SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

Registration Open: Tending the Work, a submissions workshop 
Get $25 off when you use the code EARLY by March 6

It's common to feel a mix of curiosity and anxiety about publishing our work. You may want to publish but aren't sure where to begin. You may wonder whether a certain piece is ready to submit. It might even feel like publishing is a gatekeeper with its thumb on your writing, but it doesn't have to be. With thoughtful tools and practices, the submissions process can be full of good learning... revealing more about your voice, creative journey, and the people your words are meant to find. 

In Tending the Work, we'll explore the nuts and bolts (plus the joys, fears, and nuances!) of submissions as part of your creative practice. You'll learn how to decide if a piece is ready, find a good home for your voice, prepare submissions, decode responses from editors, and more. This online workshop is designed to become your go-to submissions toolkit, with a series of videos, downloadable tools and templates, and interactive discussions.

Tending the Work begins on April 10, 2019, and registration is open now. This workshop is led by Emily Stoddard, an affiliate of the Amherst Writers & Artists Method and founder of Voice & Vessel. Learn more and register now.

PREMATURE FEEDBACK

We writers are a needy lot. We can't wait for feedback on our work. And in these days of instant communication via email and social media, we seek it earlier and earlier in the process. 

Some even ask for feedback on their ideas, before writing the first chapter, as if the other person could have a clue. Yet somewhere out there we can find someone who'll tell us it's the grandest idea and destined for record-breaking success. It's like planting a seed and asking others how they think the tomato is going to taste. Someone will tell you they bet it'll be phenomenal.

The problem with seeking premature feedback is timing. 

First, the idea isn't fully fleshed out, therefore limiting the quality of the feedback. Without more information (i.e., quality of writing, the consummation of the plot), how in the world can the reader even tell?

Second, those folks out there lose nothing in patting you on the head and making you feel good regardless of the concept. They recognize you're fragile, seeking validation for something as fleeting as an idea, so they tell you THAT SOUNDS GREAT and move on.

Third, it's in this introductory period, when you are the least sure of getting into bed with this idea, that you are the most vulnerable. You aren't even sure of what you have. You haven't lived with the idea long enough, molded and remolded it sufficiently to even have a form.

Hold off asking for opinion. The earlier you ask for feedback, the more likely you are to get deterred from what might be your best writing. The best judge of a good idea is you, but only after you've mulled it over for a long while, or tested it by writing a draft, or rewritten it three or four times. After you've read similar works to compare. After you've honed your writing skills to develop the chops to even write the concept.

Then there's always this possibility. You request feedback on your idea, and three people give it the thumbs down. Frustrated, you throw away a story that through trial and error, a couple rewrites, and dozen edits later could be Harry Potter, Gone Girl, or Murder on the Orient Express.

Nobody on social media can make these types of decisions for you. And you are too vulnerable at this early stage to be asking them to help you do so. You are too easily persuaded to take the wrong path, whether you write a work that will never see the light of day or forget about a concept that could be career-setting. 

The masses cannot make such personal decisions. Take responsibility for vetting an idea long enough, and deep enough, to understand if it suits you. You have to live with it. They don't.







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

HOPE'S APPEARANCES

 

SUCCESS QUOTE

SUccess Story

Dear Hope,
 
I was close to despair at finding a new publisher. I began my career with four mystery books published by St. Martin's Press, but an agent I will not name turned down their offer for a fifth one, and in the process, I joined the ranks of the unpublished for nearly a decade. I tried a small house that proved fraudulent, then another small house, Booktrope, that had an intriguing publishing formula endorsed by the NY Times. People with related skills from editing to proofing to cover design to marketing would join the 'team,' indicate which available projects interested them, and hence a team was formed with success seemingly inevitable (I absolutely loved the team approach Booktrope offered).
 
They published one book of mine-the one the agent had mishandled a decade before-and shortly after that went bankrupt. Alas, so much for great ideas.
 
