SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

The Path of Consciousness is a spiritual and writing conference and retreat that will help you transform your writing life with the help of various ancient, sacred and creative teachings, including writing and storytelling. Choose to stay for the one-day conference or the 3-day all-inclusive retreat.

The event is October 4-6, 2018 at the Colombiere Conference & Retreat Center, which is nestled on beautiful 420 rolling acres of mature pines and hardwoods in Clarkston, Michigan.

For more information, and to register, visit www.ThePathofConsciousness.com 
 

LET'S GET REAL ABOUT PASSION

New writers/unpublished writers are quick to say "I am passionate about writing. I just don't know how to publish."

Okay, but that's apples and oranges. To be passionate about anything means you are skilled at it to a certain degree. You may not be a master or a best-seller, but you have written for long enough to make mistakes, learn from them, and have direction. . . at writing. You can self-correct. You have dreams about the stories. Publishing, however, is not writing. 

Publishing is about the business.

You cannot be passionate about being a published writer simply by dreaming, talking, or thinking about it. You can't become passionate about publishing until you've done it enough to make mistakes, learn from them, and have direction. You can self-correct. Passion comes after you know what you are doing.

Passion is a strong feeling, emotion, or like. You cannot have passion for another person without knowing them well. Same goes for writing. Same goes for publishing. 

In other words, you have to do it long enough to tell whether or not it's a passion, because a passion sticks with you for a long, long time. . . and you'll do anything to make it happen. It doesn't go away. It doesn't get disenchanted. It sticks. It's purpose. It's about making it happen regardless of what gets in your way.






AND A NOTE: I am not doing many big appearances this year, but I will be at this one in June and hope to see you there!




 

SUPER SPONSOR WORTH NOTING

Get the cure for your creative troubles - the existential funk, the inconsistent writing, the creative doldrums - with the FREE booklet Writing Without Tears. 

Writing Without Tears helps you create favorable circumstances for your creativity and make writing a practice that gives you more writing and better writing - and also a deeper and more fulfilling life!

Each section highlights common challenges experienced by writers, then gives you precise solutions so you can spend less time struggling and more time writing. 

In three simple steps, Professor Marya Summers guides you on the path to writing contentedly, creatively, and consistently. 

Get your FREE copy. 

 

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SUCCESS QUOTE

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NOTE: If you've won a contest, found an agent, landed a contract, been published, even found a great critique group....thanks to FundsforWriters....let us know! We want to shout your success to the world, and let our fellow FundsforWriters readers pat you on the back and feel empowered!

Email hope@fundsforwriters.com witih your success story. 
 

Featured article

How Film Producers Analyze Your Screenplay

By Mark Heidelberger

When an actor reads a script, he’ll think about how to approach his character, his motivation, his arc. When a cinematographer reads that same script, he’s thinking about lighting, camera angles, and what cinematic style to employ. The art director thinks about how to use design principles and visual techniques, while the editor assesses how everything will cut together.

But what about the producer? After all, she’s the creative gatekeeper who has committed to bringing all these people together to turn your script into a movie. What does she look for? In short, everything. (Albeit from a macro level.) Because if she doesn’t understand what the script needs, how will she assemble the right team for it? Moreover, how will she find its audience? Below are six main areas that a good producer will consider when reviewing your script.

Story

The producer wants fleshed-out characters, dramatic tension, coherent theme, and appropriate narrative structure. These are the underpinnings of viable cinematic storytelling. The story should resonate with your target demographic – whether through comedy, drama or thrills – ultimately offering a two-hour journey that encourages the willing suspension of disbelief. Bottom line, you can take a great story and make a so-so movie, but you’ll never turn a so-so story into a great movie.

Budget

Producers are not only the film’s creative shepherds but also its fiscal ones. They’re responsible for deciding how much the film should cost and then securing that amount from investors. They also maintain a fiduciary duty to make choices that will benefit those investors. Smaller stories that require over-the-top set pieces or excessive visual effects might turn what would otherwise be a greenlight into a pass. Similarly, material with a low-budget feel might turn off a producer seeking something with wide theatrical appeal.

