FundsforWriters - February 8, 2019 - Editor Relationships Bear Multi-Assignment Fruit

Published: Fri, 02/08/19

Volume 19, Issue 6 | February 8, 2019

Message from the Editor

Beautiful days here. Just gorgeous. Hard to stay inside and write, but write I must. Set a goal of 1,000 words per day, which is already difficult, but it is what it is.

People ask how I juggle so much. Some days I wonder if I accomplish anything at all. But I'm greedy about my personal time. Everything I do, I ask, "Which is more important, this or my writing?" Of course dinner with hubby is more important, but going to the movies is not. The floor needs vacuuming, but nobody is coming over, so yes, writing is more important. That sort of thing.

And a lot depends on whether this writing thing is a hobby or a potential job. Ask yourself, "If writing was my job, would I write or -fill in the blank-?" Maybe you have another job and don't have time for the writing. Then you are making a choice. But if you ever want to write for a living, then something has to be said NO to.

I once juggled teenagers and a 50-hour/week job. I said no to volunteering, delegated housework (or left it undone), and fixed enough dinner one day to last for three. Gave up television. Rose early on the weekends and wrote for eight-hour stretches. Wrote after everyone was asleep. Even changed my day job to come in later, go home later in the evening, so I spent less time in rush hour...so I could write.

So think about it. What can you do, or say NO to, in order to make more writing time? Or decide it's not really for you. Either decision is a plus for your quality of life.

C. Hope Clark
Editor, FundsforWriters
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SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

An Invitation to Your Voice

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Seven Invitations is a free journey to inspire your creative beginnings. It includes seven unique prompts to connect more deeply with your voice, as well as practices to support your creative instincts. This guide is shaped by my own writing practice as well as the space I've held with hundreds of writers at my studio, Voice & Vessel. I hope you'll stop by and begin the journey!

Get your copy of Seven Invitations.

EDITOR’S THOUGHTS

ON TAKING TIME TO BE ALONE

Solitude is the path over which destiny endeavors to lead man to himself. Solitude is the path that men most fear. A path fraught with terrors, where snakes and toads lie in wait… Without solitude there is no suffering, without solitude there is no heroism. ~Nobel laureate Hermann Hesse (July 2, 1877–August 9, 1962)

To be more confident in our performance, we have to be confident in ourselves. We cannot reach confidence without a lot of time alone with ourselves so that we "get" ourselves. So we feel good about ourselves. So we understand our strengths and limitations and have a grip on how we are continually bettering ourselves.

Most people won't take the time to get to know themselves.

There is nothing more satisfying to me than alone time. My husband recently left for a week, on a case he was working, and while I missed him, I also thoroughly enjoyed being alone with myself. No television. No music. Just writing and reading. I accomplished so much, but better yet, I felt proud of myself. I had pushed myself, removed barriers, and written with the blinders off.

Which is what convinced me to accept the recent two-book contract with my publisher. While I've had two-book contracts before, I'd never before agreed to write two 100K word books in a year. I never would've agreed if I did not find it in me, nor felt that I could enjoy the extra alone time with myself.

I'm excited about the challenge. I hope this makes me a better me as well as a better writer. After all, I've got to like myself pretty well to make this happen.

SUPER SPONSOR WORTH NOTING

PREVIOUS FAVORITE POSTS:

HOPE'S APPEARANCES

March 7-10 - Retreat near David City, Nebraska
March 26 - 6 PM, Friends of the Library, Florence, SC
April 1 - 6 PM, Batesburg, SC Library Book Club
April 2 - 6 PM, Saluda, SC Library Book Club
April 13 - 3PM, Pelion, SC Library Book Club
April 19 - 3 PM - Edisto Bookstore, Edisto Island, SC
June 14-16 - GatewayCon, St Louis, MO
August 24, 2019 - 9-4:30 PM - Sylva, NC - North Carolina Writers Conference
Fall - Greater Nebraska Writer's Conference (tentative)

SUCCESS QUOTE

“Character — the willingness to accept responsibility for one’s own life — is the source from which self-respect springs.”

