A Writers Life - Resources

Sixth year. Fourteen cash prizes totaling $5,250. Top prize $2,000.
Submit poems in any style or genre. Both published and unpublished
work accepted. Winning entries published online. Entry fee is $6
for every 25 lines, payable to Winning Writers. Postmark deadline
September 30, 2008. Judges: J.H. Reid, D.C. Konrad. Submit
online or mail to Winning Writers, ATTN: Tom Howard Poetry Contest,
351 Pleasant Street, PMB 222, Northampton, MA 01060. Winning Writers is pleased to be one of “101 Best Websites for Writers” (Writer’s Digest, 2005-2008).
www.winningwriters.com/tompoetry

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EDITOR’S THOUGHTS
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Read newsletter online at: http://www.fundsforwriters.com/FFW.htm
Read past issues at: http://www.aweber.com/z/article/?fundsforwriters
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BEFORE THE AMAZON JUNGLE
Bet you thought my title referred to the online Amazon jungle,
that bohemoth that seems to dominate everything literary.
Actually, I just ran across an article in New Scientist
Environment magazine (online) that states scientists have discovered the Amazon is not virgin after all. Six hundred years ago, the Amazon jungle area was urban.
Yep. At one time, 50,000 people lived in 15 different communities
in what is now monstrous trees, vines bigger than your waist,
and wildlife that can carry you away for dinner. Apparently,
when the Europeans arrived, the natives were killed or died
from disease in such large numbers that the civilization of
the time disappeared, and nature took over.
Amazing how the foundation of what is standard in our lives
can be shaken. It’s like saying we can’t begin a sentence with
a conjunction, then seeing it in a Pulitzer-prize winning
novel. Or it’s like saying literary fiction is more cerebral
than commercial genre fiction then falling in love with the
beautiful language in a thriller novel.
Changing the norm applies in the rest of our lives. Eggs are
good; eggs are bad. Apple juice is good; apple juice is bad.
Coffee hurts you; coffee helps you. We become comfortable
with a habit, and over time it becomes the norm. Sometimes
our norm seems rooted in granite, as old as the Amazon jungle.
In reality, nothing is stable or set in stone. Most folks hear
what is expected in the publishing and literary worlds, and
then write to the expectation. Then there are those souls who
decide to become the Amazon, planting the seeds for new,
monstrous, phenomenal future alternatives in writing. Suddenly,
one day their way becomes the establishment…the Amazon jungle,
and nobody remembers how it used to be.
Write what’s important to you, but what seems the norm.
The norm will be gone tomorrow.
Hope

http://www.hopeclark.blogspot.com
People are raving about the new look…and the new opportunities
offered four-five days a week.
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TOTAL FundsforWriters
Love FundsforWriters newsletter? Wish you had more grants,
contests and opportunities for your work? Does the regular
newsletter not give you enough chances to stretch your
writing muscles? Subscribe to TOTAL FundsforWriters.
For $12/year, you receive 80+ grants, contests, markets,
jobs and publisher/agent calls for submissions.
That’s a deal!
Don’t forget THE SHY WRITER. TOTAL comes with the paperback
purchase. Or buy an ebook combo and get TOTAL for absolutely
nothing.
http://www.fundsforwriters.com/total.htm
http://www.fundsforwriters.com/ebooks.htm
http://www.fundsforwriters.com/shywriter.htm
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7th ANNUAL FUNDSFORWRITERS ESSAY CONTEST
Sponsored by IdeaWeaver
www.ideaweaversoftware.com
FundsforWriters and its annual sponsor IdeaWeaver, creator
of writing and creativity software, announce the 7th Annual
FundsforWriters Essay Contest.
THEME: “The Best Advice I Ever Had.”
As is the FundsforWriters trademark, applicants enter with
or without an entry fee, their choice. Prize monies range
from $10 to $200. Limit 750 words. Deadline October 31,
2008.
www.fundsforwriters.com/annualcontest.htm
Questions to hope@fundsforwriters.com
Also sponsored by:
Shelley Lieber
4Ps to Publishing Success:
Get Your Manuscript Off Your Desk & Into Print
www.shelleylieber.com/work1.htm
and
Original Impulse – Cynthia Morris
Creativity & Life Coaching Resources for Writers
www.originalimpulse.com

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WRITER’S DIGEST’S TOP 101 BEST WRITING WEB SITES TAKING NOMINATIONS
Writer’s Digest is now accepting nominations for next year’s list.
Refer sites for 2009 by sending a nomination to:
writersdig@fwpubs.com with “101 Websites” as the subject line.
Hope FundsforWriters has aided you in some way in 2008 to
prompt your nomination of us to this wonderful competition.
Much thanks for your consideration. ~HOPE