Cast

The right cast is almost indispensable to selling a film, so it’s no great mystery why producers rarely read a script without thinking about who would play key roles. Think about known actors whose look, style and personality might best befit the characters and let that inform your writing. The producer may ask you who you see playing those characters. Just make sure the actors you pick have a decent track record of starring in successful films.

Execution & Logistics

At the end of the day, remember that the producer is tasked with turning your words into images. That means finding the right locations, hiring the best crew, securing vendors, determining a feasible schedule, and doing it all in a way that protects the integrity of both the story and budget. If she sees a workable path for bringing your script to screen within the budget parameters, she’s more likely to take a chance on it.

Marketing

Loving a script is not enough. The producer wants to know that others will love it, too. Those people will make up the movie’s audience. As she reads, she’ll be thinking about how to grab the audience’s attention before they ever buy a ticket, from posters (how will the stars look on it?) to trailers (are there some good action-oriented set piece moments?) to awards potential (can I parlay a win at Cannes into an Oscar?). Considering such things in the scripting stage yourself might make your material more marketable.

Distribution

A feature film is ultimately a product. Making it is only the first step. Releasing it to an audience is the rest. The producer thinks about which distributors, sales agents, and platforms will find the story appealing, whether it be a made-for-TV movie, an international blockbuster, or a small Spanish-language indie for the Latin streaming market. Elements like scope, scale, plot, tone, genre, cast type, and marketability factor into this decision, so your understanding of such things help you better craft material.

Summary

These six elements are critical to how a producer analyzes a screenplay, but they don’t operate in a vacuum. They all relate and affect each other. For instance, story and budget will affect the level of cast you can attract, while all three will affect logistics. Cast and budget will affect the marketing plan, and so on. As such, multi-hyphenates like writer-producers who actually produce some of their own material are in the best position to consider another producer’s mindset when writing future scripts.

For further insights, here is part of an interview I did with Film Courage on this topic: 
https://youtu.be/PAz-hW_Vym0

BIO: Mark Heidelberger co-founded Beverly Hills-based Treasure Entertainment in 2000, serving as a film executive, producer, and literary manager until 2011 before going freelance. He has produced music videos for artists Janelle Monae, Snoop Dogg, Nicki Minaj, and John Michael Montgomery as well as commercials for Lamborghini, Con Air and Cox Media, to name a few. Film and TV credits include Harsh Times, Comfort, Ninja Apocalypse, It's Not You It's Me, Pray for Rain, and Hallmark Channel's You've Got a Friend. Often times, he also performs ghostwriting services on screenplays in addition to his producing duties. He is a member of the Producers Guild of America. He holds a BA in Film Studies from UCSB and an MFA in Producing from UCLA's School of Theater, Film, and Television.

COmpetitions

THE CATERPILLAR STORY PRIZE
http://www.thecaterpillarmagazine.com/a1-page.asp?ID=4151&page=10
ENTRY FEE €12. Deadline September 30, 2019. The Prize is open to anyone (over 16), as long as the work is original and previously unpublished. The prize is for an unpublished story written by an adult for children (aged 7–11). Award is €1,000 for best story. Word limit 1,500 words. 



SEGORA POETRY COMPETITION
https://www.poetryproseandplays.com/
ENTRY FEE £5. Deadline June 15, 2019. Poetry: First prize £300, Second £50, Third £30, or equivalent in Euro. Entries may be on any theme, in free verse or any form to a maximum of 50 lines excluding title. Winning poems will be published on the site (copyright will remain with the author). Presentation event and writers’ workshop to be arranged.



