SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

STORY SEEDLINGS

Have you always wanted to write a book, but weren't sure how to start? Do you  have the very beginnings of a story idea, but need help further exploring it? Let Story Seedlings help!

Story Seedlings is a 35-page PDF product with 6 weeks of daily prompts to help you construct your story, one scene at a time.

Specific story elements include: characterization, world building, conflict and resolution. Tips, resources and advice offered along the way. Additionally, build your daily writing habit.

Once you've completed the prompts, choose 5,000 words to send to me for feedback and critique!

Learn more. . .

Amanda Zieba is the author of several books for readers of all ages. She has used her BS and Masters Degrees in education to teach writing through public education classrooms, writing retreats, camps and workshops. She is currently a writing instructor at Western Technical College in Wisconsin and a featured instructor at Author Quest.

Connect with Amanda at www.amandazieba.com. Her latest upcoming February release is Champion Chocolatier: Reality Bites, a romantic comedy about a woman who enters a candy making competition on reality TV

MOVING FORWARD IN 2019

"By honoring the ways our past experiences have contributed to who we are, we feel empowered by our progress rather than allowing ourselves to become anxious about our challenges. We often take a harsh, critical view of our progress through life, focusing on the failures and mistakes we've made. Instead, choose to see that each experience contributes powerful wisdom and insight that move us along the path of progress, which will then enable us to honor our growth and look forward with excitement to the next phase of growth to come. As you acknowledge the ways your experiences have contributed to your growth, you can enjoy a sense of accomplishment and eagerness to continue along the path of progress. Please remember that folding forward in standing and seated poses is the perfect time to check into your heart Chakra and remind yourself of your value and worth. Honor yourself and all past experiences."

~Sophie Bianchi, The Edisto Island Mysteries by C. Hope Clark (aka Deni, yoga mistress, Edisto Beach)

Those of you who read the Edisto Island Mysteries are familiar with Sophie, the yoga teacher on Edisto Beach. Even in the midst of a ding-bat antic, she can wane philosophical. For those of you who don't know, Sophie was designed after my dear friend Deni, the real yoga mistress at the beach. She has a remarkable way of viewing life, and yoga is infused in every aspect. 

In this snippet from her newsletter to her yoga followers, she teaches that we need to look at our growth instead of our failures. Every single moment of our lives adds to our whole, adds to the better person if we choose to look ahead with a positive perspective. 

We get rejected, and we don't make the book sales we like. We feel our families don't appreciate our writing, nor will we ever achieve the success we had hoped when we decided to become writers. 

Instead, we are better off identifying the errors in our efforts and consider their discovery a positive. The more mistakes, the closer we come to getting it right. The lessons learned from losses and flaws contribute to advancement. We learn immensely from being sidetracked along the journey. 

Instead of looking back at where we've been, feeling down about what hasn't worked, look forward and feel good about being wiser about where you're going.




 

SUPER SPONSOR WORTH NOTING

WIN $500 & a PUBLISHING CONTRACT with SKYROCKET PRESS!

​Skyrocket Press wants YOUR novel or non-fiction book! Submit your first ten pages and a synopsis. If your book is selected as a finalist, it will move to round two where you will be asked to submit your complete novel. One winner will receive $500 and publication. Honorable mentions may also be offered a publishing contract. Submission fee is just $15! Deadline is February 15th.

​For complete details on how to enter, visit our SUBMISSIONS page.

PREVIOUS FAVORITE POSTS:

• Transition to Full-time Freelance Writing Just Took a Little Bit of Math
• Make Time to Be Solitary
• Cashing in on Local Copywriting Gigs
• Ghostwriting: A Lesser Known Career Path That Pays Big
• Too Many Things to Write About
• Five Tips to Promote Yourself as a Newbie Freelance Writer
• Beyond the Writer's Market: Seven Ways to Find New Magazines
• House Sitting Puts Ink in the Travel Writer's Pen
• Multiple Submissions of Freelance Material
• Tips for Winning Writing Contests

HOPE'S APPEARANCES

 

SUCCESS QUOTE

SUccess Story

Hello, Hope, and Happy New Year!

I appreciate your newsletter. In it, I found the notice for the Legendary Letters contest. I entered and won third place and $100! It was a great way to kick off the holidays! Thank you so very much for creating this valuable resource. 

