FundsforWriters - June 14, 2019 - All Edits Are Your Friend

Published: Fri, 06/14/19

Volume 19, Issue 24 | JUNE 14, 2019

Message from the Editor

Last week drew a flurry of comments and thanks about how to edit a manuscript. However, I needed to clarify and elaborate on my list so you'll better understand, so I've added to it below.

And keep in mind this is MY list of editing tasks that I've deemed absolutely necessary before I'll dare send the manuscript off.

1) Write the first draft. I tend to edit as I go, reading previous chapters and making changes before I dig into a new chapter. Some writers can interrupt momentum like that...others can't.

2) Read the entire manuscript aloud catching the big mistakes. Read it TO someone or have someone read it TO you. Or find a program like Natural Reader to hear it.

3) Do a repeating word edit, which for me takes a solid day or two of rewrites. I make a list from the audio edit, but you can also plug in text and find repeating words in one of several free programs like Word Frequency Counter.

4) Do a tag edit, in other words, try to remove as many tags as possible, replacing them with beats and internal monologue or striking narrative that makes it clear who's speaking.

5) Read over beta reader edit suggestions. Keep in mind a beta can suggest something as ambiguous as Chapter 10 needs more emotion from the protagonist, or What happened to the phone in Chapter 14.

6) Know your weaknesses and add other layers of edits based upon what you need. An edit for passive voice, for removing adverbs, for rewording the ambiguous words of IT, THAT, THERE and so on.

7) Perform one final edit hunting for anything. A faster read. See what your eye catches.

.8) I would then send it to the traditional publisher where they will do a developmental edit, copy edit, and proof review. In between each, they'll send it back to me for consideration of the changes. TOTAL = 6 edits.

IF YOU SELF-PUBLISH...here is where you hire an editor.

Of course, when doing any of the above edits, I find other things. Sometimes editing feels like a never-ending journey, but it's totally necessary.

C. Hope Clark
Editor, FundsforWriters
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SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

Last call for the fifth annual NORTH STREET BOOK PRIZE sponsored by Winning Writers. Deadline June 30. $10,500 in cash prizes will be awarded to the authors of today's best self-published books. Top prize: $3,000. Entry fee: $60 per book. Six categories: Mainstream/Literary Fiction, Genre Fiction, Creative Nonfiction & Memoir, Poetry, Children's Picture Book, and Graphic Narrative (new).

Winners receive additional benefits from out co-sponsors, BookBaby and Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of The Frugal Book Promoter. Gifts for everyone who enters. Submit online or by mail.

EDITOR’S THOUGHTS

DISCERNING EDITS

All edits are your friend.

I previously belonged to an online critique group. It was superb, able to stick to pure feedback because we weren't facing each other, chatting, and distracted. In the 13 years I belonged to that group, my writing leaped in tremendous, gigantic bounds.

Not that they were literary giants, by any means. One published several thriller books with a small press that didn't know how to market, which was a shame since the man had awesome talent. One self-published a romantic suspense series that was wonderfully written, but she didn't know how to sell. Another published with a press in the UK, and his work was professional and worthy. Another in Australia published a couple of times. The rest were in various stages of writing, some intent on writing daily while others wrote as their daily schedules allowed. We respected all genres, all forms of publishing, and both full-time and part-time authors. We were almost intimate in nature, often reaching out to each other if we hadn't submitted in a couple of weeks.

That group knew me before I was published, and six years before the first book was published. They helped mold me. They gave me confidence. They taught me how to edit, but more so, they taught me how to accept edits discernibly.

Critiquers and editors come with history, experience, preferences, and baggage. They've picked up what they deem as rules and mantras that they write and edit by. They have authors they worship, regardless of them claiming to be open-minded. And all that impacts whatever they say about your work.

