SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP

That's an age-old adage that is so sound it's become cliche and almost not paid attention to anymore. The result is too many people aren't looking, are still leaping, and are flubbing up. 

The last two weeks has found an unusually large number of requests in my mailbox. Requests for me to fund someone's project or else point them to someone who would. Wouldn't we all love a sponsor these days? 

These people say they wrote a book. That's great! I believe everyone who wants to write a book ought to write that book. But that's where most people stop feeling the desire to work hard at fulfilling the dream. Suddenly they want someone else to publish that book. They want to be paid for writing it, but don't want to sell it.

They've made this thing....and now thinks the world owes them for it. 

Harsh, I know. But we've become a bit spoiled (especially in first-world countries). We aren't even willing to study how someone else became successful. Instead, we want to write it our way, release it to the world (however that is done), and expect it to sell well (however that is done, too). 

To perform art is wonderful. To sell it is entrepreneurial. Be willing to wear both the hats. And learn what business you're in. You might be a writer, but do you know the writing business?

1) Learn the difference between traditional and indie-publishing (self-publishing).
2) Accept the fact that traditional requires severe competition and a lot of smart querying. ACCEPT IT!
3) Accept the fact the indie-publishing requires understanding the nuts and bolts of publishing. You learn how to do the steps yourself or pay an expert. ACCEPT IT!
4) Accept the fact that making money from a book means marketing. . . A LOT OF IT.
5) If your book does not sell, it's on you to change your plan and see that it does.

Write better, sell better, or both. 

In other words, the independent nature of this business that we all seek and love, carries into publishing and selling. Which means your success is yours to achieve, and nobody else's fault.

Manage your leaps. . . look before you leap. Before you publish, understand the various ways to publish, how you will master the method you selected, and how you will market. You want to be active, not reactive. When you are reactive in your business decisions, you are letting the market and other people run your business. And they do not have your best well-being in mind. It's trial of the fittest at that point.

Look before you leap. . . and manage those leaps. You don't drive to a town you've never been to before without GPS, a map, or knowledge of the highways. . .  unless you're just joy-riding and don't care where you've been by the end of the day.





 

SUPER SPONSOR WORTH NOTING

This trailer is so friggin' awesome.
 

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• 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

Dear Hope,
                     
I always look forward to your e-mails and Carol Tice's too. They inspire me, and remind me, that I am NOT alone.

I am a work at home dad and do translating, proofreading, subtitling (and proofreading of same - a.k.a. QC) as well as localizing of websites, apps and computer games.

As one writer put it, anyone can write, but writing well is an art, this is why good writers publish and the others become critics and publishers. Hurray for free online publishing and Print on Demand (with marketing).

Like everyone, I have bought courses, and sat through webinars and seminars (free ones of course, as we writers are always broke), but this Christmas, I decided to be selfish.  I locked myself away most evenings, and let my kids do what they wanted to, and I went through the courses again, and made notes and more importantly TOOK NOTE.

THEN I started writing.  Suddenly I came up with a prologue, which would act as a teaser, and then the story started to f-l-o-w (just like The Force), and now it is starting to take shape.  I avoid going back to anything to edit, unless it is necessary, and after less than a week, I have a more concrete story than ever before.

You see, before I used to do what is called hypnotic writing, or just writing, this is good, to get the ideas on paper, but the storyline tends to be filled with holes, and worst of all, it can become HOLY to you, so that you feel that editing this child of yours is sacrilege, and you end up with a constipated story, as you have what many Hollywood scripts are like, a good beginning, mediocre middle, and an ending that is neither here nor there, as you just want to finish the story and get onto the next one. This is the writer's bane, we need to be ruthless during the editing, and keep sentences: short, sweet and to the point, and NOT long winded and full of elegant descriptive prose for the sake of it.  

I am just sorry, that the internet wasn't generally available when I was a teenager, and these courses and newsletters I've read and taken weren't available then and in my early twenties.  Not to mention online publishing as mentioned before, as I worked in the publishing industry back then, and my brother was a printer. To think of all the things we could've accomplished...

Once I've finished this book I'm working on and another related to it, I may sit down and start on a children's story.

The only reason I didn't give up on writing, was because I subscribe to newsletters like yours, Carol's and Rob Parnell's. They kept me thinking about the things I love.