Best,
Larissa Kosmos
www.larissakosmos.com  


- - - 
We love success stories from our readers! Send us a note how FundsforWriters has helped your writing so we can all share! Email to hope@chopeclark.com 

Featured article

School Visits: A Librarian's Perspective

by Pascale Duguay 

My high school usually welcomes two authors every year. They come at the request of the language departments. Everything is planned between the teachers and the authors, and I have nothing to do except making sure the library is available on the scheduled dates – at least in theory.

Surprises always pop up minutes before the presentation is due to start. One author might suddenly request a white board and markers, another a projector, sometimes all three. I've learned to be ready for anything, but what if I – superior librarian that I am – had not been there to save the day? In all instances, these near setbacks could easily have been avoided with simple communication.

Here's a little insider tip: Schools are not the most proficient at passing along information. By knowing this fact alone, you'll be one step ahead of the game next time you're invited to give a presentation. Although my school has attempted to correct this problem, some things still manage to catch me unawares. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to avoid running into this situation.

First, find out where your presentation will take place – library, classroom, auditorium, gym? If your presentation will be held in the library, ask for the name of the librarian. Then tell her what you'll need ahead of time: white board, screen and projector, audio, etc. Do you want the chairs set up in a semicircle facing you? If it's a hands-on workshop, will the participants need tables to work on? Don't skip this step even if the teacher or whichever staff member you've been communicating with knows all the details. Although the information might reach the librarian, it could do so at too short notice to do much good.

Here's another insider tip: Schools can take an amazingly long time to get stuff done. This is due in large part because most things need the approval of several people or committees before they can get under way. And as all these dedicated people have a lot on their plate, the process is slowed even more. So make sure you start the ball rolling way ahead of your scheduled visit.

If your presentation is to take place in another part of the school, ask whether the school has a library and who is responsible for purchasing books. Get in touch and say hello. Why? Simply because the library staff may not be aware of your coming at all! If your presentation catches the students' interest, they'll likely ask the librarian to order your books. Make it easy for her. Send her a list of your published titles along with the age group and reading level of each. None of the presenters have done this for me yet, which is a huge oversight. Librarians are busy people. Don't assume they have nothing better to do than look you up, or that they'll remember to do so once the dust has settled and you're long gone. At my school, I oversee every aspect of the library including selecting and buying the books that end up on the shelves. Like most school libraries, my budget is modest so be aware that I'm the one you need to impress if your books are to make it on my limited to-buy list. 

Finally, to generate extra publicity and sales, give the librarian lots of bookmarks. Kids love them and my supplies always need replenishing. It's a great way to reach out to readers, no matter what they happen to be reading as well as making a lasting impression both on the students and librarian! 

BIO: Pascale Duguay is a freelance writer, translator (French/English), and high school librarian. She resides in the lively bilingual community of the Quebec Eastern Townships.
Pop in for a visit at pascaleduguay.com.




 

COmpetitions

THE DESPERATE LITERATURE PRIZE FOR SHORT FICTION
https://desperateliterature.com/desperate-literature-short-fiction-prize/
€20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 14, 2019. Awarded for an original work of short fiction under 2,000 words. The first prize winner will receive €1,000 (US$1,100), a week’s residency at the Civitella Ranieri Foundation in Italy, and a consultation with a US literary agent from Foundry Literary. Two runner-up prizes of €250.



HOWARD FRANK MOSHER SHORT FICTION PRIZE
http://hungermtn.org/contests/howard-frank-mosher-short-fiction-prize/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 1, 2019. The contest is run by Vermont-based journal Hunger Mountain. The winner receives US$1,000 and publication. Stories may be up to 10,000 words in length and all entries will be considered for publication. 



BBC NATIONAL SHORT STORY AWARD
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2QXsYTZYWZ40CTc8lbH0FdV/how-to-enter
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 11, 2019. Open to British nationals and UK residents who have a prior record of publication in creative writing in the United Kingdom. First prize is £15,000 and entries may be up to 8,000 words. Entries can be either unpublished or first published after January 1, 2018. 



BATH SHORT STORY AWARD
https://www.bathshortstoryaward.org/
Bath Short Story Award
£8 ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 15, 2019. Open to stories up to 2,200 words in length. First Prize is £1,200 (US$1,500) and stories may be in any genre. This year the shortlist judge is literary agent Samuel Hodder from Blake Friedmann Literary Agency.  



TILLIE OLSEN SHORT STORY AWARD
http://www.thetishmanreview.com/contests/tillie-olsen-short-story-award/
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 30, 2019. Run by The Tishman Review. The contest is open to stories up to 5,000 words and first prize is US$500. All entrants receive a one-year digital subscription to the magazine. 