~Joan Didion

SUccess Story

Hi, Hope, I wanted to let you know that after many years of writing magazine articles and short stories, and entering contest after contest to hone my craft, reading each FFW issue in minute detail, my first novel has been published! It's now available on Amazon. Thanks so much for all you do to challenge and encourage us in every issue.

The title is What If...? by Cat FitzGerald, published by Christian Faith Publishing in Pennsylvania.

Sincerely,
Cathy FitzGerald

Cultivating Editor Relationships Bears Multi-Assignment Fruit

By Tom Bentley

Last week I sent a two-sentence query to the travel editor at the San Jose Mercury News about visiting specific spots in Southern California—would she be interested in an article? Her answer: “Sure. Sounds fun!”

It can’t be that easy, right? Yes, it was—but only because I’d written many travel pieces for this editor over a number of years. Better yet, because my writing style and process clicked well with her needs, she’d actually created a loose category of articles (called “Trail Mix”) for me to conceive and write, of which the above was one. There will be many mixings of trails to come.

Keeping in this vein, I once wrote a magazine piece about my girlfriend buying an old Airstream trailer sight unseen on eBay. The editor of a new Airstream magazine read it and contacted me about writing an article for his magazine. Yesterday I turned in what might be my 40th (if not more) article for the magazine.

Don’t get me wrong: I’ve sent hundreds, perhaps thousands, of pitches that have died an un-replied death, and hundreds more that got me the one-sentence “not for us” reply. But occasionally, writers can connect with editors so that mutual trust, confidence, and suggested future work define the relationship.

And don’t forget another component: getting paid regularly.

Sure, by chance or luck the Airstream editor read my piece. But it wasn’t luck that I’m still writing for him 15 years later. There are some things you can do to ingratiate yourself into an editor’s good graces. Let’s look:

Craft clear pitches: Be specific about an article’s scope and details. Include a suggested headline. Put in a succinct bio. Don't waffle (or talk about the waffles you had that morning).

Establish and extend clear communications: Respond quickly to an editor’s suggestions and questions. Be personable, but not too casual until that’s warranted. Compose your communications with language that says you’re the writer they want, for this piece and beyond.

Meet deadlines: This is big. Don’t propose some bullpuckey date about delivering the article unless you can flatly do it. Particularly, don’t tell editors two days before the deadline that “something came up.” Do that, and what will come down is your chance to write for them again. And sending the piece before the deadline day can get you virtual chocolates in return.

Work with revisions: I don’t mean that you accept changes that gut the heart of your story, but if an editor changes a couple of phrases, drops a sentence, moves one up or down, go with it. Words aren’t precious; they are tools. You might even learn something (I have) from the editing.

Ask for a raise: No, definitely not after one article, and probably not even after four or five. But if you’ve written steadily for an editor for a chunk of time, you demonstrated your value. Ask them to kick it up a notch or two. This is business, after all.

Speaking of when things are business and when they are not, working with an editor for years opens the door for more personal exchanges. Send them an article they might like, say hello now and then. They could continue to keep you top-of-mind for future assignments.

Sometimes the worst will happen: your editor pal will leave the publication. I wrote about ten section pieces for The American Scholar magazine before my editor retired. It took some time to work out what the new editor wanted, but I finally won an assignment.

Editors. Believe it or not, they are actually people.

BIO: Tom Bentley is a business and fiction writer. His new novel, Swirled All the Way to the Shrub is about a sozzled society reporter and would-be author who blunders in and out of love, lunacy and sorrow in Great Depression-era Boston. See Bentley's lurid website confessions at www.tombentley.com

COmpetitions

STELLA KUPFERBERG MEMORIAL SHORT STORY PRIZE
https://www.writingclasses.com/contest/stella-kupferberg-memorial-short-story-prize-2019
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 1, 2019. The Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize is a writing competition sponsored by the stage and radio series Selected Shorts. This long-running series at Symphony Space in New York City celebrates the art of the short story by having stars of stage and screen read aloud the works of established and emerging writers. Selected Shorts is recorded for Public Radio and heard nationally. The winning writer will receive $1,000 and a free ten-week course with Gotham Writers. Limit 750 words. Any theme.