Thank you for your newsletters, as they have kept the writer within from dying, and they have also helped me in my other work, to be more prosaic in my translations.


Mr. Sigurjón Helgi Kristjánsson, CEO, A.M.I.A.P.T.I. and A.M.B.Þ.O.T. and M.F.U. 
An Icelandic Translator
4 Hawthorne Grove
Ashton-under-Lyne
Lancashire
OL7 0DF

 

Featured article

Using Facebook for Entry-Level and Advanced Writing Jobs

By Leah Zitter

Want entry-level writing jobs almost sure to accept you? Trawl Facebook. It was Facebook that handed me my first portfolio samples, including a gig on tasers and guns. The proprietor of that store taught me how to defend myself (by shooting others) and paid me $100 for writing the how-tos.

More recently - and unknown to most - Facebook also shoved off its very first Jobs for Facebook whose ads target more experienced writers.

So, if you’re looking for a gig at either end of the spectrum, Facebook’s the place for you!

Facebook for entry-level freelancers 

Visit Facebook to locate the following: entry-level writing jobs, evergreen writing gigs, and writing jobs that average three to seven cents per word.

To date, Facebook has more than 2.27 billion monthly active users, and, occasionally, one of these users mentions their need for a writer. You can be first on their rosters with the following steps:

1. Type your search words into Facebook’s search tab. My favorite words include "hiring writers", “looking for writers", "writer” + (your niche)", “seeking writers”. Also try “looking for content/ marketing writers/ bloggers” and synonyms like “contract” and “remote”. I avoid the popular “writers wanted” and “writers needed”, since these tend to spit up spam or bulk ads from sites like Upwork. 

2. Next, see “Posts” in the upper margin? Run down and select the following: 

"Posts From" (Anyone)
"Post Type” (All Posts)
“Posted in Group” (Any Group)
“Tagged Locations" (Anywhere). 
"Date Posted" - Toggle the arrow option at “Choose a Date.”

In contrast to "regular" listed jobs that get snatched fast, job mentions on Facebook tend to linger, so I backtrack my search by a month or two to snag jobs that may still be open but are missed by those only searching for the current day’s posts. 

3. As an alternative, I try "Date Posted" (Any Date) with search words that include the word “always.” Example: "always looking for writers (content producers) (bloggers) etc." This prods a stream of great evergreen jobs. 



Middle to advanced freelance writers.
 
Summer 2017, Facebook launched a new option for personnel recruiters, called Jobs on Facebook.  Here’s where you find job openings from entities like marketing and PR agencies, publishing outlets and B2B or B2C companies. Just as LinkedIn has its job postings, these are those of Facebook. 

Apparently, Facebook refused to design this site with freelancers in mind, but I’ve found a way around it.

1. Go to Jobs on Facebook, and type in synonyms for "writer" in the Jobs on Facebook search tab. (Note: don’t use the search tab on the top of page; it redirects you to your FB homepage). 

I tend to use terms like “writer,” "freelance writer," "content strategist," "marketing strategist," and "SEO content writer." Forget synonyms like “looking for,” “hiring,” and the like.

2. Fill in “Location” in the box underneath the search function. Here’s where it gets tricky if you want to trawl the globe, or, at least, America. My solution? Track where your clients tend to come from and experiment. Most of my U.S. clients come from New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago, so I type in the names of each of those regions and browse respective results. Jobs on Facebook, also, has major UK cities and several Canadian provinces but expect little more for countries outside North America.

3. As your last step, select the Contract button under “Job Type.” This is  my substitute for “freelancer.”
After becoming more familiar with Jobs on Facebook, you’ll notice most positions want in-site writers or are managerial and executive. Some of the search results, too, are wacky. Evidently, the platform’s still got a way to go. 

Still, here and there, you find some gems, like this delectable one I found today. (Just look at that pay!) 
 


Your turn! 

Bio: Dr. Leah Zitter is a recognized FinTech writer and researcher with more than 10 years experience writing for media outlets, small-scale businesses, ICOs, non-government organizations, multinational corporations and governments. Follow her tweets for finding hidden jobs on https://twitter.com/Zitter19864174.

COmpetitions

1,000-WORD CHALLENGE
http://1kwordchallenge.byethost16.com/website2017/index.html
£5 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 28, 2019. First prize – £150. Second prize – £75. Third prize – £50. Theme: Crime. We’re happy to read stories in any genre. Open international. 