CURT JOHNSON PROSE AWARD
https://decembermag.org/2018-curt-johnson-prose-awards/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Opens in April 2019. Contest is run by December magazine, a magazine whose many accomplishments include being the first to publish the work of Raymond Carver. Pays $1,500 and publication in our Fall/Winter 2018 issue for First Place (fiction and nonfiction); $500 and publication in our Fall/Winter 2018 issue for honorable mention (fiction and nonfiction). All finalists will be listed in the awards issue. Open to stories up to 8,000 words in length. 



CRAFT SHORT FICTION PRIZE
https://www.craftliterary.com/short-fiction-prize/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Opens March and closes April 30, 2019. Open for stories up to 5,000 words. The writers of the top three stories will receive: $2,000 award for first prize; $500 and $300 award for the two runners-up, respectively; publication in CRAFT, with an introduction by our guest judge; and the opportunity to write and publish a short craft essay to accompany the story.



CRAFT ELEMENTS CONTEST
https://www.craftliterary.com/craft-elements-contest-2/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline is random. This is an occasional contest posted periodically in the Craft calendar. In 2018, winners were based on the strength of the story in each of the following three craft categories: Setting, Dialogue, and Character. One story awarded in each category, and each of the three authors receive $1,000 and publication. Finalists noted in each category.



DAVID NATHAN MEYERSON PRIZE FOR FICTION
https://www.smu.edu/SouthwestReview/Prizes-and-Awards/MeyersonFictionPrize
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 1, 2019. Open to writers who have not yet published a book of fiction, either a novel or collection of stories. The winner receives $1,000 and publication in Southwest Review. Stories can be up to 8,000 words in length and all entries will be considered for publication. 



LORIAN HEMINGWAY SHORT STORY COMPETITION
http://www.shortstorycompetition.com/
$15 ENTRY FEE. Submit between May 1 and May 15, 2019. To be eligible writers must not have had their fiction published in a nationally distributed magazine/journal with a circulation of 5,000 or more. Entries must be less than 3,500 words. The winner receives $1,500 and publication. 



BRISTOL SHORT STORY PRIZE
https://www.bristolprize.co.uk/rules
£9 ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 1, 2019. Maximum length 4,000 words. Stories can be on any theme or subject and are welcome in any style including graphic, verse or genre-based (Crime, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Romance, Children’s etc.). The 2019 Bristol Short Story Prize is open to all published and unpublished writers. There is no geographical restriction on entry. Entries will be read by a panel of publishers, booksellers, reviewers and writers. They will select a longlist of 40 stories for the judging panel. The judging panel will select the 20 stories to be published in the Bristol Short Story Prize Anthology Volume 12 and the top three prize-winning stories for the 2019 Bristol Short Story Prize. Prizes for 2019 are: first prize £1,000, second prize £500, third prize £250. Each of the 17 remaining shortlisted writers will receive £100. The winning story will also be published in the print edition of Bristol 24/7 magazine in November 2019. An additional prize of £100, The Sansom Award, in recognition of the contribution to Bristol publishing of John and Angela Sansom, will be presented to the highest placed story by a Bristol writer.



THE FOUNTAIN MAGAZINE ESSAY CONTEST
https://fountainmagazine.com/about/the-fountain-essay-contest-2018
Deadline March 1, 2019. Open to all writers worldwide. Word limit 1,500 to 2,500. First place $1,000. Second place $500. Third place $300. Two honorable mentions of $150. Theme: Should We Be Grateful? 

 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

LAMBDA WRITERS RETREAT
https://www.lambdaliterary.org/features/news/11/11/2019-emerging-lgbtq-voices/
Deadline February 1, 2019. The Retreat provides writers access to industry professionals and the opportunity to advance in their craft and careers. It is one of Lambda’s most dynamic initiatives: it represents the future of LGBTQ literature. Applicants of the Retreat submit prose, poetry or theatrical manuscript pages that are evaluated for craft, creativity and originality. Twelve students per workshop are accepted into the competitive program where they spend the week working on their manuscripts, attending guest lectures led by publishing industry professionals, and participating in public readings in venues around Los Angeles. Ability to pay is in no way part of the decision-making process and scholarships are available. Lambda Writers Retreat Fellows have gone on to publish an impressive array of works. The Retreat will be held August 4-11, 2019 on the campus of Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. 