In belonging to this hard-core online group, I had to develop a thick skin. I also had to develop a professional tact when I critiqued in return. Most of all, I had to learn that all the edits I received weren't necessarily gospel, and all the edits I delivered didn't have to be used. That was the most profound lesson I carried from that group. . . and I thank the heavens I had that group for as long as I did. I can accept an edit and go through it with my own red pen, accepting and declining the comments. . . while feeling perfectly fine about myself and the other person when it's over.

Unfortunately, over this extended time three of the group members died, another lost his wife and therefore his desire to write, and in trying to regain its size, the group accepted some folks who practically dismantled it with derogatory remarks instead of pure editing. The serious writers silently stepped away from the folks who couldn't accept the fact that their critiques weren't in stone, and they weren't immune to negative remarks about their own work. Too much inflexibility.

As with all critique groups, they grow, shrink, change for the better, and change for the worst. It fizzled, which broke my heart. However, I recall those strong, active days with fondness and a deep appreciation for what I learned being willing to be flexible in edits. Learning to edit discernibly is one of the best traits a serious writer can have.

SUPER SPONSOR WORTH NOTING

HOPE'S APPEARANCES

June 14-16 - GatewayCon, St Louis, MO
July 1 - Night Harbor Book Club, Chapin, SC
August 5 - Night Harbor Book Club, Chapin, SC
August 24 - 9-4:30 PM - Sylva, NC - North Carolina Writers' Network West conference
September 7 - 2:30 PM - Newberry Book Club, Newberry, SC

SUCCESS QUOTE

"Talent is extremely common. What is rare is the willingness to endure the life of the writer."

~Kurt Vonnegut

SUccess Story

If FundsforWriters has enabled your writing career in any way, let us know so we can share. Email hope@chopeclark.com

Five Tips for Creating a Phenomenal Newsletter

By Andrea J. Johnson

A successful newsletter goes beyond generating a massive mailing list—although that is the tacit tenant that drives us all. Smart authors strive to create content that not only compels subscribers to read and share but also urges them to act in a manner that generates sales. This goes beyond the basic, and frankly overused, taglines such as “I have a gift for you,” or “Buy my book for a free gift.” This type of marketing push is vague and lacks the creativity you possess as a writer, so here are five stress-free ways to give your newsletter that coveted edge.

1 - Use the subject line to offer a specific value.

Since newsletters by definition are promotional tools, avoid leading with the obvious sales pitch. Instead, give your audience something other authors can’t. If you write cozies, promote your book with a subject line like “Detective Dolly’s Ten Tips on How to Hide Anything” or “Six Lasagna Recipes from Detective Dolly.” Offer value that shows you know your audience, and place those items at the end of the email (so the reader scrolls through the entirety of your content).

2 - Lead with your most important information.

Pre-sales, book signings, product launches—put whatever is most important to you at the top. Think like a newspaper writer. Lead with the headline. Everything above the fold of the newspaper (or in this case the vertical scroll of your device’s screen) equals the information the audience is most likely to see and digest.

3 - Design graphics that tell the tale at a glance.

People are busy and don’t always have time to read thoroughly. Use graphics to convey your message quickly. Ensure the content is shareable and eye-catching. Consider creating infographics that outline the flow of your series or the love quadrangles in your book. Reuse them on your website and social media to reinforce your brand.

4 - Give the audience a call to action.

Once your subscribers open the email, give them something to do. This is where you can say, “buy my book” or “go to my website.” Or maybe, the call to action isn’t about your product. Maybe you just want to do something fun with your audience like have them join you for a Facebook live or encourage them to live tweet the latest episode of The Bachelor. Give every newsletter a call to action to keep your audience engaged and to build their trust in your brand.

5 - Integrate your e-newsletter with your social media.

Most email marketing programs like Constant Contact, MailChimp, Sendicate, Campayn, or VerticalResponse allow you to share your newsletter over social media and embed those icons into the email so subscribers can arrive at your Instagram with a single click. Take advantage of this if you’re not already doing so. Then each time you get a new follower on social media, send them a link to your website with a thank you note and an opportunity to get something free if they share your content with others.

