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FREELANCE WRITING TEAMS

This day and time, writing "teams" are making appearances across social media and emails. I get inquiries from them at least every other day. Sometimes they come across as individuals. Other times they openly state they represent teams. As an editor, I have a problem with them, in whatever guise they present themselves. Today, this is my rant. 

Recently one individual pitched a piece about writers capitalizing on Pinterest. As I usually do, I Googled the writer. She indeed understood the subject and had been published as a freelancer, to include about this topic. So I told her I was interested. 

A couple weeks later, she said the holidays put them behind. Them? She went further to explain that she had a team who edited pieces before they went out. Finally she sent the piece, and made mention of "the writer" and "the team," and I put on my brakes. I asked who this person was who actually wrote the piece, because I needed to vet them. I had only vetted her. 

She explained that she was part of a team that functioned this way. I said I still had to vet the writer. She instead pulled the piece, not wanting to reveal the writer, which suited me fine. I did not like the conspiratorial method in which she handled the situation.

A day doesn't go by that others don't pitch me, openly identifying as a team. They promise to write anything I need, guaranteeing superb quality. Again, no identification of an individual. I reject instantly, stating I do not do business with teams. 

Why don't I?

1) I like to know who I am doing business with. FundsforWriters is my brand, and I protect it with fervor. Allowing articles from unknowns is suspicious, and I have no idea who could one day prove detrimental because their work was shown on my site.

2) An article writer who really freelances for a living has a website and social media. If they publish in FundsforWriters, I expect them to broadcast the fact to their following, which in turn draws them to my site, and hopefully, the newsletter. 

Writing teams are becoming popular in some circles, but not in this one. I prefer a personal relationship with the writers I do business with. I want them to stand up tall and present themselves, because a good writer reflects positively on FundsforWriters. An anonymous team makes me wonder why hide behind the curtain.

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Request your Audible promo code at www.JessicaMcCann.com/WORDSaudiobook-ffw
 
 
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Featured article

Five Wisdoms About the Middle Grade Market

By Sarah Allen

When approaching a new market, the more familiar you are with the particularities of that market, the greater your chances of success. Writing for middle grade readers is no exception - this market has its own nuances and best practices just like any other. If, like so many of us, you are interested in writing for this special age group, there are a few things you should know.

Voice is queen

What are middle grade editors and agents looking for above all? Voice. That ineffable je ne sais quoi that sets your work apart, your own particular and individual nuance and timbre that nobody else can imitate even if they tried. Big ideas and high concepts are as splashy in middle grade as they are in any other market, but even in a quiet story, if your voice sings, editors and agents will take notice. 

Less is more

Middle Grade novels were already on the short side (check out this old but still remarkably relevant word count gauge) and the trend is getting even shorter. (You can check out the AR Bookfinder to find the word count of your recent favorites.) Many in this age group tend to be more willing to pick up a slimmer, less intimidating tome, and editors and agents know this. 

What does this mean for middle grade writers? Stick carefully within the generally accepted word count limits, and tending toward the short end might be a notch in your favor.

Teachers and librarians are key

Move up just one age bracket, into the teenage Young Adult market, and very often readers are deciding and purchasing their own books. Not so for our Middle Grade readers. The buyers and decision-makers in the middle grade market are most often teachers and school librarians. 

So as you sit at your desk working on the novel of your heart, ask yourself this question: How might your story enhance a lesson plan? For example, maybe your main character volunteers at an aquarium or has the power to control the weather. Might that be incorporated into a sixth grade STEM class? Maybe your story is about hilarious school situations that never fail to get a laugh, and would make for an excellent read-aloud. Now, this is not at all suggesting that you chase perceived market trends or try and shoehorn your amazing story into some curriculum shape. Not at all. This is simply a possible tool you might have in your arsenal as you approach this unique market.

Poems, short stories, and essays, oh my!

Don't forget that there are markets for middle grade readers outside of traditional book publishing as well. If you're a poet or essayist with an eye toward the middle grade market, there are some fantastic opportunities available for you. Two of the top markets are the classic Highlights magazine and the amazing stable of magazines put out by Cricket media. There are also some lesser known but also fantastic markets in this area such as Jack and Jill magazine and Crow Toes Quarterly.

The particular writing voice and style that applies to books for middle grade readers apply here too, and the best thing you can do is pick up a copy of the publication you're interested in submitting to and give it a good close read.

