SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

EVERYTHING CHANGES TOO FAST TO WORRY ABOUT IT ALL RIGHT NOW

I received yet another email telling me how online promotion has changed. A message telling me how I need yet another podcast, book, or blog series about how to sell my book differently in order to do well. I deleted it. And I'll continue to delete them. . . for now. 

Because right now I'm writing. I'm into Chapter 8 for one book, and Chapter 6 in another. (Yes, for some strange reason I've tackled two books at once.) I lay my head on the pillow at night purposefully with a scene in my mind so that my subconscious will work out the kinks. I often pop awake with ideas. Or maybe I don't, but when I sit to write, more ideas still happen to flow. 

But study now about how to market a book that isn't close to being published? Nope. Delete. Delete. Delete.

But we're supposed to be marketing around the clock, if you read the gurus online. I swear there are more gurus than there are novelists. But I'm deep into plot, sculpting dialogue, infusing the senses and depth into character. . . honing the twists. I'm making magic. I have no time for lessons on becoming a salesman.

No, I'm not procrastinating. Really, I'm not. I'm making a conscious decision to conserve and preserve my talent and energies for the story. We learn a new language best from immersion into the culture. Where everyone and everything around us is about that language, and we are forced to adopt it, embrace it, and become fluent in it. Which doesn't happen when we are half one language and half another. 

Besides, per the emails I received just today, in reading just the subject headers before I deleted them, apparently Amazon Marketing has changed, BookBub marketing came up with new methods, and Facebook Advertising takes a new sort of deft hand to not lose your shirt. So why worry about marketing now when it will become a different animal by the time you write THE END?

Sometimes you just write.






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

WOMEN READING ALOUD hosts writing workshops and retreats for an international writing community. WRA dedicates itself to the support of women writers. Looking for a retreat to find a perfect balance of solitude and community?

We'd love to welcome you. Join our mailing list for updates. 

Email founder/director Julie Maloney: julie@womenreadingaloud.org
Visit our website: www.womenreadingaloud.org 


 

HOPE'S APPEARANCES

 

SUCCESS QUOTE

SUccess Story

Hope - 

I am no stranger to FundsforWriters. I have had an article published and been mentioned as a success story before. But I had to share this. When I started writing I had no idea the gamut of options that were available. We jump in feet first and start crafting our masterpiece, but because of FundsforWriters, I've been able to not only get published (and am currently under contract for my latest YA speculative novel), but have had the pleasure of giving workshops and panels at conferences, schools, libraries - even Comic Con and even delivered a keynote. This journey we take is more than the written word; it's engagement, networking, and looking past the title. I hope all of you who subscribe to F4W join the fray. The written word is just the first step

Rod Martinez
Author of "The Juniors," "Cassie's Curse," "Gleema 3" (Graphic Novel), Orphans of Danica ,
"Chasing Butterflies," "Who is The Gray Man?" and "Dead Boy Walking."
Winner - 2018 Professional Development for Artists Grant - Tampa Arts Council
http://rodmartinez.us

 

Featured article

CHASING THE GRANT 

by Rod Martinez

Most major cities offer artist grants for those of us involved in the arts. In my town there’s an annual drive for locals to apply, and back in 2014, I gave it a go. According to the rules, anyone in the arts field, including literary arts, was eligible. “Hot dog, I’m going for it!” I said.

I followed the guidelines, crossed my Ts, and dotted my I’s. I was rejected. I applied again in 2015 and was rejected, 2016 rejected, 2017 rejected. If you’re reading this, you are a writer. Rejections are commonplace. You’re told “don’t take it personal because this is a subjective business.”

Applying for grants might fall into that “subjective business” category, but by now I’d reached a state of frustration. Then in 2018 I applied again, told myself that if I didn’t win, I was done. The process was simple enough: submit an application with writing sample, letter of recommendation (at one point the Director of the Local library system wrote the letter because several of my titles are in the Public Library), and a request of how the funds would be used. I submitted and told myself to move on.

Looking back it never dawned on me the lesson I’d learn from all this. The more you work at something the better you become.

I received a phone call. I already had the grant organization in my contacts so the name popped up. I thought “Wow they’ve never called me about a rejection. This is a first.” Reluctantly, I answered.

“Rod?”

“Yes.”

“I’m calling to personally congratulate you. You won the grant.”

“Don’t play with me,” I said. “This isn’t funny.”

“No, seriously, you won. And I know how long you’ve pursued this. Congrats.”