THE WILLIE MORRIS AWARD FOR SOUTHERN FICTION
https://williemorrisaward.org/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 29, 2019. The winning book is chosen for the quality of its prose, its originality, its sense of place and period, and the authenticity and appeal of its characters. The book must be set in the South, defined as one or more states of the original Confederacy (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia). It must be published in the year designated. The recipient of the Willie Morris Award receives $10,000.00, and an expense paid trip to New York City. The author must come to NY to receive the award, attend a luncheon with the contest judges and a reception in his/her honor. At the reception copies of the book are given to those attending, and the author is available to sign them.



THE WILLIE MORRIS AWARD FOR SOUTHERN POETRY
https://williemorrisaward.org/southernpoetry/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2019. A prize of $2,500 will be awarded for an original, unpublished poem that evokes the American South, in spirit, history, landscape, or experience. Poets may enter only one poem in any style no longer than three pages. The winner will be notified in August 2019 and invited to attend the Willie Morris Award ceremonies in October 2019 in New York City with travel expenses paid for the occasion. 



THE RESTLESS BOOKS PRIZE FOR NEW IMMIGRANT WRITING
https://restlessbooks.org/prize-for-new-immigrant-writing/
NO ENTRY 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. To be awarded for fiction and nonfiction in alternating years. Submissions for the 2019 prize are for nonfiction. Nonfiction submissions must consist of either a complete manuscript or a sample of at least 25,000 words and a detailed proposal that includes a synopsis and an annotated table of contents. 



FOLEY POETRY CONTEST
https://americamedia.submittable.com/submit/75024/foley-poetry-contest-2019
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2019. Each entrant is asked to submit only one unpublished poem on any topic. The poem should be 40 lines or fewer and not under consideration elsewhere. The winning poem will be published in the June 10, 2019, issue of America. Three runners-up will be published in subsequent issues. Cash prize: $1,000.



ARCHIBALD LAMPMAN AWARD
http://arcpoetry.ca/contests-page/#lampman
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2019. The Archibald Lampman Award recognizes an outstanding book of English-language poetry by an author living in the National Capital Region of Canada. Eligible entries are English-language books of poetry published by a recognized publisher. Eligible books must be no less than 48 pages in length. Cash prize of $1,500. 



THE LINDISFARNE PRIZE FOR DEBUT CRIME FICTION
https://www.ljrossauthor.com/the-lindisfarne-prize
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2019. It is open to all new writers who are from, or whose work celebrates, the North-East (UK) and who have not previously had their work published in any form. The winning entry will be awarded a prize of £2,500 to support the completion of their work, as well as free editorial and mentoring services from Cheshire Cat Books and funding towards a year’s membership of both the Society of Authors (SoA) and the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi). This competition is open to individuals who are of 18 years of age, or older, at the time of entry and who are resident in, or whose work celebrates, the North of England in the genre of crime or thriller fiction. Eligible candidates should submit a short story of no more than 10,000 words, or the first two chapters and a synopsis of a full-length novel written in the English language.



MASTERS REVIEW ANTHOLOGY COMPETITION
https://mastersreview.com/anthology/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2019. Previously unpublished works of fiction and narrative nonfiction only. Up to 7,000 words. Writers must not have published a novel-length work at the time of submission (authors of short story collections and self-published titles can submit as can authors with work with a low distribution, about 5000 copies). Ten authors will receive $500, publication in the anthology, exposure to 50 literary agencies. 

 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

A STUDIO IN THE WOODS
http://www.astudiointhewoods.org/apply-for-adaptations-living-with-change/
Deadline April 22, 2019. Adaptations Residencies invite artists to examine how climate-driven adaptations – large and small, historic and contemporary, cultural and scientific – shape our future. Adaptations Residencies will provide artists with time, space, scholarship and staff support to foster critical thinking and creation of new works. The call is open to artists of all disciplines who have demonstrated an established dialogue with environmental and culturally related issues and a commitment to seeking and plumbing new depths. Location New Orleans, LA. Residencies are six weeks and will take place between September 2019 and May 2020. 