WORDS OF SUCCESS
Chance is always powerful.
Let your hook be always cast.
In the pool where you least expect it,
will be a fish.
~ Ovid

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ARTICLE
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YOUR FINANCIAL HEAD
By C. Hope Clark
Whether you like it or not, you are an entrepreneur. If you
earn a buck for your writing, if you have visions of earning
a living for your stories, you are a business person. Keep
that in mind when you leap from the day job. Remember you
want to live off your words.
That means you have to think about money. While we envision
earning a full-time income from writing as the hard part of
this equation, the more serious part is establishing some
sense of financial security.
Insurance – You put insurance on your car sooner than you
insure yourself. Wow, think about that for a moment. Make
sure you not only have health insurance, but life insurance
as well. As someone self-employed, you might consider
disability insurance. One accident and it’s all over, even
if you live to tell the tale since medical bills ain’t cheap.
Taxes – Just like church tithing, take a percentage off the
top of each writing check and sock it away for your income
taxes. Twenty to thirty percent is wise. Sure it hurts, but
think about how hard it will hurt when your accountant says
to mail your income tax forms in with a four figure check.
Emergencies – Crap happens. Set aside six month’s worth of
living expenses for the next time it does.
Retirement – Sure, you say. Who can afford a retirement fund?
Talk to me in a few years when arthritis keeps you from
meeting deadlines and you can’t pay the bills. A retirement
fund and health insurance are two very stern reasons to KEEP
a day job, unless you are disciplined enough to pay for them
as a freelancer.
Pay off the Bills – I paid mine off before I took the leap
into freelance-world, except for the mortgage. You don’t write
from the heart when the wolf bays at your door for payment.
Create a Budget – The majority of people, much less freelance
writers, fly by the seat of their pants through the month
when it comes to paying the bills. They pay them as they
come in, assuming they have the money. Know at the beginning
of the month what you need to earn and for what as well as
when. You note your calendar for writing deadlines, why not
your bills? Estimate your income and project your needs.
Don’t make major purchases without knowing if they fit
within the budget.
Income Streams – Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
That monthly column can stop overnight. A magazine can
go belly-up and you not see it coming. Negotiate relationships
with stable publications, then pitch to the others you hope
to one day write for. Enter contests, teach classes, take
in advertising and write for paying blogs. Learn that
balance so that you have peace of mind to write the novel
or that dream project you’ve always craved.
Contingency Plan – What happens if a natural disaster
strikes? What happens if you drop dead? Make sure you
not only have a will, but a financial file listing all
the accounts, passwords, contacts, income and expenses
that need to be addressed. You don’t want those monthly
costs of web hosting, newsletter hosting, PayPal, or
Writer’s Market to carry on, eating up your residual
funds. Let someone know how to deal with your affairs.
Get your act together. It’s not just about the writing
if you’re living off the dough.
BIO
C. Hope Clark keeps an address book of all online and
FundsforWriters connections for her family…just in case.
www.fundsforwriters.com
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COMPETITIONS
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20th ANNUAL MEMOIRS COMPETITION
E-mail: WritersW@gmail.com
http://www.twwoa.org
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$20 ENTRY FEE
Deadline November 30, 2008. First place $350. Second place $250.
Third place $150. Ten Honorable Mentions. Submit a memoir of
4,000 words or less. All work must be unpublished. Pages should
be paper clipped, with your name, address, email, phone and
title of work also on a cover sheet. Double-space, and use 12
point font. The entry fee is $20 per memoir, or $15 for Workshop
members. Do not send via FedEx, certified mail, etc.
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ESSENCE SHORT FICTION CONTEST
http://www.essence.com/essence/books/
—-
NO ENTRY FEE
This contest is open only to legal residents of the United
States and Washington, DC 18 years or older at the time of
entry that have never had a work of fiction published in a
major commercial book, or in a magazine with a circulation
of more than 25,000. All stories submitted must be works of
original fiction featuring an adult female of African descent
as the main character. 2,500 words maximum. Entries must be
postmarked no later than September 30, 2008 and received no
later October 7, 2008. One First Prize Winner will receive a
cash prize of $1,000 and publication of her or his contest
entry in a winter 2009 issue of ESSENCE magazine. The
submissions of the First, Second and Third Prize Winners as
well as those of the Seven Honorable Mentions will be featured
on ESSENCE.COM during the first quarter of 2009.
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NEW RIVERS PRESS MVP COMPETITION
http://www.newriverspress.com/
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$20 ENTRY FEE
To find new and emerging writers and advance their careers.
(An emerging writer is one who has not published more than
two books with a commercial, university, or national small
press.) Submission period September 15 – November 1, 2008.
The Poetry Prize is open to any U.S. citizen. Two additional
prizes (one prose, one any genre) are open to legal residents
of MN or New York City. The three winning titles will be
published in Fall 2010 by New Rivers Press and distributed
nationally through Consortium Book Sales and Distribution.
Each winning author will receive $1,000 and a standard book
contract.