You can also add apps such as MailChimp or TabSite to your Facebook business page, which will create a form that allows fans to sign-up for your newsletter directly from that social media portal. A similar function is available on your Twitter account if you are willing to sign up for Twitter ads and provide a credit card to fund the lead generation post that carries your newsletter promotion. Also, you’ll have to offer subscribers something of value in exchange for their email . . . and their loyalty.

Experiment with what works, but always strive to find new ways to make your newsletter more effective.

Biography: Andrea J. Johnson is a writer and editor who specializes in romance and mystery. She holds an M.F.A. in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University and a copyediting certification from UC San Diego. She's best known for her in-depth book reviews and TV recaps for the women's lifestyle website Popsugar, and she has also penned several essays on the writing craft for websites such as DIYMFA and Submittable. To learn more about Andrea's work, follow @ajthenovelist on Twitter.

COmpetitions

CRAZYSHORTS! SHORT-SHORT WRITING CONTEST
http://crazyhorse.cofc.edu/crazyshorts/
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 1-July 15, 2019. Submit one to three shorts of up to 500 words each. Each entry considered for publication. Entry fee includes a subscription. First prize $1,000 and publication.

BLACK WARRIOR REVIEW
https://bwr.ua.edu/contest-2019/
$8 and $20 ENTRY FEES. Deadline September 1, 2019. Awards are $1,000 and publication in each genre of nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. Awards $800 and publication in the flash category. Submit up to 7,000 words of prose. Submit a packet of up to three poems. Submit a packet of up to three flash pieces.

L. RON HUBBARD SCI-FI/FANTASY CONTEST
https://www.writersofthefuture.com/Contest-Rules-Writers/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline quarterly. Prizes each quarter $1,000, $750, and $500. Open to new and amateur sci-fi and fantasy writers. To be eligible, entries must be works of prose, up to 17,000 words in length. The Contest is open only to those who have not professionally published a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than three short stories, in any medium. Professional publication is deemed to be payment of at least eight cents per word, and at least 5,000 copies, or 5,000 hits.

THE LETHEON
http://anesthesiology.pubs.asahq.org/ss/letheon.aspx
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 30, 2019. Writers of all backgrounds are encouraged to submit poems somehow related to the perioperative setting. Are you a medical professional or related to one? Perhaps you have been anesthetized recently, or you are overly acquainted with the waiting room. If you are connected to the world of anesthesia, we encourage you to share your experience with us. One winning poem will receive a $500 prize and will be published, along with other finalists, in the “Mind to Mind” section of Anesthesiology. Poems must be original, unpublished works in English. Fifty line maximum. All styles, formal and free, are welcomed.

AFRICAN AMERICAN VOICES IN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE CONTEST
https://www.freespirit.com/african-american-voices-in-childrens-literature-writing-contest
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline June 30, 2019. The contest is open to authors of African American heritage who are residents of Minnesota and at the time of entry are at least 18 years of age and residing in Minnesota. Strive Publishing’s vision is to be the leading publishing company in providing contemporary African American stories. Eligible entries will include original fiction or nonfiction board books for ages 0–4 (50–125 words) and picture books for ages 4–8 (300–800 words) featuring contemporary African American characters and culture and focusing on one or more of the following topics: character development, self-esteem, diversity, getting along with others, engaging with family and community, or other topics related to positive childhood development. First Place: $1,000 cash prize, a T-shirt from Strive, a tote bag from Free Spirit, and a meeting with Mary Taris, founder of Strive, and an editor from Free Spirit to discuss the winner’s project. The winning submission will be seriously considered for publication by Free Spirit, co-branded with Strive; however, publication is not guaranteed. Second Place: $500 cash prize, a T-shirt from Strive, and a tote bag from Free Spirit. Third Place: $250 cash prize, a T-shirt from Strive, and a tote bag from Free Spirit.

