their submission and will be considered for publication. Criteria: Poems of any genre or form, three pages or less per poem. The winner of our flash fiction contest will be awarded $300 and publication in F(r)iction. Five finalists will receive free professional edits on their submission and will be considered for publication. Criteria: Stories of any genre, with a maximum of 750 words. The winner of our creative nonfiction contest will be awarded $500 and publication in F(r)iction. Five finalists will receive free professional edits on their submission and will be considered for publication. Criteria: Any genre ranging from 1,000 to 7,500 words.



PANOPLY CONTEST
https://panoplyzine.com/
$10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 18, 2018. After ten successful issues featuring a wide array of fine writing ranging from debuts to Pushcart Prize nominees and even a Pulitzer nominee, we’re pleased to offer our first contest. The theme is “UNTAMED.” Feel free to interpret it broadly. First prize earns $200; second $100; third $50. We will select additional pieces for Issue 11, which is planned for publication on or about January 4, 2019.



EVERYTHING WITH WORDS - URBAN YA COMPETITION
http://www.everythingwithwords.com/urban-ya-competition-short-list-judged-patrice-lawrence/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 30, 2018. We are looking for a vibrant debut novel for young adults/ adults, a book set in today’s multi-cultural Britain. Sharp dialogue, a story that’s got the feel of here and now, the street and the city today. Atmosphere is important, both physical and psychological. It can be any city in the UK but it must be a real city. No fantasy. The prize is £1000 and possible publication by Everything with Words. The competition is open to any writer living in the UK, agented or without an agent. The novel should be between 40.000 and 70.000 words long.



SOMERSET MAUGHAM AWARDS
https://www.societyofauthors.org/somerset-maugham
Deadline November 30, 2018. Applicants must be resident in the UK and under the age of 35 on 31 December 2018. Submissions must have been published. These annual awards are given for a published work of fiction, nonfiction or poetry by an author under the age of 35. Awards to be used for foreign travel. Total prize money, £10,000. The work submitted must be a full-length book and have been first published in Britain in 2018.



ROBERT J. DEMOTT SHORT PROSE CONTEST
https://quarteraftereight.submittable.com/submit
$15 ENTRY FEE FOR THREE PIECES. Deadline November 30, 2018. Prize $1,008.15 and publication. Submit up to three previously unpublished pieces. Each piece must be 500 words or fewer. Any genre is acceptable as long as the work is written in prose. Send us your best short-short stories, micro-essays, and prose poems (lineated poems will not be considered). The entry fee includes complimentary digital access to Quarter After Eight vol 25. 



REFLEX FICTION QUARTERLY CONTEST
https://www.reflexfiction.com/flash-fiction-submissions-entry-form/
ENTRY FEE £7 / $9 / €9. Deadline November 30, 2018. Stories between 180 and 360 words. Prizes £1,000 first, £500 second, £250 third. Fifty entries will form the long-list. Long-listed entries will be read by an independent judge who will select the third, second, and first place entries.
 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

THE WRITERS' COLONY FELLOWSHIP
https://www.writerscolony.org/fellowships
$35 APPLICATION FEE. Deadline January 31, 2019. The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow would like to help a screenwriter or playwright produce a film or play that positively portrays LGBTQ life and the struggles faced by all members of that community. We are doing that by offering a two-week, all expenses paid fellowship: Getting it Write. This gift of time will allow the recipient to focus completely on their work. Each resident has a private suite with writing space, a private bath and wireless Internet. We provide 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.   To apply, scroll down to the green Apply Now! button. Location Eureka Springs, AR. 



PORTLAND, OREGON AREA GRANTS
https://racc.org/grants/project-grants/
Deadline February 6, 2019. The Regional Arts & Culture Council in Portland, Oregon, is accepting applications for its Project Grant Program, which provides financial support to individual artists and nonprofit organizations in Oregon's Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas counties for project-based arts programming. Project Grants of up to $7,000 will be awarded to fund specific art presentations, exhibits, or the creation of work. Grants are awarded in the categories of Artistic Focus, Arts Equity & Access, and Arts Services.