Honestly I don’t remember how many times I heard the word congratulations in that phone call, but that day was a turning point. As a writer you crave recognition. You yearn to hear that all this work you put in hasn’t gone in vain. We may never amass the riches of JK Rowling, but we do seek readership and acceptance. I felt vindicated. 

Then I researched, eager to learn how many writers had won this grant. Most grants are required to list all past winners, and I went back to when the records were first kept online in 2012. The only writers awarded grants were journalists, poets, a screenwriter, and a children’s picture book artist. No fiction author had ever won. Wow, right?

What had I done differently? I had tired of rejections and attended a couple of webinars on grant writing, learning it’s more than filling in blocks on an application. You pursue a grant with the same serious mentality you infuse into your writing. You make the judges believe in you wherever you can.

Where do you find grants? Online sources like FundsforWriters, state arts commissions, and local arts councils, for starters. Join one of many writer’s organization like AWP, SCBWI or Author’s Guild. Writer’s Digest, The Writer, and Poets and Writers magazines also list them.

When you see a grant opportunity in FundsforWriters or anywhere online or in print, go for it. Maybe it won’t take you the five years it took me but consider a grant in your destiny. You are worthy, and writers are not quitters.

BIO:  Attracted to words at an early age, Rod's first book was created in grade school, and his teacher used it to encourage creativity in her students. His high school English teacher told him to try short story writing. He listened, and the rest – as they say, is history. http://rodmartinez.us /  facebook.com/authorrodmartinez

COmpetitions

-1000 BELOW: FLASH PROSE AND POETRY CONTEST
http://midwayjournal.com/contest
$10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 31, 2019. First Prize: $500 + publication in Midway Journal. Second Prize:$250 + publication. Third Prize: $50 + publication. Poetry: up to two poems per entry, up to 40 words per poem. No more than one poem per page. Prose (Fiction and Nonfiction): one piece per entry, up to 1,000 words per piece. All submissions will be considered for publication.



FICTION SOUTHEAST EDITORS' PRIZE
https://fictionsoutheast.com/fiction-southeast-editors-prize/
$10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 30, 2019. Limit 1,500 words. All entries will be considered for publication in Fiction Southeast. Winner – $200 and publication in Fiction Southeast. Runners-up – publication in Fiction Southeast. 



GROUSE GRIND LIT PRIZE FOR VERY SHORT FORMS
http://prismmagazine.ca/contests/the-grouse-grind-lit-prize-for-very-short-forms/
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 15, 2019. First prize $500. Second prize $150. Third prize $50. Limit 300 words. 



PRISM CREATIVE NONFICTION CONTEST
http://prismmagazine.ca/contests/creative-non-fiction-contest/
$35-$40 ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 31, 2019. Winners: $1,500 grand prize, $600 runner-up, $400 second runner-up. Limit 6,000 words. PRISM international is offering free entries for self-identifying Indigenous writers for all our contests. Indigenous writers are invited to submit by emailing assistant@prismmagazine.ca by the deadline. We also have a number of free entries to offer to low-income writers, and we encourage writers for whom the contest entry fee is prohibitive to contact us at assistant@prismmagazine.ca to arrange contest entry. 



PRIME NUMBER MAGAZINE FLASH FICTION CONTEST
https://www.press53.com/flash-fiction-contest
$7 ENTRY FEE. Deadlines March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31. A quarterly competition. First Prize: $353 (a prime number) and publication. Second Prize: $151 (a prime number) and publication. Third Prize: $53 (a prime number dear to us) and publication. Submit one unpublished story that is no more than 751 words.



THE IRON HORSE LITERARY REVIEW PHOTO FINISH CONTEST
https://www.ironhorsereview.com/photofinish
$5 ENTRY FEE (EXCEPT FREE DAY ON JUNE 12). We provide the photo online every May. Responses should be no longer than 500 words for prose or 15 lines for poetry, and they should be submitted electronically via the Submittable page in June. Winner receives $250. The winner and nine finalists are published in the e-edition, released at midnight on Dec 31, our last horse over the year's finish line. 



WINCHESTER POETRY PRIZE
http://www.winchesterpoetryfestival.org/prize
£5 ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 31, 2019. First prize £1,000, second prize £500, third prize £250. There is also a prize for the best poem by a Hampshire-based poet. In addition to receiving cash prizes winners and longlisted poets will be invited to read at a special prize-giving event in Winchester in October 2019. Winning and commended poems will also be published in a competition anthology. The competition is open to all entries of original, previously unpublished work. Poems can be entered by post or online. Line limit: 40 lines. 