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GRANTS
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NEVADA ARTS COUNCIL – BETTER EDUCATION THROUGH THE ARTS GRANTS
http://www.nevadaculture.org/docs/arts/programs/artsedu/aie%20grants/betagrant.htm
—-
Quarterly Better Education Through the Arts (BETA) Grants
provide funding up to $750 in two categories: 1) Professional
Development for Individuals and 2) Arts Education Small Projects
Grants for Organizations and Individuals. BETA Arts Education
Small Projects Grants for individuals and organizations may
include, but are not limited to: art exhibitions, performances,
readings and concerts; sponsoring of arts education workshops
and conferences. Neither category allows for an individual to
apply for a grant to present a project in his/her home.
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LIVE LITERATURE FUNDING – SCOTLAND
http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/node/3864
—-
A national initiative to enable Scottish citizens to meet and
engage with writers, playwrights, poets, storytellers and
illustrators. Scottish Book Trust subsidises 1,200 LLF sessions
a year in a range of organisations all over Scotland. Over 500
people are available to carry out events and projects – they
are all listed on Scottish Book Trust’s searchable Scottish Writers
Database. You can also use any of the Storytellers on the Scottish
Storytellers’ Directory. Scottish Book Trust funds readings,
workshops and residencies as well as new and imaginative ways of
working with writers. Funding is for half of the author’s fee
plus their travel and expenses. Each author is paid £150 per
session (generally lasting an hour). Successful applicants
(host organisations) will pay £75 plus VAT per session.
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AMERICAN SCANDINAVIAN FOUNDATION
http://www.amscan.org
—-
The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) offers fellowships
(up to $23,000) and grants (normally $5,000) to individuals to
pursue research or study in one or more Scandinavian country
for up to one year. Awards are made in all fields. Application
requirements vary based on discipline. Applicants must:
-Be United States citizens or permanent residents
-Have completed their undergraduate education by the start of
their ASF project
-Have a well-defined research or study project that makes a
stay in Scandinavia essential
The ASF considers it desirable that all candidates have at
least some ability in the language of the host country, even
if it is not essential for the execution of the research plan.
Projects should be planned to fall within the summer 2009 –
summer 2010 period. The awards support project-related costs,
including maintenance, trans-Atlantic round-trip travel, in-
country travel, tuition and fees (where applicable) and
materials expenditures (e.g., books, photocopying, art supplies).
Deadline November 1, 2008.

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FREELANCE MARKETS
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SYSTEM iNETWORK
http://systeminetwork.com/writers-kit
—-
Our most valuable articles come from technical professionals
who write from their own experiences. Through the network
System iNEWS provides, these computing practitioners offer
their fellow professionals field-tested techniques and
practices that have helped them in their work. If you’re a
seasoned writer with many publication credits, great! But
even if you’ve never written for publication before, your
professional experience is a valuable resource; we can help
you share it with our readers.
We offer $0.25 per published word up to a maximum of $900
to authors who are writing for us for the first time. We
offer $0.30 per published word up to a maximum of $1,000 to
authors who have written for us before. We also pay $0.50
per line for executable code and $10 each for illustrations,
diagrams, and figures other than screen captures. We offer
a flat rate of $300 for utilities submitted without text.
If the utilities include text, we pay $300 plus the $0.25
or $0.30 per-word rate. We pay $500 for guest viewpoints.
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ED2GO
http://www.ed2go.com/teach5.html
http://www.ed2go.com/cgi-bin/ed2go/newofferings.cgi?dept=PW
—-
Seeking writers willing to work with them in developing
writing courses not already in the catalog. These are
online college courses, but an education degree is not
required. Must be able to contribute two hours per day
to each course taught.
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VERBATIM
http://www.verbatimmag.com/writers.html
—-
VERBATIM is published for popular consumption. That does not
mean that it does not publish articles on language that are
scholarly, merely that it is not designed to appeal primarily
to academicians (though many subscribe). VERBATIM publishes
original articles dealing with any aspect of language.
Payment is made at the time of publication, and ranges from
$25 to $500, depending on length, wit, and other merit.