Then, last year, I was perusing your website and found a new small publisher, Speaking Volumes. They were based in Santa Fe where I once lived and worked in a prior career as a screenwriter. I approached them with my backlist of five books, and five new ones I'd been working on for years in hopes of landing a new agent, and publisher and editor-in-chief Kurt Mueller accepted them all, at once.  
 
We are now in negotiation for an advance on five new books I have in development, and I have high hopes for renewed success at long last.
 
I now wait with high hopes for a positive outcome. 
 
E.C. Ayres

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

A Practical Five-Step Strategy to Get More Social Media Followers as a Writer

By Chase Neely 

Right at this moment, there are millions of pseudo-influencers online trying to hot-take their way to fame. If you're one of them, you can move on to the next article. This one isn't for you. This is for the people with a genuine message burning inside. The people who have something important to say but can't seem to get any traction. The people who, no matter how hard they try, aren't getting new followers. The people who are starting to get discouraged. 

=> Do This For A Month And See What Happens

Focus on one social media channel for one full month. 

The most important fact to understand about social media is that it is one (and only one) aspect of your strategy to gain readers. In general, you want people there for as short a time as possible. Your ultimate goal is to move people from social media (a channel you can't control) to an email list (a channel you can control).

When you have people's email addresses (as in an email list), you have an almost-guaranteed way to get a hold of them. When you send an email to your email list, there's no complex algorithm to understand. Just write a good email, send it to people, and, if it interests them, they'll pay attention. 

Your social media channel, on the other hand, is not something you can control. Since you only have people's social media handles, your ability to contact them is tenuous. It's based on a platform and an algorithm you have no control over. 

But most of all social media eats up a significant amount of the most valuable resource you have as an entrepreneur: Your time. 

=> The Practical 5-Step Strategy 

Make a list of all the social media channels you're on and the number of followers.

Browse through each social media channel to determine where you have the most activity, but most of all, the most engagement. 

Choose a channel to focus on for the month. 

Research (and use!) the best practices for your chosen channel. 

We're all so busy we throw the same graphic on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat, whatever, and call it a day. Not cool and not productive. 

No more! 

Find out the ideal image dimension sizes for your chosen channel. Make your graphics for that channel. Figure out the content people respond to most. Emulate its style and use it for your own content. Consider video. 

Your goal is to become an expert on the best practices of your chosen channel. 

Use your extra time to dig into another lead generation method. 

Here are a few to consider.

SEO (Excellent post from our expert)
Guest Blogging
YouTube
Paid Media
Quora
Podcasting 

There are dozens more of these... 

Pick a strategy outside of social media. Test it. See what results you get, then try another if it's not working. You'll be shocked how you can change your results when you focus on being an expert on one channel instead of seven. 

If you're not sure which to pick, we can vouch for the fact that there's huge potential in organic SEO if you're patient. (We grew a New York Times bestselling author's monthly blog traffic by 868.75 percent in 26 months.) 

=> If It Doesn't Work After a Month, Do This 

Try another one. 

Keep testing until you find a channel that works. Keep trying to crack the code for the channel you're focusing on for that month. And, as you dive in, remember: 

Everyone started at 0 followers. 

=> What If Nothing Works 

If you can't get traction after trying every single social media channel out there, people aren't resonating with what you have to say. It's time to re-evaluate your message. 

Survey your people. Ask what they want to hear from you, then provide it. 

You're not the first person to run into this issue. In fact, you're not the first person to run into this issue today. Don't be discouraged. Don't give up. Instead, focus on systematically testing the different platforms to see what performs best for you. 

There's no silver bullet here. It will take a lot of effort and elbow grease, but the end result will be worth it. And remember, you're not alone.

Invest in your personal growth, and if you ever need someone to talk to about your next steps, consider dropping us a line. 

BIO - Chase Neely is the Co-Founder and President of Leverage Creative Group, a digital marketing agency that works with brands and authors to develop products, build sales funnels, and spread their message to the masses.