UCROSS
http://www.ucrossfoundation.org/residency-program/
The Ucross Foundation provides living accommodations, individual work space, and uninterrupted time to approximately 85 individuals each year.  Typical residencies are one month in length but can vary from two to six weeks.  At any one time, there are up to ten individuals in residence, a mix of visual artists, writers and composers. Residents are responsible for providing their own working materials and for their travel to Sheridan, Wyoming.  There is no charge for a residency.



INDIAN ARTS RESEARCH CENTER FELLOWSHIPS
https://sarweb.org/iarc/native-american-artist-fellowships/
Deadline January 15, 2019. The Indian Arts Research Center (IARC) offers three artist-in-residence fellowships annually to advance the work of established and emerging Native American artists. Each fellowship includes a monthly stipend, housing, studio space, a supplies allowance, full access to the IARC collections, and travel reimbursement to and from SAR. These fellowships provide time for artists to explore new avenues of creativity, grapple with new ideas to further advance their work, and strengthen existing talents. The fellowships support diverse creative disciplines and can include sculpture, performance, basketry, painting, printmaking, digital art, mixed media, photography, pottery, writing, and film and video. However, each fellowship has specific applicant criteria. 



NEBRASKA ARTIST ROSTER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
http://www.artscouncil.nebraska.gov/opportunities/for-artists/apply-to-join-artist-roster.html
Deadline December 1, 2018. Artist application deadlines for both the Nebraska Touring Program (Touring Artist Roster), and the Artists in Schools/Communities Program (Teaching Artist Roster) are fast approaching. Both programs offer artists the possibility of doing more of the work they love.



NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS TRANSLATION PROJECTS
https://www.arts.gov/grants-individuals/translation-projects
Deadline December 5, 2018. Through fellowships to published translators, the National Endowment for the Arts supports projects for the translation of specific works of prose, poetry, or drama from other languages into English. Grants are for $12,500 or $25,000. Award amounts are determined by the National Endowment for the Arts. If you have questions concerning the Literature Fellowships please call the Literature Fellowship Hotline at 202/682-5034 or email LitFellowships@arts.gov.



NEW ORLEANS WRITERS' RESIDENCY
https://www.neworleanswritersresidency.org/application/
$25 APPLICATION FEE. The January 2019 New Orleans Writers’ Residency will take place from January 27 to February 23 of 2019. Six writers will be chosen from the pool of applicants, who will receive:

=> Airfare paid for up to $350 (we welcome international applicants, but be aware that if your ticket costs more than $350, you’ll need to pay the difference)
=> Four weeks free lodging in our cozy three-person shared rooms.
=> A weekly stipend of $200
=> A welcome dinner on the first night of the residency
=> Continental breakfast served Monday through Saturday from 9am to 11am
=> Laundry done every weekend, if you need it
=> A weekly excursion to points of interest in and around New Orleans
=> One workshop and critique night during your stay, where you will get the opportunity to share your work with your fellow writers and get feedback (see the FAQ for more details)
=> Weekly one-on-one meetings with the director



THE LIGHTHOUSE FORT LYON WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM
https://www.lighthousewriters.org/fort-lyon
Deadline December 1, 2018. Lighthouse Writers Workshop has partnered with the Fort Lyon Supportive Residential Community to offer professional writers the opportunity to pursue their artistic discipline in a scenic, natural environment while providing hands-on creative writing instruction to homeless veterans in Colorado. Writers will be invited to stay at the Fort Lyon campus, in the Arkansas Valley in southeastern Colorado, for four weeks (dates are flexible and based on the writer's availability), and will be provided a $2,500 stipend, as well as meals and transportation from the Denver area. Applicants should come prepared to work on a specific project and be willing to commit no more than ten hours per week leading writing lectures and teaching small workshops (of about ten people) for the Fort Lyon Supportive Residential community.