AN AXE TO GRIND FLASH FICTION CONTEST
https://darlingaxe.com/pages/contest
$5 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 28, 2019. Limit 1,000 words. Minimum first prize $200. Top three will be published on the Chopping Blog.



RUMINATE VAN DYKE SHORT STORY PRIZE
https://www.ruminatemagazine.com/pages/short-story-prize
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 15, 2019. Limit 5,500 words. And $200 will be awarded to the runner-up story and publication in Ruminate.



NEW MILLENIUM AWARDS
https://newmillenniumwritings.submittable.com/submit/122970/47th-new-millennium-writing-awards-2018
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 31, 2019. Fiction - 6,000 words or less. Nonfiction (all types welcome) - 6,000 words or less. Flash Fiction (aka: Short-Short Fiction) - 1,000 words or less. Poetry - each entry may include three poems, up to five pages total. Prizes include $1,000 first place in each category. 



BUMBLEBEE FLASH FICTION CONTEST
http://pulpliterature.com/contests/the-bumblebee-flash-fiction-contest/
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 15, 2019. Limit 750 words. First prize $300 and publication. Send your shortest fiction soft and appealing with a hidden sting.  



GEIST POSTCARD CONTEST
https://www.geist.com/contests/postcard-contest/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 15, 2019. Limit 500 words. First Prize: $500. Second Prize: $250. Third Prize: $150. All winning entries will be published in Geist and on geist.com. Accepts fiction or nonfiction. Send us a story and a postcard—the relationship can be as strong or as tangential as you like, so long as there is a clear connection between the story and the image.



THE RESTLESS BOOKS PRIZE FOR NEW IMMIGRANT WRITING
https://restlessbooks.org/prize-for-new-immigrant-writing
NO FEE. Deadline March 31, 2019. For an outstanding debut literary work by a first-generation immigrant. Winner receives $10,000 and publication by Restless Books. Fiction candidates must not have previously published a book of fiction in English. Nonfiction candidates must not have previously published a book of nonfiction in English. 



MINI ESSAY WRITING CONTEST
https://www.biopage.com/contest/biopage-mini-essay-writing-contest-5/show
NO FEE. Deadline February 28, 2019. Limit 1,000 words. You can win $1,000, and three runners-up can win $200 each. Any theme. The winners will be determined by the quality of the writing, and the votes by other users’ likes and comments. The contest is open to anyone from everywhere, every country, every corner of the world.



BOOKSIE TICKLE-MY-FUNNY-BONE COMEDY WRITING CONTEST
https://www.booksie.com/contest/The+Booksie+2018+Poetry+Contest-13
$8.95 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 31, 2019. Limit 3,000 words. Grand prize $600, gold badge, and one free week of Boosts for the Grand prize-winning entry (“Boosting” features the story in front of Booksie’s millions of monthly readers). Two runners-up $100 cash award, silver winner badge, and one free week of Boosts for the Runner-up entries.



THE SUNDAY TIMES SHORT STORY AWARD
https://www.shortstoryaward.co.uk/awards/2019/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 15, 2019. The prize is for stories up to 6,000 words in length and there is no entry fee. Stories can be either unpublished or published. If published, the work must not have appeared before January 1, 2018. Writers can enter regardless of their nationality or residency, but they must have a track record of published creative writing in the UK or Ireland. Winner receives £30,000. There will be five runners-up prizes of £1,000 each.
 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS
https://www.arts.gov/grants-individuals/creative-writing-fellowships
Deadline March 6, 2019. The National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowships program offers $25,000 grants in prose (fiction and creative nonfiction) and poetry to published creative writers that enable the recipients to set aside time for writing, research, travel, and general career advancement. The National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowships program operates on a two-year cycle with fellowships in prose and poetry available in alternating years. Currently accepting applications for prose. Submit your application no later than February 27, 2019 to give yourself ample time to resolve any problems that you might encounter. 



COMMUNITY OF WRITERS - SQUAW VALLEY, CA - FINANCIAL AID
https://communityofwriters.org/workshops/financial-aid-scholarships/
A limited amount of financial aid is available each year for both the Poetry Workshop and Writers Workshops. Much of the financial aid is granted in the form of tuition waivers and scholarships, which are funded by donations from our past participants, staff and friends. Any scholarship funds awarded generally reduce the cost of tuition for the attendee. All financial aid, including scholarships, is granted on the basis of merit plus need. 