RAYMOND CARVER SHORT STORY CONTEST
https://www.carvezine.com/raymond-carver-contest
$17 ENTRY FEE. Deadline May 15, 2019. Winners announced August 1 and published in fall issue online and in print. First prize $1,500. Second prize $500. Third prize $250. Two $125 Editor's Choice. Winning stories will be read by three literary agents. Honorable mentions and semifinalists will be listed online for up to six months. Limit 10,000 words. 



FLORIDA REVIEW EDITORS' AWARDS IN POETRY, CREATIVE NONFICTION, AND SHORT FICTION
https://floridareview.submittable.com/submit
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 15, 2019. Winner in each category receives publication and $1,000 prize. All entries considered for publication. Winners will be announced in early fall on The Florida Review Website and Social Media and will be published the following spring. Entry fee includes one-year subscription that begins with the issue in which the winning works will appear. Limit five poems, one essay, or one short.



F(R)ICTION SPRING LITERARY CONTEST
https://tetheredbyletters.com/submissions/contest/
ENTRY FEE $8-$15. Deadline April 5, 2019. F(r)iction is accepting previously unpublished works of short fiction, flash fiction, and poetry. We accept submissions from writers located anywhere in the world, as long as the work is in English. Our editorial staff favors stories that celebrate the weird, take risks, and are driven by a strong, unique voice. Winner of short story category receives $1,000 and publication. Five finalists considered for publication. Winners of poetry contest and flash fiction categories receive $300 and publication. Five finalists considered for publication. Winner of creative nonfiction category receives $500 and publication. Five finalists considered for publication.



MEMOIR MAGAZINE #METOO NONFICTION ESSAY CONTEST
https://memoirmag.com/nonfiction/the-2019-metoo-trigger-warning-nonfiction-essay-contest-win-500-publication/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 30, 2019. The winning story receives $500 and publication. Open to all writers. Men, emerging writers and underrepresented voices are encouraged to submit. Theme: Sexual Violence and Domestic Abuse. As in, have you or someone you know survived sexual harassment, assault, rape or abuse? Perhaps you are married or related to a survivor and you've witnessed the emotional journey that is so rarely spoken of. If so how did it change you? How does it affect your daily life? Where has the effects of violence led you in your life? We want to know. You were strong enough to get through that, and your story matters. Why? Because Memoirs fuel movements. Sharing true stories are our way of cultivating global consciousness. And few issues today require more enlightenment than the way sexual trauma can affect us as a person, a family, a society. Your essay may be humorous, sad, upsetting. It can be one paragraph long, or several pages. Limit 7,000 words. All contest entries shall be considered for standard nonfiction publication in Memoir Magazine.


 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

IDYLLWILD FELLOWSHIPS
https://idyllwildarts.submittable.com/submit
Deadline April 16, 2019. Fellowships for Writers Week at Idyllwild Arts, July 1-5, 2019. We will be accepting submissions from February 1 through April 15; selections will be announced on May 1. Six fellowships will be awarded. We are accepting poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Submit a 10-page work sample. By submitting work, you confirm that you will attend the 2019 Writers Week at Idyllwild Arts if selected. The fellowship covers tuition, meals and housing on campus. Fellowship recipients are responsible for their own transportation to and from Idyllwild, CA. Applicants must be over 18 years of age. 



ARIZONA OPPORTUNITY GRANTS
https://azarts.gov/grant/artist-opportunity-grant/
Artist Opportunity Grants provide funding support to Arizona artists as they take advantage of specific, unique opportunities that have the potential to significantly impact an artist’s work and career. What’s considered a professional opportunity? An “opportunity” may refer to many things: an invitation to exhibit at a gallery or museum; an audition for a major dance company performance; an invitation to undertake a project, performance, installation, etc; an invitation to present your work in a significant way that will expose your work to new audiences; the finishing/completion of new works, already underway, that will allow you to take advantage of a significant professional opportunity. Eligible opportunities must take place between January 1 – June 30, 2019. Applications are due the 15th of every month between February and May 2019.



SCHOLARSHIP AVAILABLE FOR WRITING IN THE PINES 
http://www.stockton.edu/murphywriting 
Deadline: March 31, 2019. Murphy Writing of Stockton University is offering a full scholarship to a first-time participant of Writing in the Pines, April 27, 2019 in Galloway, NJ. Join us this spring in the heart of the New Jersey Pinelands to leave behind the distractions of your busy life and make creative breakthroughs alongside an engaging community. Enjoy immersive workshops for writers of all levels and genres, craft discussion, writing prompts, writing time, sharing and inspiration.