 

COmpetitions

WRITER'S DIGEST COMPETITION
https://www.writersdigest.com/writers-digest-competitions/annual-writing-competition
ENTRY FEE $20-$30. Early deadline May 6, 2019. We're looking for standout writing in any and all of the following categories: inspirational/spiritual, memoirs/personal essays, print or online article, genre short story (think romance, thriller, mystery, sci-fi, etc.), mainstream/literary short story, rhyming poetry, non-rhyming poetry, script (think stage play or television/movie script), and children's/young adult fiction. That's easy. The grand prize winner will receive $5,000 in cash, a trip to New York City for the Writer's Digest Annual Conference, and an interview for a feature article in our magazine. Nine first-place winners in each category receive $1,000, nine second-place winners in each category win $500, and on and on!



JAMES JONES FELLOWSHIP CONTEST
https://wilkes.edu/academics/graduate-programs/masters-programs/creative-writing-ma-mfa/james-jones-fellowship-contest.aspx
ENTRY FEE $30. Deadline March 15, 2019. A prize of $10,000 is given annually for a novel-in-progress by a U.S. writer who has not published a novel. Runners-up will receive $1,000. A selection from the winning work is published in Provincetown Arts. The award is intended to honor the spirit of unblinking honesty, determination, and insight into cultural and social issues exemplified by the late James Jones, author of From Here to Eternity and other prose narratives of distinction. Must be US citizen and have never published a novel.



GENERATIONS PLUS
http://livingspringspublishers.com/index.php/generations-plus/
ENTRY FEE $25. Deadline April 15, 2019. Stories Through the Ages - Generations Plus 2019 is open to adults born 1965 and later. There is no prompt for the contest. Authors may write about any topic. The word count for this contest is 900 - 4,000 words. Cash prizes of $500, $200 and $100 will be awarded. There will be a minimum of 15 finalists whose story will appear in the book.



BABY BOOMER PLUS
http://livingspringspublishers.com/index.php/baby-boomers-plus/
ENTRY FEE $25. Deadline June 15, 2019. Stories Through the Ages - Baby Boomers Plus 2019 is open to people born 1964 or earlier. There is no prompt for the contest. Authors may write about any topic. The word count for this contest is 900 - 4,000 words. Cash prizes of $500, $200 and $100 will be awarded. There will be a minimum of 15 finalists whose story will appear in the book.



BATH SHORT STORY AWARD
https://www.bathshortstoryaward.org/
ENTRY FEE £8. Deadline April 15, 2019. Prizes for the 2019 Award are: £1,200 first prize, £300 second prize, £100 third prize, £100 for the Acorn Award (for an unpublished writer), £50 for the local prize. We accept stories online or by post up to 2,200 words long on any theme and subject.



ADVENTURE WRITERS COMPETITION
http://adventurewriterscompetition.com/index.html
Deadline April 30, 2019. Prizes: $1,000 award, the "Clive" - the Grandmaster trophy, and consideration for publishing by Stealth Books, all to be awarded at the Clive Cussler Collector's Society Convention. For the purposes of this competition, an adventure novel is defined as an original, invented (fictional) prose narrative between 50,000 and 200,000 words dealing with a series of human experiences through a connected sequence of events that are action-adventure in nature. 



THE SEÁN Ó FAOLÁIN INTERNATIONAL SHORT STORY PRIZE
https://www.munsterlit.ie/SOF%20Page.html
ENTRY FEE €18. Deadline July 31, 2019. Limit 3,000 words. The story can be on any subject, in any style, by a writer of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. First prize €2,000, residency (one week) at Anam Cara Retreat, and publication in Southword 38. Second prize €500 and publication. Four Runners-Up €250 and publication. 