OX-BOW FALL RESIDENCY
http://www.ox-bow.org/apply-for-a-residency/
Deadline May 1, 2019. Fall residents are given the time, solitude, and focus often unavailable to so many working artists and writers. Each fall approximately 35 artists and six writers participate in the residency creating a community of engaged peers. At Ox-Bow, artists can enjoy 24-hour access to their studios, and an inspirational setting, free from the expectations of commercial and academic demands. Three studios are dedicated specifically to writers. Location Saugatuck, Michigan. 



THE CENTER FOR FICTION NEW YORK FELLOWSHIP
http://www.centerforfiction.org/forwriters/grants-and-awards/
Deadline February 15, 2019. The Center will select nine emerging New York City writers to participate in a year-long fellowship program. Fellows receive a $5,000 cash award, mentorships with editors, opportunities for public readings as part of The Center's annual programming, the chance to meet agents, publishers and other industry professionals, and more. Applicants must be current residents of one of the five boroughs and must remain in New York City for the entire year of the fellowship.



RED MOUNTAIN PRESS WRITERS RESIDENCY
https://redmountainpress.submittable.com/submit
Deadline April 30, 2019. Writer's Retreat at Sandy Bend, Florida offers two- and four-week residencies in November 2019 to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers in a secluded Sanibel Island home. Residents are provided with a private room, space and undistracted time. Resident authors will be responsible for their own meals in the shared kitchen and will meet for dinner each evening. Authors will have an opportunity for an individual, private critique with Susan Gardner, poet, publisher and founding editor of Red Mountain Press. Submit ten pages of poetry or up to 15 pages of prose, a project proposal, a professional résumé, and a $30 application fee.



EUROPEAN CULTURAL FOUNDATION TRAVEL GRANTS
http://ecflabs.org/step-travel-grants
STEP travel grants support creative and critical artists and cultural changemakers. Grants for individuals for international return travels within Europe or neighboring countries to a partner organisation for a professional cultural collaboration that serves a wider community. The applicant should have (at least) one committed partner organisation in the destination country that is from the independent cultural, or social sector (but working with culture). The deadline for submitting the application is a minimum of 50 days prior to the departure date. All travel directions are eligible, except for travels between Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, the Palestinian Territories,
Syria and Tunisia. 

 

FREELANCE MARKETS

THIRD FLATIRON ANTHOLOGIES
https://www.darkmarkets.com/2019/01/hidden-histories.html
Deadline January 31, 2019. Our focus is on science fiction and fantasy and anthropological fiction. Theme that is open now is Hidden Histories. Pays six cents/word. Short stories should be 3,000 words or less. 



PALETTE POETRY
https://www.palettepoetry.com/submit/
Submissions for our Featured Poetry category are open year round to poets at any stage of their career. Featured Poems are published online only and will spotlight a number of poems from new authors each month. We highly encourage emerging authors to submit. We are thrilled to offer significant payment to our partner poets: $50 per poem, up to $150. We are proud to be paying for published pieces but will be highly selective in our choices for publication. All submissions must be no more than ten pages and no more than five poems. Expect eight to twelve weeks for a response. 



CURIOSITY MAGAZINE
https://www.curiositymag.com/contact/ - or -
https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vRq5AIZGohPlRaCGTCKbwZhWFxjngP-O0K4YwyH1jJ4IEpuG6hkfgPpBRgAt6q48ZKUZe9WbYb_0Bgg/pub
Curiosity is a magazine for the conscious traveler. It’s for those who want to know–really know–about the world around them. If you’re interested in writing for Curiosity Magazine, please send pitches to pitches@curiositymag.com. Features pay up to $300. Essays up to $150. Interviews $150. 



ATTHIS ARTS ANTHOLOGY
https://www.atthisarts.com/stormcove/
Deadline January 31, 2019. Guidelines state we are looking for a mix of flash fiction (<1,000 words) and short stories (1,500-3,000 words). Please only write the story at 4,000 words if that’s the way it’s best written. A more limited number of 4,000-word stories will be selected. Theme: Five Minutes at Hotel Stormcove.