CHARLOTTE MEW CHAPBOOK CONTEST
https://headmistresspress.submittable.com/submit
$10-$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 4, 2019. Our first-prize winner will receive a $300 honorarium plus 20 copies of the winning book. Headmistress Press will also announce finalists and may choose to publish other books from among the submitted manuscripts. No more than 35 pages of poetry, excluding front and back matter.

TRANSITIONS ABROAD EXPATRIATE AND WORK ABROAD WRITING CONTEST
https://www.transitionsabroad.com/information/writers/expatriate_writing_contest.shtml
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 1, 2019. Professionals and freelancers are encouraged to write nonfiction inspirational and practical articles that describe their experience living, moving, and working abroad. Often your experience is extended and transformed by activities in the host country, so living, working, studying, and traveling abroad are often inextricable — and we are interested in exploring all such organic interconnections. Pays $500 cash prize for the first place winner, $150 for the second place winner, $100 for the third place winner, and $50 for all finalists. Submit an original and unpublished essay or mini-guide of between 1,200 and 3,000 words relating to your experience living, moving, or working abroad.

BIOPAGE
https://www.biopage.com/contest/biopage-mini-essay-writing-contest-6/show
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline July 15, 2019. Biopage is hosting a writing contest to remind people of the benefits of writing. Write something, write anything. It doesn’t need to be long; actually we limit it to 5,000 characters or roughly 1,000 words. You can win $1,000, and three runners-up can win $200 each. Register for an account at biopage.com (or download and register on iOS or Android app). First complete your profile, write a bio to introduce yourself. Click “Update”, and post your essay there. The contest is open to anyone from everywhere, every country, every corner of the world.

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

PHYLLIS GEBAUER SCHOLARSHIP IN WRITING
https://writers.uclaextension.edu/
https://writers.uclaextension.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Phyllis-Gebauer-Scholarship-2018-19-v3.pdf
Deadline June 21, 2019. The Phyllis Gebauer Scholarship in Writing seeks to acknowledge and foster the talent of promising writers from diverse backgrounds and cultures who might otherwise not have the opportunity to study their craft in a supportive educational environment. Up to six scholars are named annually, and each of the six recipients is given the opportunity to enroll in three full-length Writers’ Program courses during a one-year period (mentorships, master classes, Writers Studio workshops, and 20-week courses are excluded). Courses may be taken either onsite or online but cannot be deferred for any reason. In order to be considered eligible for the Phyllis Gebauer Scholarship in Writing, applicants must have a gross income not to exceed $2,500 a month per individual. For households with more than one individual, add ten percent for each additional person. Must be a US citizen or eligible non-citizen with a green card.

ART AS ACTIVIST
https://www.rauschenbergfoundation.org/grants/art-grants/artist-as-activist
Artist as Activist provides game-changing resources to artists of all disciplines – including visual and performing arts, new media, design, and other creative professions–who address important global challenges through their creative practice. The program is comprised of three distinct grant opportunities: Individual fellowships to US-based artists and art collectives with a demonstrated commitment to applying their creative work toward a social or political action; travel and research grants for similarly focused artists; and general operating support to organizations that have been exemplars in supporting artists who work at the intersection of art and social justice.

THE JOYCE FOUNDATION
http://www.joycefdn.org/apply/what-we-fund
Deadline August 7, 2019. Issues of equity are at the core of our mission to improve quality of life, promote safe and healthy communities, and build a just society in the Great Lakes region. We focus specifically on advancing racial equity and economic mobility for the next generation in the Great Lakes region. We concentrate on initiatives that promise to have an impact across the region or within the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Our program areas are Culture, Democracy, Education & Economic Mobility, Environment, and Gun Violence Prevention & Justice Reform.