HEKTOEN INTERNATIONAL ESSAY PRIZE
https://hekint.org/2017/09/05/grand-prix-submission-guidelines/
NO FEE NOTED. Deadline April 15, 2019. Two prizes will be awarded: $3,000 for the winner and $800 for the runner up. Topics might include art, history, literature, education, etc. as they relate to medicine. Essays should be under 1,600 words.

R. T. SMITH PRIZE FOR NARRATIVE POETRY
https://coldmountainreview.submittable.com/submit/73888/the-r-t-smith-prize-for-narrative-poetry
$12 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 28, 2019. This $500 prize honors a narrative poem on an ecological and/or eco-justice theme (broadly defined). Poems may be long or short: they may be ballads, dramatic monologues, linear narratives, lyric narratives, and other hybrids. Please submit up to three poems of no more than ten total pages.

WHEELBARROW BOOKS POETRY PRIZE
http://poetry.rcah.msu.edu/wheelbarrow-books-poetry-prize.html
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 28, 2019. Must be in English and a minimum of 64 pages of poetry. For a first book by an unpublished poet. First prize $1,000 and publication.

ZONE 3 NONFICTION BOOK AWARD
https://zone3press.com/books/nonfiction-contest
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 1, 2019. Limit 120-300 pages. First prize $1,000 and publication. Manuscripts that embrace creative nonfiction’s potential by combining lyric exposition, researched reflection, travel dialogues, or creative criticism are encouraged. Memoir, personal narrative, essay collections, and literary nonfiction are also invited.

ZONE 3 CONTESTS IN POETRY, FICTION, AND NONFICTION
https://www.zone3press.com/about/journal_contests
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 1, 2019. All poems, essays, and stories accepted for publication in the journal will be considered for the awards. Prize $250 and publication.

FISH PUBLISHING POETRY PRIZE
http://www.fishpublishing.com/competition/poetry-contest/
€14 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2019. First prize: €1,000. Limit 300 words. Top 10 poems will be published in the FISH ANTHOLOGY 2019. Second prize: a week in residence at Anam Cara Writers’ Retreat. Third prize €200.

FISH PUBLISHING FLASH FICTION PRIZE
http://www.fishpublishing.com/competition/flash-fiction-contest/
€14 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 28, 2019. Top ten stories will be published in the FISH ANTHOLOGY 2019. First prize €1,000. Second prize €300. Third prize: Online Writing Course with Fish.

MARY BLINN POETRY PRIZE (INAUGURAL)
http://www.afterhourspress.com/After_Hours/Poetry_Contest.html
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 28, 2019. One $200 Winner and three $50 Finalists will be selected in an anonymous review by After Hours editors. Send up to four poems per entry. There is no line limit. Poems may be any length, any style, or any subject.

CAGIBI MACARON PRIZE
https://cagibilit.com/cagibi-macaron-prize-2019/
$18 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 15, 2019. Winners receive $1,000, plus publication, in each category of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Winners and second-place finalists will be published in a Macaron Prize 2019 CAGIBI print issue. Short story limit 4,000 words. Narrative nonfiction limit 4,000 words. Up to three poems.

EXETER WRITERS SHORT STORY COMPETITION
http://www.exeterwriters.org.uk/p/competition.html
£7 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 28, 2019. First prize £700. Second prize £250. Third prize £100. Plus, a prize for writers in Devon of £100. The competition is open to published and unpublished authors (except members of Exeter Writers) writing in any genre except children’s. The maximum word limit is 3,000. There is no lower limit.