The difference between MG and YA

There is quite a firm market line between books for middle grade readers and books for young adults. This applies in areas from word count to content to age of protagonist. For example, main characters in YA books tend to be 15-19 while main characters in MG books are usually 9-13. (Those poor 14-year-olds!) Of course there are always exceptions, but it might be smart not to risk mixing up those lines and getting yourself auto-rejected. In this case as in so many others, knowledge is power.

With these things in mind, you will be more prepared to tackle that middle grade market. It's a fun, rich world, waiting for your unique story!

Bio: Sarah Allen is the author What Stars Are Made Of as well as the upcoming Breathing Underwater, both from FSG/Macmillan. She has published poems and short stories in Cicada, Presence, The Evansville Review, and more. She has an MFA in fiction with a middle grade creative thesis from Brigham Young University and is currently at work on an MFA in poetry at the University of South Florida. Find her online at https://www.sarahallenbooks.com/. 

 

COmpetitions

FIRST PAGES PRIZE
http://www.firstpagesprize.com
$20 ENTRY FEE ($35 Extended Entry Fee). Deadline February 7. 2021 (February 21 extended). Enter your first 1,250 words of a longer work of fiction or creative nonfiction. Open to un-agented writers worldwide. Awarding $5,000 in total to five winners, plus developmental editing, and an agent consultation. The 2021 judge is Lan Samantha Chang. 



CHAPTER ONE PRIZE FOR NOVELISTS
https://gutsygreatnovelist.com/chapter-one-prize/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 1, 2021. The Gutsy Great Novelist Chapter One Prize is awarded for an outstanding first chapter of an unpublished novel. First prize is $1,000; second is $500; and third is $250. The prize is open to anyone over 18 writing a novel in English in any genre for adult or YA readers. 



GEMINGA
https://sunspotlit.submittable.com/submit/183587/geminga-500-for-tiny-fiction-nonfiction-poetry-or-art
$6 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 31, 2021. Sunspot Lit is launching Geminga: $500 for Tiny Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, or Art to honor the power of the small. No restrictions on theme or category. Word limit is 100 for fiction and nonfiction. Micropoetry is limited to 140 characters. Titles are not included in the word count. Compound words separated by hyphens, numbers, and letters of the alphabet are counted as a single word. In the micropoetry category, characters include spaces, punctuation, numbers, and letters of the alphabet. Publication for the winner, and publication offered to runners-up and finalists. Works should be unpublished except on a personal blog or website. 



KILLER READS CRIME NOVEL COMPETITION - UK
http://www.killerreads.com/killing-it/
Deadline April 7, 2021. Launching at the start of 2021 on January 7th, this is a competition to help push open doors to crime writers who need a way into the publishing industry. All you need to do to enter is send us the first 10,000 words of your crime, thriller or suspense novel, a short synopsis, and a short paragraph about yourself, too. Editorial reports from HarperFiction crime editors on their full manuscripts, covering pace, characterisation, pitch, and more. Editorial mentoring (up to three one-hour sessions) with a HarperFiction crime editor. The competition will be judged by HarperFiction Editorial Director Phoebe Morgan, Commissioning Editor Kathryn Cheshire, Assistant Editor Sophie Churcher, and Ayo Onatade, a crime critic and the former chair of the Crime Writers Association Short Story Dagger. Submit the first 10,000 words of your crime, thriller or suspense novel (your book needs to be complete or near-complete to enter), a short synopsis (max. 500 words), and a short paragraph about yourself. Limited to UK residents. 



“LOVE THIS” THE NON-PERSONAL LOVE POETRY CONTEST
https://oprelle.com/products/love-this-the-non-personal-love-poetry-contest-contest-entry
$10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 11, 2021. The contest is open to anyone age 14 and up who writes poetry. Theme is "Love This!" Limit 14 lines of poetry. First place $200 and prime placement in the anthology as well as a free paperback copy. Second place $100 and prime placement in the anthology as well as a free paperback copy. Third place $50 and prime placement in the anthology as well as a free paperback copy.



ON THE PREMISES SHORT STORY CONTESTS
https://onthepremises.com/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 5, 2021 for the latest. Stories published in On The Premises are winning entries in short story contests launched every June and December. Each contest challenges writers to produce a great story based on a broad premise that we supply. Winning stories are published in individual magazine issues each April and October. We also hold “mini-contests” four times a year, in April, May, October, and November. First place winners receive $250, second place $200, third place $150, and honorable mention $75. If you want to know when new contests begin, subscribe to our (free, short, ten-times-a-year) newsletter. The premise of our 37th contest is "Repairs". For this contest, write a creative, compelling, well-crafted story between 1,000 and 5,000 words long in which one or more characters try to repair something.