PITTSBURGH ARTIST OPPORTUNITY GRANTS
http://www.pittsburghartscouncil.org/programs/grants/artist-opportunity
Deadlines April 1 and June 3, 2019. Artist Opportunity Grants (AOG) are awarded to artists three times a year (April, June, and October). Awards range between $250 and $2,500. The purpose of these grants is to remove financial barriers between artists and game-changing experiences to advance your artistic career. These grants will not help you make your art. AOGs will help you acquire skills to improve your work, pay for childcare while you acquire those skills, document your work, ship your work, buy a plane ticket, pay for a residency and lesson fees, and other expenses that other grant programs do not cover. 



PITTSBURGH LIFT GRANT
http://www.pittsburghartscouncil.org/lift-grants/lift-guidelines
Deadline April 29, 2019. Lift Grants fund art projects that are new and exciting for the applicant - not a typical or recurring project. These projects also evolve the artistic practice, advance the careers, and enhance the reputations of the applicants. Grants between $5,000 and $20,000 are awarded twice a year. 



RHODE ISLAND ARTS AND HEALTH NETWORK ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
https://risca.online/2019/03/20/applications-for-artist-in-residence-at-the-ri-department-of-health/
Deadline April 30, 2019. RISCA is excited to announce the Arts and Health Network Artist in Residence (AIR) Project! A program of the Rhode Island Arts and Health Network, the AIR project will embed an artist in the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) who will work with RIDOH staff to create one or more public projects which respond to a public health issue identified at the onset of the program. The artist will be provided with a $15,000 stipend. The project will run from June 1 - December 31, 2019. 



FULTON COUNTY, GEORGIA SMALL ARTS PROJECT & INDIVIUAL ARTIST FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
http://fulton.dullestech.net/index.do
Deadline April 12, 2019. Through the CFS program, Small Arts Project and Individual Artists fund, Fulton County-based arts organizations and artists can request funding of $1,500 to $2,500. CFS funding supports the delivery of arts and cultural services throughout Fulton County.
 

FREELANCE MARKETS

FREELANCE JOURNALIST
https://www.charlotteagenda.com/46904/freelance-journalist-good-call
We’re looking for an experienced, driven journalist to pitch ideas and write articles about higher education and college finance for GoodCall News. We want someone who can take education news and translate it into something meaningful for college students and their families. Articles should be 400-500 words, covering higher education, policy, tuition, financial aid, student loans and scholarships. We’d ideally like one to two articles per week. We believe in compensating people fairly for their work, and we’re willing to negotiate. Let us know what your rate is, and we’ll try to work something out. Please send your resume, your desired rate, and one to two writing samples to careers@goodcall.com.



ARRABELLA PUBLISHING NEEDS FREELANCE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
http://arrabellapublishing.com/now-hiring/
This entry level position is responsible for helping to coordinate production, promotional scheduling, beta reading and blog/social posts. Work five to ten hours weekly, 90-day review with possibility for increased hours. This is a work from home position that will require telephone or in-person meetings several times a week. Location Fort Collins, CO. 



GHOSTWRITERS NEEDED
http://arrabellapublishing.com/now-hiring/
Collaborate with Executive Editor and related positions to create story ideas (plot, beats, etc), outlines, first and final drafts. Meeting deadlines on a weekly and monthly basis. Genres available: Romance, Nonfiction (self-help, business), Short Stories, and Blog Posts. 



FREELANCE HOME THEATER WRITER
https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Digital-Trends/jobs
Digital Trends, one of the world’s leading tech journalism websites, is looking for part-time and full-time freelance writers for our home theater electronics department. The job will involve writing and updating news roundups, explainers, guides, and living articles on subjects like TVs, speakers, streaming devices, streaming services, and other A/V technology. While you’ll be responsible for pitching and writing the occasional article, most of the job will consist of keeping our already published articles fresh and up to date. Pay is competitive and, while we’d like someone who can be available for communication during Pacific Time office hours, you’ll have the freedom to work on your own schedule. This is a remote position and candidates from all regions will be considered.

 

Publishers/agents

 
IMMEDIUM
http://www.immedium.com/contactus/submissions.html
We serve audiences who appreciate originality, skill, and a compelling message. Currently Immedium is focused on publishing in the following book categories: 

1. Children's Picture Books:
The general format is 32-pages with color illustrations for ages 4-8 or 6-10. 

2. Asian-America: 
Contemporary viewpoints on our evolving national identity and changes that have universal resonance. 

3. Arts and Culture:
Cutting-edge commentary on the intersection of popular culture, social trends, and our modern lifestyle. 