OHIO INDIVIDUAL EXCELLENCE GRANTS
https://www.oac.ohio.gov/Portals/0/grants/Guidelines/Individual-Excellence.pdf
Deadline September 1, 2019. The Individual Excellence Awards program recognizes outstanding accomplishments by artists in a variety of disciplines. Awards give artists the resources to experiment and explore their art forms, develop skills, and advance their careers and receive affirmation and acknowledgment for outstanding work. Competitive applications focused on the merit of past artistic work, combined with an open panel review conducted by nationally recognized professionals, ensure that only the most exceptional individuals receive funding. GRANT AWARDS: Individual Excellence Awards are $5,000. In odd-numbered calendar years (e.g., 2019, 2021), applications are accepted in choreography; criticism; fiction/nonfiction; music composition; playwriting/screenplays; and poetry.

OHIO ARTISTS WITH DISABILITIES ACCESS PROGRAM
https://www.oac.ohio.gov/Portals/0/grants/Guidelines/ADAP.pdf
Deadline December 1, 2019. The Artists with Disabilities Access Program (ADAP) provides funding that gives individual artists with disabilities – and organizations that serve them – the resources they need to further their artistic development. Creative expression by artists of all abilities is essential to building dynamic and diverse communities throughout Ohio, and developing an artistic career is a long-term process. Grants are awarded to individual artists at both the emerging artist level ($500) and professional artist level ($1,000), with no match required. Organizational applicants may request between $1,000 and $3,000, a one-to-one cash match is required.

FREELANCE MARKETS

MY NORTH
https://www.mynorth.com/contact-us/writing-submission-guidelines/
We run stories of all lengths that go directly online, and we pay about $50–$100. Print pieces, similarly, range from $50 for shorts up to $700 for longer format print features—those, after their print debut, go online as well. We factor in travel time, research time, blog format versus narrative structure, number of sources and complexity of the topic when we commission or accept pieces. Feature articles generally work best for us at 1,500 to 3,000 words. Departments are limited to 700 words. Online articles, as previously mentioned, vary. Traditionally we cover the Northwest Michigan counties of Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Crawford, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Manistee, Otsego, Cheboygan and Mackinac. We now regularly venture beyond our traditional turf, however, and run pieces based in the northeastern Lower Peninsula and the Upper Peninsula.

DOWN EAST
https://downeast.com/guidelines/
Thanks for your interest in contributing to the magazine of Maine! Most of the stories and images in Down East are the products of our regular stable of experienced writers and photographers, but we are always interested in new ideas and perspectives as we continue our 60-year tradition of telling the stories of the place that means so much to us. Our mission is to showcase Maine’s landscapes, traditions, compelling personalities, and singular way of life, as well as to confront its complexities insightfully and without sentimentality. Payment varies, between $.60/word and $.75/word, depending on the complexity of the assignment and intended use in the magazine. We pay a flat $400 for My Maine essays.

AMERICAN LIBRARIES
https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/submissions/
American Libraries is ALA’s full-color magazine and the primary perquisite of membership in the American Library Association. Each issue features articles on professional concerns and developments, along with news of the Association, library-related legislation, and libraries around the country and the world. Expression of diverse viewpoints and critical interpretation of professional issues make the magazine the premier forum for the exchange of ideas. Honoraria of $100 to $250 are offered for some articles, paid upon acceptance of manuscript for publication. We do not pay for articles written about your own institution.

CURVE
http://www.curvemag.com/Curve-Magazine/Contact-Us/Article-Submission-Guidelines/
Curve, the nation’s best-selling lesbian magazine, spotlights all that is fresh, funny, exciting, controversial and cutting-edge in the lesbian community. Our editorial content profiles lesbian heroes and icons, illuminates trends, and offers a lesbian and woman-centered perspective on issues and events. Please note that Curve does not publish fiction, poetry, unsolicited first-person anecdotes and stories, book, music and web reviews (these are written in-house), or explicitly sexual material.