4th ANNUAL ETC 10-MINUTE PLAY FEST AT THEATREWORKS MEMPHIS
http://www.etcmemphistheater.com/
ENTRY FEE $10. Deadline May 30, 2019. Theme: "The Gift of Pride." Eight to ten plays will be produced in black box style. A wrapped gift box must be presented to a character as part of the story. One to three characters maximum. Ten pages maximum. No kid's shows or musicals. No previously published or produced scripts. First prize $300, second prize $200, third prize $100. Submit two copies of script with no identifying information, plus a cover sheet with: Title, Playwright's name, address and contact info. Mail to: H. Harmon, ETC, 1402 Linden Ave., Memphis TN 38104. Checks should be made out to: E.T.C.
 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

ST. LOUIS ARTIST SUPPORT GRANTS
https://racstl.org/grant/artists-support-grants/
Deadline March 21, 2019. This grant provides direct funds for an individual artist’s projects, needs, or creative opportunities in all artistic disciplines. Direct support enables diverse artists of all disciplines to advance their careers and complete creative projects. It is designed to be flexible and accessible and to encourage creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustained commitment to artistic work. For St. Louis residents.



THE IRELAND FUNDS
https://irelandfunds.org/chapters/worldwide/monaco/bursaries/
Deadline March 30, 2019. The funds to enable literary and academic writers born or living in Ireland to pursue a current project during a one-month residency at The Princess Grace Irish Library in Monaco. The Bursaries are aimed at writers in each category who have already published some work of note and are currently engaged in work-in-progress which would benefit in some regard from holding the award. The literary and academic bursaries are held respectively in the months of March and October of each calendar year. In addition to the cost of air flights and accommodation, the Bursary entails an honorarium of €1,300 to be presented to the holder on completion of the period of tenure. A daily subsistence will be made available in the form of weekly payments while the recipient remains in the Principality of Monaco.



HUGO HOUSE
https://hugohouse.submittable.com/submit/28902/hugo-house-writer-in-residence-application
Deadline March 31, 2019. Applicants for the position should be practicing, published writers of poetry as well as accomplished and dedicated writing teachers who are experienced working with writers of all levels in a traditional workshop setting, as well as on a one-on-one basis as a mentor offering criticism and professional development advice. Applicants should have a specific artistic project they are working on during their residency (e.g., developing a manuscript for publication) and should have a special interest in helping writers become better writers and fostering an appreciation of the craft.



GLADSTONE RESIDENCIES
https://www.gladstoneslibrary.org/news/volume/submissions-now-open-for-writers-in-residence-2020
Deadline April 5, 2019. The winning writers will each receive a month’s residency at the Library during which time they will blog about their stay, run a creative writing workshop and host an ‘Evening With’ event. They will each receive full board and lodging, travel expenses, and an honorarium of £100 per week. The programme provides space and resources for four writers whose work engages with liberal values. 



THE M LITERARY RESIDENCY
http://m-restaurantgroup.com/m-on-the-bund/community/#tab-1536264416721-0-6
Deadline March 31, 2019. The M Residency allows writers with an interest in China to deepen their understanding of this vital and fascinating place. Established in 2009 and fully funded by the M Restaurant Group, the residency has its roots in M’s Shanghai and Beijing Literary Festivals and aims to foster artistic, cultural, and intellectual links between individuals and communities. From 2009 to 2016 the residency included one resident in Shanghai and one in India. In 2017, the residency included one resident based in Shanghai and one in Beijing. Starting in 2018 there will be one resident in Shanghai, China.



ELIZA SO FELLOWSHIP
https://fellowship.submittable.com/submit
Deadline April 5, 2019. Two month-long residencies in Missoula, Montana, affording time and solitude to writers finishing a book-length project. The 2019 fellowships will include lodging in Missoula, along with a $500 food stipend and $400 toward travel. Fellows will stay in a private house on the Clark Fork river trail, just blocks from downtown, grocery shopping, the farmers market, parks, restaurants, coffee shops, and more. 