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

CASA TAGUMERCHE
http://www.casa-tagumerche.com/
Deadline February 15, 2019. Casa Tagumerche is a creative residency on La Gomera, the second smallest of the Canary Islands. This unique and intimate community is designed to support dedicated artists and writers seeking a private space in a spectacular environment.

THE ANDERSON CENTER RESIDENCY
http://www.andersoncenter.org/residency.html
Deadline February 15, 2019. The Anderson Center provides retreats of two to four weeks duration from May through October each year to enable artists, writers, and scholars of exceptional promise and demonstrated accomplishment to create, advance, or complete works-in-progress. A rotating Peer Review Panel comprised of professional artists, writers, and scholars annually screens and selects all applicants.

VERMONT STUDIO RESIDENCIES AND FELLOWSHIPS
https://vermontstudiocenter.org/fellowships
Deadline February 15, 2019. Twenty-seven (27) VSC Fellowships open to ALL artists and writers living and working anywhere in the world. All applicants will be automatically considered for one of these twenty-seven unrestricted awards. These fellowships are for residencies scheduled between May 2019 – December 2019. There are three fellowship deadlines per year: February 15, June 15, and October 1. Location Johnson, Vermont.

SHANDAKEN: STORM KING RESIDENCIES
http://www.shandakenprojects.org/storm-king/about
Deadline February 18, 2019. Shandaken: Storm King provides free housing and studio facilities with the particular aim of supporting process and experimentation. Residencies last for two to six weeks, an allotment which is determined at the time of acceptance between residents and the project's staff. Each resident is given a private bedroom and a private, 9-by-14-foot studio. Location New Windsor, New York.

CENTRE POMPADOUR
https://www.centrepompadour.com/english/
Deadline February 28, 2019. CENTRE POMPADOUR, the laboratory of neo-feminism, welcomes like-minded creative professionals from all over the world to work on projects that place gender equality and feminist empowerment at the heart of the creative process and outreach. Flexible fees for its residents. It is up to you to propose the amount you would like to pay for your creative residency. If you are interested in joining the creatives-in-residency program which runs May through September, you should be currently pursuing arts of any skill or mastery (visual arts, applied arts, writing, music, research on feminism or gender politics) and identify with a neofeminist outlook on the world. Location Ercourt, France.

THE MILLAY COLONY
https://www.millaycolony.org/programs/residencies-artists-millay-colony-arts/
Deadline March 1, 2019. The Millay Colony is an artist residency program in Upstate New York. We welcome six to seven visual artists, writers and composers each month between April and November. We offer a number of flexible residency formats. all including a private bedroom and studio as well as all meals. We welcome artists of all ages, from all cultures and communities, and in all stages of their career. We offer ample time to work in a gorgeous atmosphere, organizing everything an artist needs for maximum productivity.

BRUSH CREEK FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS
https://www.brushcreekarts.org/residency-info
Brush Creek Foundation for The Arts is a non-profit organization offering time and space for artistic exploration to visual artists, writers, musicians and composers from all backgrounds, level of expertise, media and genres. Two separate three-week residency sessions are offered per year depending on availability and applicant’s ranking in jury process. Creativity flows next to the banks of Brush Creek where up to eight residents immerse themselves in uninterrupted work time to polish existing projects, explore new endeavors and further develop their craft. A jury of professionals from the arts and humanities rank residents based on submitted work samples in a competitive selection process for our artist residency programs. Location Saratoga, Wyoming.

KEROUAC PROJECT OF ORLANDO
https://www.kerouacproject.org/submissions/
Deadline March 10, 2019. The Kerouac Project provides four residencies a year to writers of any stripe or age, living anywhere in the world. In the past, we have accepted writers with no formal writing education alongside those with MFA’s and impressive résumés. You will be judged on the quality of the writing sample you submit. Each residency consists of approximately a three-month stay in the cottage where Jack Kerouac wrote his novel Dharma Bums. Utilities and a food stipend of $1,000 are included. As writer-in-residence, all you are required to do is live in the Kerouac House during your residency, work on your writing project, and participate in two events—a Welcome Potluck dinner for you, and a Final Reading of your work at the Kerouac House at the end of your residency.