STEINBERG MEMORIAL ESSAY CONTEST
https://fourthgenre.byu.edu/submissions/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 15, 2021. The first-place winner will receive $1,000 and publication in the next year’s spring issue. Finalists and the first-place winner will be announced on Fourth Genre’s Facebook, Twitter, and website. Limit 6,000 words. 



FOURTH GENRE MULTIMEDIA ESSAY PRIZE
https://fourthgenre.byu.edu/submissions/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 15, 2021. While there is no set word or time limit for the Fourth Genre Multimedia Essay Prize, please keep in mind that your essay must be short enough to be web-friendly. Typically, web content does not exceed more than a few thousand words. Similarly, video and audio submissions should be relatively brief. All submissions will be considered for publication on the Fourth Genre website. Finalists and the first-place winner will be announced on Fourth Genre’s Facebook, Twitter, and website.

 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

GRUBSTREET EMERGING WRITER FELLOWSHIP
https://grubstreet.org/programs/emerging-writer-fellowship/
Deadline February 22, 2021. The Emerging Writer Fellowship aims to develop new, exciting voices by providing three writers per year tuition-free access to GrubStreet’s classes and Muse and the Marketplace conferences. Although all of our programming is currently taking place virtually, we hope that this year's fellows will be able to join us in-person for classes and events later in 2021 and into 2022. Priority will be given to applicants who will be able to join us in Boston when it's safe to do so.



GOOD HART ARTIST RESIDENCY
https://goodhartartistresidency.submittable.com/submit/177953/good-hart-artist-residency-writer-and-songwriter-open-call-2021
Deadline February 17, 2021. Call is now open for writers and composers/songwriters. Writers must be currently working on a project. Writers shall submit three to five pages of a work in progress and an excerpt of no more than ten pages of a completed work. Samples of previously published work must include a link to the published work or information for accessing the published work. Projects may be in poetry, short stories, novels, essays, plays, screenplays, or creative nonfiction. Writing submissions must be in English. The Good Hart Artist Residency located in Good Hart, Michigan offers two- to three-week residencies to dedicated visual artists, writers, and composers. The residency provides a 1,150 sqft residency and a 24×14 detached studio, food, a $500.00 stipend, and a quiet setting to concentrate on creative work. The resident artist is housed in a rural area within walking distance of Lake Michigan and the village of Good Hart, along the “Tunnel of Trees,” a Scenic Heritage Route. 



CREATIVE CAPITAL AWARDS
https://creative-capital.org/about/
The next application for the Creative Capital Awards is open to artists in all disciplines February 1—March 1, 2021. Project proposals will be accepted in a free and open application through the month of February. Including follow-up monetary support, a project may receive as much as $50,000 in direct financial support. The funding is disbursed to artists at key moments of their choosing throughout the lifespan of their project. This is in addition to advisory and professional services with an average value of more than $50,000, bringing the potential support per project up to $100,000. 

 

FREELANCE MARKETS / JOBS

GRANT WRITER NEEDED
Email address: bonnieharmon@hotmail.com
Looking for a grant writer to write grant(s) for "Artist in Residence" program for a nonprofit charity performing arts organization. The writer must search for the listed organizational components such as performing arts and fashion (i.e., the Avenue of the Arts [www.avenueofthearts.org] and Fashion Group International Philadelphia [www.fgiphiladelphia.org]) within the Philadelphia arts residential community. Willing to pay from $200 - $500. Writer may apply by contacting Bonita Harmon, Director of the Greatest Philadelphia Performing Arts Enrichment Program. 

   

THE AMERICAN SCHOLAR
https://theamericanscholar.submittable.com/submit
The American Scholar is a quarterly magazine of essays, fiction, poetry, and articles covering public affairs, literature, science, history, and culture. Published since 1932 for the general reader by the Phi Beta Kappa Society, the Scholar considers nonfiction by known and unknown writers, but unsolicited fiction, poetry, and book reviews are not accepted. We pay up to $500 for accepted pieces and up to $250 for pieces taken only for our website, theamericanscholar.org. 



THE SUN
https://thesunmagazine.org/submit/essays-fiction-poetry
We publish personal essays, fiction, and poetry. Personal stories that touch on political and cultural issues are welcome. We rarely run anything longer than 7,000 words; there’s no minimum length. Writing from The Sun has won the Pushcart Prize and been selected for the Best American Essays and Best American Short Stories anthologies. Can pay up to a dollar per word. 



SCRAP
https://www.scrap.org/
Scroll down to the bottom. No specific guidelines. The official magazine of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. Pays up to $1,200 for strong features. 