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JOBS
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CONSUMER ELECTRONICS WRITER
Location Phoenix, AZ
http://www.komando.com/jobs/writer.asp
—-
The Kim Komando Show has numerous editorial products: books,
four newsletters and newspaper columns. The person who fills
this position will participate in researching, writing and
editing these products. We also have a large Web site, which
requires constant tending. The person who fills this position
will occasionally help our Webmaster in maintaining the site.
Knowledge of HTML would be helpful, along with graphics and
Web experience. However, we can train, if necessary. Salary is
$33,000 at entry level, or commensurate with experience. We
write only about computers, the Internet and consumer digital
equipment. If you are not interested in this area, you will
burn out quickly.
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WRITER-EDITOR
Location Quantico, VA
http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=75177205&aid=27015391-2788&WT.mc_n=MKT000125
—-
Deadline September 10, 2008. Employing Agency: US Marine
Corps. The incumbent provides editorial support to the
Enlisted Professional Military Education/Training Branch.
Edits all written text materials, such material may include
printed text, lesson plans, course cards, programmed
instructional texts, historical case studies, graphic
presentations, point papers, electronic and/or web based
publications, and official correspondence in order to provide
clear and coherent text to the intended educational audience.
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WRITER-EDITOR
Location Albuquerque [including Kirtland AFB], NM
http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=75239652&aid=27015391-2988&WT.mc_n=MKT000125
—-
Deadline September 18, 2008. Employing Agency: Bureau of
Reclamation. Requests input from AAO issue paper authors
for their monthly papers, performs the initial edit or
rewrite of those papers including grammar and format changes,
and submits to Public Affairs Specialist for final review.
Compiles information, edits quarterly reports, and provides
web site maintenance for the Collaborative Program Manager.

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PUBLISHERS/AGENTS
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STRAUS LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.strausliterary.com
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Represents fiction, mystery, biography, history, travel,
lifestyle, cookbooks, African-American, historical fiction,
memoir, current events, politics, humor, literary fiction,
multi-cultural, translations.
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BAKER’S MARK LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.bakersmark.com
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Represents general fiction, mystery, juvenile fiction,
reference, biography, business/investing/finance, history,
health, lifestyle, sports, African-American, graphic novels,
comics, supernatural-based thrillers and mysteries.
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HARVEY KLINGER INC.
http://www.harveyklinger.com
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Represents general fiction, mystery, romance, fantasy/
science fiction, juvenile fiction, reference, biography,
business/investing/finance, history, religious, mind/body/
spirit, health, travel, lifestyle, cookbooks, children’s
books, sports, Afircan-American, science.

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SPONSORS
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7th ANNUAL FLORIDA WRITERS CONFERENCE
http://www.floridawriters.net
The Seventh Annual Florida Writers Conference is packed with
opportunities for you to hone your craft and network with the
people who shape the publishing industry. Friday afternoon is
no exception.
FRIDAY AFTERNOON, CHOOSE TWO OF THESE WORKSHOPS:

AFTERNOON HIGHLIGHT: Here’s one workshop where you can ask
the questions you’ve always wanted to ask. Our panel of agents
and publishers will tell you what really goes on in the world
of publishing today—and what it takes not only to get your work
published but also to get it sold to the public.
You’ll choose from among 33 workshops presented by this year’s
faculty of 24 of the industry’s experts. You’ll also network,
network, network.
Other activities:
Friday’s Welcome Dinner & open mike

http://www.floridawriters.net
Register online! Book private one-on-one interviews. Or, do it
all by mail—your choice. Registration is $279 before September
30 ($299 after that) and includes all meals Friday morning
through noon Sunday. Interviews range from $30 to $40, depending
on your selection. Special hotel rate: $115/night with free
high-speed Internet for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.
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WORLDWIDE FREELANCE WRITER – Download a free list of writing
markets if you subscribe this week. Our database has almost 2,000
writing markets from USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Australia.
http://www.worldwidefreelance.com
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Advertise with FundsforWriters !!!
Advertise with FFW Small Markets!
ADS FOR $9 AND UP!
$ 9 – one week in FFW Small Markets
$30 – four weeks in FFW Small Markets
$20 – one week in FundsforWriters
$60 – four weeks in FundsforWriters
$25 – one week in both FundsforWriters & FFW Small Markets
$75 – four weeks in FundsforWriters & FFW Small Markets
http://www.fundsforwriters.com/adrates.htm

by Sheryl Mendez at Sat Sep 06 05:09:16 UTC 2008 (ed. Sep 8 2008) The Desert, United States | Bookmark |