HIPPOCAMP SCHOLARSHIPS
http://hippocamp2019.hippocampusmagazine.com/scholarships/
Deadline May 1, 2019. Hippocampus Magazine is awarding four full scholarships to HippoCamp 2019. One will definitely be awarded to a full-time undergraduate student, one will be awarded to a full-time graduate student, and for the other two student status does not matter. For this scholarship competition, we’ll consider quality of writing, financial need, and ambition, so we’re looking for a writing sample and some additional information. Essay theme: Lessons Learned – up to 750 words. This three-day Pennsylvania writing conference features speakers, engaging keynotes, informative sessions in four tracks, interactive all-conference panels, author and attendee readings, social activities, networking opportunities, and optional, intimate and immersive pre-conference master classes & workshops. Occurs August 23-25, 2019.

FREELANCE MARKETS

CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL: THINK POSITIVE, LIVE HAPPY
http://www.chickensoup.com
Deadline April 30, 2019. How did you "think positive" and how did it change your life? Tell us your success story about using the power of positive thinking! Limit 1,200 words. Pays $200 and ten copies of the book.

UNCANNY
https://uncannymagazine.com/the-disabled-people-destroy-fantasy-guidelines
Deadline February 28, 2019. We welcome submission from writers who identify themselves as disabled. Identity is what matters for this issue. What kinds of disabilities? All of them. Invisible and visible. Physical disabilities, learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, mental health disabilities, and neurodiversity. We’re seeking fantasy stories that invite readers to enter worlds they’ve never seen before. We’re looking for immediate and visceral tales of danger, fun and inventive adventures, and fateful journeys to distant lands or the dragon’s lair in your own backyard. Pays eight cents/word.

HIGHLIGHTS
https://highlights.submittable.com/submit/29961/highlights-magazine
Highlights is a general-interest magazine for children ages 6-12. By publishing stories, puzzles, articles, and activities that are fun and engaging, we aim to inspire kids to be their best selves–creative, curious, caring, and confident. Fiction and nonfiction pays $75 and up for no more than 750 words.

BETTER HUMANS
https://betterhumans.coach.me/write-for-better-humans-4c6c9884fc08
We only publish articles by writers who have personal experience with the advice they’re giving in their articles—advice that has the power to change lives. We don’t publish “why you should” articles. We publish “here’s exactly how you can” articles. All articles should be inspiring but include clear, detailed advice. The first fundamental rule is personal expertise. That’s the core of making a trustworthy article. The second is that the goal of the article is to change the reader’s life for the better. We don’t care about curiosities or philosophy. We want inspiration followed by clear, direct instructions that anyone could follow. The average word count for our articles is 2,750 words. Better Humans is a collection of the world’s most trustworthy writing on human potential and self-improvement, written by experts and published by Coach.me. We pay a flat fee—usually $500—for professional-quality articles, when they are published.

CROSSFIT JOURNAL
http://journal.crossfit.com
The CrossFit Journal is a continual-release, advertising-free digital publication dedicated to functional fitness. Our mission is to provide a venue for contributing coaches, trainers, athletes, and researchers to ponder, study, debate, and define fitness, and thus collectively advance the art and science of optimizing human performance. Articles should contribute in some way to the success of CrossFit athletes in their quest for fitness, which is concisely defined as increased work capacity across broad time and modal domains. CrossFit Journal articles tend to be about 1,500-3,500 words (plus illustrations), but longer and shorter submissions are welcome.

VIBRANT LIFE
http://www.vibrantlife.com/?page_id=1369
Vibrant Life is a bimonthly lifestyle magazine that promotes physical health, mental clarity, and spiritual balance from a practical, Christian perspective. Articles should focus on one topic and stay with that subject to the end. Short articles (450 to 650 words) are always in demand. Feature articles should not exceed 1,000 words and, if the article is informational, should include at least one sidebar (helpful tips, steps to take to accomplish a goal, and additional resource information, etc.). Payment for articles ranges from $100 to $300.