JUNIPER SUMMER WRITING INSTITUTE SCHOLARSHIPS
https://junipersummerwritinginstitute.submittable.com/submit/125092/juniper-summer-writing-institute-2019
Deadline January 15, 2019 for scholarships. The Juniper Summer Writing Institute is an inclusive literary space that welcomes adult poets and writers at all stages of their careers. Acceptance to the Institute is based upon the strength and promise of the writing sample. A non-refundable application fee of $40 (U.S.) is required with each application. The Institute awards scholarships in the amount of $500, $800, $1,200 and full tuition remission. We especially encourage applications from individuals from underrepresented groups, of diverse life experiences and backgrounds, and those who have experienced socioeconomic disadvantage or discrimination. Hosted by the MFA Program for Poets & Writers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Juniper is a week-long immersion in the writer's life.



CHACO CULTURE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
https://nationalparksartsfoundation.submittable.com/submit/109303/chaco-culture-national-historical-park-artist-in-residence-2000-stipend-2019
Deadline January 21, 2019. Location New Mexico. Term is October 1-30, 2019. Includes $2,000 stipend. This residence is open to artists of all types and ALL MEDIA (including writers and poets). The Chaco Culture AiR is an in-park residency at a fairly remote and isolated location. A reliable vehicle is crucial for this residency. The park is located in northeastern New Mexico, an hour and a half from Farmington, NM, three hours from Santa Fe, and consists of an extensive complex of pre-columbian pueblos or ceremonial structures (at least 11) and a number of other sacred and or preserved sites. 



PEN PARENTIS
http://www.penparentis.org/fellowships/guidelines/
$15 ENTRY FEE. Opens March 1 and closes April 17, 2019. In addition to a full year of promotion, mentorship, and the publication of the winning story by Brain, Child Magazine, a $1,000 prize will be presented to the new Pen Parentis Writing Fellow at a public reading of the winning work at our November Salon in Manhattan. Entrants must be the parent of at least one child under ten years of age, but there are no style or genre limitations on the works of fiction submitted for consideration. Entrants can be at any level of their literary careers. Submissions call for a new, never-published fiction story—any genre, on any subject—of up to 750 words. 



KEROUAC PROJECT OF ORLANDO RESIDENCIES
https://www.kerouacproject.org/
Deadline March 10, 2019. Four writers from around the world will have a chance to spend three months living and writing in the same central Florida house where Beat poet and writer Jack Kerouac lived in 1957–58 while he wrote Dharma Bums. Writers stay free at the Kerouac House and their utilities are covered. Each writer also receives a $1,000 food stipend for use during their residency. The writers are only required to participate in two events, a welcome potluck dinner held in their honor, and a final reading of their work at the end of their residency. Interested writers can submit their work in one of the following categories that fits their chosen writing field: Poetry, Play, Screenplay, Fiction/Short Story, and Nonfiction.



MONTELLO FOUNDATION
http://www.montellofoundation.org/pages/montello_apply.htm
Deadline January 27, 2019. The artist retreat at the Montello Foundation is meant to be a retreat from the urban environment. It will provide a new perspective for residents’ work and give residents space and time for undisturbed experimentation and reflection. A building designed with a large shading roof under which there are two distinct spaces: one space for the bodily needs: eating; sleeping; washing, and a stove for the cold desert nights, and a second space for work: for writing; painting; drawing; studying, a space for the first tests of new ideas. There is no cost for this program, artists must cover travel and living expenses, but we are happy to assist your own grant proposal or crowdsourcing. The retreat is located on 80 acres in an undeveloped valley near Montello in the North-Eastern corner of Nevada. 



THREE ROCK WRITERS' RESORT RESIDENCIES
https://eyelandscontes.wordpress.com/
Deadline January 20, 2019. Three Rock Writers’ Resort announces the opening of applications for its 2019 residencies. Situated in one of the most magnificent places of Greece at the south coast of Crete island, Three Rock in collaboration with Strange Days Books publishing offers a two-weeks low cost (or no cost at all) stay especially for writers. Full stipend will be offered to one project and half stipends (discount 50% from the regular cost) to 20 other projects. Strange Days Books will publish one book per year from writers who follow and complete the Three Rock Resort Residency.

 

FREELANCE MARKETS

LOGIC
https://logicmag.io/08-call-for-pitches/
Logic is a magazine about technology and society that publishes three times per year. We're trying to ask the right questions about how technology works, and whom it works for. We’re seeking reported articles, features, essays, and profiles. We pay $150 for shorter essays of 1,000-1,200 words, and $400 for longer features of 2,000-3,000 words and up.