 

FREELANCE MARKETS

GALLI BOOKS CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
https://galli-books.co.uk/2018/08/16/call-for-submissions-rosalinds-siblings/
Deadline December 31, 2018. Rosalind’s Siblings is an anthology of speculative stories about people of marginalized genders/sexes who are scientists: scientists doing good, changing the world, or just getting on with their work of expanding human knowledge in a speculative context, presented in a positive light. Stories must contain a speculative element. We are happy to read works from any speculative subgenre: science fiction, fantasy, horror, alternate history, magical realism, fabulism, mythic work, Weird fiction and so on. We pay £0.08/word upon signed contract and are interested in previously unpublished short stories between 500 and 7500 words, nonfiction essays, and poetry on our theme. We pay a flat rate of £50 per poem.



THE PORTALS, TEMPORALLY DEACTIVATED, and ALTERNATE PEACE ANTHOLOGY SUBMISSIONS
https://jpskewedthrone.dreamwidth.org/496776.html
Deadline December 31, 2018. Stories for this anthology must be original (no reprints or previously published material), no more than 7,500 words in length, and must satisfy the theme of the specific anthology you choose of the three. PORTALS is to feature science fiction or fantasy stories that contain a portal opening up between two different worlds and the consequences that come from that portal. TEMPORALLY DEACTIVATED is to feature stories where the author explores what the phrase “temporally deactivated” could mean with regards to a person, place, or thing. ALTERNATE PEACE is to feature alternate history stories where the divergence from our timeline comes from some kind of peaceful change to our past. Pay rate will be an advance of a minimum of six cents per word. 



CATHOLIC DIGEST
http://www.catholicdigest.com/writers-guidelines/
We are a modern magazine that encourages and supports Catholics in a variety of life stages and circumstances. Our writers speak with the authority of experience, but always with an encouraging and positive voice. We recognize the importance of beauty and use beauty and truth to inspire our readers, but we also recognize real-life limitations. None of us is perfect. We are real-life Catholics who care deeply about our faith and our family. Queries submitted must be strongly focused on a definitive topic and hold a national appeal. Features are approximately 1,500 words on the following topics: marriage, practical spirituality, prayer inspiration, Catholic identity, parish/work, parenting, and relationships. We do not accept submissions of fiction, poetry, academic papers, puzzles, cartoons, political or opinion pieces; book, music, or movie reviews; reprinted material. 



SCHOOLARTS
https://www.davisart.com/Promotions/SchoolArts/Writers-Guidelines.aspx
SchoolArts wants you to share your successful lessons, areas of concern, and approaches to teaching art. When writing use a conversational style, outline your ideas, and keep it to 800 words or less. Include at least four high-quality digital images of final artworks and/or process photos. Author benefits include honorarium of up to $100 per article, free one-year print and digital subscription, up to six free copies of the issue in which your article was published, and two years of access to Davis Digital. 



BANNER
https://www.thebanner.org/about-us/writers-guidelines
The Banner family encompasses all ages and many different cultural backgrounds, including Korean, Hispanic, Chinese, Cambodian, and Laotian, as well as African American and Dutch. Our readers are primarily adults, young and old, married and single, of all levels of income and education, of many vocations and professions. They are members of urban and rural churches in Canada and the U.S. Most Banner feature articles range in length from 600 to 1,200 words. The magazine seeks to inspire, inform, educate, and challenge church members, as well as to provide a "kitchen table" around which our diverse denomination can gather for discussion.