LONGREADS
https://longreads.com/submissions/
Longreads is currently accepting pitches for original work. Blog posts start at $250 for 800 to 1,000 words. We would also be interested in ideas for recurring or weekly posts. Essays are the place you can be a bit experimental with your writing or research; ideas-based essays are particularly welcome here. These are generally between 2,000-3,000 words and pay $500. Features are generally between 3,000 and 6,000 words but can be longer or broken up into a series depending on length and subject matter. We pay competitive rates for features depending on the degree of reporting required and the complication of your proposal. Base payment begins at $1,500, and we will work with you to pay you a solid fee and also cover expenses. We publish bookish personal essays and literary criticism. These pieces are usually 2,500 to 5,000 words. Both pitches and completed submissions will be considered. The base rate for these is $500. We publish author interviews that are between 2,500 and 5,000 words. Pitches are the norm, but we will consider completed interviews if you happen to have them. The rate for interviews is $500.

Publishers/agents

AVON IMPULSE
https://www.avonromance.com/impulse/
In 2019, we want big, high concept historical and contemporary romances, as well as smart, funny romantic comedies! Primarily, inclusive and diverse romances that reflect our world–all sexualities, races, ethnicities, religions, gender identities, body types, disabilities, and ages! Unfortunately, we do not publish or acquire children’s/ picture books, Young Adult, middle grade, nonfiction, or poetry. You should receive an answer in about six months. NOTE: They open and close to submissions, so note if they are accepting.

ARCADE PUBLISHING
https://www.skyhorsepublishing.com/arcade-publishing/submissions/
We are open to receiving submissions for proposed books in the following categories: Adventure and Travel, Fiction, History, Literary Nonfiction, Military History, Business, Memoir, Arts, Nature and Science, Food and Wine, and Current Events. Send a book proposal as noted on the site. If we are interested, we will get back to you within four to six weeks.

8TH HOUSE PUBLISHING
http://www.8thhousepublishing.com/submissions
What we like at 8th House: modern, radical, enduring, insightful, inventive. Whether it's an essay, a philosophy tract, or a novel, a book of verse, send us a sample of your work (two or three chapters and a full table of contents) along with a query letter to: submissions@8thHousePublishing.com.

CHICAGO REVIEW PRESS
https://www.chicagoreviewpress.com/information-for-authors--amp--agents-pages-100.php
We are interested in publishing high-quality nonfiction that will sell year after year. We look for books with a well-defined, passionate target audience. Chicago Review Press publishes nonfiction in the following categories: African American interest, autobiography/biography, DIY, film, food and drink (not cookbooks), history, music, parenting, politics, popular culture, popular science, social science, sports, regional (Midwest), nature/outdoor/travel, true crime, and women's interest. Chicago Review Press also publishes an award-winning line of children's and young adult titles. We do not publish children's picture books whether fiction or nonfiction. We do not publish books in the following subject areas: mind/body/spirit, religion, diet/fitness/nutrition, family memoir, self-help, business, poetry, or photography.

CEDAR FORT
https://cedarfort.submittable.com/submit
A Latter-day Saints Press. Prefers LDS nonfiction, juvenile nonfiction, cookbooks, outdoors and gardening books, and general nonfiction. NOT accepting: Memoirs (including missionary memoirs), travelogues, or family history biographies; Poetry; Defense of the Book of Mormon or Mormonism, Apologetics; Short Stories; Horror; Erotica; Queries and Proposals; Young Adult; Fiction; and Middle-Grade Fiction. We partner collaboratively with content creators to publish wholesome materials that entertain, uplift, and enrich individuals to strengthen families and community.

FundsforWriters - February 8, 2019 - Editor Relationships Bear Multi-Assignment Fruit

Cultivating Editor Relationships Bears Multi-Assignment Fruit

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