PSYCHOLOGY TODAY
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/writers-guidelines
Our website and print magazine explore every aspect of human behavior, from the cultural trends that reflect the way we think to the inner workings of individual brains. Psychologists and mental health professionals read PT, as do curious and intelligent lay readers. If you are a clinician, scientist, mental health expert, or writer who would like to publish regular pieces on a particular theme or set of topics, please first consider making a blog proposal. Many of our magazine contributors begin as Psychology Today bloggers. Pays up to a dollar per word.  



PREVENTION
http://www.preventionmediakit.com/r5/home.asp
The trusted go-to guide that motivates readers to feel their best, head to toe, inside and out. For 70 years, Prevention has been the dominant thought leader in the health and wellness space, delivering authoritative information, expert advice and fresh, healthy-living tips. Can pay up to a dollar a word. 

 

Publishers/agents

FLETCHER AND COMPANY
https://www.fletcherandco.com/team/
Fletcher & Company is a full-service literary management company that works with writers and creators across a variety of nonfiction, commercial and literary fiction.



DYSTEL, GODERICH & BOURRET LLC
https://www.dystel.com/
Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC is a dynamic literary agency boasting an impressive client list and a sterling reputation. Led by Jane Dystel, who founded the company in 1994, our agents are smart, hardworking, compassionate, and focused on their authors’ success. We are a full-service enterprise known for our business savvy and integrity.  



LUCINDA LITERARY
https://lucindaliterary.com/about/team/
With over 15 years of experience in corporate and agency publishing, Lucinda Halpern serves both sides of the literary and business worlds. An editorially invested partner with a specialty in book marketing strategy, she has an “all in” dedication and work ethic when it comes to representing authors, and a track record of procuring top media placements, lecture engagements, and tv/film deals for her clients. The agency has several agents, each with specialty desires. 



BELT PUBLISHING
https://beltpublishing.com/pages/about
Belt Publishing is a worker-owned, independent press founded in 2013 in Cleveland as a platform for new and influential voices. Our rapidly growing list includes original titles by some of the nation's best writers about often overlooked subjects of interest, with a particular focus on urbanism, history, and narratives that upend expectations about the Rust Belt, the Midwest, and its writers. 



CIPHER PRESS
https://www.cipherpress.co.uk/
Launched in 2020, Cipher Press is an independent publisher that amplifies writing by queer-identified authors. Cipher Press is open for submissions from trans and gender non-conforming writers, queer writers of colour, and queer working-class writers based in the UK. We’re looking for book-length adult fiction and creative nonfiction from both agented and unagented authors. We’re open to any genre and style as long as the work fits somewhere within the literary bracket and reflects some aspect of the LGBTQI+ experience. 



5 OTTER LITERARY
https://fiveotterliterary.com/
We represent literature across all audiences, categories, genres, and formats, for traditional publishing as well as audio, translation, and film/TV. Our authors are award-winning, bestselling, and critically acclaimed, as well as debut and emerging. While located in Canada, we represent clients all over the world in the English language.



THE GERNERT COMPANY
https://www.thegernertco.com/home-page-the-agency
The Gernert Company is a literary agency with offices in New York and Los Angeles. Our client list is as broad as the market; we represent equal parts fiction (commercial and literary writers, both well-known and soon-to-be, whether writing for adults or younger readers) and nonfiction (biographers, memoirists, journalists, essayists, bloggers, and writers of trade and scholarly nonfiction in subjects ranging from sports and history to current events and science). We sell domestic, foreign, and subsidiary rights for our clients and partner with subagents in select foreign markets and in the film/TV industry.



EKSTASIS EDITIONS
http://www.ekstasiseditions.com/html/guidelines.html
At Ekstasis Editions we are interested in literary novels, short fiction and poetry, as well as books for children under our new Cherubim Books imprint. We also publish nonfiction titles concerned with alternative approaches to spirituality. Ekstasis Editions is not currently publishing mainstream science fiction/fantasy or mainstream mystery novels, but will consider original works in these genres. We are not considering any romance, detective, western, horror or action/adventure novels, nor any biographies/autobiographies. We normally consider unsolicited submissions from Canadian authors only. 



NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY PRESS
https://nupress.northwestern.edu/content/submissions
The Press’s award-winning imprint, TriQuarterly Books, is devoted primarily to contemporary American fiction and poetry. In 2010, Northwestern University Press acquired the prestigious publisher of world literature Curbstone Press. The Curbstone imprint remains active and committed to its original mission.
 

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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
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ISSN: 1533-1326

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