SPECULATIVE LITERATURE FOUNDATION OLDER WRITERS GRANT
http://speculativeliterature.org/grants/slf-older-writers-grant/
Deadline March 31, 2019. The SLF $500 Older Writers Grant is awarded annually, since 2004, to a writer who is 50 years of age or older at the time of grant application and is intended to assist such writers who are just starting to work at a professional level. We are currently offering two $500 grants annually, to be used as each writer determines will best assist his or her work.



NEBRASKA ARTS COUNCIL GRANTS
http://www.artscouncil.nebraska.gov/grants/how-do-i-apply.html
The majority of NAC grant funding is distributed semi-annually following our spring and fall set deadlines. These applications are typically for larger projects and operational support with funding requests upward of $2,500.

March 15 Set Deadline Grants. For projects that will take place between July 1 and June 30: Artists in Schools/Communities Sponsor Grants (more than $2,500); Annual Series & Events Grants (Invitation only); Arts Project Grants; Arts Learning Project Grants; Basic Support Grants (Invitation only).

October 1 Set Deadline Grants. For projects that will take place between January 1 and June 30: Artists in Schools/Communities Sponsor Grants (more than $2,500); Annual Series & Events Grants (Invitation only); Arts Project Grants; Arts Learning Project Grants. 

Floating Deadline Grants. For small projects occurring at any time. These applications are submitted at least four to six weeks in advance of the project or event.

Mini-grants (6-12 weeks prior). Artists in Schools/Communities Sponsor Grants (less than $2,500, 6 weeks prior).
Nebraska Touring Program Sponsor Grants (six weeks prior).



PATRICIA BIBBY MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
https://www.idyllwildarts.org/summer/adultarts/writersweek/
Deadline April 7, 2019. The 2019 recipient will receive a scholarship to attend the Poetry and Writers Week at Idyllwild Arts, from July 1-5, 2019. Idyllwild Arts’ 205-acre campus is located in the beautiful mountain community of Idyllwild, California, nestled near the top of the San Jacinto Mountains. The recipient will attend a five-day immersive poetry workshop led by poet Katie Ford. The competition is open to all English-language poets residing in the United States who have not previously published a full-length book or chapbook. Financial need is not required but will be a factor in the selection. Applicants must submit all documents via USPS mail to: Mifanwy Kaiser, Tebot Bach, Box 7887, Huntington Beach, CA 92615-7887. Please direct any questions to Tebot Bach board member Steven De Salvo, at steven_desalvo@yahoo.com



TOURWEST
https://tourwest.gosmart.org/page.php?id=231
TourWest is a competitive grant program funded by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The program provides subsidies to presenters for the presentation of out-of-state touring performing and literary artists. TourWest standard performance grants are available in amounts of up to $2,500 or 50% of the artistic fees, whichever is less. The grants are only available to organizations that sponsor performances within the 13-state Western States Arts Federation region. For the 2018-2019 cycle, projects must take place between September 1, 2018, and August 31, 2019, and must feature one public performance and one educational outreach activity.



SCANDINAVIAN FOUNDATION FELLOWSHIPS
http://www.amscan.org/
Deadline November 1, 2018. ASF offers awards to American students, scholars, professionals and artists for study and/or research in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway or Sweden. Fellowships of up to $23,000 are intended to support an academic year-long stay, and priority is given to students at the graduate level who need to spend time at foreign academic or research institutions. Grants of up to $5,000 are considered more suitable for shorter research visits, both on the graduate or post-doctoral level. Funding is available to candidates in all fields.
 

FREELANCE MARKETS

WRITERS THREAD
http://www.writersthread.com
The Writers Thread is hiring! Basically they need someone to take over the marketing and job acquisition duties. It's a 1099 remote job that can be done from anywhere with an internet connection. As far as compensation, they are willing to pay a 15 percent commission on all signed contracts produced by your efforts. Interested in learning more? Please email info@writersthread.com. Also, please share with interested parties.