PRAGUE CITY OF LITERATURE RESIDENCIES
https://www.prahamestoliteratury.cz/en/activities/writer-in-residence-program/
Apply June through August. The project Prague – City of Literature offers since October 2015 residency stays for foreign writers and translators. There are six residencies available every year, each lasts two months; the selection process happens during August and September. Prague – City of Literature reimburses the resident for a return ticket, provides accommodation for free and a stipend of 600 euro per month.



BARBARA SMITH WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE
https://twelveliteraryarts.submittable.com/submit
The Barbara Smith Writer-in-Residence program provides a safe, creative space for Northeast Ohio-based poets and writers of color to bring a current project to completion. Twelve Literary Arts offers TWO residency opportunities for established poets and writers of prominence and emerging writers of promise. The program is open to poets, fiction writers, journalists, essayists, and playwrights. The residency period for NE Ohio poets and writers is three months. The first residency period is April 15, 2019 - July 8, 2019. The second residency period is July 15, 2019 - October 11, 2019. Writers-in-Residence will be provided a $5,000 stipend, office space at Twelve Literary Arts, at least three opportunities to share works in progress with the general public.
 

FREELANCE MARKETS

NIGHTSCAPE PRESS - NOX PAREIDOLIA
http://www.nightscapepress.pub/p/submissions.html
Nox Pareidolia will open to submissions on April 1st and will close to submission at the close of that month. Payment will be six cents per word. Prefers shorter pieces but will accept exceptional tales that are longer; however, the payment will be capped at 6,000 words. The theme is heavily inspired by Robert Aickman's fiction. 



INTERNATIONAL LIVING'S DAILY POSTCARDS
https://internationalliving.com/about-il/write-for-il/write-for-international-livings-daily-postcards/
Postcards are generally a minimum of 600 words in length. But if you need more space to tell your story, take it! The important thing is saying what you need to say. If we publish your postcard, we will pay you a one-time rate of $100, including any photos you may wish to include.



SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/contact/article-submit-print-magazine/
Smithsonian magazine accepts unsolicited proposals from established freelance writers for features and some departments. This form has been developed to give you the most direct and timely access to the editors of the magazine. It also allows you to provide all of the basic information we need to make an initial determination about your proposal and about you as a writer.



ATLAS OBSCURA
https://www.atlasobscura.com/faq
We are looking for the most unusual, extraordinary, strange, secret, surprising, or otherwise amazing locales on the planet. Atlas Obscura place entries should have an element of the hidden and inspire a sense of awe and wonder—leaving you with an awestruck feeling of discovering something new. We’re looking for unique dishes, drinks, and food-related wonders. The latter can include anything that reveals a hidden or fascinating side of the world of food. We are actively looking for and assigning articles now. Rates vary based on the assignment. 



PARADISE
http://airniuginiparadise.com/contact-us/
Paradise is the complimentary in-flight magazine of Air Niugini, Papua New Guinea’s national airline. Paradise magazine welcomes contributions from freelance writers and photographers, especially those based in Papua New Guinea.

 

Publishers/agents

 
HALLMARK PUBLISHING
http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/hallmark-publishing/write-for-us
We’re looking for wholesome or “sweet” romance novels and cozy mystery novels of around 65,000 – 85,000 words in length. We love romances and mysteries that also celebrate friendship, family, and/or community ties. All stories must have happy endings. We’re looking for contemporary stories set in the United States. For Christmas and winter stories, we have a preference for snowy locales. We’d especially love to see Christmas and seasonal themes (winter, Valentine’s Day, spring, June brides, beach reads, fall), and we want to hear about your series ideas. A sense of humor is always a plus for us. We tend to avoid stories with very sad or distressing elements, including but not limited to terminal illness, abuse, addiction, early stages of grief, and children or animals in peril. We aren’t looking for stories with strong religious themes, but faith may be depicted as a part of characters’ lives.