AMERICAN ANGLER
https://www.americanangler.com/submissions/
The magazine’s mission is to supply readers with well-written, accurate articles on every aspect of the sport—angling techniques and methods, reading water, finding fish, selecting flies, tying flies, fish behavior, places to fish, casting, managing line, rigging, tackle, accessories, entomology, and any other relevant topics. The magazine’s main focus is coldwater fly fishing for trout, steelhead, and salmon, but we also run feature pieces about warmwater and saltwater fly fishing and fly tying, though our sister publication, Fly Tyer, is solely devoted to the latter. Feature stories—2,000 to 2,300 words. Short features—800 to 1,200 words that are generally tightly focused on a single task. One-page shorts—short 350 to 750-word short pieces that often act as “problem solvers.” As a guideline, feature articles pay between $450 and $600. Short features pay $200 to $400. Essays that fit into our “Waterlines” or “Expeditions” department pay $600.

 

Publishers/agents

JANLOW & NESBIT UK
http://www.janklowandnesbit.co.uk/
As well as novelists, the agency represents nonfiction authors of every stripe (Gore Vidal, David McCullough) and is known in the US for the politicians on its rostery. The London office opened in 2000, tasked with building a first-class list of UK-based writers for whom the agency provides coordinated representation across all formats and territories. Over the last decade, the agency has grown to represent a broad range of international authors, who are regularly nominated for and awarded major literary prizes, and feature in best-seller lists around the world. Our small, highly-focused office provides a unique service to its clients – a boutique agency with a global perspective. See PEOPLE at the website for each agent so you know who to pitch. 



ROGERS, COLERIDGE AND WHITE - UK
https://www.rcwlitagency.com/
Rogers, Coleridge & White represents a diverse range of bestselling and prize-winning authors from across the world and has an unrivaled reputation for discovering and nurturing new writers. We are a home for writers across all genres including literary and commercial fiction, crime and thrillers, children’s and YA, and all forms of nonfiction. The agency works with a number of major film and TV agents both in the UK and US who help to bring our authors’ books to screen.



BLAKE FRIEDMANN AGENCY - UK
http://blakefriedmann.co.uk/the-agency/
The agency has grown to include five agents in the literary department, and two film and TV agents in the media department. Our focus is on representing the most talented, dynamic and exciting writers and directors across all genres. Our intention has always been to represent writers' careers, rather than individual books or projects, and to sell those writers into as many markets, languages and media platforms as possible. For a list of our agents and their tastes, please take a look at their individual agent pages. 



DARLEY ANDERSON AGENCY - UK
http://darleyandersonchildrens.com/submissions
We are always on the lookout for exciting, inspiring and original novels for both Young Adult and Middle-Grade readers. We want a strong voice, excellent characters and a plot that keeps you turning the pages late into the night. We are actively looking for submissions from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, LGBTQ and all other under-represented writers. Please include the hashtag #diversevoices in the subject line of your email when you submit. 



EERDMANS PUBLISHING
https://www.eerdmans.com/Pages/YoungReaders/EBYR-Guidelines.aspx
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers publishes picture books, middle reader and young adult fiction and nonfiction. We seek manuscripts that are honest, wise, and hopeful; but we also publish stories that simply delight us with their storyline, characters, or good humor. Stories that celebrate diversity, stories of historical significance, and stories that relate to contemporary social issues are of special interest to us at this time. We currently publish 12 to 18 books a year.



HARLEQUIN
https://harlequin.submittable.com/submit
As the world's most prolific and recognized name in romance and women's fiction, Harlequin is actively looking for new works for all of its imprints. We are always on the lookout for talented writers — from established authors to those just starting their writing careers. Get to know our various imprints and editorial lines to find out where you might fit into Harlequin's extensive publishing program.



KENSINGTON
http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/page.aspx/writers
We publish over 600 books annually in both fiction and nonfiction. Kensington has sweeping and diverse imprints, including Kensington, Zebra Books, Pinnacle Books, Lyrical Press, Dafina Books, and Citadel Press. These imprints are well-known for popular commercial fiction, mysteries and thrillers, African-American titles, multicultural fiction, nonfiction, as well as true crime and Westerns. Kensington continues to be the foremost American publisher of romance novels. Currently not accepting Children’s, Middle Grade, Young Adult or Poetry submissions.

 

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

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