 
WORDWORKS
https://www.bcwriters.ca/wordworks/submit/
WordWorks is published quarterly for members of the Federation of BC Writers and distributed by mail and email to a broad list of readers interested in literature in BC. Theme editions of WordWorks are also produced. Content is provided by members of the Federation of BC Writers, but non-members are encouraged to submit. Current rates are 25 cents per word for articles, and $75 per poem or creative prose piece. We also pay $100 for cover art and $25 for other interior images. Word limit 2,000 for all submissions. Limit 60 lines to any poem. 



COSMIC ROOTS AND ELDRITCH SHORES
https://cosmicrootsandeldritchshores.com/submissions/
We have a regular submissions schedule: four times a year, one week each time, midnight E.S.T. to midnight E.S.T., at the beginning of each season of the year: March 21 – 28, June 21 – 28, September 21 – 28, December 21 – 28. We are a Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) qualifying site. We pay six cents per word for new fiction, two cents per word for fiction reprints, two to six cents per word for new fact-based work, one to four cents per word for reprinted fact articles. We are looking for: well written original work in science fiction, fantasy, myth, legend, fairy tales, and eldritch, in written, podcast, video, and/or graphic story form, and from around the world. 



BIG SKY JOURNAL
http://bigskyjournal.com/about/contribute/
All of Big Sky Journal‘s features, columns, poetry, fiction and photography focus on the Northern Rockies landscape, culture, people, places and wildlife. BSJ strives to capture real life in the Northern Rockies, focusing on backcountry and backstreet haunts that provide an insider’s perspective to our readership. 



SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING
https://www.smliv.com/about/contribute
Smoky Mountain Living is published six times a year. The magazine covers the southern Appalachians and utilizes regional writers and photographers to bring the Appalachians to life.



THE OLD SCHOOLHOUSE
https://www.theoldschoolhouse.com/writers-guidelines/
As the trade magazine for homeschooling, TOS has acquired a valued reputation as the quarterly (125-150 page) publication homeschoolers can trust. Please query us with a well-structured article proposal that includes a catchy lead, a summary of the article (including approximate length and sidebar ideas), and appropriate details. Operates closely with themes. Pays about ten cents/word for up to 800 words. 



US KIDS MAGAZINES
http://www.uskidsmag.com
At U.S. Kids Magazines (Humpty Dumpty and Jack and Jill), providing fun, entertaining reading material is our priority. We accept humorous, playful, and witty stories that kids would love to read—not stories that grownups think kids should read. HUMPTY DUMPTY: Short stories 450 words or less pay $30 and up. Poetry of 4-12 lines pays $25 and up. Craft articles of 250 words or less pay $40 and up. JACK & JILL: Fiction 600-800 words pays $25 and up. Nonfiction of 700 words or less pays $25 and up. 



FIDO FRIENDLY
https://www.fidofriendly.com/
Pays ten cents/word for articles of up to 1,200 words on traveling with dogs. Welcomes new writers. 



OPOSSUM LIT
http://opossumlit.com/submissions/
We seek flash fiction and nonfiction animated by music, under 1,500 words in length. Please specify whether your submission is fiction or nonfiction along with an artist's statement explaining how your work engages the world of music. See our Manifesto to learn what we're looking for. We pay $75 per flash piece.

 

Publishers/agents

 
ARSENAL PULP PRESS
https://arsenalpulp.com/About-Arsenal-Pulp-Press/Submission-Guidelines
We are considering manuscripts only in the following subject areas: cultural studies, political/sociological studies, regional nonfiction, in particular for British Columbia, Cookbooks, craft books, LGBTQ fiction and nonfiction, including young adult and children's, visual art, multicultural fiction and nonfiction, literary fiction and nonfiction (no genre fiction, such as mysteries, thrillers, or romance), graphic novels, youth culture and young adult literature, books for children, especially those that emphasize diversity, and health. We are not considering poetry manuscripts at this time.