CRAFT
https://www.craftliterary.com/submit/
Our CRAFT Fiction categories are open year-round to any emerging or established author. We accept submissions from international writers. We pay our authors $100 for original flash fiction and $200 for original short fiction. We do not charge submission fees but are highly selective in what we choose to publish. Flash Fiction, for work under 1,000 words. Short Fiction, for work under 6,000 words. 



THE DRABBLECAST
https://www.drabblecast.org/submissions/
Seeks submissions that are humorous, bizarre, gross, disturbing, badass, interesting and original. Fiction 500-4,000 words. Also publish Drabbles of exactly 100 words, and Twabbles of exactly 100 characters. Pays six cents per word for stories. Stories under 500 words, including Drabbles and Twabbles, are published unpaid.



DAILY SCIENCE FICTION
http://dailysciencefiction.com/submit/story/guidelines
Seeks speculative fiction stories from 100 to 1,500 words. Will also consider flash series: three or more flash tales around a common theme. Pays eight cents per word. Pays more if story gets reprinted in the themed Daily Science Fiction anthologies. 



FLORIDA SUN MAGAZINE
https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=1c21845fcc02f46c
Florida Sun Magazine, Florida’s premier German language travel and lifestyle magazine, is seeking an online editor/journalist with native German language skills to join our team for either full-time, part-time or on a freelance basis. Can work remote. Location in Orlando, FL. 



FREELANCE BLOGGER
https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=1236debd636cf22d
We are looking for talented writers and bloggers to create quality content and enhance our user experience. We are expanding our digital platform and looking for new editorial content in variety of topics such as Food, Travel, Art & Entertainment, and related consumer topics all within the Cape Fear region. This person will also compile our monthly online Events Calendar; be available to attend events if needed; compile blog posts; curate stories from press releases. You MUST live in Wilmington, NC or the Cape Fear region. 

 

Publishers/agents

PROMETHEUS BOOKS
http://www.prometheusbooks.com/#About
Publishing intelligent nonfiction for the thoughtful lay reader, Prometheus Books has focused on several core categories including popular science, critical thinking, philosophy, history, atheism, humanism, current events, psychology, and true crime.



ALLEN O'SHEA LITERARY AGENCY
https://www.allenoshea.com/contact
We work primarily with nonfiction writers and are especially interested in projects in the following areas: Cooking and Nutrition, Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Parenting, Sports, Science, Fitness, Pop Culture, Finance, Business/Career, History and Politics, Crafts, and Gifts. 



ANNICK PRESS
http://www.annickpress.com/submission-guides
Annick Press is currently accepting submissions of picture books, middle grade fiction, YA fiction, and nonfiction for kids of all ages. Our stories feature contemporary themes (even if the setting is historical) and aim to instill kids with the joy of reading.



EUROPA EDITIONS
https://www.europaeditions.com/about-us
Europa Editions is an independent publisher of quality fiction. Europa Editions publishes about thirty-five titles a year. In its first ten years, the company has published books by authors from 26 different countries, making it one of the leading US publishers of international fiction. In 2013, we launched our series of international crime fiction, Europa World Noir. 



TURTLE POINT PRESS
http://www.turtlepointpress.com/about-turtle-point-press/
Turtle Point Press is an independent publisher distinguished by books of superior literary content and elegant design. The Press has been delighting readers with new fiction, literary nonfiction, poetry, memoirs, works in translation, and rediscovered classics since 1990.



WILD OCEAN PRESS
http://wildoceanpress.com/
Wild Ocean Press is an independent publisher of poetry, memoir and fiction by writers who may not be widely recognized but should be. Much important literary work remains unpublished either because authors are unwilling to submit to the control and dictates of large corporate publishing machines or because those same corporate publishers do not anticipate generating enough revenue from a book regardless of literary merit.

 

SPONSORS

​​






www.fundsforwriters.com/advertising 

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

**Note that FundsforWriters.com places paid advertising in this newsletter, ALL ads being related to writers and the business of writing, screened by FundsforWriters to make sure the information is suitable for writers and their endeavors to improve their careers. But the mailing list is not sold to third parties. You will not receive this newsletter without your permission. It's physically impossible since recipients must opt-in, giving us permission to send the newsletter. If at any time you no longer with to receive the newsletter, click the UNSUBSCRIBE link at the bottom of each newsletter. We want you to enjoy this newsletter at your pleasure, not be forced to read anything you do not wish to receive. The website is not advertised using unsolicited messages by Aweber, affiliates or other third parties. Direct any complaints, suggestions, and accolades to Hope Clark at hope@fundsforwriters.com. We are an anti-spam site.