GULF COAST
https://gulfcoastmag.org/submit/
Gulf Coast has instituted a small reading fee ($2.50) for regular submissions, 100% of which will go toward increasing the honorariums for the authors whose work we publish in the journal and on the website. Gulf Coast is now able to pay $50 per page for poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Gulf Coast reads general submissions, submitted through the online submissions manager, from September 1 through March 1. Considers short fiction, poetry, interviews and reviews of literary collections or anthologies, and critical art writing. Limit 7,000 words.

Publishers/agents

HARLEQUIN DESIRE
https://harlequin.submittable.com/submit
Harlequin Desire seeks the following. A strong, yet vulnerable, hero who is wealthy, ambitious, hardworking, and sexy as sin. The Desire alpha hero always has a heart of gold, no matter how flawed he may seem. A Desire heroine is independent and smart. She has her own goals and dreams, which may not include looking for Mr. Right. Falling in love might complicate everything. The Desire couple lives in a world of family, friends and colleagues. Secondary characters never steal the spotlight from the couple but are integral to the plot, the conflict and the hero’s and heroine’s romance. High-stakes conflicts, situations, and set-ups bring a unique quality to every Desire novel. Word limit 50,000 words.

HARLEQUIN HEARTWARMING
https://harlequin.submittable.com/submit
Wholesome, fun, and feel-good contemporary romances set in close-knit communities where the reader can escape to a world of love and belonging. Fall in love with small towns, friendly neighborhoods, and romances that always end with happily ever after! Limit 70,000 words.

HARLEQUIN HISTORICAL
https://harlequin.submittable.com/submit
Richly textured, emotionally intense novels set across a wide range of historical periods - ancient civilizations up to and including the Second World War. Strong and dynamic characters with believable, relatable conflicts, appropriate for the time in which they are set. Central relationship as the driving force of the story. Historical research and accuracy are essential to bringing the world to life! But remember to focus on the romance. Word length: 70,000-75,000 words.

HARLEQUIN INTRIGUE
https://harlequin.submittable.com/submit
Harlequin Intrigue books are for fans of novels by Sandra Brown, James Patterson and Iris Johansen. They are high-stakes thrillers and procedurals where determined characters go through a spectrum of tensions as they work to solve a crime. Limit 55,000 words. They are nail-biting thrillers that feature crime stories with complex plots that keep the reader guessing.

HARLEQUIN MEDICAL ROMANCE
https://harlequin.submittable.com/submit
Intense, uplifting, and relatable romances set in the medical world. Experience the rollercoaster of emotions, ambitions, and desires of today's medical professionals. Word count 50,000.

HARLEQUIN PRESENTS (M&B MODERN)
https://harlequin.submittable.com/submit
These stories are all about passion and escape—glamorous international settings, captivating women and the seductive, tempting men who want them. Limit 50,000 words.

HARLEQUIN ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
https://harlequin.submittable.com/submit
These novels are romance-focused stories with a suspense element. Powerful romances are at the heart of each story, and the additional elements of excitement, adventure and suspense play out between complex characters. Word count 70,000 words.

HARLEQUIN SPECIAL EDITION
https://harlequin.submittable.com/submit
Harlequin Special Edition features relatable characters who strike a chord with the reader regardless of the book's setting or plot points. These are compelling, contemporary romance novels—with happy endings! Word count 55,000 words.

HARLEQUIN LOVE INSPIRED
https://harlequin.submittable.com/submit
Contemporary inspirational romances that feature Christian characters facing the many challenges of life and love in today's world. Strong contemporary romances with a Christian worldview and wholesome values. Stories with relationships that emphasize emotional intimacy rather than sexual desire. Limit 60,000 words.

HARLEQUIN LOVE INSPIRED SUSPENSE
https://harlequin.submittable.com/submit
Edge-of-the-seat, contemporary romantic suspense tales of intrigue and romance featuring Christian characters facing challenges to their faith…and to their lives. Limit 55,000 words.