MYSTERION
https://www.mysteriononline.com/p/submission-guidelines.html#fiction_guidelines
Limit 9,000 words. Pays six cents/word. The story must have a speculative element. It needs something beyond the everyday. We love science fiction and fantasy, enjoy good ghost stories, and think there's great fiction material hidden in the mysteries of Christian theology - cherubim, leviathan, Nephilim, visions, prophecy, and more. The story must engage with Christianity. We want stories with Christian characters whose faith affects their actions, with Christian themes such as grace and redemption, or with a Christian view of the supernatural. 



EXTRA CRISPY
https://www.myrecipes.com/extracrispy/how-to-pitch-extra-crispy
Opinion pieces, reported stories, personal essays, works of humor, illustrated narratives, breakfast-y profiles of people, original recipes, how-tos and unusual points of view on the beloved morning meal are all welcome. We don’t do restaurant reviews. 



FREELANCE MOM
http://www.freelancemom.com/guest-post-guidelines/
We believe the landscape has completely changed and that there is no better time for parents to be a freelancer or solopreneur. If you agree with us, then we want to hear from you!  We love hearing case-studies and other moms’ stories – and we’ll even pay you for them! C’mon and share away! Men are welcome too! Your article should offer current practical and actionable advice, tips and be *in-depth enough that the reader walks away with new knowledge and new approaches.  (*In-depth, meaning, not saying the same thing that is already been said a hundred times before and is well-researched and thought-out). Pays $75-$100. 

 

Publishers/agents

JANE ROTROSEN AGENCY - SPECIFICALLY AMY TANNENBAUM
https://www.janerotrosen.com/agents/
Amy represents clients who write across a variety of genres including women’s fiction, contemporary romance, thriller and psychological suspense. She is particularly interested in those categories, as well as fiction that falls into the sweet spot between literary and commercial, memoir, narrative and prescriptive nonfiction. While Amy represents many bestselling and prolific authors, she prides herself on her ability to find talented debut authors and help them launch successful careers. She also selectively takes on established self-published authors and enjoys adding value to the creation, release, and promotion of their works.  



WENDY SHERMAN AGENCY - SPECIFICALLY KELLI MARTIN
https://www.wsherman.com/agents/
Kelli is passionate about building the agency’s romance program, focusing on contemporary romance and romantic suspense, and is also excited to discover new talent and shape content in commercial women’s fiction, including love stories, romantic comedies, suspense, family dramas, friendship dramas, beach reads, and women-coming-into-their-own stories.



FREE SPIRIT PUBLISHING
https://www.freespirit.com/submission-guidelines/
Our mission is to provide children and teens with the tools they need to overcome challenges and make a difference in the world. We publish high-quality nonfiction books and learning materials for children and teens, parents, educators, counselors, and others who live and work with young people.



GRYPHON HOUSE
https://www.gryphonhouse.com/about/become-author
At Gryphon House, our goal is to publish books that help teachers and parents enrich the lives of children from birth through age eight. We strive to make our books useful for teachers at all levels of experience, as well as for parents, caregivers, and anyone interested in working with children. 



HAYMARKET BOOKS
https://www.haymarketbooks.org/pg/submissions
We are interested in manuscripts that are accessible to a wide range of progressive and radical political activists, while also being useful to an academic audience. Please note that we do not publish dissertations. We are not accepting fiction or poetry submissions at this time.



ROARING FORTIES PRESS
https://roaringfortiespress.com/about-us/submissions/
Our books span a broad range of subjects and genres, but we are especially interested in these kinds of nonfiction projects: General nonfiction/investigative reporting, Biographies, Travel books with a twist, Books about music, Books about art, Small-format gift books. Please send your book proposal, which should include a detailed marketing plan, an author biography, a table of contents, and a synopsis of the book, to acquisitions@roaringfortiespress.com.
 

SPONSORS

​​

If your publishing success is just as important to you as your writing success, then instead of going to yet another writing conference, don't you think it's time you attend a publishing conference?

If the business you build with your book to create multiple streams of income is just as important to you as book sales and royalties, then instead of going to another one of those "fun" conferences designed to give readers an experience with authors, don't you think it's time you attend a conference that can teach you how to make money as a writer and author outside of book sales and royalties?

Are you ready to learn how to operate your literary business in thriving excellence and not mediocre struggle and lack? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then we'll see you in Vegas at the "Act Like an Author, Think Like a Business" 2019 Conference at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino.

Visit www.pathtopublishing.com/conference to register.

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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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