CARINA ADORES
https://www.carinapress.com/blog/submission-guidelines/
Carina Press’s new trope-driven LGBTQ+ contemporary romance line takes you around the world with the glamorous, the charming, the gritty, the tough, the possessive, and the mysterious protagonists you adore. 



CARINA PRESS CALL FOR HOLIDAY SUBMISSIONS
https://www.carinapress.com/blog/submission-guidelines/
For publication in 2019, we’re looking for contemporary romances set against holidays that fall from October to January. Holidays celebrated by all different faiths, belief systems and cultures are included, and books do not need to be set in the United States. While we’re still interested in Christmas novels, our aim is to read (and publish) far beyond that. While this is a call for proposals, completed manuscripts should be planned for a minimum of 50,000 words. While we’re looking for only contemporary romances, we will accept all heat levels. As with all of our submission calls, we welcome #ownvoices authors and authors writing inclusively, including all LGBTQ+ pairings or poly relationships.



FUSE LITERARY AGENCY
https://www.fuseliterary.com/about-fuse/
Fuse Literary (formerly Foreword Literary) is a full-service, hybrid literary agency based in the Silicon Valley with offices in New York, Chicago, Dallas, North Dakota, and Vancouver. We are not an agency that sells a book and then washes our hands of the project. Innovations, such as our Short Fuse publishing program, help bridge the gaps between books, growing and maintaining the author’s fan base without lag. They have a broad stable of agents. Read each agent for guidelines on their specific interests. 



TRANSATLANTIC AGENCY
https://transatlanticagency.com/agents/agent-biographies/
Transatlantic Agency is a North American, full-service literary agency recognized in the industry for integrity, passion and commitment. Transatlantic specializes in career management for writers and illustrators, covering domestic and international rights, speaking engagements, film/TV and content development, ranging from commercial to literary fiction and nonfiction of all types and for all ages. Transatlantic has 16 agents located across North America, with U.S. agents in New York, Boston, and Portland OR, and Canadian agents in Toronto, Vancouver, and Nova Scotia. Read each agent for guidelines on their specific interests. 



VICKY BIJUR LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.vickybijuragency.com/
Please send a query letter of no more than three paragraphs on what makes your book special and unique, a very brief synopsis, its length and genre, and your biographical information, along with the first ten pages of your manuscript. Please let us know in your query letter if it is a multiple submission, and kindly keep us informed of other agents’ interest and offers of representation. For nonfiction, please send a cover letter with a proposal and the first ten pages of your project. We are not the right agency for screenplays, picture books, poetry, self-help, science fiction, fantasy, horror, or romance.



BLACKSMITH BOOKS
https://www.blacksmithbooks.com/submission-guidelines/
Blacksmith Books publishes 10-12 titles a year. We are happy to hear from agents or directly from authors. Please follow these simple guidelines to ensure your book idea is clearly communicated. We accept submissions of nonfiction: biography, culture, current affairs, food, travel, photography and guidebooks. Manuscripts should have a strong East Asian theme or connection.



LOVESWEPT AND FLIRT
http://www.randomhousebooks.com/loveswept-flirt/#becomeauthor
Loveswept and Flirt are Random House’s digital-only imprints focused on romance and women’s fiction titles. More consumers are reading eBooks than ever before, and we’re looking to the future and seeking to partner with the most forward-thinking and up-and-coming authors to introduce them to an avid new audience of digital readers. Loveswept and Flirt invite queries for submissions in contemporary romance, erotica, historical romance, paranormal romance, women’s fiction, and new adult. There is no strict word count limit for submissions. There is no strict word count limit for submissions. We are interested in full-length works (40,000 words or more).

 

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E-mail: hope@fundsforwriters.com
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ISSN: 1533-1326

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