VERSIFY
https://versifybooks.tumblr.com/contact
Welcome to Versify, where we’re looking for books that edify, electrify, and exemplify the wonders and woes of childhood. We’re accepting unsolicited and un-agented submissions. Allow 12 weeks for consideration. Open to children's novels, nonfiction, picture books, and graphic novels.



WORTHYKIDS/IDEALS
http://worthypublishing.com/submission-guidelines/
WorthyKids/Ideals accepts unsolicited manuscripts and illustrations for our children’s publishing program and for publication in the annual Easter and Christmas editions of Ideals. WorthyKids/Ideals publishes fiction and nonfiction board books, novelty books, and picture books for children ages birth to 8. Subjects include inspiration/faith, patriotism, and holidays, particularly Easter and Christmas; relationships and values; and general fiction. Board book manuscripts should be no longer than 250 words. Picture book manuscripts should be no longer than 800 words.



ALLEN AND UNWIN
https://www.allenandunwin.com/about-allen-and-unwin/submission-guidelines
Allen & Unwin know how difficult it can be for writers to get their work in front of publishers, which is why we’ve created our innovative and pioneering submissions system – The Friday Pitch. The Friday Pitch allows for writers of all genres to have their work considered by one of our in-house Submission Editors. Please select the genre of your work, and follow the links to the appropriate submissions page for more details. Adult Fiction, Non-fiction and Illustrated Submissions; Children's and Young Adult Submissions; Academic Submissions; New Zealand Submissions; and 
The Australian/Vogel's Literary Award. (And yes, you can be American and submit to an Aussie publisher.)



MACMILLAN AUSTRALIA - MANUSCRIPT MONDAY
https://www.panmacmillan.com.au/manuscript-monday/
On the first Monday of every month only, between 10am and 4pm Australian Eastern Standard Time, we accept electronic submissions that comply with the guidelines set out online. We are looking for the following. Commercial fiction – women’s fiction, romance, thriller, crime, historical, humour, paranormal, fantasy. Literary fiction and nonfiction – novels, short stories, and narrative nonfiction only. Children’s books and young adult – junior and middle grade fiction, young adult/crossover fiction; we are not accepting picture book submissions. Commercial nonfiction – history, memoir, mind body spirit, travel, health, diet, biography.



BRIGHT SKY PRESS
http://brightskypress.com/about-bsp/submissions/
We publish approximately 20 trade books a year. We specialize in high-quality, reasonably priced books for adults and children. To gain a better understanding of our publishing program, please examine our books in a bookstore, library, or look at our catalog. Location Houston, TX.



ADONIS DESIGNS PRESS
http://www.adonisdesignspress.com/book_submissions
We like to publish books that fall into our areas of interest including self-help, how-to, travel, dogs, spirituality, art, photography, inspiration, and gardening. With that being said, we are eclectic in taste and always looking to support those that we feel need to have their voice and words in print to the benefit of others.



QUIRK BOOKS
https://www.quirkbooks.com/page/submissions#
Here at Quirk, we’re always on the lookout for strikingly unconventional manuscripts and book proposals. A well-written novel with an off-the-wall editorial premise? That’s Quirk. A playful cookbook or craft book with cool photography or crazy illustrations? That’s Quirk, too. We publish across a broad range of categories—always with the goal of delivering innovative books to discerning readers. Put more simply, we publish books that are smart, original, cool, and fun. Quirk publishes just 25 strikingly un-conventional books per year. Some of Quirk’s more popular titles include the best-selling YA series Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, the Edgar Award–winning mystery The Last Policeman, fangirl favorite Geekerella, the legendary Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and classroom favorite William Shakespeare’s Star Wars—plus children’s books, pop culture titles, cookbooks, art books, gag gifts, and more. 

 

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C. Hope Clark
E-mail: hope@fundsforwriters.com
140-A Amicks Ferry Road #4
Chapin, SC 29036
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ISSN: 1533-1326

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