We seek writers, illustrators, and artists who have provocative tales to tell and the talent to convey them. A publisher's responsibility is to marry words with pictures to create a unique message. So please do not submit proposals that duplicate our existing books. Also do not submit children's picture books which you consider to be complete with "finished art", since we want the flexibility to help improve and refine your concept. 



RIPPLE GROVE PRESS
http://www.ripplegrovepress.com/submissions/
We are looking for something unique that has not been done in children’s picture books before, an interesting story that captures a moment with a timeless feel. We are looking for picture-driven stories for children ages 2-8. Do not send early readers, middle grade, or YA manuscripts. Do not submit your story with page breaks or illustration notes. Do not submit a story with doodles or personal photographs. Do not send your “idea” for a story. Send your story in manuscript form. We are not looking for: 

Lullaby stories or stories about 'how much I love you'
Or my younger brother annoys me
Or there’s a new baby or puppy in the house
Or there’s a monster under my bed
Or I want to turn my sister into a monster
Or you’re the star in my heaven
Religious themed stories



THUNDERSTONE BOOKS
http://thunderstonebooks.com/submissions/
At ThunderStone Books, we aim to publish children’s books that have an educational aspect. We are not looking for curriculum for learning certain subjects, but rather stories that encourage learning for children, whether that be learning about a new language/culture or learning more about science and math in a fun, fictional format. We want to help children to gain a love for other languages and subjects so that they are curious about the world around them. We are currently accepting fiction and nonfiction submissions. In the area of language, our expertise lies in stories concerning Mandarin Chinese (language, culture, setting and/or mythology), but we are open to other languages as well. For submissions concerning other subjects, we are quite open to anything which creatively teaches and inspires, particularly in areas such as math or science. Fiction submissions that have an educational element are encouraged and welcome!



PENNY CANDY BOOKS
https://www.pennycandybooks.com/our-story
Penny Candy Books is an independent children’s book publishing company based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Savannah, Georgia. Penny Candy’s mission is to publish children's literature that reflects the diverse realities of the world we live in, both at home and abroad. This means seeking out books by and about people and subjects that speak to and from a broad range of human experience.



MB PUBLISHING
https://mbpublishing.com/
An ever-growing collection of colorful, moving, and fun books for all ages. Picture books, middle-grade novels, Holocaust novels, chapter books, and reference books. 



MAVERICK BOOKS
http://www.maverickbooks.co.uk/submissions/
Now, with over 130 titles across the formats of board books, picture books, early readers, graphic reluctant readers, junior fiction and activity books, Maverick is growing day by day. They believe that, with everyone leading such busy lifestyles, it is important for children to spend the time with adults sharing and engaging over a picture book.



AUGUST HOUSE
https://www.augusthouse.com/submissions-guidelines
Our editorial mission focuses on world folktales stories from the oral tradition, stories from diverse cultures, scary stories, as well as, resource books relating to storytelling or using stories in the classroom.



HOLIDAY HOUSE
http://holidayhouse.com/faqs/
Holiday House is a publisher of children’s books only. We specialize in quality hardcovers, from picture books to young adult, both fiction and nonfiction. We publish children’s books for ages four and up. We do not publish mass-market books, including, but not limited to, pop-ups, activity books, sticker books, coloring books, or licensed books.



SEVENTH STREET BOOKS
http://www.seventhstreetbooks.com/submissions.html
Seventh Street Books® publishes only mystery and thriller fiction. We are not currently looking for short story collections, anthologies, novellas, or nonfiction. 

 

SPONSORS

Writing Retreat in Greece
August 29^{th –} September 3^rd 2019

A six-day inspiring writing retreat in Greece’s hidden gem, Pelion. Psychologist and author Dimitra Didangelou will help you to expand your creative self in breathtaking natural landscapes.
Activities you can expect from your retreat:

• Daily workshops on expressive writing & one-on-one sessions with Dimitra

• Meaningful conversations on subjects inspired from ancient Greek philosophy 

• Excursions to the astonishing beaches, yoga, acupuncture, massages, horse riding, swimming, hiking available onsite

• Dinners with delicious local dishes and wine

Secure your place early and catch the early bird price!
For questions and bookings contact Dimitra at dimitra@expressingmyself.org or check our website: https://expressingmyself.org/writing-retreat-in-greece-summer-2019/

 

 

 

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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 2000-2019, C. Hope Clark
ISSN: 1533-1326

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